Your P.O.V
Once I arrive back at Hiryuu castle, I am directed towards my bedchamber. I am told by the attendants to remain stationary until King Soo-won has been alerted of my return. I prepare myself to put on a farce of innocence and desperation. Shortly after, Soo-won emerges through the chamber doors. I leap from my seat on the luxurious bed and bound towards him. I tackle him in a flurry of cries. "Oh Soo-won I am so glad that you saved me, they did all kinds of horrible things to torture me. I thought I would never be able to see you again." I coo into his ear. The feigned sweetness of my words is inexplicably sickening. He replies back in a congruently sappy tone.
"Do not worry my dear, you are safe now. Come. Let us get you dressed in attire that is more befitting of a Queen. We must look our best for our appearance this afternoon." He grabs me by the wrist and leads me towards my dressing room. He signals the female attendants to leave. This is out of a desire to do the changing himself. First he removes my soiled robe and retrieves an exquisite silk yukata from the wardrobe. The gold accents sparkle off of the soft (f/c) fabric. Once the yukata is tied properly, he moves onto the bandage that covers my eyes. "Now, keep your eyes closed and do not open them." He hisses. Ever since I met him, he has insisted that I never see his past. I imagine it is due to the terrible crimes he has committed. He removes my eye covering and picks up a silk one to match my gaudy robes. Unfortunately, I let my curiosity get the best of me and open my eyes a touch. His hand brushes along the side of my face and images flash before my eyes. I gasp in terror at the events that unfold. I choke at the tragedy and bloodshed. When I am brought back to reality, Soo-won sits unmoving in front of me. I can feel a ferocious fire burn inside of him. He raises his hand. Crack! He thrusts the backside of his hand across my face. My neck snaps to the side from the sheer force. "You imprudent women. How dare you disobey me? Do you wish to be punished?"" He screams at me and I tremble with fear. My whole body shakes. I must quell his anger somehow, before he becomes suspicious of my intent.
"I am so sorry darling. I felt the urge to sneeze and my eye accidently forced itself open. Do not fear, I only saw your brave and courageous efforts to find me. My heart brims with affection." I lie. His expression softens and he hugs me tightly. His tone is apologetic and frantic to gain my forgiveness.
"No! I am the one who should be sorry. I acted out so violently against you, I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me." He pleads and I shoot him a reassuring smile. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go make preparations for the event that is taking place this afternoon. I will come retrieve you in about an hour." He stands and leaves the room. Once he is out of sight, I clutch my cheek in agony. I walk briskly to the mirror to observe my injuries. A light purple tinges my cheek. This is not the Soo-won I know and cherish, and now I have all the evidence I need. I approach the door to the chamber and look both directions to check for danger. After observing that the coast is clear, I run down the hall towards my study. I enter and sit down at my desk to locate a piece of paper and a pen. I begin to write a letter.
Dear Everyone,
I was able to gain all the evidence that I needed through observing Soo-won's past. It seems as though he has been possessed by the Black Dragon Warrior. He has been using Soo-won's body as a vessel in order to carry out his destructive schemes. He enters and leaves Soo-won's body as he pleases so it is hard to tell when the best time to attack will be. But, I have a plan. When we are able to meet again I will explain it thoroughly. But, for now, use Soo-won's battle plans to minimize the damage of this grueling war. Oh, and Yona, there is something I must tell you. The reason why Soo-won murdered your father was out of revenge. It was known that Soo-won's father, Yu-hon, would be next elected to the throne. In an attempt to maintain his power, your father King Ill had him assassinated. Your father did not die an innocent man. Though, what Soo-won has done is unforgivable, he too has suffered a traumatic past and I cannot fault him for that. He was also able to bring Kouka back to stability by mending the internal structure of this country. Soo-won is not a bad man so please do not hate him any longer. We must save him together so that this country can prosper under his wise leadership. I am counting on you.
` Sincerely,
(f/n) (l/n)
I finish my letter and encase it in an envelope addressed to Yona. I exit my study and head for the secret room hidden in the innermost chamber of Hiryuu castle. When I arrive, I sneak inside, making sure to close the door tightly behind me. I was able to locate Soo-won's battle plans through his memories. I scour the room in search of the scroll. Finally, I spot it in a dingy corner of the room. I gently slide the envelope inside and tuck the scroll under my yukata. I leave the room and head for my bedchamber. When I arrive, I remove the scroll from my robe and place it in a drawer under the bed. Everyone will be arriving soon. It is only a matter of time before we must act. I sit and wait for Soo-won to retrieve me. I wonder what this mysterious event could be.
