Chapter 9
A week had passed and Joonmyun still hadn't heard anything from Kyuhyun. He'd made some statements as soon as he got back to Venocia, clarifying that they'd begun peace talks with Sedocia but that they hadn't come to an agreement. Joonmyun clenched his fists under the table while he watched. He would be forced to make the same statement, and although it wasn't a lie, it pushed his—the ERU's plans further behind.
There hadn't been any other news after they both clarified their stance. Donocia still sided with Venocia and Namcia had already begun restructuring their laws to honor the treaty. Joonmyun took a deep breath and told himself that no news was good news.
"You okay?"
Joonmyun blinked his eyes open to find Jongdae pausing the video on the laptop, looking at him with worried eyes.
"Yes, I'm just fine."
Jongdae cocked his head to the side. "You're worried," he mused. "What are you worried about?"
Joonmyun took a deep breath. He no longer debated whether he should tell Jongdae these matters. He would find out one way or another, and they were already on their way to holy matrimony. "I've just been thinking about how quiet it was. After Alpha King Kyuhyun left, I figured something would have happened by now."
Jongdae gripped his hand. "Shouldn't that be a good thing?"
"I'm not sure." Joonmyun took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "It feels like something is going to happen and—" Joonmyun swallowed, afraid of the power of his words.
"And what?"
"And I won't be strong enough to handle it."
Jongdae peeked around them for a second before scooting closer to Joonmyun. They were back in the book cafe, seated in their favorite nook. He pulled Joonmyun into his arms and made sure to hold him tight before letting go.
"It doesn't matter if you're strong enough, Joonmyun," he whispered. "Because we're all gonna help you through it, no matter what comes your—our way. I promise." He placed a small kiss on Joonmyun's temple. It relaxed Joonmyun slightly, resting his head on Jongdae's shoulder.
"Thank you," he breathed.
"You're welcome. Now, let's go back to watching this cartoon. You haven't been paying attention for the past few minutes and I have no one else to ask all these questions I have."
Joonmyun chuckled and pulled back from the comfort of Jongdae's body, returning his attention to the cartoon they were watching. It was Joonmyun's favorite.
Jongdae stayed close beside him, resting his head against his shoulder as they continued to watch together. Joonmyun took a small glance at Jongdae before returning his eyes on the screen. He was glad he wasn't alone, at least not anymore. It was different now than when he took on the crown soon after his parents died. Back then, he'd been young and unready, his whole family grieving. Now, he had Jongdae, Jongdae who could hold his hand and stand by his side, through it all.
The first week of August marked the second week of Alpha King Kyuhyun's departure. By then, Joonmyun had occupied himself with more pressing matters, ERU meetings, government issues (there were rumors of a corrupt chief abusing his authority), and helping Jongin and Kyungsoo with their pregnancy. He had no time to think about Kyuhyun or how he had the upper hand in their situation.
"Are you sure it's alright for you to be here?" Jongin asked, standing beside him in the doctor's office. Kyungsoo laid down on the bed in a hospital gown, promptly ignoring them to flip through some pamphlet. Jongdae was looking around the room. This would be their first time coming along for an appointment.
"Don't worry," Joonmyun said, smiling. "I've managed to fit it in my schedule so it's not going to interrupt anything."
Jongin shook his head and gave his older brother an amused smile. "You'd go that far for us, hyung?"
Joonmyun smiled. "Not for you, but for my nephew or niece." At this both Jongin and Kyungsoo barked out a laugh.
"Our baby's gonna be so spoiled," Kyungsoo commented.
"Do you already know the gender or the status?" Jongdae asked, standing beside Joonmyun.
Kyungsoo smiled fondly. "We both wanted to wait until the birth to find out. Kind of like a surprise."
"Oh, wow, that's so cool." Jongdae turned to Joonmyun then and grinned. "Do you think we should do that?"
Joonmyun almost choked on his saliva at the question. He managed to keep his composure and gave Jongdae a wry smile. "We’ll discuss it when it happens."
"You're right," Jongdae just smirked and winked at him. Joonmyun swallowed down the lump in his throat and stayed quiet. Luckily, their family doctor came in, ready to give Kyungsoo his check-up.
"Is there a reason that Your Highness is here?" Dr. Kim Yesung, greeted, smiling at them.
