(Disclaimer: I do not own Yona of the Dawn or any of its affiliations)

THRONE ROOM – HIRYUU CASTLE

"Your Majesty, she is a threat to everything you've built! The legend of the return of King Hiyruu is being whispered among the people. They say He is the rightful ruler. They will soon forget what you have done to save this country. They will, instead, put a young girl – unfit to rule – on the throne because they have deluded themselves into thinking that an ordinary woman, born with unusual hair, followed by a few strong outlaws, is a deity-"

"Kye-Sook…"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"I can assure you the lost princess is not an ordinary girl," the advisor's eyes widened at His Majesty's correction.

"Though she may have been mistakenly branded as a god by the people, Yo-" Soo-Won stopped, unable to speak. Her name stuck in his throat, refusing to be cast out. Ironic... For a moment, he felt he did not deserve to speak it. But that quickly passed. Why was such a foolish prospect haunting him now, after everything?

"Sir…?" Advisor Kye-Sook frowned as the king grew silent, seeming consumed by his thoughts.

"…Yona, no matter what absurd title the citizens of Kouka give her, is not someone I can simply overlook anymore. The people have watched her suffer, they have seen her struggle and endure for the sake of this kingdom, and now they will help her rise, even if she does not wish to fly."

"We must kill her."

The king remained silent for a moment before speaking, "No. Her death will only solidify her as a martyr. We must find another resolution. Her and her band of comrades' involvement in the battle against the Kai Empire has deeply complicated matters."

"As much as I hate to admit it, your Highness, the Fire Tribe would belong to the people of Kai if not for that irritating girl and her monstrous friends. Now, because of her deliverance, the people want to credit her with this kingdom's salvation, especially since the invaders were defeated before the Sky Tribe's army had the chance to cast out Kai forces. It was a mistake to not publicly incarcerate King Il's daughter after learning she coerced Lord Tae-Jun to light the Fire Tribe beacon and it was a mistake to not make haste when the beacon was lit again."

"Kye-Sook," Soo-Won massaged his temples, "was it not your rogue authority to ignore the beacon that has placed us in this predicament?"

"…Apologies, your Majesty."

"Make one thing clear, Advisor Kye-Sook, if you ever act without my authority again, I will remove you from this position permanently. For now, you will face the consequences for your mistake and I will work to resolve this matter, but it will not be smoothed over without difficulty," Soo-Won laughed inwardly, "In fact, I have a feeling that Hiryuu castle will need to prepare to defend its walls from the wrath of dragons…"

"Sir…?"

"The citizens of Kouka have always wanted to believe in the legend of King Hiryuu and the dragon gods. Now, they think it is a reality. Spirituality is a formidable force to reconcile. I cannot stop the faith of the people anymore than I can stop the rising dawn, no matter how foolish their revelations may be."

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but I do not understand," Kye-Sook frowned.

"If I cannot silence the voice of the people and their desire for King Hiryuu, I will embrace it," I'm sorry, Yona. I never wanted to hurt you so deeply. And, I can't seem to stop. You keep getting involved. Now, I have to end your influence in Kouka Kingdom before you destroy everything I have worked to fix. I set aside everything I wanted for you, for me, and for Hak to save this land. I can't abandon that premise now to spare you – or myself – more pain. There are still things I must do… "Kye-Sook, call for a meeting of the five generals."