Chapter Text
Seungmin had begun to settle in nicely to his new role in the royal palace. Chan started to introduce him into the court, albeit slowly. His mate had been hesitant to involve him much due to the stigmas that the court still held about omegas and their involvement beyond their ability to raise pups. The furthest they had gotten had been Seungmin attending and listening as everyone spoke and talking to Chan privately afterwards, who would then bring those ideas back to the court the following day. It was the only way for any of the advisors to even consider his ideas. Only if they could claim ignorance of where the ideas came from would they listen to them.
Currently, Seungmin was cosied up next to Chan in one of the many lounge areas that the palace had. There was a warm fire blazing in the hearth, though Seungmin preferred the heat radiating from the alpha's body. Snow gently fell outside the window coating the world in a soft blanket of white. He watched the flames dance as Chan flipped to the next page of the book he was reading. Seungmin's own book had been abandoned a while ago.
"It's so much colder here," Seungmin muttered as he did his best to steal as much body warmth as possible from the other.
Chan let out a soft chuckle and wrapped the arm around Seungmin's shoulders tighter, pulling him closer. "I forget that your family's land doesn't get snow. Don't worry, darling, the court takes their break soon and then we have a month to ourselves. We will go somewhere warmer. I promise."
"That's if I don't turn into a popsicle beforehand." The omega pouted, "Where are we even going? You won't tell me and I can't get anything out of Innie or Sung."
"That's because I asked them not to tell you. It's a surprise after all."
"That's no fair. I want to know.” Seungmin put on his best pouting face. “What if I refuse to go if I don't know?"
"Well," Chan sat his book down on the arm of the couch, unseated by Seungmin’s pout, "I'll let the servants know to unpack your items. I know Jeongin will be sad not to be able to go either. He was looking forward to it. Sungie will miss you as well."
"You would go without me?" He feigned surprise. He knew that Chan would not dare to leave him alone for that long. The king barely made it through a day before becoming needy. At least that was what Seungmin told himself when the alpha would wrap him up in his arms each night, holding him tight and whispering about how much he cared about him and was thinking about him throughout the day. No, it was most definitely not Chan trying to quell the clingy and needy omega instead.
"And miss the warmth of some of the southern territories instead?" Chan joked before making eye contact with Seungmin, his eyes softening immediately, and speaking again, "I would happily stay warm next to you here if that's really what you rather, my darling." He sealed the promise with a soft kiss on Seungmin's forehead.
Seungmin could feel the warmth from the fire reach deep inside him at the gesture. The warmth spread from where Chan's lips met his forehead and made its way down to settle deep within Seungmin's chest, warming him from the inside out. If it was actually the fire from the hearth or the fire in the alpha’s scent is up to debate though.
"You're such a sap," Seungmin tried to scoff at the other but the soft smile on his face betrayed his actual feelings.
"And you love it."
He did. Seungmin had only spent five months with Chan but he never shut himself off from the option of loving his mate someday, arranged marriage or not. It was clear as day to Seungmin that Chan loved him, had loved him from the very beginning even if neither had acknowledged it out loud. Seungmin, on the other hand, had to be wary from the get-go until he could learn to trust Chan. Once he got there, which was easy because Chan was genuine and wore his heart on his sleeve, he opened his own heart to the option of being friends and loving each other one day.
But he wasn't ready to say that to Chan so instead he deflected, "No, it's stupid. You're stupid."
Chan's smile grew wider on his face, "Sure it is. Sure I am. That's all it is."
Even if he wasn't ready to say it out loud it seemed that Chan already knew and was more than ready to let Seungmin go at whatever pace he wanted. It was easy. Being married to the king was easy. Loving him couldn't be much harder.
************
Snow-covered towns slowly melded into brown and rainy fields and then into gently rolling hills, still covered in lush green grass. The ride in the carriage had been taking a toll on Seungmin's body. They were going on the last full day of a week of travel and everything was sore and hurting. However, excitement started to seep into his bones and began dulling the pain from travelling as he watched the terrain pass by them. He knew where they were going now. He knew this territory. He knew his home .
"Wait! I know where we are." Seungmin turned from the window as it clicked in his mind. He was met with a knowing look from Chan.
"And where is that, my darling?"
"Home. You really are taking me home for the break? Why couldn't you tell me earlier? Does my family know? Does Innie know? I'm going to be home for 2 weeks?" The questions tumbled out of him as he was reinvigorated at the prospect of being home when he had already made peace with losing it when he was sent away to be married.
