Chapter Text
The grey stone of the Aldovia castle blends almost seamlessly into the rocks of the mountain behind it. A blanket of forests surrounds the castle that leads down to the city in the valley and frames the road leading up towards its large, metal gates.
Jonghyun shifts in his seat and glances at Sodam, who is looking out the other window with a small smile. How Sodam isn’t more nervous, he doesn’t understand. She’s here to marry a man she’s only met once before, for an alliance Byrem needs to keep Kirre off their backs, and their marriage is only a few months away. Aldovia will be her new home, but she seems entirely at peace with the strange, mountainous territory.
From the corner of his eye, he sees her turn to him. “Their mountains are beautiful, aren’t they?”
“I guess,” he grumbles. “But I prefer our ocean.”
“Aldovia has cities along the coast.”
“Far from here, though.”
Sodam rolls her eyes. “You didn’t have to come, you know.”
“I know.”
He slumps back in his seat with a sigh. He wasn’t about to send the person he’s closest to off to somewhere he’s never been, to live with and marry someone he’s never met.
“Then I’d appreciate if you were a bit more open-minded about it. I get that you’re not happy I’m leaving, but it’s for the best.” She inhales deeply and looks back to her window. “Honestly, I’m excited to be somewhere new. I’ve always wanted to travel more.”
“Yeah,” he says, letting the conversation die. When they reach the city beneath the palace, the carriage slows to match the pace of the people and carts traveling through the city. Jonghyun grits his teeth at every stop-and-start, frustrated. He wanted to arrive at the palace in a decent mood for their introductions, but the world seems fixed against him.
They finally reach the palace gates late afternoon. A palace servant greets them the instant they step outside of the carriage. Their own servants and more from Aldovia sweep in to handle the luggage, allowing them to head to the royal family without pause.
His legs are stiff from hours of sitting. The several flights of stairs required to reach the throne room are torture on his thighs. He exhales when they reach the grand hallway, preparing himself for the separate torture of formal introductions.
It takes two servants to open the throne room doors. Jonghyun keeps his face carefully blank as their names are announced as they walk forward. Formalities always make him bristle, but here, he likes them even less. Receiving people in their own court is far simpler than being a guest in someone else’s.
Four thrones sit at the other side of the room. The two at the center, for the king and queen, stretch half-way up to the ceiling with marble carvings of the mountains their castle had been built into. Two smaller thrones rest on each side. One seat is empty, while the other is filled with a man Jonghyun assumes to be Jinki.
Aldovia’s royal family has two sons. Jinki is the older one — and the one that his sister had been betrothed to since her childhood — so it’d only make sense for that prince to be the one greeting them.
When they stop to bow in greeting, Jonghyun’s eyes quickly glide over the King Yunho and Queen Boa to examine the prince at their side.
He’s handsome. He has a strong nose and full lips, with dark brows and hair that only makes his features more prominent. The elaborate embroidery covering his tunic and vest distract from his figure, but fit tightly enough for his broad shoulders and well-muscled chest.
Sodam won’t be stuck with someone hideous, at least.
The rest of the introductory announcements pass in a blur. Jonghyun forces a smile when he hears them reach their end and the royal family steps forward.
He and Sodam perform the customary bow and hand-kiss routine for higher ranking royalty to the king and queen, but straighten when Jinki approaches them. By Aldovia custom, if there weren’t an engagement, proper manners would require another bow — but with it, he’s expected to receive them as equals.
“I see you’ve read up on our country’s etiquette,” Jinki says, smiling wide as he looks between them. “That’s polite of you.”
Sodam’s lip quirks. “You know I like to read, even if it’s boring manuals.”
“You spent a lot of time doing that, the only other time we met,” Jinki says, teasing. “It’s been a while since we last saw each other. You’re a lot taller than I remember.”
Sodam laughs. “And so are you.”
Jinki gives her another grin, then shifts his attention to Jonghyun.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Jinki says. “Sodam writes about you often.”
Jonghyun glances at her and offers a tentative smile. “Hopefully good things.”
“Only good things,” Jinki responds. “So I appreciate you deciding to visit with her. And I hope I can make a good impression on you as well.”
“And I’ll try and live up to the one Sodam’s letters gave you.”
The corner of Jinki’s lips rise in amusement, but before he can respond, the Queen speaks. “I hate to cut your introductions short, but I think we should show our guests to their rooms. Dinner will be soon, and I imagine they might want some rest and a change of clothes.”
Jonghyun holds back a sigh of relief at the dismissal. He exchanges a set of polite farewells to the royal family, then follows after the servant that appears to take them to their rooms.
As they’re lead through the palace, he tries to appreciate in the dozen paintings and sculptures scattered through the halls, but there’s too many for him to inspect them all. The palace is twice as large as his own and decorated a hundred times more finely. There’s an entire wing for guest royalty. Sodam gets the largest suite, equipped with a full bed, set of drawers, private bath, and dining area, while he gets the single bedroom across the hall.