"No, we just wanted to offer our moral support to the couple," Joonmyun coolly replied.
"Alrighty then, I'm assuming you'll both want pictures of the ultrasound as well?" Yesung asked, preparing the machine and putting on his gloves.
Joonmyun couldn't hide his fascination when he watched Yesung do his job. The doctor put some sort of gel on Kyungsoo's stomach before pressing the wand in his hand against it. The screen on the machine lit up with white and grey blobs.
"Is that the baby?" Jongdae asked, peering closer to the screen that showed the small body of a baby. Kyungsoo gasped and Jongin leaned closer, hand gripping Kyungsoo's tightly. Both their eyes shone with unshed tears and Joonmyun couldn't help but feel proud and happy for them.
"It's our baby, Kyungsoo," Jongin uttered. "Our aegi gom." He leaned back and gave Kyungsoo a kiss on the forehead and then the lips. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered. Joonmyun looked away, focusing on the baby on the ultrasound, his soon-to-be nephew or niece.
"So if we ever have a child," Jongdae whispered beside him. "It's going to look like that." He turned a glance at the happy couple on the bed, cooing at Kyungsoo's small baby bump. He swallowed and then held Joonmyun's hand. Joonmyun just squeezed his hand back, too preoccupied with thoughts of the future, of possibly becoming a family with Jongdae.
"You'll be with me when that happens right?" Jongdae whispered, drawing him away from his thoughts.
"Always," Joonmyun answered sincerely. Jongdae seemed to relax at that, loosening his grip on Joonmyun's hand.
Yesung proceeded to continue his check up of Kyungsoo, reminding him of the things he could and couldn't do, told him what Kyungsoo would experience now that he reached the second trimester. Jongdae paid closer attention than Joonmyun did, and Joonmyun thought that maybe he was taking notes, causing him to smile. When they finished, Yesung handed them copies of the ultrasound, handing Kyungsoo a few more extras for his parents.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Kim," Kyungsoo and Jongin said.
"You're welcome. Please don't forget your appointment for next month." He then turned to Jongdae and Joonmyun. "Now that you're here, is there anything you'd like me to check for the both of you?"
Jongdae stiffened beside him and Joonmyun hid his laugh with a dismissive smile to Yesung.
"That won't be necessary, doctor. Thank you for all you've done today."
Joonmyun was in the middle of his break, sipping his tea while he watched cartoons in the library. The episode he was watching had just ended and he was in the middle of contemplating whether to watch some more or do something else. Just as he was about to press the play button, the phone line for the castle rang.
"This is Joonmyun speaking."
"Your Highness, sorry to disturb your break," Minseok started. "But Jongdae and his family are here to see you. They say it's urgent."
Joonmyun's eyes widened at the mention of Jongdae's family, but he closed his laptop and fixed himself up.
"Thank you. Put them in the small conference room and serve some drinks and snacks. I'll be on my way."
"Yes, Your Highness." Joonmyun put the phone down and ran through every possible reason he could think of that would bring Jongdae's family to the castle without prior notice. Nothing came to mind, but he wouldn't have to wait long to find out.
When Joonmyun entered the small conference room, Eunhyuk and Donghae stood up from where they were seated, bowing low in greeting.
"Please," Joonmyun said, urging them to stop. "You don't have to do that." They both gave Joonmyun a bashful smile before returning to their seats. Joonmyun went over to greet Jongdae, a soft peck on his cheek before taking the seat at the head of the table.
"My advisor tells me that you needed to see me. If this is about the compensation I promised you, by all means, please ask away."
Eunhyuk and Donghae exchanged glances before frowning at Joonmyun.
"Your Highness—"
"Please call me Joonmyun."
"Joonmyun, we're embarrassed ourselves to be saying this but yes. My husband and I have talked about this countless times, but we just can't do this without your help," Donghae began.
"We need your help in rescuing a male omega from Venocia. We understand that you've dealt closely with such matters, and so have we. Back when we were younger, Donghae and I worked as part of the rebel group in Venocia that helped transport omegas and slaves to Sedocia. When Jongdae's mother died, we decided to take a break from helping out so we could raise Jongdae," Eunhyuk gave Jongdae a fond smile.
