Chapter Text
Ssalssalhan is beautiful.
A province normally cloaked in snow and ice, frost gathering overnight on the pine trees that never lose their green branches, with snow-capped mountain peaks that disappear on a cloudy day. The sea surrounding the province is known to be unruly and choppy in winter, but Ssalssalhan is a true wonder to behold during the small window of time in the spring and summer when snow is replaced by sunlight.
Set in a wide valley with mountain peaks on either side and a large lake in the heart of the province with thin, slow-flowing waterfalls and mountain streams that deposit into the lake, Ssalssalhan reminds Jimin of Dang-ui. The water freezes over in the winter, but the Northern Sea will continue to provide for the province as it will never freeze solid.
While the outskirts of the province and the hilly landscape leading into the mountains are covered in pine trees, cherry blossom, plum trees, red maple trees, and native foliage like chrysanthemums dazzle the flat valley around the lake. The trees are mostly seasonal, but there will always be at least one colorful tree that lights up the icy landscape.
Cherry blossoms have an incredibly short flowering lifespan, but their green leaves provide a canopy of shade in the summer, and the small sour fruits that grow from the magenta plum trees are used medicinally and for culinary dishes. The red maples are magnificent year-round and some old branches are gnarled and twisted in all different directions.
Unlike the other dragon provinces where all houses are built exclusively of some kind of stone or even marble, buildings in Ssalssalhan are crafted primarily of wood placed in tight-fitted interlocking layers and curved navy and red clay-tiled roofs with upward points on each end cap. Paper screen doors and windows slide open and closed, the flooring either wood or interlocking blocks of compressed rice straw.
In the larger estates, a wooden porch lines the entire length of the home, often leading into intricate green gardens with stone lanterns and stone statues and small ponds. Some gardens have granite or sand gardens that are perfectly raked through and left undisturbed as part of the natural environment.
Gray stone paths wind throughout the province. Homes and businesses are only a stone’s throw away from one another across the street, stringed paper lanterns of all different colors connecting from one roof to the next, red wooden bridges crossing over the water. An impressive red wooden gazebo on a tiny island sits in the center of the lake surrounded by trees of all colors, providing an ample view of the palace built into the mountains.
The palace in Ssalssalhan is nothing but marvelous.
Sitting atop a heavy stone foundation, the palace is crafted of white wood with stacked, curved navy roofs adorned with gold trim and ornamentation. Red banners depicting the Min family sigil flutter in the breeze from the overhanging eaves on each corner of individual roofs. In the rear of the palace sits a large tree-lined courtyard with a unique mosaic tiled floor and a stone balcony facing the highest mountain peak in the province, which can also be viewed by the roofed balcony on the palace’s second floor where afternoon tea is often taken.
The interior of the palace consists of long wooden hallways with paper screened doors and thick pillars that vertically compliment the halls and large open spaces, horizontal wooden latticed ceilings and decorative print screen panels working in harmony with what is viewed at eye level. Paper lanterns hang on pillars, some hallways bearing tall lanterns on the floor.
All windows of the palace are thrown open in the summer months, many rooms facing either north or south for the most opportune sunlight during the day. The mountains are still capped with fresh snow even if the air is warm, a soft breeze rustling the leaves of the trees in the palace courtyard. Silver and wood wind chimes clink together from where they hang on pillars, the slight salt from the sea mixing with the scent of evergreens and plum blossoms.
Jimin inhales deeply, taking in the fresh air of Ssalssalhan.
He folds one leg over the other and shushes gently at the swaddled bundle of cloth in his lap, setting his teacup of honey plum tea on its matching porcelain saucer on the round table in front of him.
Jimin smiles at the baby cradled in his arms, tapping the tiny tip of her nose with his finger to draw out a giggle.
“Min Seoyeon, it appears that you will be a spoiled little princess, wouldn’t you agree?”
Of course, the princess would not understand a word of what he says, but she reaches for Jimin’s finger to hold it in her tiny hands, her cheeks rosy and her eyes bright emerald just like her mother’s.
