My Dear Prince [JoongNine] (ONGOING)

11. The Man with the Armlet

11. The Man with the Armlet

"Hey Nine, who's that good-looking man with you?" the female vendor of the rice cake asked while I pick on her rice cakes, tasting a small bits from time to time. I turn my head at the female vendor before glancing back at Joong who is simply staying on his position, his arms on his back while his gaze roam around the busy market. 

"He's... our cousin." is the only lie I managed to came up with. I cannot tell everyone that he's a total stranger. I clear my throat, handing the rice cakes to the female vendor, putting it in a small plastic bag before giving back to me. After paying her, I immediately bid my goodbye at ther. 

"He looks like a prince, don't yout think?" the woman chuckles at me while looking at Joong. "Good looks really runs in your family." she added before I leave. I laugh weakly on her comment, scratching the back of of my neck shyly. 

"You're still okay?" I asked Joong as I approach him. Joong  looks exhausted now and it seems that he's not really used by the amount of people around him. He looks uneasy and I startet to feel worry about him. "We can go back home if you're tired already." 

Joong smiles at me, shaking his head. His sweat glistens under the sunglight but he still looks handsome. "I'm fine. Just buy what you need to buy." 

I blink my eyes several times, astonished on how good-looking this person in front of me. He had this tousled, dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerising deep and hazel, flecks of silvery light performed ballets throughout. His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He doesn't look like a usual guy and I have this feeling that he's from noble family. 

I have to break my thoughts from admiring him dearly. "Okay, I have to go to this last shop then we can go home." I told him before we walk again on the sea of people. The market place became undeniably crowded this time - everyone is moving in different directions. As I turn my head back, I watch Joong struggle a little bit as he tries to follow me. Random people are bumping against him and he trips on his way and a panic plastered on his face. 

I stop midway to grab Joong's hand, holding him securely against mine. I pull Joong with me, slipping out from the massive crowd to the other corner where fewer people are around. 

"Wha-what's wrong?" Joong asked me curiously, still loking uneasy. 

I take a deep breath, pressing my other hand on my forehead. "You look like you were going to pass out on the crowd," I told him with so much concern, biting my bottom lip. "You just stay here because I cannot help not to worry about you from time to time. I'll be right back quickly, okay? Don't go anywhere." I said to him. Joong simply nods his head, not saying anything. 

I let Joong stay on one of the stall owned by an old woman. "Grandmother, please let him stay here for a minute, okay? I will go get something to the other store. Don't let him go alone, okay?" I told the old woman who simply smiles at me brightly, giving me a thumbs-up. 

I look over Joong for a minute. "I'll wait for you here." Joong said to me.  I laugh timidly, drifting my gaze away from Joong then I continue my way on to the crowd. Looking back, I watch as my eyes got clouded by the sea of people, blocking my sight of Joong. 

Luckily, people started to lessen as soon as I arrived at the alleyway where the store I'm looking for is located. There are few people haggled over the stalls where most of the vendors are owned by mothers. The footpaths were crowded with stalls selling sacks of nuts and dried fruit, or meat roasting on roasting skewers. Powdered spices lay in rust red and dusty yellow piles, or spilled bright green from sacks as large as feed bags. 

The vendors immediately noticed me and as a regular, they flashes me their warmest greetings and smiles and followed by them handing me various small sack bags that contains spices and dried fruits. This corner of the market place is the only place that gives me warmth. The vendors here never missed a single chance to take care of me and Earth ever since. 

"Look at you, you became skinny these past few weeks, here, you should have this," one of them told me, giving me a bunch of small potatoes. "How's our dear Earth? Is he doing good?" 

"Yeah, he's working at A'am's farm." I smiled at her, putting the small potatoes on my wooven bag. "Thank you for the potatoes." 

After receiving some goods at them and buying the certain item that I need to buy, I'm preparing to leave, already waving my hands at the vendors, thanking them with their generosity. All of a sudden, before I can even make a single step, I felt someone crashed into me causing me to fall into the ground, my items scattering all over. I heard people around gasped because of the scene and shock registered on my face. 

As I lift my head to find out who's the person who crashed into me, my eyes spotted a familiar armlet on the ground. My brain stutters for a moment as I watched the armlet grabbed by pair of hands. 

No, it's my bracelet! I hurriedly get up from the ground and for a quick moment, I leap on my stance to grab the stranger's arm to stop him from running away. Things happen so fast afterwards, I was pushed hastily away from the stranger and a hissing sound of a sword unseathing startled me. The blade is pointing under my chin, preventing me to create an action as my heart jumps in rapid pace, my mouth frozen. 

People started to gather around, almost dumbdfounded as me yet scared by the view of the sword directed to me. In front of me are two young men, the other one who holds the armlet that I owned and other one is protectively covering the latter while his sword is directed to me - as if I'm a huge threat. 

"Your Highness, are you alright?" said by the protector, his gaze didn't leave me. 

The moment I realized that he called the latter Your Highness, that's when the pieces started to form like a building blocks of sudden realization. I stared at the latter, loss of any words a sif my mind is stuck underwater. The vivid memories came back, flashing at the back of my mind; the person I've been waiting for every full moon, where I left my bracelet, the owner of the silk cloth, the one who protected me before - is right in front of me.