Chan scooched across the bench so he was next to Seungmin, peering out the window as well, "I didn't tell you earlier because how else would I get to see this excitement? I take it, you're happy?" Small farms dotted the countryside as they rolled along.
"Yes!"
"Your family knows. I had been sending letters back and forth with your brother to plan all of this. You deserve to get to see them again. Get a proper goodbye instead of whatever rushed one you got. Plus your brother mentioned that you left a lot of things behind here because you didn't think they'd fit whatever ideas we had for omegas in the palace." Chan explained.
Seungmin thought back to the books he had left behind for fear that even being able to read wouldn't be acceptable. There were also his notebooks filled with his studies and research. His telescope, a gift for his 20th birthday from his father, probably had collected dust these past few months. So much of his life had been left behind. He thought he had to kill the old him for the new life demanded of him. Now he was getting the opportunity to take it all back, literally and figuratively. Breathe a new life into his past.
He turned to face Chan, whose face was a couple of inches from his as he looked out the window, and he placed a chaste kiss on the alpha's cheek.
"Thank you."
A smile broke out on Chan's face as pink painted his cheeks. His scent spiked full of joy.
"I would give you the world my darling. No questions asked." Chan admitted bringing one of his hands to rest on his cheek.
"I know, but you don't have to."
***********
Another night had passed, spent sleeping in a small inn, before their entourage rolled up to the small duke’s palace that held Seungmin's family. Growing up he thought it was huge, endless even, but now with the context of the royal palace, it was small. The entire building could fit inside a signal wing of the royal palace.
"Are they meeting us outside?" Seungmin asked, practically bursting at the seams to see his family as he stepped out of the carriage, happy to stretch his legs and hopefully not get back in a carriage until he died.
"They won't be." Chan answered, "I've actually arranged for you to go meet your brother first, by yourself." He followed Seungmin out onto the ground, taking a few moments to get the blood flowing in his legs.
Seungin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Why?"
"We will be greeted by some servants soon and the entourage can get situated in our rooms." He started to explain. "I want you to meet your family alone. I'm aware of the rumours about the palace. Your family will be worried about your state and they might feel better if I am not with you when you first see them. They can feel free to ask you whatever they want and you will be free to answer however you want."
"But I wouldn't have anything bad to say about you?"
A smile graced Chan's face, "That's good to hear but if I am with you then they might believe that you would only say that to appease me. Don't worry about us, darling. We will take care of everything. You go find your brother."
Seungmin gave Chan one last look before doing just that. Perhaps he should have requested a guard to follow him since he was the royal consort now, but he had never needed one in his home before so he didn't even think twice about it now. It did not take long before he found himself outside his brother's study, the path a familiar one from when he used to be an advisor for his family, training alongside Changbin for when his brother assumed their father's position. He knew that Changbin was more likely there than anywhere else.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Come in." Changbin's voice sounded from inside and Seungmin just about started crying from that. The last he had heard his brother was from a brief goodbye as Seungmin's carriage prepared to leave for the royal city, taking Seungmin away from everything he knew. Away from his home.
Seungmin pushed open the door and met Changbin's eyes as the older looked up to see who had entered. Changbin's quill dropped as he took in the sight before him, but it wasn't him who spoke first.
"Minnie!" A voice to his side answered, crashing into him to wrap the omega in a tight hug.
It took Seungmin a moment to gather his thoughts as he figured out who the additional person was, luckily, the blonde hair was a dead giveaway.
"Lix!" Seungmin returned his hug, tears that had threatened to spill over, finally carving a path down his face. Felix had moved in to live with Changbin, his promised, not much longer before Seungmin was married.
Changbin must have gotten up because another body was joining the hug. They stayed like that for a while before reluctantly breaking the hug.
"You must be weary from travelling, Minnie. Sit, sit." Felix pulled Seungmin onto the couch with him as Changbin returned to his seat by his desk.
"Where's the king?" Changbin asked once everyone was sitting and comfortable.
"Chan and the others were going to head to their quarters for now."
"Chan?" Felix implored.
"King Chan." Changbin corrected. "Is he well?"
"Of course he is. Just as tired from travelling as I am." Seungmin said.
"And he sent you up here without him?" Changbin continued to question. He was dancing around the questions he really wanted to ask. The questions that Seungmin knew were coming.
