chapter xiii. red strings-1

You never realised it then, or perhaps you simply have forgotten, but your hand seems much smaller in size compared to Yoongi's.

Yoongi easily reminded you of it the moment he first came to greet you, taking your hand and kissing the back of it like a noble gentleman. And he has yet to let go of that hand since.

Yoongi has his hand and long fingers wrapped around yours, engulfing your hand completely in a gentle hold while he takes you across the meadow. He keeps his pace slow to allow you to follow him comfortably while enjoying the view.

All around you, the world seems to sway with the wind, drifting away out of your touch while he keeps you grounded to him. Every urge you had to pinch yourself to once again make sure that you are not dreaming has long vanished, when the warmth of his hold, his touch, the deep timber of his voice, and his whole presence are enough to let you know that he is real, and that he is truly here with you.

You can still feel the tingle on your skin, right where he pressed his lips. Slowly, you can feel that tingling sensation surging through your body, until it resides deeply in your chest, making your skin flush and your heart thrumming rapidly in your chest the longer you are with him.

Meanwhile, Yoongi remains oblivious—or he pretends to be.

He keeps his eyes mostly looking ahead as he continues guiding you to walk with him between the rows of crops, merely throwing quick glances over his shoulder in the middle of explaining to you about the farmland, the crops, and the farmers who are working diligently in the fields to gather the crops before the sun starts to descend.

Yet you can barely pay much attention to his words. Still feeling dumbfounded that you get to see him again, in a place that is no doubt far, far away from where you met him last. You are also getting more curious to know the meaning behind the pleased look that he is giving you—one that seems to be hinting that he may have somehow expected to be seeing you today.

"I assume it is just another coincidence that you are also here, traveling through the farms?" you playfully ask him as he comes to a brief pause right in the middle of the field.

Here, the row of crops have grown just as tall as your shoulders, and it would have made you feel as if you are being swallowed in them if not for Yoongi who is keeping you close and helping navigate your way through them. His face appears between the swaying crops as Yoongi glances over to you and smiles.

"What if I told you that it may not be a coincidence?" he says to you with a calm voice and just a tinge of tease in his words. "Perhaps it has been decided by fate that we would be seeing each other again."

"Fate?" you muse with a smile, "So you believe in such a thing?"

Yoongi tilts his head and gives you an unwavering smile. "Don't you believe in fate?" he asks, his voice sounds playful, but he does seem genuinely curious to hear your answer that you find it quite endearing.

"I think the Fates are the ones that hold the key to every coincidences, no matter how small," he later adds as he pulls you to walk by his side, the hand that has been holding yours is now placed at the small of your back, guiding you through the thick meadow while he continues to speak, "like how I caught a little dove one day in a market full of people, watched the beautiful thing fly away with almost no hope of ever seeing her again, and yet here we are, walking hand in hand across the cornfields."

Your cheeks burn because of his words, yet you hide it by looking away. "You're speaking with too much jest."

Yoongi leans down, denying your effort to avoid his eyes. "You don't believe my words, then? That it was all thanks to fate that we got to see each other again?"

Trapped under his attentive gaze, he makes you feel nervous. Yet you find it hard to look away from him. Not that you even want to.

"Since you saved me the last time we met, I suppose I can learn to trust you," you say to him while biting back a smile and feigning annoyance, acting as though his comment didn't send your heartbeat racing a mile a minute. "You know what? I think I can trust you. I don't see the harm in having a little faith, after everything that you've shown me so far."

"I feel honoured to have earned your trust," he says with the corner of his lips tilting up to a smile. He straightens up and continues to guide you through the rest of the meadow until you finally reach the edge, where trees are lined up to mark the estate's borders and a dirt road spreads wide on the other side. "A wise man once said that a little goes a long way."

You laugh at his comment. "Are you the wise man in question?"

As he takes you under a tree, letting the canopy of leaves above your head shelter you from the pale golden afternoon sun, he turns to you with a gaze that looks so deep it makes you want to drown in it.

"If you want me to, then I am willing to become one for you." Yoongi smoothly says, while you can see his gaze dancing with mirth. "I've said it before, haven't I? I can be whatever you want me to be."

"Is that so?"

With a shrug, Yoongi simply continues to add, "I can be flexible. I can be whatever and whoever you need me to be. A mercenary, a guide, a guardian, a friend, a farmer."

