Chapter Text
Before the dual Emperors Jeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung had joined forces through marriage, Hanyang hadn’t been so prosperous under the previous ruler and their dynasty. Two alphas from two of the influential clans unifying and overthrowing the previous Empress and her lineage with the support of the masses had not only impact on the city Hanyang, but also an outreach of prosperity and hope in the other cities and villages through Joseon. All had hoped the dual Emperors would have a better rule than the previous one, despite the odd coupling of two alphas together as lovers. Luckily, the Emperors showed how dedicated to their people were, and so the two alphas were universally adored by most. Which was why the situation in question was such a mystery for a certain male omega.
Because of all the things 19-year-old omega Park Jimin expected from life, which wasn’t much considering his poor social class upbringing, it was not being escorted to the capital under the Emperors’ orders. What his purpose in the palace would be, he had no clue. The only thing he knew was that the guards that had brought him from Pusan, and bought him from his own master in the process, had told him that if he went with them, Jimin’s parents wouldn’t suffer from the famine that had struck Pusan in the last harvest season. It would guarantee his family’s economic situation, which had been enough for Jimin to accept, despite being absolutely terrified of what the Emperors wanted from him. It certainly hadn’t been how he had expected his day to go…
The start of Jimin’s day was an ordinary one, he woke up early so he could hurry and take a quick bath. Bathing in cold water wasn’t at all what Jimin wanted to start his day but doing it quickly and getting to use the bathtub of the family he served was a privilege he wasn’t going to refuse. It wasn’t optimal, but the alternative was worse in his opinion.
After the bath he put on his clothes on, the clothes he had so graciously been given when he offered himself off as a nobi to pay for his aging parents. The last harvesting season had been extremely bad in Pusan, which had left Jimin’s parents—common farmers who had relied on their crops their entire lives—starving and too poor to buy what they would need to survive until the next harvesting season.
This was the catalyst that brought Jimin to this predicament he was in; sure, being a domestic servant was stricter and a little more humiliating than being a farmer, but it paid enough to keep his family alive and out of debt. It even gave him a tiny little cottage to live in, food on his plate made from a chef, and a way to wash up every day. It was small luxuries he wouldn’t have had if he had just left the idea as just that—an idea.
Because he was already given food—despite it being leftovers after his masters’ meals, he didn’t need to worry to buy food for himself; that meant Jimin could give his parents all of his earnings so they could get their own necessities.
Jimin’s master was a jungin, an administrative who did the accounting for a local yangban family, if Jimin remembered correctly. His master didn’t often talk about his job to the servants, unless it was to establish dominance and ownership. The man was an older alpha, didn’t like things not being done his way; and certainly didn’t like his servants talking to him unless instructed. Luckily, Jimin was hired to attend one of his omega daughters, so he didn’t need to answer to him directly; Jimin’s main concerns were pleasing his lady.
She was kinder, but she was still higher rank than Jimin, and didn’t allow back talk. One of the previous servants that had attended her had gotten quite the beating for insinuating she was too arrogant to get an alpha from the Yangban families. Jimin quickly understood that keeping his head low and not making any fuss was the best way for survival.
Stuck in his own little world, Jimin almost walked by the room he was supposed to enter. Shaking himself out of his own musings, the male gently knocks on the door before he walks in. Closing the door after himself, he steps up to the bed and the sleeping figure in it.
“Miss Chun-ja, please wake up. Would you like a warm bath?” Jimin uses the kindest and gentlest voice he can muster; he’d rather not get scolded for ‘waking her up too roughly’—again.
A grunt Jimin has eventually learned to understand as agreement is the only sound coming out of the blanket cocoon in front of him, and Jimin takes it for the answer it is. He walks towards the door and opens just as one of Chun-ja’s other personal servants is about to enter. Giving a polite smile, he sidesteps the other beta and walks out towards the bathroom. Once inside, Jimin wastes no time and gets his lady’s preferred oils while the bathtub is getting filled with warm water.
Half an hour later, Jimin is walking in the marketplace. Being a house servant was more than just attending the house, one of Jimin’s many daily tasks was to buy fresh meat and vegetables for the chef, amongst other things, if the master demanded it. Today it was mostly just produce that was on his list, along with a new scented oil for the bath for his lady.
