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Kaladin stared at the innocent belongingspren.
"What are these, Mother?" Kal asked curiously, holding up the violet flower petal and marvelling at how soft it felt.
The petal was gorgeous. It was as violet as Salas, and looked pretty. Kal wanted to look at it forever.
Hesina chuckled, her eyes fond. "It's a belongingspren, dear, they appear when you see your soulmate, or when you show that you truly love your soulmate-"
Kaladin's breath stuttered, and a lump grew in his throat as he stared at the handsome highprince holding up the Shardblade.
No. NO! I...I can't have a lighteyes for my soulmate- no! Is this...is this some sort of cruel joke? Kaladin wondered in despair, unable to breathe.
For so long...for so long, Kaladin had been oppressed by lighteyes, toyed with by them....
Roshone had sent Tien to the army because he could.
A nameless lighteyes killed his friends because he could.
Amaram stole a Shardblade and killed his friend because he could.
And now a lighteyes was his storming soulmate?
For what, to torture him for the rest of his life?
No.
I'm not letting myself get chained to one, Kaladin thought vehemently.
The highprince looked at him, and Kaladin grit his jaw.
"Bridgeboy!"
Kaladin glared at the highprince. Not many would have dared to, least of all, not many darkeyes would dare glare at this man.
"Run and give a message to Brightlord Reral Makoram in the Sixth Batallion that Adolin Kholin won't make it to the meeting and he'll reschedule it some other time," The soldier, no, Adolin storming Kholin, said in an authoritative tone.
Kaladin pursed his lips, before the princeling tossed an emerald chip at him and strutted off.
"Kaladin?" Syl asked, but Kaladin shook his head, shoving the belongingspren into his pocket violently.
"No. No. No, Syl. I'm leaving. Let's go," he growled, running off.
"But Kaladin, isn't he-"
"He's nothing." Kaladin snarled, walking off.
"Kaladin-"
"Syl, please drop the topic." Kaladin said curtly.
Syl looked at him sadly, her eyes now...timeless.
"Kaladin...soulmates are important. When two souls share the same spren, it means-"
"I know what it means. That they're made for each other," Kaladin spat out, stalking off faster.
"It means something deeper, your bond. I know that much. It's something familiar..."
"I don't care. He's lighteyed." Kaladin said, gritting his jaw.
He would have nothing to do with Adolin Kholin. Not in this life, nor in any that Kaladin happened to live after this.
Adolin stared at the belongingspren he held in his hand.
"For whom did you even come?" Adolin asked to no one in particular, frowning.
He hadn't noticed the belongingspren until he left and something was tickling his nose.
Turned out, it was a storming belongingspren. A violet one. Which meant his soulmate wouldn't just be his companion....
The violet belongingspren appeared only when you saw your soulmate or expressed passionate love to them.
Adolin clutched the belongingspren in his hand, closing his eyes and feeling the wind blow by him.
"Hope I can meet you again," Adolin whispered to his unknown soulmate.
Soulmates were intended for each other- their souls had pieces of the same spren. So hopefully, his soulmate would want to meet him, right?
Adolin breathed in, opening his eyes and resuming his walk.
On the other hand, he hoped Reral would have gotten his message by now.