"It's just that with raising Jongdae and all, we never got to continue and we ended up stopping completely." Donghae continued to explain. "The problem is we've lost most of our resources and contacts that we had back then, not to mention, the intel we've gathered is all outdated."
"We need your help, Your Highness, in getting us in and out of Venocia's borders with the omega," Eunhyuk pleaded.
Joonmyun sat back and nodded. "I see and it has to be the two of you that completes this mission?"
"Yes, we're the only ones who knows what they look like and they've requested not to be identified to other people. There's a lot at stake here if and when people discover their true identity," Eunhyuk explained.
"Wait, what?" Jongdae almost screamed. “I didn’t hear anything about this.” He turned to Joonmyun, eyes pleading with him. Joonmyun tried to convey with his eyes that he’d try his best and looked at the couple before him. They looked worn with age, but their bodies were toned and well in shape. He remembered reading that they were dance instructors. Joonmyun was just about to add in some of his protests when Eunhyuk spoke up.
"We absolutely cannot trust anyone else to complete this mission. Donghae and I have experience in getting people in and out of Venocia. Our knowledge may be outdated, but it doesn't mean we're incapable."
Joonmyun intervened. "I understand that there may be advantages to your handling the mission, but I suggest we talk this out with someone with more expertise than me. I also suggest that we bring the ERU into this. If this is about rescuing an omega, then there might be a need for a change of identity once they enter the kingdom."
Eunhyuk was about to protest but Donghae gripped his hand tight. "Yes, that would be very ideal."
"I'll go make the necessary calls." Joonmyun got up from his seat and approached Minseok, already standing and dialling the numbers. He could hear the small family start discussing to themselves, but he couldn't listen in as Heechul answered the call.
"Heechul, this is Minseok, Royal Advisor, His Highness wishes to speak with you." Minseok handed him the phone.
"Good afternoon, Heechul. I apologize for calling you on a weekend, but I need you to call the ERU members and have them come to the castle. It seems there is some urgent matter we need to take care of."
Heechul sighed deeply from the other end of the line. "I'll see what I can do but I can't promise everyone's availability."
"That should be fine. Thank you, Heechul."
Heechul ended the call instead of replying. Joonmyun then called his Refugee Operations Head, someone who had more experience and insight on the matter.
"Your Highness, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Taeyeon, good day, I hope I’m not disturbing your weekend, but I need your advice and opinion on a possible rescue operation. Do you think you have the time to come down to the castle?"
"I'll be on my way," Taeyeon said in a heartbeat.
"Thank you." Joonmyun ended the call and returned to his seat. He could feel the heavy tension surrounding the family, and flashed Jongdae a worried glance. When Jongdae just shook his head, he decided to push the matter aside.
"They're on their way. I suggest we move this meeting to a bigger conference room as more people will soon crowd this one." Minseok escorted them out and led them to the conference room they used for ERU meetings.
Joonmyun reclaimed his seat at the head of the table, Jongdae to his right and his parents on the other side of Joonmyun. Before they could begin another round of debates as to why or why not they should handle the mission, Joonmyun intervened. "Kim Taeyeon, the Head of our Rescue Operations will be here soon along with the ERU. She'll help you come up with a detailed plan that will help bring the omega to Sedocia. While I understand the need to do something and personally handle this mission, but because this is a very dangerous operation, if she decides you two to be unfit for the mission, I will heed by Taeyeon's decisions. Rest assured, I will leave the rescue mission in the hands of someone I personally know and trust, you have my word."
Eunhyuk bit his lip looking unsure, but Donghae put an arm around his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. A few seconds later, Eunhyuk took a deep breath and nodded. "We understand."
While they waited for Taeyeon and Heechul's party to arrive, Joonmyun had tried to get Eunhyuk and Donghae to give him more details about the omega they were rescuing. They continued to evade the questions and changed the topic whenever they could. Joonmyun could sense from the quiet air around them that there was something more to it, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He just hoped that Taeyeon or Heechul would be able to extract the information from them.
One by one, members of the ERU began to appear. They introduced themselves to Eunhyuk and Donghae before taking their seat around the table. Once Taeyeon arrived, Joonmyun allowed Eunhyuk to relay his case to the people around.
