'This is it.'

Her and her comrades were walking down the streets of the capitol. Her hair was visible to the villages and they knew who she was.

She didn't meet their gazes, she was there for one purpose and she wasn't going to miss this chance.

Looking to her left, she looked at her nervous blue dragon. He had decided that it would be best if he didn't have his mask on. After discussing it with the others, he understood that the mask scared people more than his eyes did and he was content to take it off to help Yona. He was very nervous without his mask, but his family was there to support him. His eyes are what told the world what he was and if that kept her safe, he was okay.

He caught her looking at him and she reached over to grab his hand sending him a reassuring smile. He blushed, the corners of his mouth slightly turned upwards.

Releasing his hand, she looked to her right, Kija had rolled up his sleeve so his dragon claw could be seen. His scales were glittering in the sunlight. Looking at him, she could see the pride of the white dragon emanating from him. He was grateful for his arm, and he wanted to make sure that people understood that Yona was the master of the four dragon warriors.

Behind her were Jae-ha and Zeno. Both of them walking casually as though nothing was bothering them. Yona knew better. Being the eldest members of the group, she knew the were nervous and were prepared to do what they needed to do.

Her procession continued as the castle came into view. The villagers immediately grew silent at the sight of her crimson hair. The people cleared the streets so they could pass through. Looking over, she caught the glimpse of a mother holding her child. Shock was evident in her face, but her eyes looked fearful. She stopped and looked at the woman, "I promise you, we won't let anything bad happen to you. I am not here for the reason that you think that I am. I am here to find what was once lost to my soul."

The woman's expression calmed down as grateful tears began to surface. The other villagers heard what she had said and knew she was telling the truth. The princess wasn't there for the king or the throne, she was there for something close to her heart.

Seeing their encouraging smiles, she continued walking.

Behind her and her dragons, was elder Mundok, the current general of the Wind tribe, and a few of Hak's closest friends. Yona was grateful that they agreed to accompany her and were willing to protect her if they had to. Behind them, was Lady Lily. She had her most trusted bodyguards at her side. She wore a dress that had the symbol of the water tribe on it so people knew who she was. Behind them, were the five generals from Xing. Kouren and Tao decided to send them in their stead so Yona had as much protection and support as possible. This lineup sent the message that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

They neared the castle gates and the guards stared at her astonished. She looked up at them and they gasped at the fire that was burning in her eyes, "I am Princess Yona, the daughter of the late King Il. I wish to speak to the king."

The guards looked at each other, sweat became apparent on their brows as they saw her dragons. One of the guards gulped and stepped forward, "I'll go and let him know that you are here."

"Thank you." She bowed her head in respect. Raising her head, she closed her eyes and focused on controlling her nervous heart.

-x-

Silence remained as they waited for the king's answer. The wind was still as though the gods themselves were holding their breath. Clouds covered the sky as though the lack of warmth was a warning to others. The gate opened and Yona came face to face with Soo-Won. Next to him was the sky tribe general and his adviser. Soldiers were stationed behind them in the courtyard, preparing for whatever was about to happen.

Yona sighed and stepped forward, "King Soo-Won, I have not come out of malice or revenge. I come on peaceful terms."

The crowd that had gathered murmured softly. Soo-Won's eyes slightly widened as his body froze underneath her hardened gaze. His advisor stepped forward to speak, "If you are not here out of malice, why have you gathered such a group?"

They heard someone yell from behind the gate. "Who are those monsters!?"

He grinned, hoping that he had somehow cornered the princess.

Yona felt Kija and Shin-ha stiffen. Yona reached out and gently touched their arms. Gaining the confidence, Kija stepped forward and raised his claw. He raised his voice to make sure that anyone in the vicinity could hear, "We are the four dragon warriors. We have accompanied our master to protect her and ensure that she leaves here safely for that is our sworn duty to the crimson dragon."

Gasps could be heard. A slight breeze appeared and caused Yona's hair to sway with the wind. The crimson locks practically glittering in the sunlight. The wind was aiding her to show who he was referring to.

Her gaze never left the king's, "I am merely here to visit the shrine. My companions are here as support for my troubled heart." To reiterate her words, she placed a hand over her heart. "I reached out to them with a heavy conscious and they had agreed to join me on my visit. I never had a chance to mourn the loss of my father, so I decided that it was time that I put my thoughts to rest."

She looked over at the adviser, "We are not here to fight, but if you do anything to attack us it could mean war for Kouka. My warriors are under my strict orders to not attack unless ordered by me. However, they will not hesitate if my life is threatened." Behind her, she could hear one of the Xing generals speak, "We are the five generals of Xing. We were sent by Princess Kouren and Princess Tao as her guards. They wanted to be here in person, but they couldn't leave Xing in the aftermath that the sudden uprising caused."

The air stilled at the words. At this point, servants and villagers alike had gathered around the king and the princess on either side of the gate. They were curious and nervous for the princess.

Soo-Won sighed, turning around he spoke, "I will allow you and your company to enter. You will be accompanied by the Sky general. For your own safety, you will not stay the night here." He looked over his shoulder back at the princess and spoke softly, "Do what you need to do." Without another word he walked out of sight followed by his advisor. He gestured for the soldiers to clear a path for the princess.

The Sky General stepped forward, "You will follow me princess." Yona nodded and gestured for her friends to follow her.

They slowly followed the general through the courtyard. Yona looked around and couldn't help but picture her father standing in the grass, hands behind his back thinking. His smile that never left his face beaming as he looked at her. Next to him, she could see Abi, Guen, and Shuten smiling at her as they spared in the courtyard.

She shook her head, 'I can't be caught up with ghosts of the past.'

Making their way towards the steps of the throne room, the guards surrounding the area were staring at them. Their expressions were a mixture of guarded and fearful. She recognized a few of them from the night of her father's death shocked that she was still alive. A few servants were peeking around the corners and she shot them all smiles. She could see how happy they were to see her alive and were silently sending her their best wishes.

At the foot at the steps, the general halted and turned towards Yona. "I will allow you and your warriors in the throne room. They are to not touch anything. Guards are stationed inside to ensure that they don't do anything. However, I will only allow one of them to go with you in the shrine accompanied by myself." He raised a challenging eyebrow, "It that understood?"

Yona smiled kindly at him, "Thank you for your generosity and understanding. We will only be there for a short amount of time." She bowed towards him, "I apologize for the inconvenience that our presence has caused."

He narrowed his eyes at her and gestured for them to follow. Turning around, she saw her friends giving her encouraging smiles. She nodded at them and followed the general into the throne room.