Note: This story is total smut with my best attempt at a short plot. Its over-dramatic sometimes and I don't think I captured some of the characters quite right... oh well, bite me.
Comment if you feel like it. It make us writers want to keep dabbling.
Thanks! Enjoy! XOXO
She's playing their game again.
The ribbon tied to the door beckons Hak to join her. Swaying from the draft, it signals yet another test of his skill.
A challenge.
An invitation.
And, just like that, the pretty pink loosely knotted against the golden handle has suddenly become his favorite fabric.
It almost shimmers as the setting sun glints from down the hallway high-lighting the rich weave. The day is ending but this little game is just beginning.
Hak pulls the soft flag from the door, accepting her challenge. He fists the silk tight and can't help but grin like a fool, all too ready to play.
How can he resist such a test?
Never has before...
Its simple really, she hides and he searches. They've played a thousand times now. It started as an innocent game to distract from the endless affairs of ruling. Yona had to practically grovel at Hak's feet to get him to indulge her, but he would've done it regardless. Meetings with the Generals were boring and he wanted to escape himself. Still...why waste an opportunity to have her on her knees for his services?
And now, he's hooked.
The game has become this intimate dance between them where she disappears and he looks for her like lost treasure - like a ghost haunting him, beckoning him to the darkest corners of the castle, elusive enough for even Shin-Ah's all-seeing eyes; where only she can look as he devours her. Its a true test of stealth, a battle of wits that he can't wait to win.
Again.
He cracks his fingers together, devil's smirk still stuck to his face, and sets off to find her.
The palace is a big place, but Hak is very fast and - though he likes to humor Yona - this sexual game of cat and mouse is something he intends to win quickly. Its been a long day. His list of titles has grown considerably: bodyguard, general, ex-general, reinstated general, commander, consort... each demands a measurable amount of his precious time and energy and as much as he wants to drag out this sensual, little adventure she's having, he wants her more.
He gets off on this in more ways than he should. And the thought of finding her waiting for him in some secret, undisclosed corner of this palace knowing she'll squeal when he does has his arousal tightening in his pants and quickens his pace.
She so easy to rile up. Hak thinks about turning the tables around once he's found her; slipping behind her like a shadow and covering her mouth as her hot, surprised breath sticks to his fingers. He thinks about her small, lythe body pressed tight against him as he slides his fingers inside her and let's her grind against him, unable to resist as she helps herself to the pleasure of his touch. Her gasps, her moans, muffled against his palm as he catches all the beautiful sounds she makes in his hands, unwilling to give them away even to the air around them. Its almost enough to make him lose focus.
Almost.
He passes the palace grand hall, where he had to suffer a long - gods, long - meeting with the Generals and a few dignitaries from Sei over trading disputes earlier in the day.
Joo-Doh was droning on about the particulars of their fishing imports, but all Hak could think about was how he'd had Yona splayed across the table just days earlier. Tae-Woo had to ask him twice for his thoughts, before he'd returned from his inappropriate fantasies to look at the expectant members of the useless meeting. Without missing a beat, he'd shrugged and said that Kouka would supply more red bamboo for netting since the province had suffered from a forest fire recently and was in short supply. With his next breath, he'd told General Joon-Gi to ferry the wood and collect and keep the extra sand-glass shipments that Sei would be sending in exchange.
Joo-Doh had grumbled about the imports needing to be dispersed to all the tribes, but Hak really didn't care. The Water Tribe were the only ones sending additional goods, so they should keep the extra imported glass. Luckily, Hak didn't have to argue these issues anymore. They did what he told them.
He didn't understand why there had to be politics for every, single decision. Most of the time, he felt, the solutions were clear and simple. It was beyond him why everyone had go complicate matters and leave him weilding the gavel every damn time. He hated the official preening at meetings like this one and just wanted the task to be easy.
As Hak enters the throne room, he knows Yona won't make this easy.
He likes that.
The room is big, grand and empty. There are not many places to hide here and his intuition tells him this isn't somewhere she would be, but that doesn't stop him from ripping the drapes back from the long, cascading windows or walking behind the gold embellished throne and its occompanying furnishings at the opposite side of the room.
There are too many sorry memories tethered to this particular spot in the palace for her to come and hide here, he thinks.