Though smaller, the room is still sizeable. There’s enough space to fit a giant bed, covered with intricate embroidered drapings that link the four posters, as well as a small desk, set of drawers, and a tub. He removes his outer layers as he crosses the room, grateful to be alone even if for only a moment. The tub is already full, and he’d dismissed the servant that had offered to help him bathe the moment they asked, embarrassed. He doesn’t know if that sort of thing is normal in Aldovia, or if it’s simply an overly hospitable gesture, but he wants no part of it. Not when he could enjoy a short hour alone.
The water is still hot when he slips in. He cleans himself in a rush to ensure his hair will dry by the time dinner begins, then changes into a nicer set of clothes.
He frowns as he pulls on the shirt, thinking back to whatt Jinki had worn. He doesn't have anything with the sort of embroidery Jinki wore for their arrival, but hopefully they’d still be able to tell he was dressing in his best for the occasion.
Once dressed, he steps out into the hall to join Sodam. She links her arm in his as they walk towards dinner together, following another servant to ensure they don’t lose themselves in the palace’s hundred halls. Her hand tightens on his elbow to get his attention when she lowers her voice.
“What do you think of him, so far?”
“I only met him for five minutes.”
She purses her lips. “I still want to know.”
“He seems nice, I suppose. And he’s good-looking, though I don’t believe he’s your type.”
“Mm. You noticed?”
“I know you prefer waifish to muscular. From what I can tell, he seemed to be the latter.”
She laughs lightly. “And that sort of figure is more your preference, I know.”
He rolls his eyes, but straightens his face once they enter the formal dining room. The room is bright, lit by a hanging chandelier with dozens of candles. More sit on the table, spaced between the chairs, making it easy to see the smiles on the royal families faces as they stand to greet him and Sodam.
Another set of pleasantries goes around, this time with an introduction for the younger prince, Taemin. His sister takes the seat across from Jinki, while he takes the one across from Taemin. The king and queen sit at each end and lead them into conversation about the local climate.
There’s baskets of breads laid out on the table, but no one reaches for them, and Jonghyun’s not about to be the first. He prays his stomach won’t growl as they wait for the first course to arrive. He’s not snobbish enough to dislike the food they had at the various inns along the road, but he misses the talents of their royal cook greatly. Hopefully, Aldovia’s is just as talented.
When the appetizer of herb seasoned vegetables arrives, Jonghyun’s attention drifts further. He listens still, as the queen talks about the short winters and Jinki talks about the warm springs, but doesn’t feel the need to add anything. He knows nothing about the weather in Aldovia, and he's sure living here will do enough to teach him that.
When the shifts to outdoor games, he sees Sodam sit up straighter — and already knows what she’s about to ask.
“This might be a bit out of place for me to ask, in this discussion, but I’m curious. Is chess a common pastime for the nobility?”
Jinki raises a brow. “I thought I told you it was, in my last letter?”
“You did. And you also said you don’t enjoy it, so I’m trying to see if there’s anyone else that would play with me.”
“I enjoy it,” Taemin says. He sits up in mirror of Sodam, smile wide. “Jinki really does hate it, but I’ll be happy to play a game sometime.”
“I’d enjoy that,” She says, lifting her glass in promise. “When you play white, what sort of opening move do you like?”
Taemin leans forward, eager. “Well, there was this strategy I came up with...”
Jonghyun’s attention slips when Taemin delves into a description of the varieties he favors. He hears enough of that from Sodam when she drags him into playing. And he doesn’t have the energy to follow the babble about knights and bishops and lettered numbers.
He takes a long drink from his wine, knowing he’ll need it when he hears the queen join in on the discussion. If the entire dinner is going to be about chess, he’ll have an easier time pretending to enjoy it if he’s tipsy.
After another three minutes of strategy talk, he sees Jinki reach to fiddle with the unused spoon set in front of him. The motion makes him glance down, and when he looks up, their eyes meet. Jinki tilts his head towards Taemin and raises a brow.
“Boring?” he mouths, silent.
Jonghyun nods as subtly as he can manage.
Jinki’s lips pull into a knowing smile. Jonghyun can’t help but return it before looking back into his drink.
His cheeks prickle with warmth as he clutches the stem of his glass tighter. Even if Jinki isn’t Sodam’s type, he’s certainly attractive. That will hopefully count for something in their inevitable marriage.
Jonghyun lets the others at the table lead the conversation, only offering commentary when he can think through the fog of his tiredness well enough to think of something to say. They exchange short farewells, then are lead back to their rooms for a night of proper rest.
Jonghyun undresses numbly and climbs into bed. Hopefully, he’ll be exhausted enough from the day to fall asleep easily for once.