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Jeon Jeongguk was the youngest of five alphas, a high‐risk pregnancy, since his omega father had already suffered three miscarriages between the youngest alpha and the omega, not to mention that he was well past his prime for conceiving. Jeongguk never knew how his alpha father reacted upon realizing he was an omega, different from his other five children, but given that he was betrothed at two years old, any joy was likely in short supply.
His upbringing was strict. No one cared how many times he pricked his fingers while learning embroidery, as long as he didn’t stain the fabrics with blood and his work was impeccable, it was acceptable.
As he grew older, Jeongguk realized his fortune in having so many alpha brothers; he had access to the same lessons as his elder siblings with the tutors, something he later discovered few omegas ever received.
Besides studies in mathematics, philosophy, politics, and horsemanship, Jeongguk received an education common to any omega of his station. He mastered etiquette, foreign languages such as French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese, learned to play instruments like the piano, harp, and violin, and was trained in every imaginable style of waltz, as well as in religion and domestic arts.
He wasn’t surprised to see only his brothers looking sorrowful at his departure when he turned eighteen. His alpha father showed not a trace of emotion, and his omega father had been in his own world ever since he’d delivered a stillborn when Jeongguk was seven.
His brothers sent him a letter every week, promising they’d write back. Though Jeongguk was young and others might have thought he didn’t understand the position he was in, he did.
Jeongguk was small and thin, not strong, but very agile and, above all, curious. Before the age of eight he had discovered every secret passage in the Jeon mansion. Listening to the omega servants’ stories was his only distraction from the exhausting tasks the tutors assigned him, and he soon learned just how cruel alphas could be.
Jeongguk first met his fiancé, the crown prince, when the latter was about to walk down the aisle, dressed all in white and more immaculate than Jeongguk had ever seen. He managed to glean a few details about his fiancé before the wedding by secretly pilfering some of his alpha father’s papers and asking the servants. He learned that the young man was twenty-one, a reclusive alpha with no negative rumors swirling about him, unlike the crown prince’s younger brother.
They exchanged vows without really looking at each other, the waltz was awkward, and when they were taken to a chamber to prepare for the consummation of the marriage, Jeongguk seriously considered leaping from one of the tall windows. He was relieved once they reached the room; he knew that in some countries the act still had to be witnessed.
He watched his husband pacing the room, and when he felt him get a little too close, Jeongguk drew the dagger he had brought from one of his older brothers. He knew he risked a death sentence for that, that if his alpha truly wanted to, he could force the issue even with a blade in hand, but still, the threat was clear.
“Come close to me and I’ll slit your throat,” he warned.
His husband seemed to freeze, scrutinizing him from head to toe before laughing. Jeongguk was terrified, until he saw the alpha turn away, walk to the divan, and pour himself a glass of wine, even offering him one. The wedding night passed with the young couple drinking wine and playing cards until they eventually fell asleep next to each other, drunk.
Taehyung instructed Jeongguk to make a small cut in a discreet spot, so as to stain the sheet. The former Jeon didn’t need an explanation, he knew it was a symbol that the marriage had been consummated and that he was a virgin until then, because omegas would bleed the first time.
He felt relieved, watching his husband help cover up that nothing had really happened, that the marriage wasn’t valid yet, but now, to everyone, it was. Four months later, Jeongguk discovered that not all omega virgins bled the first time, for he himself did not, even after consummating the marriage.
Taehyung didn’t seem to notice the lack of blood, or perhaps he didn’t care. After that night when the act finally took place, he feared that his gentle treatment would change, but it didn’t. Taehyung continued to talk about the books he was reading, sharing his discontents about the reign, though he clearly avoided and hid many topics.
The first time it happened, they had just completed six months of marriage. His mother-in-law glanced at him as they left breakfast and pulled him away from Taehyung, saying he should try harder because he wasn’t pregnant, and that his duty, as the future consort king, was to produce heirs for both Taehyung and the throne.
Of course, he didn’t appear pregnant, he and Taehyung had only begun their sexual life two months earlier; even if he were pregnant, it wouldn’t be noticeable yet, but by everyone’s standards, they had been at it for six months. She made sure to remind him that the mark was only permitted after the first child, and if he failed in his purpose, it would be easy to find another omega.
Four months after that conversation, his father’s first letter arrived, questioning whether he was satisfying his husband in bed, if he was being a good and submissive omega, and wondering why there was not yet a child.
Taehyung never asked or pressured him. He had a habit, in fact, every time his knot loosened and he withdrew from his omega, he would leave a seal under his belly before lying down beside him, yet he never commented on it. He smiled, caressed Jeongguk’s face or hair, spoke sweet words, or joked with him, lavishing him with his scent until Jeongguk’s wolf-like instincts grew drowsy and he could sleep well.
