Chapter Text
Present
Taehyung winces at the scratch of a quill on parchment, the sound piercing to his enhanced senses. His father said he would grow used to it in time, but it had been years and it was no less grating than it had been when he was sixteen, writing letters to his older brothers.
Eight years later and still the only reason he has to put quill to paper is to write to Namjoon and Seokjin. Namjoon hasn’t stayed in the castle more than one night since Taehyung was twelve, and Seokjin–who is just on the other side of the castle–is swamped in work to the point he feels more absent than Namjoon sometimes.
But not even the annoyance at having to write a letter to his brothers for the nth time can do anything to quell the excitement in his stomach that rises with every moment. His brothers will both be home by day's end, and will stay the night in his quarters–for a month. In his nest. The mere thought of its so exhilarating that his dragon has been restless all morning, eager to burst through Taehyung’s chest and roar his joy to the whole kingdom, but he’s quite sure no one would be very happy about hearing his piercing shrieks so early in the morning, so he resists.
Taehyung writes the two notes with a shaky hand, trying to contain his emotions. This is the last time in a little while that the grating sound of ink on parchment will accompany their conversations. Soon both his brothers will be home with him, and perhaps he won’t feel so alone up in his roost.
He messily scrawls his name at the end of both letters, a break in his composure. There is no one around to reprimand him for his poor penmanship, but he still pauses, waiting for a scolding that doesn’t come, before he lights both letters alight with his flames, sending them off to meet his brothers, who are likely just crossing the border.
Just as the ashes float to the ground, a knock sounds on his study door. Taehyung jumps, not expecting anyone by his wing of the palace so soon, “Come in”
A young faerie servant cracks open the door, barely through before she starts bowing profusely, “Apologies, Your Highness. Your father asked me to fetch you, their are guests arriving at the palace gates–”
Taehyung doesn’t let them finish, already pushing past them (ignoring the way they jump away from him, expecting a blow that doesn’t come) and rushing down the corridor to the main spiralling steps of his wing, jumping over the railing and shifting middair, much to the fright of the cook, already climbing the steps with his breakfast. He doesn’t bother to stop and dismiss her, or apologise for the things that crash and clatter to the ground as he not-so-swiftly softens his fall with great flaps of his giant wings. Taehyung may be small for a royal dragon, but his wings still crash into the high ceiling as he bursts out the massive double door and freefalls into the sky below.
The Kim Palace is built into the side of a mountain, consisting of a grand castle complete with a huge banquet hall, throne room, council chambers and the servants quarters, as well as six semi-separate wings, one for each member of the ruling family. The only way to access The Kim Palace is through flight.
Taehyung feels his anticipation burst out in the form of a roar, no longer caring about the disgruntled complaints of the townspeople from the valley below, too overjoyed at the thought of his brothers. They’re early, we’ll have even more time together, they’ll stay for my birthday, we can go on a morning flight together after the welcome feast. His hindbrain can’t help but cry out in delight, doing several backflips in the air as he tries to work through the pounding of his heart.
He flies upwards at record speeds, barely missing several tiny faerie servants flitting around. Usually he’d be more careful, he’d admire the Kingdom below, greet the servants as they passed. Their roost was magnificent, the gleaming beacon of their little valley, a shining star next to the smaller palace dwellings littering the mountains that encompassed the valley, and even more eye-catching than the spiralling structures that peaked out of the water below. The sea dragons were improving, but they still had a ways to go until they could even compete with the grandeur of Kim Palace. It made him proud to know his nestmate would inherit it all one day, and that his family controlled every creature on the mountainside. Usually he would take time to admire it all, soak in the morning sun and marvel at the glittering diamond of the palace walls. Usually he would join in on the morning chores and check on the townspeople, but it was so early the sun had not risen and people were already yelling out attempts to quiet his songs. Today, all that is on Taehyung’s mind is his brothers.
The higher altitudes may leave him slightly out of breath, but Taehyung doesn’t let that slow him as he pushes himself at full speed to the Main palace entrance, straining his eyes to catch a glimpse of his nestmates, of his brothers that used to tuck him in at night, of the boys that used to hold him through his nightmares, his hyungs that he hasn’t seen in so long.
The grand entourage spilling out of the gates comes into focus, and Taehyung almost drops out of the sky as he rushes to stop.
