Yongsun walked around Majuchim happily. She enjoyed roaming the streets of the town, mostly because she no longer had to hide her hair. She looked like a commoner, but she did not mind. She was free.
Until she stepped into an alley and encountered a group of thieves, their faces hidden underneath their hoods.
More than anything, and rightfully so, Yongsun was scared. Her heart pounded hard and she turned pale. She cowered, and the crippling fear made her unable to move a single inch.
"Alright now, lady. No one has to get hurt. Just give us what we want. Come on, show us the money, aye?", the man spoke with an accent. He walked towards Yongsun, playing with the knife on his hand.
The others gawked at Yongsun. One was particularly eyeing her keenly, almost as if he was undressing her in his mind. They approached closer, and malice was evident in their grins.
Yongsun shivered. She could almost start crying now. Silently, she pleaded to the heavens that a kind heart would pass by and help her.
The heavens were kind enough to answer Yongsun's prayers, as a person came into sight.
He was holding a stick in his left hand, and he dragged it along the ground.
The thieves turned around to see Moonbyul, who stared at them with repulsion.
"What kind of sick joke are the three of you? From what depths of the earth did you all crawl from? You cannot work for yourselves, lads?", Moonbyul taunted the thieves. Seeing their faces turn sour was delightful and it made Moonbyul's blood warm.
"Quite brave with your stick, eh?", the thief to Yongsyn's right jeeringly asked in response. The others laughed with him.
"For all that your words are worth, that is what your sister told me", Moonbyul smiled wryly.
"I have no sister!", the thief answered, pointing his dagger towards Moonbyul.
"Oh. You will soon", Moonbyul grinned. The thief became furious and he gripped his dagger tight, waiting for a order to attack.
"Do you want to go to heaven, pretty boy?", the scoundrel in the middle stepped forward. He stopped playing with his knife and held it properly, ready to stab Moonbyul.
"Now that, is what your mother said to me last night", Moonbyul replied, making the other two thieves break out in laughter.
"You morons!" the middle thief glared at his companions.
"Ey, but he was funny, Gareth!", the thief on the right said to the one in the middle.
"George, you stupid idiot! You just told him our names!", the rascal on the left yelled at the other.
"Grant, you blockhead! Don't tell me what to do!", George uttered.
"Enough!" Gareth shouted. The other two quickly stopped blabbering and turned their attention to Moonbyul.
"I have work to do", Moonbyul mumbled with a sigh. She looked at the thieves and clenched her jaw. "Let us settle this", she stated as she raised the stick in front of her like a sword. A stick was not much, but right now it was her sole weapon against these foul men.
Yongsun looked on. She did not know if she should run. Her feet seemed stuck to the ground.
Moonbyul dashed towards the three men and Yongsun closed her eyes.
The sound of wood against human skin soon reached Yongsun's ears. She opened her eyes to the scene of Moonbyul swiftly dodging the thieves and hitting them with the stick.
Moonbyul fought with grace, striking the necks of the robbers like they were gongs. George and Grant fell to the ground in their failed attempts to fight against Moonbyul.
Desperate and embarrassed, Gareth tried to use Yongsun as shield. Moonbyul quickly stopped him, but he ended up slashing Moonbyul's arm.
Moonbyul swung the stick hard, and it landed on the side of Gareth's head.
Gareth was knocked out. The other two quickly picked him up and took him away as they ran, not looking back.
"Moonbyul! Your arm-! It is bleeding!", Yongsun walked towards Moonbyul as she looked at his slashed arm.
"I think that is already apparent.", Moonbyul responded as she looked at her bleeding arm before glancing at Yongsun. "Are you alright? Are you unhurt?"
"I am fine. But you-"
"Are you certain? Did they lay a hand on you?" Moonbyul examined Yongsun carefully.
"I am alright, Moonbyul. It is you who needs to be treated. You are wounded!", Yongsun grasped Moonbyul's arm and gazed at her with concern.
"Do not pay heed. Tis nothing but a scratch", Moonbyul gently removed Yongsun's hand.
"But!", Yongsun wanted to go against Moonbyul but she could not find the words or the resolve to do so.
"Better me than you, Yongsun", Moonbyul said as she dropped the stick. "Your father will not be happy to hear it if you were hurt", Moonbyul added.
"You know my father?", Yongsun eyebrows were raised. She suddenly felt nervous and curious.
"No. But I do know that a good father would kill for her daughter", Moonbyul turned her back and returned to the forge, covering her wounded arm.
"Wait...", Yongsun was unable to thank Moonbyul. She was hesitant to follow him. She was running out of needed time as well. Yongsun decided to return to the castle with a sigh.
That night, Yongsun could not help but ponder why those thieves tried to take from her. Perhaps they had mistaken her for a Saxonian* merchant because of her golden hair. Despite the danger she faced earlier, she was in awe of Moonbyul. As much as she hated his arrogance, she also admired him. Yongsun wondered how one can be so strong, yet so gentle and graceful at the same time.
The next morning, Yongsun took it to herself to go and thank Moonbyul. She snuck out and went to the forge.
Unsurprisingly, Moonbyul was still hammering iron with her unaffected arm. She concentrated on her work and barely noticed Yongsun.
"Moonbyul?", Yongsun called out to him.
"Oh. You're here again", Moonbyul said, glancing at Yongsun's direction.
"I apologize for yesterday. It was in protecting me that you were hurt", Yongsun swallowed as she approached Moonbyul slowly.
"Do not apologize. There is no need for it. I had no intention to protect you. I simply despise people who do not work for themselves." Moonbyul continued to pound iron.
"That, and the truth that I do miss fighting", Moonbyul added.
