JEON JEONGGUK is a man of many weaknesses.
Perhaps the most obvious of them all is his impulsiveness. In fact, he used to get told off a lot by his father even when he was a child; like the one time he dove straight into a waterfall after his sandal fell into the water. He hit his head pretty hard against the ground back then, but somehow, miraculously did not fall into a coma (although he did end up with a broken leg).
There was also another time when he had jumped in front of a wild bull that escaped from its cage and was running rampant on the village streets—just because he thought that by doing so the creature could just somehow stop and consider not trampling his tiny eight year old body to death.
Which brings us to his next prominent weakness—his tendency to get into trouble, which on multiple occasions involved him barely escaping from the clutches of death.
At this point the God of Death probably loathed him.
Maybe he was just really lucky.
Stupid, but lucky.
He wonders how his father managed to put up with him sometimes. But then again, he can't help it. Fifteen-year-old Jeongguk would say, "Where's the thrill in life without a little fire?" and today's Jeongguk would slap him in the face for being so goddamned restless.
Old habits die hard.
His relationship with danger? Everlasting at this point.
So he was already ready for everyone else to go batshit after the stunt he pulled in front of King Taeyong.
Even Namjoon, the king's advisor who he barely remembers ever having a proper conversation with, looks more bewildered than Jeongguk has ever seen when he finally hears about his reckless proposal.
"What? I'm not just hearing things, am I? Jeon Jeongguk did what now? You've only been professionally trained for half a year and you want to go up against a man who has been fighting his entire life? And on top of that you're taking responsibility for the entire kingdom?" Namjoon exclaims, his eyes darting around each of their faces in disbelief.
"In the name of all things good, the most rational representative should've been me," Taehyung scowls.
"It can't be you. You're too important. Our army would crumble without their commander," Jeongguk replies.
He dares a glance at the princess, who is uncharacteristically silent. He doesn't know how bothered he should feel that she hasn't uttered a single word ever since they returned back to the camping grounds. It feels like she might burst out in accumulated rage at any moment now. But instead, she seats herself behind the table covered with maps and wooden pawns, leaning forward in a disturbing calmness.
"There are plenty of men that should bear this amount of responsibility, Jeon. More skilled and experienced men. Need I remind you that you're not only risking your own life, you're risking Elios as well," Namjoon adds, looking to the princess for any form of acknowledgement which he does not receive.
Jeongguk bites on the inside of his cheek. Saeron still hasn't said anything. It feels deafening.
Namjoon's words are like a straight punch to Jeongguk's chest and he's finally truly aware of the weight of the decision he made in the spur of the moment. If he wins, then well done, they eliminate their threat for good and Elios can go back to its peaceful state.
But if otherwise...
It was a fifty-fifty chance that relied solely on him.
"The deal has been sealed. It's less likely that King Taeyong would still want to go through with it if we decide to change our champion," Taehyung says regretfully. He side-eyes Jeongguk and looks with away with a sigh when the latter returns his gaze.
"Saeron, what's your take on this?" Namjoon asks, redirecting his attention back towards her.
She purses her lips, and Jeongguk feels chills running up his body when she finally looks up at him. "Everybody out."
Taehyung and Namjoon collectively furrow their brows at her strange request, opening their mouths to retort until she repeats again, in a sterner but calm tone, "Out, please."
She doesn't look like she'd be moved easily, so all they can do is shut their mouths. Looking back and forth between each other, the three of them move towards the exit of the tent before she adds, "Except you, Jeongguk. Obviously."
Jeongguk stops in his tracks, already dreading being alone with her after the impulsive stunt he just pulled. As soon as the other two steps out, he sucks in a breath and turns around. Saeron is already pouring herself a cup of tea. He watches as she leans back against the table facing him, at the same time taking a sip as though there wasn't a war threatening to rage outside their tent.
Eventually, Jeongguk can't bear it anymore. "Say something."
She lowers her cup, looking at Jeongguk through dark, heavy lidded eyes. "What do you want me to say, Jeongguk? Do you want me to stop you? To beg you to stay? Would you even fucking listen anyway?"
