Category: Hurt and Comfort, General Fluff

Characters: Yona, Zeno, Jae-ha, Shin-ah, Kija

Requested by: Snow3bunny

Yona's lips pursed slightly as she inspected herself in the body-length mirror propped against the wall of her bedroom. The long sleeves of her pastel-pink dress flapped down against the floor as she compulsively smoothed down the flower-patterned fabric of the garment; it was reflexive, really, because she could care less about the dress. The real problem lie with the puffy redness and dark black rings around her eyes that was indicative of her sleepless nights. Yona had been trying hard to take advantage of her new freedoms, but despite her best efforts, she was no closer to understanding Soo-Won and his plans than ever. Then there was the matter of Soo-Won potentially dying in the near future; Yona still hated him for murdering her father, but she be damned if she still didn't harbor some sort of feelings for the man. What those were, she was not quite sure anymore, but regardless she still did not look upon his demise positively. Her frustrations had manifested into fierce insomnia and quite a few bitter crying spells. Yona wouldn't mind simply strolling around the castle in such a condition, because she could care less what everyone else thought…

But she didn't want her beloved dragons to see her in such a wretched state.

Somehow, Yona had finally convinced the king to allow her an audience with them. They would be along in any minute, escorted by Minsoo. Tossing her sunset hair over her shoulders, she took a deep breath and then released it. You must stay strong, Yona. These problems are nothing. Be happy for your dragons! You don't want them to worry about you! She practiced a smile in the mirror, trying to mold the most convincing fake she could. Try as she may, her eyes continued to remain cold and lifeless. She just hoped that her act would be convincing enough.

"Princess Yona! The dragons are here to see you- Yoon, too," came Minsoo's cheerful voice. Plastering that sickly saccharine smile on her face, Yona whirled on her feet to greet them, and-

Immediately, she began crying.

She hadn't meant to. All it took was Jae-ha flashing her that crooked smile, and the façade crumbled like a castle wall under the assault of a cannonade. How could she ever hope to lie to her dragons? She couldn't bear the weight of this cross by herself. She was so desperate for comfort, for consoling, for them to be her confidantes that it made her soul scream in agony. She couldn't say anything, though. Yona already knew far too much; it was only thanks to Soo-Won that her life wasn't in danger. She didn't believe that the same courtesy would extend to her beloved friends. As a sob cracked her body, she surged forward to all but leap into a very puzzled Jae-ha's arms.

"Y-yona?"

She buried her tear-streaked face into the soft fabric of his clothes. His body was tense at first, but gradually relaxed to embrace her fully, his arms enclosing around her in a gentle hug. "Don't cry. We've missed you, too." Yona's red eyes blinked blearily up at him to see him smiling softly down at her, but the hard edge to his face belied the truth behind his words; he was pretending that this was the issue at hand, but he knew that Yona would not shed tears over something like that.

"Ah, Princess!" Minsoo smiled sweetly as he stood beside her and tentatively reached out to rub small, rhythmic circles into the spot between her shoulder blades. "It's all better now, right? There's no need to be sad." His words screwed into her heart like a serrated knife. No. No, he knew better than that. "I'll leave you with your friends for a while, okay?" As he turned to leave, Yona caught his wrist in a firm, knuckle-whited grip.

"Minsoo. You need to tell Hak. Tell him about Soo-Won." All the blood immediately drained from his face and he looked frantically at the door, as if he were expecting guards to come charging through. "Minsoo!"

"Princess!" he hissed and jumped forward such that their faces were closed. His eyebrows were knitted together in an expression of deep worry, nearly mania. "Please! Princess Yona, you mustn't say anymore!" he begged, then dropped his voice into a hushed whisper. "Hak is very special to you, I know. It is for that very reason that you mustn't put him in a dangerous position by telling him anything! Surely that is what His Majesty wants too, because even still, Hak is the person that he trusts most." Yona bit down hard on her lip. Little beads of blood bubbled up beneath the points of her canines- but she did not fight him. Deep down, she knew it was the truth, but it hurt so badly to keep this secret, especially from Hak. Minsoo studied her face for a moment, and when he was content that Yona had no more intentions to babble, he sighed heavily and straightened up. "Now then… I will leave you all alone for a while, yes?" His gaze shifted guiltily down to his feet. Yona felt guilty, too. She knew it must be hurting him to have to tell her things she didn't want to hear.