His eyes seem to glow under the shadows formed by the thick leaves above you as he silently gauges your reaction. When you say nothing to him in return, he then simply continues with, "and I can be wherever I want to be, or in places where I am needed. Across the borders, across the land and mountains, and beyond the sea—"

Yoongi lifts a hand and tugs gently at the hood of your cloak until it falls back, revealing your face and hair. He catches a stray strand of your hair that has slipped from its bind with his delicate fingers and carefully tucks it to the back of your ear. A gesture that feels so intimate that the flutters inside your chest go wild.

And he makes it feel even more intense with his eyes never leaving you as he speaks to you softly, "I can continue following your shadows, if only you'd let me, making sure that you'll never find yourself feeling like you are all alone in this wicked world."

As he finishes talking, you can almost hear the unspoken words that he is withholding from you. You can see it through his lingering gaze, in his secretive smile, and in the way he is looking at you knowingly, silently telling you that he knows more than he is letting you on.

In that moment, you finally realise the reason why you are able to recognise this look, and why you feel so familiar with it.

Because you have seen it before; through your father's eyes, when he first welcomed your arrival at the Stargrave Castle and on the day he passed you the magic keys; on Nanny Abigail's smile, whenever she brought up any story about your mother and the memories from your childhood that you had long lost; and in the reflection that you see in the mirror whenever you have to lie to your lady maid about your past afternoon activities while she is brushing your hair to help you prepare for the day.

A look that holds a secret, something that is so deeply concealed and carries a lot of weight that it makes you feel like you are standing on the precipice of your sanity.

As you fall silent, Yoongi reaches out, delicately catching your wrists with his hands. Without saying a word to you, he gently runs his thumb across your skin, and your body reacts almost immediately.

You feel yourself swaying before you realise what is happening. You start leaning closer, your chest brushes against his, and that is when you can feel it.

A tingling sensation runs through your body the more you lean into him. It seems to begin from the touch of his fingers on your skin, yet it quickly spreads all over his body, brushing against yours while drawing you further into him.

You remember feeling this same sensation whenever you walk across the magic portal, which has been growing stronger as you continue using your father's magic, and the more you continue using his magic keys.

Magic. What you are feeling is magic. And it is coming from him.

"You," you gasp softly once realisation dawns on you. Your head is spinning as your mind slowly starts putting all the pieces together until it becomes almost too overwhelming for you to think clearly. Yet you still manage to find your voice, allowing you to question him, "You're not a regular human, are you?"

Yoongi simply smiles in return and tilts his head. "What makes you say that, little dove?"

He makes no move, so you take the initiative by stepping into his personal space, getting even closer to him to test your theory. So close, that your chest nearly brushes against him, and you can feel the magic growing stronger, radiating from his body in a soft hum that fills your senses—as if the magic that is coming out of him is welcoming your presence.

Being this close also allows you to feel the soft thrum of his heartbeat vibrating from under his thin white shirt, almost in tune with your own. You have no idea what to make of this, so you put that thought aside as you try to focus on the murmurs of mana that are trying to reach out to you.

With a deep inhale of breath, you look up, meeting his gaze to whisper, "Because we're no longer in the human realm. And just like me, you would need a special means of travel to be here."

Like the magic that you can sense coming from him. A strong spell. A portal.

You bite your lips, having no idea how to question his ability without having to reveal your secret in return. You can almost hear your father's voice, reminding you to keep the magic portals and his keys a secret through the echoes going inside your head.

"Within each one of the silver doors, there is a strong kind of magic. One that has been so demanding of our family's powers, exists under my control, and it is also the type of magic that should be kept secret, no matter what. Once you go through them, you will understand why it is important for me to defend this castle and our home territory."

Noticing your hesitance, Yoongi brushes has fingers on your wrists once again, drawing your attention back to him to see his smile. "Perhaps, if you would give me a chance, I can explain everything to you."

"Yes, please explain," you find yourself whispering back to him, "Tell me everything."

Yoongi nods and starts glancing around. "Not here," he murmurs as he slides his fingers between yours, entwining them together. "Follow me. This conversation may require us a place to sit down and be comfortable, preferably with a few glasses of drinks to share, maybe a meal? If I remember correctly, you have a taste to sweet and savoury snacks."

Hearing that he remembers about your previous 'date' brings a smile to your face. "Where are you taking me?" you question him as he begins taking you away from the flourishing meadow. "Are you thinking of kidnapping me now that I vowed to trust you?"

"Sounds tempting," he teases with a wink. "But I promise, I'll keep you safe until you are to return to—" Something flickers through his gaze. A deeper secret. A question. But it is gone when he continues to add, "wherever you came from."