Walking, and minding his own business, Jimin was fulfilling his tasks when he spots an elderly lady, carrying a basket filled with fruit and vegetables. She was struggling to carry it, it looked as if her spine would break from the pressure alone, which made Jimin’s heart ache. It reminded him of his own fragile mother, whom after years of hard work had gotten weaker and frailer as the years had gone by. In a few years, that elderly woman could be Jimin’s own mother…
Steeling his resolve, Jimin walks over to the elder lady and gently stops her.
“Grandmother, please, let me help you. That looks too heavy for you to carry all by yourself.” Taking the basket from her, he helps the old lady straighten out her back as much as she is able to. The basket was indeed much heavier than Jimin had anticipated, but he was young and had worked as a farmer, so he had the core strength to be able to hold the basket without any major issues.
“Oh, thank you, young man. That’s exceedingly kind of you.” The old lady croaks, guiding Jimin to where she resides in slow steps. “Normally my son would be here to help me, but he’s gotten ill from all the famine we have had this season.”
Jimin’s heart aches, listening to this woman’s story, understanding where she comes from. In a way, the old lady and Jimin himself both were struggling to make ends meet so they could help their loved ones.
It takes longer than Jimin technically had to spare to get the elderly lady’s supplies to her tiny modest home, and then having to rush back to his master’s lands. On the way, eh feels a prickling sensation and swiftly stops in his tracks to scan the area surrounding him. Jimin could have sworn that he felt someone’s eyes on him. But looking around proves futile, he can’t see the cause of his discomfort, and glancing towards the sun, he doesn’t have the luxury of time to stand around like a complete idiot. He’s already late for late meal, and he has all the produce needed for the meal. He was so screwed.
Jimin was indeed correct about his earlier assumption. He was thoroughly scolded and humiliated by his master for arriving late and making them wait for their meal. After the scolding Jimin got sent to his quarters without food that night.
Laying on his back, his stomach crying for food he won’t receive tonight, Jimin can’t help but wonder if he did the right thing. Then he thinks back on the older woman, her kind eyes open in surprise for the act of kindness she had received, and Jimin’s doubts fly away. There is no way he could ever have walked away from that scene without it coming to haunt him for the rest of his life. He could easily survive a day without any substance.
Closing his eyes, Jimin falls into a dreamless slumber.
Jimin thought he had served his punishment for yesterday’s mistake. So, getting the summon to go to his workroom had been terrifying, to say the least. Mentally uttering a prayer for every step he takes, Jimin can only hope this isn’t the end of his employment, or something worse.
He takes three calming, steadying breaths while he’s standing outside the door. He then knocks on the door and waits with his heart hammering in his chest cavity. Once he gets the affirmative to enter, he slides the door open and meekly walks in, making himself appear as small as he can.
Eyes on the floor, head down. Submissive. Do not anger him any further than he already must be.
Sitting down at the seat he figures must be for him, he keeps his hands in his lap, bows his head and shoulders so he’s half bowing in his seat. Just the way the other servants had taught him, in case he ever got in trouble with his master. It apparently made him pleased, and you could get away from a worse punishment if you showed how submissive you could be.
Jimin is nauseous, trying to keep his breathing even, and desperately trying to not stink up the place with his pheromones; trying not to allow his master to smell exactly how afraid he is. He can also smell more people in the room, other alphas. It fills him with dread, knowing that if something were to happen, he would have no protection—no way to escape without losing the only way to feed his family. He was trapped, in all sense of the word. Caged.
The escorting of Jimin through the capitol had felt like they were parading him around like a trophy – that’s how it felt like to Jimin, at least – only to be transported to the biggest palace Jimin had ever laid eyes on. Well, the only palace Jimin had ever laid eyes on. It wasn’t as if he had seen many in his lifetime, after all. Going through the gates placed in the walls that separated the palace from the rest of the city was like leaving reality behind and going into a fantasy. Jimin couldn’t help his big doe-eyed stares, taking in everything he could – the spacious gardens stretching all the way to the back of the palace filled with the most cared for flower decorations and statues he had ever seen and the luxurious exterior front of the palace that had left him with his mouth agape – before they further escorted the timid omega inside the palace.
