A red haze blurred his vision, blood lust descending on him as he faced his former best friend. The man he had loved and hoped to serve until the day he died. He could barely hear the raised voices around him over the pounding in his own ears. He wanted nothing more than to strike down the man in front of him for his betrayal. Even more than that though, he wanted to end him for all the pain he had caused his beloved princess.

"Don't you know what you did to her you bastard!" He shouted, struggling desperately against whoever it was holding him back. "She looked like a lifeless doll for days. Only eating when I forced her, only walking when I pulled her along by the hand. You destroyed her world! How could you to that to the girl who loved you more than anything? If you wanted to be King so badly, why didn't you marry her?!"

Suddenly red hair blocked his view and amethyst eyes captured his gaze.

"Hak," she ordered firmly. "Enough!"

"But princess!" he started. "No. I need you to stand down Hak."

"I can't do that princess! You are in danger with him here!"

Turning from him, she looked over his shoulder at one of the men holding him back.

"Jae-Ha. Take him away as far as you can. We will meet up with you as soon as possible."

Hak had started struggling and shouting even more, but they spoke over him.

"Are you sure Yona-Chan?" He questioned. "Will you be safe?"

"The others will protect me. We will find you soon."

Nodding his assent, Jae-Ha tightened his grip on Hak and leaped into the air and out of sight.

Turning to Shin-Ah, Yona questioned, "Can you see them?" He mutely nodded and pointed in the direction they had gone. Yona returned the nod in relief.

Returning to the matter at hand, Yona and the others turned back to Soo-Won and his attendants who were controlling their expressions of shock at seeing them disappear in such a way with varying degrees of success. Yona couldn't help the half smile that crept onto her face for a moment seeing that even Soo-Won had lost a bit of his composure. It faded quickly though as the awful memories rose up once more.

"We will be going then," she stated and began walking away, Yun and the others following after her.

"Wait!" Joo-Doh yelled, finally rousing from his stupor brought on both by his wounds received at the hands of the Raiju, and the shock at seeing another man seemingly fly away carrying said man with him.

The princess stopped and turned slightly, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"What makes you think we will let you leave. Particularly after the way the king was so brutally attacked?" He paused briefly as though trying to keep the next question in. "And how could that man fly away with Raiju? Does he possess sorcery?"

Yona half smiled again and replied "Nothing can chain down my Ryokuryuu. He is free to go where he pleases. I am grateful he has chosen to stay by my side."

Soo-Won and Joo-Doh both gasped quietly, recognized the green dragon's name from the founding myths. As closely guarded, and forbidden, as the story had been after Prince Yu-Hon had driven the priests from the castle, they were the only two to recognize it. Both still bore slightly skeptical looks though, even with the proof having disappeared right in front of them.

Yona's face suddenly became more stern as she glared at the men. "It was quite understandable that he reacted the way he did and you know it. You killed Chichiue in front of me and then tried to have Hak and I killed as we fled the castle."

She heard Lili gasp in shock at her revelation off to the side and felt Yun and her remaining dragons tense in preparation for whatever was coming next. Soo-Won had replaced his emotionless mask and Joo-Doh stepped forward a pace in anger, his sword raised.

"You are also in no position to stop us leaving, as even without Hak and Jae-Ha, Shin-Ah and Kija are still very formidable fighters and Zeno and Yun will do what it takes for us to all get out alive. I'm not the spoiled naive little girl I used to be Soo-Won. I too will do whatever it takes for all of us to leave safely."

Her eyes were almost hypnotic. The flames that seemed to blaze in them drawing everyone in and holding them under her control. Soo-Won had never before seen her like this. There was no doubt that she had grown into someone he barely even recognized in her months of exile. He had no doubt that she and her group could indeed defeat them as she claimed. As much as he may wish things could have gone differently, he still hadn't achieved his goal. After all the sacrifices he had made, of which giving up Yona and Hak had been the hardest, he couldn't die until he had succeeded in bringing the kingdom into an era of strength and peace. If he didn't make it, then losing them wouldn't have meant anything. He had to make it worth it, and then maybe, hopefully, after his goal was achieved, he could hand over the kingdom to her and accept whatever punishment she deemed fit. He hadn't been sure she would ever be able to rule, but in that moment, seeing the fire in her eyes, he could see it. See her on the throne as a good ruler. Not one that would let the kingdom fall into ruin like her father.

He inclined his head for her to take her leave and she returned the gesture. She approached Lili and pulled her into a tight hug, promising to stay in touch, and then turning away from him, lead her small group down the street in the direction the strange man in the mask and wig had pointed.

"Why did you just let them leave?!" Shouted Joo-Doh, moving to chase after them.

"Let them be," Soo-won ordered. "The time is not yet right. We will see them again.

He let himself gaze after them for a moment, a quiet wish in the hidden depths of his heart that he too could follow after her. Shaking off the maudlin thought, he turned to his loyal general.

"Come, there is much work still to be done."

And with that, he turned in the opposite direction of the girl who had brought so much light into his life and continued on his mission. The air general following grumbling behind him.