Found | Nomin

Chapter 13: Embracing What Is To Come

Playful morning light tapped against Jaemin's eyelids. The sound of birds greeting each other outside his windows soon filled his ears, along with the subtle brush of the shear curtains as he began to wake. His eyes slowly lifted to the bright ambience of his chambers. 

Everything seemed to glow in the morning, dressed in the golden light of the day's youth. The polished wood of his bed frame glistened warmly along with the soft peach of his covers. Delicate flecks of dust danced through the beams of light that pushed passed his windows in a shimmery shower.

The only time he remembered the human kingdom being like this was during the summer harvest. The smell of fresh oats and apples in the air, the pearlescent fabric of waves during both sunset and sunrise, the soft sand between his toes, the comforting coastal breeze. 

He began to miss it. In fact, he missed the human kingdom. It was his home for fifteen years after all. He missed his family, he missed the people, he missed the royal staff, he missed Wendy, he missed the beach. He missed the familiarity of it all. He missed being somewhere he knew. 

With a slight ache of home-sickness in his heart, Jaemin rose from the bed. Stammering over to the window he gently pushed the curtains aside, looking out into the ebullient kingdom. He cocked his head at the sight. Although he was quite far away from the rest of kingdom from where he was in the castle, he could see that they are bustling around, organising and preparing for something. A colossal ceremonial bonfire and large wolf statues of shimmering stone had seemed to gathered nearby the White Forest just beside the capital overnight. Jaemin was astonished. He could tell they were far from done but it already looked beautiful. 

"Jaemin, are you up yet?" Renjun asked with a knock on the door.

"Yes." The younger called, turning away from the window and toward the door. 

Renjun entered with a smile settled upon his cheeks and his white ears sticking out happily from his umber locks. He pranced over to Jaemin with delight before expressing excitedly, "Kun has just arrived with your finished garment and it's so beautiful! You have to come see!"

"Okay, okay." Jaemin chuckled happily as Renjun helped him gather his attire for the day. 

Jaemin quickly changed out of his sleeping gown before being pulled out of the room by the small faun. The older lead him through the halls of the castle, their footsteps echoing along the busy corridors as the palace woke to pursue morning chores and duties.

As they were passing the courtyard by the south garden, Jaemin had noticed both Mark and Haechan walking with the king on the stone path. He hadn't had time to give the sight a second thought as Renjun brought him into the small corridor that lead to the room in which he had first met the tailor.

After a few short knocks, the faun opened the door excitedly. He entered the room and took a quick glance at the garment before looking back at Jaemin who had yet to enter. The prince slowly walked into the room, his eyes landing upon the breathtaking gown.

It was in the middle of the room settled on a plain wooden manikin. The neckline of the gown followed along the bottom of the collarbone, the sleeves falling under the shoulders and draping down along the arm in a shear layer of grey, leaving the entirety of shoulders and above for the moon's light to lay its kisses upon in the evening. The soft fabric clung to the torso and expelled outward slightly from the waist like a waterfall of ashy grey, drifting along the ground like fog on the earth of an early autumn morning. It was simple and elegant. It was fit for a future queen.

"It's beautiful." Jaemin remarked in awe, treading lightly to the gown as if in a trance, his fingers gently stroking the sleeves whilst his eyes trailed around the gown with amazement.