Chapter Text
The Irdan River served as the western border between Ruthia and Saint Salome, almost two furlongs across with a wicked current that could best even the strongest of swimmers with its pull. In recent years a great bridge had been constructed, the first, tentative act of cooperation between the nations, made of sturdy grey stone and flanked by a guard tower on either end. Somewhere down the middle, etched into a bronze plate with a brilliant shine, was a dedication meant to honor two lands and connect them as one:
Let this bridge serve as two hands reaching out to grasp as one. Ex nihilo nihil fit.
It was the first act of alliance between the two countries. Yuta was to be the next.
Traffic was already heavy despite the early hour; merchants guided their horses and heavy carts across the stone, the click of hooves and rattle of wheels filling the air with sound. The occasional wail of a young child or bark of a dog carried sharp and clear, and underneath it all was the soothing rush of running water.
Yuta watched the crowd from their position on the east bank, pursing his lips before twisting them into a wry smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Maybe we’ll be lucky,” he said, calling over his shoulder to the small group of riders waiting for him to lead the way. “Maybe the bridge will collapse and I’ll be swept away before I even set foot in Saint Salome.”
There was a snort of laughter and then Donghyuck was beside him, guiding his horse to stand easily beside Yuta’s own. “I don’t know what’s got you so antsy. Yesterday morning you were standing in your father’s study, listening to all the ways you’ve disappointed him over the last twenty-four years. Today you’re marrying a prince. I’d say that’s a change for the better.”
“Ah, yes,” Yuta said drily. “Perspective, that’s all I need. Come on then, let’s get this over with.”
They traveled surprisingly light for the retinue of a noble son, especially an unmated omega with no guard to watch over him. Dressed in light traveling clothes that spoke little of status, no one carried much more than a few packs of their own belongings. Even Yuta’s dowry was barely enough to fill a small trunk, a veritable insult due to the status of his betrothed. He suspected he was only sent with servants because these three men in particular had always been loyal to him, and his father had little use for them when he was gone. He tried not to dwell too deeply. There were bigger things to worry about now.
“The ambassador sent word that a guard would meet us on the other side of the bridge,” Jaemin called from behind, drawing the eyes of the nearby pedestrians. A few seemed to recognize Yuta, though they payed little mind before turning back to their own duties. “We’ll know them by the King’s colours, they’ll ride with us the rest of the way.”
“Do you think we’ll make it before sundown?” Kun asked, eyes sweeping the sky above them. The only alpha among them, he’d apparently taken it upon himself to act as guard. “They seemed eager to hold the ceremony today.”
“Well, it’s not like they can have the wedding without me,” Yuta pointed out, drawing his horse to the side to avoid a teenage boy chasing a small piglet. Something twisted in Yuta’s gut, but he couldn’t quite tell if it was dread or anticipation. “It’s been so long since my father brought me to the palace, I can’t remember how long the journey will be from here. Back then it felt like an entire lifetime, I was so excited I could barely contain it.”
He wasn’t yet a man then, barely even a teen. His limbs had been awkward and thin and he had watched the gathered nobles with wide, wild eyes. On the way home he’d spoken of nothing but the prince, barely sixteen, and his regal, beautiful parents. He’d spoken until his father had grown tired of his voice, ordering him silent for the rest of the journey.
And now he was mere yards from the native earth of Saint Salome, and it was taking everything within his power not to turn around and run, gallop away from this place as fast as his horse could carry him.
“No turning back now,” Donghyuck said, injecting no small amount of cheer into his voice. “We wouldn’t let you if you tried.”
“Thanks, Hyuck,” Yuta muttered lowly, shooting a glare from the corner of his eye. “Alright. Here we go.”
The world seemed to still as he approached the western bank, one hand toying nervously with the heavily perfumed scarf he kept looped around his neck to somewhat mask his scent. With a fortifying breath and a defiant tilt to his chin he urged his horse on, crossing the invisible border into his new home.
“We were about to start taking bets on whether you would cross or turn back and run.”
Yuta’s head whipped up at the strange voice, scanning the crowd until he saw a group of riders on horseback standing just off of the main road. As promised, they stood in the emerald blues and glittering golds of the royal family, armed to the teeth and mounted on the largest black stallions Yuta had ever seen. The soldier in front watched him with an amused, yet not unkind, gleam in his eyes, and it served to ease some of the tension knotted in his chest.
“To be honest Ser, I wasn’t sure myself until my horse started moving forward,” Yuta hailed back, leading his small group to meet them. “I take it you’re here to escort us to the palace?”
