It was just one of the regular days in the kingdom of Arauna. The town filled with hustle and bustle of the morning market. The shopkeepers hawk at the bystanders waiting to sell products they falsely advertised by vociferous barking. All of them intermingling with each other coming out as one loud noise.
He sighed audibly at the squawking that aggravated his headache, agitated at the screaming sellers or at the world in general. He stopped in his tracks when his searching eyes found the well acquainted shop that he was looking for. Adjusting the hood of his old worn out cotton overcoat to cover more of the right side of the face, he held the thin material over his head between his canines to impede it from slipping off.
With unchanged expression of irritation he paraded towards the infamous fish shop Yerin, his sister, had asked him to go to. The mild headache exponentially increased the more he approached the said shop as the screaming fish vendor's voice boomed in his ears like long fingernails screached on a smooth table.
He scurried through the rush of people trying to buy and sell, yelling like maniacs. Informing the kinds of fish Yerin had asked him to bring, he simultaneously took out the pre-counted yang coins to pay the vendor.
"Here's your fish, gentleman. That'll be 50 yangs"
His eyebrows met each other in the middle at the mention of this number but turned back in such a short interlude that even the gods above might not have caught it.
Handing over the 48 Yangs already in his palm he initiated his hand towards the overcoat pocket only to accidentally elbow a young man's gut causing him to drop the jute bag he was holding and the contents to disgorge on the muddy ground.
"My extreme apologies, sir. This headache today is making me act like an asinine. Forgive me for my carelessness." He bent down, knees cracking, and abruptly started filling the contents back into the bag with his left hand and the other to hold the hood in it's place on the face.
"It's perfectly fine, mister. Don't fret over it. I'm an expert at dropping things all the time." The man replied with a smile that had the other involuntarily mirroring the same.
"I'm Namjoon, by the way. Kim Namjoon. I'm the assistant culinarian at the royal house." the said man extended his both his hands, one to hold the now filled jute bag back and the other to shake with the apologetic man whose face was barely visible.
"Wow. That explains the copious amounts of fish you've bought. Name's Jeon Jungkook." He shook the offered hand before turning to the vendor who had a scowl etched on his face most probably from the delay the brief introduction was causing.
"Ah, I'm sorry for making you wait, sir. Here's 4 yang. Please keep the change as an apology for your wasted time." jungkook smiled handing a four yang coin, picking up the wrapped fish and bowing to the old vendor and the man he now knows as Namjoon before heading away.
"What a polite young man. Customers like him make my day." the old man awed watching the broad back of the charmer who left his stall, addressing nobody in general.
"I agree with you, Uncle. We need people like him at the royal house. I wish he had told me where he worked. I would've gladly suggested him to Sir Yoongi."
Jungkook having escaped out from the cobweb of ration market onto the lone fieldtrack towards his cottage finally puts a hand into the worn out pocket of the dusty cotton overcoat taking out a rust colored pouch. "Culinarian at the royal house, huh?"
He emptied it on the wrapped fish paper, putting all the coins into his pocket before throwing the pouch away. "A loaded culinarian, indeed."
****
"Namjoon! You had one job! One job! And you manage to mess it up? I did expect you to throw or break atleast one of the things i asked you to bring but i did not foresee would you loose your wallet! Uh! I feel like I'm aging faster because of you." The head chef banged his palms on the kitchen shelf where lying beside was the infamous jute bag with a few ingredients for the royal feast ensuing in three days.
"Jin hyung, I know there is no extenuating this. But i don't know how i dropped it. I-i tied it securely around my belt. Ah- I'm so sorry. So so sorry."
"It is unfair that I keep forgiving you just because you make that face." Seokjin, the head chef of the palace rubbed his face with his palms, sighing. "Just shoo away and give the prepared soup to the prince. Without dropping. Please."
The scarce remorseful expression turned into a gratifying dimpled smile in a blink of an eye as Namjoon picked up the soup tray hurrying towards the room of his favorite royal.
"Thank the God you're pretty, Namjoon-ah" Seokjin sighed again mumbling into the palm before getting back to the oven counter. "What in the God's name are you sloths waiting for? The feast is in three days, not three years!"
***
"Your highness. Soup for you." Namjoon watched as the royal guard knocked on the oakwood door. Waiting for a response he started taking in the intricately detailed mahogany brown and golden door he is delightfully accustomed to see dime a dozen.
