Bring The Fire; 2
Warnings: obsessive behaviour, mentions of suicide, dead bodies and more.
Genres: yandere, romance, Royal/Au, Isekai
“I can’t get married yet,” Jin whined, his back hitting the plush softness of his mattress.
“You're nearly thirty hyung, I’m surprised father hadn’t married you off sooner.” Jimin snorted from the doorway.
The seven brothers had gathered in their eldest brother's room to discuss a plan. None of them were willing to get married-- at least not yet. While it wasn’t uncommon to marry young, most did, the brothers weren’t ready. They had all swore to faithful husbands, each of them hating how their father treated their mothers. How miserable the women were, wishing to be the centre of their husbands affections.
They wanted to have one wife, unlike their father, and while yes, they will have their concubines, their love will lay with their wife. And these princes, they weren’t ready for that responsibility, they still wanted to flirt and fuck their way through kingdoms and empires.
“Father doesn’t care what he does,” Hoseok snorted, before flicking his wrist toward Yoongi. “It comes down to him.”
The eldest two rolled their eyes, despite knowing the truth to Hoseok’s statement. Despite Seokjin being the eldest of the seven sons, first born to the Emperor, Yoongi was the son of the deceased original Empress, So-Ra, which his father had decided meant that Yoongi would be the son to take over the throne upon his death.
Much to the scarred boy's disgust.
“If at least one of us could get married, I’m sure it would settle father enough.” Namjoon hummed, changing the subject. “It could distract him long enough for the six of us to have more time.” His eyes moved between his brothers, each of them nodding slowly as they considered the idea.
“And just who, Namjoon, is going to get married?” Seokjin inquired, head tilting to the side so his cheek rested on his mattress, giving him a better view of his little brother.
Namjoon sucked his lower lip between his teeth, “Well, I hadn’t thought that fa--”
“I say Seokjin should,” Jimin grinned, throwing an arm over his ‘twin’ brother, Taehyung. “He is the eldest after all.”
Taehyung nodded in agreement, even Hoseok hummed in approval. Seokjin, however, didn't like the idea of being sacrificed for his brother's pleasures.
He flew upwards, finally sitting up for their meeting. “Me?” He screeched, eyes zeroing in on the youngest three brothers. “If anyone should be taking the fall, it should be one of you three, you're all useless anyway!”
“Jeongguk would be a good sacrifice.” Yoongi piqued up, grinning over to the younger boy who had paled.
“Wha--What? Me?!” He spluttered, pointing a finger into his chest. “I just got out of a very damaging relationship!” He argued, glaring at his brothers as they laughed.
“Oh please, the two of you weren’t even together. You had a crush on a kitchen wench Jeongguk, she didn’t even like you.” Taehyung cackled, his head throwing back at the youngest delusions.
Jeongguk growled, standing from the sofa he sat on with the Hoseok and Yoongi, pointing a finger in Taehyung's face. “At least Jin-i was in an arranged marriage, Mae-chang left you for another man.” The room fell silent for a moment, the brothers watching the youngest two bicker.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Taehyung said calmly, his tone shaky as he tried to remain collected. “And I suggest you drop it, now.”
Jeongguk scoffed, straightening his back. “Why? Because I’m right?”
“Because you don’t know what the fuck your talking about.” He sneered, standing.
“Oh please, you were just as pathetic as I was when she left!”
The elder of the two hissed, his jaw clenched as he pulled back to swing. Before his fist could connect to his little brother's face he was yanked backward, falling on his ass.
“Jimin, what the fuck!” He hissed, eyes narrowing up to the short man who shrugged.
“It’s shit like this, that's why father wants us married off. We need to pull our act together.”
// present day //
You had decided, as of today, you hate birds. Their loud squawking and their nails scratching on the roof of your car, they had become your enemy as of this early morning. It was barely 5am, and crows had surrounded your shit-heap car, jumping on the roof and stomping around, squawking like they were about to be murdered.
It was too early, the sun hadn’t even started to rise, the moon still making its way down the sky. You couldn’t lie and say you weren’t scared of the dozens of crows surrounding your car, screeching at you and pecking, you tried to hide your head under the pillow but the noise remained. They stuck around for another hour, squawking at one-another, convincing you that they were just trying to be as loud as they could to irk you.
You sighed in relief, dropping your pillow aside and scooting out the car door. The birds had completely dispersed, leaving the campgrounds empty once again. You looked around, checking under your car and around the trees that were close by and came up empty, thankfully. With shaky confidence you shuffled to the public bathroom to get ready for your day. You couldn’t drive into the city, you couldn’t afford the gas, so you would have to try and find work on your laptop, apply for companies that you’d never get accepted into.
