Chaconne

Chapter 7 : Infinite Moments of Beauty

"What's your name, Princess?" Jungwon asks you before you get a chance to return his pleasantries. You're stunned and frozen in place. None of the other princes had asked for your name, all preoccupied with assuming you to be the lost princess they'd been searching centuries for. The prince standing next to you notices your shock and chuckles under his breath lightly. "I'm assuming the other princes have been far too consumed with their own thoughts to even bother asking for your name in this life."

Perhaps there's a reason why Jungwon felt so safe and comforting since the moment you laid eyes on him, and perhaps there's an even more specific reason why his feline-like eyes stood out to you most. He's attentive, constantly observing the happenings taking place around him, and using the information he collects to soothe those around him.

"I can't say that they have," you frown after realizing. "But I can understand their fervor. From what I've gathered, it's been quite a while since you lost the princess. And with an infinite lifetime, that time must have passed by terribly slowly."

"With eternal life, pleasant times pass by within a blink of an eye but hardships drag by painfully slow," the dimpled prince hums in agreement. He then casts a brief glance your way, smiling to himself because of your attentive nature. You miss the prince's focus when your gaze instead catches on the large wooden chairs invitingly placed on one side of the balcony and you turn to Jungwon in a silent question. He nods slightly and follows you over to take a seat next to you. "Do you have any questions for me while we wait for Heeseung and Jake to wrap up their conversation?"

You ponder for a moment. A thousand questions have been buzzing around in your head like an angry swarm of bees since the moment you met Sunoo and Riki. However, now that Jungwon has offered to answer any of your questions, the voice in your head falls unforgivingly silent.

"I have many questions, but I'm not too sure where to even start," you admit sheepishly. Unbeknownst to you, Jungwon leans in a little closer when he catches sight of the pink blush dusting your cheeks delicately. His muscles twitch, wishing to reach a hand up to caress your soft skin, but he stops himself, refusing to pressure you as the others had. He vows to stay truthful to the promise he made when he first met you in Sunghoon's room.

"What's the first thing that comes to mind?" he asks, voice teetering on the edge of a silky purr, urging you to speak freely.

"Do you know what Heeseung will talk to me about?" You finally settle with a question.

"I have a good idea of what he might discuss," Jungwon nods. "But I'm going to leave that between you and Heeseung. If you're worried or nervous, there's no reason to be. Heeseung is really kind and has always treated us with the utmost respect, you especially."

"The others have spoken so highly of Heeseung as if he's the most powerful out of everyone," you confess to reveal the root of your nerves.

"Heeseung is definitely very powerful and skilled," the prince nods contemplatively. "But we mainly look up to Heeseung because he's the oldest and has always guided us through times of doubt and uncertainty. In a way, he's our unofficial leader."

"I see," you hum. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Jungwon tilts his head a little in response to your ambiguous question.

"You also have great leadership characteristics. You seem to be really attentive and understand the other princes really well. A great leader isn't one who is the most authoritative or most skilled; a great leader is one who understands his followers well to bring out the best in them. And judging from the brief interaction you shared with Sunghoon, I can tell you're just that." You suppress a giggle when the prince ducks his head down to hide the happiness he feels blooming in his chest, but you can see the faint red color flushing the tips of his ears nonetheless. There's something so intimate about this genuine moment and you don't want it to ever stop.