Chapter 1
Joonmyun's eyes darted from the weirdly innocent smiles of the Equal Rights Union board members to the folder presented right before him. Heechul, the president of the union, leaned closer to him, as he sat by Joonmyun's left.
"Are you," Joonmyun said before Heechul could open his mouth and steal his opportunity to talk. "Telling me that to get Venocia and Donocia to sign the equal rights treaty, I have to get married? To a male omega?"
Heechul opened his mouth again to interject but Joonmyun put his hand up and continued, "Isn't that going against everything we stand for? If I marry a male omega for appearance’s sake, then what the—" before any foul words could leave his mouth, Joonmyun took a deep breath, sat up straighter and continued, "—what's the point of fighting for their rights, for their freedom since way back when if I'm literally robbing one of them of their right to choose?"
Half of the members looked away, ashamed, seeing the point in Joonmyun's words. The other half remained steadfast with their eyes fixed on Joonmyun's, challenging him to just do it. He fixed Heechul a long hard look. Heechul seemed unfazed, albeit a little disappointed that his plan didn't seem to get through to Joonmyun yet.
"Your Highness," Heechul began, with all the respect he could muster. "We assure you that the omega we have chosen knows full well of the consequences of your... arrangement. What's more, the public is never to find out that your marriage is for political purposes."
Joonmyun kept his hands by his side, tempted to massage his temple or pinch the bridge of his nose. "How can we be sure that Alpha King Kyuhyun will not see this as a political move to get their signature?"
Heechul casted a glance at the vice president of the union, Choi Siwon, who smiled kindly at the both of them.
"Of course we've planned that far ahead, Your Highness," Siwon assured. "If you agree to the proposal, we will set in motion an elaborate set of events that will make it seem as though you and your-partner-to-be met by fate and chose to marry for love."
Joonmyun mulled it over, weighed the pros and cons as quick as he could in his head. "And what if I don't agree?" he said after a beat.
Everyone exchanged looks except for the other Alpha King, Yixing and his advisor, Lu Han, who were still new to the union. Joonmyun smiled at them from where he sat, hoping he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt. Alpha King Yixing met his eyes, paused for a second, before returning the smile, causing a depression to form on his cheek.
Changmin, the Chief of Finance, cleared his throat. "Then we're not quite sure how else we can persuade Alpha King Kyuhyun to sign the treaty. He's pretty adamant that the only way he's going to sign the treaty is if you fall in love with a male omega."
"What does Alpha King Yunho say about all this? All I keep hearing is Venocia's side."
"Alpha King Yunho says that he will sign the treaty if and when Venocia does," Seohyun, the Head of Relations, replied.
"So if I get married, there's hope that this will all work out," Joonmyun drawled, catching the nods of the union members. "And if I don't get married, the treaty remains a dream for the omegas of Venocia and Donocia." The room grew quiet as the possible end of a dream, of years of hard work dawned on each and everyone of them. It seemed as though it would take forever before anyone spoke up.
Heechul cleared his throat, locking eyes with Joonmyun. "Look, Your Highness," his tone a little too hard, but Joonmyun was used to Heechul's character by now. "We're not asking you to make the decision right away. At least think about it with an open mind."
Joonmyun could see the hope in Heechul's eyes, the need for this plan to work. "Just one more thing," he said. He took a quick peek at the file, just enough to catch a name. "This Kim Jongdae. He's agreed with everything?"
"Yes," said everyone except for Yixing and Lu Han.
Joonmyun was taken aback, but he realized that the members must've discussed and researched everything beforehand. So there would be no reason for me to say no, he thought. He glanced at the photo attached to the folder in his hands. Kim Jongdae smiled with not only his lips, but with his eyes as well. It was endearing to say the least. He took in the sharp lines of the omega's face, the crinkle at the corner of his eyes and lips and felt his heart skip a beat.
"One week," he finally said. "Give me a week to think it over and discuss it with my council."
Heechul and the others sighed in relief, while Yixing just looked on amused. A few of the members thanked Joonmyun for his decision and the others congratulated him, almost as if they were sure he would say yes.
"Alright," Heechul spoke over everyone else. "Everyone dismissed. Let's resume counsel next week, same time, same day."
Joonmyun let out a slow breath and stood up, bidding all the members goodbye and shaking their hands. The last ones to leave were Yixing and Lu Han.
"Are congratulations in order for you, Your Highness?" Yixing joked, approaching Joonmyun. Joonmyun tried his best not grimace as he smiled.
"I don't know, Alpha King Yixing, do you think they are?"
"Just call me Yixing, Your Highness. I believe that ours is a great friendship in the making," Yixing's smile grew, causing the dimple in his cheek to deepen. "And as for the matter of your marriage, I believe that like any king, you will make the right decision."
