As the car slows to a complete stop, you and Jungwon automatically sit a little taller in your seats to adjust your outermost layers. The simple task proves to be a little more challenging than you initially anticipated as one of your hands is clutched tightly in Sunghoon's. His fingers are intertwined so profoundly with yours that the tips of your fingers are beginning to tingle and turn white. Even then, you don't have it within your heart to tell him, knowing that the prince is still brooding with residual traces of the conversation that last took place at the castle. The hybrid prince has refused to let go of you ever since everyone piled into the car, opting to cling to a source of light during this time of uncertainty
"Need some help, beloved?" Jungwon chuckles under his breath softly when he notices your dilemma. You nod gratefully and the prince reaches over from where he's sitting next to you to fasten the top button of your wool coat. Since it was established that you would be searching the library with Jungwon, Heeseung gave up his original seat in the car next to you to the younger prince, facilitating the ease of your exit, just as planned.
"Are you sure you want us to drop you off this far away from the library? Jay can drive one block closer to save you from the longer walk," Sunghoon asks with a permanent frown resting on his lips as he glances out the window and up at the night sky. It's still early evening, but with the winter season at its peak, the dark blanket up in the atmosphere above almost looks equivalent to that of the midnight sky if not for the lamps lining the streets. Deep down, Sunghoon curses the development of the city since the last time the princes were here thousands of years ago. Back then, the buildings were all quaint little shops. But now, all of the buildings loom over the cityscape making it harder for him to keep an eye on you from afar.
"All done," Jungwon nods once in approval to confirm that you're nice and warm before leaning back and searching your eyes. He doesn't need to say anything aloud to let you know that it's ultimately your decision where you get dropped off.
"We'll be alright, Hoonie," you reassure, turning to the fretting prince and gently kissing his cheek. "The walk isn't that far. Plus, if we get any closer, it'd be difficult for the rest of you to enter separately without being seen together."
"But how do we even know that we're being watched right now?" Riki points out earnestly. The youngest prince is immediately shushed by the fox-like prince sitting next to him with a gentle nudge to his ribcage.
"Don't give Sunghoon ideas when he's in his weird funk right now," Sunoo warns in a hushed murmur.
"We're just taking precautionary steps, Riki-ah," Heeseung reasons. "We still don't know what we're getting ourselves into, so it's better to err on the side of caution, right?"
"I suppose," the youngest shrugs.
"Don't worry, Sunghoonie. I'll keep the princess safe; I promise," Jungwon adds affirmatively, offering the hybrid prince a comforting smile.
"And if the library's layout hasn't changed too much, we'll all meet at the secluded corner in the back in 30 minutes," Jake adds.
"Great, so then it's settled," you confirm, turning to nod at Jungwon who immediately opens the door. The prince climbs out gracefully before leaning back in to extend his hand as an offer to help you out of the car. But just as you peel away from Sunghoon, the hybrid prince pulls you back in once more.
"Stay safe, sugarplum," he whispers endearingly, his gaze locked deep into your eyes. His eyebrows are pinched together ever-so-slightly with worry and you itch to soothe the tension in his muscles.
"You too, Hoonie," you smile, leaning forward to leave him with a parting kiss on the lips before finally joining Jungwon. Your small display of affection seems to do just the trick because when you pull away, there's a light smile threatening to pull on Sunghoon's lips.
Right as the younger prince closes the door behind you, you catch traces of complaints coming from one particular prince that give you a good chuckle. "Why did Sunghoon get a parting kiss? Where's mine?" Sunoo whines followed by a soft staccato hit – something akin to a light smack. "No, not from you, Riki! I'm literally going to be with you for the next thirty minutes."
"Shall we, m'lady?" Jungwon bows, offering a hand out for you to hold. The scene before you feels awfully familiar, and you're instantly transported back to the first night you met Jungwon. He had bowed at you in the same exact manner when he led you out of Sunghoon's room and to the balcony of your old music room. You can't help but smile as you realize how close you've grown with the princes since then.