"He wanted you to ask freely and me to answer freely without fear of him being in the room."
"Oh," Felix seemed shocked by the information. He was well aware of the rumours as well and being a male omega himself, he was just as nervous at Seungmin's mating as Seungmin was. "I guess there's no reason for us to beat around the bush then. Are you well? Are you okay?"
Seungmin let out a small chuckle, "I am well and okay Lixie. Chan's really nice, I promise."
"Are you upholding your end of the arrangement?" Changbin asked, his face cringing slightly at having to ask his little brother what he was implying.
"The marriage was properly consummated." Seungmin tugged on his neckline to show off his mating bite.
Changbin stared at the mark for a moment, as if assessing the legitimacy of it, "And what about heirs?" He asked after a beat.
"They will come when they come," Seungmin explained, "I am not currently pregnant and probably won't be for a while."
"Why not?" Felix asked, "Is he not wanting to be with you as mates should be? Are you having issues with conceiving? Are you guys intimate often?"
Seungmin felt his face heat up at the questions, "I don't want to have pups until I am comfortable in the court. Progress is slow with his advisors, they rather not listen to an omega. Adding in a pregnancy would backtrack what little progress we have made. Chan and I both are on a mixture of herbs from his apothecary to hold off our ruts and heats for now. Though, we also aren't intimate in that way with each other. I want to be more comfortable with him before we do that again. Obviously, we consummated the marriage as required but he's adhering to my wish for now." He didn't think what he said was shocking information but the looks on the others' faces said otherwise.
"You're refusing to be intimate with him?" Disbelief leaked into Changbin's tone, "The king is okay with that? He hasn't lashed out at you or punished you because of that, has he? Has he taken up concubines instead?"
"No. God no. I think he would rather die than hurt me. He also wouldn’t use concubines." Seungmin was aghast at the accusation. Even though he was aware of what the others might have heard about the royal palace, now that he has lived there it was hard to even picture any of it.
"I mean, he might not be physically hurting you but he could still be hurting you." Changbin pressed his lips into a firm line, "Have you been eating well? Do you have company throughout the day? Are you able to pursue personal interests?"
Seungmin blinked in a mixture of confusion and surprise, "Yes, I've been eating well. Yes, I get company. No, I'm not closed off and isolated from everyone. I do join the meetings with his advisors as I said. Chan and I spend time together every day. Innie is there as well. I also have become friends with Jisung, a fellow omega. Chan loves to spend time reading with me, separately but together." Seungmin's scent started to slowly turn brittle at the accusations thrown toward his mate.
Felix could feel the tension beginning to boil in the room and reached out a gentle hand to hold Seungmin's arm. "That's good to hear Minnie. He sounds like he treats you well."
"Of course he treats me well. I'm his mate. I rule the kingdom beside him." He knew his tone was beginning to turn harsh but he couldn't help it. Chan didn't deserve these opinions and the others weren't believing him.
"That is until his patience grows thin, Minnie," Changbin muttered as if he thought Seungmin wouldn't hear him.
Seungmin snapped his head to face his brother, "It won't."
"How can you be so sure? We have heard so much about the royal palace. How do I know you're not protecting him out of fear? How do I know that you aren't already brainwashed by them? By him? I just want you to be okay." Changbin's voice leaked of concern but all Seungmin could focus on was the actual words being said, the hidden meanings behind them.
Rotten lavender flooded the room. Twisting and turning to fill every crook and cranny. Everything became tainted to the point that Changbin would still smell it on his papers in days to come.
Felix brought a handkerchief up to his nose to block the smell, "Binnie, I think you should leave us for now. Perhaps this is better suited for omegas and not alpha brothers."
Changbin looked between them before standing up, so abruptly that his chair skittered back to hit the wall as a couple of quills fell to the floor. He didn't even bother picking them up. He shot Felix a look of concern before removing himself from the room, but as soon as he opened the door he turned back to Seungmin, "Where is your guard?"
"I didn't bring one."
"You–" Changbin cut off with an exasperated noise, pinching his nose, "You're the prince consort, you will have a guard with you at all times. Take one of mine for now."
"I don't need one. This is my home."
"Not anymore Minnie. You need a guard. This isn't a debate. You will not be allowed free roam without one." Changbin shut the door with finality at that.
