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"Princess, it is time to get ready."Amaya released a soft sigh as she soared a quick glance towards her handmaiden who was standing in the doorway to her room. All of the staff in the castle were told to wait outside until further instruction, as to not irritate the family. Amaya never minded though, she quite enjoyed the company of others. Yona, her twin sister, was a different story. She saw them as an inconvenience, apart from a select few.She looked back down to the book that she was reading before placing a piece of paper between the pages of where she had read up too. She then closed it softly, placing it on the small table in front of her. She dusted herself off and then stood up, facing the woman that had been patiently waiting for her.Once the woman noticed that Amaya was walking towards her, she smiled gently, before gesturing for the young princess to follow after her. They walked through many different hallways, even cutting through the garden at one point, before arriving at their destination.One of the rooms in the castle was one that was used for getting ready. Amaya, and her twin sister, Yona, used it quite regularly. They also quite enjoyed dressing up together, even if their own styles differed quite immensely.As Amaya and her handmaiden walked in, they noticed that they were the first to arrive. Knowing that Yona would be showing up any second now, Amaya walked over to her own collection of clothing.She chose a simple lavender gown, with navy blue flower patterns covering the bottom. She tended to go for the simpler options, rather than the more extravagant. Yona always went for the gown she deemed most beautiful.While Amaya's handmaiden was brushing her hair, the doors burst open and Yona walked in, her own handmaiden scurrying behind her. Min-Soo, one of the main servants in the castle, was beside her. Amaya and Yona were both rather fond of him, he was a very kind-hearted person and never once did anything to annoy them."Ah, Amaya, you're here already!" Yona exclaimed, upon seeing her sister sitting at her vanity. They each had their own, Yona's being a soft pink, while Amaya's was a light violet."Yes, I thought I would get a head start." Amaya responded, watching her sister through the mirror.It was quite obvious to anyone that Yona was the more energetic sister, while Amaya tended to be more reserved and kept to herself most of the time. The only one she ever spent her time with, was their childhood friend, Hak.He served under their father and was an incredible fighter. Amaya would always pester him about teaching her how to fight. Eventually, he agreed and allowed her to join him one day. She picked up on a few things rather quickly, like how to handle knives and such. Her skills didn't stretch too far however, for she still couldn't quite handle a bow. She was persistent though and never once gave up.
half an hour later
Yona was still getting ready, while Amaya had finished everything that she had needed to do. Including getting changed, getting her hair done, and had makeup applied to her face. Yona had yet to find something to wear, and it was starting to irritate everyone in the room. Not that they would admit it, considering the young princess's temper.Amaya sighed quietly, as to not let Yona know how annoyed she was. "Yona, you realize how late we are now, right?" Yona simply brushed her comment off, moving to pick up another robe, which had a floral pattern on it."It's okay, Amaya. I'll be ready soon!" Yona reassured. Although Amaya found it very hard to believe since Yona had now switched between 13 different robes. All of which looked perfectly fine, so Amaya didn't see what the big fuss was about.Min-Soo spoke up after noticing the unpleasant look on Yona's face as she switched between robes again. "You look wonderful, Princess." He slightly moved forward as he spoke again "Forgive me, but you two should be heading to the courtyard soon..." He attempted to hurry up Yona, without outright saying it.Yona suddenly stood upright with her hands gripping the material of her clothes. "No! This isn't right." Amaya clenched her eyes shut, pursing her lips in utter annoyance. She loved her sister, she truly did, but sometimes she just pushed her buttons.At this rate, the both of them would miss the ceremony.Yona looked over at one of the servants who were folding the clothes that Yona has put aside. "Hey, where is that chintz?" Yona hurriedly took of her extra robe and placed it into the maid's arms, then proceeded to go off in search of the so called 'chintz' when she noticed her and Amaya's father making his way towards them. In other words, the ceremony had indeed ended.Yona looked rather shocked at the fact that he was already finished with the ceremony, "Father! What about the ceremony?" she asked curiously. Not quite realizing just how much time had passed while she was trying to find something to wear.Their Father, with his usual carefree smile replied to her question in a calming tone, as he always did. "As you can see, it's over.""Oh, no... I'm sorry, I..." Amaya walked up behind her and placed her hand on her shoulder, causing Yona to glance towards her for a brief moment before turning her gaze downwards."That's just what happens when you take so long getting ready little sister." Yona spun around, smacking Amaya's shoulder lightly, which made her chuckle considering it didn't even hurt, before turning her attention back to their father. He, however, just laughed at his daughter's childish antics."Well, no matter. It was merely a formality." He then stepped forward slightly raising his hand as to gesture towards Yona, "There is no need for the two of you to appear before the people." He smiled at them with his overwhelmingly calm smile."Hey father... Isn't there something odd about our hair?" Yona spoke after gesturing between herself and her sister. Father looked awfully surprised at her question. While Amaya had been expecting something like this to pop up at least some point during the day."Of course not! You and your sister's beauty surpasses that of any jewel-". Their father complimented, as he always did when Yona got insecure. While it didn't always work, today appeared to be an exception seeing as Yona immediately began to smile.She then held her hand up to her face and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. "Yes, that of my face. I believe I was born with quite a cute face." She then turned and looked down at her hair with a small grimace. "But why is it so red and unruly?""Hey, Yona." Yona turned around to look at Amaya as she held up a few strands of her own hair, that of which was a dark lavender, and then proceeded to point towards her crimson red eyes "Trust me, you look perfect compared to me."Yona sweat-dropped at the realization and looked at her sister with an apologetic smile. "Sorry Aya." Amaya simply brushed it off, as she always did when it came to herself. She never disliked her appearance, she actually quite liked her peculiar features. That didn't change the strange looks she sometimes receives.Yona then started jumping around in slight anger at her own hair with caused her sister to giggle at her. "Grr! It won't behave at all!" Amaya had to agree with her sister on that fact. Their hair never wanted to cooperate with them. It was a battle when they simply try to brush it.Their Father turned to look behind him, where a young man had been standing. "That isn't true at all. Right, Hak?" Yona froze at the mention of her childhood friend, who she wasn't entirely fond of. Glancing around her father, Amaya saw Hak, her rather tall, black haired friend. She was the only one that considered him as a friend though.Hak bent down and lent on his knee, leaning respectively towards the king. "Yes, King Il. Who would ever say that the princess's hair looks strange?" he glanced upwards slightly and Amaya knew that as soon as she saw that twinkle in his eye, that he was going to say something that will immediately anger Yona. She tried to stop him by shaking her head quickly, but he just smirked at her. He seemed to take pleasure in angering Yona. "If anything isn't right, it would be Princess Yona's brain." He spoke right after he had looked at Amaya."Quiet, knave!" Yona fumed, already becoming increasingly irritated by the young man. Amaya on the other hand, was quite amused. She always loved his knack for sarcasm. It seemed to be a gift.Yona then began to throw things at Hak whilst he skilfully dodged each and every one of them. Amaya began laughing at their childish antics, she never got tired of them. They always amused her, no matter how old they had gotten."Father, do something about the impertinent cretin!" Yona exclaimed. Their Father, however, attempted to try and calm them down by holding his arms up slightly in surrender while speaking calmly."Now, now... Hak has been your friend since childhood. And he is one of the five generals who protect this castle. He is the Wind tribe's-", Yona interrupted him by rushing over to Min-Soo and grabbing one of the teacups from the tray that he was holding. Min-Soo attempted to take it off of her, but she just slid out of the way."I don't care! If you need guards, pick someone more lovable!" Yona then proceeded to throw the cup at Hak who once again swiftly caught the object just as it was about to hit him in the face.He then began to speak once more, "Speaking of lovable... Shouldn't you be trying to look lovable yourself?" He gave her a once over, overlooking her current attire.Yona looked at him in confusion, her brows furrowing as she did so. "Huh?" she mumbled."It seems Lord Soo-Won has arrived." he announced, causing Yona to go rigid, while Amaya crossed her arms. She never really liked Soo-Won. There was just something off about him. He was always far too nice to everyone. Especially Yona and herself.Yona then started blushing profoundly before sprinting towards the entrance of the room "Y-You should have said so sooner!" then ran out in search of Soo-Won. Their Father then spoke to himself since Yona had already left the room"Soo-Won? Is that why you were concerned about your hair?" he then looked over at Hak who was quietly walking over to Min-Soo to pour himself some tea "But why now?" Hak held the cup to his face and spoke in that ever so cocky tone of his."It must be that thing they call a 'maiden heart." Amaya sighed quietly to herself. Hoping that Soo-Won wouldn't hurt her sister. She would never be able to forgive him if he did.
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Hak and Amaya were both stood leaning against the railings that surrounded the paths walkways, watching Yona as she was treated as a child by her beloved Soo-Won. Amaya had to cover her mouth with her fist to prevent her chuckles from being heard, Hak nudging her softly in the ribs to get her to be quiet so that they wouldn't be found out by either of them.Yona pursed her lips into a pout, which did in fact make her look like a child. She then started muttering quietly to herself under her breath. "He treats me like a child... Like a child... Like a child!"She glanced down towards the ground with tears starting to fill her eyes, although it was clear that she was trying her hardest to keep them from falling down her cheeks. "And I perfumed my clothes with the finest incense all morning and applied only the highest quality lotions and makeup."As Amaya turned to glance towards Hak, who was still standing beside her, she just knew that he was going to speak up, most likely going to tease her sister about what had just happened. "All gone to waste." He spoke while stuffing his face with food, somehow managing to speak quite clearly. How he had managed to have that food the entire time without Amaya noticing, was a mystery to her.Yona spun around, her fists clenched in irritation as she sent daggers in Hak's direction. "You be quiet!" She yelled in anger. It was at that moment Amaya had reached her breaking point, bursting out into fits of giggles.Yona then faced her sister, hands on her hips in annoyance. "Why didn't you stop him from eavesdropping, Amaya?" She mumbled, clearly not as amused as Amaya appeared to be.Scratching her head, Amaya tried to think of a way to get out this this, but she found nothing, so she decided to just tell the truth. "Well, I also wanted to see what would happen."Yona let out a sigh, her head dropping. Amaya felt bad, so she walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders. She could hear Yona let out a small grunt before she returned the hug. This made Amaya smile as she tightened her grip."Princess Amaya!"The sisters released each other, Amaya glancing over her shoulder to see her handmaiden, a neutral expression on her face as she usually had so it was difficult to tell if something was wrong or not."Yes, what is it?" Amaya began to walk towards the girl, straightening out her dress as she returned to her cool and mature composure."Your father would like to have a word with you. Please follow me, I'll take you to him" The girl turned, readying herself to start walking, however it was clear that she was waiting for Amaya to follow her.Amaya looked back to her sister and close friend, a smile on her face as she waved. "Well, I'll see you two later then, take care."*~*The young princess entered her father's chambers, where the handmaiden had said that he would be. She gave no inclination as to what the reason for this was, which slightly worried her."Father, are you in here?" She asked, stepping into the room slightly, although not too much as she wanted to make sure that her father was indeed in the room beforehand."Ah, Amaya my dear." The king came out from another conjoined room, a warm smile on his face as he walked over towards his daughter. "Come, I have something that I must discuss with you. It's quite an urgent matter."This made Amaya quite nervous, she didn't know what her father could possibly want to talk to her about, not at this current point in time.Once the two had seated themselves, one of the handmaidens came in with a pot of tea, along with a few cups. She placed them down in front of the two, pouring a bit into each cup before leaving and going back to her other duties.It was quiet for a moment, so Amaya picked up her cup, tentatively taking a sip as she awaited her father to start speaking."Amaya, I know you are quite aware of your current position." He began, his eyes resting solely on her as he spoke."Yes, I am father. I've always known. It was inevitable after all, as I am the second child." Amaya spoke, her voice void of emotion. She wasn't fond of this particular topic."Indeed. Yona is the one who will take the throne once I pass, and she is the one who will rule of this kingdom." He paused, taking a sip of his tea. "However, you will need to stay by her side as well. I'm sure you've read the legends."Amaya placed her cup back onto the table in front of her, releasing a soft sigh as she closed her eyes. "I am, and I promise that I'll always stay by her side. I do not intend on ever leaving her. She wouldn't be able to survive without me, after all."Her father chuckled, reaching out and placing his hand over Amaya's. "Remember that no matter what, you will always be just as important as she is, my dear."Amaya tried her best not to start tearing up at his words, for it was something that had hit her quite deeply. Nodding, she smiled towards her father. "Thank you, father."
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Once Amaya had finished her talk with her father, she decided to wander around to try and find Yona. Once she did, she found her standing in front of Soo-Won's room, psyching herself up be able to talk to him. Nodding to herself, she pushed open the doors."G-Good morning, Soo-Won! I have some of our best sweets! Would you like...to..." Yona glanced around the room in confusion, as Soo-Won wasn't in the room. Amaya let out a small chuckle at her sisters dumbfounded expression as it was quite amusing.Yona spun around, her eyes widening as she spotted her sister before running over and grabbing a hold of her arm. "Come on, we're going to find Soo-Won!" Amaya sighed quietly, reluctantly going along with her.As they went to leave, the pair ran into their father and Min-Soo, who had been walking by the door to Soo-Won's room. "What's the matter, girls?" Their father asks kindly.Min-Soo, who had clearly worked out what we were doing almost immediately, leaned forward towards the princesses and began whispering. "If you're looking for Lord Soo-Won, he is with General Hak." Amaya smirked as she realized what that meant, bolting towards the archery range where she knew they would be. She rather enjoyed watching the men use weapons, wishing she could do the same. Yona ran after her, calling out for her to slow down.Once the pair had reached the area, they saw Hak and Soo-Won both perched upon horses of their own and preparing themselves. Amaya heard her sister huff and turned to see her pouting. "No fair, Hak! How could you set me aside and have fun with Soo-Won?" As father had caught up to us, he tried calming her down."Now, now... They haven't seen one another in some time, either." Amaya had to agree. It had been quite a long time since Soo-Won had last visited the castle.Hak and Soo-Won both smiled at one another, before beginning their competition against one another. Hak was clearly the winner as he had much more training than Soo-Won, being the General and all."Well done, Hak." Soo-Won complimented."You were magnificent yourself, Lord Soo-Won." Hak acknowledged, giving Soo-Won a rare smile. He is usually seen to have a quite stoic expression. Amaya frowned at this, as she hardly saw Hak smile anymore. When he was a child, he was much happier.Soo-Won lifted his bow, pulling the string back as if he were going to shoot. "Next time, I'll strike dead center, as well." Amaya glanced to her side, seeing Yona with a rather flushed expression. It made Amaya happy to see Yona with such a love-stricken face, even if it was Soo-Won who was the one that had caused it."I'm going to do archery with Soo-Won, too!" Yona exclaims with a determined tone in her voice, pumping her fist into the air. Their father began to panic, as he didn't like the idea of his daughters handling weapons. He rather despised weapons in general, not fond of the idea of harming another person."No! You mustn't handle weapons! I don't even want to let those two use them..." The father drifted off, as he glanced down towards Hak and Soo-Won, his voice becoming rather quiet as he began to get lost in his thoughts.Yona clearly didn't see just how much this affected him and immediately backfired with a retort. "Then you do it!" She barked, quite irritated by his constant worry. Amaya sighed, disappointed in her sister for not being able to recognize when to back down."But I would get hurt." Their father stated, as if it were obvious, which it was. Amaya couldn't deny that things definitely wouldn't end well if her father attempted to handle a weapon. Who know what he could do to himself.Yona growled, "You coward! You know, you're just..." Yona was cut off by Soo-Won who had called out to her."Yona! Come down, I'll let you ride with me." The young princess ran down towards him, not wanting to miss out on the chance and agreed right away.Her father became slightly irritated by the fact that he had been blatantly ignored. "It's alright father, you know that neither of them would allow any harm to come to her. Especially Hak." Amaya reassured him.He sighed, gazing down towards his daughter as his brows furrowed. "I know my dear, but after what happened to your mother I can't help but worry."Amaya's eyes darkened, as she looked down towards the ground in sorrow at the mention of her mother. She had passed away when Yona and herself were only a few years old. It was rather tragic for the both of them, along with their father. Amaya had only been told a few details about what had happened, as Yona wasn't told anything.She could only pray that nothing would happen to the rest of her family. She wouldn't be able to go on without them, they meant the absolute world to her."Amaya!" The princess heard her name being called and turned around, seeing Hak with his arm raised in a wave. "Come down here!"Amaya's mood brightened, going down the stairs and walking over towards her friend as he outstretched an arm for her to take. As she did, he pulled her up onto the horse behind him."You ready?" Hak asked, wanting to know if she was prepared."Sure am." Amaya smiled, and Hak pushed the horse forward as she began to run around the area. Hak knew how much Amaya loved horses, and the thrill of riding them. As he had noticed her sorrow filled expression he knew that he had to cheer her up somehow. Amaya knew that he had done this, she was very grateful to him as she rested her head against his back."Thank you, Hak." She mumbled, a soft smile on her face as she closed her eyes. She felt Hak chuckle, the sound vibrating through his body."Anytime." He replied, a small smile on his face.