She slams the cup against the table behind her, the sharp clinking sound almost making Jeongguk falter if it wasn't for the subtle tremble he hears in her voice. "I told you to stay by my side, not run straight into a fight you won't win."
"How are you so sure I'm going to lose?" He asks. "Look me in the eye, Saeron. And tell me I don't stand even the slightest bit of chance against Taeyong."
She doesn't answer.
"You were going to accept his proposal, weren't you? I couldn't... I couldn't let that happen."
"So, you would rather... die?"
Jeongguk huffs out a breath, averting his eyes around the room as he tries to maintain his composure. Finally, he looks back to her and says, "I'll take my chances."
Saeron scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're impossible—"
"Why do you care so much whether I live or die?"
There it was. The question that's been weighing on his tongue ever since the day they faced death head-on in the depths of that dark, underground cave.
"You've seen me fight countless of times before. You know I'm not weak. You have trust me, you have faith in me, but you keep trying to hold me back. It's like you're... afraid of me straying too far away from you. Why do you care so much?"
"Because you're my knight," she whispers. It's too small, too hesitant for Jeongguk's comfort. As if there's another side to that truth and he wants to unravel it now, once and for all.
Jeongguk inhales. His heart is pumping in his chest and he can feel it banging faintly in his eardrums. "You wouldn't be acting like this if I was just your knight, Saeron."
Silence.
"It's in the knight's code, isn't it? To safeguard the helpless, to never turn my back on my enemy, to lay my life down for my king. For you..."
If Saeron was conflicted, she doesn't let it show. But unfortunately for her, Jeongguk has known her long enough to notice that she's obviously trying to portray herself as calmly as she can, although the way she's abusing her bottom lip is enough indication in itself.
Tearing her eyes away from Jeongguk, she stares down at the parchments on the table, as if by doing so Jeongguk would somehow eventually drop the subject and just leave it be.
But Jeongguk is tired. Tired of all the enigmatic actions; the purpose of all those late nights spent in each other's company, the subtle gestures of affections exchanged between them that he can never properly give an explanation to, the look in Saeron's eyes every time she meets his—like he's more than just some random knight or a simple friend.
He's tired of making assumptions because in the end he always ends up in the same place; at the start of the maze, feeling as though there's no way out and the only thing he's doing is running around in an endless loop like a fool.
He takes a few steps closer until he's standing right in front of her. And then he's hooking a gentle finger under her, leaving her no choice but to meet his eyes. She flinches a little at the sudden coldness, but she makes no effort to move away.
"What am I to you?" He whispers, his voice wavering as he slowly drags his fingers to her cheek, caressing them lightly as though she were as brittle as glass.
But he knows that she's nothing like glass; if anything, she's a diamond—transparent and shiny, yet almost impenetrable. No matter how many sides of her he's seen before, he can still never truly go past the invisible barrier she's built around herself. Not unless she lets him.
She places a hand over his own, halting his movements. And then slowly but surely, she flattens his fingers over her cheek and holds it there. For a moment he can feel the warmth of her skin seeping into his own. It's like she's the sun; so full of light and warmth, and he's drawing closer and closer with no regards as to how damaged he would get the further he ventures in. Yet he can't stay away.
His question still floats in the space between them, waiting desperately to be answered.
And then finally, she whispers:
"You're the only one that makes me feel alive."
Scarred skin, faint birthmarks, tiny little freckles that resemble stars. If it were possible still, he finds himself even more enthralled.
God, he's so...
He parts his lips to push more into the topic, but the hand that was on his disappears sooner than he liked and he's once again, left behind feeling hollow, like he just missed a step on the staircase and fallen deep into a rabbit hole.
"Get some rest. Or take a walk for some fresh air. You'll need to be ready before your match in the morning."
"Saeron—"
"Rest, Jeongguk," she repeats. "I'm genuinely asking."
She steps away from him and retreats to the other end of the tent, her back faced towards him in a manner that tells him that this conversation is over for now. He releases a shaky sigh, his head spinning even more.
He wants to reach out to her again. To pull her into his arms. To tell her that she means just as much to him. To back her up against the table and just... kiss her.
Kiss her.