Once the door shut behind him Seungmin turned back to Felix, "Why don't you guys believe me?" He chose to ignore the feelings churning inside him at the claim from Changbin that this wasn't his home anymore.
"It's… it's just hard to, Minnie. You even had the same beliefs before you left. Is he truly that good? Is the palace anything like we thought it’d be?" Felix rubbed soothing circles with his thumb on Seungmin's arm. His other hand still held the handkerchief to his face.
"Chan is good. The palace? Well, the advisors aren't good. The court is full of exactly what we believed it’d be. But Chan? He does his best to protect me from it all. He's trying to change it, he really is. It's just hard." Seungmin admitted. He tried his best to quell his scent but the edges remained sour.
"That's good to hear. You two have these two weeks to prove Changbin wrong, to prove all of us wrong."
"Chan said he sent letters. What did Changbin think when he saw them? I sent letters too. None of this should be news." He thought that they had been communicating. He had told Changbin of what good things had been happening. So why did Changbin still not believe him?
"Changbin thought you were being watched carefully. He couldn't trust the letters since we thought they probably got checked. He thought the king was lying, was taunting him. He thought this whole trip was just a way for the king to show what he had done with you, to prove his control over you. Parade you around as his toy." Felix shuddered at the final sentence.
"It was supposed to be you," Seungmin added, his voice quiet, "You were supposed to marry the king. That was the original plan."
Felix didn't look surprised at that info, "I know. Changbin told me. Do you know why it was you?"
"Greed." Seungmin thought back to his first real conversation with Chan, lying in bed the morning after being married, a fresh mark on his neck and one still lacking on Chan's throat.
I was greedy.
I ripped you away from the life you had without a second thought on what you wanted.
I wanted you so I got you.
"Greed?"
"He said he saw me as he was on his way to meet with Changbin, to lay his claim on you. He said he was overcome by my scent and that's all it took. He had decided my future then and there without my input." The prospect of his new life wasn't daunting anymore but it still hurt to say out loud just how little say he had, "He said he was greedy. He wanted me so he got me. He admitted to me that he knew it was wrong. He knew that it would take time for me to trust him. He's giving me as much time as I want."
"Well that's–"
"He gave me the option of being married to him in name and raising the required heirs but if I never wanted to see him outside of the actions required to produce the heirs then he would comply." Seungmin cut off Felix to add.
"And you trusted him at his word? Why?"
"The consummation." Seungmin hadn't talked about that night with anyone before. Even when Jeongin tried to ask him about it afterwards, Seungmin had shut him down.
Felix removed the handkerchief from his face to reach out and hold both of Seungmin's hands, "Did he hurt you?"
"No." He was quick to say, "He was everything but. I– I never saw the witnesses. I know they were there because everything was confirmed and Innie mentioned that he was there, but I never saw them. I never smelt them. I never knew . It was the one thing I was worried about, having the consummation in front of others. Having people watch me be mated and knotted. To see me in a vulnerable position. Chan, he must have done something. He made sure they were only in there for the actual knotting and bite. I don't know how they knew. He made sure all I could see, smell, sense was him."
"And that was enough?"
"And–" Seungmin cut himself off, "You'll see at dinner why I trust him. I promise."
Felix furrowed his eyebrows, "What will I see?"
Seungmin pulled his hands away from the other omega, "I want to go back to my quarters." He felt drained from both travelling and now talking with Changbin and Felix. He was done with this conversation. There were a lot of emotions threatening to come to the top and spill over and all he needed right now was comfort and familiarity.
Felix followed him and stood up, "Of course. You must be exhausted and I've kept you too long." The other knew that it was him who was tiring Seungmin but both had been raised to be political and to use decorum. "Just remember to take the guard with you."
"I will." Once he was back with the entourage from the palace he would make sure he got one of his own guards. If this wasn't his home then he had no right to use their guards. The stab to his chest at that thought was brushed to the side. He didn't have the space to deal with that. Not here.
The guard led him through the twists and turns that he had memorised since childhood. These were halls he had run through countless times and now he was being guided around as if he hadn't lived here just earlier this year, as if he was a stranger.
Chan was in the midst of setting up their quarters for him when Seungmin pushed open the door, leaving the guard outside.