The procession of fairies isn’t unusual. All their servants are sourced from the Fae, they’re the most unassuming creatures that can still make the journey up to the palace without dropping dead. But these Fae are different. Their clothes are sheer and look far more expensive than the rags the Fae wear around the palace. Jewellry is dripping from their necks and wrists, so much silver that Taehyung’s dragon salivates at the sight, itching to take some for his hoard. There’s a symbol on their flags that isn’t one Taehyung has ever seen, a flower he doesn’t think grows in the valley sprouting Faerie-like wings, etched in grey on a bright green fabric.
Taehyung furrows his brows, confused and hurt. His dragon whines, and Taehyung barely holds back from doing so out loud. Presumably his brothers are on the way, on schedule to arrive tonight as planned. Whatever Kingdom that is passing through is none of his concern, but it is odd that he wasn’t informed of it. They held gifts, meaning they’d obviously been planning this for a while, why hadn’t anyone bothered to let him know? Not even his brothers, who knew how excitable he got with the promise of their visits?
He huffed, turning around to head back to his quarters to get properly dressed to receive a royal envoy, and apologise to his poor servants.
Still, as Taehyung sulked back the way he came, this foreign kingdom’s symbol was seared behind his eyelids. The more he thought about it, the more the flower seemed familiar, the product of a memory just out of reach. When had he seen such a peculiar flower before? He was sure it had been bright red, encompassed in lovely human hands, given to him as a gift. Shaking his head, he tried to dislodge the image, expand it, remember who and where he had gotten this foreign plant.
Taehyung turns back once, too far away now to make out the flower beyond the blob-like shape, but looking at the Faeries…he feels an odd sense of deja vu.
Eighty years ago
Taehyung wakes up gently with the birds, long after the sun has risen, curled up in his nest.
His nesting room isn’t covered in gold and jewels like his Seokjin-hyung’s, or as cluttered and home-y as Namjoon-hyung’s (even if a layer of dust covers everything in Namjoon’s nest on the days Taehyung doesn’t spend curled up amongst the towers of books). His nesting room is quite barren except for a few meaningful items of his hoard and a strategically arranged nest of blankets saturated in scents.
There’s a gentle knock on his door, and Taehyung, still in Dragon form, grumbles a vague sound of approval, before one of his Faerie servants enters with his breakfast.
“Taehyungie~, your father needs you in the throne room by sun's peak, the Fae delegation will be here any minute”
Taehyung whines, grumbling his protests even though he knows the Fae woman can’t understand him. She laughs fondly all the same, “I’ve had Daeun draw you a bath, and Soyeon has picked out your hanbok. The girls are waiting darling, you can’t sleep until sunset”
Still pouting, Taehyung reluctantly steps out of his nest, shifting as he moves. The nest looks huge next to his human form, he wonders how the Fae don’t tremble in their boots when faced with such huge creatures. His staff pester him daily without hesitation.
After a bath (in which Daeun refuses to massage his head for the fourth time this week) and being poked and prodded by his attendants (who love to tell him about his baby face. He’s three hundred and two for moon’s sake), he drags his feet to the double doors, pretending to be enamoured by their intricate carvings, if only to put off leaving for a moment more. Of course, Seonhwa doesn’t even allow him that, pushing him out the doors without even a second's remorse.
Taehyung yelps as he falls, taking a second to remember how to shift before he finds his bearings. Bullies, the lot of them, he scowls, trying to hide his smile. His staff may attack him on a daily basis, but that’s how he preferred them.
The flight up to the main palace in the sun makes him cringe, trying in vain to avoid the glare of the palace walls. Whoever thought diamonds were a good design for a massive building overlooking their Kingdom was an idiot. The whole city is blinded during sunrise and sunset, it’s impractical and obnoxious.
Noticing he doesn’t have much time left, Tae pushes himself a little, hoping beyond hope Seokjin arrives just a little after him, so that he doesn’t bear the brunt of his fathers wrath. He can’t be bothered with a lecture so soon after waking up.
The inside of the Kim Palace is just as gaudy, which is typical of Dragons. Decked out in just about every shiny stone they could get their hands on, arranged in colourful patterns and forming pictures on every pillar and wall. Even Taehyung can admit it looks stunning, if a little overcrowded.
Shifting human again and frantically patting down his hard, he walks through to the human-sized throne room, finding his father and Seokjin already on their thrones and the council members already in their seats behind and beside the royal thrones. His friend Jimin grins at him from the stands, swiping a finger across his throat. He winces, hoping to slip by while his father is preoccupied talking to a minister.
