⊰ chapter one ⊱

West. The Ice City. the territory of the ancestors. Polar bears carrying hefty loads behind their backs and wearing golden cuffs designating them as creatures of the royal ministry of West were wandering the realm's earths while the snow outside continued to fall. Men with silver hair, creamy white complexion, and eyes so blue they might have passed for seas rode the lovely white horses down the street. However, to shield their eyelashes from the heavy snow and to safeguard their hair, the women covered their heads with hoods.

It was always said that the Western realm's magnificent aura was unparalleled. There weren't many guests from the outer world who entered this realm. This city was for lovers and warriors who died for love and battled for love; it was safe, insulated from evil. Without a doubt, sacrifice was idealized at this place, as did life at West; it was carefully planned and simulated. Nothing was ever out of place, and everything functioned two days in advance. It was obvious; any guy living on the Western Earth would vouch for the fact that this was pure bliss.

There was no time to appreciate the Western world today, as cherished and eaten as it was. The Main residence's noisy disputes could be readily heard by the residents, who could feel them encroaching on their everyday lives from behind closed windows. Since the Northern Queen first introduced food into the Western realm, there has been a story that the person with red hair is not welcome there—as if the wind knew how serious the problem would become.

Dara slapped her back against the wooden wall while fuming and flushing her cheeks scarlet. She wanted to throw up all over herself. The blood heir Jeon Jungkook could not take his eyes off her, staring straight into hers. His nacked top was flaming inside the blue powder Yoongi had smeared across his chest—the Northern mark, all that had been concealed, suddenly bright and real. His chest was wide exposed. Every time Dara looked at his chest, her chest would heave up. Night after night, she would lay her head on his chest to attempt to embrace the way he breathed and the rhythm of his heart, but she was unable to recognize Jeon Jungkook? Her last straw, her genuine buddy, had been lying to her the entire time.

There was tension throughout the house. The Jeon cousins were one large family, and all the silver heads were peering down on the living from the staircases throughout the home, with some hiding in the kitchen. Wineri was hesitant to move forward or backward by even one step. She was too terrified of the woman with red hair who was heaving furious breaths and had betrayed eyes that were obviously the result of months of lying. Dara might begin second-guessing her choices and obligations. For some reason, she want to return to Meyrem and gladly take on the excruciating training days in order to escape the mess she was in. It was only a few hours ago that Dara was dancing on her toes and Jeon Jungkook, her so called slave and spouse was watching her dance the day away as he beat the drums to death. Dara wanted to question everything―infact, she was.

Yoongi hissed, turning away to face Wineri, "Do not tell me you feel pity for your little miss daughter-in-law, Jungkook didn't even give his middle name right as you ordered, this isn't a valid marriage. Unacceptable by the West―,"

"You need to shut up, Yoongi," the guy with the name Namjoon echoed from the kitchen upon seeing Jungkook's shoulders reflex and the fists knot, ready to trash Yoongi's mouth again. Namjoon swallowed, "We should take this situation private. This is not ideal―,"

"Don't teach me what is ideal and what is not," Yoongi looked at Jungkook, his jaws clenched, "This man has done nothing but served an Eastern monster, obeyed her like a fool and now is floating in a little romance book on his own. So be it. No?"

"Yoongi, son, please," Wineri said, feeling sick―looking at Dara's eyes curving into Jungkook's made her sick. If this woman killed her son, she wouldn't blame her at all. Wineri could feel guilt surrounding her position, "Dara, my love, let's talk calmly. Yoongi, leave the area right now―,"

"No way I am leaving without this woman under my roof," Yoongi screamed before looking at Dara, "You, leave. Right now."

Dara stared at Jungkook. Her questions unanswered, when she hadn't yet asked them.

Jungkook's lips parted, his chest filling with sorrow and guilt.

"Do I need to call you, Your Majesty to ask you to leave, Dara Koveski?" Yoongi's bleeding lip twitched, "Or will you be the reason between a bloodshed where your husband significantly kills me? I bet a witch like you will slide for the second option since you and your father have the same habits?"

She did not let the tears fall. She held them before turning to the door of the living room. Wineri gasped holding her mouth from screaming Dara's name but Jungkook grabbed Dara's arm with the flash of the light. Dara's heart broke into pieces. Her throbbing body froze, her head was spinning. She wanted to scream.