Princess Jieun gave birth two months ago to her daughter a little earlier than expected, cutting short Jimin and Yoongi’s visit to Dang-ui so they could be present for the birth. They made it just in time before Yoongi’s sister went into labor, joining Elder Jiho in Ssalssalhan who was on his official break from the council to tend to his daughter’s needs following her pregnancy.
After the events of Elder Hana’s exile, their plans changed so they could inform Jimin’s mother and father of what happened should rumor spread. It had been a very emotional trip, filled with tears and constant questions, but it was a very necessary one, and Jimin promised he would spend more time with his mother and father come winter and continue to present himself as Aiseu’s prince.
Summer was also a much better time to visit Ssalssalhan than what had been initially proposed nearly a year ago in Hwajae. Jimin quite enjoyed living in Ssalssalhan, but he had yet to experience the full brutality of a Ssalssalhan winter; hopefully by season’s end, Jimin would return to Aiseu for the remainder of the year while Yoongi returned to Hwajae to catch up on his missed princely duties now that Hoseok is Elder.
Hoseok’s ceremony was beautiful in Hwajae yet bittersweet given the circumstances. There had been days-long celebrations in his honor by the city inhabitants, each dragon province sending their approval of his position. Even Tiandī and his mother’s homeland of Juhong sent gifts and letters to cement themselves as allies with him as Elder.
It had been a debate on the council whether or not to reveal Hana’s betrayal publicly. Questions over privacy, the power and reach of the Elder Council, and concerns about revealing Jimin and Jeongguk’s true statuses lingered for days in heated debate until a conclusion was reached: tell the truth and emphasize both Hana’s treason and the strength of Jimin and Yoongi’s bond.
The reveal of what happened to Jimin and how merciful he had been at the hands of death earned him respect and love from both common folk and nobility, cementing his place as Prince of Aiseu and Min Yoongi’s Prince Consort, and earning him the title Park Jimin, Prince of Virtue for his demeanor and actions at such a young age.
And here he holds the newest heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne in his arms, spared from royal duties for many years. By then, Jimin will have only aged a little, and he looks forward to watching the princess grow up.
She reaches up with her tiny hands for the scale hanging around his neck, the smooth white scale swaying like a pendulum back and forth. Her emerald eyes gleam with curiosity and Jimin chuckles, leaning forward more so she can try to hold the scale. Instead, she tries to bring it to her mouth to suckle on it, and he coos while gently prying it from her unusually strong grip.
Footsteps tap on the wooden floor behind him and the wind blows through the wind chimes, matching the melodic tune of Princess Jieun’s voice as she enters the balcony.
“Oh, she is so calm in your arms! Did you sing her a lullaby, Jiminie?”
The princess stands beside Jimin in a loose flowing silk gown the color of cherry blossom petals, pink rogue across her round cheeks and her dark hair adorned with her silver crown. She was called to attend a council meeting with her brother and father, as it was quite rare for all three members of the Min family to be in one place at the same time. Prince Jongsuk, who married into the Min family namesake, is also present during meetings as her husband.
“Welcome back, noona.” Jimin smiles, gently lifting the princess in his arms and transferring her to Jieun’s outstretched arms, the baby’s face lighting up upon recognizing her mother. “I just think she likes to be around her uncle. I only sang the lullaby once.”
“You kept your pretty voice a secret from my brother this whole time,” Jieun comments, cradling Seoyeon in her arms. Jimin pulls her chair out from the table for her to sit and then he gently pushes it closer, one of the maids quickly filling her empty cup with steaming hot honey plum tea. She provides a serving of fresh berries and roasted chestnuts so Jieun can avoid fatigue.
“Yoongi never asked if I could sing.”
“Then my little lotus flower is lucky!”
They both laugh, causing Seoyeon to smile from the pleasant sound, and Jieun looks up at Jimin from her chair.