They had been married for almost two years when it happened. Jeongguk began to swell; his belly grew slightly, and certain smells started to unsettle him. Yet he did not experience nausea, a symptom he knew was significant, and so he paid little mind to the signs. It was only when his heat was delayed that he noticed, and soon after, his scent began to change, clearly indicating to everyone that a child was growing within him and that he was finally fulfilling his role.
His brothers congratulated him; his father remained silent; his mother-in-law gave a nod of approval as soon as she noticed; the king celebrated, but Taehyung didn’t even look at himself until they were alone again in a room. He knelt before him, pressing his forehead against Jeongguk’s barely perceptible belly, and caressed his waist.
“Please, don’t make your father uncomfortable,” he whispered to the belly before rising and sealing his lips with Jeongguk’s in a tender embrace. “How do you feel?” he asked even more softly.
“Relieved, I suppose,” Jeongguk answered uncertainly. “I want a child, I don’t know if I need one right now, but everyone around me kept chastising me for not giving you one yet, and that has to stop.”
“Let’s do this your way. Fuck the protocols, I care about nothing except your comfort, my love,” Taehyung whispered after cradling his face gently. “I love you,” he smiled softly. That must have been the fifth time the alpha said those words.
“I love you too,” Jeongguk replied for the first time, feeling satisfied as Taehyung pressed his lips together.
Night after night, the alpha continued to insist that the child not cause Jeongguk any discomfort. He wasn’t sure if it made a difference, but those months were not hard for him, at least, not as hard as he remembered his omega father being when he had once conceived.
The only irritation came from the lack of mobility, especially when he was forbidden from riding horses, but for the most part he had no problems. He never experienced nausea; his sensitivity to smells was mild, and Taehyung took very good care of his every need.
When labor finally set in, Jeongguk thought he would die from the pain. He pleaded, whether silently or aloud, he wasn’t sure, in a confused daze that night, begging that the child not kill him. He asked Taehyung to stay with him, and even after his mother-in-law ordered him out, Taehyung stayed, having promised to abide by Jeongguk’s terms, and he did.
The disapproving looks returned, however, after the child was born, a healthy little boy, large for a newborn, with the same light brown hair as Taehyung. He was an omega.
Jeongguk thrashed when they tried to take the baby from his arms. He had allowed the baby to be bathed to remove the fluids from the newborn prince’s body, but after that, the former Jeon had a crisis every time they attempted to take his child out of his sight.
Haneul was the first prince in centuries to be nursed by his own father. Jeongguk refused all the wet nurses offered, feeding his baby from his own body and keeping him in his nest.
Taehyung turned all his requests into orders. His comfort, and that of the baby, became a national priority for the alpha, and once again Jeongguk realized just how lucky he was. Kim Haneul nursed until he was ten months old, when Jeongguk’s milk finally dried up, and Taehyung was able to mark the omega, looking radiant after the event.
His second pregnancy became notable around the same time his father-in-law and king passed away, about a month before they reached four years of marriage. Taehyung wasn’t as present during that pregnancy; he had to plan his father’s funeral and organize his own coronation while in mourning, and the new child didn’t seem very happy with the alpha’s absence.
The first pregnancy had been calm; the second was troubled. Nothing settled in his stomach, everything made him nauseous. He felt weak and even lost some weight, which worried him and further stressed him out with his mother-in-law’s reprimands. His lower back pain was severe; during the first pregnancy, the only irritation had been the interference with his mobility, but during the second, he was nearly immobile for most of the pregnancy.
He cried a lot, struggled to hold Haneul in his arms, and Taehyung seemed to have no time for anything, not for his husband, nor for the slightly over-one-year-old baby. Jeongguk felt frustrated that he couldn’t manage what he needed to, especially when he began experiencing the same pains he had felt before giving birth, though they always turned out to be false alarms that only drained him further.
Kim Soobin was born on an afternoon at the end of the day, two days after Taehyung’s coronation. His birth was quick, much quicker than Haneul’s, and his alpha was present, just as he had been at the birth of his first child: holding his hand, taking the still-smudged baby from his arms, thanking him while kissing his sweaty forehead.
“Another omega,” were the first words his mother-in-law uttered upon seeing her grandson. Jeongguk wept as he nursed his second son for the first time, with Taehyung by his side, surrounded by his scent, while Haneul slept, clinging to his leg. It soon became a common sight to see the consort king in the gardens, always with one baby in his arms and another toddling clumsily, holding the hand of the older omega.
