running just fast enough (to make you follow)

Summary: It has been seven days, six hours and a whole new world of annoyance for Yona since her world shifted once again. OneShot- Yona, Hak. Humor, future fic. Also features Mythical Beast No. 1-4 and Yoon.

Warning: One Shot. Humor. (Yes, that's a warning. Humor me.) Also, Yona is a bit older than in the original story.

Set: Future-fic. Maybe three years or so.

Disclaimer: Standards apply.

"Lady, why has the Thunder Beast been acting so strangely for the past days?"

Kija had this way of voicing really dangerous questions (or, questions with really obvious answers) in a completely innocent tone with a completely innocent expression. Yona had the growing suspicion that Jae-Ha was rubbing off on her: she, after all, never had been the one to apply sarcasm in overly large quantities. In fact, never had been the one to use sarcasm at all. She also had the suspicion that it hadn't only been Jae-Ha, because she had caught herself not only being mildly sarcastic and, on occasions, a bit ironic, but even outright cynical. She guessed that years and years of traveling with companions like the Four Mystical Dragons, Kouka's Thunder Beast and – well, and Yoon – would do that to a person.

Not that she was complaining. Each one of her precious friends had qualities she admired. Furthermore, Zeno, Jae-Ha, Kija, Shin-Ah, Hak and Yoon each had their own brand of self-deprecation. Since, as a princess, humbleness did not come easy and role models were rare when traveling through the country like they did, Yona was rather glad she had the opportunity to pick up some things from them: Zeno's optimism and endless determination, Jae-Ha's humor, Kija's loyalty, Shin-Ah's calm and gentleness and Yoon's ability of caring. Maybe she'd had these qualities before, but it did not really matter: they had brought them out in her, as she, perhaps, had brought out positive qualities in them.

And that was the way it was supposed to be.

But then, there was Hak, and Yona was pretty sure she'd picked up mostly nasty habits from him.

"Hak's sulking," Yona answered Kija's question and couldn't help the tone of annoyance that crept into her voice. "Just leave him be."

"But…" Kija could be kind to a fault, and she could already see Shin-Ah turning his head towards the general direction in which Hak had wandered off a short while ago.

She sighed.

"He'll be back soon," Jae-Ha jumped in, smoothly. "It's his monthly brooding phase."

"Will he be alright?" Kija sounded genuinely upset, then he registered Jae-Ha's last words. "What does that even mean?"

Yoon's hands continued working, as always, building their campfire and assembling the ingredients for their dinner. Yona kneeled to help him: he'd taught her cooking, too, something she was immensely proud of to this day. "Ignore the green-haired idiot," the blond boy (man, Yona had to remind herself, he still was younger than her but he'd be a man soon) groused. "He's talking nonsense. Make yourself useful, stupid dragons, and go catch a rabbit for the stew. I saw some in the fields earlier. And where's Zeno, by the way?"

"Down at the river. He said he smelled some wild beetroot."

"When you see him, tell him not to miss dinner."

Kija and Shin-Ah tottered off, obediently, while Jae-Ha plopped down at the foot of a tree and folded his arms behind his head. When Yona looked up because he had been entirely too quiet to not make her suspicious, he grinned at her. Of course he would be waiting for her to answer his gaze.

"Well done, Yona, love. He's still chewing on that bone you threw him. Whatever it was."

He was clearly waiting for her to enlighten him, but she didn't take the bait. Yoon just sighed and rolled his eyes and Yona suddenly understood why Hak always got violent with Ryokuryuu around.

"We'll reach the capital of the Wind Tribe soon."

Yoon, among many other things, also was responsible for navigational issues. It wasn't that the Dragons couldn't do the same job – on the contrary, each of the Four had a homing instinct very similar to the pigeons Yona had seen her father use to carry his orders to all corners of Kouka but she doubted they'd be flattered by the comparison – but it was like it was with so many other things. Kija would point out the direction – and then Jae-Ha would mock him, for some reason or other, and Kija would become flustered, and then Zeno would offer that he liked all of them even if they got lost and hug Shin-Ah, and the quiet Dragon would flail wordlessly. And it was so much quicker to just let Yoon take the matter into his own hands and follow him while the Dragons bickered and Hak rolled his eyes, offered aggravating comments and made sure they weren't followed.