Hak vaguely recalls the night they reclaimed Kouka. It was storming and after attempts at reconciliations - something he was against but never said aloud - it became necessary for Yona to take back her kingdom. The people had become divided with one king ruling on the throne and another ruling from the shadows. If things hadn't taken a turn, Hak figured the tribes would have headed for some kind of civil dispute. In spite of the need for a shift in leadership, it was a cruel, grisly campaign that left the palace and parts of the kingdom stained crimson by morning.
And it left Yona in pieces - something that Hak preffered not to remember. Just like the visions of her - stupidly, rashly, bravely - challenging Soo-Won for the throne alone; fighting alone; trying to swing a sword against a superior opponent and leaving Hak to come thundering in, wielding his glave and beheading a man before Yona lost hers.
She would have died - should have died - after abandoning him in the middle of the seige to try and fight her battle alone. If it weren't for the dragons, he never would have made it to her side in time.
Hak stares at the polished chair. The final rays of light from the setting sun cast down on it from the windows, now open, and make the golden moldings glow. But that night - the one where the Princess almost left him forever - the throne and its golden authority dripped red with blood.
Hak shakes away the bitter thoughts. In a lifetime from now, no one will remember that this room was once covered in the color of betrayal. People will just look back and remember the Princess and all of her victories as she sat rightfully in this chair.
The image in his head of Yona on the throne, crown shining, robes waterfalling at her feet; her red, fiery hair pillowing down her beautiful shoulders and soft breasts as she commands every man, woman and child of Kouka is enough to reignite his simmering need from earlier.
He suddenly wants nothing more than to place himself between her and the chair and let her take command of him; straddling him while her thighs press into the once blood-stained moldings as she spears herself slow and shameless on his hard length.
Its a dark, sinful fantasy but it only makes his growing erection ache more. He doesn't want to know what that says about him, either.
He finally abandons the room. She's not here and that means he will find his relief elsewhere.
Soon, he adds.
Hak immediately enters the courtyard. Its connecting and the cool air outside helps chill the heat pressing against his robes.
The open out door space feels like the heart of the palace since it sits at the center. Colors from the various plants decorate the cultivated ground and walls of expertly cut hedges divide Haks vision of the complete courtyard.
When they had first started this tryst of theirs, Hak could count on a glimpse of red hair or small, dainty feet that peaked out from behind the tall hedges. Yona was a novice hiding from his expert vision, but not anymore. She's measured now, not even a breath in the wind can be heard, and it does dangerous things to him to really have to pursue her - to earn it.
His victories are sweeter when its harder, when she really challenges him and he still beats her - swiftly.
There's no where she can go for long and he thinks Yona's learned it, too. He's certain that she changes her location now, watching him patiently from one of her yet to be discovered hideaways until the coast is clear; but its no use. He always finds her (faster when his pride is on the line) and like all the other other times when he does, he'll have his way with her.
Hak's days of playing subtle are over. The gentle brushing hands, and harmless hair fixings; the desperate longing and overflowing, unrequited love is all gone, replaced instead by a desire for her so strong and powerful it could be another ancient dragon. And - though he knows he is lying when he tells himself he doesn't miss the long process of watching her learn to love him - he won't hesitate to pull her into his arms the second he unearths whatever secret nook she's hiding in and make her come over and over and over again, ready to serve her in whatever way he can.
Pink silk.
Hak sees it.
Just a glimpse. Turning the corner and then disappearing.
He grins wildly, not caring that this has been almost too quick or that he's found her in a rather public place.
He'll take her exactly where he finds her.
He would never actually let anyone see them, but the color staining her cheeks as she realizes he's serious about being inside her where someone might discover them will only turn him on more.
He darts around the corner and grabs a body full of silk robes in his strong hands, pulling her back and pinning her to the wall beneath him. His gaze is burning a hole into her thick cloak as he runs a hand playfully up her waist, just shy of her pert breasts.
She jerks away from him, fiercely and the decorated hood slips from her head and falls to her shoulders as she gasps, horrified.
So does Hak.
"I'm s-- sorry, Lord Hak," the little maid is terrified and clutching the the royal garment with enough force to drain the repulsive memory that he just felt her blindly from behind, "Her Majesty, sh-- she made me do it."
He is stunned.
Truly.
Been completely had for the first time in his life, he thinks.