Eunhyuk repeated what he'd told Joonmyun. Joonmyun tried not to frown, especially with the way Heechul and Taeyeon looked suspiciously at Eunhyuk.
"How is this omega related to you and why are you the only ones who can help him out?" Heechul asked, straight to the point.
Eunhyuk sighed. "We've worked with this omega for years. They’ve helped us escape and transport omegas to Sedocia. They're very close to us and we've only recently found out that they were in grave danger. They're asking us for help and we're the only ones who know how to contact him, how to find him and what methods are best used to do so."
"That may be so, but you've also admitted that your knowledge of Venocia are outdated," Taeyeon pointed out.
"Do you want to help or not!?" Eunhyuk shouted, eyes rimmed red.
Siwon spoke up then. "You'll have to forgive our questions, but you have to understand that from our point of view, this is all very suspicious. The fact that you won't even give out the omega's name or reason for wanting to escape Venocia makes it hard for us to gauge the probable consequences of the mission."
Eunhyuk took a deep and long shuddering breath and bit his lip. Donghae shot him a worried glance before turning to Siwon. "The male omega's pregnant, that's why he wants to run away. And we can't give you his name because he asked us not to. We understand that this may seem like a trap or a hoax, but we would never jeopardize our family and kingdom to such an extent. This person, this omega, is someone very dear to us and we just need your help in saving him. Please."
"All right," Joonmyun finally said. "We'll offer you our assistance."
"But Your Highness," Heechul protested.
"It's going to be fine, Heechul." He flashed him a quick smile. "Whatever happens, we will be prepared."
"Well, if that's the case," Taeyeon said. "We should come up with a plan as soon as possible. If the male omega is pregnant, the longer we wait, the harder it will be to get him out of Venocia. Do you have any idea how you want to go in and out of Venocia?"
"There was a sewage system in Venocia that we used to escape when we were rescuing omegas and slaves from the clutches of dangerous Alpha groups." Eunhyuk turned to Minseok and Joonmyun. "Do you think we could view a map of Venocia?"
Minseok nodded and set up the screen by the wall. In less than a minute, it displayed the current map of Venocia. Eunhyuk stood up and enlarged the image on the screen, zooming in until they could see the manholes littering the kingdom.
"Back then, we'd take this manhole and lead the group out until we reached Sedocia's borders right around here." He traced a line from a manhole out of Venocia's kingdom walls down to the river passing through Venocia and Sedocia. "This sewer was the farthest from the heart of the kingdom, less people around meant less security. We were hoping we could get through this same system, but we're unsure of its accessibility."
"From what I remember when I used to live there, those manholes have been locked, but you can still get in through the disposal site on the borders of Venocia," Siwon said, standing up to point to the exit Eunhyuk was talking about. "These manholes are locked and can only be opened by the Prime Minister. But the manholes for the current sewage system can be opened and accessed through the disposal you plan on entering since they're hard to demolish."
"Will you two be able to find your way despite the changes in direction?" Taeyeon asked.
Donghae peered at the map for a second before, "We probably could but we'll need to memorize the layout of Venocia's sewage system. We'll need some blueprints for that."
"I may be able to get a copy, but I can't leave it here for more than two days," Siwon said, going back to his seat.
"That's more than enough time," Eunhyuk said.
"Wait a minute," Jongdae said, putting his hands up. "Are you really going to let them go through with the mission?"
Taeyeon eyed him for a moment before sighing. "I don't see why not. They're the only ones who know where and how to find the omega. They also have the advantage of having lived in Venocia for far longer than most of our Rescue Specialists. I have people much older than them risking their necks trying to save omegas and slaves. By the determination in their eyes, I can tell they're not going to back down."
Jongdae turned to Joonmyun, but Joonmyun had promised Eunhyuk and Donghae if Taeyeon allowed it, they would be able to go. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "If Taeyeon's given them permission to go, then I trust that she's made this decision based on statistics."
Jongdae gave Joonmyun a disappointed look before lowering his head down. Joonmyun wanted to say more, but there was nothing else he could say to soften the blow of his words. He reluctantly turned away and urged the members to continue planning.
"Will you be in contact with the omega?" Changmin asked.
"Not until we enter Venocia."