Taehyung ordered that his meals, as well as those of Jeongguk and Haneul, be taken in a room separate from his mother and the other nobles residing in the castle. This lifted a weight Jeongguk hadn’t even known he’d been carrying.
Soobin nursed for longer than Haneul, with Jeongguk’s milk finally drying up thirteen months after giving birth. Haneul, now nearly three years old, looked strikingly like Jeongguk, despite being a replica of his alpha father. The little omega was curious, quick, and intrusive; Jeongguk even told Taehyung he wouldn’t be surprised if Haneul discovered every secret passage in the castle before he turned ten.
“Of course you know them, my love, it would be strange if there were something here you hadn’t uncovered yet,” Taehyung replied, leaving a few seals on his lips, and Jeongguk allowed him to pull his bare body closer.
Subjects that had once been omitted or dodged were now discussed openly between the couple. And Jeongguk never felt more grateful for his political classes, as he truly understood what his husband was saying and could offer relevant opinions on the issues.
Nothing he did pleased his mother-in-law, not the way he spoke in casual situations, not the way he was raising his children, not even the fact that he nursed them, or how he touched Taehyung in public, or even his French. Yet even though both his children were omegas, Taehyung had marked him, even though most alphas only mark omegas after the birth of an alpha. Taehyung claimed him anyway, and the usual threats from the eldest omega lost all their sting.
Soobin began to show a personality a little more like Taehyung’s, quieter than his older brother, more observant, and more timid. He didn’t crave as many hugs as Haneul did, though he needed them more since he still couldn’t walk properly.
As for his stress, the next pregnancy took longer, and even if people didn’t say it outright, though Jeongguk suspected Taehyung had a hand in it, he could feel the disapproving looks, not only from his mother-in-law (someone he had learned to despise) but also from the other castle residents, nobles, servants, guards, and even subjects when he went out in public with Taehyung.
Jeongguk was twenty-five when he discovered he was pregnant for the third time. He had been married for seven years; his firstborn was nearly four and a half, and his youngest was just over two and a half.
His mother-in-law was overjoyed by the news, declaring that this time the gods would not disappoint and that this time it would be an alpha. Somehow, somewhere, Jeongguk knew that the child growing in his belly was yet another omega.
Taehyung wasn’t as happy when he heard the news. He cupped Jeongguk’s face with a tenderness never before seen, a tenderness reserved for his omega, and left a long-lasting seal on his forehead. He began to hold him tighter during the nights, as if afraid that Jeongguk might disappear from their sheets.
Perhaps Taehyung’s requests made sense; he had made them during the first pregnancy, which had been calm. He hadn’t done so with Soobin’s, and Jeongguk had carried for nine months, even before realizing he was pregnant, crying and in pain. He thought Taehyung was distant during this pregnancy once more, but his sleep was not as deep, and he could hear Taehyung murmuring during the night.
“Please, please be good,” Taehyung whispered close to his belly, “don’t hurt your father. You are all I have, me, Jeongguk, Haneul, and Soobin, everything I love. I can’t bear to see your father in pain. Please, wait before you get restless out there, and be strong. You are already so loved, I promise it will all be worth it.” He always left a seal on his belly before returning to bed and holding him tight.
Jeongguk experienced no nausea, only the smell of fish made him queasy. He didn’t swell as much, nor did he suffer any pain. He managed to ride a horse until he was seven months along, when his belly finally began to hinder him. He dared say that this pregnancy had been calmer than Haneul’s.
Even beneath his winter clothes, his belly was beginning to show when he discovered it. He was walking through the castle chapel when he saw the memorial for five stillborns, the first, who would have been the eldest among them, just over a year younger than Taehyung’s youngest.
His mother-in-law had had two alpha children, and all those who followed were stillborn. Later, he learned from the royal physician that the queen mother had nearly died during her third pregnancy. Taehyung was young, but he already understood what was happening. His alpha was afraid of losing him, afraid that their child might die.
Compared to the other two times, this labor was the most arduous. If he thought the pains during the first birth were intense, it was because he had no idea how much worse it could get. He vaguely remembered the midwife ordering him to lie down, but he couldn’t, everything inside him urged him to keep moving. He paced around the bed, watching everyone around him in anxious anticipation, recalling Taehyung’s strong scent, which now sounded utterly terrified.
“I think the baby is in the wrong position,” he thought he heard the midwife say to Taehyung at one point.
“He’s losing too much blood,” he thought he heard the physician say.
“I’m not sure he has the strength to push any further,” came the voice of his mother-in-law, thick with worry.
He wasn’t sure if that was the exact order, whether the words were all spoken at once or spaced out over hours. All he knew, aside from the absurd pain, was that Taehyung’s cries were constant.