“We are,” the soldier said, bright smile chasing away the rest of the shadows clinging to Yuta’s countenance. He hadn’t been sure how he would be received, it was nice to be welcomed so sincerely. “This is…your entire guard?”
“We travel light,” Yuta said, resisting the urge to apologize for the inadequacy of his retinue. “My valet, Donghyuck. Kun comes from our stables, he raised Dewdrop here from a foal, no one understands horses like he does. Jaemin was part of our personal guard, he was a gift from my father for my wedding.”
“Johnny,” the lead soldier said, putting a hand to his chest. He had the air of an alpha, and when the wind blew just right, Yuta could catch a brief, sweet glimpse of his scent. “I’m sure there will be proper introductions later, but to make it brief; Jaehyun, Mark, Jeno, Jungwoo, Sicheng, and Dejun.”
Mostly betas, though Yuta could smell and another alpha and omega somewhere among them. He nodded his greeting, eyes traveling over the party as they were introduced. “And is the…is His Highness Youngho not riding with us?”
For a moment Johnny paused, a curious look on his face that he quickly smoothed away. “No, your Lordship, his mother the Queen didn’t think it appropriate he see you before the ceremony. Superstition, and all that. He sends his warmest regards though, he wishes us to convey that he’s truly excited to meet you and will do everything in his power to make sure your new home is a happy one.”
Yuta couldn’t help but flush, cheeks flooding with warm pink at the promise of protection. No matter how desperately his father had tried to crush his son’s true nature under his iron will, no matter how Yuta tried to be above the need for an alpha, he was an omega; he couldn’t help but long for the status and care that his position as a third son had failed to grant him. “I’m eager to meet him. Lead the way, I’m sure there’s plenty of road ahead til we can rest.”
Johnny gave Yuta one more small, curious smile before nodding, spurring his horse into motion and heading in the direction of home. They took the journey at an easy pace, steady but unhurried. It gave Yuta the opportunity to drink in his surroundings, eyes traveling from the crowded but well tended homes, to the cobbled roads, to the hale and hearty faces of the people they passed by. As they rode by the occasional hand would lift to wave in their direction, and more than once Yuta found himself smiling and nodding in return.
“The people are friendly here,” Yuta mused. He found himself riding at Johnny’s side, the men making easy conversation as they traveled. “I didn’t expect them to be so welcoming to a Ruthine noble and his ragged group of servants.”
“So many of the people depend on trade from Ruthia to feed their families. I’m sure there are loyalist who would rather spit at your feet than invite you to dine, but they’re few enough that they’ll keep their mouths shut. The last of the great wars have passed from recent memory. There’s no one left who took up arms against your country, so many of those old hurts have healed. Besides, with the excitement at the palace? They’d be foolish to speak against you,” Johnny assured him.
The houses and shopfronts grew sparse, and the stone road gave way to a simple dirt path. Johnny’s eyes were in constant motion as the treeline grew dense and the sun crawled higher into the sky, casting dark shadows along the ground.
Yuta bit his lip, glancing over. “Is the royal family truly that excited to see me?”
“Youngho hasn’t shut up about it since your father agreed to the union,” one of the soliders (Jeno, perhaps?) muttered, doing his best to hide a smirk when Johnny glared at him.
“It’s true, though some of us would do well not to speak out of turn,” Johnny snorted. “Did you not receive his letters?”
“Letters?” Yuta asked, frowning. “What letters?”
“He didn’t get them?” came another voice, incredulous. This one was…Mark? Yuta would have to ask again, later, when there wasn’t so much on his mind. “His Highness has been sending letters for the last week, hoping to hear from you before the wedding. None of them reached you?”
It was staggering, just as it made perfect sense. Yuta chuckled, rubbing wearily at his eyes. “No, none of his letters reached me,” he admitted, sighing and letting his head fall back, eyes falling shut.
“His Lordships father is a twat,” a voice chimed from the back of the procession.
“Donghyuck!” Kun hissed.
“Someone has to say it,” Donghyuck bristled, back straight and shoulders square. “His Lordship found out two days ago he was to be wed. He was informed of nothing other than the fact the royal family of Saint Salome wished to secure an alliance to strengthen trade routes, and that as Yuta is the third son and the only omega of nobility this close to the border, he was best suited to the match. No doubt his father saw this as an opportunity to to rid himself of his Lordship, despite the honour of the union.”