“Oh, Yoongi said he would wait for you at the gazebo. It is a lovely day to be on the water, and he wanted to escape this palace before my father could drag him back into the throne room.”
The gazebo in the heart of the province, below the palace. It was not a quick journey on foot, but that was why Jimin enjoyed Ssalssalhan: water lived in everything.
Jimin scoffs lightly. “He sounds like Taehyung avoiding his responsibilities. Shall I call him a hypocrite?”
“Yes. I would quite like to hear his reaction.”
Seoyeon claps her tiny hands together before settling back into her swaddle as if in agreement with Jieun and Jimin.
“Will you be alright here? I can always see him later—”
With a wave of her hand, Jieun interrupts with a shake of her head. “No, no, you have already done quite the favor spending time with her. She fusses with my lady-in-waiting and I wanted to spare her the trouble! I will be fine until Jongsuk returns.”
Jimin leans in to press a kiss to Jieun’s cheek. “Then I will see you for supper and report back on my findings.”
They exchange temporary farewells and Jimin walks over to the far end of the balcony that wraps around the rear of the palace, facing southeast where he can see the city below with its colorful trees and clay rooftops, the sun shimmering on the surface of the lake in the distance. Carefully, Jimin steps up and stands on the wooden railing with a hand on the post next to him, holding his other hand palm-up to materialize the water in the air. The scar on his palm is faint, a sphere of water hovering over his hand.
Water molecules whispering in his ears as he musters the water from the mountain streams nearby, Jimin forces his hand down just as he jumps from the balcony over the stone foundation of the palace, materializing a wave under his feet. The rush of water and the gust of air from his fall ruffles the wide gauze sleeves of his tunic and the petal pink ombre of his gown, both of his hands controlling the size of the wave underneath and the flow of its direction down the mountainside.
The winding stone staircase that he passes would take too much time.
As he descends toward the mouth of the lake just below the palace on its mountain base, the water he gathered from the air is replaced by the lake water for a more direct source. The wave he rides increases in size with all the available water at his disposal as he approaches the red gazebo.
A golden dragon dances atop the emerald green clay roof of the square structure, birds and pink lotus flowers floating atop the water’s surface. Red maple trees and magenta plum trees dot the area around the gazebo. Pale blue chrysanthemums grow at the stone base.
Careful to not disrupt the birds or the lotus flowers, Jimin thrusts his hands down to push the wave back into the lake. He hops down carefully, the lake swirling gently under his feet with each step he takes toward the gazebo.
Walking on water was a new part of his powers he had never thought to attempt, but like most of the ways he manipulated water, it came quite easy to him. It even impressed Yoongi, who also did not think it could be done.
Raising himself above the water one last time at the edge of the gazebo, Jimin steps over the low railing. He accepts Yoongi’s outstretched hand, the water splashing back into the lake. His feet and clothes remain dry, and Yoongi wraps his arms around Jimin’s waist when he hops from the railing, spinning him twice before setting him down on the floor in a flurry of pink petals.
“I watched you from the palace. You are a true natural, nunsongi,” Yoongi muses, leaning in to press his lips to Jimin’s in greeting. Jimin giggles into their kiss, lacing his arms around Yoongi’s neck and running his fingers through his raven black hair. He recently cut his hair after it had flicked just above his shoulders, keeping in tradition with his longer hair in winter and shorter hair in the summer months.
“How was your morning with my niece?”
They break their kiss but Jimin keeps his arms around Yoongi’s neck, Yoongi hands wrapping comfortably around Jimin’s lithe waist.
“She was very well-behaved. However, I hear you were not.”
Yoongi raises his brows. “From who? Who spreads lies about me?”
“You are shirking your responsibilities to spend time with me and avoiding your father! This comes from your sister herself. Quite the hypocrite.”
Scoffing, Yoongi’s nose turns up, and he releases his grip on Jimin’s waist. “How simply awful of me to desire just a glimpse of my husband outside of that throne room.”
“Quite awful, Yoongi.”
