Diamante | SVT

XXXII

•••

Jeonghan slumps further on the bed, emitting another sigh as he does. He wishes he could just bury himself in it when the door creaks open.

His attendant tilts his head at him, "Are you alright, Prince Jeonghan?"

Jeonghan pauses as he glances up, he was bundling all the sheets on himself and almost tying one of it on his neck. He mutters something gibberish, as his attendant pulls the sheets away from him, folding it neatly.

"You can tell me what's troubling you."

Jeonghan whines, pulling a pillow to his chest, "Its nothing, Taeyong-ah."

Taeyong snorts, placing the sheets on the side and raises a brow at him, "You wouldn't be sulking like a child if its nothing."

He pulls the pillow tighter, avoiding Taeyong's inquisitive stare. "Its Prince Seungcheol."

"What about him?"

Jeonghan whines again, hiding his face behind the pillow. "You wouldn't understand."

Taeyong doesn't budge, taking the pillow away to see the Prince in distress. "Prince Jeonghan, if its troubling you, maybe I can help, but if its something personal, then I'll leave you to it."

Jeonghan feels the sincerity pour in his words making him feel guilty. He knows he could trust the other omega with his problems, he has been there for him ever since and maybe, Taeyong could help him with his dilemma.

Letting out a deep exhale, he looks straight into his attendant's eyes and says in it one breath. "PrinceSeungcheoltoldmeheandIaresoulmates."

He closes his eyes shut, expecting the other to laugh or ask again since he did say it to fast but he was met with silence.

"Taeyong-ah say something."

He opens an eye and sees the latter grinning at him, "So you're saying that Prince Seungcheol said you and him are soulmates. Am I correct?"

He nods.

"Okay, and it somehow scared you?"

Another nod.

"Huh, I guess its a case of "love at first sight" and since you're betrothed to each other, he believes you two are. As much as I'd like alphas who are straightforward that is downright creepy."

Jeonghan shakes his head at him, "It's not that, Taeyong-ah. Its something else."

Jeonghan pulls his knees against his chest and hugs it tight. Taeyong softens at the sight, the prince looked no more than a mere child.

"Tell me then, Prince Jeonghan." He scoots closer to the latter, combing his fingers on his hair making him relax.

"The night when we met, he held my hand for a greeting, but when he let go, I saw something, Taeyong-ah." Jeonghan lets out a shaky exhale as he tries not to remember, "I fainted after that."

Taeyong puts an arm around his shoulder, "Its okay, Prince."

"The next morning, I decided to talk to him in private. I asked him about something but he looked pained?"

"Why?"

"I want to know too. So I asked again but he told me that we shouldn't be touching each other to avoid getting hurt." Jeonghan looks at his hands as he says it.

Taeyong nods for him to go on, "Again, I asked for an explanation and he said we're soulmates because-"

"-because you can tell what the other feels through touch?" Taeyong continues, a knowing smile playing on his lips as Jeonghan gapes at him. He pulls away from the the other omega, bewildered.

"What?"

"Its not only emotions, Prince Jeonghan. Your thoughts, dreams, fears and any other that you won't be able to say, your soulmate could feel, see and hear it. You can't hide anything from them. Scary, right?" Taeyong giggles as the prince remain in his bewildered state.

"But how do you know?"

Taeyong looks to the side, a blush on his cheeks, "My alpha, Jaehyun and I, we're also soulmates."

"YOU AND JAEHYUN?" Jeonghan screeches, his own attendant and personal guard are mates and he didn't even know when they lived in the same castle, seen each other everyday. All those shy glances and hellos, escorting his attendant just because, Jeonghan feels betrayed as he glares at other omega.

His attendants turns bright red, "Yes. I knew it since the first day I came here, when we accidentally brushed our hands, there was a voice floating in my head that sounds like his, so I did it again to confirm and researched more about it before I told him."

Jeonghan sighs again, its easier if he and Prince Seungcheol were ordinary people, without the nightmares. He could hold his hand and not worry if his thoughts and feeling overflow. Then again, they wouldn't have met if they were common folks. Jeonghan ruffles his hair in frustration, brown locks in whirl of a mess.

"Its funny though, how the universe knows who should be with who. Soulmates are rare and unheard of." He continues, glancing at him, looking all tired.

"I guess I'm glad he did follow and didn't touch me."

"Why are you glad?"

Jeonghan ponders, his gaze falters away from him, "I have bad dreams occurring to me and I don't want him to see any of those. I don't want him to worry."

Taeyong hums, "Dreams?"

"Yes. Just dreams."

"Is it really a dream, your highness?"

Jeonghan nearly falls off the bed, grasping on the sheets, an uncanny feeling rising in his gut as he stares at Taeyong, trying not to freak out.  He moves away slowly, his attendant raising a brow at his behavior.

"Prince? Are you okay?"

Jeonghan swallows the lump on his throat, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"I'll go and get you some water." Taeyong says as he moves out, closing the door with a soft thud.

Jeonghan grabs the nearest pillow and hurls it away, hitting the dresser, knocking the things out of place. His nightmares are haunting him even awake, he clearly hears the voice, the same one in his dreams, sayings those words to him, its deep, scratchy voice ringing in his ear.

'Why him? What do they want from him? Who are they?'

Jeonghan stands up, a bit wobbly, out of the room. He wants answers, he might not get one now but he needs to talk to his mother.