Forced Vows,true Love ||top Tae

7

Jungkook walked silently alongside his family, his steps slow, his expression distant. He had always loved the festivals-the laughter, the games, the shared joy with family and strangers alike-but tonight, something in him was broken. The usual thrill of the festivities felt hollow. Normally, he would have been one of the first to dash toward the sweet stalls or join in the playful games, but tonight, his heart was heavy with dread.

The marriage proposal hung over him like a dark cloud, clouding the beauty of the festival. The thought of being bound to someone he didn't choose, someone whose presence he hadn't even felt a spark of connection with, twisted his stomach. What if the person he was meant to be with was out there, waiting for him, and this marriage would steal that chance away?

His thoughts were interrupted by his brother, Dae Kyun, walking beside him, offering no words of comfort or support. Dae Kyun's composure was unshaken, his steps deliberate and purposeful, a reminder to Jungkook of everything that he was expected to uphold. Their parents, too, walked with quiet resignation, aware of Jungkook's turmoil but offering no solace. They were as much victims of his brother's decision as he was, and yet, in his frustration, he couldn't help but feel betrayed by them as well.

As they neared the lotus pond, the sight of the delicate flowers floating on the water only deepened his sorrow. The purity and grace of the blossoms seemed so far from the reality he faced-a reality where his future was being decided by others, without regard for his own desires. He clenched his fists at his sides, willing himself to hold it together for the sake of his family, but the weight of it all was unbearable.

The sounds of laughter and music from the festival were drowned out by the storm of emotions inside him. He wanted to flee, to escape the stifling atmosphere, but he couldn't. This was his duty, and despite the ache in his chest, he would fulfill it.

The lotus flowers, symbolizing purity, were all around him. But Jungkook felt far from pure, far from the destiny he had dreamed of. All he could do was hold onto the hope that somehow, somewhere, amidst the festivities and the laughter, he might still find a way to escape the path laid out for him.

---

As the sun dipped lower, Taehyung's carriage pulled into the outskirts of Liancheng. The golden light of the evening seemed to wash over him, but his mind remained distant. He had deliberately delayed his arrival, unwilling to be swept into the whirlwind of discussions about marriage and fate that awaited him at the festival. To everyone else, the Spring Festival was a time of joy and renewal. To Taehyung, it was a stage-a stage where he was expected to perform, to meet potential suitors, to wear a mask and smile as if his heart wasn't heavy with the burden of expectation.

The carriage stopped at the grand mansion where various royals had gathered, each eager to showcase their alliances and titles. Taehyung dismounted, his movements deliberate but detached. He had always been the epitome of royal grace, his presence commanding attention, but today, he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Inside the mansion, laughter echoed off the marble walls, and the buzz of conversation filled the air. Royals and nobles mingled, exchanging pleasantries and false smiles. Taehyung barely paid attention as he nodded at familiar faces, his mind too preoccupied with his own thoughts. The sounds of the gathering faded into the background as he slipped away, stepping out onto a balcony.

The view before him was breathtaking-the sprawling lotus ponds below, bathed in the amber light of the setting sun, the city stretched out in the distance, its streets lined with lanterns already glowing. For a brief moment, Taehyung allowed himself to feel something real. The city, the water, the lotus flowers-it all felt untouched by the chaos of his life, untouched by the burdens placed upon him.

Van, his wolf, stirred within him, a silent companion in his solitude. The creature seemed to share his yearning, a yearning for something more, something genuine. Taehyung longed for the day when he would no longer be the prince expected to carry the weight of the kingdom, when he could simply be himself, without the constant pressure to fulfill the roles others had set for him.

As the lanterns lit up the city, Taehyung couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. Perhaps, somewhere amidst the crowd and the laughter, he would find someone who saw him for who he truly was-not the prince of Utopia, not the powerful alpha, but just a man, searching for something real. Something that could make all the expectations and pressures feel insignificant. Something that might bloom as beautifully as the lotuses before him.

.