Cowardly Warrior | Taehyung ✔

Nation

Taehyung and I exit the vent and are outside. We crawl on the ground, hoping the guards won't see us.

Finally, we reach a field and find a laundry line of washed clothes. We steal a few outfits, and quickly change in a small cabin.

Taehyung takes his shirt off, and reveals a nicely defined back.

He's faced away from me. "Hey Amira, you're not peaking, are you?"

I blush and turn around. "No, of course not."

"Uh, huh. Well, what's next in our game plan? We escaped, we changed clothes to hide our identity-

I interrupt him. "And Jimin's father has a plan to burn my whole kingdom to the ground."

Taehyung nervously scratches his head. "Oh yeah."

I stomp the ground, angrily. "I was so ready to side with Erden's. They are right that my kingdom has colonized and stolen so much. So much from your kingdom..."

Taehyung purses his lips and looks down.

I shake my head. "Why would you side with me in the first place? I've done nothing for you."

Taehyung shrugs. "I'm all for justifying wrongs of the past, but this cycle of revenge can't keep going."

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, your kingdom has stolen the resources of so many kingdoms. Yes your kingdom has brought great suffering while thieving our riches. However, us getting revenge against your kingdom and burning it down will do nothing."

I counter. "It'll stop my people from hurting your people."

"It will but it will just make your people angry and want to get revenge against us. All that evil and hatred... it will just result in more and more bloodshed. Until no more humanity is left."

I originally thought Taeyung was a coward for not joining Erden's but now I realize his heart was so strong. To not desire revenge is a power in itself.

I agree. "You're right. I will make amends to my ancestors' mistakes, I swear. It's just... I can't let Suga, Jin, Joon and Chinua and all my family and friends die."

Taehyung nods. "I'm with you. A war to destroy either side is not the way I want to go about this."

We hear yelling outside of the cabin. Taehyung peaks through the window.

He shakes his head. "Perhaps we can't escape war at all."

I peak through the window, too. Men were dueling amongst each other... I recognize the uniform of Saran. The Saran Empire.

My father's soldiers are here.

"I need to go. I need to hand myself in," I decided.

"After escaping your kingdom then Erden's... you're planning to hand yourself into your father?" Taehyung steps forward. "I won't let you."

I grab Taehyung's shoulders. "Taehyung.. There is so much blood outside. And many of the bodies are the revolutionaries. My father... he's going to kill so many. Just so I can be returned to him. Why should I let so many innocent people die?"

Taehyung purses his lips. "Fine. Just be careful... Princess or not. Warrior or not. You'll always be important and brave to me."

"You are to me, too."

I hold hands with him, not knowing if it will be the last time I'll feel his warmth.

***

I'm transported back to my castle. My father wants me to appear before him. I wash myself, braid my hair, and put on clothes.

Underneath my dress, I carry my sword.

The guards bow before me and open the door to the King's throne room.

"I am grateful daughter has returned, safely. Or shall I call you my son. It's so easy to perceive you as my son because of how powerful you are." My father greets me.

I clench my fist. "Daughters can be powerful too."

My father laughs. "Of course. You taught me that lesson. You're more powerful than most men. As I've heard, they call you the Courageous Warrior instead of the Cowardly Warrior now?"

More courageous than you'll ever be, I think to myself.

My father steps closer. "Amira... I needed you so much. I would go through anything to get you back."

I snort. "You just want to use me as a symbol as The Warrior. So I can tell all the poor people in our kingdom to submit to you instead of revolting."

My father shrugs. "If that's how you perceive it to be."

"Enough with the small talk. Where is Jimin and his father?"

My father furrows his brows. "That traitor fiancé of yours you've hated all your life. Don't tell me you finally feel something him?"

I yell, "Where is he? Where is all the people who've worked for Erden's? Where are all the revolutionaries?"

"Revolutionaries?" My father rolls his eyes. "They are foolish traitors! Why would they betray our kingdom after all the prosperity we have provided!"

Now it was my time to roll my eyes. "Prosperity? Thousands of people are starving because of our actions. And nobody in our kingdom even knew."

My father laughs. "That's an interesting, distorted way of putting it."

My father steps closer. "Now that I'm King, you're finally a princess. As the oldest child, you will inherit this kingdom and continue our legacy."

"I've never wanted to be princess!" I back away.

"Where is Jimin and everyone else?" I demand to know again.

"He is to be hung just at sunset, which is an hour. Alongside his traitorous father and anyone else who defied my power and wants to overthrow me."

I tremble. "Everyone? Anyone associated with Erden's? You've gone mad with power!"

"I am doing what's good for this kingdom!" My father retorted.

"Good for this kingdom? What about what's good for this world?" I yelled.

My father sighs. "Foolish child. You don't know anything."

"You brainwashed me into thinking what our kingdom was good! That we worked hard for our wealth and we deserved it! But we've been stealing the resources of other nations, and even mistreating citizens of our own kingdom. Only a handful few gets to enjoy the prosperity. Everyone else is a slave to our whims!"

My father shakes his head. "Amira, you don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand. Poor people are suffering by the millions. We colonize and take others' resources just we can build our walls of gold. I'm all for beautification and arts, but this isn't art! It's pure greed!"

All my life, all I wanted was my father's respect, despite my gender. I finally got it. He doesn't look at me as just his vulnerable daughter- he now respects me like his son. He treats me like a hero, and yet all I feel like is a puppet.

And I realized gender equality is not what I only wanted. I wanted equality for all.

My father finally asks, "Are you betraying this kingdom?"

"Yes."

"You do realize you're committing treason. And the punishment for treason is-"

"Death."

I take my sword out from underneath my dress and face it towards him.

"I know. And I'm ready for it."

I'd rather die for what's right, than silently follow what's wrong.

I must betray my nation to save my nation.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: drop ur thoughts!

also we're sorta close to the end, however i will rewrite this story and add a lot more details! :) drop some scene ideas, what u wish happened etc