Chaeyoung was in no condition to meet anyone's family, let alone Kim Taehyung's. Her dark clothing was still damp and wrinkled from the previous night's heroic swimming in the river of death. Her long, chestnut hair, though dry, had soaked up all the humidity available in the air and now hung in loose, frazzled waves down her back. If she felt this sticky and gross, she could only imagine what she looked like.
Now, as her horse followed Taehyung's towards his precious home town, and the prospect of meeting his loved ones became unavoidably real, she was beginning to panic.
"Lisa," she whispered urgently, turning her head slightly to glance at the woman seated behind her on the horse, "how does my hair look?"
Lisa's eyes scanned Chaeyoung's face quickly before flashing a stiff, almost sympathetic smile, "do you really want me to answer that question?"
"It looks like it used to be a hen's nest but has since been abandoned by all living creatures due to its lack of moisture and life."
"Shut up Yoongi," Chaeyoung turned fully around to whisper yell at him. Though she would normally appreciate his bitter sarcasm and dark sense of humour, this was no situation to take lightly, "stop eavesdropping on our conversation."
At that moment Seokjin decided to add his input on the matter as well, "Yoongi doesn't know what he's talking about. It does not look like a hen's nest."
"Thank you –" Chaeyoung began to say with a relieved smile.
"It looks more like a crow's nest."
Everyone, excluding Taeyong who was tied to Jisoo's horse and remained as silent as a ghost throughout their journey, laughed at that comment. Even Yoongi managed a light chuckle – a rare sight that was probably in part due to the fact that he was also home. Though, he didn't display his excitement nearly as blatantly as Taehyung did.
Chaeyoung glanced in front of her in amusement as she noticed how far ahead Taehyung was from the rest of the group. It looked like he couldn't reach the gates to the town fast enough. She could tell how important this place was to him, the realization only aggravating her anxiety.
"Namjoon," she called the older man over, "do we even have time to spend in Daegu. I mean, we do have a time-restricted mission and those weapons aren't going to find themselves. Plus, there are many other things we must take care of first – like alliances, and troops. A war is brewing, so we have no time to rest –"
"Relax, your highness," Namjoon responded in his ever-calm voice, "there are exactly 1440 minutes in a day, taking a couple of those to rest and rejuvenate will not be the end of the world. Even the strongest of warriors and the most committed workers need their rest. Furthermore, Daegu is known to be home to some of the country's best archers, so the potential for alliances still exists here."
Chaeyoung sighed, not even Namjoon was on her side – so this was surely an unavoidable situation.
"Why are you so nervous about staying in Daegu anyway?" Jisoo asked with a knowing smile.
"I'm not."
"You've been smoothing your shirt and combing your hair with your hands since the minute Taehyung announced we've reached Daegu."
Chaeyoung's hand froze mid-way through her hair, realizing that Jisoo was right. But Chaeyoung couldn't answer her question honestly, "If I'm supposed to be the future Queen of Goryeo, I need to make a respectable first impression on the people."
"Nice excuse," Yoongi snickered, "we all know it's because you're about to meet your future in-laws."
Chaeyoung sucked in a sharp breath at the word "in-laws" and what Yoongi was blatantly implying. Although her mind would occassionally wander towards the direction of imagining a life with Taehyung, she never allowed herself to become fully immersed in such an impossible fantasy. It could never happen.
Apparently Taeyong was just as shocked at Yoongi's words, speaking up for the first time since he was taken hostage, "are you really foolish enough to marry a commoner?"
"Who allowed you to speak?" Jisoo immediately snapped at him, throwing him one of her most ferocious glares.
"Fraternizing between the different classes is illegal," he responded in a flat, matter-of-fact tone, "unless you give up your noble status, but that would also mean you won't be able to become Queen –"
"She is well aware of the law, Taeyong," Lisa rolled her eyes, "and that will be the first law she amends when she does become Queen."
He laughed at that harshly, "how cute. You really think you hold that much power? That law is as old as the country itself. The officials and nobility will never stand by you, and good luck governing the country without them."
"Okay first of all, no one is marrying anyone so I don't know why this conversation has become as prolonged as it has. And second of all, who I do and don't marry is none of your concern, Taeyong. The fact that you're providing me with political advice in the first place is quite astonishing."