"I've never been to Fuuga," Kija mused.

"Of course, because Hakuryuu never once left his village before he met Yona!" Zeno offered, cheerfully.

For once, Jae-Ha didn't say anything – but he snorted, and it was enough –

"I've been taught manners, at least!"

"True, he was!"

"And besides, Shin-Ah hasn't been there, either!"

"True, Seiryuu-"

Yoon did what he always did: he ignored them. His hands, never idle, sorted through a bundle of herbs Hak had brought back from his little trip the same afternoon. Her personal guard still wasn't talking to her.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Elder Mundok," Yona said, carefully untangling a few burs from Ao's fur. "And all the others. You'll like the Wind Tribe people."

"The old man will weep with joy," Hak commented drily. Correction: he still wasn't looking at her.

"Will they recognize you, Lady?"

That question, cheerily posed by Zeno, tripped Yona up. Ao cheeped, indignantly, at the sudden, abrupt pause in its grooming that tugged a few strands of fur lose.

"I think so," she said, frowning. "I haven't been there for three years or something… Could they have forgotten?"

"Surely not, Lady," Kija hastened to assure her. "Besides-" He blushed and turned away; and Yona felt the usual, helpless tug of fondness for him. "Besides, nobody would forget your face that easily."

"Thank you, Kija."

Still, some doubt remained. She'd cut her hair. It was still short – Yoon helped her trim it whenever it outgrew shoulder length, it was much easier to take care of and could be hidden more easily, as well. No matter what Hak said, she'd also grown: she was a bit taller, these days, but lean and thin. They had visited the Water Country again a few months ago and Yona had, almost envious, regarded Lili's curvy, clearly female body: she didn't have anything like the figure her friend had. But she also didn't look like a boy. Not that Hak wouldn't make fun of her, either way. He'd mocked her for her missing assets since she could remember, and while her training in swordsmanship had brought strength to her arms and legs, it didn't exactly make her prettier –

Hak snorted and everyone turned to look at him, Yona included, expecting both a scathing comment and a sleazy grin.

The Thunder Beast met her eyes and closed his lips with an audible snap, turning away again without saying anything.

Kija and Shin-Ah exchanged worried glances, Yoon clicked his tongue, Jae-Ha leaned back with a mocking smirk and Zeno smiled while he tended to their small fire. Yona frowned, and Ao rolled onto its back and kicked the air, fighting imaginary foes in its dream.

Yona got up, politely begged for her companions to excuse her for a moment and took her time to kick Hak's knees on her way past him, hard. His startled yelp proved that she had grown stronger but didn't, in any way, provide satisfaction.

It had been seven days, six hours and a whole new world of annoyance for Yona since the moment she kissed Hak down by the streams in the forest of the Wind Tribe country.

"Princess!"

Elder Mundok's arms were strong as ever, but he couldn't hide the tremor in his hands caused by age. The tell-tale sheen of tears in his eyes made her smile, and the hard knock he gave her on her head was an explanation as good as any for the mist in her own eyes. Yona felt like she was five years old and had just returned from playing in the forests the entire day after having escaped from her nurse. Hak and Soo-Won had been blamed, naturally, for leading the Princess astray.

"It is so good to see you again."

Tae-Woo, Han-Dae and other Wind Tribe members were clustered around them so closely it could have been uncomfortable – had it not felt, unsurprisingly, like coming home. Tae-Yeon wrapped his arms around Yona, laughing delightedly.

"You look great, Lena! Look how tall I've become! Next year, I'll be taller as you!"

He still was small compared to Hak and his elder adoptive brothers, probably due to his long illness, but that hardly mattered. Yona hugged him back, equally fiercely.

Jae-Ha frowned. "Lena?"

"That's the name Hak first introduced me with to the Wind Tribe," she explained over Tae-Yeon's head. "When we first fled from Hiryuu Castle."

