Chaconne

Chapter 9 : The Dance of (Eternal) Death

"May I touch you?" Heeseung asks. His unintentionally suggestive question makes you swallow thickly. You nod hesitantly, not trusting your voice to conceal your flustered state, and the eldest prince doesn't hesitate to reach forward to gently trace the soft strands of hair brushing against your temples. Your eyelids flutter close as he tucks the strands behind your ear and ghosts his hands down to cup your cheeks.

The feeling is familiar as Jake had done something similar, but the differences between the two princes are worlds apart. While your heart is on the verge of leaping out of your chest at the mercy of both princes, you can practically feel the differences in their personalities through the simple touch of their hands. Jake was gentle but eager. His touch was heavier and intentional. Heeseung, however, is much softer. His touch is gentle and testing, all the while still grounding. When he brushes a thumb over your slightly flushed cheek, you can't help but lean into his touch.

"What's on your mind, Princess?" Heeseung asks, his voice just barely above a whisper. You wonder if it's a trick question since the prince has telepathic abilities. But perhaps your current thoughts are too difficult for him to read as you are unable to sift through them yourself.

"Nothing but also everything all at once," you respond breathlessly, eyes finally fluttering open to meet the prince's stare.

"Is that a good thing?" he questions and you nod with a soft hum.

"Everything just feels so right." Heeseung smiles down at you but you catch a clouded emotion dancing in the back of his irises and his eyebrows pinch together ever-so-slightly.

"I'm afraid that this is all a dream; and that when I wake, you won't be with me," he admits, the pain and fear evident in his tone.

"It's not a dream, Heeseung," you console him, placing a hand atop his and rubbing a thumb against the back of his palm. "I'm real and I'm right here."

"It's been so long, my love. No words can even begin to describe how much I've missed you. My heart has ached for you every day you were gone, and not a day went by where I didn't feel your void in my soul." Your heart lurches in delight hearing the nickname Heeseung chooses to use for you but it also aches with capriciousness.

"Are you certain?" you ask hesitantly. You don't need to clarify for the eldest prince to understand exactly what you're talking about. He knows that you still have slight doubts about being the lost princess, even as he stands here looking at you like you're his entire universe.

"I'm certain, my love. I've been certain this entire time you were with the others, but having you here in my arms and now as I'm finally holding onto you once again, there is nothing that can convince me otherwise. You've come home. You are my home." Heeseung's voice is gentle and harmonic, and he can feel you melting into his touch with every word.

"I believe you, Heeseung." The prince beams and quickly brings his hands down to intertwine them with yours.

"Follow me, love," he urges softly, tugging you toward the room he and Jake exited a few minutes prior. "This is my office. It was originally just an empty storage room for your instruments, but I used to spend every day in your music room with you, listening to you practice while I worked or simply relaxed. Eventually, you suggested I take the room so that I was still with you but had a comfortable workspace."

The first thing you notice when you walk into the room is that there is only one entryway - the door you just walked through, masking the room and hiding it from the rest of the castle. The next thing you notice is the tall window lining the adjacent wall from floor to ceiling. It has the perfect view of the castle's side landscape which overlooks out into the town you came from.