Preview
Now, for whatever reason, he was wishing that she'd just been honest with her letter. This was just inconvenient.
Even though he'd pushed her away back then and told her to act like a ruler... okay, he was being a hypocrite again.
What was it with Yona? Was it that he'd been too harsh that night when he pushed her away? Did that make her hold herself back here?
...Truth be told, it stung a little, just reading it.
Something in this letter was missing. It had some hole. She wasn't being honest with him anymore.
Did she not want him to be safe?
Had he hurt her that much?
...He hadn't intended to. It wasn't like that.
The truth was that he really wanted to be nicer to Yona... Maybe he should have explained that better.
"You tell me to act for myself, think for myself, but that is all what you want, where is my say in this?" She'd scolded him then. "It's not funny, okay? I want to rule with you by my side!"
She was too naïve. He wasn't going to be by her side! He was a dying man... and he surely deserved that death.
But the illness had also brought them together... Soo-Won was confused for the nth time.
Chapter 5: A half-baked letter
Stepping off the carriage, a surly man was waiting.
He had long, kempt hair covering one eye, the other having an eyebag under it. This was a man who took things too seriously, an ardent supporter of his father, Yu-Hon.
"Lord Soo-Won," Kye-Sook greeted him, his voice still monotone, surrounded by a couple of anxious servants. "How was your trip?"
"Fine, Kye-Sook," Soo-Won said, past the pleasantries, not that Kye-Sook was particularly pleasant to start with. "Let us go inside. There is something I must tell you."
Kye-Sook's eyebrow shifted, but he complied.
"So?" Kye-Sook told Soo-Won in the study room of the mansion, as he worked through a stack of paperwork. "You told me that King Il found out about our plans?"
"That's right. He's also plotting to end it as well."
Kye-Sook put his hand on his chin, gritting his teeth slightly by the sheer preposterousness of the situation. "End? When?" He was direct and short. "How?"
"...Who knows. There's probably an informant on the inside."
"Who betrayed us?" Kye-Sook swiveled towards Soo-Won. "A general... a spy...? An ally of Yu-Hon's? A guard in the castle?"
"There's no point in trying to find the culprit," dismissed Soo-Won, clasping his hands together on the table. "The important thing is to find the next viable option - our next move."
"Which is?"
Soo-Won breathed through his nose. He made sure he wasn't shaky, no matter how ridiculous it was to outside ears.
He had to say it with a straight face. Though he couldn't find it within himself to smile.
"...I may have to enter into a political marriage with Princess Yona."
Kye-Sook's jaw dropped.
"Did... I hear you correctly...? You... want to marry Princess Yona?"
The tone he had; it wondered why this was a good idea at all.
Soo-Won wondered what his father would think too. But he had caught himself up into a trap that was impossible to escape from...
"...Yes. Because she knows the truth. We can only assume that Hak-the Thunder Beast of Kouka, who guards her, knows as well."
"What are you saying? She knows? I can't believe this, Lord Soo-Won!" Kye-Sook's voice rose into an outraged shout. "After everything King Il has done to Lord Yu-Hon-"
The young lord's face pierced into him strongly, and Kye-Sook hesitated, lowering his vocal weapon-frankly, his only one. He had no physical weapon, and no physical strength. Had this handicap caused him to selfishly put his personal desires first? Kye-Sook had stayed in Yu-Hon's shadow all this time, and he was never relenting in his support of him.
After Yu-Hon's untimely death, Kye-Sook had watched Soo-Won grow from a precocious brat into a young man who could lead this nation into a powerhouse that could defy the Kai Empire. No one in the royal family stood a candle to Yu-Hon. Thus, as the man who was to become the replacement for that person, Soo-Won could not afford to meander into a risky path.
To blunder. To be fraught by emotion. To make decisions that couldn't be afforded.
This piercing look of the lord implied that he had thought quite a bit about it. For how long? Since when? Why? It sounded believable, coming from him, but the situation itself...? A mere week ago, he had been ready to go forth with the plan! He had decided that King Il was a traitor who needed to be cut down!
"...So this is really your last resort, then," Kye-Sook realized, incredulous.
"...Yes."