Over the last week you hadn’t slept well, if at all, you were exhausted. You hadn’t got anything done, nobody had gotten back to you about your job applications, life was honestly hitting a new low. You were miserable.
Your homeless, your car is damaged--driving into a small yellow pole in front of your parking spot--your laptop and phone had died and you couldn’t charge them, every time you plugged it into the sockets in the bathrooms it short circuited and sparked, and while you slept you were terrified of being robbed by crazy people. And to top it all off, those goddamn crows showed up every morning and every evening, squawking at you. You were convinced they were laughing at your misery.
After a week, you were sick of it. You had fallen into a deeper depression, and despite trying to live life as normal as possible, life wasn’t normal. And so, when the second week rolled around, and you had officially hit day ten of zero sleep, you snapped. The sun had begun to work its way into the sky, the crows had been screeching for almost thirty minutes by this point. You rolled out the car, your brain had entered a stage of empty ringing, it was freezing cold, and you didn't feel the sharp cold burning your skin, you didn’t feel what little warmth the sun had been providing disappear as the clouds swallowed it whole.
You felt nothing.
You wanted to rest.
You wanted it to end.
Maybe that's why you ended up by the side of the road, watching tired truck drivers speed down the bumpy, worn down road.
Maybe that is why you ended up laying on the road.
And maybe that is why you didn’t move when the loud rumbling of the truck came thundering toward you.
+++
You don’t remember much. Pitchback had surrounded you, voices ringing all over, some louder than others. You recognised them all, familiar and very occasionally comforting. They echoed in the dark, bouncing off the void and whipping past you. Every different voice was from a memory, reminding you of both happier and awful times. Memories you had forgotten, some by accident, some on purpose, were ringing around you before an abrupt stop.
Then silence.
And suddenly a small light began to move closer, no bigger than the size of your thumb nail. It zipped around you, a loud humming emitting from it. Before you had been able to move away, or even touch it if you had wanted to, it blinked.
Once.
Twice.
And then flew into you, right between your eyebrows.
The dark drained away, and the air was knocked into your lungs, a loud gasp hitting your ears.
Was that you?
Seokjin was furious. It had been four days since his father had announced that all his sons were to get married, and while that was incredibly annoying, that wasn’t why the young prince was practically tearing his hair out. His brothers had been on his ass, begging him to throw his life away and marry.
Why should he be the one to sacrifice his freedom?
“You’re the eldest, it makes sense.”
“You got to have your fun, let us live free!”
“You should want to do this for us.”
Truth be told, he didn’t even like his brothers all that much. Besides, him being the eldest meant nothing. He wasn’t getting the throne anyway, so really shouldn’t Yoongi be the one to marry? He was going to need a wife, an empress! Seokjin didn’t. In fact, he had no intentions of marrying, ever. He will remain free of that hassle, thank you very much.
It was late in the afternoon, and to escape his irksome brothers the eldest prince had snuck off and decided to take a stroll to clear his mind. Stress would make him wrinkle. Winter was in full swing, so he had made sure to wear his thickest layers to keep the cold at bay. The sharp sting of the air on his cheeks warned that snow would soon make its appearance, something the Empire always dreaded.
He had intended to spend the rest of his afternoon outside and only return just before the sunsets, ensuring he would be back in time for dinner.. and because he wasn’t too confident in finding his way home in the dark— but his walk was cut short. On the ground, sprawled out and nearly blue was a woman. Now usually Seokjin wouldn’t pay any mind to the affairs of the poor, but the situation was amusing. In the middle of winter, in nothing but what he could only assume was a nightgown, she lay. Surely the poor were smarter than this?
How did she even get h—
He paused, frowning. Looking around, ensuring there was nobody in the vicinity hiding, the prince moved closer and crouched over the body, pursing his lips as he assessed the woman’s face.
How did she get here?
He was still on castle grounds, which meant she had found a way in. She didn’t look like an assassin, besides, surely an assassin wouldn’t be this dumb. Her attire alone was enough to kill her in this weather.
He doubted the guards had killed her, there was no blood, and if they had, her body would have been dragged back to the castle and reported to his father. Everyone would have been alerted to an intruder.
Clicking his tongue, he looked around still finding the area completely void of any other life but himself and what he could only assume was a frozen body. He hummed, is she dead? He wondered. She didn’t seem to be breathing but then again, he was no physician.
Seokjin picked up a small twig from the ground, scrunching his face up as he jabbed it into the woman’s cheek.
Nothing.
He huffed, trying again only more aggressively. The twig bending at the force being pushed into it.
Still nothing.
