"Princess, you need to rest for a bit." Hak said to Yona who had been panting for breath for a long while now but she showed no sign of relenting. If anything she was now more panicked over this entire situation than she had been when we'd left the town, growing more and more anxious and afraid by the moment.

"But…if we don't hurry…war will…everyone will…"

"Lady Yona, you're acting too rashly. Ever since we left Xing Kingdom you've been walking continuously without sleep." Vold reminded her, his lower face once again masked with his black cloth however I was touched on Yona's behalf on the concern he was showing for her.

"That's right Yo-Nyan. Getting some rest will be more efficient." Algira agreed but Yona tried to surge forwards.

"No…we have to…keep going…" Realising that she just wasn't going to stop, I tossed my spear over to Hak who expertly caught it as I dragged Yona to a halt, catching her wrist with one hand then pulled her towards me. Before she could fight back in protest I'd turned, catching her on my back then hoisted her up so that she was off the ground.

"Princess, your feet are swollen and probably blistered, you're covered in sweat and it's getting cold, you'll make yourself ill. You need to rest and stay healthy so that you can think with a clear head and make good decisions." I said to her as I curled my arms underneath her, lifting her a little further up my back. "I am not much use really at this point, I let you down back in San-San by leaving the others to be captured when I should have gone with them to keep watch."

"No…Ryo…not your fault…" Yona panted into my hair, still out of breath.

"You carry a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, my princess, so at least let me carry you just a little of the way so that it's not so hard for you." I said as I walked onward, looking straight ahead and ignoring the strain in my legs that they felt from walking so far for so long and now with extra weight, though the princess hardly weighed a thing. "Let me look after you just a little while longer, before you go and do something which reminds me that you're not a little girl anymore and don't really need me there with you."

"No…I want…you there…always…" She mumbled softly, gripping onto my shoulders tightly as she shivered. "Ryo…I'm…so frightened…"

"I know princess. I am too." I admitted quietly, making her lift her head and look at me. "I've always been afraid. When I was younger, I was afraid of starving to death. When I was accepted into your home by your father, I was afraid he would then throw me out for even the smallest of mistakes. When we were chased out of the castle, I was afraid of losing you and Hak. After that, I became afraid of being left behind and alone by everyone. Somehow, it felt odd, that somehow, you didn't really need me anymore since you have the dragons."

"Ryo…"

"It's stupid I know, after all, there's only one of me and I'm pretty special, but still. I was afraid." Turning my head slightly I smiled at her. "But you know what? I'm not so afraid anymore. Sure I'm worried about everyone, but they'll be okay. Yoon will look after them and I think Princess Tao is much like you, so she'll surprise everyone somehow." In the bushes, I could hear the lullabies of the crickets as they sang to the music of trickling water and the calm melody of moonlight. "And no matter what happens, we'll find a way to resolve this entire situation. I don't think us meeting the way we did was an accident, princess, I think we were all brought together for this very reason. To save our country and the countries around us."

"Hm…yes…we were…always meant…to be together…" Those were Yona's last words before she drifted off into sleep, making me smile before I looked on ahead once more.

"She's asleep. We'll walk until we find somewhere to make camp then we'll settle for the night before moving off again in the morning." I announced quietly which everyone nodded to in agreement. We walked until we found flat land and a clearing which the men set up as a camp, quickly building the tent and I lay Yona down inside to settle her down but she woke up a little, slightly delirious as if she had a fever but I realised that it was probably from exhaustion. "Hak, you deal with her for the time being, I need to help collect firewood and make sure the area is safe." I decided, making him cough into his water that he was drinking before quickly looking between myself and the princess as I began to walk away.

"Hey wait, you can't just…!" But I ignored him, smirking deviously as I left the two of them alone.

"Is that not considered improper in your kingdom, leaving an unmarried couple together unsupervised?" Vold questioned me as he too joined me to collect firewood, though I suspect it was just an excuse to keep me safe whilst venturing into the trees supposedly helpless and unprotected.

"Of course it is, but Hak is one of the most trustworthy men I know. You could leave him alone in a room with a hundred women and he'd still blush and try and run away." I informed him, giving a smile. "Besides, he's always been a hopeless romantic deep down and has been brought up with very high morals. If his grandpa didn't beat it into him, I certainly did." Vold seemed to accept this, continuing to collect wood in silence however when my sleeve slipped back from my hand, he almost dropped his gatherings, starring in shock as I quickly hid it from view again. "My apologies."

"No! No, I apologise, I shouldn't have…I just didn't expect a young lady such as yourself to have such an injury." He admitted, looking away before giving a quick bow. "Forgive me."

"It's nothing to worry about, I know it can be a little surprising to see at first. Besides, it's not something I openly reveal to everyone. I prefer to keep it hidden, it's just these sleeves aren't as long as my other coat's was…" I murmured, lifting my arm and rubbed the scarred stump with my fingers before exhaling. "It was just an accident and it doesn't bother me at all, so don't fret over it."

"As you say." Vold accepted, giving me one more glance, holding my gaze a moment before nodding. "You are a remarkable young woman. Are all women of Kouka as…resilient as you?"

"I couldn't say, I'd like think there was only one such as me, but I think that's a little too ambitious." I gave a small laugh, picking up one final piece of wood before balancing it in my arms, juggling them all around for a moment before I had them all safely tucked in close. "Kija can carry ten times this much in his hand, it's quite impressive. He could even lift me off the ground without any bother at all."

"Yes, the small portion I have witness of the four dragons' power has been quite impressive." Vold agreed as we walked back together. We fell into a slightly awkward silence. At least, awkward on my part. I didn't know what else to say really, should I comment on the weather? The long walk? I wasn't sure, nothing seemed remotely relevant or even appropriate at a time like this. He was probably thinking about Tao, worried for her safety and also his people.

Would Soo-Won really attack Xing just because of the possible threat it posed? There has to be another means to ensure cooperation and security without bloodshed, what happened to diplomatic negotiations and barters? Are they all a thing of the past now? I remember King Il never liked war, he always tried to find a peaceful way to ensure his people's safety but in doing so, allowed them to suffer. It seems that peace cannot be wholly obtained without first there being devastation and destruction.

I looked over to the tent as I dropped my pile, wondering if I should go in and join them but I decided against it. At times like this, Hak and Yona seem to draw closer to one another. It will be good for them both, after all, we don't know how this will end, they deserve all the moments alone they can get, if only one would admit to the other how they felt!

The moment those thoughts crossed my mind, my heart stuck in my throat. How hypocritical of me. Here I was berating them silently about not being open with one another when all I did was push Jae-Ha further and further away from me. That's it. I'll have to be honest with myself and with him. The moment they're free, I'm going to confess my feelings to Jae-Ha, no matter how silly and childish they may be.

Yet…even as I lay down on my back and looked up at the stars, I realised something much more terrifying than my need to confess. I didn't just like Jae-Ha, not in the sense that most girls will like a man because he's handsome or charismatic, no. For me, it was written in my soul from the very beginning, even from my previous life, enough for me to give that life for my past love and enough for me to give my hand in this one.

I loved him.