Work Text:
jungwon went home and got an earful from his parents, they understood this as he put himself in danger. he was the only child, and the only heir to the throne. without him, their kingdom would be vulnerable.
“don’t do that ever again. i’m going to die early because of you.” his mother, queen dahyun, said. despite being a royal family, they have a normal family bond, and jungwon is thankful for that.
“sorry, mom. i promise, i won’t.”
“your birthmark is bright red. you got your soulmate?” his father, king jungkook asked.
“yeah… you’ll never guess who.”
“who?” his mother asks.
“the crown prince of…” jungwon can’t even say it, he hasn’t accepted it.
“noir.” his mother continues for him.
“how did you know?”
“the prophecy.” his father says.
“what prophecy? this is my first time hearing it.”
“the moment you were born, they decided not to spread it around, as multiple generations passed and the prophecy hasn’t been fulfilled.”
“It shall be then, when the red sky unites with darkness, a bond shall mark an era of honor and bring forth an age of peace.”
“our kingdoms are respectively maroon and black, symbolizing red and darkness. the prophecy was always about our kingdoms being brought together by a soulmate bond.” his mother explains.
“this could be a great opportunity to mend the broken bonds of our kingdoms. we have advanced from our ancestors, rivalry is no longer needed.” his father adds.
“are you kidding me? you’re marrying me off to the devil?”
“we literally just said this would be a great opportunity to fix our kingdoms relations with them, we didn’t talk about marriage…. unless you want to?” his mother found a way to tease him amidst their serious conversation.
jungwon rolled his eyes and glared at them. out of all generations, he just had to be the one to fulfill the stupid and outdated prophecy.
“if the gods bonded you together, there must be a reason for it. the gods are never wrong.”
“why can’t i be bonded to another prince? why can’t it be literally anyone else but him?” jungwon said bitterly.
“the gods have a plan for you, my son. you just have to see it. we’ll leave you alone now. rest, okay?”
jungwon obeyed his parents and tried to get some sleep, he’ll worry about the technicality of their bond tomorrow.
but the world had a different plan, as an hour later, someone was throwing rocks at his window.
“what the fuck…” jungwon said, half awake but already annoyed.
“who dares to disturb my sleeping time, ugh! where are the guards!” he summons.
“your majesty, you might want to see…” one of the guards say.
jungwon goes out in the balcony, and he saw riki standing there, collecting rocks.
“what the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” jungwon exclaims and immediately casted an airball at riki’s direction.
“woah! so violent!” riki says as he dodged the airball.
“what are you doing here? it’s midnight! how did you even get here?!”
“we need to talk.”
“and you thought throwing rocks at my window was a good idea? you’re lucky guards didn’t seize you!”
“they wouldn’t want to start a war with another kingdom.”
ever so cocky and arrogant.
“punk!”
“get down here, let’s talk.”
“absolutely not. let’s talk at the throne room like civilized royals. guards, please guide him.”
“will do, your majesty.”
jungwon immediately teleported himself to their throne room, this is not how he wanted his night to go.
“are you out of your mind? barging into a kingdom in the middle of the night, alone?!” jungwon scolded.
“look, i wouldn’t come here if it’s not urgent.”
“speak.”
“is that how you talk to your soulmate?”
“don’t make me puke.”
“why? what’s wrong with me? i’m a catch!”
“you’re going to catch these hands if you don’t get cut to the chase!”
“my parents found out, and they… aren’t happy.”
“oh… sorry…”
“turns out they were hoping i was going to be bonded to another prince in our realm, so they aren’t happy about… this. and i’m afraid they might want me to reject you as my soulmate.”
“that’s… that’s a long and painful process. they’re going to put you to that for political power?”
“yeah… we don’t really have the best relationship. but i came here to propose something.”
“okay, what’s your proposal?”
“two weeks. give me two weeks to prove to you that we should accept our soul bond.”
never in a million years did jungwon thought that those words would escape riki’s lips.
“not only will the rejection process hurt me, but it will also hurt you. i don’t want you to suffer just because my parents couldn’t care less about their son.”