The prince pouted, leaning his cheek onto his fist. He took a moment to actually look at the face of what he could now only assume is a corpse. She was no doubt pretty, thick eyelashes that ever so slightly brushed her round cheeks, pouted lips that were only just parted almost as if breathing. He hummed, he didn’t think the poor could be pretty… but, then again, he had seen plenty of ugly nobles so who was to say. Perhap she was rich? A rich Lady that got drunk and wandered out the palace. But if she were a part of the nobility he would surely know who she was.
Shrugging, the prince dropped the twig onto the body's face. How boring, he thought. He supposed he should go tell someone…
As he went to push himself off the ground, hoping his ankles wouldn’t fail him, a loud gasp from below shocked him. Pretty eyes connected to his, and for a moment the prince couldn’t breathe. His fingers twitched on his knees, begging to reach and touch her cheek, to feel her no doubt freezing skin and provide what little warmth he could.
She blinked,
Once.
Twice.
Then she seemed to have come to a slow thought, her eyebrows raising upward. She flew up, her head colliding with his, sending the prince to his back. He grunted, hands flying to his forehead.
That will bruise.
The woman didn’t seem to even register the head collision, jumping to their feet. Seokjin managed to pry an eye open and watch as the lady frantically looked around, eyes wide and panicked like a caged animal. Before he could speak, or more so scold, and punish the strange woman she took off.
“What the fuck?”
He laid for a moment, trying to piece together what exactly just happened. A corpse just came alive? Was it even a corpse in the first place?
Well she wasn’t breathing a moment ago!
Shaking his poor, thumping head he quickly scrambled to his feet and took off after the runaway. There was no way he could let her get away from him. He cursed himself for not having any weapons, although he wasn’t entirely sure what he would have done with it even if he did have one..
It didn’t take him long to spot you ahead, you hadn’t gotten very far. The woman looked completely lost, the panic still on her features, but it only seemed to intensify when her eyes landed on him. Seokjin watched as her speed picked up, seemingly running without a destination.
At that moment Seokjin realized they had made it back, closer to the palace. The guards were on patrol here, Hwandudaedo in hand and ready.
“Get her!” He hollered, catching their attention. The men, quickly noticing the eldest prince’s voice, jumped into action. Thankfully, they were much closer to the girl, and there were plenty more of them. He watched as guards swiftly surrounded her, a proud grin on his face as he slowed down.
He hated running.
He approached the circle of men, who hesitantly parted for him. There she squatted, head tucked into her knees as she rocked slightly, mumbling to herself.
“It’s just a dream. It’s a dream, I’m going to wake up any second now. It’s just a dream.”
Quirking an eyebrow, Seokjin chuckled. He found she spoke with a strange accent, and almost childlike. Perhaps she was a peasant after all. Crouching down to her level he cleared his throat, catching her attention. He couldn’t help the grin on his lips when she peeled through your hands to meet his gaze, her eyes connecting to his. Her eyes were glossy with tears, flickering around his face as she seemed to try and understand who exactly the man before her was.
“If this is a dream,” he murmured, slowly reaching out, like his fingers had begged to do earlier, and trailing the tips of his fingers along your jaw. The moment his fingers had touched her cool, smooth skin she began to tremble, sending an excited grin to his lips.
“Then I hope you never wake up.”
Seokjin decided he liked you. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but he did and that was enough for him. You hadn’t spoken a word, at least not to him. You had been mumbling to yourself the entire walk back to the palace. He was a bit worried you were a crazy person, but that was okay, he could work with that. You had walked with your head down, eyes narrowed to your bare feet, much to his disappointment. People usually liked to stare at him, and he wasn’t one to complain about it. Their stares were an excellent ego boost.
Perhaps you just hadn’t seen him properly.
Back in his room, Seokjin was pleased to find his fireplace still roaring. The room was nice and warm, which he had hoped would bring some colour and heat back into you. He had told the guards to have the maids organise a bath in his room, along with a fresh change of clothes for women. Once he was sure of his privacy he clapped his hands together, making you jump in fright.
The room was stunning, nothing like you had ever seen before. It was huge, but dark. Heavy silk curtains covered the windows, blocking out any light and it seemed, any of the freezing outdoors. A small step was toward the back of the room where a giant bed stood, giving off a small platform. Thick cream bedding had been neatly tucked in and made perfectly. The bed had four large, dark wooden poles as frames with sheer white curtains that had been tied back. It looked heavenly right now, if you ignored the swords that were hanging over the headboard.