Chaeyoung had reached the peak of her frustration. She didn't need anyone to lecture her about all the reasons she and Taehyung weren't right for each other, her mind was doing a fine job of doing it everyday. And though a part of her knew Taeyong's points were valid, that didn't make it hurt any less.
Thankfully, that shut everyone up. But, she had been so engrossed in this heated debate that she didn't realize they had caught up to Taehyung and he had undoubtedly overheard part of the conversation.
"Is he bothering you?" he asked, scrutinizing Taeyong with a stare that possessed the power to intimidate anyone, "it's still not too late to kill him, you know."
"Tempting," she deliberated it for half a second before sighing, "but let's not shed blood on the holy ground that is Daegu."
That seemed to brighten his mood in an instant, a wide smile colouring his handsome features and giving it more life than she had ever seen before, "you're going to love it here. It has everything you could possibly need from customized bows and arrows to endless streams –"
They had just crossed over an arched bridge to reach the town gates when an arrow whipped through the air at an alarming speed, almost close enough to brush Taehyung's neck before it slammed into the tree behind him.
Chaeyoung's eyes widened in shock as everyone around her scrambled to find their weapons in preparation to defend her – everyone except Taehyung and Yoongi.
As calm as the stream underneath the bridge they had just crossed, Yoongi led his horse to the tree and pulled the black and white arrow out. He studied it for only a short second before flashing a small smirk. Taehyung only needed to glance at it to smile widely and shake his head.
"Jennie," they both said together as if they were expecting this type of greeting.
Chaeyoung's eyes widened even further as she realized she was finally about to meet the infamous Jennie of Taehyung's childhood.
"I must say," an alluring, womanly voice sounded from the top of the wooden gates, "your reaction time, Kim Taehyung, has become disgracefully slow."
Everyone glanced up to see a petite and admittedly beautiful woman perched on the ledge of the towering doors, her feet swinging over the edge and her fingers playing with another arrow comfortably. The only thing sharper than the tip of her weapon were the cat eyes she used to scan below her curiously.
With a hidden bitterness, Chaeyoung realized that she was even more stunning than she had ever imagined.
"And your aim is as inaccurate as ever," Taehyung fired back with a wide grin that caused a stab of irrational jealousy to flood through Chaeyoung.
Jennie scoffed before jumping down with a smoothness that made it appear as though the height was only a few inches rather than dozens of feet tall, "I didn't want to kill you. Not yet, anyway."
She walked towards Yoongi with a gummy smile that mirrored his own and snatched her arrow out of his hands before wrapping him in a tight hug. That caused everyone to raise a brow in surprise as no one had ever witnessed Yoongi engaging in such an affectionate act.
"Neither of you idiots responded to my letters, so I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere," she chastised them as she moved on from Yoongi to embrace Taehyung too.
Chaeyoung's whole body tensed as she witnessed their reunion – her lips pursed into a fine line and her hands clutching Midnight's reins for dear life. It shouldn't have bothered her so much since the two of them have probably known each other for years and are closer than Chaeyoung could ever hope to be with him but controlling emotions had never been her forte.
"Well, we've been a little preoccupied," Yoongi reasoned, gesturing meaningfully at the rest of the group.
"So, I see," Jennie nodded, scanning everyone from head to toe until her eyes landed and stayed focused on Chaeyoung, "so, who are your friends?"
Chaeyoung managed to flash a small smile, but Jennie remained as observant and watchful as ever. At this point, it was safe to assume everyone in Daegu possessed the ability to intimidate others.
Taehyung followed Jennie's gaze and smiled reassuringly at Chaeyoung – most likely trying to dissipate the awkward tension in the air.
"It's a long story."
~{❀}~
"Hold up. You're telling me you're the fugitives that helped the princess escape the capital?" Jennie exclaimed.
Taehyung nodded. They had just finished briefing Jennie about their adventurous month, and he had never seen the petite woman so shocked. She could not believe the royalty-despising, ambition-driven, Daegu-loyalist that was Kim Taehyung, along with the endlessly bitter and arguably selfish Min Yoongi, had done the things they had to protect a princess. The story sounded unbelievable even to Taehyung's own ears as he recounted every detail. Once again, he was reminded of how much his life had changed right before his eyes.
"Guys!" she looked between the two men with an expression of pure exasperation, "her posters are posted on every single bulletin in the country. Officers have been roaming day and night through the forests trying to locate her. There is a fucking bounty on her head. There's no way in hell you're bringing her into our home."