He reaches out to you with his free hand, playing with the hood of your cloak to place it back in place, as if hiding you from sight. "I want us to have some privacy as we chat. Which would be quite impossible to do now that the farmers have caught your presence," he says while his throws a subtle glance over your shoulder.

Carefully, you follow his gaze and steal a quick glance to see a few farmers surreptitiously watching you from under their bamboo hats with curious eyes.

How odd, you wonder. They paid no mind to me at all earlier while I was walking through the fields. As if they couldn't see me.

You turn to look at Yoongi again, wondering if he has anything to do with the unwanted attention. Maybe they are looking at him, instead of you, and wondering why he was pulling a random stranger across the fields?

You have so many questions, and for some reason, something tells you that he may have all the answers. But how much can you truly trust him? How much can you share in return?

You keep these questions to yourself, however, and instead follow him without a word as Yoongi once again begins to guide you with him, taking you further away from the pastureland and the curious farmers through the dirt road.

"Y'Old Whispers."

When Yoongi talked about taking you to a place that would be comfortable and safe enough for you to have a chat, you didn't expect him to be taking you to this place.

Written in ancient letterings, the tavern's name—which is engraved right above the tavern's front doors—draws you back to the conversation that you had earlier with the farmers. You are beginning to question if fate truly does have a hand in leading you to this place, albeit through Yoongi's hands.

Located on the other side of the farmer's village, the old tavern sits right in the intersection where the dirt road crossing the farm estate and the farmer's village meets the gravel-covered road leading towards the busier downtown. A stone bridge hovering over the nearby bank that borders between the farming region and the more advanced town seems to be the connecting route that helps people travel from one region to another.

Right now, the path seems vacant. Which isn't much of a surprise when most of the villagers are still so hard at work. There is nothing visible except for the scattered dirt and carriage tracks that have been imprinted on the gravel road. There are empty carriages parked on the side of the road, which no doubt would be filled with crops by the end of the day.

"You've heard of the place?" Yoongi asks after hearing you whisper the tavern's name with such familiarity, while you merely shrug, feeling intrigued to find out what you may find inside more than you are curious to know how Yoongi could have known about this place.

Just like how he knew exactly where to take you during your great escape back in Narlès.

"A kind local farmer who I encountered earlier today told me about this place," you explain to him, "He said something about it being the perfect place for travellers to recoup, rest, and gather some information."

Yoongi seems pleased to hear this. "I guess that means I made a good choice of bringing you here, then," he proudly boasts, "Still not convinced that this is the work of fate?"

Choosing not to share your brief thoughts about fate, you simply give him a coy smile. "We'll have to see."

Chuckling softly, Yoongi takes your hand in his and guides you to enter the small tavern. He pushes the old wooden door that swings open with a creak, and the sounds from within filters out through the door; the low murmurs of conversation shared between the patrons, the sounds of clinking glass and cutleries, and a faint melody of a lute being strummed from somewhere inside the bustling tavern.

"Shall we?" Yoongi invites you to walk in first as he holds the door open.

Walking into the tavern, a blast of warmth welcomes you. The air inside is thick with the scent of seasoned timber and the comforting aroma of hearty meals. There is also the strong scent of brewing alcohol wafting around you. Yet what draws your attention is the scent of aromatic herbs which seems to be coming from the kitchen, making you wonder what kind of sustenance and brews that this place may be offering its guests.

Looking around, you cannot help but compare this place with The Rare Roots.

Inside, the tavern seems much smaller and perhaps more humble.the atmosphere seems a bit calmer, compared to the loud and rowdy air that you had often seen back at The Rare Roots.

Just as you had expected, the light inside is kept dim, but there are wide windows on the other side of the tavern that are open towards the bank and the dirt road bordering the village. The windows allow the golden sunlight to filter into the room, adding natural warmth within while the hearth at the end of the room remains unlit.

Perhaps it will remain that way until later in the evening, when the night turns cold and the hot meals no longer bring enough warmth.

At the corner of the room, there is a young man playing the lute while serenading solemnly for the patrons who are dining and drinking around him, most seem to be chattering mindlessly over the tune that he is playing.

So that's where the music was coming from, you wonder with a smile, admiring the musician who seems to be enjoying himself despite the lack of attention he seems to be getting.

Yoongi places a gentle hand on the small of your back, guiding you towards the main bar. The bar, which seems to be made of old wood, is stretched along one side of the room, right at the far back. Under the dim light, you notice the ornamental carving adorning the front side of the bar which appears slightly worn down and is fading with age. There is a story there, you realise, although you might not be able to know what it's all about when you know almost nothing about this place.