"From our estimate, it would be best if you can get out in one—two days tops," Taeyeon suggested. "Do you think you'll have enough time to get in, get him and then get out undetected?"
"It's possible, but we may need to stay somewhere for a while. We can't guarantee how fast we'll be able to get to him once we're able to contact him."
"Then let's plan out everything now so all you have to do is instruct him where to go and what to do." Taeyeon stood up from her seat and then went to the map. "Once you get in Venocia, how do you plan on contacting him, where will you go?"
"That's where we needed help," Eunhyuk admitted with a sigh. "We've lost most of our contacts from the inside and there's no one else that we know who could help us."
"I probably could," Siwon spoke up. "I still go back to Venocia when I visit my family, but we'll need to synchronize it to my schedule if we don't want to risk getting caught."
"When are you scheduled to leave?" Heechul asked.
"Exactly two weeks from now."
"That should be enough time," Eunhyuk said, nodding his head. "We can come up with a good enough plan by then. It will be better if we give you one day in advance to settle in Venocia before we make our move."
"Sounds good," Taeyeon commented. "Where do you live in Venocia? Do you live alone?"
"My house is this one here," Siwon said, pointing at the screen and zooming it on the large home located in the neighborhood closest to the castle.
"Is there a sewer nearby?" Changmin asked. Everyone peered at the screen as Siwon looked around the area.
"This is the closest one to my property," Siwon pointed out a manhole in the middle of the street surrounded by a multitude of trees behind four mansions.
"It looks like a long way from the disposal site to the neighborhood," Changmin pointed. When Siwon zoomed back from the map, they saw that Siwon's neighborhood was on the southern side from the disposal site. "Maybe you can meet them in the middle?"
"But we'll need to coordinate our times for that and we won't be able to contact Siwon until we can get inside Venocia," Donghae pointed out.
"Maybe there's a way," Taeyeon started saying. She stood up once more and stared at the map before her. She enlarged it multiple times and then returned it to view the bigger picture. Everyone held their breath as they waited for her to speak.
"I think I've got it," Taeyeon said, turning her back from the screen and leveling everyone with a look. "There's a place somewhere in Venocia that you can get through from the disposal site. It's a relatively empty space and you could go there, maybe change clothes and blend in with the crowd." Taeyeon turned back and pointed at a blank portion on the screen. "This place is mostly a forest, just a road close enough to the heart of the city. If you can blend in, then you can make a call through a public telephone and Siwon can pick you up wherever you might be."
Taeyeon enlarged the map and then a picture of the city appeared. "Public telephones litter the whole place, but I suggest using this one over here," she scrolled around until she stopped in front of a public park. "This is the telephone booth closest to where you will be entering Venocia. Many kids go to this park looking to be rescued, it's part of our operations' rendezvous point. Try not to immerse yourself with the kids as much as possible or else you will be found out."
"I think we can work with that," Eunhyuk said.
"Good," Taeyeon said. "Now, once you've made contact with Siwon, he will bring you back to his mansion and then you can call your friend. Would you be meeting them somewhere or will you need to go to where he is and take him back?"
"We're planning on meeting him somewhere but it might take some time. He'll need to find an opportunity that will allow him to leave."
"Alright. This means we can at least control where you can meet. Do you know where he's located so that we can find someplace close to your exit point?"
Donghae and Eunhyuk shared a look before eyeing the map. "He'll be somewhere around here." Eunhyuk circled the forest outside of the Venocian Royal Family's castle. Taeyeon pursed her lips, but didn't comment.
"I see. If he's somewhere around there, it'd be best if you can meet up with him around this area. Siwon, can you confirm the accessibility of these manholes?"
"Not yet, it'll have to wait until I can get a copy of the blueprint, but we can probably assume that the ones around the property of the royal family are accessible."
"In the case that some or most of these manholes can't be used, it would be best to meet here," Taeyeon pointed somewhere around the forest, close to at least four manholes. "This spot has the most manholes closest to it. Based on what we can see, it's also close to the disposal site you used for entry. Escaping would most likely be easier when you've met up with your friend. Until we can get our hands on the blueprint for the sewage system of Venocia, these are our preliminary plans. Are there any questions?"
"How will my dads and their friend get back to Sedocia?" Jongdae asked.