That useless brat of King Il!" Kye-Sook lost it. "Who has never stepped a foot outside Hiryuu Castle or bothered to learn anything about administration and ruling, with her red hair that has only caused us trouble! The hair that made King Il mad with religious fanaticism! You are telling me, after all the years that we have spent towards our goal, that you now plan to marry that child? Did I not tell you long ago, that Princess Yona should have been killed? The entire extended family of King Il!"
Princess Yona of all people, Kye-Sook seethed. The daughter of the enemy.
"Those accusations that King Il made against Lord Yu-Hon's right to rule had to do with her red hair, you know!"
"That hair was not something she chose to have, Kye-Sook, so I fail to see how this is relevant."
"The Crimson Dragon King!" Kye-Sook nearly shouted again, as if it were obvious. "The myths and legends that the people believe in!"
"And thus the people will believe in that hair? Religion and the throne have no correlation, anyhow, not since Father eliminated all the priests for going against the power of the king-"
"Wait until Princess Yona steps outside the castle walls, Lord Soo-Won! That is where the cinders of fire will rise again, and her hair will burn you to ashes! You are willingly walking into fire, waiting to be burned! Has she bewitched you into your death?"
Soo-Won's hand on his quill stopped.
He was back in that room, her room, that bed, where his hand had felt the desire to touch her lustrous, glowing, silky red curls...
He shook his head, wanting to get the thoughts out.
"As if. Princess Yona has no power, Kye-Sook; even if she learns to rule one day, she's not going to gain 10 years of experience just off the bat."
"10 or 20 years," Kye-Sook was adamant, glaring at him. "How long do you intend to rule?"
Throb. Throb.
Soo-Won's mouth twitched downwards further.
It was as if Kye-Sook asked that not because of Yona's standing, but because of the Crimson Illness, and he'd just felt a headache come on because of it.
"Something horrid must have happened to make you change your plan so quickly!" Kye-Sook wrung his injured limbs. "You said she knew? How did you learn this? Did she tell you? Did they attempt to blackmail you into this marriage? With the threat of death, all 3 of them?"
"I received this information from an informant. A very reliable one at that."
"Rubbish! What if it is the same one informant betrayed you? Shall we dispose of him immediately?" Kye-Sook found himself putting his hands on the table with defiance. "Tell the truth, Lord Soo-Won! Or could it be that they are holding you hostage by sword, forcing you to bite your tongue in front of even me?"
The air between them was tenser than ever. Kye-Sook was working with him, and a family member in a sense, but they were never intimate or too close. They kept each other at a distance. This meant that Kye-Sook was desperate to get the truth out.
What truth? The one making Soo-Won hold his tongue was Yona, and it did not come with the promise of death.
That was what Soo-Won hoped. He did not believe it. He was dying. And it was not due to her. She did not want him to die. She wanted him by her side.
No matter what, she wasn't the reincarnation of the Crimson Dragon King.
"...Should we try... and push them to do that...?" Soo-Won said carefully, still making sure to imply that it was otherwise. "Or shall we smooth it over and get along with them?"
"Get along?" Kye-Sook repeated. "Get along? With King Il, the man you want dead?"
"That's not..."
"Were you not going there to gather more information about King Il?"
"...I did. What I gather is as I told you."
"What about the coup? The Sky Tribe soldiers? All of our supporters?"
"Nothing really changes except that no blood will be spilt for now, at least."
"You are the son of Lord Yu-Hon, and yet Lord Yu-Hon would have never shown mercy towards his enemies!"
"...If I kill Yona, the Thunder Beast will defect, as I said."
"That babysitting scoundrel?" Kye-Sook scoffed.
"Hak is no babysitter. He is said to be 'strong as a thousand soldiers', have you not heard? He can, and will kill us. It is only a matter of time before King Il tells Hak the truth, if he hasn't already."
"If he hasn't?"
"...No, he probably has..."
While lying about all the circumstances and only telling grains of truth, Soo-Won went through all the plausible reasonings King Il wouldn't tell Hak the truth... and it all went back to the lax way King Il had ruled, instead of with an iron fist. The same reason he had taught Yona nothing, not even prepared her to fight against him.
It felt like the man was so idiotic that he wasn't even ruling, that he had little interest in ruling, that he was ready to die, that he was relying on fate and religious hymns, and divine myths to help the...
He didn't let himself finish that thought.
Kye-Sook studied his blank expression, attempting to grasp what he was thinking. War, corruption, failure... the previous staff and nobles had allowed for all that to happen. Delegating duties in a way that would allow the rumors about King Il to die out... that surely couldn't happen without his death.