Behind the bar, wooden shelves fill the wall from the floor to ceiling, with an array of colourful bottles and tankards lined up within the racks. Hops filled with the local brews are lined up at the sides, and you notice that there is also a hint of a rich aroma of herbs wafting from within.

Right at the bar stands the bartender, a seasoned figure with a mop of unruly ginger hair on top of his head, a dust of five o'clock beard around his sharp jaw, and a friendly twinkle in his eyes. He glances up from the glass that he has been busy polishing in his hands, offering a nod of acknowledgement at Yoongi while the latter greets the bartender as if they are old friends.

"Business seems to be running well today."

The bartender grins at Yoongi as he sets down the glass that he was working on, switching it with another from the counter, continuing his work to polish the glass as he answers Yoongi, "'Tis harvesting season, this is. Folks come by during their breaks, have their meals and drinks here before going back out to the field there. More folks will come in the evening for tomorrow's work, but yer not staying here that long, I bet."

You take a quick glance around the room, soaking it all in. Noticing only now the distinctive features of the patrons filling the tavern to realise that the 'folks' that he mentioned seem to vary. Sitting in small groups, they separate themselves between travellers, local and foreign merchants, mercenaries on duty, and also commoners and locals who look like farmers and workmen who have no doubt been working for the harvest.

Turning back to the bar, you find that the bartender already has his gaze on you. He silently watches you with a knowing look in his eyes, as if he is trying to read you. But then a friendly smile appears on his face as he turns to Yoongi once again to ask, "The usual?"

Yoongi nods. "You always know what I need."

The bartender chuckles. "Don't I know it better than other folks would," he says with a quip. "The table's been cleaned in the morning. I somehow had a hunch you'll be stopping by today."

"Thanks," Yoongi says to the man before guiding you away from the main bar, going past the corner where the musician is still playing his lute, and then turning to the small stairs that is hidden from view on the other side of the fireplace.

The short flight of stairs takes you to a more private quarter right above the crowded ground floor. Instead of a closed room, the space you are walking into is an open balcony. There is a row of tables and seats set up near the railings and outer columns that are covered with vines, a smaller version of the bar's wall mounted shelves you saw downstairs stretches out on the adjacent wall, all filled with similar bottles of drinks and tankards lined up in order.

Yoongi walks ahead with a familiarity in his attitude, looking as if he owns the place. He then goes towards one of the nearest seats and pulls it back for you. "Milady," he says with an overly dramatic poise, making you think of a refined noble. The notion only makes you smile as his action seems a bit too graceful for a man wearing a bamboo hat and cotton pants covered in dried soil.

"Thank you, my kind Sir," you accept his offer by playing along by curtsying at him, which draws out his deep chuckle. After helping you settle in your seat, Yoongi walks around the table and claims the seat right across from you. "I suppose it's safe to assume that you are a regular to this place?"

Yoongi smiles. "This place has a great view, as you can see," he says, pointing out at the balcony.

You take a look around, realising that he is right. From the balcony, you get to see the sight of the vast farmland that you visited earlier—which you had suspected to be a part of your father's secret estate—that is fully visible on one side. Looking over to the other side, you get a clearer view of the village's borders; the river, the intersection, and the crossing bridge leading towards the main town.

Seeing all of this, you realise that this private space would be the perfect spot for you, or anyone else, to watch the comings and goings between this village and the neighbouring town.

Turning back to the table, something catches your eyes that makes you stop. Right in the corner of the table where you are sitting at, there is a familiar-looking crest that have been skilfully engraved into the wooden surface. The same crest that you had once seen printed on the reports handed to the King by the royal advisors about the suspected rebellion rising among the commoners.

It only takes a moment before it dawns on you.

"This is a viewing spot for you and your brothers of the mercenary, isn't it?"

Yoongi has a smile on his face when you look back at him. For some reason, he seems—pleased, that you manage to catch on so easily. "You are quite perceptive," he says. "That is correct. Me and my men often gather here. Sometimes we'd be here for work, either it's for aiding a merchant who has some business in this place and needs our protection. Other times, we would come here to do a simple surveillance work, but we mostly use this place as a rendezvous spot and to recoup just as you had suggested."

Right as you are about to question whether the bartender or any of the men downstairs have been a part of his army, the bartender himself appears at the doorway, approaching your table with an easy smile on his face. The worn wooden floor creaks softly beneath his heavy steps. His looks remind you a little of the barkeep, Sir Elias, who is just as friendly and as massive as this man looks—although you must admit that the older barkeep back home seems to be a bit taller and more muscular.