Once inside, Jimin could see with his eyes that the interior very much complimented the exterior, and hence, was luxuriously decorated from the ceiling to the shiny wooden floors. The omega is so transfixed by the décor, he doesn’t pay much attention to where he’s being taken to. Before Jimin knows it, he’s in an awfully expensive looking bedroom, where two omegas dressed like servants are waiting.
Are they waiting for someone? Maybe a concubine of the Emperors? Oh, maybe this is my job from now on?
The realization that hits him flees as soon as it enters, due to the reaction that happens once he fully enters the room.
“Your Royal Highness! We are your palace maids; it is an honour to serve you.” With that, the omega girls bowed respectfully towards Jimin, catching him completely off guard.
“R-Royal Highness? Me?” Pointing at himself, he received twin nods from the servants in the room, creating a pregnant pause as Jimin stared blankly at the women in front of him, trying to make sense of anything happening at that instance. Luckily for the younger omega, one of the guards took to explaining.
“From today on, you are a concubine for the Emperors, you will conceive their children, and in return your family in Pusan will be sent a monthly allowance. In addition, you will be treated as fit for your status as a sukyong. You will have your own servants and your needs will be met. Now, if you will excuse us, we must announce your arrival to the Emperors.” It was only after hearing the doors close that Jimin was able to break himself out of his stupor and start to freak out.
He continued this little mini freak out of his through the bath that the servants coaxed him into. Despite seeing the obvious distress on his face, the servants said nothing and continued to help him clean himself and all of the things they felt necessary. Jimin was grateful for that, because it allowed him to get out all his nerves and insecurities, and while he was very embarrassed about having two women washing him, he really wasn’t up for the task himself at the moment. It was only after they helped him dry himself and put him in some expensive-looking, soft clothing that he was finally able to start asking questions about the important things roaming his head.
“Are the Emperors… kind?” He knew in theory that he was alone with the women, but he didn’t want to accidentally get himself killed for insinuating that the Emperors were cruel, but he really needed to know what he was going to be dealing with.
One of the maids wearing a plain jade coloured dangui and a navy blue chima looked at Jimin with a reassuring smile.
“They are fair and just, your highness. I am sure they will enjoy your company.” Jimin seriously doubted that, but he kept that to himself and just nodded in response. Instead, he looked down at his light pink silk dangui and started to trace the golden leaves that were sewn onto his dangui. It had only been a few weeks since he had been on the other end of the situation, working as a servant for a yangban family in Pusan.
And yet, here we are. Royal concubine… It’s too unreal.
It can’t be true… can it?
Jimin only has one word for the week that followed his arrival at the royal palace: hell. Surely, it cannot get any worse than the brutal teaching and remembering every single detail about the etiquette he is supposed to know by heart whilst living there. Luckily, the girls he met on the first day have been very helpful, giving him tips on how to remember certain etiquettes faster, and venting out all his frustrations with them has helped him considerably feel a little less stressed about all the training.
He was informed the same night as he had his supper with his personal assistants that he would not be allowed to see the Emperors until he had at least the basic of etiquette and manners into place, as to not embarrass the alphas in front of their subjects. The others living in the palace had also not been allowed near Jimin, though he later learned that was because of direct orders from the two alphas themselves. Jimin couldn’t really understand why, but he was grateful for it, because it allowed him to slowly adapt to the palace life in peace.
The training was harsh and Jimin honestly felt like an idiot due to the lack of knowledge on – what the head court lady had described as – “the most basic of basic etiquette” for living in the palace. But, Jimin knew he had to stay positive, otherwise he felt like the whole situation he found himself would drown him, so he remained positive and tried to find a bright side to his misery. At least he would be ready to face the Emperors once the head lady was satisfied with him.
He was not ready. That was the foremost thought currently running through his head at full speed as he was being dolled up by his personal maids. Jimin thought he would have weeks, maybe even months to prepare to face the dual Emperors of Hanyang, but a mere week and a half into his training he was summoned by the Emperors themselves for supper. Apparently, they had deemed the time apart long enough and wanted to meet him. Or, that’s what the guard had told him when they delivered the news earlier that day. Which is why Jimin was having the most stressful time of his life, being completely fussed over by the omega servants, making sure he looks as flawless as they could make him.