“Well, there’s my business,” Yuta said, laughing ruefully. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
“Haechan, it’s not our place,” Kun hissed. “Mind your tongue.”
“Why start now?” Jaemin asked with a lazy shrug. “Might as well let everyone see what they’re getting into.”
The riders fell into an awkward silence. Yuta could hardly blame them; he was intended to the prince himself, what good would it do to spread that he was nothing more than a castoff of Ruthia and her nobility? Still, he would serve his purpose, and at the very least settle into a comfortable home for it.
“I’d wondered why your parents were not in attendance,” Johnny said softly after too long a moment. “They don’t approve of the union?”
“Oh, they heartily approve,” Yuta assured him. “More importantly, His Highness our King approves.” He paused, sighing. “I shouldn’t air my woes out so readily, but I suppose you’ll hear it from these scoundrels soon enough.”
“Oh, they certainly will,” Jaemin assured.
Yuta shot him a look before straightening in his saddle. His thighs were beginning to ache, at least gossip gave him something else to focus on. “Ruthia is a…conservative country,” he said slowly, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. “Omega men are rare. When they are born it goes against the perfect family plan of men riding off into battle while women stay home and nurture the children. It didn’t help that all the local boys came sniffing around like I was some prize zhart they wanted to hunt and mount on their wall; the older I got the more my mere presence was a thorn in father’s side. So this? Yes, Ser. My father is thrilled by the union, though he doesn’t give a whit about my happiness in the joining.”
“Are you…unhappy?” Johnny asked, and how odd it was to have a soldier care so much for his feelings.
Yuta readjusted his scarf, doing his best to keep his scent from getting away from him. “No, despite how dire we make it all sound,” he said, surprised to find that his laughter was honest. “It’s a new adventure, isn’t it? And I’ve never said no to an adventure before.”
Another curious look from Johnny. Yuta cleared his throat awkwardly and pushed on. “Besides, if your prince is as eager to see me as you say, then already I’m doing better than I was. Though I can’t imagine why, I met him once when I was thirteen. I don’t think I made much of an impression back then.”
“Who knows? Royalty seem to follow their own rules,” Johnny shrugged.
“Is he kind, at least?”
Johnny looked over, seemingly caught of guard by the raw hope of Yuta’s question. “His Highness? I should…I should think so,” he stammered, glancing to his men as if looking for help.
“Kind enough that it will get him into trouble some day,” Sicheng responded. He had a bored but beautiful expression, eyes staying fixed on the path ahead as he rode. “He has a ridiculous sense of humor and is far too curious for his own good. Not many members of the royal family will make time for those that serve the palace, but His Highness is the friendly sort to always check in and see how we’re doing.”
The honesty chased the last of the dread from Yuta’s heart. He’d always been the kind to befriend stablehands and servants, hence his small but loyal cadre. “Good. That’s good, then.”
The party fell into silence, though it wasn’t long before his own men started to make small talk with their royal guard, finding their place amidst their new peers. He and Johnny would occasionally talk amongst themselves, much of which involved Johnny pointing out local landmarks or asking Yuta about his life back home. He was an easy conversationalist. Far too charming for his own good, Yuta tried not to consider how easy it was for the strange alpha to call a blush to his cheeks, to quicken his pulse. He tried not to dwell, reminding himself to be grateful for how quickly he had made a friend and nothing more.
By midafternoon Yuta could just catch a glimpse of the capitol city, sturdy stone buildings rising in the distance. He swallowed hard, mouth set into a firm line. “Not far now, I imagine.”
“No, you can just see the spires of the palace there,” Johnny said, pointing. “We’ll take a side road in to avoid prying eyes, I can’t imagine you want an audience with how long you’ve been on the road today.”
“Anything but,” Yuta said, offering a grateful smile. “I’m going to need a good hot bath before I’m presentable to anyone, let alone my new people. Besides, the royal family…His Highness himself may want to decide how to introduce me to the city.”
Johnny seemed amused by the idea. “Perhaps. Come on then, let’s get you home.”
They wound their way through the city, clearly sticking to paths meant to keep one out of sight. It gave Yuta ample time to examine his surroundings, and gave Donghyuck ample time to draw his attention.
Yuta held back until Donghyuck could fall into step beside him, lifting his brow. “What is it? Are you alright?”
“That alpha,” Donghyuck said, voice low and eyes narrow as he watched Johnny ride ahead. “Be careful. He’s awfully familiar with one above his station, and one intended to someone else.”