"We shall, my kind prince," you giggle, curtsying back at him and accepting his hand.
"Oh, I've been promoted!" Jungwon notes gleefully, leading you toward the library.
"Promoted?" you parrot in confusion.
"On the night we first reunited a couple of months ago, you addressed me as 'kind sir.' But now I'm your kind prince."
"I'm surprised you still remember that," you shake your head lightly in astonishment.
"I remember everything you say, beloved. How could I ever forget when you mean so much to me?" Jungwon responds smoothly, swinging your intertwined hands back and forth as you walk. Your heart skips a beat and you can't help the blush that creeps up the back of your neck, across your cheeks, and to the tips of your ears.
"You're going to be the death of me, Jungwon," you sigh breathily.
"What do you mean?" the prince asks in mild alarm. "Why would I ever kill you?"
"Because I might melt into a puddle if you keep saying all these sweet things."
"Oh, well in that case," he shrugs ambiguously, trailing off in thought. You know he's feeling rather boastful judging by the light smirk that rests on his lips.
When you turn the corner at the next intersection, you're able to instantly pick out the library sitting amongst the other buildings ahead. Just as Heeseung mentioned, it's a grand building – far larger than any other library you've ever seen. Its exterior architecture incorporates all of the elements of baroque design with its opulent foundation. The building's ground level is based on durable concrete to uphold the integrity of the structure. On the upper levels, smooth stone columns give way to intricately detailed balusters finished with exuberant carvings all around. At the library's center, is a large blue-green dome adorned with gold detailings that suggest influences of rococo design.
"That's the library," Jungwon announces softly, turning his chin to study your features just like how you're studying the building. The only difference is that the prince holds so much love and adoration in his eyes while memorizing every inch of your features – rather than the astonishment lighting up your gaze.
"I think I want to live here now," you joke breathlessly.
"You don't want to live with us anymore? You'd rather spend the rest of eternity with a bunch of books instead of seven dashingly handsome vampire princes?" he pokes back but smiles gummily when you roll your eyes with a fond smile.
"Well, ideally, I'd live here with my seven dashingly handsome vampire princes," you correct and Jungwon laughs harmoniously. It's a deep chuckle that comes from deep within his chest, one that you get to hear when the prince is truly happy. "I like it when you laugh like that," you comment truthfully. "You sound so happy which automatically makes me happy."
"Look who's being cheesy now. You might kill me at this rate," Jungwon teases, bumping his shoulder lightly with yours. The prince is taken by surprise when you suddenly lean over to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "I think you missed," he huffs with a small pout, stopping just as you approach the steps leading up to the library's main entrance.
"Is that so?" you hum coyly, gaze darting around purposefully as the prince uses his free hand to tap lightly against his lips.
"Right here," he nods, reaching out to catch your chin so that you'll look him in the eyes. When you meet his gaze, you can't help the happy giggle that slips past your lips. You can see your own reflection shining brightly in Jungwon's happy gaze when you finally lean up onto your toes to plant a kiss right where he wants.
"Better?" you hum, pulling back slowly.
"Much," Jungwon nods and allows a few seconds of silence to settle as he leans down to touch his forehead against yours. "We should probably head in, otherwise at this point, the others will beat us inside," he murmurs, secretly wishing this moment would never end.
"Alright, let's head inside," you whisper, leaning back in for one final peck before peeling away and pulling the prince along with you. He stumbles behind you a few steps, your kiss leaving his mind like mush and his body feeling like putty.
Once he catches up to you, he straightens his posture and clears his throat softly before speaking. "Wait until you see the inside, beloved," he smiles giddily, pulling open one of the front doors for you to walk through.
