Bam. Bam. Bam.

Small splinters and bits of rotten wood fell after each noise, right on the ink that had not yet dried on the scrolls of dogskin. Sen looked up at the ceiling in displeasure. Although her comrades had been nosier that day than on others, sound had seldom bothered her. This, however, was stepping over the line. What were they doing anyways, dancing? Why would they dance? There was no national holiday that day to her knowledge. The princess' birthday had passed weeks ago. The sun had yet to set. What was there to celebrate? Glancing at the clumps of dust that had so rudely fallen into the ink she had painstakingly ground, Sen decided to go upstairs to investigate, secretly rejoicing that she had a valid reason to stand up and stretch her limbs a bit.

The deck, the cleanliness of which Gi-gan had taken pride in, was now a mess of dancing pirates, various winter garments they had discarded during the fun and jugs and cups of all shapes and sizes. Alcohol of questionable origin and questionable quality ran first like streams and then rivers, the smell mixing with that of sweat. One glance told Sen that even divine intervention could not bring an end to the frolic, let alone a quiet request from her. She managed to stop someone long enough to ask what was going on but received a shrug and an "I dunno" before he returned to his friends who pulled him back into a dance once more.

In fact, no one seemed to be alone. A hint of jealousy emerged in Sen's heart as she tried to remember when she had last spoken with a friend—a friend who did not want to use her. Shaking away the thought, she settled for the second best thing (acquaintances who did not know she could be used) and finding a familiar face in the crowd, hurried over and weaseled her way into their group. Although Geon-ho, the friend substitute she had decided on, looked at her in surprise as he did not know she had remembered his existence, he got used to her presence quickly. Eventually, Sen blended in like a drop of ink in a barrel of water, so tiny and insignificant that it was practically invisible.

...

By the time the sun had set, the only few sober people on the ships had retreated below deck to avoid becoming targets of their numerous intoxicated comrades and having to listen to their woes, off-tune singing or mostly empty threats. In the middle of all those people, many overly friendly in that moment, the drunken Jae-ha glanced at the stars and wondered why he felt so alone.

Perhaps it was just a side effect of intoxication. Indeed, as he recalled, something similar had happened before, many times, in fact, he just couldn't remember exactly when… but this had happened to him before. How had he solved it back then? Furrowing his brows, he searched his brain for an answer. Eventually, his eyes brightened and he stood up, slowly and not without difficulty but with a clear purpose in mind.

"Where you goin'," someone muttered at his feet. Jae-ha smiled as he stumbled forth.

"Water," he whispered, as though sharing a great secret. "I need water."

Having forgotten that water, at most, had only ever prevented some symptoms of a hangover and had yet to cure him from drunkenness, he trudged towards the kitchen.

Yet halfway, he paused. From where he stood, he could see a familiar door. Although the inhabitant was almost sure not to have water, his feet still took them that way, pulling him towards that tiny space. He knocked and knocked until Sen finally opened the door, fumbling drunkenly with her lock for far too long.

"What is it?" she asked, looking up at him. Her hazy brown eyes and low, enticing voice stirred strange feelings in his heart - ones that, although familiar, always seemed new. He dropped his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.

"Can I stay?" he whispered, praying with every fiber of his being that she would agree. If not, he would have to leave, back to where the others were, back feeling empty. But there were worse things than that feeling, he suddenly remembered, such as hurting this kind woman, forcefully putting out the light that shone in her charming eyes. Eventually, he forced his arms to loosen their hold and made himself take a step backwards. To his surprise, Sen threw her arms around him and pulled him back into her arms. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Don't go," she murmured softly. "This Empress—this Empress might die if you leave."

The longing in her voice hurt. Physically. What had he ever done to make her so desperate? He tried to think, but couldn't remember. Perhaps it had been someone else, the thought whispered in his ear as he lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers, maybe her drunken eyes saw someone else when she looked at him. But in a moment, that suspicion was gone as her mouth opened so smoothly against his, leaving his mind completely blank. Before he knew it, her cold fingers slid from his neck into his clothes, searing everything they touched. But as her hands continued working their way downwards, Jae-ha was overcome by an imminent sense of wrongness. He tried to think of something else, of having her on top of him and screaming his name, for instance, but the feeling did not disappear. When her hand reached his lower abdomen, he couldn't help it and pulled her wrist away.

"Not now," he murmured, kissing her again. "I can't."

"You don't want to?" Sen asked, her eyes filled with the unspoken question, then why are you here? Jae-ha squirmed uncomfortably beneath her probing gaze and looked away.

"Maybe a bit later," he said, wondering what she might think. "For now, I just… holding you close is enough for me, so you don't have to…"

"I'm more than willing," Sen replied, her voice becoming less and less charming with each word. "No need to be considerate of me. I'm asking if you want it."

Jae-ha looked at her in worry. If he said the wrong thing… Doing something slightly uncomfortable might be better than being alone, but then again… Sen's expression softened when she noticed his forlorn look. She sat down on the bed and opened her arms. "I promise not to kick you out, so tell me honestly. If you want a hug, I have many to give."