"You hate me don't you?", Yongsun asked with sincerity.
"I do not. Perhaps I only dislike you. To tell the truth, you are... Quite annoying", Moonbyul uttered. Yongsun was the kind of person who got under Moonbyul's skin without trouble. She was annoying, and annoyingly beautiful as well.
Moonbyul could not look at Yongsun and she continued with her work.
"Then you hate me. If you find me annoying, then you must hate me. But say what you want, I do not care. If you do not want my gratitude, then I will not give it." Yongsun crossed her arms. She gazed sharply at Moonbyul in an effort to restore her pride.
"I dislike you. That is not the same with hating you", Moonbyul turned her head and glanced at Yongsun before quenching the hot iron.
Yongsun refused to hear any of Moonbyul's words. "Ah.. Men and their reasons..", she sighed.
"Why are you even here? You have no business being in this place. Are you not nervous?", Moonbyul set her work aside and walked towards Yongsun with crossed arms.
"Nervous? Why would I be nervous?", Yongsun asked. She looked away for a moment but returned her eyes to Moonbyul. She gulped but she stood proudly despite the hesitation.
"Because I assure you, my lady: I can make you nervous if I so wanted, and I can do so without even raising a finger", Moonbyul stepped towards Yongsun slowly.
Yongsun stood her ground. She felt the need to show Moonbyul she was not easy. "Nothing daunts me."
"Says the lady who froze in the face of the thieves", Moonbyul uttered. She came closer, locking her dark eyes into Yongsun's.
"I did not...", Yongsun responded with a shaky voice. She tried to look Moonbyul in the eyes but she could not. She looked away. She could feel Moonbyul's breath on her face now.
"Really?", Moonbyul asked, only to fluster Yongsun. She knew she would win this game. She leaned in closer, her hands behind her back.
"Ye-yes..", Yongsun answered. She shrank as she felt her face grow hot and her heart pound wildly like never before.
A thumb's length was enough to describe the distance between Yongsun and Moonbyul's lips.
Yongsun's breath faltered. The tension between them grew more palpable with every second that passed.
A smirk played on Moonbyul's lips as she casually whispered on Yongsun's ear, "Go home, Yongsun. You lost when you looked away."
Yongsun could barely breathe now. She stumbled backwards and she would have fallen, had it not been for Moonbyul who quickly caught her and supported her back with his arm.
Moonbyul gazed upon Yongsun's face. She swallowed hard. Her eyes were drawn to her lips, but she swiftly averted her gaze.
Yongsun had a wry smile on her lips. She looked at Moonbyul and proudly muttered, "You lost as well. You looked away and you touched me."
"You are without doubt, annoying", Moonbyul said as she stepped away, carefully letting Yongsun on her feet.
Yongsun grinned at Moonbyul's frustration. She placed both of her hands on her hip and stared at Moonbyul intentionally.
Moonbyul rolled her eyes and scoffed. She turned her back on Yongsun. "Just go."
Yongsun turned towards the door and left, saying, "So long, Moonbyul"
Moonbyul growled. Maybe she should have let Yongsun fall. She shook her head in irritation and decided to resume with work.
While hammering iron, Moonbyul could not forget the look on Yongsun's face when she held her. Moonbyul ignored the thoughts of the stubborn woman. But she could not deny that Yongsun's peculiarity made her amusing.
Choi Cheol-san suddenly entered the forge. Moonbyul looked at him and bowed in respect.
Cheol-san nodded at his apprentice. He had just returned to Seojjog from Dongjjog. He had brought with him materials for forging. He looked at Moonbyul and asked her, "Moonbyul, how is your work coming along?"
"It is going well, master", Moonbyul answered with a smile. She was filled with pride and gratitude towards her master for entrusting her with this prospect.
"That is good to hear, Moonbyul."
"Thank you, master."
"Tomorrow, we shall be heading somewhere." Certainty was evident in Cheol-san's tone and Moonbyul recognized it.
"To where will we be heading, master?", Moonbyul asked with distinct curiosity.
"We will be stepping foot on Dawn Castle."
Yongsun returned to her room in the castle of Dawn without struggle. Inside her room, Yeji was waiting for her.
Yeji quickly handed Yongsun her real clothes.
Yongsun hid the blue dress she was wearing earlier underneath her bed.
Sharp knocks rattled the wooden door to the room just as Yongsun had finished changing her clothes. She turned to Yeji, gesturing her to open the door.
Yeji opened the door and revealed a maid who glanced at the princess and at Yeji.
"Your highness, His Majesty wishes to speak to you about an urgent matter"
"Tell him I will be with him in a moment",Yongsun responded
"I will, Your highness", the maid left with a bow.
Yongsun sighed and carefully examined herself. She needed to ensure that her father was not suspicious of her.
"You look beautiful, your highness", Yeji smiled as she praised Yongsun.
"Thank you, Yeji. I will need to find my father now", Yongsun uttered as she left her room and headed downstairs.
Yongsun found her father on the throne room. She approached him carefully, so as not to startle him.
"What did you want to say, father?", Yongsun asked.
"I want you to prepare for tomorrow."
"Why so, father?"
"There will be others inside the castle. We will be having guests. Present yourself as a woman with grace and resiliency."
"Ah. I see, father", Yongsun asked despite barely knowing the situation. She did not know what to expect, but she was ready.
.................
Saxonian - A person from Saxonia. Saxonians were the one who conquered Seojjog and brought an array of technology and various ways to study things.
Saxonia - A kingdom in the continent of Europa.
Hwangwon palace - Moonbyul's childhood home in Dongjjog.
Author's Note:
A long weekend is coming and that means free time to write more.
See you