"Darling! How was your… conversation?" His voice trailed off as the scent still clinging to Seungmin reached his mate's nose. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Seungmin didn't answer him in words. Instead, he crossed the room and allowed Chan to wrap him in a warm hug and began scenting the alpha. Chan ran one hand gently up and down Seungmin's back while the other rested in the omega's hair, holding him close. After a couple of moments, he walked backwards to guide Seungmin onto the bed, still holding him.
"Whenever you're ready, darling. I'm right here for whatever you need." Chan muttered against his scalp as Seungmin felt hot tears fall from his face and collect around Chan's scent gland and in the imprint of his mating bite.
"You're okay, darling. You're safe, I promise. Nothing can hurt you in here." The alpha released a gentle smell, trying to calm Seungmin. Seungmin could feel it working as soft ocean waves washed down his body, allowing the tension to release as he relaxed into Chan's hold.
Once he felt more in control of himself, Seungmin pulled back from Chan's neck to mumble out a very quiet, "Nest?"
"Of course, darling." Chan rearranged them so Seungmin was sitting on the bed and Chan could stand up, "I made sure all your nesting stuff was packed. Let me grab it for you. You just stay there, darling."
Seungmin did exactly that. He watched as Chan flitted around the room in a rush as he collected everything that Seungmin could possibly need, before depositing them on the bed. Seungmin made quick work of placing everything exactly where he wanted them, occasionally handing something to Chan to scent. Soon enough there was a decent-sized nest taking up the entire bed.
"In," Seungmin demanded as he got comfortable.
Chan obeyed immediately, allowing Seungmin to direct him where he needed.
"Thank you," Seungmin said once he was curled up next to Chan, gently tracing the mark on Chan's throat.
"For what, darling?" The alpha's voice was soft and so very fond when talking to Seungmin.
He blinked, not quite having an answer, "Everything."
Chan let out a small chuckle, "That's a high feat, darling. There's no way I have control over everything." After a few beats of silence, he spoke again, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Seungmin moved from tracing the mark to playing with the ties at the top of Chan's tunic, "It wasn't what I was expecting."
"No?"
"They don't believe me. Binnie, he won't listen. He said–" He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to hear his own voice wrap around the words that hurt him so much.
Chan wrapped an arm around Seungmin's shoulders to pull him closer as they lay, "What did he say, darling?" He gently coaxed the omega.
"This isn't my home anymore."
"I–" Chan seemed at a loss as to how to respond, "You do live with me at the palace."
"But I grew up here. I was raised here. That can be my home too, but this was my home first. I always thought I would have a home here, no matter where I ended up."
"Oh. I think your brother is also having to deal with the fact that you aren't here anymore. He has to grieve too and I guess he might not have realised that until he saw you again?" Chan tried to offer up as a reason.
"Maybe." Seungmin stopped fiddling with Chan's tunic and laid his head on the other's chest, "I don't want to think about it anymore." The steady thump thump of Chan's heart lulled him into a peaceful sleep.
Unfortunately, he was roused not much later by Chan.
"We have to join your family for dinner, my darling. Did the nap help you?" Chan ran a gentle hand through Seungmin's bedhead.
Seungmin hummed out a response as he tried to bury himself further into Chan's embrace. His scent had softened while he slept. No longer was it brittle and rotten.
A quiet chuckle rumbled in Chan's chest, shaking Seungmin slightly. "We have to get up, darling. It would be rude not to join your family tonight."
"Don't wanna. Wanna stay with you." He whined, reluctant to leave the safety of his nest and Chan.
"I know, but we have to, darling. After dinner, we can always come back. You'll be full and happy and ready to sleep again."
Seungmin grumbled out something incoherent as he forced himself out of the warm embrace. Chan followed him up as they both made their way to the dresser to get ready.
"We don't have to be fancy today, do we? Just normal clothes?"
"Yes, but we should wash up. We have been travelling for a week and surely smell. A servant warmed up a bath in the bathroom while you napped. Go first, darling. I can work on putting away what I couldn't earlier."
Seungmin didn't fight him on that order and selected decent attire for the dinner before stepping into the bathroom. Chan was right, the tub was filled with warm water. Seungmin slipped in with a content sigh. He wished he could have stayed in it for hours but he knew he needed to hurry up and get clean so Chan could also take a bath. He knew he could have asked a servant to come and bathe him but something in him these past few months had changed it. Growing up Seungmin was always bathed by a servant but once at the royal palace, he had switched to doing it himself. It was better than a nameless servant. He worked on scrubbing the grime of their travels off. It didn't take long until he was finished, slipping out, and dressing himself in his outfit. Luckily he had picked something that didn't require an additional person to help put on. His more formal "fancy" outfits required Jeongin to assist him.