He shakes that thought out of his head. A Jeon and a Han. Absolutely ridiculous. He shouldn't have hoped for anything in the first place.
Jeon Jeongguk has many weaknesses.
Saeron is one of them.
And so he tips his head to signify his leave—even when he knows she won't be watching. Taehyung is already standing outside when Jeongguk exits the tent, and the older doesn't give him much of an acknowledgement other than a glance before Jeongguk takes off, head lowered between his shoulders.
Taehyung raises the flap of the tent; the first thing he notices is Saeron's back, hunched over as she rubs the back of her head with her hand. Instinctively, he puts one foot in the tent, wanting to do anything at all to comfort her or at least get her mind off things when he hears her mumble in between small hollow chuckles:
"Jeon Jeongguk, you're a fucking idiot."
He's hit with the gut-wrenching reminder that this time, it is not his comfort that she needs. So he takes his foot away and lowers the flap, his heart falling in his chest.
"Are you sure you're confident, sire? After all, this Jeon boy single-handedly ended a wild beast five times larger than him."
King Taeyong chuckles, unsheathing his sword. He raises it in the air before swinging it in his hands to test its balance. "Are you comparing me to that beast now, commander Jeong?"
"Of course not, your majesty. Just worried for your wellbeing since that young knight is clearly very skilled for a man so inexperienced."
"Experience outweighs everything else. Lucky for me, I have that advantage. But just to be safe..." Taeyong pauses, holding out his hand to receive a vile of transparent yellow liquid from his commander.
Popping open the cap, he generously lathers the liquid over his sword, letting some of it spill onto the red carpets. "Wouldn't want the match to drag out longer than necessary. What did you say about this earlier?"
"It's snake venom, sire. Just one nick would suffice."
"Perfect," Taeyong smirks, watching his sword glimmer under the orange lights. "Now let's see how good their little champion is."
Daybreak comes faster than Jeongguk had expected.
He'd been sitting beside a lake just beside the camping grounds for the past two hours, tossing pebbles across the surface of the water as he tries to occupy his mind with happy thoughts, happy memories—
of his father teaching him how to properly shoot an arrow by scraping a makeshift target on the trunk of the tree behind their house. Of him meeting Miri for the first time and freaking out because he thought that tiny figure was a wild boar hiding among the bushes.
Of him and Jimin's rare but incredible endeavours together, of being the receiving end of Saeron's genuine smile, of both their bodies pressed together until the starlit skies as the world around them turns a blind eye even for a split moment.
The sky.
It's empty tonight, as if even the stars are afraid of coming out knowing what's about to happen. They didn't even try to offer Jeongguk comfort as he watches the sky turn from a dark blue to streaks of orange and yellow.
He pulls out his mother's necklace from under his shirt, bringing it to his lips. If only his mother was here. Maybe his life would've been very much different. He looks down at the carved lion on the pendant, tracing his fingers over it carefully.
He's never actually seen a real-life lion before; but he heard from word of mouth that lions just looked like big cats but were much louder and stronger. King of the forest, they would say. Because the lion was brave and pure.
He stuffs the necklace back under his shirt when he hears footsteps approaching him..
"Ready to go?" comes the announcement he'd been dreading. Taehyung had only given him a brief look of what Jeongguk can only name as sympathy, one he has rarely ever received from the older man in the past.
What happens after that is mostly a blur, but he knows he's getting plenty of looks from all of the other soldiers; he won't be surprised if some of them are already cursing him out, because why would they ever want a Jeon to represent them anyway?
Sure, slaying the turtle-snake beast had its perks; at least people didn't see him as just some lacklustre newbie anymore. But that doesn't mean a handful of people don't still hate him.
"Don't die out there. You're fighting for everyone in Elios. Tell yourself that every second," Namjoon says when Jeongguk approaches the small tent set up at the side of the field in front of their army camps.
Behind him, Jeongguk can already see the army getting formation. Deep down inside, he hopes that there would be no need for any of these men to step into the battlegrounds.
He nods at Namjoon's advice, and then ducks towards the front where he can get a good view of the valley. Even from afar he can see the striking yellow flags and the familiar insignia of Mirador's ruling family; the head of a snake with its fangs barred and eyes dark.