Joonmyun was taken aback at the faith behind Yixing's words before composing himself. "Thank you," Joonmyun said, bowing just the slightest as he accepted Yixing's hand in his. "And you may call me Joonmyun, Yixing," he finished before their hands separated.
Yixing bid Joonmyun goodbye and made his way out of the conference room.
"Would you like some water, Your Highness?" Minseok, his advisor and head butler, asked after the doors closed. Joonmyun slumped back on his seat at the head of the table.
"Green Tea, instead Minseok, preferably the strong kind. Please have it delivered to my study," he ordered. Minseok nodded, leaving Joonmyun in the room to fetch his drink. Joonmyun lingered for just a minute before grabbing the folder in front of him and making his way to his study.
Walking down the hall, Joonmyun allowed the portraits of his ancestors to comfort him, offering him the strength he'd need to consider the proposal he'd just been given. There was a time when walking these halls were his biggest fear, afraid his ancestors would come to life and snatch him away. His father had come to comfort him then, told him how their ancestors would never steal him away from his loving family even if they were to come to life.
"These pictures are here to remind all future kings that we are of one blood, one family. These kings are part of our family, Joonmyun, and they will guide you in ways you couldn't have imagined."
Joonmyun gave the last portrait a sad smile, fingers almost reaching out to trace the photo.
"Father," he whispered. "You were right." His eyes lifted higher to the golden plaque at the top of the frame where his father's famous words were engraved.
A man is not a man if he does not have integrity.
Quickly dropping his gaze, Joonmyun entered his study, grimacing at the stack of books on the floor and the papers strewn about the table. He really should remember to organize some of his things. For now, he settled for pushing papers aside so he could lay the folder flat on the table. It wasn't a thick file, only a few pages of paper containing vital information on his possible betrothed.
The picture clipped to the folder caught his attention once more. It seemed that this—Kim Jongdae, Joonmyun had to recall to refer to him by name—omega had a pretty smile to him. Tucking the photo behind the last page, Joonmyun began to read all the details he seemed to need to consider the arrangement.
"Name, Kim Jongdae. Status, Omega. Gender, Male. Fertile," Joonmyun almost choked on his own saliva at the last word. Before he could react any further, a knock sounded from the other side of the door.
"Your Highness," Minseok's voice came through. "I have your tea."
"Come in."
Minseok wasted no time in pouring Joonmyun tea from a smoking pot and offered him the cup. He set the tray and pot down on a coffee table in the corner of the room, far enough not to be knocked down by Joonmyun's clumsiness, but close enough that he could pour himself a cup if needed. Seeing as no one else was around the room, he occupied the seat before Joonmyun's desk.
"Listen to this," Joonmyun said after a sip of his tea. "It would seem that Jongdae's one impressive male omega." Joonmyun flips back and forth from the first and second page before saying, "He works for the Refugee Department as an Immigration Transition Officer and volunteers every weekend at Equal Rights Union events and missions."
Minseok's eyes widened. "Wow, that's quite an amazing track record. What else does it say?"
"He's a year younger than me. Adopted. Mother died when he was six and then a couple adopted him soon after. Graduated from Sedocia National University with a degree in Psychology." He then passed the file to Minseok so his advisor could go through it.
It seemed to take Minseok forever before he finished reading the file, but Joonmyun knew it was just his impatience that made it seem that way. "What do we think?" he asked, keeping his eyes on his cup of tea, the translucent liquid almost still in the porcelain, so unlike his muddled mind.
"I think he's perfect," Minseok said honestly.
"So you think this idea is the right choice?" Joonmyun winced at the sharp tone he hadn't meant to use. Luckily, Minseok knew him well enough, understood him and his position.
"As your Royal Advisor, I can definitely say there are benefits to a matrimony with Kim Jongdae and there are disadvantages as well. Ultimately, my job is to help you see the benefits, consider the disadvantages and leave the decision for you to make. It doesn't really matter what I think."
Joonmyun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, but as my friend, I care about what you think."
Minseok laughed, freely and loud, and Joonmyun let a small smile slip on his face. "Honestly? If you ask me, I think you're lucky that this guy wants to marry you. I've been taking care of you since you were sixteen, Joonmyun. You're not exactly as husband material as the media plays you out to be." His advisor had the audacity to snicker, and Joonmyun just let him, too used to it by now.
"Come on, Minseok," Joonmyun begged. "Just tell me the truth."
"I am telling you the truth! I don't really think this is as bad as you assume it to be. Not only do you benefit from this, but I'm sure Jongdae does too. He gets to be Prince Consort, gains fame and wealth he couldn't even possibly imagine. But more than that, more than the fame, the wealth, the title, he gets to help all those omegas out there—those who can't afford to leave Venocia and Donocia."
"What does my royal advisor think about the risks?" Joonmyun said in a serious tone that surprised Minseok. The king just laced his fingers together and waited for Royal Advisor Minseok to speak. Minseok raised an eyebrow at him before sighing.