Hak's P.O.V
We approach the gates of the Kouka capital and make our way inside. I rub my ears to soothe the pain from Yun's screaming. I hesitantly recall the not so distant memory in my head. Yun was furious at me for letting (f/n) leave. So were the others. I am most definitely sure Yona despises me now. Luckily, I was able to convince them this was all part of our plan. The only way to retrieve Soo-won's battle plans was to have someone on the inside and (f/n) was the most logical choice. Trying to capture them through brute force would only get us killed. Now, all we have to do is find (f/n), which, at the moment, is easier said then done. On the positive side, it seems that the guards are not concerned with our presence. Theys barely flinch when we drift past.
Our movement is halted when we notice a large group of people crowding around a newly built coliseum. Curiously, we follow them inside. Once we enter, we see that the stadium is crammed full of enthusiastic citizens. People have come from many different locations for the event: the wind clan, water clan, fire clan and even earth clan. We manage to find seats in the dense crowd. From the corner of my eye I spot (f/n) on a balcony, sitting beside King Soo-won.
Soo-won's P.O.V
(f/n) sits beside me overlooking the stadium. A look of wonder is evident across her naïve and innocent face. I snicker to myself. She turns to me and with a tone of curiosity, she asks. "What event is taking place?" I close my eyes and flash a cunning, yet sinister grin.
"It's a public execution." I state condescendingly. She sits, frozen in place. A look of utter dread covers her face. She purses her lips and turns away from me. Suddenly, a gate opens and the prisoner is thrown into the center of the ring. Then, three more gates open from the opposite side of the arena and 3 menacing tigers emerge. They slink along the ground, sizing up their prey with tactical precision. The man stumbles backwards and falls to the ground. He crawls away in terror, but it's too late. The tigers pounce and begin to tear at him with their piercing claws and deadly teeth. (f/n) rushes to her feet and leans over the balcony, terrified with the scene before her. She snaps her head towards me and pleads.
"Please Soo-won, stop this right now. Spare this man. Save him." But, I remain stagnant. My face stoic in its cold position as I remark,
"Unfortunately, this man has committed high treason against his Kingdom which is punishable by death." Before she can continue her campaign, the tigers are forced back into their cages and the man lies motionless on the ground. His body drowns in a pool of saturated blood, which drips from the numerous gash marks covering him. The body of the man remains limp as the attendants drag him from the coliseum floor. The crowd erupts in a roaring cheer, asking for the show to continue. From the corner of my eye I notice (f/n)'s expression is cast downward, her lip trembling. The look across her face screams 'how could you' and 'you're a monster'. I am about to chuckle to myself, but something catches my sight. My eyes move from her face to her neck, where a dark purple bruise is evident. A voice echoes in my head. Those bruises look awfully familiar. You don't think that she is that imprudent boy from yesterday, I answer back. He did have a covering over his eyes, which isn't a common feature. What do I do, I question the voice. The boy seemed to be an awfully strong fighter. There is only one thing you can do. The voice echoes in my head and I try to resist, but I can't. I don't want to listen to it. I don't want to hurt (f/n), but I lose control of my body and my thoughts. The dark aura encompasses me and I lose my consciousness. I turn to (f/n) and begin to stand. I take her by the hand and whisper in her ear. "If it is too hard for you to watch, you may be excused." She looks at me with relief and without hesitation she stands. She sprints out of the balcony and wipes the tears from her eyes. The spirit inhabiting my body emerges and materializes before me.
"I will handle the rest." He hisses and follows after (f/n).
A few moments pass by and my assistant returns to my side with a snide look on his face. "The girl will be dealt with promptly." He coaxes manically in my ear. The prisoner's gate flies open and my wife is pushed into the center of the ring. Next, the tigers are released. They have had their taste of blood so their primal instinct is already in full force. (f/n) remains kneeling on the ground. He face washes white and sweat drips from her temples. The first tiger pounces and she manages to tumble out of the way. Though, she is not fighting back. The next tiger jumps on top of her and she continues to kick and flail furiously. Her performance is far from that of a skilled warrior. I shift uneasily in my seat. She manages to escape the tiger's grasp and stumbles towards my balcony. The crowd remains silent. They are too absorbed in shock to react.