"No one leaves," Jungkook whispered, staring at his feet as he held on Dara's wrist tightly before glaring at Yoongi, eyes cornered with blood, "Dara Koveski must stay."

When Dara finally closed her eyes and started crying, her chin began to tremble. When Jungkook grabbed her shoulders, released his hold on her wrists, and turned her around to face her, it broke her heart. Jungkook's pale face was flushed, and his bright cheeks were wary of showing weakness by crying. Dara's dead eyes were looking back at Jungkook as he glanced down at her. "I won't hear a single thing against Dara's presence in my residence."

Yoongi couldn't hold it back anymore, "Then be my guest."

And the angry man reached for the door knob but couldn't get reach of it. When Yoongi looked across his shoulders, the entire room gasped at Dara's blazing golden eyes, shimmering with mad anger. Jungkook stood there like a stone, helpless and guilty, throat closed up. Jungkook couldn't say anything once seeing Dara's wrathful eyes....hatred between her orbs.

Pure hatred.

When he caught a glimpse of Yoongi's contempt for him between those once-forest blue eyes that were now golden, his palm slid off her wrist and prevented her from pressing the door knob. Dara shook her head before greeting her teeth., "Wineri. Your son married an Eastern monster. And if he does not plan to have all of you killed, he must let me go."

Yoongi stepped back from the blazing blockage infront of him then looked at Wineri's shocked eyes, "See? She is a murderer, Wineri. Does not matter if she saved you―once the truth is out, she is escaping. So let her leave our realm for good―,"

"No." Wineri chinned up, "Dara Koveski is my daughter."

The thunder in Dara's eyes twitched as she glanced at Wineri, heary giving away as her brows frowned from the heartache.

Tears cornered Wineri's eyes, "She saved me."

Yoongi rolled his eyes at Wineri's tears, the smile that was so warm, Dara could feel it.

The Eastern witch lowered her lashes towards Wineri, eyes faded forest blue once again, nose red. Wineri put up a smile that melted her heart between the tears, "Dara Koveski saved me and my family, even though she was sure I had revealed her identity to the North under the possession of an Eastern, causing her great loss. Yet she saved me. And I knew...."

The house awaited the statement.

"I knew my son did not marry only a beast, but he married the only woman who could ever be capable of him." Wineri took a heavy breath, face kissed with icy tears, "Dara Koveski Arveri has not only owned Jungkook, she has accepted and embraced his friendship like no other. And it is only our mistake to backstab her...to ploy against her, to try to steal her courtmanship,"

"It was never her courtmanship―,"

"―anyone denying to accept Dara's courtmanship and her throne may leave the residence at once!" Wineri's tears turned into rage, her voice so loud it made Yoongi's body itch with wrath yet so fearful was his soul of the women in the room. Wineri swallowed hard, eyes round and big, "Dara Koveski is our friend. She is my son's wife. She is West's first daughter and eldest in law and we will cherish her and respect her as per as our customs. I hope everyone one is very well aware of the commands I give, and you all must obey it."

The air was still.

This time, Yoongi discovered the door, unblocked it, and seized the opportunity to burst out of the house. Dara finally fell from fatigue and agony as Jungkook saw her fall to her knees and slide down the wooden wall behind her. Was this a pain doctor? She couldn't say. Nothing could make Jungkook's feelings of witnessing the woman fall so deeply to her knees go away, so he closed his eyes.

Wineri closed her mouth from agonizing as she put her hands to her mouth, "What has come upon us, Oh lord...,"

Dara couldn't take it. She pushed past Wineri and ran up the wooden stairs, a rash Jungkook followed her upstairs and before the woman closed the door of the chamber she was first placed at on Jungkook's face, Jeon Jungkook blocked it and slid himself in. Jungkook cried out her name, "DARA―,"

"DO NOT SAY MY NAME WITH THAT MOUTH OF YOURS!"

The angry eyes glared at Jungkook and the man took a step back, unable to arculate words to fight her wrath. Dara Koveski could combust and burn any moment―with those eyes so beautifully crying angry tears, the man woman in her so visible, so vibrant. Dara's breaths were short and full of rage as her lower lip throbbed, her chin broke into a wobble before her throat ached, and she spoke, "What did I ever do to you?"