Your jaw immediately falls slack at the sight that greets you upon entry. The interior of the library is filled with seemingly endless rows of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Walking into the library is such a stark difference from the world outside because of its bright atmosphere, it almost feels like you're being transported in time. The muted white oak flooring forms unique clover patterns and the murals on the high ceilings tell countless stories of their own.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Jungwon hums, placing a hand on your lower back to guide you into the library.
"I think I'm going to move in right this instant," you conclude.
"What if we renovate our current library to look like this?" the prince proposes instead.
"That would be an expensive project," you frown.
"Don't worry about the cost, beloved. If this is what you want, this is what we'll get," Jungwon insists. His offer is too enticing not to accept so you purse your lips in contemplation.
"Let's revisit this conversation after we get home," you nod, reaching out to find Jungwon's hand with your own before approaching the main desk in the center of the library. Prior to leaving the royal family's castle, the princes had devised for you and Jungwon to distract the librarian on duty by asking them a plethora of questions. This way, the other six princes can slip into the meeting point without too many people noticing.
"Hello, how may I help you?" the librarian asks. He's an older man, with slowly greying hair. His smile is warm and you can tell he genuinely enjoys his job.
"Hello, sir," you greet back with a polite smile. "I was wondering if you had any information about the royal family – or if you knew where I could find more information about the history of this country?"
His gaze flits in between you and Jungwon and you watch as his lips quirk up in curiosity. "I don't think I've seen you here at the library before. We usually only see regulars here at this time of day. Are you visiting from out of town?"
"We just moved into town, actually," Jungwon responds cautiously, purposefully leaving out the exact location.
"Together?" the librarian asks, his gaze lingering a bit on Jungwon.
"Yes, this is my husband," you interject, flashing a bright smile to cover the nerves chewing in the pit of your gut. You're mildly aware of Jungwon casting you a surprised glace when you link your right arm with his left arm, but your main focus is keeping your left hand hidden underneath the counter so that the librarian won't notice your lack of a wedding ring. "We just got married before moving."
"My wife has always dreamed of traveling, so after I received her parents' blessings, I decided to move us abroad to a new country," Jungwon nods along, pulling you in a little closer to his side.
"Oh, I see! Congratulations on your marriage," the librarian comments. "What made you choose here of all places? And what makes you interested to learn about the history of this country?"
In the corner of your eyes, you catch a glimpse of Heeseung and Sunghoon walking calmly to the back corner, right on time. You also notice how the younger prince steals a quick glance at you, and it takes everything within you not to nod or smile back at him to keep your composure.
"Truthfully, I don't know too much about this country, but I've always heard nothing but great things about how beautiful it is. So I figured it would be the perfect location to start this new chapter of our lives," Jungwon responds smoothly.
"We were actually walking around town today to explore some more when we stumbled upon what looks to be an old castle just up the road. So we were just curious to learn more about its history," you add.
"Ah, yes. The castle," the librarian nods rather stiffly. His tone is pinched, giving away the sensitivity of the topic. "It's been vacant for many centuries now. But you can read about everything in the historical section of our library."
"Got it," you nod. "How extensive is-"
"So where did the two of you originally move from?" The librarian cuts you off mid-sentence with a question of his own.
"We came from a small town – I'm not sure if you would have heard of it," Jungwon chuckles uneasily.
"My geographical knowledge is quite extensive. I guess that's what happens when you work at a library for a living," the older man jokes but the pressing nature of his tone is beginning to peak through. "So, where was it?"
Your hold on Jungwon's arm tightens in a panic and your gaze briefly darts to the side. When you look over, you notice Riki walking all by himself to the back of the library. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, knowing the youngest prince was supposed to walk in with Sunoo. Jungwon must notice the same thing because he tenses under your touch.
"Excuse me, sir!" a familiar voice speaks from behind. "Are you going to continue asking this couple these random questions, or are you going to do your job and help me? I've been standing here for who knows how long, waiting and listening to you ask them these prying questions."
