Blood Wounds | ANY ✔

[2] Coming of Age

"Rue!" Il yelled, standing up abruptly, the tea cups and pot crashing to the floors.

"Do not yell, Il-Heika, I can yell too." She glared at him.

"Do what you wish, but, I, refuse to be apart of your little play, theatrics anymore. You are on your own." Rue clenched her jaw and walked out. Min-Soo silently observed the situation, remembering the pain Rue had gone through.

"Rue! Come back!" Il yelled.

||♪||

As Rue walked towards her quarters, she encountered the trio. Her rage from before not quelled, anger coursing her veins. Her hair swayed around her as she placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head at the three.

"Greetings General Hak, Yona and Lord Soo Won." She greeted.

"Now Rue, please drop the formalities. We are all friends after all." Soo Won smiled.

"Yeah! Call me by my nickname which you gave me please!" Yona pouted.

"Now, plank I don't think you should be so formal." Hak smirked.

However Rue's smile did not fall. She simply chuckled, a chuckle that sent shivers down their spines, except Yona, who simply grinned back.

"We are not children anymore, being mindful of how we address each other in public is important. Respect is earned when others see with how much decorum we hold ourselves." She said, factly.

"So uptight," Hak rolled his eyes.

"You should be too, or," Her eyes glinted as she smirked causing the three to squirm, "Should I call Grandpa Mundok again?"

"No, we will behave,"

"I am sorry."

"Apologies."

As if like magic, the other three straighten themselves. Rue raised an eyebrow, amusement swirling in her eyes. "Yona?"

"Yes?"

"Let us go, we have much to catch up on. You boys can go ahead or whatever." She shrugged and walked away with Yona clinging to her, the red head had arm linked with the older girl.

"Wait!"

"Rue."

With that Rue walked away with Yona, as the two men were left behind, ignored. The males shared a knowing look.

"Hey, Hak?"

"Yeah. You felt it too right?" Hak's eyes narrowed at Rue.

"I did. Rue seems a lot different. It is almost like, the Rue we knew never existed." Soo Won replied in a serious tone, their eyes never leaving the taller, older girl.

"She is different. Too different. I am worried for her you know."

"I know, Hak. She seems to have dropped all familiarity with everyone. Even with her father, the only person whom she is close with, is Min-Soo."

"We may never know." Hak sighed

The two males watched the two girls walk off, wondering, what had gone wrong that they lost their best friend.

||♪||

The two girls sat together in the quarters of Rue. They were peacefully drinking tea.

"Yona."

"Yes?" Yona grinned.

"I'm sorry."

Yona was startled by her sister's sudden apology.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I have not been here for you birthdays."

"It is fine! You had your own reasons, right?" Yona smiled and Rue nodded, ruffling the younger girl's head.

"Someday, I hope to tell you everything, but remember that I always will only be rooting for your success. No matter what."

"I know! You are my big sister, I trust you over everyone else." Yona said and Rue felt a dark emotion brewing within her heart. To trust someone so blindly, what had Il-Heika been teaching Yona? And her, Rue, of all people? 

The one who held the most hatred for the red haired princess in front of her.

"Yone, never trust anyone, blindly. You might get in danger, you never know who could hold ill-tent towards you.."

Yona's mind was in confusion.  She never did anything to anyone, why would she be hurt?

"And, do not trust me, so much as well."

||♪||

In the dark room Min-Soo and Rue talk as lightning struck behind them.

"Min-Soo, we need to assemble all my stuff incase problems arise. The future is morbid, Min-Soo. It holds a lot of death. But Min-Soo, I am worried about her naive nature. She worries me, can she handle what will happen form here onwards?" Rue sighed as Min-Soo combed her hair.

"So it's time huh? The prophecy that has been passed down will soon come true." Min-Soo asked even though he knew the answer.

Rue grimaced, a harsh breath leaving her lips, "Do you plan on going back to Soo-Won's side after the betrayal has been done?" 

Min-Soo's silence spoke everything needed to be said. 

With that Rue and Min-Soo became silent as the rain poured harshly in the darkness of the night. Rue knew that the prophecy would and will come true.

"Your eyes." Min-Soo said.

"I did it again. Didn't I?" She pursued her lips as she looked at her attendant and childhood friend.

"I thought, you had it under control?" Min-Soo said as he prepared the herbal tea for her.

"I have been under stress, it has been annoying."

"We will be fine. You will be fine. After all," Min-Soo smiled, "You are here to guide them, aren't you?"

And her lips curled into a smile as thunder crackled behind her outside.

"Of course."