Once back in their room, he was pleasantly surprised to see that Chan had actually put everything away, minus the nest which was begging for Seungmin to get back in and never leave.
"You look wonderful, darling," Chan said, pressing a brief kiss to Seungmin's temple before slipping past him to bathe as well.
Seungmin felt heat rush up to his cheeks as he heard Chan slip into the water he had just left. Chan would claim it was to save time instead of having a servant empty and then refill the tub when in reality he seemed to like having Seungmin's scent so intimately ingrained on his skin. It was something Seungmin had noticed that first week when they were allowed a few days of a honeymoon phase. Chan liked being claimed by Seungmin just as much as he liked his own mark on Seungmin's neck.
*********
They made their way to the dining hall once they were done getting ready. They had a guard each to go with them, but at least they were guards that Seungmin had grown used to at the palace. Guards that he had authority over.
There was a brief commotion at the doors to the hall as they approached before they were swinging open and a loud voice rang out in the echoing room.
"Announcing the arrival of His Majesty and His Royal Highness!"
Seungmin's eyes grew wide as he watched everyone in the dining hall bow to him and Chan. Seeing his parents, Changbin, and Felix kneeling made his stomach turn over. He didn't like it. He felt out of place yet again. Chan must have sensed a change in his scent and grabbed his hand to give a squeeze.
"You may stand." Chan's own voice rang out. He was used to this. Seungmin was used to this at the palace, he knew procedure and formalities, but this was his family. Seeing them bow was new… different… unwelcomed .
Chan led Seungmin by his hand to the spot that had clearly been set aside for Chan, though it seemed Seungmin's seat had been placed further down the table leaving Chan isolated at the head of the table, yet his own seat wasn't close to his family either. He was separated from both.
"I would like my mate seated next to me," Chan spoke to no one, but a servant emerged from the shadows to quickly move Seungmin's chair. Another moved his tableware as well. Seungmin did his best to ignore the stares from his family and the brief spike of confusion in their scents. If he really focused he could find the small spike of fear in Changbin's scent. Except it was normal for him and Chan to sit side-by-side, even in private. They just didn’t know.
Chan pulled out the chair for Seungmin and guided him into it before gently pushing it in and taking his own seat. Once the king was sat did the rest of those at the table follow suit. Immediately the first course was brought out to them. There was a tense silence as everyone waited for the king to eat first, but they didn't know Chan.
"Here, darling." Chan picked up a small piece of food and offered it to Seungmin. Seungmin flashed a small smile as he let Chan feed him the offered food. There was surprise leaking into everyone else's scents tenfold. They were expecting the king to eat first before anyone else could. Chan always fed Seungmin first when eating in more private settings. If it were a public banquet then they would follow what was expected. Not here. Not now.
"Is it good?"
Seungmin hummed out an approval as he picked up his own utensil to offer a piece of his food to Chan. Chan's eyes lit up in pleasant surprise before accepting the food. That was not something that Seungmin had done before, but he had decided to show the others that Chan and him were equals. He still had another surprise up his sleeve for later though.
Once Chan had taken a bite the others followed suit, eating in silence. It was Seungmin who ended up breaking it.
"Where are Innie and Sungie?" He asked after he gave himself a chance to look around. Jeongin and Jisung had grown to be close friends of both him and Chan and had joined them for many meals in the past, the ones that the two didn't want to take alone, though they did that plenty.
The others at the table looked between themselves briefly, unsure of how to answer. Eventually, Chan spoke up.
"Tonight is just for us and your family, darling. We can make sure Jeongin and Sung join us for other meals throughout our stay. They are probably taking dinner in their quarters right now." He explained before turning back to Seungmin's family, "Thank you for your hospitality these upcoming weeks, Duke Seo and Duchess Kim. My mate and I are grateful that you extended the invitation to us. And thank you Lord Seo for helping to coordinate this." Chan finished off by addressing Changbin.
"It is a pleasure to have Your Majesty join us." Duke Seo responded, his face a clear political neutrality, "We are honoured that you chose our son as your mate. I hope he has been well for you and everything you expected"
Seungmin cringed at the word choice but he understood it. If Changbin didn't believe him then his parents probably believed his story even less. Plus his father had been raised with the same mentality that Chan had been in the palace. He had made his own choice to treat his mate and sons differently but he didn't know that of Chan. He was playing the role expected of him.