Yet the castle staff had turned on them. What was to be done now?
"What about your revenge? Avenging Lord Yu-Hon? What can King Il do to stop us from it?" Kye-Sook tried to grasp at personal reasons, and continuously failed. He knew that Soo-Won didn't prioritize personal vendettas as much as he. "Is this not the time to take action?"
"Wait and see how King Il rules," Soo-Won had told his supporters, cool-headed. A man that surely did not seem to be phased by his father's death, only looking forward. "If he rules well, there's nothing much that we can do. But in the case that he doesn't, then that will be our time to swoop in."
"And it's surprising to see you so eager to marry all of a sudden! What on Earth happened? Even a political marriage was something that I thought you were incapable of! Are you sure that Princess Yona will even agree to such an arrangement? How about King Il? I can't imagine that he would allow for this."
Political marriages could ease tensions, Kye-Sook acknowledged. But to marry the daughter of an enemy that Soo-Won had not killed...
"With the support of the 5 tribes, King Il will cave in," said Soo-Won. "He and Princess Yona will be easy to manipulate."
"How do we make sure that he does not stab your back next?"
Kye-Sook wanted that day to prick him like a needle, like it had for him. It was not Soo-Won who had seen the death of Lord Yu-Hon in front of his very eyes.
For a split second, Soo-Won's face slightly contorted, but he suppressed it the next.
"...I plan to propose to her during her birthday celebration," Soo-Won finally replied, acting as if Kye-Sook had not said a thing. "She is still young and gullible; she will accept. Later on, if I'm still dissatisfied by how things are, King Il may be able to still be murdered."
"And is there not anyone else in the world that she would rather marry than you? What about General Hak? You know, there are several rumors that King Il planned for them to marry."
There was an awkward pause. After several seconds, Soo-Won finally answered.
"There's isn't. Because I also heard from the informant that Princess Yona may have feelings for me."
"What...?"
There was no response.
"So, she wants to marry you?"
"...It appears that may be the case."
"You waited too long..." Kye-Sook rasped, struggling to hide his spite. "...What is going to happen to this country?"
Throb. Throb.
Soo-Won gave a grim smile, looking at his paper.
Yona huffed, sitting on her bed. Two weeks had passed since Soo-Won's departure.
She was so fed up. Ordering her court ladies to change up the bed covers, blankets, pillows, and give new perfumes and dresses to her to distract her, she still couldn't stop thinking about Soo-Won, even after all this time Was she obsessed with him or what? How pathetic...
The way he'd pulled away from her kiss. A gentle rejection.
She kept waking up to it in tears.
"I... just... can't..." His words sounded shy. Yet also stern.
What did that mean? Her mind constantly flitted back and forth between that time.
Yes, he was dying. If he hadn't said the truth... what would he have done? Killed her? Killed King Il too?
But he didn't. He didn't hate her kiss either. His blush then proved it.
There had to be some sort of cure for his illness, right? Was this really happening?
His hand grasping hers.
"You may have to live without me, one day..."
Their arrangement was just for the throne still. He was using her as a means to an end.
He saw her as a woman, but that was never going to be enough for her. Taking off her clothes wasn't going to change that. It wasn't going to make him love her the way she loved him.
Even though that night, who knew how many times he had brought her to his chest and kissed her lips in that haze of lust...
She flushed, clutching at her body. That was only after she'd goaded him into it.
She had given her virginity that night, let him have her just like that... yet she had been the one comforting him... the one proposing to him... she had taken all the initiative in their relationship, and he had just... relented and done as she wanted.
There was little activeness from his side, nothing that wasn't political.
He would propose in front of the crowd, he said... but what guaranteed that?
Maybe he wouldn't even agree to be with her, maybe he'd find another woman, and...
Stop. Don't think that far. She covered her face with her hands...
"Aghh... I can't keep sitting here... I need to go to the library..."
Their failed kiss probably wasn't even on his mind right now.
What was she doing, dallying around in foolish thoughts?
She would never mean a thing to him unless she stepped up to the plate.
Yona entered the library. It was dusty since Soo-Won had left. Yet, it felt nostalgic. She, Hak and Soo-Won had come here many times as kids.