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"You're too cruel, Soo-Won! How could you believe that lie?!" Yona leaned her arms against the table, resting her head on top of them in despair. Amaya shook her head at Yona's tantrum, continuing her book that she had left earlier this morning. It was a very interesting story and she wanted to finish it."You're the cruel one. You're also a nuisance." Hak states, as he looks in the opposite direction to where Yona was situated. He appeared to be rather irritated by how Yona was acting. Amaya couldn't deny that she was also getting a little annoyed, but she wouldn't say anything.Amaya looked up as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, seeing her father entering the room. "Your marriage may not be a lie after all." He said with his eyes closed.Yona looked up at him with a dumbfounded expression, Amaya placing her book onto the table in front of her as she wanted to pay attention to what was being said. "Huh?" Yona mumbled.Their father had a very stern expression on his face, and Amaya immediately knew that this was going to be a serious conversation. "It would only be natural for you to be betrothed by now."Yona gaze down at the table in front of her, her eyes narrowed as she pouted. "No..." She then looked up, her hair swishing as she turned her head quickly. "No! I want Soo-Won to- "She was cut off by her father, "You can't have Soo-Won!" Everyone in the room flinched at the harshness in his voice, as he almost never spoke in such a tone.Yona stood up, her fists clenched as she tried to withhold her emotions. Min-Soo attempted to calm her down, "Princess..." Yona ignored him completely however and started speaking once more."I don't want to hear you speak of my love life I'm- " Once again, she was interrupted by her father, this time he spoke in a much calmer tone."Yona, I have always given you anything you desired. Beautiful hair ornaments, earrings, a royal villa, and a flower garden...I would give you anything that is not a weapon. You are the princess of Kouka. The man who marries you will become the next king. Along with Amaya who will be by your side the entire time."Yona narrowed her eyes as her brows furrowed, she was starting to get desperate. "Soo-Won is the son of my father's brother, Yoo-Hong. He is of royal blood." Amaya sighed at her sister's stubbornness. She was afraid that she would never grow out of it.Their father gazed at his daughter with a solemn expression. "True... but it is my duty as king to choose my heir." Amaya turned to look back at her sister, but she was unable to see what her expression was as her bangs were covering her face."Why? Soo-Won is a fine man. You're a cowardly king who is too afraid to touch a weapon." Yona fired back. Amaya suddenly stood up, her brows furrowed in annoyance."That's enough, Yona!" A hand came in front of her, stopping her from talking any further. She looked up to see her father."No, she's right. I am indeed a cowardly king. Your mother was captured and killed by insurgents." Amaya flinched at the mention of her mother. "Such dangers go hand in hand with being a part of a king's family. That is why I have found no desire to take a new wife."Amaya could definitely understand what he meant by that. After going through something so traumatic, it would be even worse if it happened to another loved one."Yona, you want Soo-Won to be happy, do you not?" Their father asked.Yona clenched her fists tighter around the fabric of her dress. "I don't understand. I don't understand, Father." She then got up, running out of the room without saying anything else. Hak stared after her, his expression emotionless but Amaya could see in his eyes that he was worried about.Sighing, Amaya brushed off her dress. "I'll go after her." Her father nodded, allowing her to follow after her distraught sister.It wasn't very difficult for Amaya to find her sister, as she was sitting against one of the walls of the main building. She had her knees up against her chest with her arms wrapped around them as she stared down at the ground in front of her.Amaya chose to stand next to her, just close enough so that she could observe her sister in case she got any more upset. She didn't want to push Yona too far.It was a few moments before Yona spoke up. "Soo-Won and I were never meant to be..." Tears started to pool around her eyes, if she blinked then they would start cascading down her cheeks.Seeing her sister so heartbroken made Amaya very upset. She bent down, sitting next to her and wrapping her arm around her shoulders, pulling her into her side. Lifting her hand up she began to stroke her sister's hair in a calming manner.The sound of water splashing nearby broke the two girls out of their trance and they both looked over in the direction they had heard the sound come from. "Who's there?" Amaya asked in curiosity, but also a slight hint of suspicion in her tone. Why would someone be trying to sneak up on them?"Hak? It's you again, isn't it?" Yona asked with a sigh. "Only you would do something so senseless." Amaya didn't believe that it was Hak, as he would've made his presence known by now.A shadowy figure suddenly emerged from around the corner, reaching out a hand towards the two girls and they immediately scrambled away for safety. Amaya pushed Yona behind her so that if something happened, then Yona would be able to get away. She worried much more about her sister's safety then her own.The two girls started running, turning a corner and Yona started panicking even more than she already had been. Noticing a door up ahead, Amaya walked towards it, opening It and gesturing for her sister to follow her in. Once the door had closed the girls lent their backs against the door, breathing heavily.Suddenly a hand came out of nowhere, wrapping around Yona and clamping over her mouth, effectively silencing her. Amaya was about to call out to her, when she noticed who was holding her. Yona was still flailing around, desperately trying to get away from the mystery person. Finally, she managed to get the hand of her mouth, calling out the first name she thought of for help. "Soo-Won!"What she had yet to realize, was that the person who had grabbed her was actually Soo-Won. "Yona?" Yona spun around in shock at the person's voice, recognizing it immediately. You could almost see the relief wash over her."Soo-Won..."Soo-Won smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. Did I frighten you two?" Amaya and Yona both sighed in relief, shaking their heads. "I did come in without warning." He walked over to a table, picking up a candle and lighting it so that they could see.Amaya glanced over to her sister, seeing that she was still shaking like a leaf. Amaya couldn't deny that she was also still a little shocked, but she was able to compose herself more than her sister.Soo-Won seemed to notice Yona's trembling. "Yona?""A s-strange man came after us..." Yona mumbled, her eyes clenched in fear.Soo-Won then strode over towards the door, opening it to glance around outside. Judging by his expression, Amaya could only assume that he hadn't seen anything suspicious. "There's no one there."The two girls glanced at one another in shock, and turned back around to Soo-Won, speaking in unison. "That can't be! We..." The girls started to tremble, just thinking about what they had seen scared them. Yona brought her arms up to wrap them around herself, trying to give herself some comfort.Soo-Won noticed her distress, quickly walking towards her. "Yona?" Yona didn't say anything, simply staring off into space with a terrified expression on her face. Amaya rubbed a hand up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her sister. Soo-Won took off his robe, wrapping it around her shoulders.He then lent towards her, leaning his forehead against hers. "It's alright. I'm here." Yona looked up, seeming to break out of her trance and her tears began to fall. Amaya smiled softly to herself, deciding to leave the two alone.
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It had been five days since the sisters had their encounter with that strange person. Neither of them knew who it was, or what they could've been doing there, but they were still quite shaken from it. Especially Yona.Currently, a banquet was being held at the castle to celebrate the sister's birthday. It was a very popular event, as many people had come from many different places. Although Amaya had to admit that as nice as it was to have all of these people here, celebrating her, it was quite tiresome.Amaya had never been one for social events, especially when it required actually socializing with people. It made her incredibly anxious, her palms almost always covered in sweat. Yona on the other hand quite enjoyed the attention, as she always has. She adores it."Princess Amaya, Princess Yona, we wish you a happy birthday."The sisters nodded their heads as they smiled brightly, "Thank you!" they spoke in sync. Yona was twirling some of her hair around her finger as she did so, a gesture that Amaya had noticed would happen quite frequently lately.A soft sigh escapes Amaya's lips as she begins to feel drowsy from all of the 'excitement' of the evening. While Amaya always tried her best to be proper, she just couldn't handle such long events like this. Her body doesn't like cooperating and wants to go to bed.Yona looks at her sister in slight concern, "Amaya? What's wrong?" She asks.Shaking her head, Amaya smiles towards her sister to reassure her that she was alright. "I'm okay, Yona. Just a bit tired is all." Yona nods, accepting her sister's answer even though it was clear that she was still worried.Looking to her left, Amaya notices her father standing off to the side, observing his two daughters with a lively expression on his face. Amaya quickly excused her sister and herself before pulling her younger sister along by the arm towards him."Amaya! Yona!" Their father looked very happy that the two had come over to talk to them, even if it was Amaya that had instigated it.Yona immediately began complaining to him, as she always does. "Father... My hair still won't lay flat! I wanted to wear it up today!" Amaya glanced towards her father with slight irritation, while he simply chuckles."Yona, my dear. You need to stop worrying about your hair."Amaya places her hand on her sister's shoulder, aiming to reassure her but she quickly retracts it when she sees the glare that she received from doing so.Suddenly, Yona stops what she's doing and turns towards something, or rather someone. "Soo-Won!" She then rushes after him like a lost puppy. Amaya watched the two of them talk for a moment, before she notices something strange. Yona appeared to be rather upset by something.Amaya raises her eyebrows in slight confusion as she tries to figure out what could've suddenly set her off. There was a chance it had to do with what happened a few days ago, but it could also have to do with Soo-Won. All the thoughts in her head caused Amaya to blink from dizziness and she shakes her head, composing herself before returning to her duties.*~*Later that night, Yona was standing in front of a full body mirror, simply observing herself. Although it was almost as though she was in a trance of some kind.Amaya decided to see if her sister would tell her what was wrong with her. "Hey, Yona?"Yona didn't turn to look at her sister, nor did she so much as blink an eye. "Hm?"Sighing, Amaya walked over towards her. "Are you alright? It seems like something has happened."Finally, Yona sighs. Her hands coming up to brush through her hair. "Oh, nothing. It's just... Soo-Won said that he really liked my hair."This caused a bit of excitement to run through Amaya, as she jumped up and down for a moment. "Really? That's wonderful!" She exclaims in happiness for her sister. Yona blushes and looks towards the ground as she twirled a piece of hair around her finger once again.Amaya leapt forward, wrapping her arm around her sister's and began dragging her towards the door way. "Eh? Where are we going Amaya?" Yona asks in confusion.Looking at her sister with a gleam in her eyes, Amaya smirks. "We're going to go and convince our father to allow you to marry your beloved Soo-Won!" Yona's eyes widen in surprise, before she smiled brightly and nodded her head.The two girls started running through the halls, making their way to their father's room. Amaya noticed something rather strange though, as there was a severe lack of guards. She wondered where they could've been. The thought slipped her mind though as she remembered what she was doing and continued on with her mission.When the two finally arrived at their father's room, they noticed that the door was cracked open, allowing a touch of light of shine through. Which was rather odd. Amaya walked forward, slowly pushing the door open.The first thing Amaya noticed, was the splatters of blood on the floor. Her eyes widening before she turned her gaze upwards. She spotted her father, which would've been all well and good, if it hadn't of been for the sword piercing through his chest. The man that had stabbed him pushes the man off of his sword, causing him to fall to the ground lifelessly.Yona jumps in shock, while Amaya simply stares. She didn't know what to do, or what to think as she stared at the scene in front of her. "F-father!" Yona calls out to her father, breaking out of her sister's hold before running to the lifeless body of the man, Amaya following close behind her.Kneeling down, the girls place their hands on their fathers back, tears welling up in their eyes as they try not to break down. Blood had already begun to form a puddle around him and Amaya almost gagged at the nauseating smell that was coming from it. She looks towards her sister, neither of them knowing what to do. They both slowly turn and look up, finally taking a look at their father's murderer."Oh... You were still awake, Princess Yona? Princess Amaya?" The man finally steps into the light, and the girls both gasp in complete and utter shock. The man that had killed their father in cold blood, was none other than Soo-Won.
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Hearing a sharp intake of breath come from right beside her, Amaya reaches her hand out to clasp around her sister's, trying to give her some comfort, as well as herself. Yona was still in shock, unable to contemplate what she had just witnessed."S-Soo-Won... Quickly, call a doctor..." Her voice quivered as her eyes flickered down towards her father and his lifeless body. The amount of blood that was now surrounding him was making Amaya gag, so she placed her free hand over her face in an attempt to stop herself."King IL will not wake again." Soo-Won says coldly, a malicious tone to his voice. Amaya's eyes drifted away from him when she saw the blood dripping down the sword in his hand, causing her to shiver. Glancing back up towards his face, she was met with splatters of crimson blood painting his face, although he hardly seemed bothered by it. Amaya couldn't deny that she was frightened. "I killed him." Soo-Won continued.Finally, it seemed to register in Yona's mind what had just happened, and what Soo-Won had just done to her father. Her body started to tremble, Amaya clenching her hand around her sisters as tears began to form in her eyes."What are you talking about?" Yona asked with a shaky voice, "Y-You aren't someone who could do this..." Yona gazed up at him with an expression of fear, similar to Amaya's. Soo-Won didn't even flinch or seem bothered by their stares as he blinked lazily."You don't know how I have lived for this day." He sighs, almost in relief, and that spiked a rage of fury in Amaya to build up."What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She growled, her eyes blazing a fiery crimson red, capable of intimidating any living person. Even Soo-Won seemed to be slightly affected by it, but he tried his best to not show it, only allowing a small shiver to wash over him. Yona was still dumbfounded by how he could've done such a thing."Wh-Why? My father cared for you since you were a child..." Yona mumbled.Soo-Won nods along with her words, not denying them. "You're right. I loved King IL, too. Even though people whispered that he was a coward who feared conflict, I used to believe that was what made him kind." Yona and Amaya listened intently, the latter calming herself down slightly so that she could comprehend what he was saying. Although she was still seething with anger."However, I was wrong. That wasn't the case." Soo-Won turned slightly, facing towards the girls, as he had turned away from them when he started talking. "Do you remember my father, Yoo-Hong?"The girls glanced towards one another, the both of them nodding as they had both clear memories of the man. Soo-Won lets out a small huff as he prepared to start speaking once again."Ever since my father was young, he was courageous and intelligent. He grew into a man that led our armies to victory. Everyone wanted him to become the next king, and no one doubted he would. However, ten years ago, the former king, Junam, chose not my father, but Uncle IL as King of Kouka. No one understood his choice. The eldest son was the rightful successor to the throne, so why did he choose the weak IL? But my father kept smiling. I was proud of my father and had great respect for him. Someday I hoped to stand alongside him on the battlefield and offer my life to him. But after succeeding the throne, for reasons unknown, King IL killed Yoo-Hong, his own brother."Amaya and Yona let out collective gasps in shock, neither of them expecting what he was going to tell them. The girls weren't entirely convinced, however, as it just didn't seem likely that their kind father had killed his own brother."No...Our uncle died in an accident." Yona mumbles, trying to convince herself that what her father had told her was still the truth."That's the official story." Soo-Won reveals, "But King IL stabbed my father to death with a sword. Do you understand?"Amaya stood up rather abruptly, her fists clenched by her sides. "How could you possibly accuse our father of such a thing? What proof do you even have that this is what happened?" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in disbelief.Soo-Won chuckled, turning away and ignoring her as he stared down at Yona, causing Amaya to grit her teeth in irritation. "King IL, who taught to hate weapons and conflict, killed my father with a sword."Yona started to shake, her entire body trembling as her breathing started to become erratic. Amaya looked down at her in concern, hoping that her sister wouldn't have a panic attack. "No... It's not true..." Yona whispered quietly, her voice only just loud enough for the others in the room to hear her."It's the truth." Soo-Won insisted.Amaya swiftly spun around and yelled at him once again. "Will you just shut up!" Yona flinched at her sister's loud outburst, while Soo-Won simply smirked in utter amusement, apparently finding it funny."My, my... That's no way for a princess to speak, now is it?" He chuckles, causing Amaya's eyes to narrow into a harsh glare."I have avenged my father, and to honor his final wish, I will become King of Kouka." Soo-Won stated, complete confidence in his tone as he spoke. "I wasn't expecting you two to be awake in the middle of the night. I had heard that you hardly ever visited the king's quarters, both of you. Why did you two come here?" Soo-Won asked, genuinely curious as to what their answer was.With tears cascading down her cheeks, Yona managed to gain the courage to answer him. "I wanted to tell him..." Amaya spared at glance at Soo-Won while her sister paused, and she noticed that he seemed to be eyeing her sister's tears that were falling from her eyes. "I wanted to tell my father that I could never forget you..." Amaya glanced down towards the ground, sorrow filling her as she felt pity for Yona in this moment. She had truly loved Soo-Won, and now he'd done this.Suddenly the doors to the room burst open, a man striding into the room with some castle guards following shortly behind. "Lord Soo-Won." The man spoke in a deep voice, the girls turning around to look at him in confusion, as they had no idea who this person was. Amaya sensed a dark aura coming off of him, so she kneeled down on the ground once again and wrapped an arm around her sister, offering at least a little bit of protection."Kye-Sook." Soo-Won acknowledged the man, nodding slightly.Kye-Sook, who had his arms crossed, raised them in a traditional bowing motion, closing his eyes as he did so. "Everything is ready." He then raised his head, opening his eyes only to gaze down at the King's corpse. "You've achieved your long-cherished desire." As he says this, he begins to move towards Soo-Won, passing by the girls in the process. Amaya tightens her grip on her sister, while Yona lifts a hand up to rest on her sister's knee. "Did you princess's see you?" Kye-Sook asks, although he clearly already knew the answer to his own question. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Soo-Won's expression.Releasing a small, short sigh, Kye-Sook turns to face the girls, his expression emotionless. "This will make things quick. Kill them both, Lord Soo-Won." He advised. Amaya and Yona gasped in unison, their holds on one another tightening in fright. Neither of them wanted to be killed, let alone by Soo-Won of all people. "Silence the princess's."Yona turns her frightened gaze to Soo-Won, her lips quivering as she tries to hold back tears. "Soo-Won?" She mutters with uncertainty, not able to tell what Soo-Won would do.Amaya thought that there was absolutely no way Soo-Won would ever harm Yona, not in any way, shape, or form. She was, however, quickly proven wrong as Soo-Won started to lift the sword in his hand into a striking motion. Amaya stood up, pulling Yona with her as she spun around desperately looking for a means to escape.As the girls were backing away, Yona bumped into one of the guards. This made her jump in fright and she ran off to the other side of the room, pulling her sister along with her. Yona ended up tripping, causing a candle to be knocked over, lighting a piece of cloth on fire."Put it out!" Kye-Sook exclaimed desperately. "We don't want anyone suspecting anything."While all of the guards were occupied with putting out the fire, Amaya grabbed her sisters hand and ran for it, taking her chance. Pushing the doors back open Amaya spun around before choosing a direction to run. Once she reached a corner she skidded to a stop, seeing as some guards were coming towards them. She quickly turned around, running in the opposite direction, towards the entrance of the castle. Amaya could hear her sister's frantic breathing and knew that she had to get them out of there as fast as she possibly could.The sound of a whip being thrown echoed in the girl's ears as they felt something latch around their ankles, inevitably dragging them to the cold, hard ground before they could stop it. As Amaya sat up, she could feel the little scratches on her face that she'd just received from the fall, but she could care less as she attempted to pull the rope off from around her foot. Just as she had managed to loosen it, all of the guards had completely surrounded the two girls, pointing their weapons towards them."Prepare yourselves, Princess Yona, Princess Amaya. This is for the Kingdom of Kouka." One of the guards says, his eyes narrowed as he glared down at the two girls. Yona's hand reached out for her sister's, quickly grabbing a hold of it before giving it a tight squeeze, Amaya doing the same. She didn't want to die here. She didn't want to watch her sister die here. She was supposed to protect her, and now look what has happened.Yona lent forward, calling out in desperation. "Soo-Won!"The guards pressed their spears closer, so Amaya quickly pulled her sister back before she got hurt by them, knowing that that was their intention. From the corner of her eye, she saw one of the guards raise their sword above their heads. She knew then, that this was the end for her. Closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around Yona, she waited for the final blow.