Somewhat relieved, Jae-ha took a seat next to her and fell into her arms, resting his head on her chest. He could hear her heart beating steadily.

"It's not that you're not beautiful," he began uncertainly, but Sen just laughed.

"Don't worry, I know I look good," she said. By her tone, she seemed completely unfazed. "Tell me, instead, what bothers you? If you want to talk about it."

"Have you ever felt…?" Jae-ha began before changing his mind. "It's just… I wanted to see you, I guess. Even in a sea of friends… good friends, dear comrades… you're still the one I am closest to, in a way."

"So you want to sleep with me to fill the void?" Sen laughed again, so cheerfully that Jae-ha was sure she wasn't offended by the possibility. "I thought you knew that doesn't work! You make me forget that you're just a few years younger than me."

"It's not that," Jae-ha said in weak protest. The very idea of using her, of anyone using her like that made his heart ache. "I really just don't feel like it anymore."

The cheap oil lamp flickered, the objects in the room casting strange shadows in its light. Jae-ha felt Sen's fingers stroking his back before she replied, "I understand."

…

There was something odd in the air. It could have had something to do with Gi-gan ordering the pirates to do their various daily tasks despite them being hungover, or maybe it was the cold rain that had fallen in the morning that had affected the people's mood. Yet no one spoke more than a few words, at least not in Jae-ha's presence, which he appreciated greatly. He had woken up at noon with a splitting headache and alone in Sen's bed, both of which had dampened his mood greatly. It was only later in the day that someone dared get close to him and whisper, "Don't worry, we know it wasn't your fault."

Jae-ha looked at him irritably. He couldn't even bother to remember this person's name at the moment, but the man went on persistently, "You were drunk—like really, really drunk—and that woman seduced you. Happens to all of us. Just apologise to Ba-luo, yeah? His heart's all broken now."

"Who now?" Jae-ha asked, resting his head in his hands. Although the sun was ready to set, he felt that it was too early for him to deal with such issues. The pirate nodded gravely.

"I know it's hard," he said, "but it's better if you don't get all mixed up with the Miss, hey? She'll hurt you like she hurt him."

The woman who had listened to him talk of his feelings and even wiped away his tears last night? Jae-ha stared into the distance. Unless it was all a ploy to shame him for his moments of weakness, he couldn't imagine her trying to harm him.

"The world is cruel," he said with a yawn, thinking of how Sen's image had changed so drastically in such a short amount of time. He decided to talk to her about it once his headache got better. His comrade, the self-appointed voice of reason, nodded and said, "It's good that you get it. I know it's hard, but you've gotta break it off. Good luck, man."

…

Sen stared at the stars, grateful that the weather was warm enough to lie down outside. Originally, she had intended to leave briefly in the morning, just to bathe in the river, to wash the stench of alcohol and sweat from her skin, her hair, her clothes. However, on her way out, she had heard two people talking in a low voice. One sentence was spoken a little bit louder than the others, "I'm sorry that the princess is gone, but I'm glad a new King was crowned," they had said. It was clearly nothing more than a throwaway line, the same as mentioning the time of day, yet it had nearly made her heart stop. The princess?

The princess couldn't die, if she did, everything would fall apart. What would happen to Kouka? What would happen to Kum-ji? What would happen to her?

Of course, this no longer had anything to do with her anymore, it hadn't since she had met Kum-ji. The matters of royalty, matters of state no longer affected her. And yet, news of Her Highness' death had hurt so bad, like a needle stabbing her again and again...

The water splashing against her ankles became increasingly cold as the moon rose higher, both reminding Sen of the time. She stood up slowly and picking up her shoes, she wandered barefoot towards the ship.

...

Other than here, many lamented the death of the King and disappearance of the princess, one of whom resided in Awa. When Yang Kum-ji heard the news, he wasn't sure whether to be wary of the king or not. For a corrupted overlord such as himself, King Il was the best type of ruler. He never seemed to notice or care about Kum-ji's dealings. Having a new king of course meant a possible threat. Maybe he was a responsible monarch who did not like it if his citizens where sold as slaves to an enemy country.

Thirty years of hard work had gotten Kum-ji to where he was, and he wasn't willing to let his position and in the worst case scenario, his head fall just because of a newly appointed Su-won. He began to plan on what to do if and when he'd be called out on his sins. He had five weeks until his marriage, and as a last resort, he could always move to his father-in-law-to-be's home in the Kai Empire.

...

The third person to mourn King Il's loss was his only daughter, Yona. Stripped of her title and all she held dear, she had fled the castle with General Hak, the fourth person who shared her grief. Together they arrived at Hak's hometown, Wind Tribe's capital Fuuga, perhaps the only town in Kouka where no one rejoiced over the coronation of King Su-won.

...

The fifth person lived far North. He was sitting on his divan, covered with furs, when the messenger stumbled in, bringing the news. Deep sorrow and even deeper fear flashed through his eyes as he sent everyone out of his room, contemplating King Il's death by himself.