Chapter 37: Dragon's Hoard

Yona sat at Shin-ah's bedside for a whole day before he woke up from his exhaustion over using his powers. He found that while he still couldn't move very well, that he did have tingling in his hands and feet. He had been very surprised to wake up to her being right next to him. What was even more surprising was the document that she had brought with her.

It was their betrothal agreement.

Unrolling the document for him, Yona began reading it to him. It was very basic really. After two years of courtship he would agree to become the Prince Consort upon a week after their wedding, a ceremony would commence followed by him fathering at least two heirs with her. At the bottom of the document was an amendment to the year in which they could marry. Instead of having to court for two years, they could marry within six months afterwards; however, she was still not allowed to ascend to the throne until her eighteenth year. A second amendment was written in which it stated that she and Shin-ah both would travel the country for two years, fixing the things that King Il had no control over, such as the famines in the fire tribe and drug lords in the water tribe.

Both teenagers looked at each other after having read the document. Both of their faces heated up at the thought of marrying within the next six months. "Yona." Shin-ah called her name softly causing her to turn towards him, her cheeks still red. With great effort Shin-ah lifted his hand towards her face, cupping a cheek, he pulled her towards him until their lips touched in a gentle kiss.

Yona felt her heart suddenly skyrocket as it beat so hard in her chest that she was certain that he could hear it. Her face felt hot as the red hue spread from her cheeks, across her face and down her throat. When it ended Yona looked away from him, trying to hide her overly heated face. Shin-ah smiled at the slight shaking that was occurring over Yona's body.

"Yona." he spoke her name once more and once again she looked towards him with reddened face. "I love you." As he told her this Shin-ah could feel his own heart begin to soar as a smile spread across her face. He did love her, had for a very long time and now with the betrothal document signed he could show his affections towards her more openly. With his hand still feeling heavy, Shin-ah took her hand within his own.

Yona looked down upon this man that was first her friend, the guardian and now soon-to-be husband. He had protected her from her death, from feeling so alone at times and have made her heart feel so heavy with love that she thought it would burst. He had done the one thing that had frightened him more than anything in the world. By using the power of the Seiryuu he had saved them from a civil war.

Bringing his semi-limp hand to her face, she rubbed her cheek against his palm before kissing his hand, a tear escaping her eyes as she spoke, her heart feeling heavy with all the emotions she was feeling. "I love you too Shin-ah." Her confession made his heart tighten with emotion.

Beyond them Kija, Jae-ha and Zeno were all watching with Yun spying with them. Zeno wiping his eyes with a handkerchief as Kija had tears flowing freely down his cheeks. "That's gotta be the cutest confession ever." Jae-ha muttered softly as he tried to blink away the wetness in his own eyes. There was dust in the air was all. He wasn't crying, really, he wasn't.

Yun agreed. Those two are definitely cute together. After having been working with the palace healers and the cooks, he had been asked to stay there as an apprentice to the palace healer. The old man was going to be retiring soon and his daughter had married and left for a village in the earth tribe a few years before. With Ik-su being reinstated as the priest, Yun figured he should stay nearby as it was only a matter of time before the clumsy oaf got himself hurt somehow. "They do make a good pair." he admitted before he shooed the others out of the room to give the two some privacy.

The following days after the battle with Kye-sook and Lord Kan Soo-jin, things began to shake up in the courts of the counselors. Those who had known about the coup were arrested by General Ju-doh, who had been off training the trainee sky soldiers in the mountains during the coup. Old and young counsel members were brought out into the courtyard and had the evidence of them having the knowledge was brought before King Il. One after the other were thrown into the King's dungeons until King Il could decide upon their fates.

Kija and Jae-ha were both commended for their valor in defending the palace walls in keeping the traitor Kan Soo-jin's soldiers from going anywhere else besides the front courtyard. In keeping the masses safe from a rebellion, the two warriors were given official titles as Lord's and given each a parcel of land in the sky tribe. General Guen-tae was given the rights to several mines along the fire/earth boarder lines in his involvement in keeping Kan Soo-jin from escaping and causing more damage than he had already done.