Jeongguk thinks, how ironic. That's exactly how King Taeyong carries himself—boastful and sly, like a snake.
Saeron appears at his side and he risks a glance, hoping that she would return it. She does, but she comments nothing. Expressions are worth more than words so Jeongguk leaves it at that. There are still so many unresolved questions floating between them and he knows that he'll only be able to find out if he doesn't actually die in an hour's time.
"Here. Sharpened, polished and ready to hit home," Yoongi chimes, passing him his sword. Jeongguk accepts it with a small smile.
It's not his usual sword; the hilt on this one is carved intricately with a dragon's tail; the same dragon that's protruding from the bright red flags of the Han house.
The Hans seem to take a liking to dragons. There's even a badge with a dragon's head pinned onto his armour. Be powerful like a dragon, but brave like a lion.
A small part of him wants to believe that he's not doing this for Han, but for the sake of all the other innocent families. The ones that have never had blood on their hands, the ones that want to live.
"You're a devil, Jeongguk-ah. I still can't believe you offered yourself up like that. I'm not about to let you die, you're too baby for this."
Jeongguk snorts at Yoongi's comment and punches him lightly on the arm. "I'll survive."
"We both know that's a difficult feat," Yoongi sighs. "You can still turn back. You don't have to do this."
"I have to," Jeongguk answers, sheathing his sword. "Would you have faith if we sent someone else against Mirador?"
Yoongi moulds his lips, contemplating. Jeongguk smiles. "Thought so."
Namjoon gives him an encouraging pat on the back as one last send-off, and Jeongguk is accompanied by Saeron, Yoongi and a few other knights as witnesses into the valley. Too conveniently, there is a half-ruined watchtower abandoned years ago by the Elios guards right smack in the middle of the valley, giving both sides an almost perfect view of the match.
Loud roars erupt from both sides of the field as both of their champions step forward with a few others as witnesses. The cheering is almost deafening despite the open field, and Jeongguk can feel his heartbeat drumming in his ears. Thousands of men are watching them now and he doesn't know what to make of it.
"Beautiful morning isn't it?" Taeyong says when they meet in the middle. He's already seated down on one of the fallen pillars, a few of his generals by his side. They either look amused or bored and Jeongguk wants so much to just wipe those expressions off their faces.
Taeyong looks behind Jeongguk at Saeron, who has her hand on the hilt of her sword in her belt. "I'm surprised you haven't surrendered yet. Not bad. You actually have that much faith in this man."
"Scared little pups yap a whole lot," Saeron counters nonchalantly.
Almost instantly, King Taeyong's grin falls. He actually looks offended for a split second, and then he's getting up on his feet and unsheathing his sword. Raising it up in the air, the shouts of his ten thousand men amplify behind him. It feels like the ground beneath them is going to crack apart.
Taeyong points the tip of his sword towards Jeongguk, hissing. "Let's see who's going to be the scared little pup now, shall we?"
Yoongi nudges Jeongguk's arm, passing him his helmet and a shield. Jeongguk already feels buried under the weight of the heavy armour on his body. He's practised with a shield before and always found it too much of a distraction.
But to be safe...
"Please don't die," the older man says before stepping back. Jeongguk nods, and then he feels a hand gripping his other arm. He looks over his shoulder and almost cages in when he feels how much Saeron's fingers are shaking.
"Don't you dare lose," she says in a hushed whisper, and then she retracts her hand and joins the others behind him without offering Jeongguk a second glance. She then states aloud, "I hope we have a fair game, your majesty."
King Taeyong chuckles hollowly, and then he pulls his mask over his face and turns towards his opponent
"It's not too late to surrender," he says as they circle each other counterclockwise, like predators inspecting prey.
Jeongguk keeps his eyes trained on the young king before stopping and taking a defensive stance, tightening his hold on both his shield and sword.
Jeon Jeongguk has many weaknesses, but being a coward is not one of them.
"Feel free," he counters, putting on a cocky smirk. The feigned confidence eventually converts itself into more adrenaline, and Jeongguk cracks his neck to the side in a provocative manner.