Hak at her shoulder flinched and she turned, frowning, but he'd already caught his expression and was now mockingly patting Tae-Woo's head.

"Still fun, being the Wind Tribe's esteemed General?"

His unwilling successor rolled his eyes and launched into a barrage of complaints, assisted and illustrated by his eternal sidekick, Han-Dae.

"This is where the Thunder Beast grew up?" Kija was eyeing their surroundings critically. "It does look a bit… Untidy."

Right then and before Hak could say anything to Fuuga's defense, the usual horde of Fire Tribe girls descended.

"General Hak, you are back!" Yona felt her right brow twitch as she tried to calculate how many pots of honey had been necessary to create that certain level of artificial sweetness, and how many bee stings it would take to distort all those pretty faces into something that… Well. "Ohhh, and you're still splendidly strong!" "Did you bring us gifts from your journey?" "Will you stay in Fuuga now?" "Ohh, he looks so manly with his spear!" (It's a quandao, you stupid-) "How well your– Wait, who's that?"

And Kija, Jae-Ha, Shin-Ah and Zeno were swallowed, as well.

Yona, who, one second ago, had been only heart beats away from jamming the butt of her bow into Hak's ribs – what did he mean, not his fault, of course it was his fault! He encouraged this kind of behavior, didn't he – felt laughter bubbling up inside her at Shin-Ah's and Kija's horrified expressions.

"Come on," she laughed, nudging Hak in the side with her elbow rather docilely. "Rescue them, will you?"

"But this is so much more fun-"

Hak looked down, saw her, and the smile vanished from his face. Yona couldn't help the stab of hurt that shot through her, quickly followed by anger. Really, this stone-headed, stupid, idiotic, infuriating –

Without another word to her, Hak broke up the gathering and made sure that a large part of the newly constructed house they were standing next to collapsed onto the unsuspecting dragons.

"HAAAAAK!"

Kija's scream of outrage could probably be heard in the entire village. Zeno just laughed. He continued laughing all through the lecture Elder Mundok held for Hak, Tae-Woo, Han-Dae, Jae-Ha and Kija. Though Yona had to admit, the way Jae-Ha folded under the authority of the former General of the Wind Tribe was plainly hilarious.

Halfway through the lecture, Mundok stopped. "Wait. Weren't there four of your strange lot?"

A question that prompted Hak, Jae-Ha and Kija, partly in outrage, partly in desperation, to finally notice Shin-Ah's absence. Yona smiled and refused to share Seiryu's hiding spot with them.

Shin-Ah hadn't given away her secret, after all.

It wasn't as if she'd done anything outrageous, or angered him particularly badly.

They had been down at a small stream, doing the laundry. Hak still claimed all the large items of clothing for himself – as if she was too weak to do hard labor, a notion she had thought she'd cured him of when she'd asked him to teach her to handle the bow, or, at least, when she had ordered him to teach her the way of the sword. The sun had been warm, the water cool around her fingers. The Dragons were spread out with different tasks; she could loosely feel them at the back of her mind. Their four presences burned brightly, each one slightly different and yet belonging with each other.

Belonging with her. And Hak –

Yona had paused to wipe some water splashes from her face and the sun had shone onto his hair. It shadowed part of his face which carried the same intent, concentrated expression she'd seen on him so often, the one she knew so well. The one she could look at forever. It had been Hak: the boy she had played with as a child, who had always seemed to lazy but who had told her the most beautiful stories when she couldn't fall asleep. The man who had saved her when Soo-Won had killed her father and Soo-Won's men had tried to kill her. The bodyguard who had followed her, day and night, and always had made sure she was safe and sound even if that meant teaching her to protect herself against the wishes of her father. The person she trusted, implicitly, as her advisor, the man who let her run off when she got a new idea and who caught her when she stumbled, set her straight and would send her off again, but now with a plan and a direction. Hak, who had been teasing her since he'd realized how she'd felt about Soo-Won all those years ago, who had stood with her, mute with grief after Soo-Won's betrayal, and still had been able to move forward for the sake of her. Hak, who had mocked her and laughed at her and annoyed her until she did what he no doubt always had expected of her and grew, Hak, who'd been at her side when she was ill, who had fought for her and with her in whatever battle she chose. Hak, whose loose tongue and snarkiness made her seethe with anger but whose voice, nevertheless, was the one she wanted to hear when she was lonely, nervous or afraid. Hak, whose hands were battered and rough, a warrior's hands, and yet there wasn't anything in the world that would touch her as carefully as he did when she was injured. Hak, whose eyes followed her wherever she went, whatever she did –

And, as if feeling her gaze on him, he lifted his eyes and looked back at her.

