ⓕⓞⓛⓛⓞⓦ ⓣⓗⓔ ⓦⓘⓝⓓ, ⓗⓔ ⓢⓐⓨⓢ
Hak felt nothing but rage towards the young lord, the one whom he once called a childhood friend. Because of him, Princess Yona didn't eat, only walked when Hye-In pulled her along by the hand. She's like a doll. His hands clenched to hide his anger. Soo-Won had destroyed the days they spent together and the princess who was his cousin. He dared to lay a hand on Hye-In. That alone thought just made him hated the young man even more.
"Huh? This is?" The raven haired guy looked down and saw his foot had stepped on a familiar hair ornament. He picked it up and hardened his eyes, pressing his lips together as Princess Yona still kept it with her. He knew that hair ornament. It's from Soo-Won. Hak went to the girls and told them that they will stay there for the night. Hye-In only nodded her head and later raised an eyebrow when Yona looked around suddenly, as if she was searching for something.
Hye-In placed her hand on hers. "What's wrong, your Highness? Did you lose something?" The younger girl quickly shook her head and Hye-In figured, it's better to leave the topic. Yona fiddled her fingers on her lap, thinking to herself whether she should find or not and Hak could see her face clearly. No matter how hurt she was, Yona still remembered her once gentle cousin who was like a brother to her.
The girl shot up and stated that she wanted to be alone for a while and left without giving Hak and Hye-In a chance to say anything. The other girl rubbed the temple of her head and pulled her legs to curl up into a ball, enjoying the heat from the fire, knowing he was looking at her. Hye-In did try her best to ignore him but her heart betrayed her. "What is it Hak?"
"I'm sorry."
Hye-In rolled her eyes and stood up. "Like that would change anything." Her hands dusted the robe and suddenly, her ears caught some hissing sounds that weren't coming from her. And the mark on her collarbone was burning her skin. She let out a wince and touched the spot, narrowing her amber eyes. "Yona-She's in danger." Hye-In cursed at her recklessness and her legs ran quickly, following her sixth sense to trace the princess.
Hak was following after her and by the time they were there, they heard Yona screaming in fright as there a snake in front of her. Hye-In snatched her hand and her amber eyes glowed. "Stay away from her." She hissed back at the snake and the reptile lowered its head as if it's showing its respect towards her. Yet, Hye-In just kept glaring at the animal, sensing its rebellion against her.
The snake bared its fangs, jerking its head forward to bite Yona and Hye-In grabbed its head barehanded. "I said, stay away from her." Her glowing eyes glared back and she threw it away. Yona ran to her and Hak looked around cautiously to make sure nothing happened. And Yona had stepped right on their nest and later, they were surrounded by snakes.
Hye-In didn't know if the princess had bad lucks or she was just an idiot. The silver haired girl let out a sigh and told them to run. She could handle them. "Hye-In-" Hak pulled Yona's hand and ran even though the red head pleaded to let her stay with Hye-In. She couldn't just leave her alone. Hak snapped at her saying his priority was her safety and he knew, Hye-In definitely could handle it herself.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you but you has harmed her and I won't let you off that easy." Still flashing her reptilian eyes, Hye-In changed into her snake form and bit the snakes, hissing at the rest. Her huge body really did overwhelm them and she just knocked all of them, thinking to herself, why did Yona come that far? She's in a forest and certainly there were not cats and bunnies there.
"Don't ever cross me again." She glared at those creatures. Hye-In wiped her sweats and ran back to others after she changed back, hurriedly tying Hak's robe around her body. She wiped her lips and followed their heats, a special ability she had in herself. There she saw, Hak touching his neck and Yona was holding her hair ornament in her hand.
Hearing some footsteps behind her, the princess turned around and lit up when she saw Hye-In was safe. Hye-In patted her head. "Your Highness, please be more careful next time. Don't ever leave our sides again." Yona lowered her head in shame just like a child getting scold by her mother. Hye-In dusted the ground to clean it for Yona as they didn't have any bed to sleep. The princess just nodded weakly.
"Princess, I don't know about you. But I can't forgive Soo-Won. Never in a million years, not after what he has done to you." Hak turned his head to the silver haired girl who was looking at somewhere else. "To her, but more than that, I want you to live, princess." The red head apologized once again in a small voice before lying down on her hard bed and turning around.
Hye-In raised her eyes to look at him. "You don't have be that harsh to her. It's not her fau-"
"What she did earlier could get herself killed! Ah!" Hak coldly spoke and Hye-In widened her eyes when his forehead creased as if he was in pain. That's when she saw two dots on his neck and recognition dawned on her face. He was bitten by a snake. Hak quickly wiped his blood and held his neck to hide it from her but Hye-In was quick on her feet. Her heart beat fast.
"No. Just let it be." His voice told.
Her hand grasped his wrist and she told him to stand still as she inspected it. "Why didn't you tell me? Now sit." Hak tried to push her away and the girl just shoved him down to sit him. He let out a groan when he felt her pushing his chest back to sit on his lap. Hye-In cupped his face with one hand and tilted his head aside, touching the bite with other hand.
