Pray for the Wicked | ATEEZ

08.

I was swelling with happiness, nearly choking on it, as I made my way through the marketplace, dragging Hongjoong along with me, hand-in-hand, as I let the sights, the smells, and the sounds take me away.

Long forgotten were the differences and dislike and all else as I marveled in the sight of Odeion, of Hell, which had always been described to me as an overwhelming pit of suffocating darkness and suffering. This was nothing like it. This was nothing like I had ever seen before.

The son of Lilith's occasional glances and stolen looks went completely unnoticed as I weaved my way through the crowd, making sure to keep my head low and, as per his orders, keep my face and eyes covered.

My heart was hammering against my ribs as pushed past curtains of fabric and scarves only to, at last, come to a halt as my eyes widened at the sight of the stall which was revealed on the other side.

Among barrels and crates and baskets of exotic foods I had neither seen nor tasted before, far from the vendors selling weapons and tools and machinery, was a hidden gem.

The shop's back wall covered in precious metals and jewelry, carefully crafted necklaces hanging from the roof that glinted like the stars which were nowhere to be seen in the sky overhead, bracelets and rings littering the countertop in front of me as I carefully placed my free hand on the wooden surface.

A small sound of awe left my lips as I let my eyes travel across all of the obsidian and onyx, some of the stones roughly cut while others were almost impossibly smooth. There was no silver in sight, the material belonging to the angels, but the hammered gold and leather seemed just as beautiful as they glowed warmly in the dancing firelight.

I turned to Hongjoong who had barely spoken a word since we left the plaza, realizing that he had already been looking at me as he immediately averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

The son of Lilith's cheeks were flushed, either from the heat of the flames or something else. I couldn't tell. He glanced down at our hands which were still intertwined, the small movement going unnoticed by me as he chewed on his bottom lip, but he stayed just as silent as before.

"Your highness," a voice suddenly said, a merchant appearing from somewhere behind all of the jewelry with a bright smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly as he regarded Hongjoong and bowed his head slightly.

My eyes immediately widened, and I realized how I was still holding his hand, quickly untangling my fingers from his as I pulled the hood further over my head and hurriedly hid behind his back.

"And good evening to you," Hongjoong said, his voice taking on a kind of warmth that had previously been foreign, unknown, to me, which made me furrow my brows a little as I clutched the fabric of his shirt.

"Are you looking for anything specific?" the salesman asked eagerly, "For yourself? Or-" he paused, furrowing his brows a little as he spotted me hiding behind his back, but the frown quickly melted into a soft smile as he said, "Or for a girl, perhaps?"

I felt Hongjoong tense, but it was faint, subtle, and he quickly made a gesture that I couldn't quite make out as he said, "I'll take that one if you don't mind."

And then there was shuffling and the faint sounds of metal scraping against metal, money, I realized, before Hongjoong was turning around, stuffing something in his pocket as the merchant said, "Give our blessings to the empress" and he promised, "I will."

I was forced to move with him, following his lead as he gently placed a hand at the small of my back and guided me down another path than the one we had come from, away from the colourful fabrics and exotic spices and foods and the stalls as we entered another narrow street.