Regardless, she was no avid reader. She knew how to read and write, but knew nothing about big books. She'd never tried to read generally. There had never been a need for it.
"King Il doesn't think you're ready, but if you think you are, you can learn to rule yourself. You can do anything you want, Yona. You shouldn't be controlled by the shackles of your father, or me."
Soo-Won's words passed through her mind, as her fingers slipped towards a book on the shelf. On its spine, it read "Economic Policy".
This was one of the books Soo-Won had used when he was studying, she realized, red hair falling over her face. She brushed it back.
"Well, do you know how to collect taxes? Distribute food, how to keep subjects in court safe, how to create a proper army…?" He'd asked, almost expectantly.
It was true, she had no knowledge of any of these things. And that was just regarding economic policy... was this the right place to start? Oh, how she wished she had some guidance. Just some!
"Maybe I should start with a different book," she murmured to herself.
So, with her hands held behind her back, she began to explore the shelves until she found something else that caught her eye.
"The History of Hiryuu Castle and the Crimson Dragon King", read in golden letters. It wasn't a particularly new book, either, it looked decrepit.
But this seemed to be much more up her alley. Her father had talked about King Hiryuu often, and told her stories about the country's founding. Though, she had never bothered to sit down and read it herself.
...No, this was a different book from the book her father had read. Were there more books about King Hiryuu?
...Would... something about her be written?
Her heart dropped.
She took out of the shelf, struggled with it a little. It was heavy, and dusty. Taking it to the nearby table, she flopped down in a chair, shook off the dust particles that had fallen on its cover and opened it.
This... really was a different book. None of the pictures were within it. No sign of red hair... nothing about the dragons were painted, and she felt relieved. This wasn't a picture book, this was... honestly a novel.
What sort of novel? It surely had nothing that would interest her... but maybe she could give it a better look.
She took out a piece of parchment she'd collected and a quill with an ink box. Something similar to what Soo-Won had used when writing his notes on "Economic Policy" or whatever...
She began to collect notes:
Kouka Kingdoms has had several dynasties rule this castle The Sky Tribe only sprouted recently The Sky Tribe has had 8 kings
8? That wasn't right. Yona scratched her head. Her father was the 10th king of Kouka! Was this book making a mistake?
Or perhaps her father hadn't been king when this was written? That had to be it. Then, when was it written?
Eight kings... King Junam had... been the 9th ruler, right? He was her grandfather, and yet she had not known much about him at all. He had been alive back when she was 6... that was it. Then he had died, and her father had become king... even though Yu-Hon was older.
Then, this was written before his time? Maybe her first question would ask when he had ruled. She really didn't know about him...
"Yona. My father killed your mother."
Suddenly, Yona found herself feeling slightly sick in the stomach.
Soo-Won... I wish I could talk to you about more things than something as surface level as... as this! A bloody book!
Why can't we talk about our forefathers, the blood between them, their history! Why would Father think I was King Hiryuu?
But Yona hesitated. She knew that her father wouldn't check the letters, but who knew if people on Soo-Won's side would?
Soo-Won had requested specifically that she keep these details secret.
Oh, but she wanted him here right now! She wanted him to tell her that it had all been a dream!
She wanted it all to be false...
Tears plopped on her textbook. She swallowed the lump in her throat, wiping her tears away.
She just needed to read the textbook. Just... do that.
She was failing miserably, but... she just had to... she just had to stumble and fall within the book... and start learning...
"I... just... can't..."
His hands, pushing her shoulders back.
Her lips trembled, wishing for a kiss that would never come.
Stop! Stop! She shouted at herself in her head. Stop thinking of him! I know I can't do it, but... keep going!
There are 5 tribes in Kouka Kingdom with their own generals and battle histories 3 countries border Kouka: Xing, Sei, and the Kai Empire The Kai Empire's emblem is a Phoenix, and they have a great lake rumored to be mythical The current leader of the Kai Emperor is Emperor Ha-Joon
"Ha-Joon..." Yona murmured, writing his name, putting a hand to prop her chin up. She looked outside the nearest window, which showed a tree with blossoms, fluttering in the wind.
Was it winter or spring? She couldn't tell. Maybe she could ask Soo-Won...
Ask him if the Emperor was still Ha-Joon?
She went back to writing. Over several hours, she had collected a variety of notes - about not only history of its political rule, but the geography and terrain of Kouka. She wasn't great at looking at maps, but she found that pictures of it delighted her.