He doesn’t recall much of what happened afterward. He remembered the doctor placing his hands on his belly and moving them, he screamed in pain before blacking out once more, then awoke and pushed on. He grasped two hands, later realizing one belonged to his mother-in-law, and discovered he had pressed so hard that his nails left marks on both her hand and that of his husband.
He recalls hearing a baby’s cry amid the pain, laughing at some point, then falling back onto the bed, looking at his alpha, who was gazing at him tearfully, and then his eyes closed. He woke up when there were still people in the room; he tried to raise his arms to take his baby, but he had no strength.
He didn’t need to, his alpha understood just by looking into his eyes. Taehyung took the baby from the mother’s arms and cradled him. He helped position the baby for breastfeeding, supporting his arms since Jeongguk couldn’t hold the baby on his own. He smiled at his alpha, grateful that he understood his wish to feed the baby from his own body, even if it meant using his last bit of strength to stay awake.
He doesn’t remember them taking the baby away from his arms or him finishing the feeding, it’s likely he blacked out during the process. He woke several more times, with his alpha always by his side, urging him to drink water and eat a little, but only if he could nurse the baby afterward.
The first week of his baby’s life is a blur for Jeongguk, who spent most of it sleeping and recovering. But soon enough he was holding his little omega in his arms without needing help. He was able to see his other children again, passing Beomgyu to Taehyung and gathering his three children in his arms, letting them cry while he kissed the top of each head.
Beomgyu was nearly one month old when Jeongguk managed to walk unaided again. He walked to Taehyung’s office with his baby in his arms, sat in one of the armchairs, took off his coat, unfastened his blouse, and began nursing the little one as he started to whimper, only noticing Taehyung’s watchful eyes once the baby was already latched.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, glancing at his alpha. “I know it was my duty to give you an heir, I know I failed you, my love, my alpha, but I just can’t do it again.” He spoke in tears.
Taehyung suddenly sprang up, knocking over the chair he was sitting on, almost running to him and falling to his knees. One of his hands caressed Jeongguk’s face, his cheek, gently stroking there, his feline eyes wide with a mix of apprehension and love.
“You haven’t failed,” he shook his head. “You’ve given me four heirs. Haneul will inherit the throne when I’m gone, and he will be an excellent king. I don’t need another; I have the five most important omegas in my life right here.” Jeongguk sobbed as Taehyung smiled once more, gazing at the little omega who was still nursing, “You were wonderful, my omega, you’ve given me four strong, healthy children. That is all an alpha could ever want.” Taehyung left a seal on the baby’s head.
“An omega can’t be king, Taehyung,” he cried, checking if Beomgyu was still latched on, if he hadn’t slipped away amidst his sobs.
“He can. I am the king, and my word is law. I will name Haneul heir to the throne and make every noble, every subject, alpha, beta, and omega, kneel and swear loyalty to him.” He smiled, still caressing the baby’s cheek. “I would never let you go through another pregnancy, my love, never again, not after you said you didn’t want to.”
That night, their bed was invaded, and Jeongguk couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome, Beomgyu sleeping in the cradle that had been placed by his bed, with his three little ones in bed alongside his alpha.
At first, Haneul wasn’t fond of Beomgyu, he insisted he couldn’t like someone who had nearly taken his father away from him. Soobin called him silly, always keeping an eye on his younger brother, though he didn’t like to be held much. Yeonjun was as fascinated by the baby as Soobin had been when he was a baby himself, always wanting to pick him up, always making him laugh.
It wasn’t until around the time Jeongguk’s milk finally dried up, with Beomgyu being fourteen months old, that Haneul finally understood the baby wasn’t to blame for Jeongguk’s turbulent period. He began to pick up his little brother, to play with him just as he had with his other younger siblings.
Now almost thirty-one, Jeongguk watched his firstborn, who had just turned ten, playing with Beomgyu, a little over a year and a half old, by the lake they so loved. He laughed as his alpha, thirty-three years old, tumbled into the water when eight-year-old Soobin jumped on his back, unbalancing him and sending five-year-old Yeonjun under the water with him.
Taehyung shouted, and the little Beomgyu called out to him. Soon Haneul was complaining that Jeongguk still hadn’t entered the water. He laughed, getting up and joining them in the water, only to be scooped up by his alpha and splashed around, prompting shouts from him and peals of laughter from his four little ones. Taehyung helped him up, and even if Jeongguk hadn’t pushed him too hard, he still plunged into the water, and this time, the former Jeon laughed.
After getting up, Taehyung wrapped his arms around Jeongguk’s waist and pressed his lips to his. It was while Haneul complained about them kissing that Jeongguk once again realized how lucky he was.