His mother spoke up next, "If there is anything that he might need guidance on or readjustment I would be happy to aid him. We wish that everything is well for you. I hope to hear news of heirs any day." Her voice leaked with false sincerity, only something those close to her would know.
Seungmin could sense a subtle change in Chan's scent at what they were saying. Whether it was from the implications of his own character or his protectiveness of Seungmin was unknown though. Seungmin was displeased with it too. Just because he understood it did not mean he needed to like it.
"Seungmin has been a wonderful partner. He is a welcomed advisor and friend in the palace." Chan tactically responded. There was no way he could outright call them out on what they were implying.
The room fell silent again as the first course was finished and the second was brought out. Seungmin wanted the joyful banter from his childhood back or the friendly conversations he was used to with Jeongin and Jisung in the room, not this. This was unpleasant.
The tension in the room was thick as the main course was brought out for them. Seungmin couldn't stand it. He hated this fake acceptance from his parents for his position, especially with what they were assuming. Even Felix, who was usually chatty when they had dinner together, had not spoken even a word. Seungmin was sick of it, so he chose to do something stupid in response.
He sat down his utensils and reached over to pull at the string holding the neckline of Chan's shirt together. Chan quietly put down his own utensils and turned slightly towards Seungmin to allow the omega to do whatever it was he wanted. Once the strings were undone he pulled the neckline over Chan's shoulder exposing the scent gland and mating mark, but he quickly covered both by leaning in to scent Chan, quite aggressively. The alpha ended up reaching a hand up to grab Seungmin's arm.
"Darling." His voice came out strained. He wasn't chastising Seungmin, simply reminding him that they weren't alone.
Seungmin finished his brief scenting session and pulled back from Chan but he did not fix the shirt's neckline. He made sure the mating bite was on display for the others at the table to see.
"Is that–?" Felix spoke up first.
Everyone's scent was spiked full of surprise again. Even Chan's, but more so at Seungmin's brazen action.
"I would appreciate if everyone here was nicer to my mate ." Seungmin bit out before stabbing a chunk of meat and holding it out to Chan, "Eat." His own scent was flooding the room but it appeared to be full of possessiveness, something he would have to unpack later.
Chan seemed to be on autopilot as he took the meat into his mouth and chewed it.
"Seungmin, is that your mark?" Changbin voiced the question that everyone else was too afraid to ask themselves.
"Is there an issue with it?" His voice was filled with contempt at the question, at the accusations, at the entire scenario.
"No it's just–"
"Surprising. It's surprising." Felix admitted.
Even Seungmin's parents looked shocked. Seungmin knew his father's own neck bore no mark of his mother. Changbin probably never planned to carry Felix's mark either. Yet here was their king with Seungmin's mark on his neck. A king who also just let Seungmin scent him, aggressively too, in front of all of them without a single complaint. Something that was normally seen as an intimate affair and one that an omega wouldn’t usually be in control of.
"Then I think we should just finish our meal without any more assumptions about my mate. Can we do that?" Even though he asked, Seungmin's tone offered no actual opportunity to debate him.
In lieu of answering, the others simply went back to eating, unsure of how to continue any form of conversation after that. The tension between them resurfaced but differently from before. Instead of being aware of everyone's judgement towards Chan, Seungmin was conscious of all the unsaid questions that danced in the air between them.
The main dish was finished in the strained silence and dessert was brought out and still no one spoke up. Seungmin was beginning to wish he could take Chan and disappear back into his nest. He shouldn't feel out of place here. He shouldn't feel like a stranger amongst his family but here he was feeling just like that.
Seungmin's mother broke the silence eventually, the false sincerity still printed on her face as she played her role, "My husband and I would like to extend an invitation for you two to join us for breakfast tomorrow morning and then we can discuss the plans for these weeks–"
"No."
Everyone's head whipped around to look at Seungmin when he interrupted his mother, including Chan's.
"My mate and I will take our breakfast in our quarters tomorrow morning and then we will take the day to enjoy each other's company before we begin discussing the events for the week. I would rather get one day to relax. We will figure out our lunch on our own and we will join you for dinner instead, alongside Jisung and Jeongin." If they were going to look at him like an outsider then perhaps he should let them do just that. He knew that there would probably be multiple tours and events in the town during this week but he wanted just one day where he could do what he wanted. One day where no one knew the king was here. "If that is okay with you, Chan?"