Once they deem him pretty enough for the Emperors, dressed in a bright purple dangui with a matching pink chima, both decorated nicely with golden themes sewn onto his skirt and jacket with golden threads. His hair had been made more fluffy and placed daintily on his forehead than he would’ve liked his hair to have been, but the girls had assured him it looked very flattering on him, and he left it to their judgement; they had been living in the palace far longer than Jimin had after all. While the omega women had been dressing him and doing his hair, they had filled him in on the two alphas in general, things that they felt he needed to know.
Jeon Jungkook was an alpha from a line of alphas, most of the offspring in that clan was born as alphas, and the omegas were mostly wed into the family. So, Jungkook was a naturally strong and muscular alpha, as his predecessors were. His clan, the powerful Jeon clan had resided in the Jongno District before the coup, and most of the clan members still lived there. Though, the clan had roots elsewhere, though the servants couldn’t tell him where, since it was information only people from the Jeon clan had knowledge about.
Kim Taehyung was an alpha that came from one of the more influential yangban clans in Hanyang. The Kim clan was notorious for having several family members with relations to the former Empress’ lineage. Which was why no one had expected the Kims to rebel the way they had, but there had been speculation that the Kims had finally been fed up with all the scandals and infidelities surrounding the royal members, and the bad reputation it could’ve given the Kim clan for being practically – albeit distantly – related to the dynasty in question. Kim Taehyung was in addition to that also supposedly distantly related to the Empress that he had overthrown, but his viewpoints and ruling style was so different that one could easily forget.
Of course, the omegas also warned Jimin about the two alphas’ attractiveness. And the mind-numbing effects they could have on him when they both gave him their full attention. There had reportedly been cases of newly hired maids and servants almost fainting from the auras surrounding the Emperors when they met them the first time. That didn’t make Jimin any more excited to meet the alphas in question, if anything, it made him dread it so much more. How was he supposed to remember the manners and etiquettes and keep from fainting from being in the vicinity of the Emperors?!
Internal struggling aside, there was nothing Jimin could do to stop the meeting, it was direct orders from his Emperors, and he was a mere concubine that would need to sooner or later meet the alphas of whom he would carrying the future heirs of. And so, the male omega straightened his back, forcing himself to take a couple of calming breaths. In through his nose, down to his stomach and back up again, out through the mouth. Rinse and repeat, as necessary.
The walk to the dining room was an unfamiliar one. Despite the short amount of time he had stayed in the palace, he had mainly only seen his own bedroom and bathroom, plus the little common room he had connected with his bedroom. It was where he had his lessons and ate his food as it was delivered to his room every mealtime. Which was why the omega was having such issues remembering all the different swings and hallways where he was led to his fateful meeting with the dual Emperors of Hanyang.
Before the young male was prepared for it —would he ever truly be prepared to meet the alphas?— they, Jimin and his entourage of servants and some other omegas and alphas he didn’t know, were in front of the doors to the dining room. Then one of the guards accompanying them knocked on the door. Another servant opened the door and allowed the small entourage inside the room itself. Jimin got lost looking at the lavish decorating in the room, hints and accents of gold and silver around the room. He moved his eyes to the figures in the room.
He recognized one of the guards that were in the room standing guard. He had been one of the alphas that had brought him from Pusan to Hanyang, a cheery person named Jung Hoseok. He had been kinder than most of the guards that had been around during their travels and had treated Jimin like they had been friends for a long time. There were other guards that Jimin did not recognize in the room, but he had no time to dwell on them, because he felt an intense prickling sensation hit the side of his face. He turned towards the sensation and stared into the most intense dark eyes the young omega boy had ever seen, making him freeze in place.
He felt like he was being scrutinized by the eyes, eyes that did not allow Jimin to break eye contact. It felt like he was being tested, in a way. So, despite his better judgement, he didn’t break the contact and allowed this person to stare — seemingly into his soul — until they were interrupted by the other person sitting right next to the stranger who had been deeply focused on Jimin. It was at this moment that Jimin’s brain kicked into high gear, and he came to the realization that the two people who had been sitting down when they entered the room were the Emperors, and he felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water in his veins.
Shit.