The only page where a picture was in the book was in the middle. A large map of their world. Kouka Kingdom took the middle space, haunted by the Kai Empire looming in the north, and small states of Xing and Sei in the south.
Of course, all this information came from a textbook. Nothing special. But she hoped that on her first real day of learning something by herself in years, she'd gained some real knowledge.
Eventually, she gathered all these notes, and starting writing questions to ask Soo-Won in a new letter. Dipping her quill in her ink, she started:
My dear Soo-Won,
Was it right to write that? "Dear"?
Even though those were her honest feelings, maybe Soo-Won didn't want to hear it...
She scratched it with her quill.
I've been studying at the library as you suggested. I've not hired a governor, but I'll try to get through to Father after I feel confident in my ability...
I've been reading a history book about the origins of our country. I had a couple questions regarding the rulers of the Kai Empire. Apparently the current ruler is Ha-Joon? I was also wondering if the seasons in Kouka are winter everywhere. I know it's Spring, but it seems like the heat never enters here.
The moon is always so huge, too. It reminds me of that time when we
Soo-Won's face tinged crimson as he rejected her...
"I... just... can't..."
Yona scratched her sentence out.
The moon is so huge, too. It reminds me of that time when we
The books talked about how Kouka has several mountains like the Northern range. There's so much happening in the North, huh? Do you know people in other tribes? Of course you do... I mean, you're much more experienced at this than me. Still, it'd be nice if I could leave one day. I've never left the castle.
I know you're probably busy writing this, so... you can reply by the next month. I've just started writing these letters, and I'm not very experienced, so it's not like you have to pay it much matter. Possibly over time, I'll start asking more important questions. I was also wondering about Kouka's 8th ruler? Who was that?
Another thing I wanted to ask is if you remember anything about King Junam? I don't. Do you? What kind of ruler was he?
Hak doesn't talk about you much, but I do think he wishes for a partner to practice horse-back riding with. I think horses are scary. I'd prefer to stay in and dance. I don't write like this either, but calligraphy isn't a bad art. I know rulers have to learn to do something with their time. I only know one script, though. Hopefully you can read my writing.
Be safe. That's all I ask. Till the next time we meet,
Yona
"Excuse me," she said to one of the servants, that flitted by, noticing them vaguely. "I need you to make sure these are delivered to Soo-Won," she said with emphasis on the time frame, handing it to him.
"Sure thing, Princess," they said.
Yona paused. That voice...
She looked up, and saw Hak watching her, with a smug grin on his face.
"Looks like you really are trying to be a better bride for Lord Soo-Won, huh... maybe I should add that line to your letter, whadya say?"
Yona's face tinged crimson. "GIVE THAT BACK, YOU DOLT!"
She chased him out of the library, and Hak laughed all the way.
Later, Hak would explain that to send a letter, she'd have to ask an actual messenger to deliver it for her. He talked about trying to raise the hawk, Gulfan, that he and Soo-Won had together, to carry messages back and forth, but in the end, only pigeons could do that.
"I'm not dumb!" She protested at Hak, who stuck his tongue out, teasing her.
"Fine, fine. You're just kinda ignorant!"
"Oh shut up! You had better not have read that letter!"
"Why would I?" Hak mock-gasped. "Anyway, you'll have to hire a messenger. I'll help."
A week later
"This? Is enough proof?" Kye-Sook shook the letter that the Princess had written to the young lord.
Nearly three weeks had passed, and Yona's letter had arrived in the mail. A servant had delivered it, and Kye-Sook had read it aloud in front of Soo-Won.
Soo-Won had listened silently to each question without complaint.
"These about the history of the country are basic! What is this gibberish? The way she writes is like a babbling waterfall. She never knows when to stop chattering, as if she's on a picnic! You actually think this girl can be Queen? She's only asked 5 questions!"
"Take a look at her notes below; she's written 50 facts from the book. It's a start. Besides, this is in her handwriting, Kye-Sook."
"If she's a fool, she's being used by King Il as bait. How do you know for sure that you aren't being played into King Il's hands?"
"...I'm treading cautiously."
Upset and bitter, Kye-Sook left.
Soo-Won leaned back against his chair, feeling ultimately exhausted.
Kye-Sook had trouble accepting this proposal after a month still. He likely hoped that even if the marriage went smoothly, killing King Il could happen.
