Lonely sniffles fill up the rancid silence as if proof of only life in dead coldness. Jungkook feels deserted between them, eyes moist and sore red he search for the elderly who showed him some kindness, shared his grief for few moments but no matter how desperately he searches he can't find him in mass of faceless hooded folks making his throat ache for holding back his cries, the water is getting colder making him shiver or maybe it's just his weak body finally catching up to his scrambling mind, telling him that he's gonna collapse soon.
He's so vulnerable that the thought of being alone should be scary but this situation, with almost dozen soul in this room watching him, king's arms wrapped around his body he feels so miserable, so tired and wretched that he can't feel lonelier.
He don't even have the luxery to curl into himself and bawl for the weight of king's arm around his waist, his eyes fall shut and his trembling lips let out a weak sigh as another thought accompanies him with the burning ache of betrayal in his chest,
The king, Taehyung.
He feels foolish, extremely stupid for never knowing things could turn out this way even though he's well aware that there's no way anyone could have seen this coming. Jungkook's eyes open, redder than before as squeaky breathe escapes deep from his chest, defeat haunting his face as he wonders what will happen when the hooded folks would end their song, what's gonna be left of him. How much more are they gonna crush his soul.
King's tail is close, very close but not touching his submerged body, the water shifting with its weight like a phantom feeling and he dares not look back at the king, too afraid to try his luck, reluctant to see something more that'll haunt him later. His head hangs low at his uncuffed hands floating uselessly in front of him with all little scratches from that day on cliff, his eyes fixed over them to avoid seeing his reflection in dark of water, he'd rather not look at himself for he's ashamed for something he don't even know, something that makes him angry and revolted at himself more than anyone else here, makes him feel so terrible his whole body trembles.
The lullaby is heavy in air, long and loud, low and bone chilling like the heaviness of whale song harmonised in humanly vocals threading a haunting paradise, making it possible to think how it could be used as torture, the pitch is immaculate that gives an edge of uneasiness but the humanly vocals and random string of languages makes him crave that uneasiness, just a shift is all it's gonna take for this obsessive lullaby to turn into an entity of pain and danger to human ears, the frequency not suitable for us to bear but still forced to stay and suffer for its haunting magnificence.
Words are being exchanged between the king and them to keep proceeding with no one bothering to acknowledge how he's gone so silent, practically a dead weight in king's arm, trembling and blaming himself for all the things that he could remember and it makes him feel a bit better because blaming others makes him angry and sorrowful but he don't have that delicacy so he'll blame himself knowing he'll listen and acknowledge his screams and pointy fingers, he can't ignore the accusations so he'll blame himself to be heard, he don't want to but he can't stop.
A frown stitched on his blood filled lips, teeth and bruised marks of his own assualt as he continues to nibble with his vision getting heavy and blurry but still not close enough to collapse. He focuses how the water laps on his shivering skin to avoid thinking about king's body pressed against his, like a taunting awareness of present that's whispering thorns in his head, telling him he's getting married but somehow that's the least he could be concerned about taking into reckoning there's a lot that happened and yet to happen. Everything yet to take in.
Numbly Jungkook wonders, if he tries resisting now how would things turn out. Would the lullaby stop for his another tantrum in their eyes or they won't even bat an eyelash even if he manages to make it out of pond knowing there's no way out. How far they'll let him go before catching him and possibly hurt him even more.
He marvels how would king react if he removes himself from him, somehow he can't even predict what would be his reaction and that's terrifying. If he just wait for this to end would that be better? He don't know.
Before Jungkook could weigh the crumbles of choices his focus is hauled away by distant screaming, yells and sounds that indicates resistance by something heavy and strong. His shoulders raise in defence as howls seem to get closer and more eerie. The wall melts into dust and part way for whoever is shrieking before fixing back again but Jungkook dares not look at the source of commotion even when the footsteps and drags keep getting closer though none present in this chamber are even glancing toward the uproar.
Jungkook gulps, his throat dry taking a hesitant glance when the commotion and shrieks are right in front of him outside the pond and his whole body freezes cold, dumbfounded and his breathe comes out forced, eyes getting moist, chin wobbling as a chocked whisper of his voice that's only audible to him and king perhaps catch the new visitors attention who's equally surprised and petrified,
"J-john?"
John let's out a broken whimper underneath the gag with three folks holding him down on his knees facing Jungkook. His face is flushed red and looks equally disheveled as him if not worse, covered in translucent gown similar to Jungkook's except it's brown, his hands are similarly cuffed as once Jungkook's were, they are holding him down like a wild animal by back of his neck and tight grip on his shoulders, forcing him to look even when he seems too tired to keep his head up and Jungkook can't even phantom how worse things are getting.