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Amaya suddenly felt a swift gust of wind wash over her. Curiosity got the better of her and so she ended up opening her eyes. She felt a sense of relief as she saw that it was Hak standing in front of her and Yona. He had managed to come to the rescue just in time. Yona clenched her hands around Amaya's waist, still trembling."I knew Soo-Won was here tonight, so I was trying to stay out of the way." Hak began talking, his eyes narrowed into a murderous glare. "The guards who were supposed to be on watch are all gathered here. There are people I don't recognize, too." His voice started to grow more deep and guttural as he grew angrier. "What's going on here? Huh, Lord Soo-Won?" Amaya may not have been able to see his face from the position she was currently in, but she had a feeling that even she would feel chills staring into Hak's eyes at this very moment.Feeling a soft tug on her clothes, Amaya glanced down towards her sister who had finally snapped out of her trance. She was staring up at Hak, eyes wide and her body still shaking ever so slightly. "H-Hak?" Yona's voice was but a whisper, but the fear and desperation were incredibly clear in her voice.Hak turns to look at the sisters, quickly noticing the despair in their eyes, Yona's was more noticeable while Amaya was doing her best to stay strong for her sister. Hak fully turned towards them, crouching down so that he was level with their eyes. "I'm sorry for leaving your sides, Princess Yona, Princess Amaya."Amaya allowed herself to smile slightly, the thought that Hak had chosen to come and help them, putting himself in danger to protect them, was truly heartwarming.Yona glanced down to the ground for a mere moment, before she looked back up to Hak and leaned slightly towards him. "Hak..." She hesitated. "Hak, are you on our side?" She asks softly, but the desperation was once again very clear in her voice.Hak released a soft gasp at her question, before he smirked. "The king told me to protect the both of you. No matter what happens, I will obey his orders!" Standing up, Hak swings his weapon, otherwise known as Hsu Quandao, the strokes confident as his smirk remained on his face. His eyes burned with a fiery rage as she started down Soo-Won and his followers.Kye-Sook finally decided that it was time to interject, stepping forward slightly as he did so. "Withdraw, servant." He started, his voice clearly showing that he truly believed he was far superior to Hak in every way. "You are standing before King Soo-Won, the new master of Hiryuu Castle."Amaya felt angry as he said that, the fact that Soo-Won could've killed her father s easily truly angered her and she wanted to march up to him and punch him in the face. The only thing is that she didn't want to leave Yona by herself.Hak furrowed his eyebrows. "Who's the master of what now?"If this has been in any other situation, Amaya would've laughed at what he just said, but her mind was reeling too much to even comprehend it."I have a bad feeling about this, but I must ask." Hak began again, and Amaya had a feeling about what he was about to ask. "Lord Soo-Won, where is King Il?"Soo-Won answered him with no hesitation, almost as though he took pride in what he had done. "I just send him to hell."Amaya and Yona flinch as Hak slams his weapon into the ground, breaking the bricks with ease, leaving a large hole in the ground. A murderous look washed over his face as he glared daggers towards Soo-Won. "Are you drunk? That's going too far, even for a joke."As if he wasn't even fazed, Soo-Won kept his expression neutral, almost expressionless. "Ask the princess's. They both confirmed the king's death with their own eyes."With that last sentence, Hak finally snapped. He broke into a sprint, heading straight towards Soo-Won as he let out a battle cry. Soo-Won was able to deflect his attack however, using his own sword to block it. "Tell the truth!" Hak demanded.Amaya couldn't believe how calm Soo-Won was being throughout this, it was unbelievable. He had just murdered a man that he had spent so much time with throughout his entire life, and yet here he was. Standing there as if he did nothing wrong at all."I'm not lying.""Soo-Won! You're telling me you killed the king?" Hak was finally able to push Soo-Won back enough to break through. "You killed our kind king?!" Hak swung his weapon violently towards Soo-Won, managing to finally get a hit in as he slashed his abdomen.Kye-Sook visibly panicked. "Lord Soo-Won...""Stay back." Soo-Won commanded. "If you come any closer, you'll lose your head." He then gestured towards Hak as he spoke once more. "The man standing before you is Son Hak."Kye-Sook tilted his head downwards slightly, almost as if it was a sign of submission. "This man is...""Yes. He is the heart of Castle Hiryuu, and one of the five generals... The Thunder Beast of Kouka." Soo-Won declared, informing his underling of who he was up against."Soo-Won, why? Are you trying to usurp the throne? No, you're not the type to fixate on that type of thing." Before all of this had gone down, Amaya might've believe the words that Hak was saying, but right now she didn't. "Did you turn your sword on our kind king, who detested weapons? Your pride allowed that?!" Hak exclaimed angrily, clenching his fists tightly around his weapon.Glancing off to the side, Soo-Won finally allowed himself to show a bit of emotion, that being anger. "Kindness? This kingdom has no need for a weak king!" He exclaimed as he ran towards Hak, his sword raised in a striking motion. The two quickly began to fight violently, their weapons clashing against each other with each blow. Both of them were constantly dodging the other's attack while simultaneously looking for a chance to strike. Hak suddenly shouted as he managed to force Soo-Won back a few feet.Kye-Sook suddenly began mumbling to himself. "Son Hak... The grandson of Son Mundok, former head of the Wind tribe, he rose to lead the tribe at a young age." Raising a hand to his chin, he continues. "A single blow from his blade is like lightning, earning him the nickname of the 'Thunder Beast of Kouka'".Amaya could easily see who was the strongest between the two men. Judging by how many times Hak had sent Soo-Won back a few feet, it was almost painfully obvious. If this went on, she truly believed that Hak would end up killing him. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that, after everything Soo-Won had done tonight, she just didn't know what to think.After a few moments of going back and forth, Hak finally managed to land another blow on Soo-Won, slicing a cut into his shoulder. Soo-Won winced, bringing up his other arm to hold onto the wound tightly, as to at least attempt to stop the bleeding.Yona began to tremble once again, this time more violently than any of the previous times. Amaya glanced down towards her, her eyes widening in concern at the tears cascading down her face. She tightened her arms around her sister before leaning towards her ear. "It's okay, Yona. Everything is going to be okay, I promise. I'm going to protect you." She nodded, feeling a small sense of comfort at her sister's words before clenching her eyes shut.The glistening of silver suddenly caught Amaya's attention from beside Yona and she quickly looked up to see one of the guard's holding his sword next to her neck. Amaya quickly moved herself in front of her sister, only just managing to do so before another guard placed a sword at her own neck. She had to catch herself quickly, as she almost fell into the sharp blade. Her own eyes started to fill with tears, the fear finally starting to take over her confidence.Hak was about to strike Soo-Won again when Kye-Sook suddenly called out, alerting everyone in the area. "That's enough!"Soo-Won halted his movements, glancing at Kye-Sook who was behind him before looking over towards the two sisters. Hak followed his gaze and froze, finally noticing the swords at the girl's necks, tears in their eyes as they stared at him in fright. Yona was huddled behind her sister but was still in the line of fire.The rest of the guards, excluding the ones surround the sisters, moved in swiftly and all pointed their weapons towards Hak. "Lay down your weapon, Thunder Beast." Hak threw his weapon away briskly, his jaw clenched as he did so.Kye-Sook then walked over to Soo-Won, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Lord Soo-Won, are you all right?""Soo-Won..." Hak grumbled, his eyes narrowed to a point, his glare more menacing that it had ever been before. Even Kye-Sook ended up flinching from the intensity of it."Was the Soo-Won I saw an illusion?" Hak muttered. "I thought I could entrust you with Princess Yona."Kye-Sook smirked to himself, releasing a small huff of laughter. "Fool. You may be one of the five generals, but you are still young."Hak let out a small growl. "What?""At this rate, the Kingdom of Kouka will fall into ruin before long. For you and the two princess's, who have indulged in peace at Hiryuu Castle, there is no way to imagine Lord Soo-Won's feelings-""Quiet, Kye-sook." Soo-Won commanded, effectively causing Kye-Sook to flinch and back away, finally shutting his mouth. Amaya was actually thankful that he had done so, Kye-Sook was truly starting to piss her off."What does that mean?" Hak questioned.Soo-Won sighed, adjusting his stance. "The Soo-Won you know never existed." He clenched his hand around his sword tightly before beginning to walk towards Hak. "Should anyone get in my way, I will cut him down, no matter who he is." He then lifted his sword, using his one good arm, raising it up before letting it fall in front of Hak's face threateningly.Suddenly Amaya heard the sound of an arrow being shot and she was finally brought out of her trance that this entire ordeal had put her in. Hak immediately leaped into action, kicking his sword up towards him so that he could fight once more.Taking a deep breathe, Amaya braced herself for what she was about to do. She quickly stood upright, before throwing her head back in order to head-butt the guard that was behind her. He let go, the sudden shock allowing Amaya to rush towards her sister just as Hak managed to make his way to where they were.Hak wrapped his arms around Yona, bringing her close to his chest before turning to Amaya so that he could gesture with his head for her to follow him. Nodding quickly, she did exactly that, running after him.It didn't take long for the guards to start catching up to them, however which made Amaya feel incredibly nervous. Hak slid to a stop, spinning around with his weapon in hand, striking the ones in the front, causing them to all fall of the ground."This way, General Hak!"Amaya spun around, spotting Min-Soo in the distance. He was standing not too far away from them with his bow in his hands, a quiver full of arrows on his shoulder. She was so thankful that he was alright."Were you the one who made that terrible shot, Min-Soo?" Hak questioned, almost teasingly before bolting towards the frail servant."Huh?" Min-Soo mumbled, before ducking in fright as Hak swung his weapon out towards him, although he quickly realized that it wasn't directed at him as there was a guard coming up behind him.Hak put Yona down, slightly shoving her towards Min-Soo. Amaya moved over to them so that she could keep a close on her sister. Yona quickly intertwined her fingers with her sister's, immediately clenching it tightly. "I'm here, Yona." She reassured."Take Princess Yona and Princess Amaya and then follow me. Don't fall behind.""Y-Yes, sir." Min-Soo agreed.It was very noticeable that Hak was able to move more easily now that he didn't have Yona in his arms, which seemed to work to their advantage as they quickly came upon some more guards that were around the next corner. "Out of the way!" Hak broke through before noticing more guards coming towards them from another direction. "This way!" He gestured to the left."Yes, sir." Min-Soo followed his orders with no hesitation, as Amaya was tugged after them due to her hand being held in Yona's tight grip.Amaya gasped, spotting a guard that was coming up behind Hak, clearly in his blind spot. "Hak, behind you!" His reaction was immediate as he spun around, quickly taking the man out before continuing to run."We should find somewhere to hide." Hak suggested.Min-Soo nodded, agreeing with him. "You're right."Amaya sighed heavily, trying to catch her breath after all of the running that she's had to do in the past half hour. "But where do we go?" She asked, confusion lacing her voice. Yona stood silently beside her, still slightly in shock.Hak glanced around for a moment, contemplating where they should go, before deciding what to do. "Let's go." Amaya sighed, before trying to sike herself up to be able to run again.Not too long after that, they had managed to find a hiding place. It wasn't the best spot, but it was all that they could find at the time. Min-Soo walked back towards the group after scoping out the area for a moment, observing the guards and their locations."There's no end to them" Hak sighed, narrowing his eyes as he tried to think of where they could go.Min-Soo glanced over towards Amaya and Yona, the two of them were leaning against a tree, still holding hands as a form of comfort. Amaya was occasionally whispering to Yona to try and keep her calm."Princess Yona, Princess Amaya, is King Il really dead?" He knew that neither of them would want to answer him, but he just had to know if it was true or not.Amaya glanced down at her little sister, seeing that she wasn't ready to talk yet, so she decided to answer instead. "Yes, it's true." Amaya was unable to keep her voice from trembling while she spoke, so she cleared her throat to try and clear it up."I see." Min-Soo looked down towards the ground in sadness, he'd worked in the palace for a very long time and had come to be quite fond of the entire royal family. He then turned back towards them before bowing slightly. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't believe it. Until just a while ago, he was smiling so happily about your birthday." Amaya was glad that he stopped talking and turned around at the moment, as she felt as though she was about to break. She managed to keep herself together though.Min-Soo and Hak had both seemed to of heard something so Amaya tried to listen closely. It was then that she heard the sound of footsteps. The guards were approaching their location, but thankfully they just walked past."It's only a matter of time until they find us." Hak stated, his voice quiet as he didn't want to draw any attention to them."The soldiers that Lord Soo-Won brought here, along with the guards loyal to him, are gathering within the castle." Min-Soo added.Hak sighed, looking down for a moment. "If we're caught, they'll definitely kill us."Min-Soo nodded, his brows furrowed. "Yes."The two of them were quiet for a moment. Min-Soo was staring at the sister's in thought before he seemed to of thought of an idea, turning to Hak with a determined expression on his face. "I'll secure an escape route for you."Hak and Amaya both gasped in shock, they weren't expecting him to say anything like that.Min-Soo continued. "You three must escape from the castle.""But what about you?" Amaya asked."Don't worry about me, I promise I'll get away." He smiled softly, although it didn't reach his eyes. Amaya had a feeling that he knew he wasn't going to make it out unscathed.The group were all currently standing near the back entrance to the castle, Hak was peaking around the corner so that he could keep an eye on the guards in the area. "Six soldiers in front of the rear gate. More waiting in ambush."Min-Soo had somehow managed to steal one of Yona's floral robes from her room and he began wrapping it around himself. "Min-Soo, you..." Hak muttered, confused by what he was going to do.Amaya moved over towards Hak, tugging Yona along with her. Min-Soo sighed. "I'll draw them after me. You use that opportunity to escape." Hak wrapped his arm around Yona's shoulder, pulling her towards him, almost cradling her to his chest. Amaya still had a hold of her hand. Min-Soo smiled softly at the sight. "Princess Yona, Princess Amaya." The sisters glanced over to him. "Take care." Was all he said before he rushed off. The girls both had a slightly dazed look on their faces."There she is!" One of the guards had spotted Min-Soo, his shout causing the rest of the guards to follow him. His plan had worked. "She's over there!" All of the guards rushed after him, blissfully unaware that it wasn't actually one of the princess's that they were chasing."Min-Soo..." Hak mumbled softly to himself, clearly worried for the wellbeing of his friend. He shook it off, picking up Yona and once again gesturing for Amaya to follow after him. The two of them ran around the corner, rushing towards their escape. There were only a few guards left that had chosen to stay behind and guard the perimeter. Hak was able to take them all down with ease.As Hak quietly opened the gate, Yona was standing next to him staring off at something in the distance. Amaya didn't know if she was actually staring at anything at all, or she was just stuck in a trance. Once Hak had successfully opened the gate, he and Amaya had to gently push Yona forward so that she would start walking. "Princess Yona, hurry!" Hak urged. The three of them slowly rushed down the steps, the girl's shoes making it difficult to go any faster.Once they had managed to get a fair distance away from the castle, they decided to slow down, but not too much. The sisters were still having a difficult time trying to keep up with Hak, as he continued to walk at a very brisk pace. Yona was starting to pant rather heavily from exhaustion, trying her best to catch her breath."Hak." Amaya called out to Hak, causing him to turn around and notice Yona's tired state. He turned towards them fully, beginning to make his way over to them."Princess Yona," Yona glanced up at him with tired eyes, "should we rest for a while?" Yona quickly agreed and went to walk over towards a tree but stumbled over a branch. Amaya managed to catch her and decided it was best if she walked her sister over to the tree instead. Yona sat down, her head resting against the tree while she pulled her knees up to her chest. Amaya sat down next to her, having a feeling that she wouldn't want to be alone for a while. Although Amaya had to admit that she was feeling the same way.Yona reached out and grabbed a hold of her sister's hand, clutching it tightly. Amaya smile softly and squeezed her hand in acknowledgement. "Is Min-Soo dead?" Yona asked, Amaya gasped at the sudden question. She had prevented herself from even thinking about that possibility. "Am I going to die as well?" She continued. "Is Soo-Won going to kill the both of you as well?""I don't have a like to give to that piece of crap." Hak responded, his eyes shining with confidence."Please don't die, Hak." Hak was stunned at Yona's words, his mouth falling open slightly in shock. "If you die, I'll never forgive you." She whispered, her eyes finally closing as she fell into a much need deep sleep.Amaya usually would've smirked, maybe even joked around a little at what Yona had just said to Hak. But she was far too tired, so she chose to close her eyes and lean against her sister. It wasn't long before she also fell asleep.