"Jen," Taehyung sighed. He peeked a quick, concerned glance behind him at where Chaeyoung looked like she was about to rip Jennie's head off and Jisoo and Lisa were prepared to hold her jewellery as she did so, "it will only be for a couple of days."
"No. Not a chance," she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.
Taehyung mirrored her glare, feeling an irrational frustration beginning to build within him.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you don't make the rules here, Jennifer," he snapped, using her full name to add injury to the insult.
He didn't think her eyes could become any fiercer, but he was wrong.
She looked like she was ready to shoot another arrow at him, "and you think you do?"
"She's with me, Jennie," he said sternly, "I think that automatically makes her a welcome guest in 'our' home."
"Plus, you know Daegu welcomes anybody and everybody, regardless of the circumstances or situation," Yoongi decided to add in, causing Jennie to gape at him incredulously.
"Are you seriously taking his side right now?"
He shrugged, "I'm just saying it like it is. Remember where you came from Jen."
After a few moments of tense silence, made all the more uncomfortable under Jennie's scrutinizing glare, she sighed.
"Fine," she mumbled, looping a foot through the foot rest on Taehyung's saddle and jumping behind him on the horse before he could even register what was happening, "lead the way, Taetae."
He smiled over his shoulder at her and was glad to see her mood had also brightened. The Jennie he knew was back.
For a brief second, he also thought he saw Chaeyoung's jaw tense, but she was always quick to mask her emotions. Years of etiquette training in the palace had probably assisted her with that. Although he had no reasonable explanation why, a part of him felt the need to reassure her that Jennie has and will always remain a friend. But, as Jennie sat a little too close for comfort and wrapped her arms around his waist, he could understand where Chaeyoung's confusion could stem from.
In Daegu, there were three notable families, the Mins, the Kims, and the other Kims, who had practically founded the town and built it from the ground up. Each family had remained inseparable since what felt like the beginning of time itself, spending every holiday and mourning period by each others' sides, while always keeping the best interest of the entire town at heart. That had practically forced the offsprings of each family, Jennie, Yoongi and Taehyung to become friends, whether they wanted to or not.
Unfortunately, due to their similar personalities and easily triggered tempers, the three of them rarely got along. Until Park Jimin showed up.
"Where's Jimin, by the way?" Taehyung asked curiously as the town gates swung open and they were finally granted entry into town.
"Oh, he travelled to one of those stupid neighbouring towns to make some trades. Our grains have been amazing this month, but our vegetables are trash – so he's currently making sure the whole town doesn't starve to death during the winter."
"Ah, such a Jimin thing to do," Yoongi rolled his eyes, but as hard as he tried to hide it, anyone could tell how fond of him Yoongi really was.
Taehyung grinned over his shoulder at Jennie, "and you didn't go with him?"
"Hell no," she looked disgusted at the thought, "last week, he dragged me along to one of those town meetings and I may have accidentally-on-purpose shot an arrow at one of the royal officials. I've been banned from political duties ever since."
"Jennie," Yoongi tsked at her while Taehyung laughed in amusement.
"What?" she snapped, ready to defend her actions, "he called Jimin a bastard, what was I supposed to do? Let him live? I think not."
The laughter on Taehyung's lips died off at that and his fists clenched in anger. Jimin's family history was equal parts complicated as it was tragic, and it was the topic that pained him the most. Yoongi, Jennie, and Taehyung could endlessly tease Jimin about his height or his annoyingly sweet personality, but if anyone so much as questioned Jimin's family roots, the three of them would collectively plot murder as revenge. Protecting Jimin, who had the purest heart and most rational personality, had become second nature to them.
"Oh, in that case then, good work," Yoongi replied to which Jennie smirked proudly.
"So, when's he coming back?" Taehyung asked casually, not wanting to fully reveal how much he had missed his best friend.
Jennie shrugged, "it could be anywhere from tonight to next week, depending on the outcome of the meeting."
Hopefully tonight.
With a deep sigh, Taehyung took a few moments to observe his surroundings, feeling at home as soon as he stepped through the gates.
Daegu had never been a prosperous or wealthy area. The roads were still underdeveloped, its surface covered in messy cracks and potholes. Areas of the forest had completely been obliterated from the accumulated forces of tornadoes and tsunamis. Even the grandest of the houses in the area were handmade from a creative assortment of rocks, logs, and clay. Livestock was few and the advanced farming machinery found in the city capital were almost unheard of here.