"Thank you, Minsoo," she mumbled before resuming her respite in the folds of Jae-ha's clothes. She did not retract even after the door shut behind the aide. Her fingers twisted into the soft textile as she sniffled quietly into his chest. She knew. She knew she ought not saying anything, but her heart felt so heavy carrying this burden all alone. Yona was bitter about it, too. She should be strong enough to hold this secret, for all their sakes, but she was not. Had she not grown at all throughout her arduous journey? She felt like she had traveled back to that night, when she had been so helpless and scared and powerless.

At this point, the dragons and Yoon had gathered around her, confused as to what exactly was ailing her.

"We're so glad to see you," Kija chimed good-naturedly from her left. She nodded miserably into Jae-ha.

"I missed you all so much," came her muffled reply.

"Yona? What's the matter?" Shin-ah asked softly as he reached out to awkwardly play with the curled ends of her red hair. Yona whimpered into the green-haired man. She wouldn't say. She couldn't say!

"Princess, if you don't talk to us, we can't help you," Yoon cajoled her, and he almost coaxed her into talking just with how soft and inviting his voice was. Yona insistently shook her head back and forth, a red mark appearing on her forehead where it chafed against Jae-ha's clothes.

"I can't say!"

"All right, all right, let it be," Jae-ha barked and pulled her into a tighter hug. "We don't need to put her in a bad position."

"Miss, did something happen to Mister King Guy?" Zeno guessed suddenly.

"What did I just say?!" Jae-ha griped. Yona's body went entirely rigid against him, and she silently begged Zeno to say no more.

"He looked really pale on our walk yesterday," the childlike blonde continued recklessly. Her red eyes glared at him through the shadows of Jae-ha's arms enfolding her. He tilted his head back as he tapped the pad of his index finger against his chin. "Is he si-"

"No!" she shrieked, twisting in Jae-ha's arm so she could clamp her hand down hard over his mouth. His eyes stared owlishly above her hand, slowly blinking in realization. "Don't say it," she pleaded tearfully. "Don't say it." A collective sigh filled the room. He hadn't said it, but they all realized what was happening just by her reaction. Yoon wriggled his way underneath Jae-ha's toned bicep to hug her close.

"Oh, Princess… You must have such a weight upon your shoulders…" Ao hopped off of Shin-ah's shoulder onto hers and nuzzled her furry face affectionately against her cheek. Yona's bottom lip wobbled as tears brimmed at the lids of her eyes again, then spilled over to roll down her cheeks and bleed into Jae-ha's sleeves. Shin-ah began stroking her hair softly, while Kija bobbed about trying to be encouraging but also freaking out a little.

Despite herself, Yona smiled and pressed her face back into Jae-ha. She really should have controlled her emotions better, but despite any impending consequences, Yona felt like she had just been freed of fifty pounds of iron shackles. She hadn't said anything, because she really hadn't needed to. Her trusted friends knew her better than anyone, after all. They heard her loud and clear. Eyes closing as she nestled into Jae-ha's comforting warmth, Hak's face danced in the blackness of her vision.

Hak… What will we do? Soo-Won… is going to die. I don't know what's to become of me, and you, and Yoon, and my dragons… I don't know what to do. I'm lost without you, Hak…

I need you…

Hak was far, far out of her reach, no matter how much she wished it weren't so. Yet, it didn't sadden her as much as she would have thought. In the arms of her beloved, brave, kind dragons, Yona felt they were all untouchable, at least for a few, brief, treasured moments…