The small girl in front of him - who is definitely not the Princess - is red from head to toe having clearly understood his less than honorable intentions and who he thought she was. But despite her keen awareness and palpable embarrassment, Hak's thoughts are only of Yona.
She played a joke on him. A joke. He's in rapture. So turned on - heat in his eyes, rushing through his virile body like lightening - at the thought of it that he has to check himself so he doesn't scare the poor girl in front of him further.
One of his arms is still caging the distressed servant, keeping her from fleeing to safer parts of the castle, and Hak's grin is so wicked that truly, anywhere would be.
"My, my..."
Shit.
Hak's smile dissolves in an instant, replaced immediately by annoyance at the newest member to this controversial scenario.
He whips around, freeing the girl beneath his heated gaze and she bolts for the nearest courtyard exit taking Yona's silken robes with her. He doesn't bother chasing after her, turning to address the situation instead.
His hands raise in defense, "Its not what it--"
"You know..." Jae-Ha smirks cutting him off, arms crossed smugly, " She's not that kind of servant."
Hak frowns, rolling his eyes in irritation but unable to stop his cheeks from flaming. Despite the front he is fighting hard to keep up, he's flustered - having just been discovered feeling up an unwanted participant - and its not an emotion he is accustomed to.
This is really not how he wanted these events to play out - couldn't be worse, actually - and Jae-Ha's all-too-pleased-with-himself expression is piquing Hak's tense and unsatisfied nerves. Hak clenches his fists in agitation as he takes in the proud look.
"Find that out before interrupting me, did you?" Hak quips back, hoping to shut him up.
"Hmm..." Jae-Ha muses, unaffected by the comment and clearly giddy about witnessing this unfortunate incident, "Good thing I did, too, before you took anymore liberties."
"Damn it, Droopy Eyes, I told you - this isn't what you think it is!"
All these times he's humored Yona by playing games, and all the times they've turned into frivolous sex-capades have finally come around and bit him in the ass. Now, he has to explain away the hard-on he was definitely sporting for a servant, who he definitely groped, that was definitely supposed to be the Princess. There is no path to redemption here. He'll be unscrupulously known as the palace lecher by the maids and forever tormented by the smug idiot standing in front of him because there is no way he is revealing the truth and ruining the heady game he is actually playing.
Hak's sighs inwardly at the way the evening is unfolding, but a heavy breath comes out with equal force as his internal frustration. Right now, he wants everyone except the Princess to dissappear from this place. This day has had enough set-backs and distractions; now, he wants to look for her without hiding the intense hunger he feels inside. If he has to bottle his desire much longer, he'll burst.
He'd rather save that for her.
"Ryokuryuu," General Joo-Doh shouts, walking up and interrupting Hak's internal monologue.
Jae-Ha doesn't look away from Hak to acknowledge him, a sly smile permanently fixed to his face.
After a beat, Joo-Doh glances between the two men and grunts, "Somehow, I know time has just been wasted."
"Yes, mine," Hak says, pointedly at them both. He is growing more frustrated as the number of people in this unsolicited gathering keeps increasing.
Joo-Doh is unaffected by Hak's sharp tone, choosing instead to ignore him almost completely, "Ryokuryuu, the new Wind tribe recruits that accompanied General Tae-Woo need you for a training exercise in the south yard."
Jae-Ha gives Hak a look that tells him this conversation is anything but over, "Guess my services are needed elsewhere. Save a maid for me, would you, Hak?"
"Go fuck yourself, Droopy Eyes."
"Maybe later," Jae-Ha winks, turning to walk away.
Joo-Doh shoots Hak a questioning glance but Hak is too busy pinching the part of his nose between his eyes to notice. He wonders how hard he would have to press to permanently remove that dragon from his memory.
"God damn pervert," Hak mutters under his breath as the two of them walk away.
Brother or not, the grief he gives is almost not worth it. He is definitely the worst addition they made to their unconventional band of friends, Hak thinks, even if he is the guy Hak spends most of his time with.
Hak's irritation with this day has peaked. He's annoyed, sexually frustrated and still aroused from the Princess's clever prank ealier. This whole misunderstanding is partly her fault and though he was planning to leave her satiated from his gentle, generous touch; he thinks instead she is rather deserving of a spanking.
We are playing games, after all.
He hears Yoon's voice echoing from ahead as he makes for another part of the palace in search of relief, retribution, and her.