But years of hardship and a devastating fight with the plague had forced the citizens to band together. Even now, as Taehyung watched a small boy offer to help an elderly lady carry her grocery bag, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of pride. Because what the town lacked in resources and wealth, it made up for with love and friendship. He was confident that the comradery and partnerships displayed here were unmatched anywhere else in the country.
"Is that Kim Taehyung and Min Yoongi?!" Someone suddenly exclaimed just minutes after they had entered the main town market.
Taehyung turned his head to smile widely at the middle-aged man polishing fruit next to a roughly made wooden stand, "hello, Mr. Sun, nice to see you again!"
"How are the apples this year?" Yoongi asked, and then effortlessly caught the apple that Mr. Sun tossed for him.
"I don't know, you tell me!"
"Hey, Mrs. Lee," Mr. Sun called out to the neighbouring fruit stand in front of his own, "look who's back!"
"My my, Min Yoongi and Kim Taehyung, you two gentlemen grow more and more handsome by the day!" the elderly lady exclaimed, her wide smile deepening the fine wrinkles under her eyes.
Jisoo scoffed at that, but neither men could be bothered to care – both of them enjoying the feeling of being home.
"We're only trying to keep up with you, Mrs. Lee," Taehyung winked, slipping into one of his most charming tones, "Mr. Lee is one lucky man."
They continued strolling through the marketplace as almost everyone greeted and welcomed them back with open arms.
"I thought I heard Min Yoongi and Kim Taehyung!"
"So glad to have you boys back."
"Come over to our place for supper this evening! We would love to hear all about your adventures."
"Oh no, you must come over to our place first, my wife is cooking a feast!"
"Then you must come to our house for dessert!"
"How long will you be staying?"
"Ahh I knew you boys would be unable to stay away for long. Daegu is your home after all!"
"You have come just in time for the lantern festival!"
Taehyung could feel his cheeks aching from the smile that seemed to be permanently plastered on his face. He had missed this welcoming environment and these people more than he had realized. This was the place he took his first steps, shot his first arrow, had his first drink – where he became a man.
It was good to be home.
"Wow, you two are like royalty here," Lisa marvelled after they had passed the last waving citizen.
"We call Taehyung, Yoongi, and Jimin the three princes of Daegu," Jennie explained with a short chuckle and then turned her head to glance at Chaeyoung meaningfully, "and I'm the only princess here."
"Then, I suppose I will be the queen," Chaeyoung responded calmly, her long hair flowing elegantly behind her as she brushed past Taehyung and Jennie without so much a glance towards them.
Taehyung couldn't help but grin as he watched her horse strut away, finding her wit and poise more attractive than he dared to admit.
"Ya," Seokjin agreed as he followed her horse, narrowing his eyes at Jennie, "make room for the Queen, bitch."
Yoongi burst out laughing at that, and Taehyung had to clamp his lips together to conceal his laugher.
"Did he just call me a bitch?" Jennie asked in a mixture of shock and amusement.
"Well, he isn't wrong," Yoongi muttered, causing Jennie to smack him on the arm as he also passed by.
They reached Taehyung's family home within a few short moments. Taehyung jumped off his horse enthusiastically and rushed towards the entrance of the house he grew up in. It wasn't the largest or fanciest house in the neighbourhood, but it held some of his favourite childhood memories – dents from soccer balls he had kicked too hard against the wall, broken furniture from the countless times he had climbed them, and many, many paintings.
The characteristically squeaky doors swung open before he could knock, revealing the two people Taehyung loved most in this world. It was as if they knew he was coming.
"Tae!" they both exclaimed at the same time as Taehyung enveloped them in a massive group hug.
"Let me look at you," his mother said, leaning back to examine him from head to toe, "you've lost weight! Oh my goodness, you're practically skin and bones. Have you been eating? Drinking enough water? Do they not feed you in the army?"
"Mom," Taehyung laughed, wrapping his arms around her again to silence her, "I'm doing well."
"Welcome home, son," his father placed a warm hand on his shoulder and smiled proudly, "I trust city life is treating you well?"
"As well as one can expect from the city," Taehyung replied with a grin and then turned towards the rest of the group, "Mom, dad, I have some friends I'd like you to meet."