"Once they've left Venocia's borders and stepped into Sedocia's, we'll have a car waiting for them."
"Any more?" When no one else spoke, she continued. "Alright. We'll finalize the plans when we've gotten the blueprint, but for now I think we have something solid."
"We have one more request," Eunhyuk said, eyes closed tightly in guilt. "We hope that as much as possible, nothing about this mission comes out of this room."
Everyone looked taken aback except for Taeyeon who peered at them closely before sighing. "I see. I'll make sure not to tell and involve anyone else with the mission."
With Taeyeon's quick confirmation, everyone else started agreeing, even Joonmyun. With the meeting over, members of the ERU began to leave, bidding Joonmyun and Jongdae goodbye until Taeyeon was the only one left.
"Thank you again so much, Joonmyun, for all your help," Eunhyuk said, shaking Joonmyun's hand. He looked about ready to burst into tears. Jongdae on the other hand looked about ready to explode in anger. It made it hard to accept his parents' gratitude.
"You're welcome," he uttered. "It's the least I can do." Jongdae grumbled and glared at Joonmyun but didn't directly address him. His dads sighed at Jongdae's behavior, apologized to Joonmyun and led him out the room. Once the doors closed, Taeyeon cleared her throat.
"Your Highness," she began. "I understand the need to impress your boyfriend's parents, but there's something fishy about this mission. I can't say for sure what it is, but there's something they're not telling us."
Joonmyun took a deep breath. Immediately, all the doubts he had about Eunhyuk and Donghae's rescue mission came back.
"What do you propose we should do?"
Taeyeon sighed. "I'm honestly not sure, Your Highness. I say prepare for the worst, but with the little details that they've given, I'm not sure what the worst could possibly be. But I know one thing for sure," Taeyeon turned to enlarge the forest where the male omega was located. "There is nothing in this part of the forest, just trees and wildlife."
Joonmyun pinched the bridge of his nose. "That may be so, but who's to say that the person we're rescuing hasn't set up some sort of camp around the area."
"It's impossible. No Alpha group would dare build an underground breeding pool around this area, nor will there be an omega brave enough to hide around here. This area is royal family territory."
All the words got knocked out of Joonmyun as soon as Taeyeon finished her statement. There were a lot of implications behind what she had just said, but Joonmyun couldn't think properly with all the questions and speculations occupying his head. He took a few deep breaths and let out an audible exhale.
"Thank you for informing me about that. I will have to think more about this matter, but I can guarantee you that Sedocia will prepare for the worst."
"Good to know, Your Highness. That's all I wanted to say. If you have no more to ask of me, I will take my leave." Taeyeon bowed and left the conference room, leaving Joonmyun alone with Minseok and his thoughts.
"Minseok?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Please brew me some tea. I will be in my study."
"Of course, Your Highness."
Joonmyun stood up and gathered his things from the library. Now wasn't the time for watching cartoons. Now, he needed to be king.
It took some time for the blueprints to arrive, but once they were seen and memorized, Taeyeon was able to finalize the plans. Not much had changed from what she suggested, but this time, Eunhyuk and Donghae knew which sewers they could use to pop in and out of the kingdom. They left at the same time Siwon’s plane flew out to Venocia. With them riding by car and Siwon by plane, Siwon would get there one day before they would.
While Taeyeon handled most of the operation details, Joonmyun busied himself with trying to prepare for all the worst case scenarios. He'd opened up the problem with both Minseok and his uncle Jongshin and they tried to help him come up with possible answers.
"Do you think it might not be an omega they were rescuing?" Jongshin asked. They were currently in the small conference room and they've spent the past few days trying to come up with answers.
"That's what I'm worried about. If they've gone to Venocia to retrieve something from the royal family's grasp, Alpha King Kyuhyun might never sign the peace treaty."
"In all honesty, I wouldn't put it past him to wage war on Sedocia," Jongshin said seriously.
"But Eunhyuk and Donghae were also adamant in stressing it was someone they had to save." Joonmyun closed his eyes. "And that someone needed to be saved soon."
"Are you worried it might be a slave of the royal family?" Jonghin asked.
"I thought that too, but it just seems so impossible that a slave would be able to get out of the clutches of the royal family. We've been doing our best to help them for years, but it's never been successful. What’s changed now?"
