Diamante | SVT

XLV

Something inside Jihoon snaps. Holding a finger to his mouth, he whistles making his attendant and guard confused.

Nine comes barging in through the balcony window, shards of glass breaking. Soonyoung has somewhat took the cloud and he noticed it late when he hears no roaring sounds following him. It almost made him cry.

But as if hearing he was in trouble, it immediately came to its rescue. Jihoon pats happily and hoist himself up to it, and flies past them.

"PRINCE JIHOON!" Ten screams, chasing after him. The latter orders his cloud to go faster, zooming to the south wing of the castle where his betrothed is. They take a detour out of the castle and circling around, trying to lose sight of the older omega.

He spots Soonyoung with few royal guards on the sixth floor, near the window. His silver hair glinting as the sun shines through his face. Jihoon would have found the sight of him wearing his dark blue uniform handsome, looking all serious if he was not seething.

He commands Nine to fly down, he steps on the hallway, thanking his cloud and tells him to go back before the alpha sees it. Soonyoung might take the cloud from him and he doesn't want that. He hears heavy footsteps as he walks his way over to his betrothed. His attendant must have known where he would be as he sees him still running with his guard in tow. Jihoon clicks his tongue in annoyance.

"PRINCE JIHOON!"

The call of his name made Soonyoung look up, small eyes going wide as he sees him. They stare at each other for a moment. Jihoon sees something shift in his gaze, his confusion turning anger.

He meets the omega halfway, shoulders tight and lips pursed as he stares him up and down, "Didn't I tell you to stay in your room, Prince?"

Jihoon feels his heart drop, the tone of the alpha using on him reminds him of the reason why he is there in the first place. "And who are you to tell me that? I do what I want, Prince."

Soonyoung steps back, the coldness of his betrothed's voice made his gut churn unpleasantly but he showed none of it, undeterred by his attitude, "I'm doing this to keep you safe, Prince Jihoon."

Jihoon steps closer, staring hardly into his eyes, "Keeping me safe?! You think locking me on my room like an exotic animal would keep me safe?!"

"Do not question my decisions, Prince. It's for your own good. I'm protecting you–"

"What are you even protecting me from, huh?!"

Soonyoung could feel the vein in his head pop from the rising frustration boiling in him, "Its none of your business. You should not stick your nose into it. That way it–"

"It would what?" Jihoon says, voice low, his form shakes like a leaf from all the pent up anger he feels, "Keeping me out would protect me? Doing this behind my back to assure me everything is fine? I'm not naive, Prince Soonyoung. I have the right to know. This is my kingdom you are in."

"There's no reason for you to know. Its better that way, Prince. You wouldn't be able to help–"

The resonating slap that echoed through the hallway made them gasp. Jihoon grits his teeth as tears made its way down his cheeks. The alpha puts a hand on his face, the red mark stinging.

"Fuck you, Kwon."

It didn't take a step before his wrist was grabbed, "Prince Jihoon, please. Listen–"

The omega growls at him to let go, Soonyoung tightens his grip, "Understand my reasons, Prince."

Jihoon squirms on his hold, frustrated tears sliding down his red cheeks even more, "What is there to understand when I don't even know what's going on, Prince Soonyoung."

The alpha opens his mouth to reason with him again but Jihoon already ran, as fast and far away from him. He stares at his retreating figure, regret washing over him. He didn't mean to hurt him yet he did, and knowing how stubborn the younger is, it will take a lot of time before he will be able to forgive him. Soonyoung has his reasons. He wished the other would listen.

He's afraid.

That he might lose the younger just like how he lost his mother. He's afraid that he wouldn't be there for him. He doesn't want to fail, not again. Jihoon doesn't need to know what he knows, that the good days are slowly dwindling on them and the simple attack they did on the eldest alpha was the start.

Jihoon glides down the wall, catching his breath. He wipes the tears that stained his cheeks and flattens his rumpled clothes. 'I can't believe I cried.'

The anger he felt was no more, only remorse and guilt, remembering how hurt his betrothed looked when his hand came contact with his cheeks, but he was hurt too, with his words and actions. It weighed too much on his heart and he wonders if that's how Soonyoung sees him. 'I'm a burden. To my siblings, my parents, my attendant and now him.'

Jihoon feels tired all of a sudden, lifting himself up the wall, he walks the other way around, taking the shortcut to their room.

He descends down the stairs when he hears something noisily clicking against the floor at the end of the hall. His senses were suddenly on alert on whether he should run or leave it be, but he decides to see what it is so he stalks to where the noise is from.

The clicking got louder and a loud thump of something on the wall made him jump. He curses under his breath and turns around, 'I'll just leave it be.'

"Jihoon?"

"Mother?"

The queen smiles, "What are you doing here?"

Jihoon looks around and sees the hallway void of any displays and portraits, no carpet on his feet and the gray walls and closed curtains indicating he got lost on the abandoned corridor of the castle.

"I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Jihoon says and that's when he noticed her clothes. She was wearing a simple teal dress that matches her heels, her crown was absent and hair tied loosely. She looked nothing like a queen.

"Were you about to go out, Mother?" Jihoon points at the folded grey cloak on her arms.

"Ah, yes. I'm going to meet with the tailor who's doing your suits for the wedding." She says, smile still on display, as she clutches the fabric on her hands.

Jihoon nods, bidding her mother an excuse to leave. The Queen gathers her in an embrace and kisses his forehead.  "Goodbye, my dear."

"Goodbye, mother."

Jihoon was about to turn away when she calls for him again, "Hoon?"

"Yes?"

Her smile was still present, but her eyes says differently, it was harsh and unwelcoming. "Don't go near this corridor again. Understand, Jihoon?"

The omega blinks, murmuring a 'yes' and flees the place with his heart drumming on his chest, something unwell stirs in him but he ignores it and runs to his room.

'What was that all about?'