Of Blood Oranges and Silk

1

The heat of the afternoon rolled across his tongue like sticky candy, bearing down on his shoulders. His hair plastered against his forehead with lazy sweat, the half hearted fanning of the servant girl sitting by his side doing nothing to protect him from the harsh glare of the summer sun.

Lady Chaerin cleared her throat pointedly and leaned forward, eyes focused on Yoongi.

"Prince, I have some...news that I believe should interest you." 

Yoongi cracked one eye open and scanned the powdered woman before him, nose almost wrinkling at the eagerness in her scent.

He lifted a pale hand and waved at her to continue.

She cleared her throat with greater effect, pausing dramatically to allow the chatter of the other omegas to quiet down, before fluttering her powdered eyelashes and puckering her painted mouth.

"The mate of the heir to the Kim clan,'' she began, "has miscarried her pup again."

A few women gasped in sympathy, murmuring among themselves. Lady Chaerin looked pointedly at Yoongi, eyes sharp for a flicker of emotion on his face. She deflated visibly when the omega showed no reaction, choosing instead, to raise a bored eyebrow at the noblewoman.

"Kim Yuna has miscarried thrice already. If you must make a fuss, Lady Chaerin, at least have something worthwhile come of it. Do not get our hopes up that you might actually say something of worth."

Lady Chaerin puffed up in indignation like a flustered pigeon, cheeks reddening under the cake of white powder.

"Of course that is not all I have to say, Prince! Kim Yuna has miscarried her alpha's pups thrice already, this brings it to four. The Kim clan believes that the Moon Goddess does not favour her womb to give Kim Namjoon an heir. They asked him to take a concubine or a child of a noble, but Kim Namjoon refused. There was a huge argument in the Kim household and the son threatened to leave the family even. But the matter was resolved and everything went back to normal for a while, until…"

She leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "Kim Yuna's body was found in the river, already blueing from cold and death. She apparently walked into a deadly storm the previous night and never looked back. When they found her, she'd bloated so much that her wedding ring could barely fit on her fingers." 

Something ugly and tight twisted at the base of Yoongi's chest, flashes of sickness and a mother's hand and a blood stained sword dizzying him. He blinked his eyes rapidly, narrowing them at Lady Chaerin's calculating gaze.

"And? It is not uncommon for distraught omegas to kill themselves after losing their pups and Kim Yuna has lost four."

“But Prince, surely you must find it odd that immediately after the Kim clan discussed setting Yuna aside, she was found dead? Nobody said they even saw her leave the palace grounds on her own, and the storm would certainly mask a woman's screa-"

Yoongi slammed the goblet of wine back down, red droplets sloshing over the rim and trickling down his fingers.

"Is there something you would like to suggest, Lady Chaerin? I do not have time for idle housemaids' gossip. What happens on the other side of the border does not concern me. Now, is that all?" 

Lady Chaerin began to turn increasingly red, mortification high on her cheekbones from being dismissed so blatantly among the other omegas of the court.

"But, my Prince, surely Kim Yuna's death-"

“Is a tragedy for the Kim clan. My stepmother will make sure to convey our sincere condolences to the family and the alpha. But beyond that, I see no reason to worry myself on the basis of some commoner's loose tongue."