He is the assistant culinarian but isn't really allowed to cook per say having a rather bitter history between himself and fire or objects that could catch fire or food that could, well, burn. But being the head chef's favorite, as the fellow royal cooks put it, has it's own perks. First of them being the honor of calling thyself a royal culinarian without ever cooking. And Namjoon ensures he announces that in the minor most chance he gets.
"Send in!" cutting his chain of happy thoughts is a deep velvety voice from the other side of the door. With a curt nod, Jiwa/Juwa/jawa what ever the name of the guard who never likes to make small talk is, opens the door allowing Namjoon to get in.
"Your highness. I deeply apologize that it is chicken soup today instead of seaweed that you prefer. There was- a - problem" Namjoon abruptly started prompting the practiced apology deep inside well aware that there would be absolutely no expression of rebuke from the forementioned 'highness'.
Kim Taehyung. The second child of king Kim Songdae and his first wife Kim Jira. If you ask Namjoon, besides being the most pulchritudinous young man of Arauna, he is also the most endearing human to ever exist. He is not just the beautiful face in Namjoon's eyes. Sure, he is not arguably the best at swords or wars or decision making, something which is expected of every royal prince to conquer at (and a reason for the king's worries) but nevertheless his knowledge about the world, his political mien, his poetic deportment are all that render him aberrant.
"Joonie hyung. Jiwa is not here, so stop calling me that and it's okay because I know someone who's favorite food is chicken soup. Let me offer it to him."
"Thank god! I thought you'd never ask. I'm starving." Namjoon picked up the soup bowl that he apparently brought for 'highness' and sat comfortably on the diner couch beside the king sized bed before taking a big spoonful of the soup. "If anyday your guard comes to know that me, an ignoble unworthy excuse of a cook eats your food in your room on your sofa, I'll be doomed."
Taehyung frowned at the statement, lips pressing into a thin line and eyes crinkle into halfs because of the wrinkle forced on the forehead and Namjoon can only wonder how the prince could look so breathtaking even when trying to scowl. He shuts the book he was reading and turns around his one of kind study chair (rumored to be made out of eucalyptus) to face the cook completely.
"If anyday Jiwa, who i consider a friend, comes to know that you, one of my closest friends and a very special human being, eats whatever it is that you wish to eat, wherever you wish to eat, nobody will dare say a word to you."
"Ok your highness i know you're trying to look intimidating right now, but you look more like a beaten up puppy!"
"Uh what a travail!" Taehyung huffs going back to the book he was reading.
************
"Anaya's dress is still on it's way? Feast is in three days, you fool! I did not send it to be made by the best tailors for nothing! Get it to me by tonight! We need trials! She might find her future husband during that feast." mumbling the last part to herself the Queen combed her hands into the fur of her pet owl (Barra) while giving the constant distasteful face to her servant, Jaebum, dismissing him right after.
Queen San-Do. Second wife of King Kim Songdae was the most cavalier, condescending and snobbish lady in the entire town of Arauna, Jaebum thought. She was disrespectful in all ways possible to the servants and one particular royal. But what threw him off more was the absolute switch in her personality whenever she was in a room with all the other royals. If he ever told the king that his queen is the one because of who the servants shiver at the name of royals, he would probably render him delusional.
"Yes, your majesty." Jaebum turned to leave but halted when he heard the queen calling him out 'servant' because that is what he is, she exclaims always.
"Better make sure that abomination wears what I selected for him. Don't want that attention-seeker stealing my girl's light again."
"You mean Prince Taehyung, your majesty?" Ofcourse he knew who she meant. But there is only so much he can take before his annoyance surfaces.
"Yes. Abomination, Taehyung, not much difference. Now scram away!"
*****
What everyone looks like-
*Kim Taehyung* (Prince of Arauna) (Age- 20)
*Kim Namjoon* (Assistant culinarian of the Palace of Arauna) (Age- 24)
*Kim Seokjin* (Head culinarian in the palace of Arauna) (Age- 26)
*Sir Yoongi Min* (Head general and recruitment supervisor of Arauna Military) (Age- 28)
Im Jaebum- Royal servant (age-26)
Kim San-do The second Queen of Arauna. (Age- 45)
*Jeon yerin* (Resident of Arauna. Caretaker at the Yellow Rose Old Age Home) (Age- 19)
*Jeon Jungkook* (Everything your mother warns you to stay away from) (Age-23)
Only blonde in this AU.
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