X #2
Y/N was the one to break eye contact. "Right, well I should probably get changed and pay."
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." He said.
Y/N changed back into her regular clothes and headed back into the first room, with Kent in tow. "How much is this one?"
"That one was originally 500 gold, but, for you, I can knock it down to 300."
Y/N was surprised at the price. With how detailed and extravagant the gown was, 300 gold was a steal. And considering it was hand-stitched, that made it all the more special. "Thank you. Your work is worth much more than that. I appreciate it. May I ask what your name is?"
"Alice Brookfield, and you are my dear?"
"Y/N L/N. It's been a pleasure meeting you."
"It has been a pleasure meeting you too, Miss L/N." Alice snuck something into the garment bag alongside the gown that Y/N wasn't able to see. "A little something for the road. Have a wonderful day and come back soon!"
"Thank you!" Y/N and Kent said in unison.
Walking out of the shop, Kent quickly took the garment bag within his grasp and led Y/N to the street with all of the food stands. "Now that you've accomplished your mission, it's time for you to get something to eat."
At the reminder of food, Y/N's stomach growled, but this time she was ready to eat.
So it wasn't long before Y/N overtook Kent and began guiding him through the street, looking at all of the different stalls.
Some were selling grilled meats, vegetables, fruits, desserts, snacks, everything under the sun.
The one that caught her eye was a stall selling smoked salmon with wild rice.
It had always been one of her favourite meals.
Grabbing her plate, she led them both to a small table on the side of the road to eat.
When she noticed Kent wasn't showing any signs of getting up to get something for himself, Y/N scooped a hefty piece of salmon and rice onto her spoon before holding it in front of him.
When he looked at her questioningly, she tilted her head.
"It just dawned on me that I've never seen you eat before. Go on, it's really good."
Kent looked down at the spoon that had previously been in Y/N's mouth and felt that familiar spark in his chest.
And with her insistence that he try some, he leaned closer and took the spoon into his mouth, embarrassed.
The blend of spices and light umami flavour burst on his tongue. "It is good." He confirmed.
Y/N retracted the spoon and smiled. "Told ya."
People milled about the street, many with friends and family. The street vendors would yell out their deals for the day at any passerbys, and with the sun having dipped below the horizon, the light from the lanterns cast a warm glow on the city. It was perfect.
"I wish the castle was as lively as this. It feels like there's some omniscient being watching over everything there." Y/N confessed.
"Well, you can't expect anywhere where royalty is to be as fun. All these people are so carefree, but if the King was here, everyone would be practically like statues."
"Have you met the King before?" Y/N questioned.
"On occasion, yes. He isn't roaming the palace as much as the prince is but I've run into him during meetings for the guards and such." Kent explained.
Y/N nodded. "Is he really that scary?"
"Wouldn't whoever raised the prince be scary?" Kent joked.
Y/N snorted. She supposed it was true. Whatever rotten soul had raised Prince Lennox to be the way he was had to be even worse, if that was even possible.
Having finished her meal, Y/N felt herself grow parched. Looking around, the only place that seemed to be serving drinks was The Drunken Oaf.
"You down for a drink?" She asked.
Kent turned in the direction of the bar. Seeing all the laughing people inside and exiting, he nodded. He picked up the bag with Y/N's dress in it and they hobbled up the steps and into the building.
It was a rowdy old place. The cobblestone flooring was smooth beneath their feet. There were people filling up every booth and table. There were only two available seats right at the bar. Kent hung the bag on one of the coatracks and sat next to Y/N on one of the barrels.
"It's been ages since I've had a drink." She mentioned.
"Me too." Kent agreed.
The bartender quickly took their orders and served them up their drinks. Y/N deciding to let loose a little chugged her drink all in one go while Kent watched with surprise. She slammed the glass back down on the table and requested another one.
"Something the matter?" Kent joked.
"No, why would you say that?" She asked.
"People who drink with that much energy usually have something they want to forget." Kent remarked.
Y/N felt the fuzziness of the alcohol begin to sink in and unravel her tongue.
"Oh no. Just had to move across the Kingdom to a place I've never been before. Then I ended up getting myself in deep shit with the future king of this Kingdom and am constantly worrying I'm going to lose my position at the castle. And to top it all off,
my soul birthday is in 2 days and I couldn't give a fuck less about it all."
Silence descended between the two of them, but Y/N hardly noticed as she also chugged her second drink within a matter of seconds, while Kent had just finished his first.
"You don't...care?" He asked hesitantly.
"No! Honestly, all of my life, I've watched people eagerly search for their "other half" and drive themselves crazy over it. It's felt like everyone has reduced their lives to this single moment. I just... hate how no one has a say in it. It's not like every couple lives happily ever after either.
Some people live miserable lives with the person they're "destined to be with" whatever that means. And they're just supposed to grit their teeth and bare it. Find them, get married, have kids, and die. That's all life feels like."
"And the love we form free from destiny, we're expected to give up. I mean, how many happy couples have had to leave each other because they were told they weren't right for each other? Because the Goddess Irene didn't fate them."
Y/N could feel the constricting of her throat, but the word vomit kept coming.
"And now with this day coming up for me, it just feels so much more real. It was always something I could despise from a distance. But every year, it has been steadily creeping closer. All the questions and comments slowly started pouring in of "are you excited" and "ugh I'm so jealous".
I honestly wish I could transfer this to someone else."
"All I have ever wanted in my life is freedom. The freedom to make my own choices, do the things I want to do, love the people I want to love. But that's wrong. Why is what I want so wrong?! What if I don't want to settle down for the rest of my life.
I want to experience everything this life has to offer: adventure, growth, friendship, and even love free from the chains of fate."
Kent remained quiet at her side. But his hold on his glass tightened.
"...How could you say that?"
Y/N turned to face him. His voice cracked with so much sadness that she was genuienly taken aback. And she wasn't prepared for his glossy eyes looking at her with so much hurt. He looked at her like he genuinely couldn't understand what she was talking about.
"What..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say to him.
"You might view it like chains on your soul, but have you ever considered that for someone else, it might be all they ever wish for?"
Y/N felt a knot in her stomach.
"That for someone, it would be their only way of experiencing love. You might think of it as some sort of prison, but there are people out there who would do anything to be a prisoner. Because what does that leave the rest of us? Those of us who wait for a day that will never come.
Who standby and watch others fall hopelessly in love and realize that that will never be us."
"K-Kent... I don't understand? What are you saying."
"While you can sit there and chide on a system that you find repulsive, I can only wish that I was like you." His voice broke at the last word.
Y/N looked at him shock, having never seen Kent pent up with so much misery and defeat.
His grip around the glass continued to tighten.
His knuckles turned white. His face flushed, from anger or intoxication, it was unclear.
But his grip suddenly weakened. The spark in his eyes dulled. He looked down into his cup sadly.
"I have no soulmate."