Chapter 58 || BOUND AND TORN BY PROPHECIES
Fires Beneath the Surface
The dining hall was filled with soft morning light, spilling
in from the arched windows that stretched toward the high, vaulted ceilings.
Crystal decanters shimmered with fresh juice, and golden platters steamed with
fragrant breads, fruits, and sizzling delicacies. The gentle hum of palace
chatter floated around, but at the head of the table, an unmistakable tension
coiled in the air like smoke.
Jungkook sat with a carefully composed face, though his
mind was still fogged from the chaos of the morning — waking up entangled in
Taehyung’s arms, under Mili’s protective wings, with Spark and Niki gawking at
him like he’d committed treason.
And now, here he was, trying to cut through a croissant
while Varian leaned in slightly, his voice gentle,
"Would you care for a stroll in the market today? The festival of lights
has started, and the commoners’ district is sparkling. I thought you might like
it."
Jungkook blinked, caught off guard. Before he could respond,
another voice sliced through the conversation like a blade of ice.
“We’re not finished with the dragon preparations for the upcoming royal
ceremony,” Taehyung said coolly, not even glancing up from the goblet in
his hand. His tone wasn’t loud, but it was razor-sharp.
Jungkook’s breath hitched. He could hear the edge beneath
the words. The message was clear: Don’t you dare.
He forced a polite smile and turned toward Varian. “Oh, right... the
preparations. I almost forgot. The dragons still need to be dressed, and their
formations—”
“They’ll be fine for a few hours,” Varian said easily, his
eyes narrowing slightly toward Taehyung, lips tugging into a smile that didn’t
reach his eyes. “We won’t be long. Just a walk.”
Before Jungkook could scramble for a diplomatic exit,
another voice chimed in — warm, lilting, and impossible to refuse.
“Oh, that sounds lovely,” said Lady Elira, Varian’s mother,
her eyes twinkling like she knew exactly how tense the table had just become.
“You should go, Jungkook. The market is dazzling this time of year. A break
will do you good.”
Jungkook hesitated, feeling Taehyung’s gaze burning into him
like sunlight through a magnifying glass. He didn’t need to look to know the
prince’s jaw was clenched.
“I suppose… a few hours wouldn’t hurt,” he finally said.
Taehyung’s goblet cracked in his hand, a thin spiderweb of
fractures blooming across the glass. He didn’t flinch, just set it down as if
nothing happened.
Across the table, Nyla leaned toward Yoongi, whispering with
a wicked grin,
“I bet five rubies he explodes before sunset.”
Yoongi smirked, whispering back, “Ten says he finds a way to get him back
before the second market bell.”
The two bumped fists under the table as the drama quietly unfolded before them.
Once breakfast ended, Varian offered his arm with a
gentlemanly smile, and Jungkook took it with a cautious glance back —
only to find Taehyung gone. Just… vanished. But he didn’t need to wonder
where he’d gone.
Meanwhile, in the dragon chambers, Taehyung stood in front
of Mili, who stretched her wings lazily, blinking up at him with sleepy,
knowing eyes.
“She disobeyed again,” he muttered, crouching beside the sleek dragon and
brushing her silvery scales. “And not just that — she agreed to go with him.”
Mili snorted.
“What punishment do you suggest?” he asked, a glint of
something dark in his voice. “Should I keep him locked in the dragon chambers
all night? Or maybe... turn his bed to ice every morning until he begs for
warmth?”
Mili tilted her head and made a soft chuffing sound, like
laughter, then rested her snout against his hand. Taehyung let out a low sigh,
leaning his forehead against her.
“I know,” he murmured. “He doesn’t see it yet. But he will.
He will soon.”
.
.
.
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