Stripping from her armour for the last time as it harshly collided onto the ground, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her armour had become a second skin to her, now only in her tunic, although clothed, she felt naked. Her tunic had been slashed in numerous locations revealing cuts she didn't pay any mind to for they were mandatory during any war, though upon the sight of them, she still had to get them treated.
Finally undressing to her bare self, clothes scattered upon the floor, she couldn't keep her eyes from her scar littered body. Something she knew the Queen would behead her for if she were to ever find out, for her body did not look like a dainty princess that was untouched, it was something she was rather self conscious about. A knock broke her out of her thoughts and startled her for she quickly hid behind the door of her cupboard.
"Your highness, may I enter please?"
Hana sighed in relief hearing the soft dainty voice of her handmaiden, "You may enter Hyemin."
The door creaked open to reveal the small statured girl, for Hyemin was one of the only people Hana trusted in to not tell the Queen anything.
"Oh your highness!" She gasped seeing the multiple cuts upon Hana's body. It wasn't unusual to find the princess littered in bruising and cuts but it still surprised the handmaiden when she saw them.
"Don't worry Hyemin, for I only need a bath. I will tend to these wounds myself in my own time." The princess wrapped her exposed self into a robe.
"Of course your highness." Hyemin bowed and scurried to the bathroom to make her bath whilst Hana's eyes saddened upon her sword leant up against the wall. It's hilt was tinted a rose gold, the intricacies of the swirling designs upon it were made especially for her, lightweight and made of one of the rarest metals, a gift. Another knock sounded on her door surprising her, if not Hyemin, who would it be?
She herself walked towards the double doors to open it out of curiosity. There standing was a tall man in armour taking her by surprise, his good looks and brown swept hair made him look youthful, accompanied with those round doe eyes of his, This knight wasn't one of her own. She didn't realise she was taking him in daze, watching him quickly turn his head away with an evident flush on his cheeks, he cleared his throat, her eyes widened and quickly hid behind the door, obscuring her thin robed covered self, forgetting she wasn't dressed appropriately.
The knight finally made eye contact with her, "My apologies your highness." He lowered his gaze.
"N-no, the fault was mine." She stuttered before quickly composing herself for she was a warrior. It was unlike her to feel flustered over the mere presence of a man. "What may I help you with Sir.."
"Sir Jeon Jungkook." The knight kneeled before her, "His highness, King Namjoon has sent me to be your personal guard for tonight's celebrations." Upon hearing that Hana's eyes narrowed.
A personal guard? Since when did she need a personal guard? She could take out men without a scratch during war and her brother suddenly wants her to have a guard?
She scoffed to herself rolling her eyes, "I believe that won't be necessary. Please let His highness know that I can take care of myself—" upon closing the door, she cursed seeing the tip of the knights foot wedged to keep it open. Hana's eyes shot up to see the knight with fast reflexes.
"I believe his highness foresaw this answer of yours and he's relayed to me that there is no way getting out of this, princess." The man named Jungkook had a mischievous glint in his eyes. Hana narrowed her own, Namjoon should know she could handle herself just fine so there must be another reason.
"I apologise Sir Jeon, but I already have a personal guard for this evening." She decided to try and shake this man off, hoping her reasonings were enough for him to leave her alone.
"If you mean General Park, I believe he's already been stationed with the King and Queen for tonight." Jungkook stated making Hana internally curse for her plans were foiled.
Jungkook could only watch in amusement with the princesses many expressions, it wasn't hard to read what she was thinking as she tried to get out of this engagement. To think this was the feared warrior of Artemis.
"If it would make you feel any better, Princesss, I will keep a certain distance from you." Jungkook negotiated and it seemed like it worked for her expression lightened at that.
"Fine then." She nodded, "now if you'll excuse me, I need to be ready for the celebrations."
Jungkook bowed to her, "of course your highness, I will await out here." Shutting the door, she finally exhaled a breath. Her mind was suddenly working miles an hour furrowing her brows at the fact that Jimin was stationed with the King and Queen. Instead, her brother had stationed a Knight she had never known before to be by her side.
Something was rather peculiar.
"Your highness! Your bath is ready." Hyemin called from the bathroom.
Whilst she bathed and readied for the night she couldn't help but wonder why her brother was even visiting the kingdom. After the many years of no contact, he decides to make an appearance just when the kingdom of Hermes had fallen—
She gasped and stood up abruptly startling Hyemin who was in the midst of completing her look by doing her hair that was still in waves down her shoulders in a half up-do, frightening the girl.
"Y-your highness?"
Hana didn't have time to respond, she needed to speak to Jimin as soon as possible. Quickly running to the corner of the room, she grabbed her trusted sword.