From behind he hears a hum, deeply enchanted and heavy, buzzing right beside his ear and he watches in horror as John's body abruptly stiffens then relax as if all the fight left his body without his permission since he's bawling scared making the guards hold his weight but Jungkook don't relax, his mind scarambles and his body flinches at the hum making him thrash in King's hold, crying out the tears he didn't realize are left,
"N..no, wh—pl-please! What are y..you doing to him!?" Jungkook screams as loud as he could, forcing the folks to stop their lullaby as weight of silence fill the cavity of walls like a corrosive weight that dropped down in Jungkook's stomach, just realizing what he's done.
He whimpers lowering his head down and it's some kind of desperate comfort knowing he isn't scared alone when even John is alert and frozen, taking deep heavy breathes from underneath the gag, eyes frantically roaming, scanning the new unknown area.
A warm palm slides from Jungkook's stomach to his neck, holding his chin without any actual pressure making said boys breathing laborious as if himself gagged, index finger softly tapping against his pulsating neck as thumb caress his other side of chin raising goosebumps around his spine, and it's silent for a while, long enough for him to observe the wax sliding from the ignited candle at the side of pond into the water, instantly drowning.
Jungkook feels the hand cupping his face pull, making him face the king and he closes his eyes, blood fragile lips parting to breathe as his fists curl together against his chest which he didn't even realize until the other arm comes from behind, progressively wrapping against his own, fingers caressing the back of his trembling fisted palm all while the king stares at his messed up state, terrified beyond limits, unable to open his eyes even if he wants to.
Jungkook can feel other's steady breaths over his face, can feel the gravity of king's gaze that makes his lips quiver, he have no idea why he's so terrified like this and it's almost embarrassing if not for what he's seen and felt. He have no idea what could happen to him but somehow it's like some part of him can feel the threat and menace at this close proximity which his consciousness fails to interpret, something that alerts his humanly prey senses.
"What is this, my delight" The king whispers all too calm and amused, using his thumb to wipe the snot running down Jungkook's face among tears, chuckling as some folk bows and offers him a wine red cloth to gently wipe the boy's face who still haven't opened his eyes, laying completely still as he feel a very soft fabric clean his face, making him feel a little less disgusting and sweaty.
The king hums satisfied when Jungkook's face is free from all the sweat, snot and tears letting the cloth drop in pond which instantly turns black as soon as it touched the water, floating for second as uneven holes start forming as if the material is fuming in acid then disappearing all together before it could reach the bottom, the king watches what's left of the cloth making his lips twitch on his impossibly wicked face, eyes laughing when they fall back over the lonely trembling boy in his arms,
King's hand keeps caressing Jungkook's chin and back of palm with a pleased look in his eyes when Jungkook flinches in his place when he leans forward,
"Now," the king sighs with fake softness, dark blue eyes sparkling as he tilts his head with a keen smile on his sinful mouth, "you were saying something, pretty?"
Jungkook flinches again, all the confidence he had evaporated as soon as it came and he gulps, almost ready to cry again but avoiding since just now his face was cleaned and he don't want to know what might happen if he makes a mess again,
He wonders if he should stay silent but the chances of getting into more trouble by not replying to a royal is all too true so he settles for the most sensible reply,
"I ap..apologize,"
Jungkook bites his tongue somehow more jittery than earlier before adding "Y..your majesty",
"Now, now, my delight. Is this the way to apologize?" Jungkook hears him say sounding displeased and his heart starts pounding in his throat, face visibly straining into fear and agitation, pressing his lips together in absolute silence as the king continues,
"Shouldn't you look me in the eye and then apologize, hmm?" Jungkook instantly opens his eyes ready to repeat but his voice dies down when he locks gaze in those rich poison blue eyes, and if he looks closely there's a sparkle of silver ring around his iris which enthrals him, almost like a dream of blue sunset surrounded by stars and moon but the king is close, too close for his liking and the way he's smiling, cupping his face in his palm as his thumb keep caressing his jaw then the evident rapid pulse of his neck makes him gulp, rendered speechless.
"I'm waiting," the king mutters, his tounge licking his deadly canine, bringing Jungkook back from his enchanted trace into waiting fear, "I-I apologize, your m..majesty",
The king drops his smile, lost in thought and Jungkook moves his head away from the king's hold unable to bear looking at him any longer,
"What a rarity," Jungkook's breathe hitches when king presses his nose against his cheek, bodies pressed almost as in a hug but not in a friendly way rather a hold of a predator rendering it's prey immobile, King's tail come close to grazing Jungkook's leg and he jerks causing water to ripple before closing his eyes again, feeling nauseous to his stomach.
