Erlebnisse | NCT

Chapter 3: Orenda (part 1)

Following the wedding, Grace and Jungwoo were appointed as royal advisors, Heads of Orenda's council. They were to travel around the realms, ensuring that Orenda was maintaining peace.

Starting with Luminosa, Jungwoo had his hands in front of him as he stood beside his wife in the graveyard. They were paying their respects to Wooyoung, a great loss in the battle to defeat Chanyoung.

Hua was there when they arrived, tending the flowers. According to Doyoung, she visited often, making sure that his gravestone was always surrounded by white petals.

"Is the other side comfortable?" Hua asked, stepping back. It was clear that she was still not over the loss of her dear friend, the girl blinking back tears.

"Very." Jungwoo reassured her. "Trust me, Wooyoung is fine."

"He'll be waiting for you." Grace added, holding tightly onto Jungwoo's arm. Seeing Hua like this reminded her of when Jungwoo left her.

Hua nodded her head, taking a deep breath. She fiddled with the ring around her neck, sitting beside her own vare. "I hope he's doing alright."

"As long as you protect his vare, his soul remains." Jungwoo told the girl. "Just remember that."

Hua gave the gravestone one more look before turning to the couple. "We should head back. It's getting late and dinner is soon. I don't want you to miss your appointment with the King and Queen."

Grace smiled, looking up at Jungwoo. "Shall we get going then?"

With a nod, Jungwoo took Grace's hand and the three of them made their way to the golden carriage waiting for them, one that would take them to Luminosa's castle.

...

"Erde is as it always is." Jaehee said as she held her daughter's hand, leading Grace and Jungwoo around. "Lucas and Johnny are busy training the troops while Jeno watches. It's an endless cycle, quite boring actually. I'm thankful that you two had your wedding here to prove that this place isn't all about the military."

"Does Seohee train too?" Grace couldn't help but ask as they stopped at the edge of the training field. The people of Erde were going through their training, led by Lucas and Johnny. She had noticed that the little girl was staring as knives were thrown at targets, mesmerized.

"She's technically not old enough but Jeno teaches her anyways." Jaehee informed them just as Jeno caught sight of them. Erde's Chief called out to his Clan Leaders before running towards them.

Jeno smiled, picking up Seohee and spinning her around as she giggled. Holding the small girl, he turned towards the others.

"Is everything going well?" Jeno asked. "Do I need to show you anything?"

"You're leading your people well." Grace said, Jungwoo nodding in agreement. "Your father would have been proud."

Those words stuck with Jeno a lot longer than they expected, the male pausing for a moment. He took a deep breath, looking over at Jaehee.

"They were asking about her training." Jaehee said, quickly changing the subject. "Should Seohee show them something?"

"Of course." Jeno said, pulling out a knife out of his pocket. He passed it to his daughter, bending down. "Seohee, can you show our guest what appa taught you yesterday?"

Seohee giggled, excitedly taking the knife from her father. Jeno motioned to the others to move away as Seohee pushed her hair out of her face, taking a deep breath.

With a huff, Seohee threw the knife as hard as she could, the weapon digging into the grass a few feet away. A wide grin spread across her face as the adults clapped, proud to see that the next generation was preparing well.

...

Vatten's beaches always made Jungwoo unforgettable, the male not used to the heat. He held a hand over his head as he and Grace followed Hendery and Sora to the boardwalk, where afternoon was prepared under one of the huts.

"How do you live here?" Jungwoo couldn't help but mumble as he and Grace got settled at the table, where Taeil was with his niece. Chaesoo was sitting in his lap, the two playing a hand game.

"I stay in my house all day." Hendery told him, earning a smack from his wife. "At least when there's no business to attend to."

"Where's Jaemin?" Grace asked, looking at Sora. With the banishment of his wife, she had rarely seen the male around unless it was important council business.

"Looking for me?" They looked up to see Jaemin arriving with a tray of food, setting it down on the table. His smile spread from ear to ear, much to their surprise. "What? I was preparing food for you all. I need to be a good host when I have guests."

Although she was glad that Jaemin was in a good mood, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes, staring at the sweet treats Jaemin had brought.

"How much sugar do you plan on feeding us, Na Jaemin?"

...

Aria was definitely everyone's favourite realm, being such a dream-like place. Jungwoo had his head thrown back as he laughed with Yuta, the two making jokes that no one else understood while Shotaro listened in.

The group were walking down the streets of the main village, led by Shuyu and Yangyang, staring at the lanterns that were hung up for the festival. It was beautiful, a rare sight for Grace to witness being from Ombra.

Ten easily understood the feeling, holding Meixin's hand as he watched Grace look around. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"Very." Grace replied, turning back to the male. "I see why you like this place so much."

"Also because my wife's home is here." Ten said, surprising Meixin. Grace looked away as the two shared a quick kissing, looking for her own husband instead.

Grace slipped under Jungwoo's arm, taking the male by surprise. He relaxed once he realized who it was, letting his arm rest around her shoulders. They exchanged looks before turning back to Yuta, listening to what the male was saying.

That's when Grace realized someone was missing, patting Jungwoo's arm. "Where's Aera and Jisung? Shouldn't they be with us too?"

Shuyu overhead, smiling to herself as she stopped. Grace's question was answered, the young couple standing in the middle of the streets.

Aera's hands were up to her face as Jisung knelt in front of her, a ring in his hands. The light from the lanterns emitted a gentle glow on the two of them, capturing everyone's attention. Tears were rolling down Aera cheeks as Jisung took a deep breath, calming his nerves down.

"Lee Aera, will you marry me?" Jisung asked, with round glossy eyes.

Aera couldn't get the words out so she nodded instead, pulling Jisung up for a tight hug while their friends cheered for them.

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Omg this book is ending soon o.o

Hehe