And because Yona could only see him kneeling at the calm water, peaceful and relaxed, bathed in sunlight – her Hak, the Hak she loved – she leaned forward, tugged his head down and kissed him.

And he'd kissed her back, until…

Until he had frozen, completely, and something very much like terror had replaced the surprise on his face. Yona couldn't help the wave of hurt that crashed through her, so she watched as Hak bent down to take up the wet clothes and disappeared in the forest without ever once looking back.

When she felt sure again that she would not fall apart with the next breath, Yona opened her eyes again and smiled at Shin-Ah who was offering her a cloth to dry her hands.

"Thank you."

Shin-Ah seldom spoke, but his silence was answer enough.

"Now this is getting more and more stupid."

Sometimes, she wondered: wasn't she supposed to be shy, sweet and innocent? She felt none of these things, hadn't in quite some time. It was life, she supposed, and the perspective she had gained traveling Kouka along with her companions. The cruelty of people – the senselessness of their evil intentions – was everywhere. Yona refused to believe that this was all that the world had to offer. There just had to be something good left in this world, because how would one be able to go on without that hope? But experience had made her lose her naïveté, and perhaps, traveling with Jae-Ha, Kija, Zeno, Yoon, Shin-Ah and Hak had made her lose her shyness, as well. She'd grown, and she was proud of it.

She was pretty sure Hak was proud of her, too, but right now he was making it hard for her to believe.

Yona folded her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot, unable to stop her annoyance from showing. Maybe he really doesn't want you, a voice deep down inside her whispered, and she clamped down on it for the umpteenth time that day. Unfortunately, it kept growing louder and louder with each time she tried to ignore it. Hak, sitting cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by a bunch of – how else could it be! – fan girls, looked up with an expression of horror on his face that would have been funny but wasn't, not at all.

It didn't help that his fan girls were four to six years old, and that half of them were boys.

She could hear him in her mind, obnoxious and smirking: Not cute at all, Princess.

Jealousy doesn't become you, Yona.

She wasn't jealous, she was furious. Big difference.

Instead of looking at her, Hak's gaze flickered down to his hands which were gently holding a bird with an injured wing. It was almost dwarfed by his large hands, and yet it nestled between his calloused fingers like it knew it was safe. Yona felt another stab of unreasonable jealousy, accompanied by a surge of almost-not-quite-but-soon desperation.

"Were you looking for me, Princess?"

She had to give him that: he managed to sound obnoxious even when he was using formal speech.

The presence of the kids, all of whom were regarding her with large eyes, whispering animatedly, stopped her from saying what she would have loved to say.

"I need to talk to you?" It came out like a question, stupidly. Feeling the blush rising in her cheeks, she forced it down with everything she had.

"I apologize, but this bird requires immediate help," he responded, rising from his crouch (and lifting up half of the giggling, shouting kids with him). "Maybe there will be a later time." His tone said not in this life and the fact that she knew him well enough to read his thoughts almost made her burst into tears. Oh, she hated him, hated him with a passion that made her tremble. Mainly because of what he was doing to her, and how he was making her behave.

Off he went, a gaggle of kids in his wake.

Yona just stared after him until somebody behind her cleared his throat gently. She turned to see Elder Mundok rise from where he had been sitting on the threshold of his house, no doubt having listened to their entire conversation. Or, the part in which she had tried to converse and Hak had brushed her off.

"Your grandson is a stupid, stubborn, idiot blockhead," she told him, then realized what she had just said and blushed to the roots of her hair. "I apologize. That was uncalled for."