"Why are you doing this?!" She screams at me, her eyes face drenched with tears. "Please help me! Please! Why are you hurting me?!" But, her screaming is cut off when all 3 tigers pounce on her and she disappears under a mass of orange and black. She doesn't fight back. Clothing and blood fly viciously through the air. My stomach grows uneasy. I know that I have made a mistake. My face contorts with guilt and regret. I begin to panic and sob violently, screaming the words 'no' over and over in my head. I need to do something.
Hak's P.O.V
Without warning, (f/n) is tossed into the arena and the tigers are released. I hope that the scene before me is simply a dream, but my stomach is too uneasy. "What the hell is going on?!" Jae-ha screams. I stand up and prepare myself to attack, but Yona's words catch me off guard.
"Someone needs to help her! Why isn't she fighting back?!" That's right. She could easily slay those 3 beasts with ease, but she isn't. Immediately my gaze turns to Soo-won, who sits proudly in the balcony with a smug look on his face. I feel Kija stir from behind me and he positions himself to jump, but I stop him in his tracks.
"What do you think you're doing? I'm not going to sit here and let her die? I thought you cared about her?" Kija spits at me out of infuriation. It pains me inside to sit and watch the person I love most get torn to shreds, but a voice flashes through my head. Believe me. Trust me. It whispers. I turn to Kija with tears in my eyes.
"You don't think it doesn't kill me to watch the person who means the most to me get slaughtered? You think I'm that dense? Why do you think she isn't fighting back? She would have no problem defeating those 3 primitive beasts, but look at Soo-won. He is testing her. He wants her to fight back so he can convict her of treason and conspiring with us. He knows. She has to suffer through that pain because if Soo-won discovers her cover then all is lost. This is the only way for the plan to remain in motion. Right now I am relying on Soo-won having a little bit of his sanity left to fight back against this demon and save someone who is important to him. God, it hurts like hell, but what other choice do I have. We have to trust her." I growl at my comrades. Everyone stares at me, then avoids my gaze out of shame. They were too self-centered and impulsive to consider what was really at stake. Now all we can do is sit in silence and dread as we wait. Please be alright (f/n).
I feel my heart stop. The world around me comes to a crashing halt. The 3 tigers pounce on (f/n) until she can no longer be seen. The only visible movement is the blur of crimson as it splashes against the coliseum wall. Bits of clothing fly in a torrent around the stadium. The crowd falls to dead silence. I grab my chest as I spit, unable to breath. 'No' I cry. This can't be happening. Yona sobs violently. Yun and Kija seethe with anger, hot tears brimming their eyes. Shin-ah and Zeno look away, frozen, unable to move. Abruptly, a shadow launches into the middle of the stadium. King Soo-won flings himself over the balcony edge and lands on the ground. He swiftly unsheathes his katana and sprints towards the beasts. Within a matter seconds they lie scattered across the ground in bloodied pieces. Everyone waits for what feels like an eternity to see if (f/n) is okay. Soo-won rushes over to her lifeless body. It is difficult to tell clothes from skin due to the heavy covering of red that soaks her. Soo-won appears to scream something in her ear, but he receives no response. He shakes her violently out of terror as he screams her name. He sobs into her chest and my heart drops through my stomach. Yona clutches onto my arm with deadly force. When Soo-won lifts his face, he cries for a medic and immediately one emerges. The last we see of (f/n) is her limp and soiled body being carried away from the arena. Everyone is instructed to leave. The mood is somber and a terrorizing cloud looms over the city.
We are finally outside of the city when Yona grabs onto my sleeve, forcing me to stop walking. "She's dead, isn't she?" I grit my teeth, unable to answer. "Don't lie to me!" Yona shrieks. Everyone's expressions are the same. Utter shock. It seems too far-fetched of a reality to be true.
"She can't be." Shin-ah whispers, then falls to his knees in tears.
"After everything she has showed us and all the happiness she has brought, I won't let her die. And if she is I will find her in heaven and nag at her until she begs god to send her to hell!" Yun screams as he punches a nearby tree.
"Hak…" Jae-ha comforts me and rubs my back.
"She isn't dead. I know in my heart that she isn't, that is why I cannot bring my self to cry." Everyone's faces around me freeze. They shake their heads out of disbelief.
"You're right… She has faced death too many times to let Soo-won be her downfall. She would be calling us idiot's right now." Jae-ha jokes as he smiles to himself.
"I'm going to save her. You wait here, we will be back soon. It will draw less attention this way." I announce. Yona returns my remark.
"I'm coming with you."
"Let's go."