You lower your hood to greet the kind bartender as he sets down a pair of tankards filled with the local brew and a large plate filled with fried meal; spicy chicken wings, deep fried sweet potatoes that have been chopped in small strips, flour-coated fried vegetables and sausages, with buttermilk biscuits on the side.

Yoongi takes a peek at the plated fried meal and raises his eyebrows.

"Hey," the bartender says, shrugging and crossing his arms, "You said to get you the usual."

Yoongi shakes his head. "I was thinking about your special stew and seasoned chicken. The biscuits are fine," he says, before turning to you, "You'll have to forgive O'Moran here, as he rarely serves a distinguished lady in his business."

"That there is true," the man, O'Moran, admits proudly before bending down at the waist for his own version of curtsy. "The name's O'Moran, M'lady. As a local establishment, I must shamefully admit that we're lacking in our fancy menus. The stew might take a while to boil. We've been busy since dawn, so we keep running out of our specials today."

Smiling, you simply regard him with a nod. "That's quite alright, Sir. I'm actually more curious to try on your local brew. I've heard good things about the special drink that was said to help mend exhausted travellers like myself."

There is a glint in his eyes as he listens to your compliment. You figure it may have something to do with the secret behind the drink's special healing effect. You can almost hear the wheels in his mind turning as he silently tries to figure out who you are.

"Then you are in for a treat, M'lady. This here is our special brew. Made not only to restore your health, but also magic for some," he says, drawing a smile from you.

"Then I shall savour the drink, together with the snacks that you served us," you kindly say to the man, who later scoffs at Yoongi.

"See? The Lady doesn't mind your boys' favourite snacks," he boasts with a chuckle while Yoongi rolls his eyes. "Do you folks need anything else?"

"We'll be fine. I'll call you up if we need anything else," Yoongi says to the man, while O'Moran shrugs.

"I'll leave you folks be, then. I'll go down and have a look at that stew and bring you some when it's ready," he says as he turns away. "And some refills to that drink," he adds with a wink.

You thank the man one last time before he walks away, disappearing through the small stairs to return to the crowded bar and the kitchen downstairs. Once again, you are left alone with Yoongi in the privacy of the secluded balcony, accompanied by the trickling sound of the flowing river nearby and the breeze that is slowly cooling down as the day is closing into dusk.

Taking one of the drinks, you take a careful sip of the brew, tasting it in your tongue. A rich taste of herbs fills your mouth, and you take your time savouring it.

Closing your eyes, you focus on the other sensations that are rising from within as warmth starts flowing through your body. A dust of tingles spreads through your skin, while everything else on the inside seems to be mending together. Your exhaustion slowly melts, your chest seems to feel lighter and it feels easier to breathe, while your muscles no longer feel as tense as they were after dealing with your royal duties before venturing through the magic door this afternoon.

"This is...quite nice," you mutter as you open your eyes, loving the way your body feels after drinking it.

You look up, noticing that Yoongi is watching you closely while he is enjoying his own drink. "I assume that as you've heard about this place, you must know what this drink does to our bodies."

"You can say that," you answer him with a grin. As you watch him taking another drink, the words from the old farmer return to you, reminding you of what he mentioned before about the local brew being made in this place—

"Just say yer new 'round here and he'll have ye the fine brew of his that's said to be good for young elves."

Earlier, his words had only made you think about how it was supposed to refer to you, making you wonder if the farmer had indeed sensed something about yourself which you haven't been able to identify for yourself.

But now, as you watch Yoongi closing his eyes briefly as he savours his drink, you begin to question about his secrets. "What are you, really?" you find yourself asking him as the curiosity grows on you. "Who are you? How do you travel between realms?" Your eyes briefly turn towards the engraved emblem by the table and wonder, "Is it safe to assume that your men is capable of doing the same thing?"

"So many questions," Yoongi muses with a soft chuckle as he puts down his drink. He carefully leans forward and says, "So many things to unpack. I don't even know where to start."

There is something in his voice that makes you feel wary, the hidden challenge that he seems to be giving you making you grow alert against him. It makes you want to draw back, to take back all the words that you had just given him the moment you realise that the more he reveals his secrets, he would only make it fair by demanding the same honesty from you in return.

"You can start by explaining what you can," you carefully say to him, allowing your curiosity to win.

Yoongi taps his fingers on the table, contemplating his answer. And just as expected, he responds to you by saying, "And what do I get in return? What do you have to offer for an honest answer?"