Mundok rumbled a laugh. "No, don't. You got him down to a t. Would you like a cup of tea, Princess?"

Yona quickly thought about Hak, avoiding her, and Kija and Jae-Ha, aiding some Wind Tribe people in their repairs of the fortifications at the northern end of the village, Yoon, who was eagerly exchanging knowledge on healing herbs and methods with some old ladies (who, no doubt, by now were positively swooning over his charm) and Shin-Ah and Zeno, who had gone off to help out at the stables earlier that day.

"I would like that very much, Honorable Elder."

"Hush. I told you to call me Grandfather, didn't I?"

The Wind Tribe's tea was nowhere near the floral-scented teas the Earth Tribe grew. But it was warm and light and smelled faintly of bergamot, and there was no tea Yona liked more. It tasted like home.

When Mundok handed her the cup, she inhaled the scent and sighed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The former General sat down on the other side of the table and took a sip of his own tea. "You looked like you could use some peace, Princess."

"Well." She smiled, already feeling herself relaxing. "I guess it has been quite a week. When will Soo-Won and his delegation be arriving?"

"They are expected tomorrow, around noon." Mundok watched her, sharply. Yona laughed at Ao's antics, who had stolen one of the sweet cookies the Elder had placed on the table, as well. "I have to say, Princess, you are taking this remarkably calmly. Certainly calmer than I thought."

Yona wrapped her hands around her cup. "It's strange, isn't it?" She asked, frowning. "When I first heard the message I couldn't believe it. But now that it almost is time… Did I get used to the idea of meeting him face to face again? I don't know. I can't even imagine it."

"You won't be meeting him alone," Mundok reminded her, gently. "Are you prepared?"

She considered the question for quite some time. Was she? Was she up to meeting the murderer of her father, the man who had saved Kouka from being overrun by the Kai Empire? The man who had caused another civil war at the borders? There was no way thinking of Soo-Won as a good man, or as a solely evil man, in that regard. Not everything he had done had been good. Similarly, nothing he had done since he'd been crowned had been the epitome of evil and the direct consequences of some of his actions, namely, the border wars and the pillaging, plundering soldiers of Kai, certainly hadn't been his fault. Yona had to admit that she didn't know what the true Soo-Won was anymore. And she didn't even mind. Was that what healing felt like? Her love for him had been so strong that it had turned into equally strong hate at his betrayal. Over the years, she had come to see some of his reasons, and while she couldn't forgive him, she had learned to see the true intentions behind his eternally smiling face. She'd seen the good his actions had brought, the justice he had restored. But while the Princess in her allowed for his actions for the sake of her country, he had also committed an unspeakable crime: he had killed her father. And that she could not argue away, could not overlook. As her father's daughter, she could never forgive him for that. For a long, long time, she had hated him, and then she had started to look past her hatred to see his reason, and it had hurt. And she had learned to live with the pain. Now… Now she was only tired. She could see the good deeds he had done for Kouka and she was old enough to realize that the consequences of some things weren't the fault of the one who decided but of the people that lived in the world. Yona knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that Soo-Won had proven to be a good ruler. Maybe he even would be great one day. It didn't make him a good man. But it allowed her to – if not forgive – accept his actions.

It didn't mean she would ever return to a palace in which he ruled.

Maybe, she thought, maybe her acceptance of Soo-Won's character – and her decision on her own future path – had allowed her to realize her feelings for Hak. Maybe it had been the other way round.

Maybe it didn't matter.

"I am," she said, admitting it out loud for the first time since she had received Soo-Won's proposal for a meeting on neutral ground. "I am ready." And while she spoke the words, she knew them to be true.

Mundok was regarding her with a secret smile. When she lifted her head to meet his eyes, the pride in them was so obvious her heart felt too large for her chest.

"You've grown so much, Princess," he said, quietly, and hearing all the unsaid words – I'm proud of you, Princess, You'll do well, Well done, You have fought so hard – made her eyes tear up.

Yona bowed her head. "Thank you."

For a while, they just sat in silence, until Mundok cleared his throat loudly.

"So, what did that idiot of grandson of mine do this time round?"