"What are you doing? I'm fine, Hye-In. A little snake bite isn't going to stop General Hak-ah!" Hak shut his eyes tightly as he felt her lips on his neck. She buried her head into his neck and her hands held his own hands on the ground firmly to keep him from moving with her hovering him and sitting on his lap. Hak winced, hearing some slurp sound and his body shivered when she sucked harder.
"Hye-In, what are you doi-"
The girl pulled away swiftly with a stoic face and spitted the venom she sucked from him. "Saving your life, I guess." She wiped her lips and got off him while Hak was staring at her and placing his hand on his face, rubbing his skin roughly. Hye-In walked to Yona and sat beside her lying down figure, leaning her head back against the rock behind her.
"Thank you."
Hye-In closed her amber eyes and a faint smile was making its way to her lips and the one who should receive that couldn't even see it through the dark. But he knew her feelings. And that thought alone brought another hope and chance in him. Maybe he could be with Hye-In again. Maybe they could start a new chapter again between two lovers that were close as strangers.
∆∆∆
"Hak."
The guy only hummed as his reply to the princess as they continued their journey to run away from the guards. Hye-In let out a small yawn, furrowing her eyebrows for that as she was feeling very sleepy and tired. She was exhausted. Her body shockingly was getting hotter and she was sweating so much under Hak's robe.
Yona picked up her pace to match his. "Couldn't we head down into some village for food and medicine?" Hye-In answered it on his behalf. There's no way they could go there. Even if the villagers didn't recognize them, royal soldiers could be anywhere. "Then, where are we heading right now?" Hye-In looked at the bodyguard and Hak pressed his lips together.
They were heading to the only place they can count on. Fuuga Capital, Hak's hometown. Though he was having a second thought about it. As they were getting near to the place, Hye-In could see two young men guarding the gate and her lips chuckled at them. "Those are your trusted guards?" She pointed the sleeping boys to Hak and a tick appeared on his head.
As soon as they reached there, Hak quickly raised his foot to kick both of them on their rears. "Are you guys even working?" Princess Yona tried her best to hide her giggles at their funny faces and they teased the General about the real reason he came back, rumoring he was fired. Hak rolled his eyes, dumbfounded. "You guys are as laid-back as ever."
The boys shrugged their shoulders and did this kind of sluggish motion with their hands. "We are the Wind Clan. We live only as the wind blows." Hye-In smiled, sensing the similarity between three of them. Hak was just like that with her before but he had changed. After they parted their ways, Hak avoided her completely and she only saw him acting goofy like that around Yona and Soo-Won.
That hurt her.
Another weird move from those boys. "When we are sleepy, we sleep."
Hak slapped his forehead. "Who put these guys on guard duty?"
"Hey, that's Lord Hak!"
"Lord! When did you come back?"
Hye-In stepped back to give him space as many townspeople came running to greet the raven haired young man. Some of them even complimented him becoming even more handsome and Hye-In found herself choked on her oxygen. Hak noticed her leering and gave her his squinted eyes, motioning he knew what's she doing. Hye-In crossed her arms and figured they hadn't heard anything from the castle yet.
"Who is this girl? Is she your girl?"
Then, Hye-In was snapped out of the trance when Yona inched closer to her to hold her hand. Two woman were asking Yona if she was Hak's lover and the princess widened her eyes, frantically shook her head, saying there's no way she would ever be together with that bully. She was hiding behind Hye-In and that's when they saw her. Quickly taking Hye-In's hands in theirs, those woman asked Hak if she was the one and Hye-In winced.
"Look! She's wearing Lord Hak's robe!"
"She must be his woman!"
Hye-In grew pale and was about to deny the accusation but she was cut off by Hak who nodded his head and claimed that she was his. The townspeople gasped loudly, didn't even expect Hak would admit it openly, rushing to Hye-In to swarm her with questions. The silver haired girl took a note to scold him later and flashed them a soft smile, bowing down slightly.
"Hello, my name is Hye-In."
"Awww, she is so polite!"
"And beautiful!"
"Where are you from?"
"Are you from the sky capital?"
Hye-In smiled shyly and waved her hands to ask them to talk slowly, suddenly seeing black dots in her sight. She blinked her eyes for a couple times to make it disappeared but it got worse. Then, she felt something dripping on the robe she was wearing. Noticing the blank face on Hye-In, Yona shook her arm gently, asking her what was wrong. And her violet eyes widened when they saw blood on her clothes.
"Hye-In, you are bleeding! Hak!"
The older girl wobbly asked her what did she meant by that. And she remembered it now. When those people pulled her to ask her questions, one of them had accidentally jabbed her on the stomach, right where her wounds were. Her head was spinning. Hak quickly grabbed her body and told them to prepare a bed and food immediately.
"The young lord is being kind to a woman." The blond boy from before stated and Hak told him to be quick, carrying the girl in his arms. Yona didn't say anything and ran after him, worried about the older girl. After all, Hye-In was her first crush and she was like a sister and mother figure to her. She suppressed a small smile to hide her dizziness as she didn't want to burden Hak anymore.