"We've come up with another blank," Jongshin finally said. "By this time, Eunhyuk and Donghae are already halfway to Venocia. It will be pointless to keep guessing by then."
"I suggest that we prepare for war anyway," Minseok said. "If there is even the slightest chance that Eunhyuk and Donghae rescued someone from the clutches of the royal family, it might not bode well for Sedocia."
Joonmyun took a deep breath and nodded. "Can you schedule me a meeting with General Choi tomorrow at the earliest convenience?"
"Yes, of course, Your Highness."
All throughout the night and the following day, Joonmyun busied himself with thoughts of preparations for war, things he'd have to relay to General Choi. He kept a calm facade and instructed the Army General to train the troops and strategize a possible evacuation plan.
"What's going on Your Highness?"
Joonmyun clenched his fists under the table. "I need you to keep this a secret for now, but we have reason to believe that Sedocia might come under attack very soon. We're not sure when or even if it will happen, but we need to prepare in the case that it does."
"Of course, Your Highness," the general said.
"And General Choi, please keep me updated about the plans and strategies you may have come up with."
General Choi bowed slightly. "Yes, Your Highness." With nothing else to talk about, Joonmyun dismissed him. He stayed in the conference for a couple more minutes before going about his royal duties. He didn't have much time to think about the rescue operation, not when there was so much more to take care of.
On the day of their supposed return, Jongdae had begged and pleaded to spend the night at the castle where Eunhyuk and Donghae would be dropped off with the omega. Joonmyun couldn't say no, not after he'd allowed Jongdae's parents to go despite his complaints.
It was nearly midnight now and Jongdae paced back and forth in the sitting room, eyes glancing every second up at the clock.
"What's taking them so long?" Jongdae huffed, crossing his arms and walking around faster. Joonmyun got up from his chair and pulled Jongdae into his arms.
"It's a long trip to Venocia and back, you and I both know that. Even with a car to drive them all the way back with no stops, it's going to take at least two whole days."
Jongdae buried his head in Joonmyun's chest. "I just—" he took a deep shuddering breath and gripped tightly on Joonmyun's clothes. "I just can't lose my parents again." Joonmyun's heart ached with those words and he tightened his hold on Jongdae.
"They're going to be just fine. If they can save your life, they can definitely save this man's life and come back safe."
"I really fucking hope so," Jongdae muttered. Joonmyun chuckled softly at the curse. "Sorry," the younger whispered when he realized what he'd said.
"Don't worry about it. It's just us right now and you're not a prince yet."
"Oh god, does that mean I'm going to have to learn how to stop cursing?" Jongdae whined, but Joonmyun could hear the faint traces of teasing in his tone.
"Most likely," Joonmyun replied with a chuckle.
A knock on the door interrupted their quiet moment and Joonmyun loosened his hold on Jongdae. "Come in."
"Your Highness, they've arrived. Heechul and Taeyeon are already in the conference room," Minseok said.
"We'll be on our way." Jongdae perked up in his embrace and looked back and forth from Joonmyun to Minseok.
"My dads are okay?"
"It would seem so, Sir Jongdae."
Jongdae breathed a heavy sigh of relief and smiled at Joonmyun. "Let's go then," he said, tangling his fingers in Joonmyun's and leading him out of the sitting room.
When they got there, they found Eunhyuk and Donghae seated on the chairs, dirty and ragged, but otherwise fine. A cloaked man sat with them, the dark cloth concealing his whole body and face. Heechul and Taeyeon stood to the side, staring him down.
"He wanted to talk you, Joonmyun," Eunhyuk said with a heavy sigh. He reached for the glass of water provided and finished it all. Donghae leaned back on one of the chairs beside Eunhyuk, munching on the snacks offered.
Joonmyun sent Heechul and Taeyeon questioning glances, but they didn't have much to say. Taeyeon gestured for Joonmyun to go on with it.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Joonmyun asked.
The man lifted his hands and slowly pulled down the hood of his cloak. Heechul, Taeyeon and even Jongdae took a step back at the sight of the cloaked man's face.
"Sungmin, Royal Advisor to Alpha King Kyuhyun," Joonmyun could hear himself say over the sound of his loudly beating heart. "You were the friend they needed to rescue?"
