-', 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗔ˎˊ˗
❱˚ the wanderer : 旅がらす ! ˚ˑؘ
A girl stood above the hills, overlooking the wide horizon that was once under the reign of her bloodline. So was the people marching under the hill, their footsteps resonating in a deliberate echo that somehow made your heart shiver just by hearing it. Every now and then, the wind pushed forcefully against her figure as if they wanted her to collapse and create room for additional winds to come— but she did not faze. For she had to wait, after all. Wait for the sun's ray to peek by the mountain.
"Princess Yona." Stepping closer to the girl, he halted a few step away from her. "We'll be departing soon."
"Alright."
She released an inaudible sigh, trailing her eyes over the lines of the mountains. It seems that it wasn't precisely an ideal timing to be able to witness the dawn.
"This place sure is cold, huh?"
He answered for the princess, "It's because we're in the border of the mountains."
"We're nearing winter, too. In the next few weeks, this whole ground will probably be covered in snow."
At the sound of her observation, Yona gave her sole female companion a minisucle smile, though her eyes did not followed. It was only an act of response to her statement. The princess was aware that it was also her way of saying that something more will be coming— and they need to prepare for it.
Yona take a deep breath when the she found streaks of gold peck her capes, looking over her shoulder to finally have a sight of the shy sun. It accented the shapes of her seven companion, and it exposes the fortitude they held deep inside.
"Well." A sigh escaped the young woman's lip, pairing the princess's eyes with her grey gaze. "Shall we go then?"
With one last glimpse to the soldiers under her, dragging it to the sun who began to grow strength to glare, Princess Yona nodded at her, turning to follow her seven companion.
'Back then, I had no idea it was so cold outside the castle.'
Just like that, the first appearance of light in the sky marked the beginning of the story.
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"This is the tenth year since the death of my father, the former king Ju-nam. Our Kingdom of Kouka is a small country surrounded by powerful nations to the north and south, involving us in many wars."
"Where's the princess?" A blue clothed man with a majestic spear on his hand, slightly drowned down the speech of his King to ask the servant standing beside him.
"Apparently, she's still getting ready."
"I see— because he's coming today." He sighed, momentarily remembering what special day it was. "She's such a child."
"My daughter, Yona, will soon be sixteen years old. I pray that under the divine protection of Hiryuu, the king of old, that the peace in this country will last for all eternity!"
"Long Live King Il!"
The sound of Buk started to drum, making the citizens who came to watch cheered for the end of the king's speech. True, this special day, was a day to symbol such memorial time to everyone who celebrate it.
That includes, the princess of Kouka Kingdom.
"Ah, this isn't right!" A girl ran and get another piece of luxurious Hanbok.
Today is a special day for the Princess of Kouka Kingdom, that one piece of Hanbok and a little of foundation is never enough. Because for so, her dearest childhood friend is on the way to visit today.
"You look wonderful princess. Erm- if you don't proceed now, the announcement will end soon." Min-soo warned while holding an amount of wrapped fabrics.
"No. This isn't right. Where's the chintz? -Ah! This looked better!" The princess exclaimed to herself while looking for more accessories.
A long preparation itself has it consequences, as the princess's father, King Il appear from the doorway while laughing, "The ceremony has ended, Yona."
The Princess, Yona, lowered her head in regret after gasping, "I'm sorry... It's because of me."
"Don't be sorry, Yona. There's no need for you to appear before the people." said King Il.
"Father, isn't my hair absolutely odd?" Princess Yona complained. It wasn't a rare occurrence where she sprout words of spites towards her own natural red hair— which was gorgeous and deemed as the Kouka's Kingdom treasure— but so for Yona she totally hated how her hair curls unruly every second, that she always wonder if her hair get's in her way when she appeared before him?
"Oh, of course not! Your beauty surpasses any jewel nor anyone-" "Yes! About my face, I believed that I was born with quite a cute face!"
Princess Yona admire her treasured face in the mirror while ignoring my King Il's word.
