The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 44: Insight

Back on the ship, Yona spun around, showing off her new dress, attracting everyone's attention. She had two little bows decorating her fiery hair, and her face was clean and bright. 

Yoon had on a wig that matched his normal hair color perfectly, and it flowed all the way down to his waist. He too, was wearing a dress and had stuffed the chest area with extra fabric, selling his disguise.

The pirates' volume rose as they saw how cute they both looked, and while Yona beamed at the compliments, Yoon just rolled his eyes. He hadn't wanted to do this in the first place, but he knew he was the only one in their group out of them who could pass as a woman.  

There was one who hadn't given up trying, though...

Kija also had on a dress, trying to somehow conceal his dragon hand appropriately. Yona stifled a giggle at how out of place he looked. Yoon insulted him at point blank, and the Hakuryuu paled at his sharp words before going red in the face.

He stumbled over his words, eventually admitting defeat when the princess reassured him that she would be alright with Yoon by her side. His loyalty was starting to extend beyond just his duty as a dragon, not that he would ever confess it bluntly. 

Hak's head tilted back, staring straight up at the sky, unable to take all of them fawning over the princess. Even if she was impossibly cute in those clothes.

The last time he saw her dressed like this was on her birthday.

The same night that Soo-won had murdered King Il right in front of her.

His hand clenched his covered glaive unintentionally, catching the attention of an observant captain, who was seated near the stern with Hani. She didn't say anything though, and he didn't initiate a conversation, even though he knew he had been spotted.

She doesn't miss a thing, does she?

It had been a day since the incident at the clearing, and he still had zero clue what to say to his sister. He still wasn't sure what he even saw.

Hak recalled her saying something about a 'blood claim', whatever that meant, and then those other people dressed in ragged garb left without another word. They completely ignored him and the dragons, only picking a fight with Calista.

With his background in strategy that was necessary for leading the Wind Tribe as their general, that stumped him.

With that many fighters, they should've kept at least one on the lookout, and another in their midst ready to call it off once they saw him and the others approaching, but they didn't. It was almost like it was an organized hit.

Calista had to have known about it, which is why she didn't seem afraid at all.

He had known her long enough to know when she was faking, and that confrontation didn't even begin to brush the surface of her skills. She basically let them use her as a punching bag without hesitation.

The thing he couldn't figure out though was why. His sister clearly had the upper hand if she knew they were coming. While he's seen her stick out fights she most clearly could not win, he's never seen her just take all of those hits without some type of retribution at the end.

There was something bigger at play here.

He heard a snicker, followed by a very loud crash.

"Droopy-Eyes, what are you doing now?"

The green dragon was poking at Kija, jibing at his every irritated shout, which only antagonized him further. Jae-ha had blocked the latter's blow to his head with his leg, a signature smirk on Ryokuryuu's face.