When you spin around, you look just in time to catch Sunoo march up to the librarian's desk. He pushes his way in between you and Jungwon, sending you a subtle wink in the process, before staring the librarian dead in the eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, sir," the librarian stutters. "I hadn't realized you were waiting. How can I help you?"
"Great! Here's what you're going to do," Sunoo smiles sweetly. There is a bright glint in his eyes but the sinister curl on his lips almost makes you pity the old man. When his eyes flash a radiant golden color, you glance around to ensure no unsuspecting onlookers are witnessing him use his powers. Jungwon, having noticed the final two princes waiting by the front entrance, waves at them frantically, motioning them to head over to the meeting location while the librarian is preoccupied. "You're going to tell us exactly what happened to the royal family and where we can find the historical section in this library."
"The royal family was overthrown by the people of this country over a thousand years ago, and you can find the historical section on the second floor over there," the older man responds almost robotically, pointing up at the left balcony on the upper level.
"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Sunoo asks rhetorically, his voice is almost bone-chillingly cold. "Now, you're going to go back to work and forget that you saw any of us this evening."
Without saying anything further, the librarian turns around and busies himself with another task behind the desk. Sunoo, on the other hand, pulls you and Jungwon along with him to finally meet with the others in the back with his normal bright smile resting on his lips once again.
"What happened, Sunoo? Why did you use your powers on the librarian?" Jay asks as soon as the three of you sit down.
"When Riki and I walked in, the librarian seemed to be bothering Jungwon and the princess. He wouldn't stop asking all these invasive questions which peeved me so much," the foxy prince shrugs nonchalantly. "So I took matters into my own hands."
"And what happened to staying together?" Heeseung throws Riki a pointed look, to which the younger male also shrugs indifferently.
"Knowing this rascal, he probably just allowed it to happen," Jake snorts, leaning over and jabbing a finger into the younger prince's side. Riki squirms under his touch and chuckles softly, poorly dodging the pyrokinetic prince's advances.
"I did a sweep of the library to make sure no one was looking," he gasps in between breaths. "There's barely anyone here."
"Like a visual sweep?" Sunghoon presses. "Or a shadow sweep?" he adds in a hushed whisper.
"Uh, whichever one doesn't get me in trouble," the youngest smiles awkwardly and you can't help but duck your head behind Jungwon's shoulder to try to cover your giggles. You really shouldn't be laughing in this situation but Riki's response was just too endearing for you to ignore.
"Riki! We're not supposed to be using our powers openly right now!" Jay hisses.
"Why are you only scolding Riki? Are we ignoring the fact that Sunoo literally just enchanted the librarian?" Jake cuts in, motioning his hands frantically toward the prince in question.
"We're not saying he's off the hook either," Heeseung counters, but pauses for a few seconds before adding, "Although, I do think the situation called for it."
"Look, as long as no one saw, I think we should be alright," Jungwon tries to ease the tension.
"Wonie's right. We should really just focus on the situation at hand right now," you add.
"Okay, so what did you guys learn after talking to the librarian?" Heeseung inquires.
"That Jungwonie and the princess are married," Sunoo giggles causing the other five princes to immediately turn their heads to look at you in shock.
"I'm sorry, what?" Jay deadpans, blinking so quickly that you worry he's about to have a seizure. Distantly, you wonder if vampires are even capable of having seizures. "I think I'm starting to hear things," the prince laughs incredulously.
"B-but you told me you loved me, little lamb," Riki whines softly and you swear your heart breaks a little.
"She told us she loves all of us," Sunghoon corrects in a grumble.
"It was just a little white lie, Riki-ah," Jungwon calms the younger prince who only narrows his eyes at you in response. "Like Sunoo said, the librarian asked some prodding questions so we had to just go with whatever seemed the most plausible."
"In all seriousness, we learned that the royal family was overthrown a little over a thousand years ago by the people of this country. The librarian didn't specify why, but he said we can read about it in the historical section up there," you summarize, pointing up at the second-floor balcony.