The fireplace was cute, the firebox was wide allowing more wood to be stacked in. Cushions were placed around a low square table where a tea set was already organised, small desserts on fine china calling out to you. A thin white rug sat under the table, covering the cold wooden floor, and you wanted so desperately to step onto the rug and sit by the fire and warm up your freezing body and inhale the snacks scattered over the table. You couldn’t remember the last time you had something decent to eat.
Seokjin had watched you take in the view of his room in awe, feeling pride wash over him. You were clearly not of a noble family, but that didn’t worry him too much. If he told everyone you were, nobody would question it too much, and as long as he kept you close by his side he could ensure any questions were avoided. His brothers would definitely be suspicious, but he could handle it. He just had to keep an eye on them.
“I’m Seokjin,” He spoke, clearing his throat to catch your attention. You had flinched slightly, seeming to have forgotten he was in the room with you. Your eyes fell to him and he felt his body vibrate in excitement, he had your attention for the first time since he found you. There was no better feeling in the world.
When you didn’t respond he pouted, walking toward the table and sitting on one of the cushions and motioning for you to follow, which you seemed happy to comply with. You practically collapsed into the soft, green cushion, crossing your legs.
“You should show me some respect,” Seokjin sighed when you refused to look at him again. He just wanted your attention on him again, he liked the feeling of your eyes on him. “I am your Prince afterall.”
You couldn’t help the choked sound that left your throat. Prince? Is he some kind of crazy person? You weren’t entirely sure where you were, or even what happened. But waking up to a stranger hovering over you was enough to send you running. You had assumed you were somewhere in the camp grounds, but everything was so unfamiliar, you had hoped while running you would have found something familiar. Everyone was dressed up, and you had for a moment thought you had managed to find yourself at some sort of LARPing festival, but the sight of real weapons drawn to your face and the palace you were being led toward, has you more confused than you had been when you woke up.
“Prince?” You echoed, frowning at your fingers. Just where the hell did you get yourself?
Seokjin felt his throat close up. He could feel his ears heating up, and his heart stuttered. You were speaking to him.
He feels like a fool, he shouldn’t feel this flustered by you and yet he was. A woman who clearly held no status, or very looks. Not to say you weren’t attractive, he definitely found you to be pretty, but in that same breath, he had definitely seen far more attractive women in his days.
“Yes, your prince. And you are?”
He watched you fiddled nervously with the skin around your nails, your frown deepening. He didn’t like waiting, why were you taking so long to answer his question? It was probably the easiest question he could have asked. Why were you frowning? What was running through your mind, what thoughts were ravaging your pretty little head?
“Y/N.”
He blinked, tilting his head to the side. Y/N? What does that even mean? Was that your name?
“Y/N?” He echoed.
You nodded limply. “That’s my name.”
Seokjin hummed, nodding slowly. It was definitely a strange name, but it could work in his favour. He could tell everyone you were a foreigner, a noble from far away here to meet the princes. The only worry was people asking too many questions. His father was easy to play, he was dumb. He had hired men to help him run the Empire. He couldn’t read, write, or do basic mathematics. Telling him a lie was easy, if Seokjin said you were of noble descent, he would believe him without any doubts. But his brothers, especially Yoongi and Namjoon would prove to be far more difficult. But he could make this work, he had to. He would make sure nothing would happen to you.
And then, he would marry you.
Only hours ago Seokjin hadn’t been able to imagine himself a married man, settling for one woman, and perhaps two concubines, but now it was all he could think. How quickly his mind had changed. He wanted a spring wedding, he would oversee the tailors make you the most elegant wedding dress the Empire had ever seen. The kitchen would make all your favourite dishes, and the night of consummation would be paradisiacal. Keeping his hands to him until that point may be difficult, but he was sure he could. And if not? Well, he was the son of the Emperor, he could do as he pleased.
A soft knock at the door had both Seokjin and yourself looking at the door, a moment of hesitation to answer. Seokjin worried his brothers may have found out he was back already, the six ready to plead to him once more to be the one to marry. How thrilled they will be to hear he would be the first to marry, and possibly save their asses.
“Come in.” He called.
The door gently pushed open, an older woman poking her head into the room before she bowed. “Apologies for interrupting, Prince Seokjin,” She excused. “But we were told you requested a bath?”
The man’s eyes lit up in realisation, before he glanced to you.
“No, for her.” He corrected, nodding toward you. “I would like her bathed and dressed for dinner this evening.”
You could feel the way his eyes were burning into your skull, willing you to look at him, and you stupidly caved in, eyes warily meeting his wide ones.
“She will be dining with the Emperor tonight.”
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A/N; Chapter two is done! What did you all think?? I’ll be trying to update this story at least once a week, depending on how life goes! Tag list is open! 🌈