Royal Bonds | Y.Jw

| 45 |

I quietly passed through the hallways and down towards the small garden of Eden, in which Jungwon had asked to get his lunch served. When Jake had heard me mention that there was to be eaten lunch in Eden, he had immediately added a whole bowl of cut fruits to the usual meal.

"Lunch is served," I announced as I walked over and placed the tray on the table in the gazebo, making Jungwon immediately look up from his book, smiling as he saw the food, "what are you reading?" I questioned, sitting down while the birch tree moved softly, letting the clinging sound out in a soft manner.

"Something I'm gonna have to tell you," Jungwon cooed in return as he closed the book, and placed it to the side as he carefully poured water into the two cups that stood on the tray, "I see you're gonna eat with me today."

"You asked me to, didn't you?" I let out a small laugh and strapped myself out of my heels, moving my ankles around to relieve the soreness.

"Doesn't mean you follow through with it," he retorted and I let out a small laugh as he handed me a pair of cutlery, which meant I immediately went for the strawberries that laid in the fruit bowl.

"So... What is the something you gotta tell me?" I questioned and he let out a small laugh before grabbing his book and handing it to me, much to my confussion.

"There's... a... I guess you could call it a secret, to the royal family," he quietly murmured, to which I hummed and quickly flipped through the pages of the book.

It was clearly an old book, with a brown leather cover on the outside, the pages were yellowing and smelling quite sweet as I flipped through the pages. It was at least around fifty or sixty years old by now.

"If it's a secret, why do you then tell me?" I whispered and he let out a small laugh.

"Because I trust you of course," he reminded and I just hummed with a small nod, "and... you know... I love you..." he quietly listed, looking out in the air. Slowly a small smile spread on my face, "and you need to know before the ball."

"So... my Prince," I cooed and he let out a small laugh, closing his eyes momentarily before looking at me once he opened his eyes again, "what is your secret?"

"I'm gonna sound insane," he sighed with a small whine as I just let out a small laugh while he managed to compose himself and sit up straight in the chair once again, "I am connected to Eden."

"Yeah, I knew that," I let out a small laugh as I found another strawberry in the fruit bowl, "you spend so much time here."

"No I mean... Eden is me," he stated before sighing when he realized how ridiculous it sounded, "okay... I just need to embrace the insanity... each Royal person in that castle," he stated and pointed to the castle beside us, "from my family, not Princess Taehee not the Japanese Royal Family. My family, the ones who have royal blood running through them, are all connected to the gardens."

"Okay..." I slowly nodded as I frowned my eyebrows slightly, trying to understand.

"My dad is connected to the front lawns... my cousin... Doctor Lee, is connected to the forrest in the eastern corner of the grounds, the ones we used to go play in when we were younger," he continued as I just nodded, "I am connected to here, Eden. I am Eden, Eden is me."

"So what you're saying is..." I slowly trailed off, "this garden is you...?"

"Let me put it like this..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "let's say someone chops down the forrest in the eastern corner, my cousin will get really sick, maybe die. If the forrest thrives and grows healthy, so will he," Jungwon stated and I slowly nodded, "the forrest is him."

"Ah..." I nodded and he just hummed as if to really check if I understood, "okay."

"But let's say my cousin is... angry, then... a tree might burst into flames... if he's heartbroken the forrest might get yellow leaves in the midst of July," Jungwon continued while I listened intently, "he is the forrest."

"And you control Eden in the same way?" I questioned and Jungwon nodded, "so the days it's windy here?"

"When dad pisses me off," Jungwon nodded.

"When it's all nice and calm, beautiful."

"I'm most likely spending time with you... like now," Jungwon smiled slightly as I looked around the small part that is Eden.

"The melody of the birch tree."

"Is real, you're not hallucinating," Jungwon let out a small laugh as he shook his head.

"What does it mean?" I questioned him, to which he just shrugged while he looked over towards the birch tree.

"I don't know... the other gardens don't have melodies like the birch tree," Jungwon excused and I hummed, "I sound insane, don't I?"

"No, no, it's just... or well, yeah, slightly," I admitted as I frowned and looked around me, "but I believe you," I assured him, "but... why do I have to be told?"

"Because..." Jungwon sighed, "I think you're the birch tree."

"I'm sorry, I'm what now?" I questioned and looked back at him as a small snicker spread on his face, "I'm a tree?"

"Hear me out," he let out a small laugh, "there's... it's more of a myth actually. But when a member of the Royal Family has been born with a Soul Mate their... their garden will be controlled mainly by the Royal Member themselves, but there'll be something they can't figure out, can't control. That's the soulmate... I am not controlling the birch tree, there are days it acts abnormal from the rest. I think it's you."

I glanced over at the birchtree that quietly swayed in so softly wind that you only felt if you really tried to focus on it.

"Jungwon have you tried considering... we might be in love with one another, but how do you know I'm your soulmate," I quietly questioned and he just looked at me in shock, as if he hadn't considered that possibility.

"But you must be," he insisted, "there's no other possibility."

"Is there a way to confirm it?" I questioned him and he frowned at me, "is there a way to confirm that I am your soulmate?"

"You find me insane," he let out a small, slightly panicked, laugh, I simply nodded at him.

I did find him insane, I did think it sounded absolutely ridiculous, but I was still gonna believe him. 

"It has to be a perfect half moon... both of us have to be here and I don't know what to do," he shook his head, "it never describes what you have to do, it just says to both be present here at a perfect Half Moon."

"When's the next half moon?" I hesitantly questioned, already sensing when it was.

"The night of the ball," Jungwon quietly murmured.

"Oh of course it is," I let out a small laugh before massaging my forehead, "well isn't this just every cliché romance novel you've ever heard of?"

"I'm serious Ji," he sighed and I looked over at him, "have you believed anything I have told you?"

"I do believe you it just..." I sighed and grabbed onto my elbows, "it's a lot okay? The gardens somehow being magic, I might be a birch tree because you think I'm your soulmate-"

"I don't think, I know," he corrected me and I just let out a small sigh.

"Jungwon would you just... hold on," I shook my head at him and he immediately shut up, "I..." I trailed off as I tapped my chin with two fingers, thinking carefully about what to say, "I love you, you know that," I commented earning a confirming hum from Jungwon, who just nodded at me, "but this... sounds absolutely delusional to me."

"And I get that," he nodded at me, "just... please read some of the book before the ball, or tonight or just... it'll make me sound less crazy," he urged and I just nodded at him, "please Ji."

"I will," I assured him and looked at the book that now laid in my lap.