"Alright, come with me, Riki. Help me pull some books," Jay announces as he stands from his seat and walks over to the younger prince. "Yes, with your powers," Jay clarifies when Riki casts him a skeptical look.
"I thought we just agreed on not using our powers out in public," Sunghoon frowns. "And weren't you the one that scolded Riki for using his powers in the first place?" the therianthropic prince adds, shooting Jay a puzzled glance.
"What? Riki said there's barely anyone here. Plus, I think it'll be much faster this way since I can carry a bunch of books while Riki transports me in just a couple of seconds. Meanwhile, you can all begin reading while I look for more books."
"Jay brings up a good point. It would be much more efficient," Jake hums thoughtfully. "But I thought you get dizzy whenever you shadow jump?"
"I've gotten better and I'm pretty much used to it now," the strength-inclined prince shrugs, just as the youngest prince stands and grabs hold of his hand. The two princes disappear without a trace, and it truly only feels like a few seconds pass by before they flash back. Jay holds a mountain of books in his arms before dumping them unceremoniously onto the table into a haphazard pile. "Have fun reading," he chuckles before Riki takes them back upstairs.
"That's our cue," Jungwon sighs, reaching forward to grab a book for you and one for himself.
Truthfully, you had expected this part of the process to be the most tedious. Normally, sitting through history lessons and learning of those who have died before you were even born bored you to death. But perhaps that was always because you were obligated to sit through those lessons and not because you wanted to learn. Now that you're skimming through tens, if not hundreds, of books, you find each and every word rather intriguing. It's fascinating to learn the stories of those who lived before you. It's like you're teleporting back in time to live alongside those mentioned in the books while you read through each time period.
"I found something!" Jake gasps in sudden delight, drawing everyone's attention. When you look up, you're caught off guard to find Jay and Riki sitting in their original seats, skimming through books of their own. You briefly wonder when the princes had rejoined everyone and how you failed to notice. "It says here that the monarchy of this country fell hundreds of years ago following years of civil unrest within the entire nation."
"Hundreds of years? The librarian said over a thousand years ago," Sunoo murmurs in confusion. He leans over toward the older prince and checks the copyright date of the book. "Ah, this book is a bit dated – so the timeline checks out."
"It also says that the town we live in now was most impacted," the pyrokinetic prince adds with a frown.
"It can't be a coincidence that it happens to be the town we used to spend the most time in, right?" Jungwon points out anxiously.
"No, it's not a coincidence. My book talks about the same incident in further detail," Heeseung sighs. "Long ago, the royal family of this country used to be kind and treated their countrymen well – as if they were family of their own. It was noted that Queen Eleanor had been the first of the Barclay family to welcome vampires into our country. The seven guests were princes of their own kind and helped the country greatly during a time when our nation was riddled with thieves and criminals throughout the smaller villages," the eldest reads.
"Used to be? These authors wrote as if that statement were completely false," Sunghoon grumbles under his breath.
"When all bouts of crime had dissipated, the royal monarchy was at its peak. For years, the nation enjoyed prosperity and happiness. But as the years passed, it was rumored that the vampire princes had moved abroad for reasons unknown. Their absence was deeply felt as crime rates began to climb and the country entered a new era. As each generation of the Barclay family took the throne, their true colors were revealed. Each monarch brought upon drastic changes to the nation. King Edward, the last monarch to sit on the throne, was the most ruthless of all. Citizens nationwide were subject to following his dictatorship-like laws, and any resistance was met with an immediate death sentence."
"A death sentence?" you gape in disbelief. How could the situation have escalated so drastically?
"The book goes on to talk more about the atrocious acts that were committed when Edward was King, but nothing else aside from that," Heeseung concludes, shutting the book and pushing it back toward the middle of the table.
"That's it? I don't understand why the townspeople garner negative emotions about us then," Sunoo pouts.