Additionally, Jungkook's physique ached to give way. He lowered his shoulders and clenched his fists as he looked down at her like she didn't exist. Nothing about the beast he knew from North only a few seconds earlier crumbling into a valueless one at West felt tolerable. Dara cried into the still air, but nothing moved, "You knew it all. You knew it all along. Yet you did not think of....Jungkook, why?"

Jungkook did not have the audacity to answer any further.

"Jeon Jungkook, I am asking something!―,"

"I did not have a choice, goddamnit!" Dara remained still while Jeon Jungkook screamed at her from behind his bubble of rage, as if this were the only way he could express himself., "I had no choice but to put my principles before but dont you think the way I devoted myself to you was one bit of a lie because, Dara Koveski it wasn't! None of me kissing your feet was untrue because I was born to serve you before I served as a King―,"

"Lies."

"What?" Jungkook felt the silence bother him afterwards, "What did you just say?"

"Lies." Dara's voice broke, "You are lying, Jungkook. You are lying through your teeth and you are so shameless for it. You have always lied. You have always intended to betray. You weren't born for this...you were never born to serve me," Dara's spine straightened, "You are a blood betrayer―,"

"Dara."

"I said you do not get to say my name ever again with that mouth of yours." Dara lead the words, and then came her cautiousness, "I did nothing but fed a snake under my roof. Betrayal comes in many shapes and sizes and you showed exactly why you are―you do not deserve my friendship. You never did. And loved being my slave you say?"

Jungkook stared.

"To hell with that," Dara's eyes were watery once again as she spelled the words that were so heard to even accumulate in the first place, she said through her teeth, "You are an undeserving man, a falsey soldier and the worst man ever served me."

"Take that back," Jungkook whispered, his silver hair messy and frizzy.

"I wont," Dara's knees were weak, "You disgust me."

Dara swallowed hard before sliding the diamond ring off her finger and throwing it against Jungkook's chest. Jungkook grabbed it before staring at Dara questionably. His eyes sparked with agony, his head unable to think wise and straight as he stared at Dara with his round, doe eyes, "Never thought I would have you tell me I disgust you. But so be it. You caught me, Koveski. I despise you as much as you, and I despise your father just as much "

The red hair looked away, her world stopping.

"You have seized everything from me since the day you walked North. You have seized my place ever since your birth and you think I will ever forgive you for that?" Jungkook huffed, "You are the mole that made my family feed on garbage for years and all your father did was abduct me―if you were in my place, you would hate yourself too."

Dara looked at Jungkook, wide eyes. And his eyes did not seem like he was making it all up. Because it made enough sense. And Dara did not know if she wanted to feel guilty too.

"You harm my family at your stay here and I will kill you." Jungkook's threat seemed nothing but real to Dara's bones, "And you know, I will have no regrets killing a leech such as you."

Was Jungkook the enemy disguised as a friend Aevi was referring all along?

And so, Dara found her real place in front of the blood heir; a leech. A leech that blocked out his plans of Northenr invasion, his true home, his true place. She was the mole and the blockage in all of Western's plans. Dara couldn't believe for a second―where she was, what she was facing and how hard breathing was right then.

And maybe for the first time, Jeon Jungkook made the decision to reject his false Lord on earth and demonstrate to her the negative effects of disobedience, anger, and intense rage. Jungkook went out of the chamber with heavy steps after opening the door. His body tightened the instant he stepped down the stairs, dashing out into the Western wilderness to scream his heart out as if peace had left it the moment he took his eyes off Dara's sight. Wineri watched her son from the back porch of the house, her heart pounding as she saw him pull himself away from the agony of love.

On the other hand, Dara lost count of time as she squandered all of her tears over what she referred to as the curses she never intended to accept, and Jeon Jungkook was a blatant example of every betrayal she had ever vowed to avoid. As darkness descended over West and the shattered window panes allowed all the wild snow inside, the red hair was chilly enough to enable the chamber to swallow her. Her eyelids and hair were also coated in white. Dara never stood up and shown no desire to be saved. She wanted to disappear forever and be covered in snow. She wanted to be buried by snow and never to be found again. Her tears turned into crystals against her eyes as the night got deeper and the man she was wedded to never returned to the chamber.

Somewhere in between the darkened woods of the West, Jungkook held a dagger in his hand―his whisper sweet yet painful, cold and shivering,

"Dear Daggers, I disgust her."

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happy reading fr

hope the chap wasnt too off for a first one for dd

welcome to dd too, love ya if u made it this far