[Arthdal Chronicles] Fight for freedom

CHAPTER 31: A first victory for the Queen of Arthdal.

Sat on the ground at the entrance of the wooden house, Tanya was still lost in thoughts she wanted to chase away. And it was when Sana and Saya came back from their hunt that she was able to escape them. 

"Niruha! Look what I caught!" Sana joyfully exclaimed.

"What we caught," Saya corrected.

"What? You did nothing, mister Prince-who-doesn't-want-his-hands-to-get-dirty," Sana accused before she turned to Enoria who was just coming back, "my Lady! Tell Niruha that Saya was useless!"

"I can't say that because he is the one who saw those birds first," Enoria said.

Saya smirked, before he turned to Sana. "You owe me an apology now."

"Do you know where you can put that apology?" Sana asked before she clicked her tongue, looked at Enoria, complained she was disappointed she had taken his side then told them she was going to complain to Yangcha and she disappeared inside.

Tanya smiled at Sana's childishness then she turned to Saya, "did it go well?"

"Yes, it was fun," he replied, "though your new assistant is quite annoyingly noisy."

"Saya, why don't you go help inside? Since you helped get our meal you should also help prepare it, don't you think?" Enoria proposed.

He was about to protest but the way she was looking at him was telling him to just do as she was asking him to. He bowed to Tanya with a smile then left the two women outside.

Once Saya was in, Enoria approached the Priestess. "Are you ok?" she asked her.

"Yes, I am," Tanya simply replied.

"Then why do you look so lost? Did something happen while we were away? Or is Yangcha so difficult to support that you had to isolate yourself outside?"

"We- I mean, I was just thinking a little too much but I am fine, don't worry," she tried to reassure.

"What is bothering you? You shouldn't torture yourself with the things that happened this mor-"

"That's not that," Tanya interrupted, "I was just confused for a moment."

"About what?"

"Love."

Enoria looked at her with a questioning look, frowned, took some time to analyze the Priestess' words then looked at her again. "For fuck's sake please don't tell me Yangcha is the one confusing you."

"Eh? What? No! Of course not! What are you imagining? There's no way!"

"Good thing to know because I am not the sharing type," Enoria replied, "the twins then? Are you afraid to be in love with Saya?"

Tanya's eyes opened wildly. She hadn't expected her friend to say that aloud and she begged her with her eyes to be quiet. "I don't think I even know what love is," she confessed, "this is-, this is too complicated," she deplored before she entered the house again.

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Enoria entered after Tanya who had already found something to occupy herself. She looked at the Priestess with worry. She knew way too well what it was like to fight against her own feelings and she feared Tanya would actually hurt herself by denying what seemed more and more evident for her: no matter how hard she could try to deny or reject it, there was a part of her which was attached to Saya in a way that wasn't friendship. Maybe it wasn't exactly love yet, but there was something, she was sure of it.

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Once their well-deserved meal was ready, the three youngest people sat around the table to finally eat while Enoria was tiding a little the mess they had made. Yangcha kept his distance, he wouldn't allow himself to remove his mask and eat in the presence of the High Priestess and Prince of Arthdal.