“two weeks… just a fortnight and i’ll prove to you i’m more than your rival prince.”
jungwon was stunned. he never expected this proposal. he knew that riki didn’t have the best relationship with his parents, but he didn’t expect they would be this brutal and heartless.
once you reject your soulmate, you can never be bonded again, even in reincarnation. the process is extremely painful — some describe it as the worst pain a vampire can go through, it’s similar to cutting your heart strings. it’s frowned upon in their world, but some royalties go through it in order to secure power.
suddenly, their butterfly birthmarks started glowing, but this time, it wasn’t painful. they made eye contact, riki’s eyes were pleading and full of sadness.
“please, jungwon? i swear on my life, prince’s honor. ”
“i… i accept.”
“thank you. thank you so much.” riki says and kisses jungwon’s birthmark, a symbol of their deal being sealed.
“do you know about the prophecy?”
“no….?”
“i just recently learned about this, but there’s a prophecy that was apparently made decades ago by a powerful warlock.”
“It shall be then, when the red sky unites with darkness, a bond shall mark an era of honor and bring forth an age of peace.”
“my parents think we are the ones who are going to fulfill the prophecy and end the rivalry once and for all.”
“kinda ironic as we were continuing the rivalry ourselves.”
“it indeed is, but i’m willing to set aside my attitude for my kingdom.”
“i know you will. i admire that about you.”
jungwon was stunned once again, he never thought he would receive a compliment from riki.
what is this feeling? why are there butterflies in my stomach?
“by the way… i left my kingdom abruptly.”
“WHAT?” jungwon exclaimed loudly, he probably woke up his parents.
“i got into a huge fight with my parents, and i just… stormed off.”
“are they looking for you? i’ll protect you. you can stay here.” jungwon’s scared this might cause a war as it can be seen as they have taken a crown prince hostage.
what is this feeling? why are there butterflies in my stomach?
“they aren’t. my parents would die in battle first before they send out a search party for me. truth be told, i don’t think they plan to pass the throne to me. me disappearing would probably be favorable for them.”
“but that’s illegal. every reign should end.”
“yeah, but they like being in power. that’s why they were hoping they could marry me off to one of their allies. i don’t think i’ll truly be the king of noir.”
“oh. i didn’t know you carried these struggles, i’m sorry i judged you.”
“it’s fine. i’m not exactly the kindest to you. i’ve called you names, and for that, i sincerely apologize.”
“maybe we can be the one to change your kingdom.” jungwon says hopeful.
his parents heard this and was immediately proud of their son, “we raised a king.” they both thought.
“i know you’re awake, mom and dad.” jungwon says.
“no we aren’t!” his father jokes around.
“your majesties.” riki immediately bows as a sign of respect.
“crown prince of noir, huh? what a good looking young man you are.” his father comments.
“perfect fit for our son.” his mother adds.
what is this feeling? why are there butterflies in my stomach?
“i’ll have the finest room ready for you, spend the night here and we will talk more in the morning.”
“thank you, your majesty. i will remember your kindness.”
morning came, and jungwon was greeted with a breakfast buffet. he knew this was all his parents’ doing. they can be a bit extra.
“no need for this feast, mom.” jungwon says.
“not everyday we meet your soulmate, you know?” she responds.
“i see you’re eating well, riki.” jungwon says and giggles, riki was adorable, it was as if he hasn’t eaten in decades.
“your chef cooks so well. please, give me the recipe.” riki says.
“have you ever been outside of our kingdom? our cuisine is to die for.”
“no, not yet. i tend to stray away from your kingdom if i’m being honest.”
“a fortnight, right? day one starts now. let’s go out, i’ll cast some clothes for you.”
jungwon’s parents gave each other a look, they are feeling hopeful for this bond, and that it will end their long time rivalry.
“you should eat first, they prepared a buffet for us.”
an hour passed by and the two princes were now exploring the kingdom of bordeaux, they first visited the mall, as jungwon had a feeling riki would be staying the entire two weeks in their kingdom.
