Chapter 1: Red Things

Not many things stick when you're a child of three years. Smells, maybe. A person who meant something, perhaps. However Hak was always different. He could recall everything clearly, as if it had happened the day before and his very first memory wasn't of Mundok becoming his supposed grandfather, it wasn't of how his parents had been killed by bandits. No, his first memory was meeting the then two year old Princess Yona and seeing her bright red hair, which looked like it was on fire. Her bright violet eyes looked like two amethysts starring into his very soul. Her very being made him want to be near her, to protect her and keep her safe, even as she peered around her father's leg shyly watching him. He also remembered how Mundok told the then Prince Il how he was adopting Hak and making him his heir; the future Chief of the Wind Tribe and General. None of that mattered to Hak at that moment, just the red haired girl that had captured his attention.

A few moments after the introductions, Hak was told to take the Princess into the gardens and play. He had given the old man a scowl. Him? Play with a Princess? What was his grandfather thinking? That was just ludicrous! He would've voiced it too had King Joo-nam and Prince Yu-hon hadn't come into the room. Next to the yelling Prince Yu-Hon was a tiny blonde haired boy in a royal blue kimono with a long haori jacket over his shoulders, the jacket kept falling off of his thin shoulders as he watched the two adults yell at each other.

Hak would years later recall how curious he had been of the boy who wasn't even flinching at the loud voices around him; while Hak wanted to be anywhere but near those two adults. Closing his eyes he returned his attention towards the Princess who was now outright hiding from everybody from behind her father's own long kimono robes. Taking a deep breath he ran up to the little girl grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as he ran out of the room. As he did so he could hear his grandfather sputtering yells at him, but as he ran out of the door with her hand clutching his own, light blue eyes met his darker ones as they passed the blonde haired boy; who smiled and looked up at his father before chasing after Hak.

His feet didn't stop until he came to a place with lots of flowering trees and bushes. The tiny hand in his suddenly squeezed his causing him to look down at her. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked breathtaking as she looked up at him and suddenly gave him a blinding smile. His heart fluttered and he knew, in that moment, this girl could order him to do anything and he'd do it without thought.

When the blonde haired boy caught up with them he had a joyous smile upon his face and the young Princess gasped as Hak pulled her behind him in an act of protection from an unknown person. When the boy introduced himself as Su-won, Hak felt something tighten in his gut at this boy, something that told him to not let his guard down; but he eventually would and it would cost him dearly.

He remembered playing chase all afternoon, where he would chase one or both of his new friends, the Princess being slower than the other boy; so Hak would take the challenge and chase after Su-won. A couple of times the boy yelped when he'd been caught by Hal, causing Princess Yona to giggle when Hak would tackle him to the ground. This type of playing was how he had always played with his father, so he didn't think it was too different when it came to these two noble children. It wouldn't be until much later he'd learn differently.

That was his first meeting with the two royal children of Kouka who's lives would quickly be entangled into his own and who's lives would change his forever.

Blood was the next memory that stood out in Hak's memory as he and Su-won had been playing with toy swords when Yona got hurt in the hills that surrounded Fuuga. He had been six and was already gaining the trust of those in his tribe. However, this incident left him panicking and wanting to stop the bleeding appendage before his grandfather found out about it. Neither boy had been paying attention to Yona as they'd been playing. Hal personally thought she'd been making a stupid flower crown in the meadow below where the two had been play. As it turned out Yona had followed after them and had gotten her foot caught between some rocks and began panicking herself. In the end she'd hurt herself in trying to free herself and had cuts all over her pretty little leg.

Hak apologized a hundred times as he had picked her up and carried her back to Fuuga on his back. By the time they got back home he had himself so worked up internally that he looked ready to faint. Mundok had taken pitty on him and picked the sleeping Princess off of his back and took her in to get her leg fixed up. Su-won went with her, thus leaving Hak alone. When Mundok returned Hak was so emotionally exhausted he'd been asleep in front of the fireplace in the main room of their home.

The next day Yona was like her old self, but Hak refused to take either her or Su-won up into the hills.

Red hair haunted Hak's dreams when he was sixteen. He'd begun to be Yona's bodyguard by now. He kept his love interests of her to himself, but that always left him feeling empty, especially when she'd go on about Su-won, he cousin. It wasn't odd for cousins to marry, but to him it was just too weird; but he knew he had no say in it and left it to them. He'd resigned himself to being their sword that kept the enemies at bay. His staff weapon was long, heavy and easy for him to use to cut the enemy down, but he had yet to need to use it and that was fine by him.

Sitting up in his bed he was left thinking of everything that had happened since he'd met those two and couldn't help but feel like he was missing something, something important; but shrugged it off and laid back in his bed. His mind once more teased him with dreams of red hair.

The night of Hak's greatest mistake he not only saw the proud Princess that he loved almost lose her life, he felt a bloodlust so deep that he almost lost himself as his visage turned red from his anger. Su-won had killed King Il. Su-won tried to kill Yona. It was unacceptable in his mind. The greatest betrayal and the young man had to pay for it, but in trying to gain justice for the dead King, Hak almost lost Yona. They were saved by a servant who had given his life for them to escape.

Running was the only option and Hak would do so if it meant she'd survive. He had almost lost sight in his revenge, but now he could see clearly. Nobody would hurt her, he'd be damned if he'd allow that to happen. He knew her legs probably hurt as they ran, but he knew she needed to get strong. So he pushed her to go faster because if the soldiers chasing them killed her, he'd die as well.

Having photographic memory could be a pain because you can always remember everything. Every bad deed you had done or somebody had done to you. It was a curse Hak carried silently and as he woke up from his deep sleep, he found his arms filled with something red. Red hair blew gentle against his face. Across the camp laid the young man Yun, next to him were the four dragon warriors of myth. He smirked. Only his red haired Princess could bring such an odd assortment of people together.

As the morning light touched their bodies, Hak found himself enraptured as Yona's hair seemed to glow. It was another memory he'd treasure from her. His smile broadened as he realized that he must have a thing for red things when it concerned her. Leaning forward he nuzzled her red tresses and sighed as the warmth of the sun brought a new day with it.

M-Angel: So what did you guys think? I'm thinking of doing a series of one-shot chapters for this story. I hope everybody enjoys it.