"I, Jennie Ruby Jane of House Asteria, pledge my loyalty to his royal highness, Taehyung Ares Delrico, The Crown Prince of the Valorian Empire.
"How far does your loyalty lie, Princess Jane?" He stalked towards her, unrelenting even as her back co...
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Jennie sat up abruptly, gasping for breath. The room was dark, lit only by the dying embers of the fire. Beside her, Taehyung stirred, his hand instinctively reaching for her.
She was startled awake by a vivid nightmare. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she tried to shake off the remnants of the vision.
She had seen Taehyung lying on a battlefield, lifeless, surrounded by the carnage of war. The sight had been so real, so palpable, that she could almost feel the coldness of his skin, hear the silence that had followed his fall.
"Jennie," Taehyung murmured, his voice thick with sleep. "What's wrong?"
He glanced out the window to see the sun had not even risen yet, meaning that the pair had barely gotten any sleep.
Jennie forced herself to calm down, taking deep, steadying breaths. "It's nothing," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. "Just a nightmare."
"It must have been a terrible one to frighten you so much." His brow furrowed with concern as he sat up and wrapped an arm around her.
"It was. But it's just a dream, Taehyung. Nothing more." She said as she managed a weak smile, though her heart was still racing.
Taehyung's brow furrowed, but he didn't press further. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I'm here," he whispered. "It's just a dream."
Jennie nodded, resting her head against his chest. She wanted to believe it was just a dream, a figment of her anxious mind, but Azeron's warning echoed in her thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than just a nightmare.
"Thank you," she whispered, leaning into his embrace. "I know."
Jennie lay back down beside Taehyung, but sleep eluded her. Her mind replayed the horrific vision over and over again. She knew that Azeron's prophecy and her nightmare were linked, though she couldn't decipher how.
With each passing minute, the panic within her only grew stronger. She would not let the vision come true.
In her own chamber, she splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the remnants of the nightmare.
She took a deep breath, her thoughts racing. The cold water had helped to some extent, but the image of Taehyung's lifeless body still haunted her. She knew she couldn't ignore the vision, but she also couldn't let it paralyze her with fear.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes fierce and resolute. "It was just a nightmare," she told herself firmly. "It doesn't mean anything. And even if it does, I'll make sure it never happens."
The camp was already bustling with activity by the time she had entered the command tent. She decided to skip breakfast for the sake of acquiring a few more minutes of peace.
That however didn't last long, as a mere twenty minutes later Captain Lee had entered the tent, offering her a bright smile.
A few more minutes later, Taehyung entered the command tent where Jennie was already going through reports. He gave her a reassuring smile, and for a moment, the weight on her shoulders felt lighter.
