Disclaimer: I do not own Akatsuki no Yona

silver scales upon her feet

and pearls around her neck

but her heart

never shallow as the shore

An Lili wasn't a familiar name—not at first.

Having been old enough to comprehend the circumstances of my situation, I was told that I was the daughter of a general, being perpetually reminded by the maidservants and the grandiose and luxury of this life my previous one wouldn't come close to having at all. If I hadn't known better, I might even consider the slight chance that living like a princess wouldn't be so off-putting as it seemed.

Lili had been an easy name to remember; a compensation for the one I lost. Perhaps, it sounded a tad too delicate, but that was exactly the gist of it. Lee-lee. There were no affectionate monikers, no celebratory crowns and titles, just a name for a little flower girl from the little lily pond.

Lili was delicate.

Anything delicate, of course, had ingrained upon their minds that this innocent fragile child must be protected at all costs.

There was always an entourage of nursemaids flanking on my side, two capable guards trailing just behind, like bloodhounds, as per mandate of my father. I wanted the company of my own shadow than living through the pretensions of An Lili as I was being followed by servants in every waking moment of my life.

This was why I loved the gardens.

The gardens were a flourishing sumptuous place, from the shrub of each evergreen to the pink and purple azaleas. They were a temporal sanctuary, for a girl who climbed the tall cherry trees and hid just beneath the rosebushes. The advantage of being small did wonders when I raced through the gardens; there was always a hiding hole of my size, always a corner in between the wood of peach blossom and white pine.

My favorite spot was the pond, where the white and blue water lilies thrived afloat. Mud-specked and tousled, I always sat at the edge of the red arching bridge, just a breadth from the grinning stone dragons, and glanced in fascination of the koi that swam in circles beneath the lily pads.

I caught a frog once in this same lovely pond and got berated for bringing it to my chambers. Mother was averse at the idea of me holding a frog, or rather, in her own shrilly tone: a small, slimy, dirty, possibly poisonous reptile. Father, who'd returned home after a fortnight of absence, had found the spectacle quite amusing in his silence; I couldn't tell, really. Everything he did, everything he was was a calm precise man and calm precise men did little to emote from time to time.

I was two, just a shy away from being three—even though, I wasn't, whatever age I actually was—and just a taste of childhood from these adults, who became my parents, was something I deeply, deeply treasured; it was reminiscent to home.

I laughed softly at the memory. Against the pleas of my mother who wanted to rid the little vermin, Father had conspired with me to secretly return back the frog to the lily pond. He patted my head, in his ever calm words saying: "All things must come back to where they belong."

An Joon-gi was a wise man. I knew from then on.

"Lili."

I looked up, as I did a thousand times from the mention of that name.

Father was a wise man and I was years away from that wisdom, from that patience. He seemed like the kind of man who knew what to do.

I was tempted, so tempted, to ask, to say, to tell "I'm not Lili" and like Father always was, he'd know the right answer.

I rose up and beamed, just as how Lili should. "Yes, Father?"

I could tell from his slanted eyes, how they softened paternally at the sight of me, and the jaded sigh of how much he put up with my impishness. His furrowed brows were scolding beneath the rim of his hat; however as Father stood tall and intimidating, not a word of reprimand left his lips. "Your mother is looking for you," he said in measured tones, like the gentle fall of trickling water. "You should go back."

But I couldn't utter the truth. I was that kind of coward through and through.

This wise kind father never deserved having lost his daughter.

So I obeyed, wordlessly.

A/N: For now, just enjoy this very short and very choppy preview.

So. Basically I made another story from the many I haven't finished yet, even though I shouldn't. Oh well. I can't help it, alright? To be fair though, this is my first SI fanfic and it came along with a different writing style. So a bit of an experiment for me.

The idea just seemed so enticing and that Lili, as a character, has been downplayed by both Yona and Soo-won in the manga. She doesn't stand out in my opinion and I can't help but think if she did act out a bit earlier on she could have been a big influence to the manga. This is my take on that.

I know the title is too long, but the proverb just suited the character for me. It could change but that remains tentative.

This is also a bit of a fix-it fic. I couldn't help but gripe some things in the manga that doesn't play well for me. Oh, and a warning, this will be slightly AU because, yes, I don't intend to faithfully follow canon. That's just the joy of it. Aaaand there will be OCs and it'll take a while for our not-heroine to meet the main cast so expect this to be a slow burn (with slow updates).

With all that said and done, thank you for reading and tell me your thoughts! I appreciate both criticism and feedback!