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The trio, Amaya, Hak, and Yona, were all treading through the deep forest. Hak was in the lead, guiding the sisters to an unknown location. Amaya found it incredibly difficult to keep up with his brisk pace, constantly having to push herself just to keep him in her line of sight. She's never really gotten the chance to do anything related to exercising which has given her a major disadvantage. Yona, however, was even slower than her sister, staggering with each step that she took. It was very clear that she was going to collapse at any moment, but she tried her best to brace through it and continue walking.Sadly, it didn't seem to be enough as she suddenly collapsed to the ground, falling on all fours. She was extremely exhausted after all of the walking she'd had to do. Hak turned, hearing Yona and ran back over to her. Amaya had also moved over to her sister and was kneeling beside her, rubbing her back. Hak did the same thing."Shall we rest for a while?" Hak asks gently, which was a rare tone for someone like Hak, but it just went to show how much he truly does care about Yona. Amaya smiles softly as she thinks about it.A sharp glimmer catches Amaya's attention, turning to see what it was she noticed Yona slipping something back into her cloak. Her brows furrow as she realizes what it had been. It was the hair brooch that Soo-Won had given to Yona on their birthday. Clearly, she didn't want to let it go just yet. Amaya couldn't blame her for that.Hak gently takes Yona's arm, pulling he up before assisting her over towards a tree, so that she could lean against it. Yona pushed her hood back and lent back tiredly, her eyes falling shut almost instantly. Hak sighed softly before situating himself right beside her, while Amaya chose to rest against a tree across from the two of them. She would hate to ruin the moment.Not to long after that, Amaya hears a rustling and bolts up. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep. She quickly notices that it was Hak who had made the noise. He raised his pointer finger to his lips. "Shhh, I'm just going to get some water. Watch your sister." He explains, waiting for Amaya to nod before he left.Amaya sighed, twiddling her thumbs as she tried to keep herself distracted. She didn't have to do that for too long before Yona gasped, bolting upright and panting heavily, scanning her eyes around the area. Amaya got up, rushing over to her sister just as she had begun hyperventilating. She wraps her arms around her sister, cradling her head to her chest."It's okay, Yona. I'm here." Amaya cooed softly into her ear in an attempt to calm her sister down. Yona nods, managing to relax a little and then wraps her own arms around her.The two girls were startled by the sudden rustling of bushes, the two of them briskly turning their heads to the direction it had come from. A sigh of relief escapes Amaya as she spots Hak. "I'm sorry. I went to get some water." He apologizes to Yona, as Amaya had known where he was. There was a sharp intake of breath beside her and Amaya turned back to her sister just in time to see her break down in tears. Amaya pulled her back to her, stroking her hair softly as she hummed a small tune.~*~*~Amaya and Yona were currently huddled together next to a river. Hak was next to them, cooking some fish that he had managed to catch earlier. Amaya had offered to help him, but he insisted on doing it on his own. She didn't really see what the big deal was about it, she simply wanted to learn some new skills. Catching fish would come in handy from time to time.There were three fish that he had manage to catch, all of them were pierced with a stick and placed next to a fire so that they could be cooked. Hak picked one of them up before holding it in front of Yona, offering it to her. She didn't even acknowledge it though, simply staring into the fire as if she was in a trance. Amaya sighed at her non-response and picked up her own food, taking a small bite as she wasn't exactly hungry, but she knew that she had to eat something."You should eat something." Hak insisted. "From here on, I don't know if we'll be able to secure food." Still, Yona didn't make a move, merely blinking. It was clear that she was becoming weaker as time went by.After Hak and Amaya had both finished eating their fish, Amaya decided that it would be a good idea for her and Yona to take a bath in a small creek nearby. To her surprise, it didn't take much for Yona to get up, a simple nudge and a few words was all it took. Once the two of them were out of Hak's sight, they both disrobed quickly before slowly entering the water. It was rather relaxing. Not the same as the tub that Amaya would bathe in at the castle, but still enjoyable.Amaya dunked her head under the water, that being the only real way for her to wash her hair as she didn't have any products with her. Once she was finished she swam over to her sister, who was still silent."I'm just going to wash your hair, alright Yona?" Cupping some water in her hands she lifted them above Yona's head, before letting the water wash over her hair. She repeated that process a few more times. Amaya tugged on her sister's arm, guiding her out of the water as there was nothing more for them to do.Yona glanced down at her body and let out a small shriek, causing Amaya to jump in fright at the sudden yell. Glancing down she saw that there was a bunch of small black things on her legs. She had no idea what they were.Hak appeared seconds later, asking the girls what was wrong, not caring that the two of them were naked."What are these?" Yona mumbles, her voice frail as she hadn't spoken for a few days."They're leeches." Hak explains as he kneels down in front of the girls, reaching out to pick the small creatures off their skin. Amaya winced as she felt a small stinging sensation as they let go. "They live in lakes and swamps, and they suck yours blood." Amaya's eyes widen at his words, memories of what had happened not too long ago flashing in her mind. Yona was also affected. "Blood..." Yona whispers.Hak looks up at the girls, his eyes softening as he shows them a small smile. "They won't kill you." He reassures them, and they girls both visibly let out a small sigh.Suddenly Amaya had realized that she was completely naked, alongside Yona, and she flicked Hak on the forehead. "You can leave now, you pervert."Hak seems to also realize their state of dress, or rather lack of, and quickly stands up, placing the girl's clothes on the ground in front of them before running off. Yona was utterly clueless as to what had just happened, her brows furrowed in confusion. "I'll leave your clothes here. Once we gather our belongings, we'll leave." He says over his shoulder.The two of them get dressed as quickly as they can, before making their way back over to Hak. The three of them double check to make sure they have everything before they begin walking once again.~*~*~"We'll rest here for today." Hak announces. Amaya let out a small sigh in relief as she plops down to the ground. Yona does the same but in a more graceful manner, the two of them making themselves as comfortable as they possibly can.Yona suddenly gasps, startling Amaya who had closed her eyes for a moment to rest. Yona frantically glanced around the area surrounding her, her hands checking her clothes as though she had lost something. Amaya was confused for a moment before she realized what it must've been. The hair brooch."What's wrong? Did you lose something?" Hak asked her although judging by the look in his eyes he already had a feeling about what it was. After a few second Yona stood up nimbly, causing Amaya and Hak to look at her in slight confusion. "Where are you going?" Hak asks curiously."I'm... I'm just... I'll be right back." Yona stumbles over her words, before she runs off.Amaya glances over in Hak's direction, seeing him staring after her rather intensely. Amaya sighs loudly, causing Hak to look at her. "Just go after her, would you? I'll be fine here." Hak nods before getting up and walking off in the direction that Yona had headed. Releasing a small huff, Amaya smiled softly.Not too long after, Hak came bolting out of the forest with Yona cradled in his arms, startling Amaya. "What on earth happened?" Amaya exclaims as he places Yona on the ground before bending down to tend to the wound on his leg that Amaya had only just noticed.Amaya glanced over to her sister, kneeling down beside her as she assessed her for any injuries of her own. "Are you alright?" Yona nods slowly before sending a small smile her way.Yona then looks to the ground, her eyes narrowing in sadness. "Hak, I'm sorry- ""Is this what you were looking for?" Hak cuts in, pulling out Yona's brooch from his pocket, holding it up in front of her. She gasps slightly before reaching out to grab it from his hands. Hak stares at her confidently. "I can't forgive Soo-Won. But more than that, I want you to live.""That was rather forward of you."As soon as the words left Amaya's mouth, Hak immediately started throwing a barrage of small stones in her direction. Clearly, he didn't appreciate her comment at that very moment. Amaya raised her arms to cover her face from the stones, chuckling at his attempts to make her be quiet."I hope you realize that won't stop me." She says, a smirk dawning on her face."Just be quiet."Amaya giggles, wrapping her arm around Yona's shoulder as she rests her head against the rock behind her. It wasn't too long before she ended up falling asleep.~*~*~The gentle sounds of birds chirping were what managed to wake Amaya up. She stretched her arms above her head, moving her head side to side as her muscles were quite stiff after sleeping on the ground for so long. Hearing movements from beside her she sees that Yona was just waking up as well. She looks around slowly before her eyes land on her sister, giving her a soft smile and Amaya's does the same in return.Yona looked over towards Hak, or more specifically, the wound on his leg from the night before. She reached out to touch it before Hak grabbed her hand, stopping her. "It's fine." The girls jumped, not realizing that he had actually been awake. Hak opened his eyes, glancing over to Yona. "A little snake bite isn't going to stop General Hak." he states before standing up.Yona jumps up after him while Amaya takes her time getting up, her back still in a bit of pain after the odd position she had slept in. "Um, Hak?" Yona asks hesitantly."Yes?""Couldn't we head into some village for some food and medicine?" Amaya nods, agreeing with her sister.Hak glanced between the two girls before he responded. "Villages are dangerous. Even if the villagers don't recognize us, castle soldiers could be anywhere.""Then, where are we heading?" Amaya asks with confusion lacing her tone.Hak looks down towards the ground, his eyes narrowing. "Probably the only place we can count on now. Capital Fuuga, my hometown."
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As the trio walk up to the entrance of the village, they notice two men sleeping on the ground, the both of them leaning against one another. Judging by the spears that were resting in their hands, Amaya assumed that they were supposed to be the guards. Which wouldn't really make sense as to why they were sleeping.Hak walked up to them, kicking out his leg and hitting the both of them so that they would wake up. "Does guard duty mean nap time in this clan?" Hak asks curiously, although there was obvious sarcasm lacing his tone.Both of the guys spun around as soon as they heard Hak's deep voice, clearly recognizing it. "Lord Hak?!" The two of them exclaim in shock."Hey." Hak replies rather casually.The men finally stand up, albeit a bit slowly, before making their way towards Hak, covering their mouth with their hands to stop their yawns from spilling out. "It's been a while... ten years?""It's been three."Amaya snorted, quickly covering her mouth so that she didn't draw any attention to herself sooner than it had to be. Yona was the only one to notice, offering her the smallest hint of a smile."What are you doing here?" The dark haired one asks, lifting his arm up to scratch the back of his head.The blond guy smirks. "Did the great general get fired?"Hak narrows his eyes in annoyance. "You guys are as laid-back as ever." He mutters with an irritated tone.The two guys then start waving their hands up and down as though they were imitating waves. "We are the Wind Clan. We live only as the wind blows." They then changed the motion they were doing to something that Amaya couldn't quite describe, but it was awfully amusing. "When we're sleepy, we sleep."Hak sighs, ruffling his hair in annoyance. "Who put these guys on guard duty?""Hey, that's Lord Hak?" A man that had been walking past shouted, causing the attention from everyone in the area to notice the trio, or more accurately Hak at the moment."The young lord!""Lord Hak!""When did you come back?""You've become even more handsome!""Please, one at a time." Hak says, raising his hand up to calm everyone down a bit.Amaya felt rater uncomfortable with all of these strangers standing so close to herself and Yona, so she tugged her sister closer to her. Unfortunately, that drew the attention of a woman standing next to Hak."Who are these girl's?"Amaya flinches, not wanting to have to explain anything to any of these people. Hopefully Hak had a cover for the two of them.Another girl came up beside the woman who had noticed the sisters. "Are they your women?" Amaya had to fight the urge to gag at that comment."What?" Another girl gasps in shock.Hak turns to them, not an inch of hesitation as he spoke to them. "No, they're court ladies in training."The first man that had noticed Hak spoke. "No way! So, what're your names?"Yona blinked in slight confusion. "Huh?" Amaya just tightened her grip on her sister's hand, not even bothering to open her mouth."Where are you from? Are you from the sky capital?" The questions just kept coming. "Hey, what's Hiryuu Castle like?" That question definitely made Amaya more uncomfortable. "How old are you two?" Even if she wanted to respond, the questions were being fired at such a rapid pace that Amaya just didn't know what to do. She was starting to feel sick in the stomach."Um..." Yona mumbled, before Amaya felt her sister lose her grip on her hand. She looked over just in time to see Yona collapse. Luckily, there was enough time for her to reach out and catch her."Oh, my... what a weak girl." One of the women says, her eyes narrowed in concern. A few of the other girls flocked to Amaya's sides, clearly worried about her.Out of the corner of her eye, Amaya noticed Hak walking over to her, so she looked up at him. He bent down, wrapping his arms around Yona securely before picking her up. He glanced back up to Amaya. "You alright?" He asked. Amaya nodded, reassuring him that she wasn't also going to faint. "Prepare a bed and food immediately." He commanded.The blonde guard from earlier was clearly dumbfounded. "The young lord's being kind to a woman." He muttered to himself."Did you not hear me?" Hak says as he walks past him. Looking over his shoulder, he gestures for Amaya to follow him, and she does so."Y-Yes, sir." The guy quickly runs ahead of Hak.After a moment of silence, Hak speaks up. "Where's the old man, Elder Mun-deok?" He asks."He's at Hiryuu Castle." The blonde says rather nonchalantly. Amaya's eyes widen in shock. Her old home had been mentioned far too many times today already."What?""You didn't know? A meeting of the five tribes was suddenly called at the castle." The blond explains."A meeting of the five tribes?" Hak stops walking, now becoming fully intrigued by what he was hearing. Amaya was also interested in knowing."Normally, the young lords at the castle attend." The blond furrows his brows as he raises his hand to his chin, showing his confusion about the situation. "I thought it was strange that they'd summon Elder Mun-deok, when he's retired from being a general."Hak looks away, his eyes narrowing as he tries to figure out what was going on. Amaya was also rather confused, mainly because she didn't really know what any of this meant. She was never allowed to really get involved in any business while she was in the castle."Lord Hak, were you really fired?" The blond asks. Amaya sighs softly to herself, shaking her head. 'if only it was that simple' she thinks to herself.~*~*~Amaya was sitting down next to her sister. It had been about half an hour since she had fainted, and since then the girls were given a small room. Mainly for Yona to rest in until she woke up. There was a pillow under her head and a blanket covering her body.Hearing Yona's breathing suddenly change, Amaya realized that she was finally waking up. After a few seconds she started to slowly open her eyes. "It's about time you woke up, little sister." Amaya chuckled, helping Yona so that she could sit up.Yona looks around the room in slight confusion. "Where are we?""We're with the Wind Clan, remember?" Amaya says, and Yona nods as she recalls what had happened earlier.The door to the room slid open, and in walked a little boy holding a tray full of food. He had come in earlier when Yona was first brought in. Amaya found him absolutely adorable. "Are you awake?" He asks, a bright smile on his face as he does.He moves over to the two girls, placing the tray down beside them. Reaching his hand up to Yona's forehead, he checks her temperature. "Good. Your fever's gone down. Eat lots of food and get well soon." He hands a bowl of curry to Yona before handing another one to Amaya.Yona lifts the bowl up to her nose, breathing in the scent of the food. "It smells nice." She hums in delight. Amaya nodded in agreement, it smelled amazing. Both of the girls dipped their spoons into their bowls before bringing them up to their mouths so that they could taste it.While it tasted very nice, Amaya couldn't help but feel upset, tears started to pool in her eyes. This particular meal had reminded her of the time when her father had tried to cook something for Yona when she was sick. Of course, he had failed quite terribly, but Yona still ate the food anyway.Glancing over to her sister, Amaya noticed the tears also gathering in her eyes. Assuming that she had remembered the same thing as her, Amaya reaches over and places her hand on top of Yona's to comfort her.The little boy was clearly very confused as to why the both of them had begun crying. "Why are you crying? D-Does it taste bad?" He glanced down with a forlorn expression.Yona softly shook her head with a small smile on her face. "It's so warm." She says kindly."You're crying because it's warm? You're strange." The boy says, not seeing why such a thing could make someone cry.Amaya giggled softly at his bluntness. "A little weirdness never hurt anyone."The little boy looks at her and smiles brightly. "That's true!""It made me remember my father." Amaya winced as Yona spoke up. She wasn't expecting her to actually say anything.She sighed quietly to herself. "Me too." Yona squeezed her sister's hand. Using her other hand Amaya reached up to wipe away the few tears that had managed to fall down her cheeks. The little boy leaned forward and reached his hand out to wipe away Yona's tears. The sweet gesture had warmed the girl's hearts and made them smile."I'm Tae-yeon. Hak's younger brother." Amaya furrowed her brows in confusion. How could he be Hak's brother? He looked nothing like him. Maybe it was just a sign of affection?"Hak's younger brother?" Yona asks quietly."Are you Hak's friend's?" Tae-yeon asked the girl's.Amaya let her sister answer, mainly because she wanted to see what she would say."Probably..."The doors suddenly slam open as the two guys who were standing guard exclaim "You're probably friends?!" Amaya snorts in surprise, not expecting the two of them to be there, nor for them to blurt out something like that."That's awful... Even if you can't be lovers..." The darker haired one began."You might not even be friends? So he's totally out!" The blondie finishes. "Poor Lord Hak! His feelings aren't returned-"Bang!Amaya winced as blondie was suddenly hit on the back of the head by Hak's weapon. It took a mere 2 seconds of silence before she burst out in hysterics. Yona glances at her sister with furrowed brows, not quite seeing what was so funny. Amaya couldn't help herself, the sight had just been too much for her.Hak had his eyes closed, but they were still clearly narrowed. "Who are you calling a friend?"Yona blinks in confusion. "Huh? Then, my attendant- "Hak rushes forward and clamps his palm over Yona's mouth so that she couldn't say anything further. Amaya quickly deduced that he hadn't mentioned how they were actually the princess's."Your name in Rina." Hak glances to Amaya. "Your name is Lena." He then looks back to Yona. "You are both court ladies in training. Got it?" Yona and Amaya both nod in unison, understanding what he had said."Okay, that's a good girl." Judging by how intensely he was staring into Yona's eyes, it was only safe to assume that he was talking to just Yona.Hak then looked over to the guys and saw blondie covering his eyes whilst the other one was covering Tae-yeon's eyes. "We aren't doing anything that Tae-yeon shouldn't see!""You want too though, don't you?" Amaya chuckles, covering her mouth with her hand to contain any more laughter from escaping her.Hak froze, slowly turning towards Amaya with a menacing glare that made her shiver in fear. "I'm sorry." She managed to squeak out."Rina, what is my brother like at the castle?" Tae-yeon asks Yona.Yona brings her index finger to her chin as she thinks over her answer. "At the castle, Hak is... rude. No, he's insensitive, arrogant... Oh, and not lovable. Also- ""Okay, we get it. That's enough." Hak quickly silenced her before she could continue. Amaya and the two guards were all struggling to hold in their laughter. Only Amaya was successful as she was used to the two of them interacting in such a way."Miss Rina, you're the best. Nothing lovable about him!" Blondie exclaims."You two look like you're having fun." Hak mutters as he walks over to the guards, proceeding to hit them repeatedly in utter annoyance."Hey, what's the castle like?" Tae-yeon asks curiously, his eyes shining with excitement. "Do they have lots of good food?""Yes, but your food tastes the best." Yona says kindly."I agree, the best I've ever tasted." Amaya chime in, smiling softly at the young boy.Tae-yeon giggles giddily. "There's more, so eat lots!""Okay." Yona smiles before going back to her food. Amaya does the same, bringing the bowl close to her mouth just in case any happened to spill.