It was dramatic enough that Yuta couldn’t help but laugh, eyes wide at Donghyuck’s dramatics. “Yes well…so are you, wouldn’t you say?”
“I’m an omega,” Hyuck shot back, rolling his eyes. “And I’ve seen you puking your guts up after a night drinking in the most questionable of taverns, that tears down walls. What’s more…” He dropped his voice even lower, “He reeks of interest in you, Yuta. Every time you laugh his scent gets stronger. I know you’re no fool, but be careful. He’s far too bold for his station.”
All Yuta could do was stare at Donghyuck in disbelief, sure his exasperation was evident as he nudged his horse forward to return to Johnny’s side. Leave it to Donghyuck to create alarm where there wasn’t any. Let this chatty alpha be interested, there was no harm in it. Yuta was intended for the prince, and they were almost to the palace. There was no time for a minor flirtation to be anything other than just that.
Besides, Donghyuck was imaging things. Johnny was only being friendly, that was all.
As they approached the palace walls they crossed another bridge, this one poised over a gut-churning drop into a depthless looking ravine.
“Moats are easy enough to swim across, if one has the talent,” Johnny explained. Up ahead one of the men was hailing to the guard tower, calling for them to raise the gate. “There’s room on the castle grounds for practically all of the town to lie low while the standing army fights outside.”
“Interesting,” Yuta hummed, glancing over the side of the bridge and pulling a face. “They look as deep as the wall is high.”
“Something of that nature,” Johnny agreed. “Deep enough that they won’t make it back up, at any rate.”
The gate lifted, and the party moved on. Inside the courtyard bustled with activity, men and women of various stations rushing about as they did their daily tasks. This time Yuta was not afforded the same anonymity he was at the border. Most stopped and stared as they passed, many going so far as to hold whispered conversations from the corners of their lips as their eyes stayed fixedly on Yuta and his companions. Anyone in their path rushed out of the way, leaving them space to approach the glistening marble steps that led to the palace doors.
Their horses stopped at Johnny’s signal, and everyone began to dismount. “We can show your men to the servant’s quarters,” Dejun said kindly as Jeno took the reigns of his horse. “Doyoung should be able to tell me where space has been made.”
“Thank you,” Yuta smiled, swinging his leg over and preparing to dismount. Before he could properly hop down Johnny was there, taking Yuta’s hand to help him reach the ground. Caught off guard, Yuta couldn’t help but stumble. His foot caught, sending him sprawling helplessly into Johnny’s arms.
“Oh,” he breathed, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I lost my foo-”
Without a word Johnny leaned in, burying his nose in Yuta’s scarf and taking a deep breath, searching for his scent.
“What are you doing?” Yuta all but shouted, stepping back so quickly he bumped into his horse’s flank and sent the creature nickering to the side. “I’m…you can’t just…how dare you? I’m intended for the prince.”
Johnny stepped back, a look of utter horror on his face. He covered his mouth with his hand, looking away as if trying to free himself from Yuta’s scent. “I’m so sorry,” he choked, face a vivid, mottled sort of red. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I can explain though, I should have told you right away, I’m-”
“Your Highness.”
All eleven men turned simultaneously, and Yuta couldn’t help but notice the look of amusement on half of their faces. In his stunned silence he watched as a slim man with long dark hair and beautiful almond eyes marched down the stairs, a look of pure fire in his gaze as he made his way right to Johnny.
“You swore you would stay here. You swore it!”
“Doyoung please, I couldn’t just not go to meet my own fiance! I’m sorry, I’ll tell mother I’m sorry, but I had to-”
“Had to what, your grace?” the man--Doyoung--snapped back. “What you needed to do was stay here and help us prepare for your wedding. Yet off you went, gallivanting like this was some silly adventure and not your marriage. The future of the kingdom!”
As if a switch had been flipped Doyoung turned to Yuta, smiling sweetly. He had the soft, comforting smell of an omega, but commanded the crowd in a way Yuta had never seen. “It’s so nice to meet you, my Lord. I’m sorry it’s under such circumstances, but someone can’t follow simple instructions and stay put for one bloody day.”
Yuta was trying desperately to catch up. It was like he was stuck ankle-deep in mud, unable to pull his feet free and get himself to solid ground. He turned to Johnny, eyes wide and head spinning. “Did he just call you…your highness?”
Johnny gave a small, hesitant grin, looking for all the world like a child with his hand stuck in a treat jar. “Um. Surprise?”