"You do have a voice, and a valiant one on that, pretty," Jungkook listens king's words among it's vibration against his face where the words are being whispered, grazing his cheek with feathery tickle of king's lips as they move, Taehyung lowers his voice even more as if telling a secret only meant for them to keep,"such a shame you never quite harness it for yourself and my delicate, it might cost you a life. If perhaps, it didn't already."
The king pulls back with a menacing grin, his sharp canines bare but Jungkook doesn't flinch even when they make a mocking show of biting his nose, because his heads swimming, a bitterness in his mouth as if something acidic mixed in his veins, decaying but not killing, letting him suffer with his now uncontrollable thoughts all benediction of King who holds him close against his chest like an old friend you've never seen, finally meeting you and holding you close, like saturate death.
Such a shame
The king flicks his tail against the water and lullaby starts again, Jungkook stays silent with his face pressed against strong shoulders and heavy oceanic smell in his nose, it's not until the lullaby pauses again that he turns his head to look at two human servants in transparent white and black gown bring two pearls of color of their respective attire,
Two small pearls void black and other moon white with sparkles of silver delicately embedded like star dust over them, inside it's filled with amber fire that swirls like melted gold is brought inside a glass bubble that glazes with a shade of rainbow when it's right underneath the light of chandelier and Jungkook stares in awe over the most beautiful stones of his lifetime, it's magical he can tell and when it's presented to them it's like they are singing, voices bleeding with every swirl of amber, eager to pop out and greet them,
With a single nod from their king, the pearls are released in the pond, floating idly before to everyone's except king's astonishment they drift closer to Jungkook who reaches out his palm without thinking twice, as if it's singing to be embraced.
As soon as Jungkook's palm make contact the bubble surrounding the pearls burst and disappears, settling themselves on his palm who brings them out of water, closer to his curious eyes.
Everyone have dropped their gaze away from the pair considering it isn't their place to watch this very important part of ritual, which will decide whether Jungkook is going to get accepted by mother, everyone already knowing the obvious.
"Yes?" Jungkook whispers, eyes bleary and dreamy with a leisurely smile as if forgetting where he is, shoulders relaxing and body loosing it's stiffness as the pearls shine with the amber swirling inside making Jungkook giggle like a secret joke shared between them,
Taehyung watches silently, fingers going through Jungkook's hair in a soothing manner, the black pearl glows brighter making Jungkook tilt his head and without any exchange of words Taehyung places his hand over Jungkook's, covering the pearls as their gaze meet, the intoxicated look still fresh on Jungkook's flushed face.
"What is it, my delight?" Taehyung watches as Jungkook's eyes close as he threads his fingers across his scalp, almost purring in his hold while no one looks at them, while every human in this hall except Jungkook have fallen into a deep slumber giving them outmost privacy, the king is the only one who's not affected by the glamour in least,
"Smells too brimy and delicate" Jungkook mumbles, nose scrunching and eyes almost closing as the king plays with his hair before he giggles again, a heavy daze swirling in his lovely eyes, attention fixated on the pearls shining underneath the enclosement of their palms,
"What does?"
"Everything" Jungkook nods at his answer, without any hesitation resting his head on King's chest with a pout as he mumbles about water being cold, about his tail spooking him whenever it gets close to touching him and asking not to be drowned because it's scary and he's hungry but won't eat because he wants to throw up first,
"Is that so?" Jungkook hums as Taehyung holds him a bit higher, steadying him and seemingly calm even with Jungkook's rambling and close proximity,
"Is there anything else, pretty?"
Jungkook raise his head, eyes roaming trying to remember something to say before shaking his head and Taehyung waits patiently for any reaction from the boy but he isn't speaking anymore, just silence.
No one speaks and Taehyung's face turns serious, hard almost but still running his hands through Jungkook's hair in delicate manner, as Jungkook wipes his nose on king's bare chest then snickers and chortles like a child before pulling away from the king,
The king's face is blank, as Jungkook peaks at their intertwined palms, to see the pearls again but it's not possible so he settles down on sulking.
"You know," Jungkook starts speaking again, soft voice and eyes closing for few seconds before opening them and looking around as if he fell asleep before remembering where he is, sighing and looking disappointed that he's still here and not back on his bed,
Taehyung keeps his gaze as Jungkook continues "you should kill me" he yawns afterwards before leaning against the king again whose face doesn't betray anything, voice as soft as Jungkook's and as monotonous that couldn't be faked, he whispers in his ear "Why should I do that, my prettiest?"