"Sunoo's right. If anything, these books paint us as individuals who helped eliminate crime rates in this country which ultimately allowed the country to flourish," Riki nods.
"Shit." From across the table, you notice Jay suddenly stiffen in his seat. The entire time Heeseung was reading from his book, Jay had been preoccupied with the book resting in his hands. His eyebrows were pinched together and his lips were pursed together in a focused pout. But now, the prince sits taller in his seat and his face seems a little paler than usual.
"What did you find, Jay?" Jungwon asks hesitantly.
"This is the most current book I could find," the second eldest begins to explain. "And it talks about expeditions numerous people have gone on. One of the trips was to search through the castle."
"So they were the ones that left the castle in that state?" Jake asks incredulously.
"No, the majority of the damage was committed when the citizens overthrew King Edward from his throne hundreds of years ago," Jay corrects. "These people were just searching through the aftermath to find more answers. And they basically stumbled across several letters similar to the one the princess found earlier today. All of them were written by King William."
"The letter to Heeseung? There's no way they were all addressed to us, right?" Sunoo chuckles uneasily. The pinched expression resting on Jay's features is enough to give away the answer to that question and your stomach sinks.
"Most of the letters were transcribed into this book, and all of them were addressed to Heeseung asking for our help. Having found these letters, the authors began to speculate that the reason why all these letters were unsent was because King William knew he wouldn't receive a response from us."
"But that doesn't mean anything. William couldn't send those letters because we were moving around at the time," Sunghoon frowns.
"But these authors didn't know that. At the time they wrote this book, it had been nearly a thousand years since everything happened so they didn't know the truth about us," Jay chuckles bitterly. The sound of his forced laugh makes your gut churn. "Instead, they suspected that this was our entire plan from the start; that we purposefully infiltrated this country and faked our alliance with the royal family just to watch it crumble apart the moment we left. And they firmly believe that when we return, we're going to forcefully take over the entire country."
♡ ♡ ♡
I'm back with Chapter 15, Dalgis! Sorry for the longer wait this time. I started school again last week and have been taking some time to readjust my schedule. How are you all feeling about the new development in the story?
If anyone is curious, here are my inspiration pulls for the library described in this chapter: I imagine the exterior to be a mix of the U.S. Library of Congress and the Oxford Radcliffe Camera. In other words, the library is the size of the Library of Congress, but the dome in the center of the library looks like the Radcliffe Camera. In terms of the interior, I was floored by the beauty of the Abbey Library of St. Gallen in Switzerland so I just had to incorporate that into my story.
Question of the Week: What's your MBTI?
I'm an ISTJ and I'm very proud of it lol. My friends always see me as the "reliable one" because I love to keep things organized so I always have a plan for whenever we get together. I just find so much joy in doing research and making plans. I'm also quite proud to have the same MBTI type as Sunghoon & Jungwon (and previously Jake lol).
I have some exciting news! I've decided to make my Fate Bound playlist on Spotify public so that you guys can listen along while reading! It's the same exact playlist I listen to each week as I'm brainstorming and drafting my updates so hopefully it helps immerse you into the story even further. I also have some other public playlists on Spotify so feel free to check them out and add me as a friend if you'd like. I'd love to check out your playlists too since I'm always looking to expand my music taste 🥰
Fate Bound Spotify playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1AsU9ICsFOHCbq2EN9f7CP?si=2116d716dc164a61
If the link above doesn't work, you can also find the playlist on my Carrd website linked in my profile!
Now that this chapter is finally up, I think I can confidently say that we're about halfway (if not a little past halfway) into the story. I'm so excited to share the rest of the book with you guys. I kinda got sidetracked while drafting this chapter because I ended up creating a 3,000+ word outline to help me organize and plan for the remainder of the story, hehe.
Thank you all for your constant support. I love you all so, so much 💗Please stay safe, happy, and healthy!
Until next time,
Strawberheecake 🍓