"But why is this hair red and and curly? Grr! it won't behave at all must!" She whined, pulling a bunch of her red hair.
"That's not true at all. Right, Hak?" King Il called right toward a man.
The general of the Wind Tribe, Princess Yona's personal bodyguard and childhood friend, Son Hak. There was no man in Kouka Kingdom who did not know of his face nor his achievement, when he stood tall with his infamous blue robe and soaring spear that always laid by his shoulder.
"Yes, Emperor Il." Bowed Hak while answering the King's question. "Who would ever said that the princess hair looks strange? But if I may be so bold to say, there's definitely something wrong with her brain."
"Shut up, servant."
And so begins, the raging fight between two childhood friends.
"Father! Do something with this impertinent cretin!" Yona throw stuffs— anything she could get her hands on— towards Hak, which amazingly catches each and every objects without getting one on the floors.
"Now, now." King Il tried calming the both, sweat dripping his temple, "Hak has been your friend since childhood. He is one of the five generals that protect this castle, from Wind tribe-"
"I don't care! If you need guards, pick someone more lovable!" Yona growled and throw the piece of cloth that Min-soo was holding.
"Well, supposedly, Mundok decided some other strong candidates, which might be lovable instead, but you refused..."
"I'm not lovable for her, agree." Hak nodded monotonously, before smoothly changing the subject elsewhere, "Speaking of lovable, shouldn't you be trying to look lovable yourself?"
"Huh?" Yona tilted her hair in confusion.
"It seems that lord Soo-won has arrived." Hak answered.
"Y-you should have said so sooner!" Yona ran outside the room, her fiery red hair followed her into the path that leads towards her more beloved childhood friend.
"Wait, S-Soo-won? Is that why she was concerned about her hair? He won't mind her hair, he's her cousin." King Il stated between them.
"It must be that thing they call 'maiden heart.'" Said the Wind tribe's general, Son Hak, while having himself some tea with the cup the girl previously had threw at him.
King Il got himself wonder in surprised, while Min-soo who stood in the background, was also innocently curious of the relationship between Princess Yona and Lord Soo-won.
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"Fresh herbs are on sale today!"
The market of a small town by the Sky Tribe was bustling with traders, sellers, buyers and mere citizens in such special day. The anniversary of the kingdom, especially now that the reign belongs to their tribe create such atmosphere that was absolutely merry compare to any other day. The small village roads was even adorn with simple yet beautiful decoration.
A rice merchant clapped his hands, letting the buyers acknowledge him and his product. His stand stood in line with those who trade or sell herbs, fruits and even decorative trinkets.
"It sure is festive in such time of the day."
"Ah! You're back!" said the rice merchant, welcoming the hooded customer with a smile. "I was just wondering if a mountain lion had feast on your carcasses or something."
"No. But I did have something else on my tail."
He nodded shortly, choosing not to push himself into somebody's business. "Well, I am glad that you're still willing to trade with me in such time. What do you have today, young lady?"
Said customer rummage her sack, in search of the result of her hunting. Pulling out an item that are neatly wrapped, she opened up the cloth before hanging it in front of them.
"How many pouches of rice could I get with this hare's fur?"
"Around three, four if it's a male- wait." The merchant widen his eyes, before snatching the fur from her hands, apologizing when he realized what he did. But that didn't exactly phase his attention away from the thing on his hand, "T-this— this is a fur of a March Hare!"
Those sentence attract several other merchant who had their hands free at the moment, crowding over to get a sight of the fur. Astonish whisper floated among them.
"Is it worth different that any other hares?" She raised an eyebrow under the hood.
"Of course! Look at this!" He gently smoothen the soft fur with the tip of his finger. "The signature reddish-brown fur could worth at least four gold if you have a length of two hoofs of it!"
"Well, how many pouches then?"
The rice merchant gaped, looking back at forth from his customer to the precious item on his hand. "Are you sure you want to trade this?" When she flat out nodded, he can't help but stutter. "I g-guess, around five bags?"