"Oh, not anytime soon," Taeyong hisses. He raises his sword above his shoulder and Jeongguk counts the seconds down in his head.
Three.
Two.
One.
With a strong lunge forward, Taeyong makes the first move. Jeongguk reads the lunge and quickly pivots towards the side to make up for the lost distance between them. And then they were exchanging blows—their swords crashing against each other in sharp, ear-piercing screeches.
King Taeyong fights much differently from Taehyung. The commander was precise yet wild, but Taeyong on the other hand, had both Jeongguk and Taehyung's skills combined in one body along with incredible strength and speed for such a broad build.
Jeongguk had never underestimated him. But still, he's taken by surprise.
It is terribly easy to see how King Taeyong had managed to hold on the title he kept boasting for so long. He really is suited to this kind of fight—on flat ground and in bright lighting, able to charge and swing and lunge and leaving Jeongguk no time at all to do anything else other than dodge.
Taeyong moves towards him again, bringing his sword down. Jeongguk successfully blocks it with his shield and leaps back as the young king sends several more jabs his way, backing Jeongguk towards a pillar on the other side. Jeongguk is barely able to keep out of the way, using every ounce of his agility until he's forced back into a defensive stance.
At this point he's going to actually get hacked at for real.
Taeyong seems to be focusing more on attacking than defending himself, so Jeongguk's eyes dart around for an opening, any at all. And then he raises his shield over his head to block the incoming blow before reaching out and slashing at Taeyong's shin, right in the opening between the man's armour.
Bullseye.
Taeyong falls back, clearly taken aback by the attack, giving Jeongguk the chance to back away from the pillar and put more distance between them again. They're both panting with heavy breaths, bodies sweaty and tired. From the corner of his eye, Jeongguk can see Saeron biting on her nails in anxiety.
"First blood," Jeongguk says cockily with a grin.
Taeyong scoffs, shifting his weight between his feet. Jeongguk must've cut him deep because he can spot a subtle limp already.
"I'm impressed," King Taeyong grits out, although his words contradict the dirty glare that he sends Jeongguk's way.
The battle continues for what seems like forever, and the sun blared down on them from above. Metal collides with metal and fists against skin, with neither side wanting to yield to the other.
And then it happens so quickly.
One mistimed jump, one missed swing, and Jeongguk is crashing down to the ground at Taeyong's feet as the Miradorian armies cheer aloud from afar. Jeongguk's sword and shield had been knocked out of his hand and in an instant, Taeyong is raising his own weapon above him, but before he can bring it down, Jeongguk barely manages to reach for his fallen sword and crashes it against Taeyong's.
Sparks fly.
He had stalled Taeyong's strike, but he watches as a wretched, stained grin appears on the young king's lips as Jeongguk's blade shivers under the brutality of his compelling strength.
"Give in, boy. Surrender!" Taeyong croons, pressing closer to Jeongguk's face until the latter feels the tip of Taeyong's blade stinging his cheek.
"Jeongguk, don't!"
Saeron's voice is like a switch flicked inside of him, a burst of adrenaline rushing through his veins as he reminds himself that he can't die. Not yet.
Using one hand as quickly as he can, he grabs a handful of dry dirt from the ground and jabs his fingers into Taeyong's eyes. He manages to roll away in time and takes the opportunity to kick him in the chest, causing Taeyong to stumble away again. Jeongguk jumps onto his feet and jabs at him repeatedly, and with the young king distracted by his wound, manages to strike him on the side of his torso.
But despite the stinging pain in his eyes, Taeyong comes back to his senses and grabs Jeongguk by the arm, attempting to slip his sword out of his hand. But Jeongguk is quicker this time. He catches onto Taeyong's hand and twists his body around so he has his arm pinned behind his back.
Taeyong retaliates by elbowing Jeongguk in the stomach multiple times until the both of them are a mess of limbs and sweat and blood. One particular hit to his side has Jeongguk blacking in and out of consciousness for a split second, which is just enough time for Taeyong to turn and nick the knight's arm.