"Your highness—!" Hyemin kept calling, alerting the stranger of a knight who stood outside her room who started banging his fist upon the door.
"Princess Hana, is there a problem in there?"
Shit—!
She completely forgot about Jungkook for a moment, frantically looking around her room, her only option to escape was the balcony. In her heavy ceremonial dress, she dashed to balcony doors, opening them wide to see how she could get down. But it seemed she didn't have time to really think for the doors opened to reveal Jungkook stunned by her escape.
"Princess—!"
She wasted no time in jumping over the railing, Jungkook quickly ran towards her, afraid she had fallen to her death but surprisingly found her dashing off in a direction. He couldn't help but grin widely upon the sight of her, feeling elated rather than frustrated over her escape.
"Now this, is a princess worth fighting for." He remarked before jumping down the railing himself.
"Sir—!" Hyemin screamed after the man but saw him land easily upon the ground. She let out an exhale of relief. Hana had done this numerous times to escape many endeavours of the castle, and each time, Hyemin felt like her life halved as she rubbed her chest in worry.
Running for her life towards the barracks, she cursed her bulky dress as it hindered her speed. She made a mistake of looking behind her to see the knight hot on her tail, she clenched her jaw and tried to lose him in the maze hedges of the yard.
Jungkook had to halt upon the sight of her entering the tall maze for he knew if he did he'd get lost for this wasn't a Kingdom he was familiar with.
"Dammit!" He cursed and looked around biting his lip as to what to do before snapping his fingers in revelation. He grinned to himself, "you're smart princess, but I know exactly where you're going." He bolted off.
Hana ran through the maze as if she had done a thousand times, she made her way as quick as she could to the barracks wasting no time. Soldiers left and right called her for they were more surprised and confused to see their princess in a dress more so than her sudden visit to their barracks.
She ran straight for the generals quarters, bursting the door open, she gasped upon the sight of the Knight she thought she left in the dust beside the general. Jungkook could only smile triumphantly, seeing as he caught the mouse in the trap.
"W-what are you doing here?" She asked, eyes solely on the knight who looked as if he had been here all along while she caught her breath.
"Well, waiting for you of course your highness." Jungkook grinned at her making the princess scoff and laugh mirthlessly at him. Jimin however quirked his eyebrow at the two's exchange. Hana finally met his eyes as she walked towards him, not before glaring at Jungkook.
"May I please have some privacy with the general, Sir Jeon?" She asked as politely as possible with gritted teeth.
"I apologise your highness but it is King Namjoon's orders that I stay by your side at all times." Jungkook stated, she could see he was trying to hold back a cocky smile as his lips quirked up ever so slightly, attempting to keep a straight face.
"Jimin—"
"I believe the Kings orders are final, even for you princess." Jimin noted, "if there is something you wish to tell me, I believe Sir Jungkook here can be trusted." Jimin smiled at the man beside him.
What on Goddess Artemis's name?! Since when was Jimin friendly to anyone other than his mother?!
Her jaw was literally on the floor, how could Jimin betray her like that?!
"Jimin, this is confidential—!" She hissed at him not before glaring back at Jungkook again whom was grinning like the proud man he was that got on her nerves, she snapped back to face Jimin, "you know what— fine. I have a feeling King Namjoon is up to something and it isn't good." She said aloud.
She watched as Jimin's eyes widened at that, "King Namjoon? And what is it you think he's up to?"
"Don't you think it's suspicious that he's come visit only after we've finally taken over all our rivalled countries surrounding us?! We're the largest Kingdom of the east now!"
Jimin was stunned, and Hana silently awaited his call of action but the only person that was taken off guard in the room was her, as Jimin burst out laughing. Jungkook too snickered to himself at the corner of her eyes as she watched horrified of the situation.
"That's gold princess." Jimin laughed so hard he had tears coming out from his eyes, "and why would you ever think your beloved brother would do such a thing? He has his own kingdom and the King and Queen are his parents, that would be the last thing he'd do." Jimin wiped his tears.
Hana was appalled as she watched Jimin not take her seriously. What happened to the man that was always on her side? Who always fought for her beliefs.
Rage enveloped her, watching as her general continued to laugh at her apparent stupid remark but she knew something was up. And her gut feeling was never wrong.
"Fine then." She held her sword up in its scabbard and dropped it in front of Jimin, who watched startled as the heavy metal collided with the ground, Jungkook too was taken aback. "I return this to you Jimin. If truly you think I am but a fraud with my words, then I don't need to keep a gift from someone who doesn't even trust me." She spat, grey eyes narrowed and glaring. "But if I'm right—" she looked at Jungkook with the same piercing glare, "Then I pray for both your lives."
She spun on her heel, long dark locks of hair whipping around, and slammed the door behind her.
