Why do I always ask?

Jae-Ha knows deep down, the prodding, the playful questioning... are because he wonders about her (hey, even about him) and what that pleasure he'll never get to experience looks like. Does she blush when he touches her? How does Hak even get the balls to touch her? Yona Dear is so... exactly her. Bright. Sweet. Innocent. The thought of her responding to - well actually, he saw those marks on Hak - the thought of her leaning into a man's advance...

"Join me somewhere private?" a lithe hand caresses his cheek.

Jae-Ha almost ignores her as he takes another drink from his pint. He still hasn't been able to focus even though there are many things worth paying attention to right in front of him. He has half a dozen beauties at his table. And yet, he doesn't feel like being charming in the present.

"Maybe later," he resigns.

He looks back down into his cup. Could she have ever been with him? Or has Hak been there so long, brooding over any other potential suitors, longing for her to notice him, giving of himself to her, that no one else ever really stood a chance?

Dragon's blood. Boiling, making him want the impossible. At the very least, he should be satisfied just to get to be by her side. They all know how long that's what Hak went through. He should be grateful that Hak doesn't have to go through it any longer.

"Please don't look like that," Yona can't think straight when Hak is upset, "This doesn't change anything between us."

They're in Yona's room now - Hak escorted her back with only Han-Dae noticing and raising eyebrows at their emergence from his room. One threatening glance later though and Han-Dae voluntarily erased that observation from memory.

Multiple times today Hak had done what he never does - asked to talk. But then Yona also did tonight what she has never done - had a private conversation about Hak with Mundok. Their relationship was off to all sorts of new territory...

"I wish I could tell the world, show you off!-"

"...but it's too dangerous," Hak frowns, "I wasn't thinking this through. I was so happy I..."

"-It doesn't have to be complicated. Love isn't complicated!"

Hak gives her a hard look at that one. She remembers a few specific things.

"You're right. It hurts worse than anything," she comes to him and takes his hands in hers, "But we're together now. And won't ever be apart again."

"Unless we don't marry," he watches her carefully, heartfelt, "Mundok wouldn't allow me to stay with you... but maybe that's what's better if Soo-Won has left you alone all this time and would only see you as a threat if I am your politically inconvenient husband."

"Soo-Won will never know."

The conversation is gutting them both. Using his name in a conversation about their own marriage. Or, perhaps to Hak, even the idea that Soo-Won could continue to see the princess as a non-threatening, vulnerable girl. As much as Hak wants to protect her from Soo-Won's attention, something deep in him wants Soo-Won to be forced to acknowledge that the princess should be Queen, that she's powerful, that she's a grown woman who's an extraordinary leader and should be recognized for all that she is.

But they'll be hiding their relationship to prolong her being underestimated. Because of him. And even so, selfishly, Hak is OK with that if the princess is, too. Because he wants her. He wants to stay by her side on this journey. And if she asks for him in the night, he knows he won't have the strength to deny her. It's exactly as Mundok said, he should do this properly.

"Don't bring up not getting married. I've made up my mind," she's adamant.

Hak gently smiles, "Then there's little to prepare. We can tell the dragons tomorrow. Then meet with Mundok to begin the preparations for the hidden ceremony, and at night..." Hak kisses her hand, "Let's not think about anything but each other."

Yona blushes deeply. Then tries to deflect her own embarrassment, "Only to head to battle with Kai the next day..."

"I'm looking forward to that, too. I heard it turns you on to see me fight."

Yona smacks his arm, "Says who!" but she's still deeply blushing.

"Watch what you tell Jae-Ha," Hak's eyes go wide, "Do NOT talk to Jae-Ha about... just now... that."

"I don't tell him things like that!"

"Have you ever done things like that to even tell him about?" Suddenly Hak is suspicious, "You have been surprisingly-"

Yona smacks his arm again, "I could ask you the same!"

They stand staring at each other in awkward silence. Bad topic. They definitely have not spoken about any past conquests. Neither knows if the other has... I mean, Hak definitely thought Yona had done absolutely nothing before. But after experiencing a few things with her... he's now concerned. And Yona definitely thought Hak had been doing some things before - how many red light districts had she found him in with Jae-Ha? - but she'd never asked and now suddenly she's realizing she really, really doesn't want to know. But there's this deep uncomfortable pit in her stomach from not knowing. Oh no. Jealousy. She's suddenly, horribly insecure about what she might now know.

"Tae-Jun didn't ever..." Hak almost wants to vomit at the thought.

"I'm realizing we shouldn't talk about this. We can't be thinking about this tomorrow night..."

"Right. There'll be plenty of time after you're my wife for me to kill him."

"You stopped him! Don't you remember?"

"He was putting his hands all over you!"

"Calm down," Yona pulls Hak's angry face down into a kiss. It quickly melts him into a fog of everything is OK, "Don't think about things like that," then she whispers, "I'll be dreaming about you tonight."

"Ahh-" Soo-Won sits up in bed in a cold sweat. He touches a hand to his forehead to feel the palpable reality of a dream that surely wasn't real. He crawls out of bed and slips on an outter robe before walking the halls, returning to his library.

The sound of fire and then suddenly lamplight illuminates the hairpin still resting on his desk. He's felt paranoid about the thing. Like someone would take it. Even though the list is short of who may enter this room. When it has to do with this, he has never felt safe.

Maybe this can no longer go on? Maybe now it's time to do the thing he has been avoiding since that watershed night. Regicide. Betrayal. She calling his name into the night.

Dawn breaks, pink morning rays of light spilling into the room.

"You should have been resting. The road to Kai will be taxing," Kye-Sook stands at the entrance to the room, staring at the silhouette figure of the king.

Soo-Won takes a breath before turning with a bright smile, "Don't worry, I'm ready for it."