Taehyung swiftly takes his seat to the left of his Seokjin-hyung, trying not to let his heart hurt at the sight of the throne between them, still unoccupied. Namjoon is off in another realm, and probably won’t be back for another few years. Still, every time Taehyung is called to an official event, he hopes his younger hyung will be waiting for him with a smile.
Seokjin makes eye contact with him, obviously hiding an amused smile. Taehyung resists the urge to smack him, “Seokjin-hyungnim, is something the matter?” he says sweetly, conscious of their audience. His brother turns to him with a large grin, “Ah, it’s nothing of concern, Taehyung-ah”
Taehyung can’t help but smile at his hyung, annoyance dissipating. His dragon flares with happiness, content to see his nestmate. It’s been four weeks since they talked, “It’s been much too long since we chatted, hyungnim, we must organise a catch-up” Seokjin will know to read between the lines, my nest has lost your scent and you won’t let me in yours so if you don’t get your ass over soon I’ll cry.
The Crown prince softens, “Of course, I think I can fit you in tomorrow night, if that aligns with your schedule?”
Taehyung perks up (not that his posture needed to be any straighter), opening his mouth to answer only to be interrupted by the sound of trumpets.
The Fae delegation has arrived.
The ornate double doors slowly inch open, and the first thing Taehyung notices is the Fae spun of gold. There are rows and rows of Faeries, all dressed in glamour and covered in jewels, but the Fae leading them is the only one of them that is pure gold. His skin seems to sparkle more than the glittering walls of the throne room, crown on his head casts kaleidoscopes over the ceiling, taking Taehyung’s breath away.
Staring into the piercing amber eyes of the Fae King, Taehyung thinks he can understand his kind’s obsession with gold.
In all three hundred (and two) years of his existence, he has never seen someone so exquisite, someone who radiates so much authority while bearing the softest smile. His instincts purr, content to bask in the glow he casts over the room, strangely not bothered by the bright light the Fae emit despite his sensitive eyes.
The rest of the delegation filters in slowly behind their King, in noticeably softer, more neutral colours, save for the pale pixie at the King’s side, dressed in a void-black darker than any fabric he’s ever laid his eyes on–and he’s acquainted with Jungkook, so that speaks volumes.
Taehyung can’t make himself take his eyes off the Faerie King, and he supposes that’s the point of his gorgeous outfit, of the deep pools of his eyes, of the heart-shaped smile that stretches over his golden skin.
The room is silent as the procession filters in, no doubt hungrily drinking in the sight of the carts filled to the brim with raw metals and jewels that the Fae have brought as a gift. They have done their research, it seems, not that it’s hard to impress a gaggle of hindbrained imbeciles. Taehyung sees his brother's eyes dilate in turn with his fathers.
(Jimin, Jungkook and him will totally be discussing this later)
Finally, the line comes to a stop, before The golden Fae bows deeply at his father’s feet, leading to the rest of the group doing the same, line by line.
(Taehyung’s heart flutters for no reason at all, certainly not at the sight of a gorgeous creature kneeling before him)
“Kim Daehyung-nim, I am deeply grateful for your gracious welcome of my people and I into your Kingdom, and for allowing us respite in your beautiful palace”
He barely resists a shiver. Even his voice is pure gold, leaving a metallic twang in his ears and the scent of a forest fire on his tongue. Taehyung wants to hear more of it, to lay in it, to have that smell for himself.
“I look forward to discussing peace between our peoples, I sincerely hope we can come to an amicable conclusion for all”
Taehyung wishes he could see his father’s face, but it would be rude to turn his head now. Though, there probably wouldn’t be much to see. There must be something conveyed through expression, because the Fae King smiles so brightly he has to squint. Definitely a sun Fae, he muses, as if it hadn’t been obvious before.
“We are overjoyed to receive you, King Hoseok”
Hoseok. Hoseokhoseokhoseok. Tae wants the name tattooed on his chest. It’s a pretty name for a pretty Fae.
“The union between our two Kingdoms will surely be a prosperous one” his father rasps. His voice echoes through the room as if it had been a shout.
Hoseok’s eyes shifted to meet Taehyung’s, and he felt his heart skip a beat as the smile of a thousand suns was directed his way.
“I’m sure it will.”