Then the eldest son of Kan Soo-jin was brought before King Il. The young man fell to his face before King Il. "Your majesty, before you give out your ruling, I beg you to be lenient towards my mother and younger brother." he begged, keeping his face low to the ground. "We knew nothing of my father's traitorous actions. I know by law, you must execute all in the family to stave off any future rebellions, but I beg you..." He looked up at the king with tears in his eyes. "spare my brother and mother!"

Yona, who had been silently sitting upon her cushion next to her father's throne looked at the brunette with a soft look in her eyes. This man was nothing like his father. She could see a young man who wanted nothing more than to protect his family. "I think you should keep him father." she said with a soft voice.

"Kan Kyo-ga, I will be keeping a close eye upon you and your family from now on." Il told the younger man, his voice full of authority.

Yona looked at the frightened look that was on the young man's face. It was so afraid that this hope was about to be yanked away from him. "Ouryuu Zeno will be making unscheduled visits to the land of fire for the next several years." she told him with a nod from her father who was in agreement. "How long these visits will occur will be up to you and your family. It may last only for this generation or it could be a dozen generations."

Zeno smiled at the young man as he leaned back against the wall behind Yona and the King. "Zeno gets bore, so he doesn't mind visiting for the rest of eternity."

"E-Eternity?" Kan Kyo-ga repeated. "The stories of the Ouryuu...they never said-"

"Nor will they ever tell of how long the Ouryuu has been around." Zeno assured him. "Some things must remain a secret." He placed a finger to his lips as a sign for him to keep quiet about this.

Kyo-ga gave a nod as understanding came to him. His long brown hair fell over his face as gratitude flowed from him as he began to cry for a whole different reason. "Thank-you for your mercy." As he spoke his whole body shook with emotion.

King Il nodded. "Mercy is only given once." he told the younger man. "Do not make us regret it." He then smiled at Kyo-ga. "Now, with your father's death and because you are of age, you are to begin taking over as the new general of the fire tribe."

"Of course." Kyo-ga nodded from his position on the floor.

"After my betrothed and I marry, we will be coming to the fire tribe to examine how the tribe is progressing under your rule." Yona told him causing the new general to look at her with wide eyes. "I have already sent your brother on a mission to make the villages effected by the famine plentiful once again. A friend of mine found some plants, Izza Seed, I believe it's called, that grows plentiful in the dry conditions that have surrounded those villages."

"You sent Tae-jun to these villages?" he asked her with disbelief. "He's a self absorbed brat!" he cried out.

"Perhaps." Yona stated without having to agree. "Or perhaps he just needs somebody to believe in him and what he's doing."

Kyo-ga calmed down before taking in what she'd just said. "Maybe." he reluctantly agreed.

"He is to send in weekly reports." Yona continued. "So what I know, you'll know and if you find out something new, you'll send that information to my father and I."

"Yes highness." he agreed as he bowed deeply with respect before standing and leaving the room with an escort from General Son Hak.

As the day progressed both King Il and his daughter would be seen making judgements upon people who had been in the know of the coup. By the end of the day, Yona was left feeling exhausted. There had been over a hundred people who knew or had heard about the coup, but had done nothing about it. It was mostly fear that had kept the silent, fear of being the rat who told, fear of being found out and fear of what would happen to their loved ones.

Upon laying down for the night Yona fell into a deep sleep. In her dream she found herself in a field of golden flowers for as far as they eyes could see. Lifting her head up, she found four figures curled up beside her; Jae-ha, Shin-ah, Kija and Zeno. However, as she lifted her hand she found that it had been turned into a red paw with bright red scales and that her body was no longer a human one but one of a dragon. She was a dragon and these were her treasures. She smiled at that thought, especially once she spotted two extra heads amongst her warriors, Hak and Yun both curled up fast asleep next to her. Wrapping her tail around the five bodies, she curled herself around them until they were encircled by her body. This was her precious family, a treasure worth more than gold and as a dragon she would protect their lives with her own in any way she possibly could.

Closing violet eyes, she dreamed of a future to come.

M-Angel: Don't worry, this isn't the end. ^_^ Yet...