Jungkook looks at him seemingly all serious and ready to cry but instead he starts laughing and then his eyes close shut, actually asleep making the king hold his whole weight, not like he seems to be struggling, hands still clasped with the younger.
Mother isn't going to concede
This much is made clear to the king and he stays silent regardless, watching the younger as his tail flicks against the surface causing the enchanted folks to wake up and get their heads up, they stare at the pond in silence, seemingly mourning for their King even though it was too obvious to try,
Their King nods for the servant folks to pull the younger out of water, but Jungkook frowns in his slumber as they try to pry his hands off the king's, the pearl still hidden in their hold.
People watch in horror, distressed how to pry this human away from their king who haven't shown any change in his posture or expression, eyes not even at Jungkook who seems to be coming out of his slumber as the effect of daze have lifted off the air,
Jungkook stops his semi-conscious movements and an unsettling feeling surrounds everyone, even the king sensed, making him look back and stare at Jungkook who have tightened the hold of their hands, his back straightning and his head raises, holding himself right in front of Taehyung,
Jungkook starts speaking, loud and clear with a foreign stability and command in his voice that made every folk to drop on their knees long before his voice resonates in this expanse, their heads dense with submission and honor,
Jungkook's eyes open all black, staring right at king's soul with the silence all for him to demand with no control of the words pouring out of his mouth,
The mother.
"Atargatis, The realm is gonna accept your reign. The ocean shall be yours to decree and your consorts to breathe. The waves are gonna be your veins and his blood, your life no longer to be yours but his and his body no longer to find solace in anyone but you.
I, Mother. Bless this marriage, from now on you'll no longer be the King and his consort but The Emperor and The Empress, may you prosper."
Jungkook smiles small, making Taehyung's hold tightens on their hand as his eyes closes, mouth opening for a lullaby to string itself together in air, so heavy and glamoured it makes even the elderly folks, supposedly immune to any type of glamour to get intoxicated as Jungkook or his mother place other hand on older's face, caressing him as the king's eyes close together shut,
The pearls melts in their hold, embedding themselves on the lines of Jungkook's palm coating themselves red by his blood caused by the scratches formed by them on his humanly palms all while he doesn't flinch, a constant smile as they climb from his wrists to fingertips, glossy red and alive before they are passed to Taehyung who swirls them on top of his palm, the burning amber's doing no harm, dancing on top of his open palm while the minute grain of the white and black pearl keep the fire inside like an enclosure of spinning bubble,
The spinning enclosure of blood consumed amber and grains of pearl break into two, the white and black separating on top of Taehyung's palm as they start settling down, the broken grains of pearl capturing the swarming amber's inside before they freeze into two solid black and white rings.
Jungkook lifts the white ring and bring it close to his lips, the edge of ring relents and clasps around the corner of his lips compliant while Taehyung does the same with the black ring, clasping around the bottom corner of his lips, same as Jungkook's. The amber inside the rings flicker momentarily before quietening down.
Foreign ripples of power and awareness starts pounding inside Taehyung, his breathing becomes heavy but he refuses to close his eyes for too long, gazing in mother's eyes, and he can notice her slipping away as Jungkook's chestnut eyes starts flickering back,
"Protect me, my son. Wrath is coming"
Jungkook smiles diminishes as his eyes turn back to normal before closing and his body wilts in King's arm, who holds him up by his waist against himself as the heavy, almost unbearable intoxication lifts and the folks could finally breathe again, even the king's heart is pounding,
"Surge"
The imperial first in command hollars, making everyone present to rise on their feets and start another lullaby in sync like a whisper that keeps growing until it gets embedded in the walls and water of chamber, surrounding their blessed ruler's
A new lullaby carved about an eerie prophecy and deviant reign, about forthcoming wrath and their grace and when they bow down, the ground shakes with them as if every living entity in the palace have gotten on their knees in respect and acknowledgement.
The mother recognising them and everyone within her.
Hi. :)
Are you lost baby giggles?
I have no idea what I'm doing with myself so tell me any random stuff or TMI.
My TMI is that I love you all a lot and I'm regretting my online order I made as well lol.
Annnddd, I miss you and you are not the only one who need to re-read this story again to remember what was happening. Lmao
There's no promise of future but it's not going to be abandoned.
Plus, a secret between us; whatever bad that's happening in your life isn't necessarily your fault.
I believe that someday you'll learn to trust yourself more than you doubt yourself today. Afterall you are my precious giggles. I want to make each and every one of you believe to not doubt your existence even once,
I'm glad you're here.
( ◜‿◝ )♡