Yoongi slips from Jimin’s hands and he turns around to face away from Jimin, leaning forward over the railing to peer out at the lake and his palace at the base of the mountains with a huff.
Knowing that Yoongi is jesting, Jimin whines and steps in close to Yoongi, pressing his cheek to Yoongi’s broad shoulders and wrapping his arms around Yoongi’s waist. Chest pressed into his back so Yoongi can feel Jimin’s warmth, Jimin inhales the pine and chrysanthemum musk of his husband.
“I would think you to be taking after Taehyung for skipping your duties.”
“Well, if you associate my behavior with my daring cousin, then perhaps you would spare a few minutes with me in the hallway, my head underneath your skirts?”
Smacking Yoongi’s shoulder and feeling heat creeping to his cheeks, Jimin says his name incredulously.
“Yoongi.”
Laughing, Yoongi twists his body around, leaning his back against the railing to face Jimin.
“Will you tell my sister that was my response?”
“No.” Jimin then looks away and mutters, “but of course you would presume she set the trap.”
Smiling and brushing Jimin’s hair from his eyes, Yoongi rests one hand on Jimin’s waist and curls the other around the railing.
“While we speak of Taehyung, he sent me a letter that he has set a date with Jeongguk for the wedding. It will be in the spring in Hwajae.”
That’s right.
Taehyung proposed marriage to Jeongguk just after Yoongi and Jimin arrived in Ssalssalhan.
It occurred after Taehyung took Jeongguk into the city for an evening alone together, which had not happened since they confessed their mutual feelings. Taehyung, usually so full of pomp and splendor, could apparently not hold in this secret much longer and proposed with a stunning silver diamond ring while seated along the oceanfront. He described in his initial letter to Jimin and Yoongi how Jeongguk had not a clue what he was doing when Taehyung dropped to his knee and slid the ring on his finger.
To blind Jeongguk, the ring felt like any ordinary ring, and he did not understand why Taehyung was out of his physical range of touch. They both cried, Taehyung wrote in his letter, and Jeongguk struggled to comprehend his new role as Prince Consort to the next Eastern Elder as a regular human.
Hoseok continued to remind Jeongguk he was no longer only human. Once Jeongguk began to manipulate his healing powers out of his own will, then Jeongguk started to internalize his identity, though Taehyung wrote: “he still does not quite understand that I have elevated his title to that of Prince Jeongguk, but perhaps after our wedding it will all come together.”
“I am happy for them. It will be a grand celebration rivaling ours.”
“I would like to not attend another tourney.”
Jimin nods in agreement. “I am inclined to agree.”
“How is Namjoon-ah? Does he feel at home in Dang-ui?”
“He longs to reunite with me and Seokjin. Yet I know he would not dare say a word to my mother or she might send him back herself in a carriage to Hwajae.”
Namjoon remained in Aiseu to help train the garrison of soldiers in the province, exchanging combat knowledge that he learned while in Gongsan and Hwajae. He protested Jimin leaving for Ssalssalhan without him, but Jimin promised he would return and take Namjoon with him wherever he went if he would at least spend a little time in his mother and father’s palace; besides, Seokjin requested maintaining an unpolluted mind while he worked with Hoseok to determine if Namjoon could one day receive his scale or partake in a similar ritual.
Seokjin is quietly devoted to finding a path to be with Namjoon. They are apart for now, but Jimin knows a wonderful reunion waits on the horizon.
“There is much to look forward to.” Yoongi peers down at Jimin, caressing his cheek with the scarred hand symbolizing their deepened bond. “I say it nearly every night before we sleep, but I am grateful to be yours, Jimin.”
His chest swelling with fondness for the dragon in front of him, Jimin presses their foreheads together. They share their warm embrace in the heart Yoongi’s homeland, like they are the only people in the world, matching scars and snowflake marks and gifted betrothal necklaces branding them for a lifetime together.
Jimin smiles as he speaks into Yoongi’s lips.
“And I am grateful you are mine in this lifetime.”