On her walk back to the castle, she was enraged, fire brewed in her vision as all she saw was red. Her only friend and companion she depended on took her as a joke.
"Stupid Jimin. Stupid Jeon." She grumbled, fists clenched she saw Hyemin waiting by the castle doors for her arrival.
"Princess, you're back!" Hyemin sighed in relief, not before screaming in horror at the state Hana's dress and hair were in, she quickly grabbed the princess and dragged her back to her quarters. Hana allowed her, for she herself felt like a mess both outside and inside.
In the end, she was dressed in a silvery blue gown, Hana much preferred it as it reminded her of her cape in war, the colour of the Kingdom. Her hair was in a half up-do again except purposefully this time as she hated her hair tired up tightly into a bun. Lastly a silvery tiara of Artemis was placed upon her head, it's gleaming Opal and light blue gems glittered in the light. Hana grimaced at the feeling of the metal poking her scalp but it was bearable.
Hyemin sighed in content at the sight of the princess dolled up, "you truly are a princess, your highness."
Now out of her usual steel wear, Hana looked entirely different, ethereal as if she were an eleven princess of the Kingdom of dusk. Her long wavy black hair and piercing grey eyes complimented each other to perfection.
If not for the rage that was brewing inside her, she would have said she felt beautiful herself as she stared into the mirror, but all she saw was a long princess. A girl who couldn't depend on others for even the closest people to her felt like strangers.
Getting up from her seat, she opened the door to see Sir Jeon waiting for her as if he hadn't left except now he was dressed in a rather dashing suit, he looked like a noble but what gave his status away was the sword scabbard hanging on his left.
Hana didn't even bother making eye contact with him, for she just wanted this celebration over and done with whilst the knight was stunned by the sight of her beauty, her stoic expression and grace. She looked like a completely different woman he had chased down not too long ago.
"Your highness." He knelt and took her hand in his, kissing the back of it as a sigh of courtesy. She only but looked down on him.
"Remember your promise Sir Jeon."
With his head down, she couldn't see that his lips were upturned, "of course your highness, I will stay in a distance away from you."
She hummed in reply, snatching her hand away she began walking ahead, already exasperated at the amount of people she would be forced into conversation with.
"Come. For I want to leave this party as soon as possible."
Prior to when the princess had left the knight and the general back in the barracks, Jungkook was equally stunned and impressed by the princesses sharp words and demeanour. He was instantly enthralled by her, how she exuded so much power and dominance even in the short time he had known her.
"Is the princess always like this?" He asked the general who picked up the sword from the floor, Jimin exhaled a breath.
"Unfortunately yes, though I have not seen her direct so much distaste in me before." Jimin mumbled but The knight had caught it, now even more amused of the generals close relations to the princess.
"Is she as ruthless as they say when she's at war?" Jungkook asked.
"Sir Jeon, I know why you're here and unfortunately it isn't my place to answer such questions. So can you please leave for I have to be dressed for the ceremony." Jimin snapped up at him.
"Of course Sir Park." Jungkook bowed before leaving, he smirked to himself as he walked out. It was obvious that the man was upset by the way the princess had thrown down a gift, most likely given to her by the general himself.
The truth is, Jimin was suspicious of King Namjoon's arrival since he heard word of his return to the castle. Usually for celebrations, Jimin was always positioned to watch over the princess for he was the only one to catch her with her reckless actions but this time he was positioned to look after the King and Queen, leaving Sir Jeon to of the Apollo Kingdom to look after the princess in his stead.
Jimin was familiar with Sir Jeon for in the world of soldiers, word got around quick from the different kingdoms. Sir Jeon was a dutiful knight whom was faithful to his country, it has been said that the knight was on par with his own abilities but was too young to take on such a position as a General in the Kingdom of Apollo.
He couldn't dismiss Jungkook otherwise things would have been proven suspicious, so when Hana admitted her reasoning for coming to him, he wasn't surprised that the girl did figure things out herself, but Jimin couldn't react as Sir Jeon kept a close watch. He knew he'd have to apologise to the princess later but this was for her sake, that she didn't get involved.
Jimin knew her brother truly did care for her, thus positioning the Apollo Kingdoms best knight with her, but that leaves Jimin. He was the general of this Kingdom, if Hana conspired with him, he'd be afraid she'd be caught in the crossfire.
It was better this way.
Jimin shrugged on his royal dress jacket, buttoning it up, it's silvery accents shining as he did. He ran his hand through his golden hair, eyes dark and trained upon himself, he finally looked down upon his table for there it lay the scabbard and sword he gifted to the princess during their first battle of the west, picking it up, he drew the sword by its hilt.
"I will fight for you till my last breath—"
"Im sorry Princess."
—