Yona felt the all-familiar blush creep into her cheeks again. "Noth-"

"I mean, except from the fact that he's an utter idiot to not see what's immediately in front of him?"

Her head shot up, her eyes blazing with disbelief. Mundok chuckled. "I've known you both since you were children, Princess. Did you think I wouldn't notice how much you love him?"

"No." Her cheeks still burning, Yona hid her face behind her hair and her tea cup. "I just thought…"

Mundok looked at her and his brows rose into his hair. "Hmmm. I see. Is that so? I'm hurt that you would think that way, Princess. Why should I oppose?"

"That's not it," she protested, weakly, hating the heat in her cheeks. "I mean… He's your heir, and I… He can't..."

Mundok laughed, gently. "Princess, you and I both know it is the other way round."

She hung her head, not saying anything.

"Does it really matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, does it really matter that you're the Princess and Hak's just a former General of the Wind Tribe?"

"Maybe not, but…"

"But you won't always be a princess? Forgive me for saying this, Princess, but your future isn't half as settled as you might think it is. You made a decision to cease your claim to the throne. That doesn't mean anything."

"I know." Her voice turned fierce. "I know. It's of no use. I don't want to take the throne, but that doesn't mean I will have a choice. It will depend on Soo-Won entirely. And do you think Hak wants to be the Queen's consort for the rest of his life? He always hated attending ceremonies and meetings. Or, if Soo-Won wants to take me as a hostage, or exiles me from Kouka – what do you think he'll do? I've already made him follow me around the entire country for five years. He can't wish for this kind of life."

"I can imagine that he has dreamed of a great lot of things for his future," Mundok said, softly. "And that you've featured quite often in those dreams, Princess. If you will take up your travels again, or even choose to return to the castle, he will follow you gladly."

"So why?!" She flared up, her eyes blazing. Ao jumped down onto the table from her shoulder, cheeping indignantly, but she ignored it. "Why does that idiot ignore me like that? He knows exactly what I feel for him, and if he feels the same there is no need to act like – like that!"

The old man on the other side of the table leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, and chuckled. "Princess, you've already given yourself the answer to this question."

Yona blinked, taken aback. "I did?"

"Yes, you did." Mundok emptied his cup of tea and poured himself a new one. "It's quite simple, you see. My grandson is a stupid, stubborn block-head."

The princess couldn't help herself: she laughed. When she was finished, she gazed at the elder man with fond eyes. "He's just like you, Grandfather."

Mundok shrugged whimsically. "A chip off the old block, I guess. Boy's got all the best genes."

"It's in the genes, obviously."

"Hold it, Lady," he said, his eyes alight with humor. "You, as the kingdom's crown princess, are required to show elders the respect they deserve."

Yona bowed to him, thankful, unspeakably fond and lovingly mocking all in one. "I'll ask Hak for a lesson."

That was, of course, only if he would actually look at her again one time in the future. She could imagine he would be able to keep up his distance quite a while: Hak was just like that. She could also imagine that the rivers in Rain Country would run dry before he'd ever look at her again. Stupid, stubborn, infuriating, wonderful Hak. She couldn't even imagine a life without him anymore.

Yona knew there was a lot she could have imagined, but not that. She was sure of it: Hak had kissed her back.

His hands had come up, wet and cool, and had carefully tucked away a strand of her hair as she gazed at him, while his other touched her cheek. He'd just looked at her, like at a loss for something, and there had been something in his eyes that had told her he felt the same. She wouldn't even have needed that much, she supposed, because she'd learned one thing from Jae-Ha and, applying it to reality, had come to the conclusion that Hak might say a great many things, but that it was the actions he took not the words he uttered that showed his true feelings.

So she'd just smiled, and when Hak leaned forward to kiss her a second time she just closed her eyes and –

- And everything had gone down from there.

"I'm glad you are safe."