"That's too much."
A reaction of disapproval erupt from the merchants around when they heard her answer. The crowd they created invites more to join till the point mere passerby had got in to get a curious look.
"No, it's definitely too less. I would've ask for seven." said the neighboring merchant.
"Still not par. At least twelve!"
When everybody decided they have to state their opinion on how much bag of rice they should get by exchanging the March Hare's fur, making a bigger crowd, the young lady instantly step in.
She seemed to act so hasty and so in need of stopping people from joining the hoard anymore, as if making a crowd was a crime in the kingdom.
"Alright, alright. I'll take it." She cut, shutting everyone up. "I'll have one bag, cause as you can see, I do not need much with me to have five of it."
"Then what about the remaining four bags?"
Taking a moment to think, the customer looked around her surrounding before halting her sight at the three kids sitting on the other side of the road. They appeared scrawny, dirt on their faces and torn clothes. Less to none bystanders paid attention to their begging, choosing not to see such poor view in a suppose to be festive day.
"You can give it to the kids over there." The young lady nudged her head towards the children. "If there's still some to give, just hand them out to the people around."
The rice merchant took a moment to nod, before frantically rushing about to make two bags of rice and presenting them to the hooded customer, who gave a last smile as a sign that their trade is done. The young lady didn't look to be struggling as she walk off with two bags of rice on one of her hands, disappearing to the busy crowd of celebrating people.
"How considerate." An old lady who was selling herb on the right side of the rice merchant said.
Said merchant was still in trance of having to trade with such quite an expensive object, mumbling, "Yeah, she could have sell the rice herself."
"March Hare is the fastest hare known in these land— hunter's could rarely get it on their hands. I'm surprise she's able to capture it." The other neighbor peer in, looking at the overly pleased seller. "Who was she anyway?"
Shrugging in response, he proceed to look at the crowd in hope that if he saw her figure, there might be hints of who and where she came from. But she was already gone.
"I don't know. She's not from around here, I suppose, because I've only trade with her for around once a month. The whole other time, she just disappear."
"I've heard there's a lot of name for her."
"That's right." The rice merchant nod to agree with the old woman. He reminisce back to the hooded customer once more as his eyes laid on the fur of a March Hare that he kept inside a save box. "One of her notable name is— the wanderer."
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'Soo-won, Soo-won!'
Yona's heart called for his name, running in palace with excitement.
"Princess! Careful!" She almost bump across a servant that is carrying a pile of Sake and its small glasses, Ochoko.
She did not pay any attention towards her busy surrounding, only yearning to place it to the golden-haired lord who she has been friends with since a child, and started developing feelings too then
'The kind Soo-won, who was been by my side since we were children.' Yona's heart thumped loudly, 'My cousin, who is three years older than me.' She passed through multiple of servants and continue her way.
'Finally today, after so long...'
Turning the corridor right without thinking twice, Yona's reckless behavior came to a lesson as she finally collide with something.
"Whoa, there. Be careful!"
Coincidentally, Yona hit someone who stood on her way, and that was—
He smiled gently, "You're doing well as usual, Princess Yona."
"Soo-won!"
The Wanderer's POV
I stood up from my rest, the two bags of rice placed securely beside me when a loud sound happened in the middle of peaceful morning. It was expected, seeing how even the market in such small village was in a very lively spirit, the palace and city was celebrating the anniversary of the Kingdom.
Although it doesn't intrigue me for how festive the celebration was going to be, somehow, compare to any other anniversary in the previous years, there was some strong feelings today that disturb me in the morning.
Something bad— and it came right from the midst of Kouka Kingdom.
I scoffed inwardly, "It isn't like its my business anyway."
However inside of me, there was a longing that grew broader together with the weary sense the Kingdom radiates. It place my soul in less rest, and it made me turn my memories back towards the time.
"Perhaps, could it finally be the time?"