Taeyong rushes towards him head-on, knocking Jeongguk to the ground once again. Jeongguk's head is spinning and it feels like his skull is going to crack open at any given moment. A sharp screeching sound echoes in his eardrums and he tries to blink his eyes to get back to reality.
Excruciating pain shoots throughout every nerve in his body and it feels like he's laying down on thousands of needles.
He only got cut a few times, so why is he feeling so much pain?
He expected Taeyong to come and end him once and for all,
but the blow never comes.
Why hasn't it come?
Maybe he's already dead.
That must be it. He's already dead.
But then he hears Saeron's voice calling out for him from a distance. Like a siren. Muffled and faint, as if a part of his brain is trying so hard to hold onto that voice while the other part just wants to give into darkness.
He's not dead yet.
He can't be. Not yet.
"Well that was fairly easy," King Taeyong says in between heavy panting. He wipes the blood from a cut lip with the back of his hand before turning back to the knight on the ground. One of his generals pass him a flask of water and he downs in all in one go, carelessly letting drops and drops of it fall onto the ground.
He then approaches Jeongguk and empties the contents of the bottle onto his body in mockery. Jeongguk attempts to sit up again but is forced back down with a heavy boot on his chest.
His chest. It hurts so much, and he can't breathe.
He can't breathe.
Oh God, he can't breathe.
"Which part of him do you want to keep, princess?" Taeyong looks to Saeron, whose eyes are glowing with a mixture of fear and bewilderment. Taeyong lets out an ugly laugh. "His head would look pretty on our bedroom wall, don't you think?"
Stay awake, Jeongguk.
Fucking stay awake.
Don't go to sleep.
Don't.
Black spots in his vision.
Don't you dare lose.
Jeongguk shuts his eyes, and then forces them open again.
His body is on fire.
An opening.
All he needs is one opening.
Stay awake, Jeongguk.
Then he remembers it.
With Taeyong distracted, Jeongguk uses every last ounce of consciousness and strength left in his limbs and kicks at Taeyong's shin; the exact spot he had slashed at earlier and that seems to do the trick.
Create a weakness, exploit a weakness.
The young king's knee buckles beneath him and Jeongguk, with shaky arms, forces himself up, and taking advantage of the king's momentary shock, slashes Taeyong directly across the torso.
All of a sudden, the shouts die down as everyone watches in bewilderment as King Taeyong crashes down on his knees in front of Jeongguk, blood seeping out from the corner of his lips as Jeongguk hovers over him with his sword pointed at his neck.
Jeongguk shifts his weight from one foot to another, struggling to keep his body upright for as long as he can. But his system is slowly shutting down and he has to keep it together, keep it together for a little while longer.
King Taeyong looks up at him and releases a long, dragged out chuckle. "You did it," he mutters, choking up on his own blood. "Now go ahead. Strike me. Or are you scared of taking a life?"
Jeongguk presses the tip of his sword into Taeyong's skin, but not hard enough to pierce through just yet.
"I win," he grits out. "I never said we had to kill each other to win. And I don't want to stain my hands with the blood of a king, so let's both be civilised men and honour our deal, shall we?"
He drops his sword and it falls to the ground with a loud clang.
The first thing he sees when he looks behind him is Saeron's eyes; shimmering with hope and relief and a kind of happiness he's never seen before.
He did it. He won.
The moment he turns back to face Elios' armies, the men erupt in cheers of triumph; perhaps loud enough to be heard even miles away.
He puts a foot forward, but as soon as he does his legs give out and he collapses to the ground.
It hurts. It hurts so much.
It's so hard to breathe—
He can't breathe—
It all happens in a flash: in Jeongguk's moment of weakness, Taeyong reaches for the abandoned sword on the ground and moves in a flash. And there's an arrow cutting across the air. It flies over Jeongguk's head and hits home—
Right through Taeyong's heart.
Through blurred vision, Jeongguk can still see it; Yoongi, lowering his bow. Saeron, frozen in place with shock painting her features. And even with the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, he can hear Taeyong's men behind him shout aloud:
"Treachery! Elios has murdered our king!"
"Calvary, attack!"
The skies turn to grey.
Something is definitely wrong, Saeron thought.