Soo-Won's voice was quiet and sincere, stripped of all the formality they had exchanged during their meeting just minutes before. Now, it was only him and Yona – and, of course, their personal guards. She was pretty sure that Soo-Won had stashed away the Generals of the Earth and the Fire Tribe somewhere – if judging by the Sky Tribe's General's face, they were close and annoying him, as usual, but then, what didn't annoy Han Joo-Doh? They were there as surely as the Four Mythical Dragons were close. Yona could almost feel their combined heart beats as she answered her former best friend's gaze equally calm.

"Thank you."

Nothing else to say. The end of years of her first love, years of hate, years of indifference. Ended, just like that? It didn't feel right. On the other hand: it would never be over. Not as long as they would be alive. But at least leaving behind her doubts and futile hopes felt good, Yona thought. And having a direction on how to proceed from where they stood right now: an even better feeling. Maybe, everything would be fine.

Sometime, in the future.

Soo-Won's eyes sought out a point over Yona's shoulder and his voice changed. The edge in it was almost… pleading.

"Hak…"

"Don't talk to me," the Thunder Beast answered, his voice so completely empty Yona's heart clenched painfully.

"Please, I just-"

Icy cold, so unlike him. "Don't."

Soo-Won attempted to make a step, stretching out a hand as if to touch the tall man standing rigidly behind Yona. As a concession to the importance of their meeting, neither Hak nor Joo-Doh were carrying their weapons, but if he had, Yona was sure his hand would be white from grasping the hilt of his quandao too tightly. Hak didn't budge, but Yona couldn't help it: she shifted to intercept Soo-Won. Of course, she couldn't blot out Hak's large figure with her own, but at least she could stop his hand.

"You heard him." She was almost surprised at how level her voice sounded. All the love, all the hatred for this man: where had it gone? "Please refrain from bothering my guard, Your Majesty."

For a second, something flashed in Soo-Won's eyes: hurt, disbelief, anger. Resignation. His hand curled into a fist, then uncurled again as he made himself relax.

"As you wish, Princess."

Yona leveled another cool glance at him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I will return to my troops," Soo-Won said, smoothly, and bowed slightly. "Thank you for arranging to meet me, Princess. I appreciate it. I will go over your suggestions with my strategists and will get back to you as soon as possible."

"Please do so." Yona leveled her head at Kouka's Usurper King and felt only the singular, bone-deep sorrow at their, hers and Hak's, losses: her father's death and the death of his best friend.

So that was where they stood today.

Soo-Won left in a swirl of robes and the clanking of Joo-Doh's armor and suddenly the empty room was very, very quiet.

When she turned, she caught Hak staring at her. His face was so open, so painfully honest, that she could see the helpless longing in his eyes as clear as nothing before in her life. Yona whirled around, marched towards him and grabbed him by the collar of his robe.

"You!" It came out half-angry in desperation, half as accusation. She shook him, for good measure, taking advantage of his surprise that had made him go still as a statue. "You!"

He cursed, he must have bitten his tongue, and clamped down on it immediately. But he didn't say anything else and the silence so full of want between them became unbearable.

Yona took a deep, deep breath that came out as a sob, and leaned forward until her forehead landed against his chest. "What am I going to do with you." It wasn't a question.

Hak remained rigid, unmovable, but she could feel his heart beat: too-fast, erratic.

"It's over." It came out as a sigh.

Both of them knew it wasn't that easy. "Not quite."

"Almost."

He took a deep, deep breath but his voice was a mere whisper. "You didn't need to do this, Princess."

"No," she disagreed. "It had to be done. I don't need to be Queen, Hak. I was a princess because my father was the king, and I don't mind the loss of the privileges. I've learned so much. I know there are other ways to help the people of this country. My father wouldn't mind me giving up my position, providing someone else would care for Kouka."

"He just wanted you to be happy, Princess."

The way he pronounced her title made her heart shiver. I will always remember that you are your father's daughter. But there was more to the way he called her, more to the distinct undercurrent than just respect towards her deceased father. There was reverence in the way he said her title, an almost completely contained emotion that nevertheless did not escape her anymore –

"Hak," Yona said, gently, looking up at him at last. "You've known me since I was a child. You have guarded me, protected and manhandled me and ordered me around for my own good and safety. You've threatened to take me, hugged me, almost kissed me and harassed me all the way – and now, when I have established that I feel the same for you, you draw back? You haven't even said anything remotely mean to me since that night."

