PERFIDY || Taekook

Ephemeral

The omega's eyes land on the alpha standing before him, his cedarwood scent overwhelming and suffocating. The alpha has his eyes focused on him, almost binding him to the ground beneath his feet. Jimin's lips part slightly, inhaling and trying to get some fresh air that is not so heavily tinted by the alpha's cedarwood scent.

"My Lord," the soldier greets, "He has come from Evara seeking refuge."

The omega feels chills running up and down his spine as he feels those eyes on him. They feel so heavy that he tries to bury himself further behind the soldier. He tries to make himself invisible, and that act catches the alpha's attention.

The alpha, finally, takes his eyes off Jimin. He focuses his attention on the soldier as he words his next order. "Send him to the refugees' cabin. He may take his leave first thing in the morning."

The soldier offers the alpha a deep bow, leaving Jimin completely exposed to the alpha's seemingly curious eyes as they, to Jimin's dismay, land on him once more. He feels panicked momentarily before lowering his head in a respectful bow. It is not as deep as the soldier's, but it is indeed good enough for the alpha to take his eyes off him.

The alpha steps back, turns around and walks away. The door slowly closes on its own, and Jimin assumes that there must be a maid behind the door that neither of them is aware of. The soldier straightens once he hears the sound of the door closing and turns to face the omega. Jimin bites his lower lip anxiously.

"Who is he?" Jimin asks in a timid voice, cautious, as if the alpha can still hear him.

"Marquess Min," The soldier answers monotonously as he turns and starts walking away. The omega follows after him, quick on his feet to keep up with the soldier's fast steps. Jimin looks around the greenery around him once more, inhaling the fresh air momentarily. The soldier walks in silence, leaving the omega to his thoughts.

"What did the Marquess mean by taking my leave tomorrow?" Jimin presses his lips together, anxious to know what that means. Did the Marquess order to have him leave Azurda? He curls his fingers in his palms, his hands in fists by his side as they nervously grab the fabric of his attire.

"You'll be taken to Azurda's palace and then be assigned a job later on, most likely a maid," The soldier informs him quietly.

Azurda's palace.

Jimin furrows his eyebrows at that, his eyes focusing ahead. It is when he notices a large cabin coming into view. The omega notes how the refugees' cabin is not that far from the Marquess' house, at a safe distance away, yet still nearby.

Considering that the purpose of a Marquess is to protect the kingdom from neighbouring threats, the omega is not surprised that he resides so close to the borders. It still is not too far away. However, he is most surprised that he would keep refugees nearby. As a lot of them are genuine refugees who have lost their homes in Azurda's outside territories, for all Jimin knows, many refugees could be like him, either they are rogues running away from Onyx, or are discreet assassins. He wonders why the Marquess would keep such danger near him like that.

As they walk closer to the cabin, Jimin feels dread growing inside him. He does not want to go to Azurda's palace. He needs to stay by the borders. There is no other way he could return faster to his family, or Taehyung back in Onyx, as fast if he was located in the palace, in the heart of Azurda.

The omega turns his head to look back at the slowly disappearing house, his eyes boring into the architecture of the relatively large house, made to befitting of such nobility.

—

Taehyung watches in pure bewilderment as the concubines walk back and forth with multiple things in their hands, loudly ordering each other around, trying to decorate their Wing with various flowers, decorations and lanterns for better lighting. Taehyung has been watching them for hours, still unable to stop any of them to ask about what is going on. Everyone seems too busy, in such a rush to get, whatever they are doing right now, done and move on somewhere else. The omega feels out of place as everyone rushes outside when they are done decorating their sleeping area, moving their mission to the hall where they spend most of their day.