Chan nodded, "Of course, darling. Whatever you want." The look in his eyes told Seungmin that they would have to talk about whatever was happening as soon as they were alone. He turned his attention back to the others, "Unfortunately, we will have to politely decline your invitation, Duchess." If Seungmin had any less sense he would have snorted at Chan’s choice to use the word “politely” when Seungmin had been anything but.
"Of course Your Majesty. No hard feelings. We look forward to having you and Your Royal Highness, as well as your friends, join us for dinner tomorrow evening."
Your Royal Highness
Seungmin felt a kick to his gut at his mother addressing him so formally. He focused his attention back on his dessert, pushing it around on his plate, unable to stomach it anymore.
"I think my mate and I should retire to our chambers now. My apologies for cutting our meal short." Chan noticed Seungmin's sudden dull demeanour.
"Of course, Your Majesty. We wish you two some well rest and look forward to dinner tomorrow." Seungmin's father said as Chan took Seungmin's hand to stand up.
Seungmin followed Chan's lead, not really focusing on his surroundings. Even though he had just decided that he would let them treat him like an outsider he didn't like it. He didn't want it. He had no idea what he wanted at this point. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't realise they made it back to their quarters, guards moving to stand post as they entered.
"Darling," Chan started, guiding Seungmin to the bed, "What happened in there?"
"I– I don't know," How could he even begin to explain what was going on in his mind?
A warm hand began rubbing soothing circles on his back, "You don't need to know. Just start talking and I'll figure it out for you." Chan reassured him.
Seungmin leaned his weight against Chan, allowing the older to take his burden both literally and figuratively, "I don't like how they talk about you. I don't like what they imply about you. About how you treat me. I don't like what they imply about me. Like I'm a completely different person." He admitted.
"That's okay darling. You don't need to like those."
"Was it too much? The scenting and showing off the bite mark?" Seungmin's voice was small. He curled up, pulling his knees to his chest as Chan held him.
The alpha leaned in so his mouth was resting against Seungmin's hair, the words tickling his scalp as he spoke. "I was just surprised was all. Was it too much for you?"
Seungmin shook his head, feeling Chan's lips as he did so. "I don't like feeling like an outsider."
"Was that it?" Chan muttered, "The way they talked didn't feel familiar, did it? Not like the family you grew up with."
"Yeah," There were a few beats of silence, "Was it okay I refused the invite?"
"I would never force you to do something you don't want to, darling. That includes breakfast invites. Can I ask why though?" Chan wasn't mad though, he never was. He was understanding, always so understanding.
"I just want you to myself for a day. I want to show you around before everyone knows we are here and then we have to be watched constantly."
"Is that so? Did you have plans to ditch the guards and rendezvous, my darling?" Chan joked but Seungmin's silence told a different story, "Wait, you actually wanted to do that? It's not safe, darling."
"I did it all the time growing up. It'll be easier having a mating mark and an alpha with me. No one knows who you are. They know they have a king but they don't know what you look like, hell I didn't know what you looked like until I was being told I was to marry you. The people don't know who I married. I mean they will after tomorrow when my parents announce that we are here and you actually meet the people publicly. Just one day, please?" Seungmin put on his best pout.
Chan pulled back from Seungmin's head to look at his face only having registered one point of what Seungmin had said, "You went out unattended as an unmated omega, especially one of rank? Even I know that is dangerous."
"But I'll have you with me now. We can still be trailed by one of your guards if you really want. They have to stay incognito though because having a guard would draw too much attention to us. Please, Chan?"
Chan eventually caved to Seungmin's puppy eyes, as if he would do anything else, "Fine but we will have a guard."
"Yay," Seungmin let out a small giggle as he burrowed closer into Chan's side, his mood suddenly lifted. "Innie can bring us breakfast tomorrow and then I'm going to show you my old room. Point out things we need to collect to take back with us. Then into the town we go. I have some friends to catch up with."
Chan simply wrapped his arms tighter around Seungmin, wanting as little space between them as possible. "Sounds like a full day of activity. Guess we will need sleep first. Can alpha sleep in your nest darling?"
Seungmin wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Alpha can't but Chan can." He gave a side eye to Chan who promptly began to laugh.
"Of course."