"From what I can gather, the biggest disadvantage is that Alpha King Kyuhyun calls your bluff and doesn't sign our treaty. That means Alpha King Yunho won't sign as well and omegas in Venocia and Donocia will continue to suffer." Joonmyun opened his mouth to comment but Minseok put up a hand and continued to speak. "Of course, there is also the matter of your reputation and the people's reaction if they discover that your supposed romance with an omega was all a stunt for peace and equal rights. We all know Alpha King Kyuhyun will not keep quiet and word will spread to all kingdoms. I'm sure most will see it as treachery and people from all the land will want you to step down from the throne."
Even though Minseok sounded like he was joking, Joonmyun was sure that most of what he'd said was true. Sometimes, Joonmyun wondered why he even agreed to accept Minseok as his Royal Advisor.
"Oh," Minseok continued when all Joonmyun had done was glare at him. "Of course, if and when you step down, your brother, Jongin inherits the crown. Since he's married to a male omega of his own volition, Alpha King Kyuhyun will have no reason to refuse to sign the treaty then. I guess even with all the disadvantages, it may still work out for the union."
Joonmyun sighed and pressed his fingers against his eyes, all that glaring not doing him any good. "We can't guarantee that outcome either. If I step down, who's to say that Alpha King Kyuhyun won't change his proposal when Jongin takes the crown? Or the people lose all faith in our family and have us killed for treason and then elect someone else as king? So many more things could go wrong with this plan."
"Yes, it would seem so." Minseok nodded solemnly.
A quiet second passed before Joonmyun spoke again.
"What's my biggest benefit?"
At the question, Minseok smiled.
"You fall in love, Your Highness."
And after a beat. "Oh, and omegas all over the country finally get the treatment they deserve."
When Minseok finally took things seriously, Joonmyun had enough points to weigh the pros and cons. His mind ran with a million thoughts per second, but no matter how much he convinced himself that the pros outweighed the cons, he couldn't diminish the feeling of guilt in his gut. He stared at the photo of Jongdae, laid out on top of his profile and felt like he was using the omega for selfish reasons, much like those alphas who bred omegas in the underground market. It disgusted him.
Minseok cleared his throat, drawing Joonmyun out of his thoughts. "More tea?"
Joonmyun shook his head and rested back against his chair, closing his eyes. "If it were my father," he said, voice soft and low. "What do you think he would've done?" He waited for Minseok's reply, but all he got was the sound of Minseok taking up his seat again.
"I think," Minseok said, his voice echoing in the four walls of the room. "It didn't matter what your father would've picked if he were in your position. Some way or another, he would've made it the right choice."
Joonmyun chuckled, sounding less amused than he'd intended. "That's exactly what he would've done." In times like these, he wished his father were still alive, still the king. He left so early, too soon, that he barely even taught Joonmyun the things he needed to learn before he stepped up to inherit the throne. Sometimes, Joonmyun even wished that he were his father.
"Joonmyun," Minseok said and Joonmyun perked up, realizing he'd said his last thought aloud. Minseok looked at him with pity and sympathy, understanding Joonmyun's insecurities better than anyone. Minseok then smiled at him, soft and kind, comforting. "Just because you're not your father doesn't mean you're not a good king.
"But my father would've done a better job."
Minseok shook his head. "Your father didn't have to inherit the throne at twenty-two. He took on the crown when he thought he was ready, when your grandfather knew he was ready. If your father could see you now, he would think you were doing a far better job than he would be at your age."
Joonmyun didn't know what to say to that. He'd known his father wasn't perfect, but from what he could remember during his father's reign, he might as well have been the perfect king.
"Besides," Minseok continued, when Joonmyun refused to say anything. "You're not your father. You're Alpha King Joonmyun and whatever choice you make, I and the rest of your kingdom will stand by you." When Joonmyun finally looked at Minseok, the older gave him a confident smile, as if he truly believed in Joonmyun and whatever wisdom he'd gained in his twenty-five years of living.
And that was enough, Joonmyun told himself, enough to give him strength to move forward, to take one step in the direction he thought was best, even if he did think it was wrong deep down inside. He shook all second thoughts away and returned Minseok's smile.
"Call, Heechul, tell him I want to speak with him about the arrangement. I need to know the plan before I agree to anything."
Minseok's smile was proud and confident as he stood. "Yes, Your Highness," he said, bowing before he left Joonmyun alone to ponder once more.
Joonmyun grabbed Jongdae's picture from the table and stared at it. He hoped he could do justice to that smile, somehow make this whole thing worthwhile if it were to happen.
"Father, Mother," he said, looking up at the ceiling. “Is this the right thing to do?” |
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wheredreamslast2017-02-03 11:09 pm