She didn't expect him to say anything, also because he, judging from the way his cheeks were flushed and he was refusing to meet her eyes, probably was as embarrassed as she might have been, had she not already thrown overboard her own dignity when it came to him a long, long time ago. Though – thinking of it, she did expect him to say something.

"Say it," she demanded, suddenly fiery again. "Say something along the lines you would have said before. Like "Princess, had I known you liked me harassing you I would have done so more often"."

Hak gave a sound that was a mixture between outrage, protest and embarrassment, as far as she could tell (the latter especially because she thought he ought to be embarrassed, because, seriously?).

"I wouldn't say anything like that."

Yona fixed a glare on him. "You wouldn't?"

As she had hoped, he frowned, then, when she didn't level her gaze away, smirked, and then he started laughing.

"No," he said, and his hand came down to cover both her hands that were still clinging to his robe. "I would have said, Princess, if I had known you wanted me that much-"

He stopped again, flushing crimson. Yona laughed, delightedly. Hak looked to the side, muttering something dangerously.

"Princess," he said finally, hesitated again. Yona waited. "I think… I think I've loved you for a long time already."

"I know," she said gently, wanting to make it easier for him. "I know."

"I still don't think…"

"Oh, but I do."

"But…"

"Hak."

And now she was laughing, because Yona suddenly knew which words to say in order to take away his doubts utterly and completely. She let go of him and stepped back, throwing open the door. Outside, the sun sank over the mountains in the north of the Wind Tribe Country. She turned again, facing him. Her heart hadn't been this light since... Since.

"I'm giving up my claim to the throne and am staying in the Wind Tribe's capital. I am making a home for me and my Dragons here, from where we'll travel and help this country's citizens wherever we are needed. Come with me, Hak."

A whisper, a song.

"I want you."

Somehow, the same words she had uttered years ago, when they had started on their journey, had a completely different sound to them today. And Yona knew, with a deep, earth-shattering security, that this was what was right. Let Soo-Won have the throne. He would make the best of it. The Princess and her Dragons had saved the country once, and they would continue to protect it. But they didn't need a palace for it, and she didn't need a title or even a throne. And besides, she was pretty sure Jae-Ha would be bored to death in the castle, and Shin-Ah would hate the attention, and Kija would get strange ideas on how to address her and how to treat her. Zeno would laugh and agree that she was a quite uncommon queen, but he'd be happy for her no matter what decision she made. And Yoon… Yoon would complain that someone had to take care of them, and that he wouldn't be able to study medicine in the capital. But the Wind Tribe's healers were quite good…

So crystal clear, her future.

Hak gaped at her, utterly speechless, his eyes forming slits as he stared at her in front of the backdrop of the sunset. Yona laughed again, feeling her heart take off like a bird in flight. She knew what his answer would be, once he'd come around that foot of his in his mouth.

"Princess, it sounds so wrong when you try talking dirty."

Aaaaand there he was again.

A grin was slowly spreading over Hak's features and God, how was it possible that her heart went splat like that every time he did that to her? There had to be a limit –

But then he kissed her, and her thoughts scattered like sunlight over the sea. Yona buried her hands in his hair and closed her eyes, kissing him back. Breathing him in. Feeling his hands on her shoulder blades, around her waist, tugging her closer and molding her against him.

Hak -

A scream of outrage – breaking glass – a barrage of accusations that were suddenly and forcefully silenced by someone else. Hak and Yona looked up just in time to see Jae-Ha manhandle a beet-red Kija away from the now-broken window and off into the forest, mercifully out of earshot. Zeno chirped, happily. "Ohhh, I want Yona to give me a kiss, too!"

Yoon mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "They're going to kill me. They're definitely going to be the death of me."

And Shin-Ah cast Yona a look that, because she knew him so well, she could read even through his mask: his smile was blinding.

"What have I brought over myself," Hak mumbled and buried his face in the crook of her shoulder.

Smiling widely, Yona decided to make him shut up the old-fashioned way.