~*~*~The next morning, Amaya was the first one to wake up. Her eyes opened slowly, blinking sluggishly as she was still rather exhausted. Sitting up, she stretched her arms up above her head, letting out a small moan s she did so. She could also feel a few bones crack in her neck, which had felt very satisfying. It was nice to sleep in a comfy bed rather than the ground for once. It was a very uncomfortable experience for her.Turning to her left, she saw that Yona was still fast asleep. It seemed that she was having a very peaceful dream for once, as she wasn't whimpering in her sleep. This brought a small smile to Amaya's face as she has had to witness her sister go through many nightmares on their journey so far. She's also had to deal with quite a few of her own. It was nice that Yona was finally having a good dream, instead of being tormented every night.Judging by how quiet it was outside the room, Amaya could only assume that it was still very early in the morning. Huffing out a small sigh she decided to go back to sleep for a little while. She lays back down, pulling the blanket up to her chin and snuggling her face into the nice, comfy pillow.~*~*~After a few more hours of sleep, Amaya felt well-rested enough that she wanted to walk around the village to explore a bit. Yona decided to come along with her, not really wanting to be left alone.As they walked around, Amaya couldn't help but think to herself that she would actually quite enjoy living in a place like this. The houses looked so cozy, so small and quant. She even thinks that they would be better to live in rather than the castle.A lady was about to walk past the girls before she actually noticed them. She stopped and smiled that the two of them. "Rina, did you sleep well last night?"Yona hadn't registered that the lady was addressing her, so Amaya nudged her in the arm. She looked at her sister with a confused expression, her brows furrowing."Hey, Rina!" The lady tried once more.This time Yona turned to look at her and realization dawned on her. "Oh, yes." Amaya shakes her head at her sister, releasing the softest of sighs.The lady then turned to Amaya. "Then, how about you Lena?"Amaya smiled, nodding her head. "Yes, I slept very well. Thank you for asking."Turning back to Yona, the lady shook her head. "You're such an absent-minded girl. I heard you were thrown out of the castle. They said you couldn't cook, sew, clean, do laundry, play the koto, or even dance." Amaya almost wasn't able to contain the laughter building up inside her, but she managed to keep it contained with a small cough.There was no doubt in her mind that Hak was the one that had said all of that. Although she couldn't deny that not only was it a good cover story, it was also very true. Yona wasn't able to do many things. Not that Amaya could talk, she couldn't either. The girls were never given the opportunity to learn how to do any of those things, the servants did everything for them.Yona was utterly confused by what the lady was saying, clearly not understanding that it was a cover story, and became even more so when the lady burst into laughter. "Don't worry, I'll teach you everything from scratch." She then handed the girls both a pile of clothes. "First, wash these.""W-Wash them?" The sisters asked in unison. They'd never done anything like this before and now suddenly they had to just get it done without any guidance?"I'll leave it to the two of you." The lady says before she walks off to do some other chores."Um, I..." Yona starts but she was cut short when someone suddenly walked past and took majority of the loads from each of their piles. They both glanced up to see Hak walking away from the both of them whilst carrying the large amount of clothing with ease. "This way, my ladies." The girls pouted childishly, before following him.They quickly caught up to him, although his big strides definitely made it difficult for them. Hak quickly noticed that something was up with Yona and decided to speak up. "What is it?"Yona pouted even more. "I can play the koto and dance a little." She mutters in an annoyed tone, clearly not appreciating what Hak had said about her."Oh, right. That cacophony." Hak says teasingly. "You're a bit more like yourself." He mumbles to himself, obviously not intending for either of the girls to hear him.Amaya heard him clearly but Yona wasn't able to understand him. "Huh?""Nothing." Hak brushes it off with ease.After a moment of silence, Amaya decided to fill the quiet air and speak up. "So, you have a younger brother, Hak?" He nodded. "Well, he's utterly adorable... unlike you." She says teasingly."I have to agree with that." Yona chimes in nonchalantly.Hak sends a glare towards Amaya over his shoulder before turning back around. "Sorry about that. Grandpa took Tae-yeon in, just like me." He explains. "Unlike me, he's frail. That's why everyone's especially nice to him. He got a bit too excited yesterday." The girls looked at each other for a moment before shrugging in unison.Hak then stopped, placing the clothes on the ground. "We're here. We wash the clothes in that river." Yona decided to walk over to where he had pointed, while Amaya chose to stay behind and check the clothes beforehand. "That water is the Wind Tribe's Life, so be careful with- ""I can't." Hak was cut short by Yona. He turns to look at her in slight shock."You haven't even done anything yet." He says irritably."No, I mean, I literally can't. Come have a look for yourself."Hak glances at Amaya, who shrugs, before they both walk over to where Yona was standing. Both of their eyes widen at the sight of where the supposed river was supposed to be, but instead there was nothing. No water at all. "The river's dried up..." Hak mumbles quietly. Amaya had a feeling in her gut that this wasn't the only bad thing that was going to happen today.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It didnât take very long for news to spread about the riverâs absence of water and before long there was a large crowd of people gathering together in a panic. There was a lot of commotion, everyone talking over one another. Amaya and Yona were both standing behind Hak, not wanting to be among the rest of the group. Large crowds are often times difficult to control, and the girls didnât want to risk getting in the middle of anything.Hak stepped in and attempted to calm everybody down. âCalm down! Weâre sending Heang-dea to check the conditions upriver.âThe men in the village didnât appear to be quite happy with how calm Hak was handling the situation. âYoung Lord, this isnât the time to be so leisurely!â Amaya furrows her brows in confusion. Surely it was only logical to stay calm during a situation like this? Thereâs no use in getting worked up.Hak just simply glanced down at the man and spoke calmly to him, just as he had before. âMaking a fuss wonât fix anything.â He began, âFor now, we can buy water from the merchants. They should have enough reserves to see us through the current situation.âThe sudden sound of a horse neighing caught everyoneâs attention, including the girls, and they all turned to see Mun-deok approaching on a horse. âElder Mun-deok has returned!â A random man in the crowd exclaims. âGrandpa!â Hak shouts just as he begins rushing towards the man. Amaya and Yona following close behind him, as they were very familiar the Mun-Deok since he had visited the castle many, many times.As soon as Mun-deok spotted the two girls he quickly dismounted his horse. âPrincess Yona, Princess AmayaâŚâ The two of them launch themselves into his waiting embrace as soon as he raises his arms. âYouâre both all right. Thank goodness. I didnât want to believe it, but when I heard the king was dead, and the two of you had left the castle with HakâŚâHe squeezed them a little tighter. âIâm sorry I couldnât protect the both of you then!â Amaya could feel tears start to gather and she knew that Yona was the same. âMun-deok⌠we canât breathe.â Yona mumbled into his chest. Mun-deok quickly released them, holding them at arms-length.Mun-deok eyed the two girls up and down, his brows furrowing the tiniest bit. âHave you two lost weight?âThe both of them shook their heads. âNo, weâve received many warm things to eat.â Yona reassured him.âYes, itâs actually been quite enjoyable.â Amaya chimed in.Yonaâs lips curved into a soft smile. âThe Wind Tribe is like you, Mun-deok. Itâs warm and relaxing here.â âBrother!â Tae-yeonâs voice broke all of them out their calm trance, turning to see him running towards them.âGrandpa!â He was joined by one of the guards with black hair, that Amaya had met at the front gate when she first arrived, Tae-woo. âHeang-deaâs back.â~*~*~The girls followed after Mun-deok and everyone else to see Heang-dea. Once they saw him, however, they were shocked to see that he had unfortunately returned in a battered and bruised state. He had cuts all over him, some being attended to as he sat on the ground. âHeang-dea, your injuriesâŚâ Mun-deok began muttered. Hak stepped forward. âWhat happened?â He asked.Heang-dea chuckled softly, bringing his right hand up to his head as though he were embarrassed. âI messed upâŚâ Amaya was slightly confused as to why he was smiling and laughing considering his current state.âI went upriver, and would you believe it⌠Some guys from the Fire Tribe were damming it up. I thoughtlessly picked a fight with the guys, but they were armed. They beat the snot out of me.â Stepping towards him, Amaya knelt down beside him, on his left side as another lady was helping him with his wounds on the other side. Stretching over to the basket of supplies she grabbed a small cloth, dipping it into a bit of water and began dabbing it lightly on his cheek to wipe some of the blood away. âYouâre an idiot, arenât you?â Heang-dea chuckled, his eyes softening for a moment. The two of them turned back to Mun-Deok and Hak.âWhat are they trying to do?â Tae-woo asked.âDo they want a war with us?â Another man asked from amidst the crowd.Many others shouted at the same time, all basically saying the same thing. That they wanted to strike back at the Fire Tribe. âWait. You mustnât attack the Fire Tribe.â Mun-deok silenced everyone.Shouts of protest immediately starting up again before Mun-Deok quietened them down once again. âCalm down.â He commanded calmly.âDonât worry about the river. In any case, hurry up and treat Heang-dea.â Tae-woo stepped towards his friend. âYes, sir.â He then proceeded to grab him by the neck of his shirt, dragging him towards the village. âLetâs go.âHeang-dea immediately started squirming. âWait! Iâm still alive!âAmayaâs eyes widened for a moment, her hand still up in the air from wiping Heang-deaâs face before she chuckled at the scene, standing up and discarding the cloth she had been using. Hak glanced down Mun-deok with a slight look of confusion. âGrandpaâŚâ Mun-deok looked down towards the ground before speaking. âThis is a warning from the Fire Tribe.â âA warning?â Hak questioned.âThey want to crown Lord Soo-Won as king.â The girls both flinched simultaneously, simply hearing that manâs name made them shiver in fright. Amaya stepped closer towards her sister and reached down, intertwining their fingers together. Yona instantly gripped her hand, seeking out comfort. âTheyâre pressuring us because I didnât approve.â Amaya couldnât believe what she was actually hearing. How could anyone allow such a man to become king? He had murdered not only her own father, but his uncle. She didnât know how he could possibly live with himself after doing such a thing.Mun-deok seemed to notice the look on the girls faces and placed a hand onto Yonaâs shoulder. âPrincess⌠Itâs all right, Iâll never approve. If I acknowledge Soo-Won as king, it would also mean acknowledging that Hak may have killed the king.â Amaya winced, anyone in their right mind would know that there is no chance in hell that Hak could ever do such a thing.âYouâre right. Blaming me would be the fastest way.â Hak said irritably, narrowing his eyes. âHakâŚâ Amaya mumbled to herself. Mun-deok, who had glanced at Hak, turned back to the girls. âDonât worry. The Fire Tribe wonât do anything worse than this.â ~*~*~Yona and Amaya were sitting against one of the walls in the room that they were both staying in. They were both lost in their own minds. Their thoughts a jumbled mess at this point.The soft sound of footsteps broke Amaya out of her trance and she looked up to see Tae-yeon running towards them. âWhatâs wrong? Are you hungry? Itâs time for dinner.âYona furrowed her brows in confusion, tilting her head. âThereâs not enough water, but youâre giving us so much.â Tae-yeon smiled at the two of them. âItâs okay. Hak told me to fatten the two of you up. Besides, Hak said the Wind Clanâs way is to pamper guests.â He said as he grabbed Yonaâs hand, helping her to her feet before turning to Amaya and doing the same for her.âSo theyâll give us money-â all of a sudden, with absolutely no warning of any kind, Tae-yeon fell to the ground, his breathing erratic. The girls panicked, not knowing what to do. âTae-yeon?!â Hak, Mun-Deok and Tae-woo all burst into the room as soon as they had heard the scream of panic. âWhatâs wrong?â Amaya knelt down next to the boy, Yona following suit. âHe just collapsed!â She exclaimed, wrapping he arm around the boyâs neck to pull him up towards her.âHeâs having an attack.â Mun-deok explained. Amaya was so confused, the boy always looked so healthy, bouncing and running around everywhere as though he had no care in the world.Mun-deok clearly noticed the girlâs confusion and explained what he meant. âTae-yeonâs lungs have always been weak. Sometimes, he gets respiratory paralysis.âYona reached down and grabbed Tae-yeonâs hands, bundling them both into her own.âOnce he takes his medicine, heâll be fine.â âBut the merchants who were supposed to bring the medicine today havenât come yet.â Hak mentions. Tae-woo turns around and heads to the door. âIâll go check it out.â Just as he was about to open the door one of the men bursts into the room. âItâs an emergency! The merchants were attacked on their way here!â He explained quickly.âNo!â Tae-woo shouted. âTheyâre all seriously injured.âAmaya glanced at her sister, who had done the same, and they started at each other in fright. What did that mean for Tae-yeon?âThen weâve lost out means of acquiring water?â Mun-deok asked himself quietly. âThe medicine.â Yona spoke up. âWhat about Tae-yeonâs medicine?â âDamn it.â Tae-woo cursed. A few more people gathered in the doorway and all started speaking at once. âThis must be the Fire Tribeâs work!ââIâll never forgive them!ââYoung lord, why arenât you saying anything?ââThis isnât like you, Elder.âAmaya and Yona both flinched in shock as someoneâs hand landed on their heads. They quickly spun around, both slumping in relief as they saw it was Heang-dea with his usual goofy grin on his face. âHeang-dea, your injuriesâŚâ âOkay, okay! Calm down, you hot-blooded idiots!â He exclaimed, still with a smile. Amaya wasnât sure how he could be so calm considering everything that is happening.âYou attacked them first.â Tae-woo states with a deadpanned expression. âThe most important thing right now is Tae-yeonâs medicine, isnât it? Iâll go to the doctor in the eastern forest and get some medicine.â âYouâre going all the way there, with those injuries?â Tae-woo questioned, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at all the bandages. âIâm the fastest right in the Wind Clan. You okay with that young lord?â Heang-dea looks at Hak for approval. âLeave it to Heang-dea!âHak smirks, nodding his head. âHaggle down the price of the medicine.â Heang-dea salutes him, âIâm off.â before taking off.Tae-woo shakes his head, crossing his arms. âHeâs so reckless.â Hak then turns to everyone else that were gathered in the room. âListen, everyone. I understand your rage, but the Fire Tribe is strong. I wonât let you start a war with them now. I promise Iâll do something about this. Just because the river dried up, itâs not like us to shrivel up. Entrust your lives to me and wait quietly. Those are the orders of Son Hak, Chief of the Wind Clan.â Amaya couldnât believe her eyes, not to mention her ears. Never in her life had she witnessed Hak talk and act with such confidence and authority. It was definitely a sight to behold. She allowed a small smirk to slip through, she was quite proud of him.~*~*~Thankfully, Heang-dea was successful in his mission, he was able to buy the medicine and bring it back in time before Tae-yeonâs condition was able to get any worse.âTae-yeon, are you all right?â Yona asked the boy as he drank his medicine quietly. A few people, including Amaya and Yona, were sitting around him in order to make sure that he was okay now. Amaya was sitting right next to him, so that he had someone to lean against as he was still quite weak. She had her hand up to his forehead, brushing his hair away softly.Tae-woo looked at Heang-dea. âThat was inhumanly fast, Heang-dea.â He praised, although his expression remained as neutral as it always does.âLeave it to Heang-deaâŚâ Said man was slumped on the floor from complete and utter exhaustion. Amaya glanced away from them when Yona started speaking. âAre you in pain? Is there anything you need?â She asked Tae-yeon softly.He looked up at her with a beautiful smile, âThank you, Iâm fine.â he reassured. He looked over his shoulder, grinning at Amaya. âAnd thank you for helping me so much.â Everyone in the room felt a pull at their heartstrings from his adorable face. Amaya honestly didnât know if she could handle another one of those smiles. Amaya wrapped her arms around the boy, hugging him close to her. âOf course, anything you need, little one.â Tae-yeon hugged her back just as tightly. It seemed she wasnât the only one that was overwhelmed by his cuteness, as soon enough Yona launched herself into the cuddle. âWhat an adorable creature!â She exclaimed.Hearing someone stand up, Amaya pulled back to see that it was Tae-woo. âOkay, Iâm going to check on the merchants.â He paused before speaking again. âIâll go bury this corpse in the backyard while Iâm at it.â He referred to Heang-dea as he dragged his body out of the room.Heang-dea was so exhausted though that he didnât even put up a fight, simply mumbling a small âBut Iâm aliveâŚâAmaya glanced at her sisterâs expression, instantly figuring out what she wanted to do. She wanted to go with them and see for herself what had happened to the merchants. âCome on, Yona. Letâs go.â She nodded and stood up, Amaya following shortly after as she still had Tae-yeon leaning against her. She ruffled his hair before she left, and he giggled, swatting her hand away from him.The two of them quickly caught up to the boys, silently following behind them from a distance. âMove, move.â The lady from before accidentally bumped into the both of them. Although it was hardly her fault, seeing as she couldnât exactly see where she was going with all of the blankets that she was carrying.âOh! Rina, LenaâŚâ âMaâam?â The girls addressed her. The woman was clearly surprised by what she had been called, even smiling a little. âOh, my. Did you just call me âmaâamâ?â She stepped back a bit. âPerfect timing⌠Take these.â Amaya and Yona both held their arms out without question as the woman placed blankets into each. âReally, those Fire Tribe men are out of control.â Amayaâs brows furrowed, her curiosity getting the better of her. âItâs full of injured people inside.â The girls followed her into the building but quickly halted once that saw just what was in there.At least a dozen or so, maybe more, people were covered in bandages. Some had blood seeping through the gauze at an almost rapid rate where as others had bruises all over them. Amaya couldnât believe her eyes. Never before had she seen anything like this. How could someone even think about harming so many innocent people?Someone suddenly bumped into Yona as they were walking backwards, so they clearly werenât able to see her. âWhoops.â Amaya turned around, seeing that it was Heang-dea. He quickly turned around, noticing who it was. âSorry, Rina⌠Iâm a little unsteady.âHeang-dea mustâve noticed just how spaced out the girls were as they had barely even acknowledging him, apart from Amaya turning to glance at him. âRina? Lena?âIt wasnât long before Amaya felt something cold and wet trickle down her cheek. She quickly brought her hand up to her face, wiping whatever it was away and pulled back to realize that it was a tear. She glanced to her side and noticed Yona doing the same, her eyes filling with tears.âItâs all right!â Heang-dea was suddenly in front of them and in their faces causing the two of them to completely snap out of their shock. âWeâll be fine with the young lord and the elder around. Despite how they seem, they look out for their family.â The girls glanced at one another, their eyes softening. âFamilyâŚâHeang-dea leant towards them with his usual carefree smile. âYeah! Everyone in the Wind Tribe is family. So, you two are a part of our family now, too.â Hearing those words Amaya instantly felt more tears gather in her eyes. âHuh?â Heang-dea clearly wasnât expecting the girls to start crying again.Amaya and Yona both brought their hands up to their faces to cover their expression, they both hated it when others saw them cry. âAhâŚâ Tae-woo wondered over at that particular moment and decided to tease the poor guy while he was there. âAww⌠You made them cry, Heang-dea.âHeang-dea began panicking, throwing his hands up into the air. âLord Hakâs gonna kill me!âAmaya quickly wiped her tears away before reaching out to grab Yonaâs hand, silently encouraging her to do the same. She did so before looking at her sister with a soft smile. The two of them then looked at the two boys were still clearly worried and smiling to show that they were alright.Something then seemed to catch their attention and their eyes narrowed at Yona. âRina, are you all right?â Amaya looked at her to see that she had her eyes closed and her head tilted downwards. To her, it was clear what her sister was doing. She didnât want any of these innocent people to be involved in this mess. When Yona finally opened her eyes, Amaya saw that she had a very determined expression on her face, before she looked over at her sister. Amaya nodded her head, to which Yona did the same. They were both ready to do whatever it takes to end this war.