And soon, her eyes shut together.
∆∆∆
Hye-In didn't know what was poking her cheek when she's in her deep slumber and thinking about it just annoyed her so much. A tick appeared on her head and by the time she opened her amber eyes, a little boy around 7 years old gasping and later tilting his head aside to flash her his charming grin. "Yeay! Beautiful lady is awake!" His hair was light brown and his blue eyes were smiling as if it was possible to happen.
The silver haired girl winced slightly when she got up and a smile crept up on her face, watching the little boy smiling at her. She looked down on her body and noticed someone had changed her clothes. And they even cleaned her wounds Then, the little boy leaned forward to put his forehead against hers and Hye-In seemed to be surprised by that. "Your fever has gone down! Now, let's eat!"
He handed her a bowl of soup as he tried to wash her shoulders with a wet towel. Hye-In closed her eyes for a while to take a moment to breath in the delicious smell. She knew that smell. "Did Hak make this?" The little boy lifted an eyebrow cutely and nodded vigorously, causing his little eating shook against his cheek. She pulled his small hand after having a sip of her soup. "You must be Tae-Yeon."
Tae-Yeon gasped. "Beautiful lady knows me?" Hye-In laughed a little, careful not to make any big movement that could hurt her. She smiled and nodded. Hak had told her about him. And she didn't know that he would be that cute and handsome. Tae-Yeon giggled cutely as she was putting her palm on his cheek. "Are you Hak's friend? But you are too pretty to be with him?"
Hye-In chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "We are familiar with each other. Friends doesn't really suit us-" Then, the door was opened all of sudden and Hye-In lifted her head to look at those two boys from the gate before. They were crying and she couldn't understand why they were giving her pity looks. The girl made a face and asked them if they were alright.
"You are not even friends?" Both of them shouted together as they were biting their handkerchiefs. One of them with black hair sobbed. "That's awful. Even if Lord Hak admitted you are his lover, even if you can't be lovers-" Then, the other one put his hand to his face, shaking his head and crying like a disappointed mother. "You might not even be friends? So he's totally out! Poor Lord Hak! His feelings aren't returned-"
A smack on his head shut him up. Hye-In quickly hid her smile and kept a straight face when Hak appeared behind them with his spear. And Yona was right beside him. Hye-In quickly opened her mouth to call the girl but then Hak suddenly dashed to her and his hand clamped over her mouth. Her breath hitched at their closeness.
"Don't call her by her name. Her name is Rina and she's a court lady in training under you. Got it?" His blue eyes were staring straight into her amber ones. Hye-In gulped a little and admitted, her heart did beat fast when he acted like that. He was too close to her. Too close. His hand that was on her lips was burning her. His warmth could drown her into his arms forever. She could only nod her head.
Hak unconsciously bit his lower lip. "Good girl." He lifted the corner of his lips to smirk and when he turned his head, he saw Tae-Woo was covering Tae-Yeon's eyes with his hands while Han-Dae was peeking through his fingers. The General gritted his teeth and kicked both of them on their butts, claiming they weren't doing anything the little boy shouldn't see.
Han-Dae whined like a baby and sobbed. "There's something naughty about this, Lord Hak!" Tae-Woo nodded his head vigorously and Hye-In ignored the blush on her cheeks and looked at the princess, checking if she was alright. Yona held her hand and told her not to worry much about her. She's fine. Hye-In smiled and caressed her cheek softly, saying she was glad to hear that.
"Rina, Hye-In, what is my brother like at the castle?" Tae-Yeon crawled to both girls and Hye-In looked at Yona who was having an evil grin on her face. The red haired princess tapped her chin while humming softly. Noticing that look on her face, Hye-In decided to leave that question to Yona as she wanted to avoid every possibility that involved Hak. She wanted to start a new life.
Yona looked at the young raven haired man who was still abusing Tae-Woo and Han-Dae. "At the castle, Hak is rude." The mentioned guy choked on his oxygen and turned around to glare at her. Hye-In covered her mouth with her sleeves to hide her laugh when Hak was dumbfounded. And his face looked stupid. "No, he's insensitive, arrogant. Oh and not lovable. Also-"
"Okay, we get it. That's enough. Thank you." Hak held his hand and closed his eyes to mask his annoyance. Both Tae-Woo and Han-Dae held their stomachs as they were laughing so hard at Yona's words. They even slapped their knees to stop laughing and Hye-In didn't find any sign of them to stop. Hak's head snapped around and his eyes hardened. "You two look like you're having fun."
Yona breathed out and smiled softly. Everyone was smiling and lively. So, this is where Hak grew up. Tae-Yeon continued asking her about castle and Hye-In was staring at the princess for the whole time. She never failed to miss the smile on Yona's face and Hye-In was happy. Maybe, Fuuga was a good place for her. Hye-In pulled her knees to her chest and watched them talking, unaware of Hak was doing the same to her.
1/6/20
happy June!!