One small scratch shouldn't have that much on effect on Jeongguk. She sensed foul play from the very start, and she should've expected it. King Taeyong would never risk himself in a one-to-one battle with undetermined odds. That wasn't like him.
But Jeongguk had won. He'd won fair and square. He deserved that win so much and her heart felt at peace for the first time in months as soon as he flashed her a smile, silently telling her that it was over, and they could go home.
And all of a sudden, he's crashing to his knees and Taeyong is hovering over him and raising his sword and her mind is reeling, hands instinctively reaching out for Jeongguk when she hears the tell-tale sound of an arrow loosening beside her.
What happens next sends her mind into a spiral.
While the skies roar above them, the ground beneath them trembles. Looking up, she sees an image emerging directly from her worst dreams.
They're going to die today.
Mirador's armies come rushing towards them like omens of death, and even with her bodyguards screaming at her to retreat, she rushes forward, clutching Jeongguk's body in her arms.
And when both waves of destruction collide, she doesn't let go.
"Your boy is quite impressive, as much as I'd dare not admit."
Sejin looks over his shoulder at the king, who is leaned back against the headboard, drowsy after the cup of tea he'd just been served. Sejin sucks in a breath, surprised at the sudden confession that he should not be receiving from this man in particular.
But for the sake of chivalry, he plasters on a smile and approaches the king's bedside.
"What can I say, your majesty?" He says, raising a spoon of medicine to the king's lips. "He's just like his parents."
After the medicine has begun to cast its effects and the king falls deep into slumber, Sejin stares out of the window of the royal chambers, watching the way the clouds come together like dark sheets in the sky. Somewhere from afar, he sees a crack of lightning, followed by pouring rain.
"Be safe..."
People are dying all around them, blood-curdling screams and battle cries filling the late autumn air. Saeron strikes one of her targets with a sword she'd picked up from one of the dead bodies littering the ground, it's hilt still covered in the blood of a man she doesn't know.
Rain pours from the sky, a message from the Gods maybe. But it doesn't make the odds any better for them.
She ducks when she sees a Miradorian soldier pounce towards her, eyes bloodshot and hungry, and keeps trudging along through the whirlwind of swords and arrows.
The battlefield is in utter chaos; the piercing sound of steel clashing against steel can be heard from all around the field. She's lost count of how many times they've almost been trampled over, and her strained muscles are already screaming at her in pain.
She clutches onto Jeongguk's body; she'd draped one of his arms around her shoulders and by the looks of it she doesn't even know whether he's dead or alive.
But she has to get him home.
She has to—
She slips over a puddle of mud and crashes to the ground in a mess of limbs, knocking the air out of her lungs. She catches Jeongguk's body before he touches the ground. And then an awful stench fills her senses.
She'd almost landed on a pile of dead bodies—and upon closer inspection she makes out the shape of bloody intestines and ripped skin. Not too far away from where her boot had been stuck in the mud, she sees what used to be an amputated head, now smashed into its own helmet.
That was enough to make her vomit her stomach out. And then with a groan of frustration, she kicks her boot off and travels barefoot. Arrows come hissing down from the sky along with the rain, and one of them barely grazes her shoulder. She screams out in pain and movement around her causes her knees to buckle.
Oh God, p-please... help—
Losing.
They're losing.
Men around her are falling to the ground too.
Men in red. Her men.
Maybe this really is the end.
The world around her goes dark.
Taehyung crouches down and pulls another arrow from a quiver he'd picked up from the ground. He picks a target and within seconds the poor bastard falls to the ground with an arrow lounged through nose bridge. Somewhere along the way Taehyung had lost his sword and had resorted to picking up anything that could be of use to offend from the ground.
A sudden pain ricochets throughout his entire body and he looks down, groaning at the sight of an arrow that had pierced his side. It was iron tipped and had sliced through his armour like it was nothing. He pulls the arrow free and slips it into his quiver before loosening it on his attacker.
He's running out of breath. How long have they been fighting like this? He can already make out hundreds of dead bodies, but beyond what he could see, there must be more. Probably thousands. Elios doesn't stand a chance. Not on their own.