~*~*~The girls were running around the main buildings in search of Hak. They were both finally ready to leave and face their fears head on. Amaya caught something out of the corner of her eye, so she quickly stopped, holding her arm out to stop Yona as well. Tae-yeon was sitting at one of the windows, while someone who Amaya couldnât identify was ruffling his hair. Although judging by the small amount of dark blue robe she could see, she could only assume that it was Hak.The two of them walked over slowly as not to startle him. He heard the sound of their footsteps and turned towards them with a big smile on his face. âRina, LenaâŚâYona smiled gently at him. âWas that Hak?â She asked. Tae-yeon buried his face into his arm and quickly wiped away any tears that were on his face. âYeah.â He then turned his body to face them. âWhat is it, Rina, Lena?ââWe wanted to thank you.â They spoke in unison. Tae-yeon tilted his head in confusion. âThank me?â Amaya and Yona both knelt down in front of the boy, bowing their heads in a respectful motion before Yona began speaking for the two of them. âYou gave us warm food, wiped away out tears, and brought us cheer. Thank you. Thank you for everything.âThe girls both looked up at him as Yona finished, only to see him staring intently at the ground. âI thought you two were going to stay here forever.â He then looked out the large, open window. âOh, wellâŚâ He briskly pulled his headpiece down to cover his eyes as he began to cry. âOh, wellâŚâAmaya looked at her sister in slight shock before smiling, the two of them wrapping their arms around the little boy to comfort him, of course being careful since his body was so frail. They released him only to each take a hold of one of his hands. âWe will not forget you or the people who live here. Stay well and take care.â Yona leant her forehead against his while Amaya rested her hand on the top of his head in a caring matter, running her fingers softly through his hair for a moment. They then got up and went off quickly to find Hak before he left for good.~*~*~Thankfully, they were able to make it to the entrance of the village just in time. Hak was still there, talking to Tae-woo. The girls sped up their pace before calling out to the man. âHak!â Both of the guys turned towards their direction to see Amaya and Yona both running towards them.Once they finally got there, Yona straightened her back and held her head up high. âWeâre leaving this place.â She spoke confidently. Hak glanced at Amaya, clearly checking to see if she was on the same page as her sister and she smirked. âYou heard the lady.â She chuckled.Yona then spoke again. âCome with us!âHak slightly smiled back at the girls before moving towards them. âWhat did you say?â He leaned his hand on his hip.âWeâre leaving. If we stay here, Capital Fuuga will be caught in the conflict.â Amaya briefly explained their reasoning. âGo back.â Hak attempted to command. âIâve already spoken to the elder. This place is safe now. You two should live quietly here.âThere was absolutely no way the girls were going to allow him to leave them behind. âI donât remember allowing you to leave alone.â Yona spoke smartly. âYou told me to use you as a tool to live.â Amaya had to cover her mouth to hide a small giggle, she wasnât expecting Hak to say something like that to Yona, ever. Hak briefly glared at her before continuing his argument. âI returned the name of âSonâ. Iâm not longer a general or your servant.â He then glanced up. âIâm about to leave on a free journey. I donât have to take care of you two. If you both keep quiet, Soo-Won wonât do anything.â As he turned to walk away, Yona ran in front of him, blocking his path. âMove.â Hak said calmly. âIâve already decided.â Amaya wasnât sure where all of this newfound confidence was coming from, but she definitely liked it. Yona has never acted like this before. âNo matter what you think, Iâm not taking you with me.â Yona shook her head defiantly. âDo you have money? If weâre going to be travelling together, Iâll have to protect you. Iâm asking you if you have the money to pay for my services.â He then quickly reached out to grab her hand and lent close to her face. âOr will you pay with your body?âAmaya had personally had quite enough of Hakâs display and decided to shut him up. Leaning down to her boot she pulled out her small dagger and swung it in front of his face, successfully getting him to lean away from her sister. FwooshHak and Yonaâs eyes both widened at the sight of the blade in front of them. They quickly turned to see that it was in fact Amaya wielding it. âSince when do you know how to use weapons?â Hak asked suspiciously, while Yona gazed at her with curious eyes.Amaya decided that it would be best to keep it to herself how she had learned and instead chose to lie. âFor a while, it was almost too easy to sneak into where the guards kept their weapons. I simply learned from watching them from afar. Not too difficult to pick up on.â She spun the dagger around her hand as she spoke. Yona blinked, once, then twice before realizing that she was still arguing with Hak and turned back to him. âI donât have anything to give you.â Hak stared at her for a moment before speaking. âYou catch on quick.â He then let go of her and walked past her nimbly. âNow, go.â Yona was in shock at what he had just done, and how willing he was to just simply leave her behind. âGoodbye, Princess Yona.âAmaya huffed, crossing her arms as she watched the two of them. She wouldâve spoken up and stated that she was in fact, also here but she was honestly finding it quite amusing to watch as well, so she kept quiet.It was clear that Yona wouldnât give up that easily though, seeing as she had already ran in front of him again and had grabbed a hold of his clothes. âBut I want you! Give yourself to me Hak!â Amayaâs eyes widened in shock, not exactly expecting her to say those particular words.âWhat are you talking about?â Hak said curiously before reaching his hand up to his face almost nervously. âYouâre so willfulâŚâ He then knelt down on the ground in front of her, almost falling by how quickly he had done so. âDamn it, itâs so annoying. This is whyâŚâ He looked back up towards Yona after a moment of silence. âYou win, Princess.â
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
âDo you see anything?â Yona asked Hak, who was surveying the area as both the girls took a short break, sitting down on a reasonably sized rock. They both had their hoods over their heads just in case they happened to come across anyone.âNo. How does the old man expect us to find someone, when we donât know where he is?â Hak mutters irritably. Amaya sighs, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. âThatâs just how Mun-deok is I suppose.â Before the trio left the village, Mun-deok quickly intervened their departure by informing them about a priest who happened to live in the mountains nearby. According to him, the man can see into the future. Amaya wasnât so sure about that fact, but she wasnât going to rule out the possibility of it being true just quite yet.Mun-deok believes that the priest will be able to help them and show them the way. In other words, help them figure out what they should do.Seeing as neither of the girls knew anything about this so called âpriestâ, Hak decided it would probably be a good idea to tell them the story regarding the man. âLong ago, the priest lived in a temple at the royal palace and was deeply involved in the kingdom's rule. After Yu-hong began oppressing the priest, he left the castle. Now he lives quietly, somewhere far from people.âYona hummed. âFar from peopleâŚâ she mumbled as she glanced around their current surroundings. âThis certainly doesnât seem like somewhere a person could live.â She continues, sparing a glance over the mountainâs edge that just so happened to be right next to them.Hak dropped his hand, resting it on his hip as the other readjusts the grip on his weapon. âIf you tried living here, you might fall off a cliff.â He teased, although he was also being completely serious. Yonaâs clumsiness wasnât something to truly joke about. Not to mention, the path along the side of the mountain wasnât the most spacious of areas. It would be all too easy to fall to your doom. âBut Iâm sure someone could do it if they tried.â He added after a moment.Amaya nods, looking over at Yona to see her looking out towards the scenery. She was clearly lost in thought, as she usually was nowadays.âBy the way Princessâs.â Hak speaks up, catching the girls attention. âIf we must search every corner of this area, weâll have to sleep outside. What should we do?âAmayaâs eyes widened at his words. âWhat? Oh, please tell me youâre joking. Iâve found far too many bugs crawling around in my hair these past few daysâŚâ She whimpers. Unfortunately for Amaya, she has a slight fear of insects, and having to spend so much time out in the wilderness definitely hasnât helped her at all.âSleep outside? Iâve gotten somewhat used to it.â Yona replied rather nonchalantly.Swiftly turning her head around to look at her sister, tears in her eyes, Amaya stuttered her words out. âYona! How could you betray me!â Yona glances at her sister, poking her tongue out in a mocking way. Pouting, Amaya sighs in defeat. Hak shifted his gear in his hands. âUnlike the mountains behind the castle, it gets cold here.ââThen Iâll snuggle against you while I sleep.â Hak flinched in response, somehow managing to fling his weapon out of his hands and up into the air. Amaya couldnât help but giggle at the sight, knowing all too well what he was so flustered about.âJeez.â He bends down to pick his weapon back up, although he slightly paused as his hand reached out to grab it, resting his palm against the ground for about a second or so. He then stood back up rather slowly. Amaya was confused for a moment, before she heard the faint sound of rumbling from behind them. She narrowed her eyes and bent down to her shoes to take out her knife. Her eyes started darting around, trying to see if she could spot anything out of the ordinary.âI donât mind, but Iâll play pranks on you.â Hak said, turning around and leaning close to Yonaâs face.âPranks?â Yona questioned, clearly not understanding.Hak smirked at her obliviousness. âPranks areâŚâ He reached out and cupped her face in the palms of his hands, bringing her even closer towards him. ââŚthings like this.â He then pushed her, softly slamming her against the mountain side, trapping her with his arms. Amaya hastily followed, resting next to them.âHak, what are you- â.âQuiet.â Hak quickly silences Yona. âFootsteps.â Glancing over his shoulder his eyes catch Amayaâs. She nods in recognition, showing that she also heard what he had. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, before turning back and listening intently. âMaybe⌠forty?âAmaya shakes her head, âNo, thereâs at least fifty.â Hak thinks for a moment then nods in agreement.Yona gasps. âPursuers?â She mumbled.Leaning up, Hak gently grabs the girls by their arms, bringing them with him. âI thought they werenât chasing us anymore. Thatâs quite a lot of people too.â He says with a small amount of shock lacing his voice.âAre they the kingâs men? Or-â Yona is interrupted once more, this time by Hak pulling her hood up and over her head, before doing the same to Amaya. âPrincess Yona, if weâre going to be snuggling in our sleep, I wonât feel like pranking you if you arenât a big more comfortable to hold.â Hak teased, causing Yona to start chasing after him as he appeared to âskipâ away from them.âWhat are you talking about?!â Yona shrieks as she chases after him. Amaya jogged after the pair, trying to keep up. Suddenly Hak halted in his steps, causing both of the girls to bump into his back.âNow, thenâŚâ Hak says rather casually before looking up above them, causing the girls to follow suit. It was then they noticed the large number of men surrounding them from all angles. They appeared to be everywhere. âIâm all warmed up.â Hak says confidently. âTime to get to work.âThe men tightened their grip on their bows that were aimed straight at the three of them, more specifically the girls. Amaya could also see quite a few with spears. âStay close, Princessâs.â Hak mumbles. Amaya clenches her fist around the blade in her hand, taking a deep breath to try and prepare herself for whatâs to come.Suddenly a swarm of men came rushing down the mountainside with swords at the ready, yelling as they did so. Amaya raised her arms up in a defensive position, placing Yona behind her, but still in-between herself and Hak. Thankfully, her hood had managed to stay up. Hak grabbed the cover that was on his weapon and blatantly tore it off before swinging it outwards in an abrupt motion towards the oncoming men. The front lines fell quickly, blood flying through the air from their open wounds. Hearing the sound of quick, rushing footsteps coming up behind her, Amaya turned, lashing out with her blade to stop their pursuit. Thankfully, she hit her mark, which was the manâs throat, causing the body to drop to the ground. Yona looked at her sister with a shocked expression, while Amaya simple smirked before turning back to the other men.A loud battle cry came from above and they all looked up to see even more men rushing down. Amaya sighed, she couldnât believe how many there were. Quickly leaping into again, Hak once again swung his Hsu Quandao causing them all to drop to the ground around them. One guy managed to get a tad too close to Yona for Amayaâs liking, so she kicked her leg out, successfully pushing him away from them. Luckily, she managed to get him in the groin, so it was obvious he wouldnât be getting back up any time soon.Hak pointed his weapon towards the men that were standing up on the ledge above them. âWhatâs wrong? Are you finished?â Hak called out tauntingly.âI see the Thunder Beast is going strong.â The trio turned to the direction that the voice had come from. Seeing an entourage of soldiers standing behind someone.âSo, it is you.â Hak says. It was one of the sons of the general from the Fire Tribe, Tae-jun. He used to obsess over the idea of marrying one of the girls. He didnât even care which one, he just wanted to marry into the crown.âIâve been waiting for this moment, General Son Hak. And the princessâs. Princess Yona and Princess Amaya.â Amaya narrowed her eyes, already getting rather irritated just at the sound of his voice. âI, Gang Tae-jun, of the Fire Tribe,â Tae-jun looked up to continue speaking however he was dumbfounded to see the trio not even paying attention.âLook, girlâs. Thereâs nature everywhere.â Hak says as he pointed down towards the forest below. The girls nodded, going along with what he was doing, knowing that he wanted to piss the man off.âWhat?!â Tae-jun exclaimed. âWhy are you enjoying nature while Iâm talking to you?â He started to cry, which lead to one of his soldiers walking over to him with a tissue. Amaya couldnât believe that he still acted like such a child, even now after all these years.Hak stood back up. âOh, you were talking to me?â Hak retorts. âIâm neither a general nor a âSonâ now. Sorry about that.â He says as he bows.Tae-jun dries his tears with the tissue. âItâs fine, so long as you understand.â It takes him a mere second to fully process what Hak had actually said to him. âWait, what? Youâre not a general?â He exclaims.Hak shrugs. âThatâs right. Iâm just wandering traveller Hak.â He then closed his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. âWhich meansâŚâ he looks up with a menacing look now in his eyes. âWhatever I do now has nothing to do with the Wind Tribe.â Amaya couldnât help but grin at his tactic.âSo thatâs it⌠Well, either way, I donât care about the Wind Tribe.â Tae-jun reaches for his sword. âI will make those who stand in my way disappear. I have business with the Princessâs.â he declares as he unsheathes his blade before pointing it directly at Hak. All of the archers released their arrows upon this command. Hak swiftly swings his weapon around in order to deflect them while Amaya did her best to slice at the ones that got a little too close to her. Grabbing a hold of Yona, Hak holds her against his chest as he continues to deflect the arrows. âDonât let him rest!â Tae-jun ordered, causing the men standing around the trio to charge towards them. Hak swung his Hsu Quandao around violently in order to keep them at bay, the ones that did manage to come too close, Amaya took care of herself. One after another, they fell to the ground with blood gushing out from their wounds. âStop him! Stop him!â Tae-jun continued to shout. âArchers, fire!âA mirage of arrows came pounding down around them, causing Hak to grab both of the girls before slamming his weapon into the ground, using it as an extra boost for them to be able to get up to the upper ledge. âYouâve gained weight girls.âYona glared at him while Amaya couldnât help but chuckle. âThat was unnecessary!â Yona mutters.As the men continued to follow after them, Hak started leaping from ledge to ledge. Once they were on stable ground he then dropped the girls to their feet. âWeâre gonna run.â he said hurriedly. Yona quickly grabs a hold of his hand before turning back to reach for her sisters. The girls latch hands, keeping their grips tight.As the archerâs fired again, Hak swung his weapon over the girlâs heads, causing them both to duck out of the way. It was a seemingly never-ending pattern. Swing behind, swing in front. That was all Hak was able to do to keep the arrows at bay while they all ran. Yona suddenly slipped on one of the many broken arrows and fell to the ground.âAim for the Princess!â Hak and Amaya acted as swiftly as possible. While Amaya leaped towards her sister and embraced her, Hak quickly positioned himself above the girls in order to take the hit himself. The arrow pierced into his back, close to his shoulder blade. However, there was a second arrow that none of them had seen. It skimmed the side of Amayaâs arm, cutting extremely deep causing her to yelp at the intense burning sensation. She let go of Yona with one of her arms and held her palm over the wound, in an attempt to stop the bleeding from getting too bad.âHak! Amaya!â Yona couldnât help but shriek in fear at the sight. âAre you two all right?â She asks worriedly, her eyes darting between the two.Hak reached behind himself and managed to grab a hold of the arrow, pulling it out of his back before throwing it away, causing it to clatter to the ground. Amaya held onto her arm, gritting her teeth at the sharp pain. âDonât worry about me, itâs creepy.â Hak muttered weakly. âWhy, you-â Yona began to retort in anger, but she was cut short as Hak first grabbed Amaya, placing her on his back before holding Yona in his arms. Amaya wrapped her arms around his neck in an attempt to hold on, although the action caused her to wince. Hak slammed his Hsu Quandao into the ground repeating the same action that he had done before. However, this time they leaped over the men and ended up behind them, as well as on another ledge higher up.The sun was starting to set as the men rushed around trying to find them. Thankfully, Hak had managed to find a small hole in the mountain that was hidden behind some bushes. He put the girls down, and then lent towards them on his knees. âDonât move, no matter what.âYona rubs a hand up and down her sisterâs back in an attempt to comfort her, before she looks up at Hak in concern. âHak, youâre bleeding.âHak dismisses her, grabbing a hold of his weapon before standing back up. âItâs not mine.â he says calmly, but it was obviously a lie. A sort of joke, in an attempt to lighten the situation. âWait, Hak!â Amaya suddenly shouts, causing Hak to turn back to them. âPlease, let me fight with you.â She pleaded with him desperately, knowing that he couldnât possibly face off against all of those men with his injury for too long. Even with as strong as he was, everyone had their limits, and an arrow in the back was definitely one of them.Hak shook his head, leaning back down in front of her. âNo, Amaya.â He placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair in a soothing gesture. âYouâve done more than enough. Now rest.â That was all he said before he briskly ran away from their hiding place. âWait, Hak!â Yona calls out, although her efforts were clearly futile as he wasnât going to come back. For a few moments, Yona sat in silence as she stared at the palm of her hand, that was almost covered in Hakâs blood. The only sound that could be heard was Amayaâs haggard breathing. âTo protect me, youâŚâ Yona mumbled to herself. Amaya looked at her sister, her eyes narrowing in concern. She was about to lean over and try to comfort her when they both heard someone nearby.âWhere are the Princessâs? Where did they disappear too?â The girls both flinched and ducked in an attempt to conceal themselves even more. They were met with the sight of Gang Tae-jun. He seemed very upset by their disappearance. âHak mustâve helped them escape.â The man that was standing behind him noted.âFind them!â Tae-jun ordered in an aggravated tone.The girls could both hear the sounds of weapons clashing from not too far away. It mustâve been Hak. Amaya tried to stand up, but she quickly fell back down when her arm started burning intensely. âDamn it.âYona turned her attention to her sister after hearing her cry pf pain. âAmaya! Are you all right?â She tried to reach for her arm, but Amaya pulled it out of her reach. âIâm fine, I promise.â Amaya smiled at her sister, to the best of her abilities but it turned into more of a grimace.âThe Thunder Beast is human, too.â The sisterâs turn back to see Tae-jun stand up while looking over the ledge, supposedly at Hak. âHe seems to be tiring.âThe man standing next to him took a step forward, holding up his bow. âThe arrow that hit him was poisoned.â He explained.Amaya heard her sister let out a small gasp before she quickly grabbed her arm to inspect it. Sure enough, there was a yellow liquid that seemed to be leaking out of the wound, mixing with the blood. Amaya couldnât help but cringe at the sight. âWell, I guess thatâs why it hurt so much.â, she thought to herself. She could feel herself starting to sweat, beads starting to form on her forehead.âWhat? You fired those at the Princessâs?â Tae-jun questions.âI knew Hak would shield the girls with his body if we fired at them. Unfortunately, one of our other archers fired by mistake and ended up hitting Princess Amya in the arm.â The man turns to look at Hak, who was still fighting against the soldiers. âAn ordinary person wouldnât be able to move. Hak is a terrifying man.âAmaya glanced over to her sister, who wasnât moving, as though she was in shock. Either that, or she was in really deep thought. âThen, when he turns his back, fire at him.