“are you sure your parents aren’t sending out a search party for you?”
“hold on, let me feel the warmth in my kingdom.”
“huh? you can do that?”
“i mastered the element of fire, so i can control the fireplaces everywhere, and lucky for me, we have one in the throne room.”
(in riki’s vision — at the kingdom of noir)
“where’s the prince?”
“he’s not in his chambers, your majesty.”
“hmmm… he ran away again. he’ll comeback.”
“what about his school, your majesty?”
“classes are suspended until further notice. pay the prince no attention, this is just one of his teenage shenanigans. nothing to be alarmed about.”
“but your majesty, the heir to the throne is nowhere to be found! we should send out a search party!”
“as i said, pay no attention to the prince. he can handle himself out there.”
(end of vision)
for some reason, jungwon was able to see riki’s vision vividly.
“i heard soulmates can communicate through their thoughts… visions… everything.”
“maybe i can communicate with you through the air.”
“you can, and i can communicate with you through fire.”
“i’m sorry about your parents.”
“it’s fine. i’m used to it.”
“that’s unfortunate. don’t they care about you?”
“they don’t. they never wanted an heir to the throne.”
“they can’t reign forever.”
“you’re underestimating how greedy royals can be, jungwon. they’ll do everything in their power to stay as reigning royals.”
“is there a particular reason why you need a fortnight to prove yourself?”
“you didn’t know? soulmates have a fortnight to seal their bond, after that, it will be forfeited.”
a forfeited is different from rejection, the souls who are involved can possibly perish or lose their magic, as part of their souls are intertwined; if they don’t seal the bond, their souls suffer.
“i’m sorry, i never really read about the soul bond.”
“you’ve never liked someone?”
“not really, was never in my priorities.”
“seriously? not even a little crush?”
“well obviously i have eyes, i find some attractive, but never actually… attraction.”
“well, do you find me attractive?”
“i would be lying if i said you’re ugly.”
“how cruel!”
“come on, answer me.”
of course, riki was attractive. he was ethereal looking and tall, jungwon even considers him as the most handsome prince he has ever met.
“yes, you’re attractive. anybody with eyes can see it.”
“ugh! i don’t want your objective answer!”
“fine! yes, you’re handsome! happy now?”
“very.”
“but anyway, once you get the soul mark, you get a fortnight to seal the bond. are you aware of how it’s done?”
“true love’s kiss… right?”
“yes…”
the two princes felt shy. they went from arguing with each other all the time to having to seal their bond with a kiss.
“but seriously, i’m not going to hold it against you if you forfeit our bond…”
“are you crazy? this is a you die, i die type of situation. we are literally two halves of one soul. i can feel your pain and desperation.”
“i’m lucky to have you as my soulmate, others wouldn’t have cared.”
“what can i say? i’m great.”
“you’re already stealing my personality, i see.”
the day ended with the two young princes exchanging conversations and getting to know each other. it’s hard to believe they considered themselves rivals two days ago.
“are you sure your parents won’t declare war?” jungwon asks, nervous as riki will not be home for two days in a row.
“i sent a little bird to inform my parents.”
“you mastered the element of earth?”
“only the part where i can talk to birds.”
“but are you sure? their crown prince is in the rival kingdom…”
“they know we’re soulmates. they’re probably hoping i never come back home.”
“i’m sorry for your parents.”
“a kiss could help.” riki said and pointed to his cheek.
jungwon immediately felt butterflies in his stomach.
he threw him a pillow and said, “punk!”
“it’s my turn to take you out tomorrow, get ready, we’re going to train how to work our elements together.”
“it seems to me like you’re preparing for war.”
“you can’t rule that possibility out. i’m actively going against my parents. i know how brutal and violent they are.”
“no wonder your first resort is always violence in our academy.”
“yeah… now you get it.”
“i’ll sleep well to train with you tomorrow. goodnight, riki.”
“goodnight jungwon. send wind my way if you need me.”
in just a short period of time, they already learned how to make their elemental magic work together. oblivious on what tomorrow will bring — a declaration of war.