Taehyung stabs an arrow into the stomach of another Miradorian soldier who had so boldly attempted to charge at him. He extracts the man's sword and hurls his body away with a hiss.
Lighting crashes.
"Protect the princess!"
His neck snaps to the direction of the voice to see one of his generals pointing at a figure balled up on the ground in the middle of the ongoing battle.
No, no, no.
Why are you here?
Using every ounce of his energy, Taehyung pushes his way towards her, at the same time knocking down everyone standing in his path.
One miscalculation has him hit in the face by a shield. He struggles with the Miradorian soldier in a push and pull, the man refusing to let him move any further. Taehyung sends a kick to his knee and lodges his sword through the man's torso. Warm drops of blood splatter onto him as he pulls his sword back out.
He can never find peace with it.
Deep breaths, Taehyung. Don't forget to breathe.
"Commander... help me..."
He looks to his side and his heart drops when he sees a fellow soldier, one he had trained many times before, crawling to his feet in the mud. He's lost one of his legs and he's slowly bleeding to death. There's no way to save him, Taehyung knows. Not when they're losing so terribly like this.
"Help me, commander..."
There's only one thing Taehyung can do. He places the tip of his sword against the man's neck and shuts his eyes as it slices through skin.
Breathe, Taehyung. Breathe.
He falls back onto the ground beside the dead soldier's body, exhaustion and pain and guilt wearing him out at last. He tries to spot for the princess again, but she's gone.
And before he can resign himself to death; he hears it.
Trumpets sounding from a distance followed by ear-piercing battle cries that certainly do not belong to Elios or Mirador's armies.
Looking up; he sees it.
"Commander... it's Stormhill!"
"Jeongguk ah—!"
"Jeongguk can you hear me? We can go home now but you have to stand for me... please—"
He forces his eyes open, fighting against the pain piercing through his nerves. It's like he's been set on fire and he can do nothing but surrender to the heat, unable to react or even move away.
His senses must be dying too. He's slowly starting to feel numb and he can't see much past his clouded vision.
"Load the catapults! And for fuck's sake, protect the princess!"
"Jeongguk a-are you there? Y-You have to stand for me, can you do that?"
He blinks hard, his eyes focusing on the face closest to him.
"S-Saeron?"
His voice comes out awfully dry and hoarse and it would've been drowned out by all the chaotic noises banging around him, but Saeron hears him well.
"W-What are you..."
He rakes his eyes across her face, seeing dirt and sweat and dark crimson painting her cheeks. He reaches out slowly to caress her face with shaky fingers. He sees her let out a puff of air, perhaps in relief.
"H-Have to go... now, Jeongguk..."
"Feel... so tired..." He chuckles breathily, and his chest aches.
"No, no, no, stay with me—"
"Can't feel a thing..."
"Hey... don't close your eyes—"
He tastes iron on his tongue, his mind shutting down.
"L-Love... Saeron..."
"What are you saying—"
He smiles, reaching out with a numb hand to caress her cheeks, spreading red as he shuts his eyes.
They say that your life flashes before your eyes before you die. Jeongguk calls bullshit because he sees nothing at all. Nothing but the fading image of the woman he loves, falling further and further away no matter how hard he tries to grasp onto her.
Like water, like blood, between his fingers.
"I love you."
But as the world around them comes crashing down, the last thing he registers before he goes to sleep is something warm pressing against his lips.
Author's Note:
I'm proud to say that I worked on this update everyday for the past one a half week (?) because I wanted to perfect it as much as I could. Also, because man, it's so freaking hard to write battle scenes I had to research so many times just to find inspiration.
I hope that wasn't too anti-climatic though? LMAO. Please react writing this chapter took a toll on my braincells I used 200% of my brainpower for this shit shdbdjd but anyway, I'm happy with this ending result so I hope you enjoyed this too!
And hey, peep that ending though.
On a separate note:
This app hasn't been feeling so safe for me anymore and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. I still really want to finish updating this book until the end (yay 12 more chapters!) so I won't be giving up on this yet.
This may be my final project on this app (?) unless something good happens here for a change. But for now, please stay safe and take care.