â Tae-junâs words were enough for Yona to snap out of it, lifting her head and gasping. She went to move out of their hiding spot, but she paused, like there was an inner conflict happening in her mind.The archer readied his arrow, preparing to fire at Hak. Amayaâs breathing had become quite heavy at this stage, the poison that had entered her body was finally starting to act up. She felt incredibly weak at this point, her eyes starting to flutter. She heard the bushes rustle beside her and turned to see that Yona had stood up. Amaya raised her eyebrow questionably, before understanding what she was about to do.Yona looked to her sister and the both of them nodded at one another before running out towards the archer and Tae-jun. It was a big struggle for Amaya, but she knew that she had to power through the pain, for Hakâs sake.Yona rammed her body into the archer, causing him to go over the edge and into one of the trees on the lower level. Amaya grabbed her sister hand before she herself could also fall over, as she had too much force. âYonaâŚâ Tae-jun muttered in surprise. âPrincess YonaâŚI never thought you and your sister would come to me on your own. I wanted to speak with you.â Yona spun around with a look of utter hatred, an expression her sister had never seen her make before. Seeing as Tae-junâs full attention was on Yona, Amaya decided to try and sneak around behind him. So far, it was working, and she was almost out of his eye sight.âThereâs no need to be so cautious. I came to get you.â Tae-jun tried âreassuringâ Yona. As though she needed to be rescued, which she clearly didnât.âGet me?â Yona asks in an almost void tone.âTomorrow morning, Lord Soo-Won will be crowned the new king.â Amaya flinched, his words cutting deep into her heart. She was still not quite over the betrayal that he had caused. She couldnât believe how quickly he was getting crowned, it seemed unreal.âPoor princess⌠It must have been painful, losing the king and being chased from the castle. Come with me, and weâll make this known. We can drag the detestable Soo-Won, who chased you from the castle, off the thrown and avenge the king.â At this point, Amaya was about a foot away from Tae-junâs back.The sound of Hakâs weapon cutting through the air caught everyoneâs attention. âWhy did you move?â He demanded to know, before one of the soldiers quickly attacked him again and distracted him.Tae-jun turned back to Yona. âSo, Princess Yona, come with me-â He had only just begun to speak before Yona was cutting him off. âIf you knew that, why did the Fire Tribe put pressure on the Wind Tribe?â âHuh? Those were my fatherâs orders, it wasnât my willâŚâ Yonaâs glare only seemed to get more menacing with each word that spilled out of the manâs mouth.âWhy did you attack the merchants? If you knew the truth, then instead of driving the Wind Tribe into a corner, instead of trying to kill the innocent Hak, thereâs something else you should be doing!â She exclaimed. Amaya had never been prouder of her little sister, she had grown so much over just a few short days. She couldnât help but smirk at her newfound confidence, at the fierce determination in her eyes.âI may be an ignorant princess, but Iâm not desperate enough to listen to someone who doesnât understand reason!â Yona declared, not giving Tae-jun any room to talk back. Even if he wanted too, he couldnât. He almost seemed mesmerised by Yonaâs burning eyes.âYou idiot!â Hak shouts, swinging his weapon around him in a full circle. âI told you not to move!â Hak managed to push the soldierâs away from him for a moment. "Princess!" he shouted out desperately. Hak was advancing his way through the men in a desperate attempt to try and get to Yona. He eventually fell to the ground when his legs had weakened from the poison.Yona quickly turned to look at him in concern. âHak!âThe soldiers quickly surrounded him in an attempt to completely overwhelm him, but he was still somehow able to take them out in his extremely weakened state. His movements were less than coordinated and he was edging closer and closer to the edge of the mountain. He was bound to go over with just one more push. One of the soldiers took this opportunity to slash at him violently with their sword, causing Hak to get hit in the chest and all the way down to his torso. Blood poured out of his wound as he fell over the edge, but just at the last moment he managed to hang on with his hands.âHak!â Yona cried out desperately. Amaya herself wanted to help him but she knew that in her own state, she would only do more harm than good. Tae-jun was incredibly happy with this new development "Yes! There's an abyss below him! Throw the Thunder Beast down!" he commanded before trying to get a closer look. Just as Amaya was about to grab a hold of his sword, Yona quickly darted past Tae-jun. In a panic, Tae-jun reached out to grab her âPrincess!â he ended up with a handful of her crimson hair and Yona cried out in pain. âNo, Princess. You mustnât go to him.âAmayaâs eyes widened in shock, she didnât know what to do anymore. Her vision was blurring more and more by the second, and she was starting to lose the ability to stand. âYouâre going to the castle with me!â Tae-jun shouts. Amaya narrowed her eyes into a glare before bending down swiftly to pull out her dagger. She lashed out, managing to cut Tae-jun in the back, causing him to loosen his grip on Yona.Yona turned slightly before reaching out and grabbing his sword, pulling it out of its sheath before slashing at her own hair. Tae-jun fell to the ground in complete and total shock at her actions, as well as spinning around to look at her sister who was grinning down at him. âPrincess Amaya?â She smirked, before making her way around him to get to her sister.The two of them descended the mountain, hurriedly making their way to where Hak had fallen. As they finally reached him, they saw that one of the soldiers had his sword raised above Hakâs head, ready to pierce through his skull and end his life. Yona pointed her sword at them while Amaya held her dagger up. âGet away!â They shouted in unison. âGet away from Hak.â Yona demanded angrily.The soldier only lowered his slightly. âPrincessâsâŚâ The girls could tell that he wasnât going to lower it completely, so they took the initiative and attacked. âGet away from him!â They both screamed simultaneously, neither of them wanting any more harm to come to Hak.Seeing as Yona had never had any training with a sword, she was only able to swing it around clumsily. "Stop, princess!" one of the men ordered. Amaya heard the man behind her go to attack them from behind "A princess should keep quiet and..." âDonât!â Tae-jun shouted from above. âDonât hurt them!â As the man was distracted Amaya took that as her chance and swiftly spun around with her dagger out and successfully slashed his hand causing him to falter, moving backwards slightly whilst clutching his hand in pain. âBut, sirâŚâ The one who had tried killing Hak called out before looking at the girls and hesitating. He seemed to take a few steps back at the mere sight of them. Amaya could only imagine how fierce her sister looked, herself on the other hand was just extremely dishevelled and struggling to stay conscious. Yona slammed the sword into the ground before turning and attempting to help Hak up. After glaring at the men, Amaya quickly followed and tried to help. âPrincessâsâŚâ"Hak, we'll save you." The girls latched their hands around his arm and desperately tugged. "You idiots! Run!" Hak exclaimed. "You can't do it! Run far away!" he demanded after seeing how much they were struggling. "No! Never!" Yona shouted angrily. Hak then gasped in shock as our tears that had built up in our eyes, fell down onto his cheeks. âHak, Iâd never forgive you for dying!â Yona was basically sobbing at this point, completely hysterical.Amaya shook her head fervently. âThere is no way Iâll let you go, Hak. Ever!ââWhat are you two doing?â Tae-jun suddenly exclaimed. âGet them away from Hak!âThey all heard the men coming up behind them quickly, so the girls let their guard down for a mere second as they turned to face them. In that short moment, their grip had loosened just enough for the three of them too all fall over the edge along with Hak.They were falling. Plummeting. Straight to what appeared to be their deaths.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The first thing Amaya heard was her sisterâs voice; she could tell that she was speaking to another person, but the voice was one she didnât recognize. Willing her eyes to open, slowly, but surely, as they felt heavy.Looking around she noticed that they were inside some kind of small house, a lot of medicinal items littered around the place. Turning in the direction of her sisterâs voice, Amaya manages to croak out a single word. âYonaâŚâ She mustâve damaged her throat somehow as it was very sore.Yonaâs head whipped around as she heard her sister and gasped in shock to see her awake. âAmaya! Youâre okay!â She then proceeded to get up and launch herself onto her, clutching her tightly. âYou were out for much longer than me!âAmaya huffed, patting her sister on the back lightly. âYes, Iâm okay. But I wonât be if you keep squeezing me so tightlyâŚâ Yona jumped back, apologizing profusely with a thin smile.âSo, who are you guys?â The unfamiliar voice speaks again, so Amaya takes the opportunity to sit up and finally see what they look like. It was an adorable young boy who appeared to be around the same age as the girls. Judging by the basket of herbs he was holding; he mustâve been the one to take care of them.âTo survive a fall from that cliff, you must be pretty tough. Especially you, seeing as you had quite a few weapons hidden in your clothes.â He gestured to Amaya, who wore a strained smile and scratched her cheek awkwardly.It was then that she noticed a severe lack of annoying-ness in the room. âHey, whereâs Hak? Is he alright?â she asked worriedly, concerned for her friend after he had sustained so many injuries.âHak? Oh, the black-haired man you were with is over there.â He pointed to the other side of the room, right in the back, and the girls both saw Hakâs wounded body. He was almost completely covered in bandages, blood beginning to seep through in some areas. Amaya couldnât help but frown deeply, it wasnât nice to see your best friend in such a fragile state.âHak!â Yona exclaimed and quickly got up to run over to him, Amaya moving to follow her but she was quickly stopped by a hand on her shoulder pushing her back down.âNope, you arenât going anywhere.â The boy said, and Amaya tilted her head to the side in confusion, not quite understanding why she couldnât go as well. He pointed to her arm, and she remembered what had happened to her with the poisoned arrow. Her arm was wrapped in bandages as well and had blood spotting. âYou had quite the infection in that wound, if I hadnât of found you itâs likely you wouldâve died from the toxins. Iâm actually surprised that youâre awake already.âAmaya sighed, knowing that it was partly her own fault that she had gotten injured, but at the time she saw no other option."Hak..." Yona mumbled as she stared down at Hak in concern, holding his hand in hers."He's alive, just barely." The boy reassured. "I removed the poison, but he had a cut on his chest, and he's bruised all over. A bunch of his ribs are broken, too. He'd lost so much blood. If he'd received treatment any later, he would've died as well. He probably protected you both during the fall."The girls turned to him in confusion. âWhat do you mean?â Amaya asked.The boy continues messing around with his herbs. âHe was holding you when you all fell.â Amaya was shocked. She could not believe he had gone to such lengths to save both of them. Obviously, it was technically his job to do so, but not many would have done so.After finishing what he was doing, the boy stood up. âThe trees must have cushioned your fall.â He then looked over at Yona, his gaze questioning. âWhy is he so devoted to the both of you? Is he your lover or something?âWithout hesitation Yona quickly shook her head. âNo, not at all.âAmaya sighed dramatically. âOh Hak, you poor thingâŚâ Yona glanced at her sister, her brows furrowing as she was confused by her comment.She then began looking around. "Is this the bottom of the valley? Do you live here?" she asked curiously."I guess." the boy answered."Are you a doctor?" Amaya then added seeing as he knew exactly how to treat all of their wounds."We're actually looking for someone..." Yona began but she was interrupted by yet another unfamiliar voice."Yoon! Yoon!" Everyone looked towards the wide-open entrance of the small building. "Listen! Listen to this!" the man exclaimed excitedly. For some reason, this man was entirely covered in dirt and mud as if he had been rolling around on the ground."Hey! Why are you covered in mud?!" The boy who Amaya now knew was called Yoon exclaimed angrily as he raised his foot like he was about to kick the man."I was praying for everyone's happiness when I slipped and fell..." as soon as he finished his sentence he fell backwards, tripping over nothing."What a bother!" Yoon muttered with an annoyed expression. "Heaven has abandoned you." that caused the man to cry out in terror.Suddenly the man gasped slightly and turned to face both of the girls. He began walking over to them. "You two are awake. Thank goodness..." Yona blinked at him in confusion. "Hello. My name is Ik-Soo. Iâm something like Yoon's guardian."Yona began to introduce herself, âUm, IâmâŚâ she then glanced down to the ground, appearing to be deep in thought. Amaya had a feeling that she was trying to decide whether it was a clever idea to tell this man their true identities.The sound of crying brought her attention back up and they saw Ik-Soo with tears streaming down his face. "It must have been very hard...""No, I didn't... Hak protected me from the fall." Yona tried reassuring him.He shook his head. "No, I am impressed you resolved to go on this journey." He then got up and started walking away.Amaya was even more confused now, not understanding what he meant. âJourney?ââTo think that the princesses themselves wouldâŚâ"Wait. How do you know how we are?" Yona asked confusedly.Amaya squints at him skeptically. âYes, itâs honestly a little suspicious that you knowâŚâHe turned back around at Yona's question, "Oh, the god's told me..." he said before freezing and looking as if he had said something that he shouldn't of.Yoon stared at him with a blank stare. "Are you stupid?" Amaya couldnât help but snort quietly at his bluntness, she liked this kid. "How could you tell them all that? What is the point in living here in secrecy? You really don't know how to lie."She heard Yona gasp and briskly turned her head to look at her in slight concern "Yona? What is it?" She frowned at her shocked expression."Are you..." that was when it clicked. This guy had to be the priest that they were looking for. How unbelievably lucky."I'm sorry..." Ik-Soo apologized, a sheepish smile adoring his face "I meant to receive the both of you in proper attire, Princesses.""You're the priest?" Yona asked curiously. "Did you know that we would come here, too?""Yes." Ik-Soo answered straight away. He then knelt down in a prayer position "My job is to convey God's voice to people. God teaches me everything there is to know about this world!" it was as if he was sparkling, radiating light from his seemingly gentle nature.Yoon then gripped his robe angrily "What do you mean by your "job"? You don't make any money. All you do is pray every day. Hurry and remove your dirty clothes!" Yoon basically ripped off Ik-Soo's robe before throwing a blanket at him so he could cover up.Yoon rested his hands on his hips "You were driven out of the castle for making dubious claims about hearing God's voice, you know."Yona looked at Ik-Soo in confusion. "Why were you driven out of the castle?" she asked suddenly.Amaya winced, reaching out to pinch her sisterâs thigh. âYona! Be careful asking such questions!âYona just looked at her strangely. âWhy not?â Amaya couldnât help but drop her head in exasperation and sigh at her sisterâs obliviousness."I'm surprised." Yoon said causing her to look up at him. "You lived in the castle, but you don't know?" She huffed quietly to herself. That was a whole other issue in of itself. The both of them barely knew much of anything, not their fault of course. They were pretty much completely isolated from everything their entire lives.~*~*~After Amaya had finally found the strength to move, the girls both situated themselves next to Hak. They were both looking down at him with concern. "We really don't know much... do we?" Yona asked her sister quietly.Amaya shook her head softly "No, we really don't." They both sighed. It was then that Hak's hand suddenly twitched, and he let out a small grunt of pain.Yona panicked, "Hak! Hang in there! Can you hear my voice?" Hak was breathing rather heavily, and he was sweating quite a lot. Amaya frowned at the sight of him, he wasnât looking too good."Hold this." They heard Yoon demand and then he appeared before in front of them. "Move." he commanded Yona. He rested his hand against Hak's cheek, checking his temperature. "He has a fever." Amaya breathed in deeply, she grabbed his large hand in her own and squeezed it gently. She couldnât lose another person. Not again. It wasnât going to happen.After Yoon had finished treating Hak once again he began redoing his bandages. "I've treated it, but the fever won't break for a while. Tonight, will probably be the worst of it." he then went to stand up however Yona grabbed his wrist before he could leave."Save Hak!" she pleaded desperately."I'm working on it. I don't want him dying on me." he then ripped his arm away from Yona's hand. "But I'm not a doctor. Don't just assume I'll save him." he then began walking away from them. Yona gasped at his words and her eyes widened in shock. "You still haven't thanked me for saving you. What about him? Have you ever thanked him? He nearly died to protect you." Amaya was watching Yona's reaction to his words the entire time. All she did was just stare straight ahead."It's all right." Ik-Soo said as he rested his hand on Yona's shoulder comfortingly. "The god of death hasn't come for him yet." Yona and Amaya began to tear up at his words, Yona more so. "He'll come back." he reassured. Amaya couldnât help but smile towards him, thankful for his attempt to comfort her sister. He nodded with his bright smile on his face. He then moved over to talk to Yoon quietly, probably about his behaviour.The girls sat quietly as they waited for something to happen. "Would you two like to go for a walk?" Ik-Soo suddenly asked. Yona looked back at Hak briefly, clearly not wanting to leave him alone. "Yoon's medicines are very effective. He's saved me countless times."Yona smiled at him then turned to look at her sister. "Are you coming?"She nodded softly "Of course." They both got up and followed Ik-Soo.As they walked around, Amaya was doing her best to take in all of the beautiful scenery around them. It was stunning. All the nature and roaming wildlife. So different from what they were used too. The girls stopped when they heard Ik-Soo cry out suddenly and they spun around to see him on the ground. âOuchâŚâYona ran over to help him while I just shook my head softly with a smile. "Are you okay?" Ik-Soo just laughed it off rather strangely.They soon reached a cliff face, overlooking the sunset that was currently a glistening orange. "Why do you live out here?" Yona asked curiously. Amaya glanced at Ik-Soo through the corner of her eye."I was living with the flow, and I ended up here naturally. I suppose that doesn't answer your question. It's just... Even here, there are flowers that bloom." he explained briefly, as he stared at a beautiful white flower a couple of feet away from us.~*~*~Yoon was currently grinding some herbs in order to make some more medicine. Amaya was sitting down across from Hak's head staring out into the wilderness. With Hak on bed rest, someone had to keep watch. It was common sense. There was a small fire going in the middle of the room, illuminating everything around it with an orange hue. She heard the sound of footsteps quietly approaching and looked over to see Yona standing behind Yoon with her hands crossed in front of her."Um..." she hesitated before taking a deep breathe. "Thank you for saving me." Yoon looked over his shoulder to briefly look at her before returning to his task. Amaya couldnât help but smirk at him, at least he acknowledged her and didn't completely ignore her. Yona wasn't backing down however, she just got even more determined. "I'd like you to tell me about you priests. I may not know anything, but I don't want to remain ignorant."Amaya decided to cut in "I wouldn't mind knowing as well." she said as she raised her hand slightly. Yoon glanced at her before turning around to face Yona. The girls both smirked in victory and gazed at him with expectant looks."Actually, I'm not a priest. I just look after that useless priest who can't look after himself." he explained as he raised his arms in a shrugging motion. "He really is useless to be perfectly honest." Yoon looked back at Amaya with a smirk before turning back to face Yona. He then got serious, and they knew that he was about to begin actually teaching them about the priests. "Long ago, priests had greater influence than even the king.""Holy crap." Yoon snorted at Amayaâs comment before coughing, as if that would help with covering up the fact that he had laughed."Than even the king?" Yona asked curiously, almost in disbelief."Yeah. They were revered as messengers of God. Priests were deeply involved in ruling the kingdom, and sometimes, they even influenced wars. One priest even deposed a king, saying that he had angered God. So priests became a problem for the king. During King Junam's reign, Kouka Kingdom was expanding into other kingdom's territories, and growing stronger. Apparently, Princes Yu-Hong's achievements played a major role. For Yu-Hong, the priests that could threaten a king's power were a nuisance."Yona had situated herself in front of the fire, leaning on her knees that were tucked into her chest. "So that's why our uncle drove the priests from the castle." Yona looked up at Yoon from across the fire, "Isn't living in the middle of nowhere difficult?""Not at all." Yoon immediately answered. "I find villages troublesome, and Ik-Soo can relax more easily here. Villages are full of poor people. Only certain cities are wealthy. Ik-Soo is too nice. He once tried to help everyone, and then suffered from depression because he couldn't. He can't live without me.""Thank you. Teach me more sometime." after that Yona closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Amaya sighed and looked back out into the darkness of the forest surrounding them. This was going to be a very, long night for her. But she would gladly do it if it meant keeping everyone safe and protected.