Destiny - Vmin

5. Discoveries

Taehyung wakes up with the weak morning sun streaming through the windows of the room. The silence in the castle was still profound, making it easy for him to leave discreetly. He walked along the beach barefoot, feeling the cold, damp sand under his feet, the sound of the sea gently crashing against the rocks in the distance. It was his first time truly seeing the surface, not through his aunt's stories.

When he spotted the wild horses, his heart raced. "Aunt always talked about them," he thought, smiling to himself. The creatures, majestic and solemn, approached with curiosity, and, as usually happened with sea creatures, there was a connection between him and these animals. One of the horses led him along the trails to the busy local market.

In the marketplace, the bustle was intense. Taehyung, enchanted by the variety of goods and the crowd of people, observed everything with fascination. Not understanding how things worked there, he picked up an apple and bit into it, thinking it was something common. In seconds, an angry vendor knocked him to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the man shouted, drawing attention from those around.

The crowd gathered, and whispers began:

"He must be from the Mangjeol clan," someone murmured, and others agreed.

The situation escalated until the royal guards arrived to intervene, ending the commotion. Irritated, Taehyung was escorted back to the castle. He didn't like being forced to return but offered no resistance.

When they arrived at the castle, Jimin was already at the entrance. Seeing Tae being brought in by the guards, the prince suppressed a amused smile. Irritated, Tae made some rather rude hand gestures toward the prince, venting his frustration. Jimin, observing, smiled as he recognized the gestures and responded with a similarly sarcastic gesture in the same language.

Tae, embarrassed, signs: [Sorry, it wasn't meant for you to understand.]

Jimin, amused: "I'm a prince, well-educated. Of course, I know the kingdom's sign language! But why did you run away?"

Tae, now impatient, signs: [I didn't run away, I just left. I'm free to come and go.]

Miguel, who had been passing by, noticed Taehyung's deplorable state and let out an exasperated sigh:

"How did you ruin your clothes in just one morning?" he asked, his tone biting.

Tae tries to explain using signs, but Miguel, annoyed, rolls his eyes, and Jimin, beside him, watches the hand signals with an amused expression.

"For heaven's sake! I'm just a servant, I don't know sign language. Just come with me to change those clothes. This is too much..." he mutters, walking ahead.

Taehyung casts one last glance at Jimin, hesitating for a moment. The prince seemed to be holding back laughter, clearly finding the whole situation amusing. Reluctantly, Tae decided to follow Miguel with his face slightly frowning in silence, his emotions mixed between irritation and curiosity. They both arrived at a more secluded part of the castle, where there was a small bath area. The servant was efficient and direct, dispensing with unnecessary words as he brought clean clothes. Taehyung noticed that Miguel was clearly annoyed, which made him remain silent, not trying to argue or explain himself further.

After a quick bath and dressed in new clothes, Taehyung found himself alone in the large hallway. Miguel, without ceremony, gave him a quick glance and simply said:

"All set. Now, you're presentable. You can go on your way, I've got other things to do."

Without waiting for a reply, the servant hurriedly left, disappearing down the castle corridors.

Taehyung looked around, a little lost. He had no idea where to go. Everything around him was new and confusing; the stone corridors, the decorations on the walls, the distant sounds of voices and footsteps echoing from different directions. He decided then that the best option was to find Jimin. After all, the prince was the only one who could communicate with him using sign language.

However, the more he walked, the more he realized that the castle was much larger than he had expected. With every corner, it seemed like there was another hallway stretching in a new direction. He passed by hurried servants, who only cast curious or confused glances but didn't offer help. Tae tried to follow the distant sounds, thinking they would lead him to Jimin, but after several minutes of walking in circles, he had to admit he was completely lost.