In a world where destiny is preordained, everyone has a soulmate. On the day a person comes of age, a red string will be visible in their little finger. It will connect a person to their lifelong partner.

On a person's 18th birthday, everything changes. It's the beginning of the end for many couples. It's the day that a person's strings narrow to one and the red string become as vibrant as the sun.

The red string of fate is only visible to both people who are, in fact, soulmates. It is something that many people consider to be important in life. It's often a foundation to build an entire relationship. But not everyone believes in soulmates.

In the kingdom of Limeburgh, nobles and the royal family always choose power over others. They deny the bond and engage with someone else to keep their reign over the people. They believe that royalty is unbound.

"Happy birthday, my dear," the queen of Limeburgh greeted, earning a smile from her son, Prince Vaughn.

"Thank you, Mother," the prince responded. "I wasn't expecting you to visit me. I would have expected you to be with Father." The queen barely show her face to her children. She usually stays by her husband's side, so it's a rare sight for her to visit Prince Vaughn.

"Your father's busy with an important guest. It's one of your potential marriage partners." The queen's eyes always twinkle at the mere mention of marriage. For it excites her to plan for weddings and meet her future daughter-in-law. "Aren't you excited?" she added.

Prince Vaughn snorts, rolling his eyes at the queen's question. It's a tradition for the royal family to make a grand feast for coming-of-age birthday parties. But the second prince never agreed to the matchmaking happening during the event. He believes that coming of age only exists for one reason, and that's to marry off your son or daughter. It's an event created for political reasons and nothing else.

"Vaughn, don't be like that," the queen said in a serious tone.

"Like what, mother?"

"You know what I mean." Her majesty's face stern, showing authority and dominance.

The prince didn't get swayed away, even if he knew his mother could get angry at any moment. "Do I?" He continued to pretend while sipping a drink.

"Vaughn!" The queen's eyes flare as her voice raises enough to get her son's attention. "I am telling you right now. If you believe in those soulmates or red strings of fate the commoners like to talk about, forget it. There's nothing that bounds the royal families. We determine our future, not Fates. Remember that." The queen marched away from her son, fixing her hair and calming herself before going back to her husband's side.

Prince Vaughn doesn't care whether he met his soulmate or not. He knew how his family was. They despise the idea of soulmates to the point of disowning anyone in the family who believes. He remembers what happened to Princess Elise. The second child of the King and Queen and Prince Vaughn's older sister. When his sister decided to follow her fated pair, his family stripped her from the throne. Branding her as a commoner and never known what happened after.

Thinking about it felt like a collar placed on his neck. It's making him dizzy.

The prince made his way to the balcony for fresh air, but his brow furrowed when he heard murmurs around the corner. He was not expecting anyone to be there since most guests were in the ballroom. He was about to leave them when he heard his name brought up in the conversation. Curious, the prince took a peak and leaned in to listen more.

"Are you sure the second prince has no string?"

The prince caught his breath. Hands run cold and hearts thumping faster. Questions raced in his mind, asking who these people are and what do they know?

"Yes. I saw it."

"What's done can't be undone. We can't change anything. Let's forget it."

"You're right. Let's get out of here."

"Yes."

"Let's go."

When he sensed them about to leave, the prince showed himself from where he's hiding. A small yelp, gasp, squeal, escape the three women's lips, stopping them from proceeding to the exit. It was then that the prince realized who they are.

"You're the Fates, right?" the prince asked. Prince Vaughn knew about the Fates who preordained destiny, but why are they here?

"We are." the Fates answered in unison. "To what does someone of your status owe us?"

"You're talking about me," the prince claimed, but the Fates didn't respond. "The red string of fate. You said I don't have it. And you're right. There's nothing." He lifted his hand and showed it to the ladies, which they gradually inspected.

The red string's supposed to have appeared on his finger. The moment the clock hits midnight on his eighteenth birthday, he could have seen it. But even after waking up in the morning, there's no string connected to him.

"That's true, no strings," one said.

"But everyone's bound to someone," the other responded, still checking the prince's hand.

"Then how come I don't have one?" The prince asked again.

"We forgot?"

Prince Vaughn couldn't fathom saying a word at the answer he got. He wasn't expecting it, especially not to gods or goddesses who have the power to control the world.

"Young prince," the third one called. "If I'm not mistaken, your kind doesn't believe in our work. Your father and mother, even your ancestors, had married someone out of the red strings."

She's right. The prince's family never followed nor married their soulmate, except for Elise. His ancestors always went along and lived their life with someone decided by the palace. It should have been the same for him. But a part of him keeps wanting to see a red string that connects him to another person.

"I'm just curious," he answered, pulling his hand from the Fates grasp.

The Fates look at each other before saying a word. "If curiosity leads you to us, then we say you're not destined to be with someone."

"I'm what?" His eyes widened, and voices raised in shock. "How?"

"Your kind didn't care about us, so we might have tried playing with one of your kind and didn't bother giving you one. Now you're free to do what you wanted like your ancestors."

The young prince opened his mouth but closed it when he couldn't find the right words. What they said made sense. His family never cared about soulmates, so he should be happy with the result. He could live his life without worrying about the 'what if' of a soulmate. But for some reason, his heart hasn't settled. It's beating fast that he could hear its every pump.

"You seem disappointed, young prince," the Fates called out.

"I'm not."

"The lips say you're not, but the heart says, you are. Which should we believe?"

"Tch. Believe whatever you want, I'm going."

Prince Vaughn turned around, ready to go when the Fates stopped him on his track and left him with one more word.

"Destiny might break.
We may make mistakes.
But if the heart beats as one,
Soul bond can never be undone."

⸻