"Cousin actually," Sungmin replied, flashing Joonmyun a guilty smile, but Joonmyun could barely hear him. All he could hear were the keys inside his head unlocking the quiet thought at the back of his mind that Sungmin was the omega they rescued, the omega who worked as Alpha King Kyuhyun's Advisor. "I deeply apologize if my coming here is of a great inconvenience. I know that there are possible consequences to my being here, but I needed to get out of Venocia. As my cousin Eunhyuk might have mentioned, I'm pregnant."
"You're pregnant with the king's child, aren't you?" Joonmyun found himself asking, cursing his brain for getting ahead of him again. Sungmin turned his eyes downcast and wrapped his arms around his stomach. His smile looked sad and broken.
"Yes, yes I am. And that's exactly why I needed to go. It wouldn't be safe for me to be in Venocia, pregnant with the king's child and an omega. People there already hate me enough as it is. They'd kill my child as soon as it's born and I can't—I can't have that."
Joonmyun took a deep breath and held it in. He'd seen the way Kyuhyun looked at Sungmin, had seen the way he kept him close. There was no way Kyuhyun would let Sungmin go this easily.
"I understand, but you do know there's a possibility that Alpha King Kyuhyun will come after you."
Sungmin closed his eyes. "I know he will. I've grown up with Kyuhyun all my life. I know him enough that he will bend heaven and earth to find me and that's why, that's why I need your help. It's famous in Venocia—of your hiding away certain omegas, giving them new identities, giving them second chances at a new life and I need that. I just need new papers for myself and my child and then I will leave Sedocia as well."
"What?" Eunhyuk shouted, standing up from his seat. "Sungmin, I didn't risk my life to save you from that bastard only for you to leave Sedocia."
"You don't understand, Eunhyuk! Kyuhyun will find me. He'll hunt every kingdom trying to look for me. It's best if I just lay low somewhere on the outskirts of every kingdom and then I'll come back. I swear."
Heechul cleared his throat. "I don't mean to interrupt your family's conversation, but I honestly don't think it'd be safe for you to be alone in the wild. Especially when you're pregnant. It'd be better if you stayed here at least until you can give birth, and then we can decide what to do.
"I don't know. Kyuhyun is a very impulsive and powerful man, if he finds out that I'm here, bad things could happen." Sungmin bit his lip and avoided his eyes.
Joonmyun looked around at all the confused faces in the room and knew that it would be his decision to make. He took a deep breath. "We'll give you the necessary papers to help you change your identity as well as any background information you may need. It will take about a week to finish processing, but I hope you decide to stay at least until your baby is born. Unnecessary stress will only cause you complications during childbirth and you certainly cannot give birth alone in the forest."
"Thank you. Thank you so much. If there's anything I can do, anything at all—" Sungmin paused and then gasped. "I know. I've got it. You've been trying to get Kyuhyun to sign the peace treaty. I can help you with that. I know a lot of Venocia's weaknesses and I'm willing to tell you all of them in exchange for everything you're doing for me." He wiped the stray tears that he shed and smiled at Joonmyun, the first real smile he'd seen on Sungmin since he first laid his eyes on him.
"Thank you. That is more than enough. Now, please, seeing as it's quite late, it would be best if you went home with Eunhyuk's family. We'll still need some time to take care of your living arrangement, but in less than a month we can probably fix you with your own house." Joonmyun looked in Heechul's direction and smiled when Heechul nodded.
Sungmin joined Eunhyuk’s family and walked out of the room. Jongdae lingered for a few minutes, standing by Joonmyun’s side.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that," Jongdae said.
"I don't think any of us really were."
"Are you okay?" Jongdae asked, cupping Joonmyun’s cheeks and eyeing the other worriedly. Joonmyun just smiled at him, leaning into the touch.
"I will be."
Jongdae stared him down for a second before giving him a rueful smile. "Okay. Good night then Joonmyun." He kissed him on the forehead, bringing his head down slightly to reach, before walking out of his room.
When Joonmyun was sure Jongdae was gone, he sat back on the chair Sungmin vacated, slumped down and buried his head in his hands.
There was no doubt in his mind now; Alpha King Kyuhyun would declare war on Sedocia. |
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wheredreamslast2017-02-03 11:55 pm