~*~*~Amaya heard rustling beside her, and she quickly turned her head to see Hak starting to sit up. Bolting towards him she began to harshly whisper. "What in the hell do you think you are doing? Lay back down this instant!" Hak looked at her with a shocked expression before sticking out his tongue in defiance. Amayaâs eye twitched in annoyance "You little..."Hak quickly scanned the area before looking back at her, "It appears I'm missing my weapon so I'm going to go and look for it. Is that okay with you, oh great doctor?"She pouted at the last part before sighing deeply. "I guess you can. Just be careful, okay?"Hak nods, "Yes ma'am." he then lifted his hand to her head and ruffled her hair whilst smirking and she slapped his hand away with an annoyed expression. Her hair was already looking rough enough, she didnât need him messing it up even more.As Hak begins to stand up, Amaya makes my way back over to her spot against the wall. She watched as he walked out into the darkness in search of his beloved weapon. A few moments later she decided to glance at Yona, just to check that she was still okay. Her eyes widened as she noticed that she was beginning to wake up.Quickly closing her eyes, Amaya lent her head back against the wall. She heard her gasp as she noticed Hak's empty bed and opened one of her eyes to peek at what she was doing. She was staring out into the woods and before she knew it, she was running. Amaya smirked at her actions. Those two are going to get together, she can just see it.~*~*~Yoon was cooking some food on a small make-shift stove and placing them in the basket on his head when they seemed to be done. Amaya was sitting next to him just watching what he was doing, such a small, menial task and yet it was so fascinating to watch. She quite liked observing people, it was fun."Huh? The priest's house? This place?" Hak asked as he ate one of the buns Yoon had just cooked. Clearly not caring that it was hot. Amaya was cradling one in her hands after she had asked for one, the warmth of it feeling almost comforting."Yes." Yona confirmed."What a coincidence. I know you're living in hiding, but I would've expected a priest's house to look more like a shrine." Hak spoke, clearly just saying whatever thoughts came to mind like he always did. He was stealing food as he talked which Yoon quickly caught on to and he didnât take too kindly to that action."Hey! Don't eat that without asking!" Yoon exclaimed angrily.Hak clasped his hands together in front of himself and spoke in a muffled voice, since his mouth was full of food. "Please, priest, grant me your hospitality..." it was almost unintelligible, but everyone got the jist of what he had said."I'm not the priest!" Hak reached out to grab another bun, but his hand was quickly slapped away by Yoon.Yona brought her hand up to her chin thoughtfully, "Where did the priest go?" Amaya looked over at her to see that she was looking out into the wilderness, like she wanted to search for Ik-Soo."Want to go look for him?" She asked and immediately Yona nodded before grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her sister off in search of the priest.They soon came to a clearing that was overlooking a large waterfall. Ik-Soo had seated himself across from it. Yona and Amaya quickly walked up to be behind him. "Priest?" Yona said quietly as to not shock him. Ik-Soo slowly turned his head and for some reason he had tears streaming down his face. "What's wrong?" they quickly asked simultaneously.Ik-Soo, having realized that he was crying, quickly wiped his tears away. "I was dreaming about you. A dream about you and this world. Princess Yona, would you like to hear the voice of God?" Amaya was confused, he hadnât addressed her alongside her sister for some reason."Mun-deok told me to have the priest show me my path. Is a path something that must be shown to you? I thought that I was supposed to sit still, not doing anything. But after being chased, Hak nearly being killed, Amaya being poisoned, and nearly dying myself, my blood is so hot, it's practically boiling. I can walk on my own two legs. I want to live. I won't let anyone take my life, Amaya's or Hak's. That is my only wish. I have nothing to ask God."Amaya was extremely surprised by Yona's speech, especially her determined gaze that was filled with confidence. She smiled softly at her before looking back down at Ik-Soo. "No... For you, living doesn't mean spending your days in ordinary peace. Your life will create a storm that will shake the Kingdom of Kouka."Yona looked at him in confusion, "Priest?" Amaya looked behind them when she heard people approaching and saw Yoon and Hak coming closer to them."If you wish to simply live an honest life, and cannot stop the hot blood in your veins, I will convey the voice of God to you." Yona and Amaya glanced at one another before looking back at him."When darkness falls upon the land, the dragons' blood will restore life once more. In accordance with the ancient pact, when the four dragons are gathered, the sword and shield that protect the king will awaken. The red dragon will return at dawn."As Ik-Soo finished speaking, he then toppled over from what appeared to be exhaustion. "Conveying God's voice requires spiritual strength..."Yoon knelt down next to him and started poking him. "Quit acting so old, you pain.""I don't know what this business is about dragons or gods, but I'm not buying anything this crackpot is selling!" Hak said with a straight face. Amaya rolled her eyes at his idiocy.Yoon looks at him with a deadpan expression. âHeâs not selling anything.âHe then began dusting off Ik-Soo's clothes, seeing as he had just been lying in the dirt. "Does the 'red dragon' in the prophecy mean the mythological king?" Yona asked curiously.âHm, that actually makes sense." Amaya mumbles to herself."You are familiar with kingdom's creation myth?" Ik-Soo questions her."Yes. The red dragon took on human form, descending from Heaven to rule a kingdom on Earth. He was the first king of Kouka, King Hiryuu. My father used to tell me about him all the time." Amaya smiled as she remembered her father reading to them late at night, teaching them about the creation of Kouka. She had always found it fascinating.Ik-Soo hums. "But once King Hiryuu became human... He eventually had to fight humans. The people's hearts filled with evil, they forgot their god, and their country fell to ruin. Even King Hiryuu was captured by humans who desired power. Just when everything seemed on the brink of destruction, five dragons descended from heaven.They offered that they all destroy the humans, and then return to heaven together. Hiryuu rejected them. The dragons loved Hiryuu as well and did not wish to lose him. In order to protect Hiryuu, they gave their blood to human warriors, and granted them strength. One gained sharp claws that could tear through anything.One gained eyes that could see across long distances.One gained legs that could jump high into the sky.One gained a strong body that could never be injured, and finally, one gained a little of everything mixed together in order to always protect the king, if the others were to fail.With the power of the dragon gods, the warriors led their clan to protect Hiryuu, and brought order to the kingdom. Before long, the red dragon grew tired of fighting and fell asleep. The mission of the five dragons thus ended. They thought of their king, no longer moving, and wept. They did not know whether they grieved the loss of someone precious, or if the dragon blood within them mourned Hiryuu's death. Realizing their power was beyond human control, the five dragon warriors left their tribes and disappeared. The tribes they left behind continued developing on their own, forming the five tribes of today."Yona stared up towards the sky in contemplation. "The kingdom's creation myth..." she then looked back down towards Ik-Soo "What does that have to do with us?""You said you wanted to live, correct?" he asked gently."Yes." Yona confirmed immediately."But you cannot live on your own. If you leave this place, your life will be endangered again. You have Master Hak supporting you, along with your sister, Princess Amaya. However, at this rate, Master Hak will die." The girls both gasped in shock.Hak huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Hey, wait. Don't assume I'll die." He said confidently. "I can't hear the voices of God. I'm not-" Hak was cut off by Yoon punching him in the gut causing him to stiffen in pain before falling to the ground, looking like he wanted to puke. "I'm not giving you alms, no matter how much you threaten me..." Hak started talking nonsense."As you can see, the situation is grave." Ik-Soo says, never taking his eyes off of Yona.It was then that Amaya noticed something off with what Ik-Soo had just said. âWait⌠hold on a minute. Is there a particular reason why you didnât say I would die?âIk-Soo turned to face her, a smile growing on his face. âWell⌠that would of course have to be because youâre one of the dragons. The purple one in fact.ââOh.â She nodded, pursing her lips.Then the words registered in her brain.âWAIT WHAT?!â She exclaimed in shock, her sister and Hak both staring at her stunned to silence."You are the purple dragon. The eternal protector and guardian of the king. You have been blessed with small amounts of power in every area that the others have, only on a smaller scale."Amaya fell to the ground; her legs giving out on her and lifted her hands up to stare at them. âIâm⌠a dragon?â Could this be what her father had been preparing her for? Why he was always so adamant that she stayed by her sisterâs side? She narrowed her eyes, grabbing a strand of her purple hair and staring at it. âI suppose that explains why my hair is purple and not red like Yonaâs then.â"May I continue?" Ik-Soo asked her gently and she quickly regained her composure before nodding. Ik-Soo turned back to Yona who was still staring at her sister in astonishment. "You need allies."Yona looked back at him when she heard him talk to her, "But who?""You must search for the other four dragon warriors."Yona tilted her head slightly. "The other four dragon warriors from the legend?" Yona suddenly had sparkles in her eyes, and she looked rather excited. "They all exist? They really exist?!" Amaya cleared her throat to gain her attention before gesturing to herself. "Oh yeah... Sorry Ama-chan." She said nervously, clearly already forgetting what had just been revealed."Even now, they live quietly in this kingdom, with the dragon blood they inherited. They will lend you their strength."Yona brought her hands in front of her and clasped them together. "Priest, I don't want Hak or Amaya to die." Amaya spared a glance towards Hak to see him shocked at what she had said. She smirked at the two of them. "But I'm not sure the legendary dragons will lend their strength to one such as me." Yona said worriedly."That night, you miraculously escaped death, and you miraculously survived a fall into this abyss. I believe those were not miracles, but God leading you here. If you find the legendary dragons, it will not only be your wish, but God's will. However, heaven can only show you the way." You must walk the path yourself." Yona gained a rather determined look on her face as Ik-Soo said those last words.~*~*~Yona was twirling around in her new clothes that Yoon had given her, they were very beautiful and suited her perfectly, especially the colours as they complimented her so well. "Yoon, did you make these clothes?" she asked excitedly.Yoon turned his head to look away from her, "Not really. I just had some leftover cloth." He then gestured beside him where a pile of clothes was sitting on a stool. "These are for you Amaya."Amaya walked over and scooped them up before walking out the room to try them all on. They were basically the same as her sisters in terms of looks but they had a different colour scheme. Of course, Amayaâs clothing was mainly shades of purple like Yonaâs were red. She twirled around in a circle happily, they fit really nice and were very comfortable. âI love them Yoon, thank you!âHe huffed and glanced away with the tiniest of blushes. "It isn't silk, so it probably doesn't suit you, but it's better than those rags you had on."Yona was playing around in her new robes, "I love these interesting clothes!"Yoon raised an eyebrow questionably "Interesting clothes?""Hey, lend me something sharp." Yona suddenly asked. Amaya tilted her head in confusion as to why she would need something sharp. She then gasped excitedly after looking around the room and picked up an axe. "I'm going to cut my hair." she said determinedly, lifting it into the air."With that?!" Yoon and Amaya both shouted in panic. Yoon quickly grabbed the axe out of Yona's hands and gestured for her to sit down, telling her that he'd cut it for her. "Jeez, what a pain. This is why I hate princesses." Yoon huffed."You can do anything, can't you, Yoon?" Yona complimented.A scowl came across Yoon's face, "Because I have that troublesome priest to take care of. I learned medicine because he constantly injures himself, and I've mastered cooking. My only flaw is that I'm far too handsome." he said proudly."I didn't ask about that." Yona teased slightly before looking up with a smile. "You're kind, though.""Huh?""You're kind to Ik-Soo, too... But you're cutting my hair, even though you said you hated royalty." she explained gently."Just so you know, this isn't free." Yoon stated bluntly. A piece of Yona's hair flung up into an absurd curl at his words. "You owe me for the medicine, clothes, and the haircut."Amaya covered her mouth with the palm of her hand and tried her hardest not to laugh out loud. "Um..." Yona thought to herself for a moment before gaining an idea. "Bill it to Mun-deok!" Amaya snorted at her conclusion.Yoon gasped. "Mun-deok?! He's the Wind Tribe's hero!"Yona looked up at him in confusion, "Mun-deok's a hero?" Amaya tilted her head, wanting to know the story behind his words as she also didnât know what he meant."Idiot! Mun-deok was a powerful commander, just as strong as Yu-hong." The girls looked at each other in shock."He was? The Mun-deok I know is an old man who loves his children." Amaya nodded along with Yona's words. He certainly didnât seem like the type to her, but looks could be deceiving she supposed."Jeez..." Yoon muttered to himself before going over to the crate full of water so he could clean off the blade. "I'm finished."Yona stood up and brought her hands up to feel her now chin-length hair, smiling in appreciation. "Thank you."Amaya grinned, ruffling her sisters hair a little bit. "You look beautiful Yona-chan."Yona blushed and laughed a little "Hehe, Thank you Ama-chan."Yona then turned to face Yoon with a kind smile. "You know everything, Yoon." she once again complimented."I can't help it, I'm a genius."Amaya wrapped her arm around his shoulders and poked his cheek "Oh youâre so cute, Yoon. Acting all proud and confident when youâre just a little boy~â She teased causing him to glare at her in irritation. He swiped at her arm, and she quickly let go of him with her arms held up in surrender."I can memorize books after reading them once." The girls looked at him in amazement. That was definitely impressive."That's amazing." Yona awed."But I've only read a few books. There are tons of books I'm not familiar with in the world. It makes me angry." Yoon pouted in annoyance.Yona continued to smile at him, "Would you like to read them?" she asks him."Of course." For some reason, when Amaya looked back at her sister she was staring at the ground with a frown."Listen, Yoon..." she began."It's not a problem, though." Yoon cut her off. "I can collect books, bit by bit. And I'll be satisfied with this filthy book for a while." he pulled a worn-out book from a cupboard and showed it to them."What is that book?" Yona questions."That idiot Ik-Soo dug it out of the garbage for me, then tore it when he tripped over nothing." he explained. Amaya smirked, that definitely sounds like Ik-Soo.Yona laughed nervously, "He's incredibly clumsy."Yoon seemed to gain some spirit when she said that. "He's stupid, isn't he? All his 'God' business might seem phony, but I know better than anyone that he can't... lie." Yoon stopped talking as he noticed that Yona and Amaya had knelt down in front of him, listening intently. "I-In any case, if you're leaving on a journey, get out of here. I don't have time to look after you three." he huffed and walked away from us.~*~*~The girls were looking for Ik-Soo and they soon found him in the area they appear to store their wood. "Ik-Soo." they spoke in unison as they sometimes do.He turned around to face them when he heard their voices. "Princesses... Those clothes are beautiful." he complimented on their new attire. "You look great in them." They smiled at him in thanks, and his expression got serious again. "Yoon made them, didn't he? He's an incredible boy.""Yes." Yona said softly."Anyway, what did Yoon say?" he asked."Ik-Soo, you're a lot like our father." Amaya said after a moment."Huh? You mean King IL?" she nodded in confirmation. "You're too generous." Ik-Soo started waving his arms around as he tried disagreeing with us."You're unreliable, a cry-baby, and your head is in the clouds. But you're a cute person." Yona complimented. Amaya looked up at Ik-Soo to see him staring at the both of them in astonishment. "Hey, Ik-Soo..." Yona mumbled quietly."Yes."She then looked up at him fully. "Yoon is foul-mouthed, but he loves you. I don't want to pull family apart. I can't take Yoon with us on our journey. So, I can't comply to your request. You asked me to take Yoon with us, but...Unless Yoon says he wants to go, I can't bring him with us." she explained her reasoning. Amaya let her sister do all the talking, she needed to get used to voicing her thoughts and opinions out loud if she was ever going to stick up for herself."You're right." Ik-Soo spoke gently before slightly bowing. "I'm sorry. I should have been the one to say that."Amaya waved my hand dismissively at him "No need to worry, it's fine." Ik-Soo nodded and then began skipping out of the small building. The girls looked at him weirdly before looking at each other and giggling at his silly antics.As they were about to exit the small hut, they were interrupted by Yoon's loud voice yelling right outside. "You want me to go with them?!" he questioned angrily whilst holding Ik-Soo up by his robe. Clearly he was not too happy with that idea."Yoon, I want you to leave this place and assist the princesses and their friend." Ik-Soo said calmly."Why me? You can't be serious!" Ik-Soo just stared at him with an unwavering gaze."You shouldn't stay here. Go see the world." Yoon's eyes widened before slowly letting go of his robe with a shocked expression gracing his face. "I'll be fine without you." Ik-Soo stated happily causing Yoon to twitch from anger.The girls chose that moment to quietly walk away, as they could both tell that the two of them needed to have a deep conversation with one another.~*~*~Not too long after that, after Yoon and Ik-Soo had a massive heart to heart talk Yoon had finally agreed to go along on their journey.Hak was observing the girls as they both tried on some old cloaks that they had found that had small hoods attached. âHave you made up your minds?â He asked.The girls stopped their twirling. âYeah.â Yona smiled preciously at Hak. âHak, you approve, donât you?â Wanting to know his opinion on Yoon joining them.Hak looked at her with his usual smirk. "He'll probably be less of a burden than some other people that I know."Yona pouted "Who are you talking about?"Amaya chuckled, walking over and ruffling Hak's hair in amusement "You love us, be honest with yourself Hak." he smiled at her before looking back at Yona. Amaya looked back out into the forest surrounding them. Tomorrow theyâll be beginning their true journey. She was looking forward to meeting the other dragonâs now. She wondered how they would all react to her, whether she would be accepted amongst them.~*~*~Everyone was standing in front of Ik-Soo just outside of his home. They were finally ready to leave and the only thing left was to say goodbye."Yoon, are you all right?" Ik-Soo asked with concern."I could ask you the same thing." Yoon spoke confidently, though Amaya knew that this was hard for him. It was obvious by his stiff shoulders and clenched fists."Yoon, what's all that stuff you're bringing?" Yona asked him, as he was carrying a very big bag."I was rather curious about it as well." Amaya admitted."If they're books, leave them. It's just more bulk." Hak stated."They're not books." Yoon replied."What is it, then? Let me see." Hak questioned.Yoon put down his bag and started pulling things out of it. "This is a bag we can put the princesses in when we enter cities that are guarded." The girls tilted their heads in confusion"Put us in?" they both asked.Yoon then began sorting through all of the contents that he had stored in his bag. "I've got a bunch of other stuff. Do you want to see it?"Hak sighed gruffly, "I've seen enough. Let's go. We'll lose the daylight."Yoon looked at him in confusion "Huh?""Thanks for taking care of us." Hak thanked Ik-Soo."We'll see you later, Ik-Soo." Yona added. Amaya chose to just wave at him with a cheerful smile on her face. She never enjoyed goodbyes."I'll pray for your safe journey." he said as his farewell. That was definitely the kind of response they were expecting from him. Yona, Hak and Amaya began walking off, leaving Yoon to pick up his stuff hurriedly."What the heck? You're the one who told me to show you..." he then stood up and faced Ik-Soo."See you later." Ik-Soo spoke gently.Yoon nodded and smiled. "Yeah."Once he caught up to the others he immediately began directing orders. "Let's hurry. Before the sun sets, we need to cross three mountains.""Yes." Yona complied while Amaya just looked at him in shock."My poor feet..." she whispered to herself in agony. "Are you already ordering us around?" Hak asked with his usual arrogant smirk.Yoon looked back at him with a smile. "I'm a handsome genius. Of course, I am. Shut up and follow me."Amaya rolled her eyes, scoffing lightly. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that cutie."He immediately halted and turned to her with a murderous glare. "I am not cute!" He growled out menacingly.Amaya shrieked and hid behind Hak, giggling away. "Save me!" Hak and Yona both chuckled at her behaviour.Yoon then sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. âThis is my life now, huh.â