He started from Jennie and made his way down the line, "you already know Jennie and Yoongi. This is Seokjin, one of my friends from the army. Next to him is Jisoo, she's the Minister of Finances' daughter. The person beside her doesn't even deserve an introduction but I shall introduce him merely to make him uncomfortable. He is our hostage, Taeyong – don't worry, we'll explain everything soon enough. Next to him is Kim Namjoon, a respectable monk from Ilsan. And then we have Lisa who is a terrible cook."
"Hey!" Lisa exclaimed causing everyone to laugh.
Then, his eyes landed on Chaeyoung and he didn't know where to begin.
"And this is Chaeyoung..." he said softly, just staring at her for a few seconds, trying to find the words to describe who she was to him as everyone waited expectantly, "she's... the kindest person I have ever met."
"Oh?" his mother smiled at Chaeyoung warmly, "that's quite the praise."
"She's also the Princess of Goryeo," Yoongi added in that very key piece of information.
"Oh yes," Taehyung nodded, "that too."
"So, a princess and the kindest person ever?" Taehyung's mother raised a brow in amusement, "that sounds like a deadly combination."
As expected, Chaeyoung was blushing furiously at this point, the pink shade a stunning contrast against her pale skin. Taehyung smiled as she looked down and began to play with her hair as was her habit when she was nervous.
"Taehyung is exaggerating," she replied, returning his mother's smile despite her still brightly lit cheeks, "it's my pleasure to meet you, though I apologize for the suddenness of it all. I wish we had time to bring flowers – "
Taehyung almost laughed at the way Chaeyoung was rambling – it was so unlike her. She was normally poised and calm, especially during political matters, but she looked like she was on the verge of fainting now.
"That's quite alright, any friend of Taehyung's is welcome here," Taehyung's father said with a fond smile.
His parents led them inside the cozy, quant home that was barely furnished and only lightly decorated with some of Taehyung's older paintings.
"So, tell us," his father said as soon as everyone had been served a warm cup of tea, "what brings you all to Daegu?"
And so once again, Taehyung recounted the details of their journey, with a few sarcastic additions from Yoongi and actually helpful explanations from Namjoon and Chaeyoung. His parents remained surprisingly quiet and attentive during the entire story, absorbing all the information before they decided how to react.
"So, you are only stopping in Daegu for a rest before continuing your adventure?" his father asked after a few moments of deep thought.
"Yes," Chaeyoung replied with determination, "we promise to remain inconspicuous and not interfere in any town matters. You won't even know we're here."
"What if we make a trade?"
Everyone exchanged uncertain glances with each other.
"What kind of a trade?" Chaeyoung asked in surprise.
"As you know, the lantern festival is coming up and we require help preparing for it, so some of you could make the arrangements for that."
Chaeyoung nodded slowly, "I think we can manage that."
"There's something else though. Many people in the town are beginning to grow sick and lethargic – "
"What?!" Taehyung and Yoongi both exclaimed. Taehyung could feel a cold chill spread up his spine as he thought about the potential of another plague wreaking havoc across the town. He didn't know if they could survive another –
"Relax," his father flashed them a reassuring smile, "it's not the plague. Thankfully, we have been able to treat it – but to do that, we require a rare plant that can only be found on the outskirts of the town. It's quite a dangerous route as it is filled with various wildlife, so not many people in the town are prepared to venture through it. But if some of you would be brave enough to do so, we would be more than happy to reward you for your efforts."
"What kind of a reward?" Jisoo asked outright.
"Well, you need resources and we have the best archers in the country – so we will lend you some of our most experienced warriors to aid your expedition."
Jennie gasped at that, "I hope you don't mean me, Mr. Kim? There's no way I'm embarking on this suicide mission with them."
"Of course he wasn't talking about you," Yoongi rolled his eyes, "you can barely shoot an arrow in a straight line, so you're pretty much useless."
"Wanna bet?" she snapped, immediately loading an arrow into her bow.
"Hey, no murdering in the house," Taehyung's mother said sternly, "you can do that outside."
The entire group chuckled at that, the tension successfully eased.
"Alright, we agree to your terms," Chaeyoung announced when everyone's laughter had died down.
"Perfect," Mr. Kim stuck out his hand to shake the Princess's, "then, consider this your first alliance."
~{❀}~
A/N: By this point all of you know how sorry I am for taking so long to update 😭 Working full-time is really time consuming, fam. Hopefully this extra-long chapter helped make up for some of the wait. Thank you for all your lovely comments, I appreciate every single one ❤️️❤️️❤️️