(A/N: Chapter three! Enjoy!)


Encounters

For as long as she could remember, Yona has always admired her older sister, Orihime. She was beautiful. Her long, auburn hair flowing gently in the summer breeze. The red haired princess was often envious of her sister's hair. It was straight and gorgeous while hers was unruly and ugly.

She was also very kind, lively, and optimistic. No wonder all the servants adorned her. Just because Yona was seven, doesn't mean she was that oblivious. She could tell how differently the servants and maids treat her from her sister.

While the servants listened to her every whim out of obligation because she was a princess, they behaved differently when it comes to Orihime. When it came to her older sister, there was a certain spark in their eyes. Their responses to her sister's inquiries didn't seem forced, and they weren't overly stiff or too formal with her. The servants and maids were...genuinely happy to be in Orihime's presence. There was no other way to explain. They just seemed happier and more carefree.

When it came to the residents of the palace, Orihime was like the sun. She had the amazing ability to gravitate everyone around her, pulling them into her free spirited, magnetic hold. Compared to her, Yona was nothing. Just some do nothing princess living off the status of her father, King Il.

Kind, smart, pretty, elegant, compassionate, free spirited… Orihime was everything she inspired to be. And one day, Yona wishes she could step out of her sister's shadow.

Ever since they were little, Orihime has always watched over and taken care of Yona. Their mother was dead and their father was often too busy with his kingly duties. She was simultaneously both an older sister and mother to her, which was weird since they were only four years apart. She also acted like the cool, calm, and reliable older sister figure to Hak and Soo-Won as well, if not a little air headed and spacey at times.

Whenever Yona and Hak would get into a fight, Orihime would always break them with just a few, sweet words. Her dedication and kindness is what draws everyone in. She was incredibly mild mannered for the most part. The only time she ever gets even slightly annoyed is when Hak teases her and tries to get under her skin. Though Hak is extremely unpleasant at times, so Yona can't really fault her older sister for losing her patience around him.

The only downside to having Orihime as an older sister was her horrendous and very questionable cooking skills. One time she tried to feed her, Soo-Won, and Hak something she called the 'explosive rice, veggie porridge'. It was… It was… There were no words to describe what it was. No words that could completely represent the horror that laid within the confines of that pot. It was the very picture of hell itself. Just looking at it would people indigestion. It was just one of the many instances of Orihime trying to be...creative with her cooking.

Don't get her wrong, believe it or not, her sister is a very good cook as long as she doesn't stray away from the manual by adding her own personal...touches. One time a servant tried one of her...artistic cooking, and after taking a single bite, he ended up in a three day coma. After that incident Orihime's cooking was dubbed 'The Devil's Arts', comparing her cooking to witchcraft or dark magic. Nobody eats it unless they want a premature death.

Although, her older sister, Orihime, was always cheerful, bubbly, and optimistic, so it came to a surprise one winter afternoon when Orihime came back all mopey and depressed. Yona couldn't fathom what had gotta her sister all sad and down in the dumps, neither could Father, Hak, or Soo-Won. No one could figure out what caused Orihime's melancholic mood throughout the winter months. Yona didn't know what her sister was doing. There were times where she would be gone for hours, and no one knows where, not ever the servants and guards.

Then to everyone's utter shock and great surprise, Orihime cut her hair. Her beautiful, long, auburn hair that Yona admired so much, gone in an instant. It was the night right before her twelfth birthday that she cut it, so one could imagine everyone's astonishment when Orihime came to her birthday party with her usual long hair all chopped up and now sporting a short, almost boyish appeal.

However, while everyone was questioning her choice of...hairstyle, saying it was too...boyish for a princess, Yona understood that there was something more to it. There was something that changed within her sister, and her chopped hair was a symbol of that change. There was a passionate, determined, inner fire that burned brightly within the depths of her gray orbs.

She became more serious in her lectures and lessons. She doesn't even complain about her history lessons anymore, despite how much she hates them. When teased by Hak, she simply stated with utter determination, "A princess will never back down from what she says."

Then Hak tried to test the waters a little more. Yona knew, at the time, he was just joking. He wasn't serious with anything he said. He was a tease and a gadfly. It was just a challenge to him. The challenge was… If he became general, would Orihime give him a kiss? If she was so keen on keeping her promises, then she would dare to back out of this one. He even had to be a cheat and made her promise something before he laid out the challenge for her. Hak was just being his annoying self, trying to push her older sister's button. Seriously, no girl would willingly kiss a guy that were not in love with. Yona herself would have slapped Hak silly for such a ridiculous request. Guess, he just wanted to know how far Orihime would go to keep her promises.

Then, one day, as Yona and Orihime were busy watching Hak and Soo-Won spare with wooden swords at the castle's training ground, Orihime seemed to be much, much happier and peppy for some strange, unfathomable reason. Her smiles, despite being softer, were more radiant. A smile she hasn't shown anyone before was gracing her face. She was practically glowing!

Finally, Soo-Won was the one to ask the question that was on everyone's mind. "What's gotten you so happy, Orihime?"

Her sister glanced at him with the same, soft smile before her gaze drifted back to the falling pink petals. Her grays eyes sparkled and held a sort of longing look to them.

"The world...just looks more...colorful. Spring time… It's here."

Yona didn't understand what those words meant at the time. Nobody did. At the time, they were all clueless by her sister's words. Until a couple of months later...

He arrived.


(A/N: This is the end of chapter three! Did you enjoy it? All I can say is just two or three more chapters for it hits the main story. Just be patient. Leave any comments in a review, and thanks for reading!

Orihime - 15

Hak - 13

Soo-Won - 13

Yona - 11)