It wasn't as if that thought didn't also lurk in the back of Soo-Won's mind.
Going by the questions Kye-Sook had written, Yona had done her research, and he... honestly hadn't expected that, a part of him.
According to some sources near the Fire Tribe border, while the Kai Empire fell apart with a civil war between two Emperors, Kan Su-Jin was rumored to be stocking up on weapons in excess. Of course, the Fire Tribe would rebel soon, and Soo-Won would probably have to quell it.
Yona wasn't ready to do anything much, of course, but perhaps, Hak would be great to deter him and his troops off. That would be better and much more easier to start with than getting Geun-tae's support. Without doubt, Geun-tae was an important ally, but how much time was left? Hak was needed more.
So in all likelihood, if Soo-Won didn't step in, King Il would have likely been killed by then.
It was a thought he used to console himself. King Il was being saved by him, and he didn't even deserve it, that ungrateful bastard.
He really could kill him...
Though, it wouldn't do to worry about situations that had no clear answer in front of them right now. He had to regain his energy with a good sleep.
Strange. Why was he thinking of sleeping now? Wouldn't it have been normal for him to only wrap working after several hours of burning the midnight oil?
Maybe Soo-Won was yearning for something else too. A feeling of comfort, perhaps? From his parents? Though they were gone.
Yu-Hon and Yon-Hi. Neither were by his side.
"I want to rule with you by my side!"
Moonlight shined on Yona's letter... revealing crossed out words...
The moon is so huge, too. It reminds me of that time when we
Goosebumps trailed down his spine.
Soo-Won looked up at the moon. It was huge... beautiful too...
Yona shutting out the orange candlelight, her naked skin shining a soft blue the first night. Staring at him wordlessly, determined...
The next night, her red hair flowing, her dress, her gentle smile, bathed in the moon.
Later, her kiss, framing them within the bright moon.
Soo-Won could feel it, almost. Her lips, touching his again. Soft, gentle.
The wind was blowing through the window... like her cool hands, touching his face without fear...
If he closed his eyes, he'd back there at night with Yona... but he didn't let himself. He looked down instead at her letter again.
My dear Soo-Won,
His eyes widened, and somewhere deep down he felt his chest clench.
"She... erased that..." His voice was not above a whisper.
I've just started writing these letters, and I'm not very experienced, so it's not like you have to pay it much matter. Possibly over time, I'll start asking more important questions
She wrote it so oddly. As if she didn't expect him to read it at all. Why?
He skimmed through the entire letter, and saw several scratches and erased words that he hadn't noticed before. Kye-Sook hadn't seen them, as the ink had definitely destroyed most of the words' legibility. Unfortunately, some were so erased that he could no longer read any at all. He could only make out a couple of things.
Be safe. That's all I ask. Till the next time we meet,
Yona
You really didn't have to cross that out, Yona. He thought miserably. Even if you had nothing to show for in your letter, it wasn't like I was going to judge you for it...
This was just inconvenient. Why couldn't she be honest?
Even though he'd pushed her away back then and told her to act like a ruler... okay, he was being a hypocrite again.
What was it with Yona? Was it that he'd been too harsh that night when he pushed her away? Did that make her hold herself back here?
...Truth be told, it stung a little, just reading it.
Something in this letter was missing. It had some hole. She wasn't being honest with him anymore.
Did she not want him to be safe?
Had he hurt her that much?
...He hadn't intended to. It wasn't like that.
The truth was that he really wanted to be nicer to Yona... Maybe he should have explained that better.
"You tell me to act for myself, think for myself, but that is all what you want, where is my say in this?" She'd scolded him then. "It's not funny, okay? I want to rule with you by my side!"
She was too naïve. He wasn't going to be by her side! He was a dying man... and he surely deserved that death.
But the illness had also brought them together... Soo-Won was confused for the nth time.
He had been willing to hurt her and Hak not so long ago, and the only reason he'd changed his mind was because of the circumstance. Soo-Won knew that he was not a good person.
Still, she makes communicating so much harder here... Soo-Won gave himself an excuse. When she hides things, I can't even understand her. Her handwriting is already too messy as it is... if... she'd just erased these marks... I could read the whole thing...
Did... he... want... that? To read the whole letter?
Turning off his candlelight, Soo-Won went to sleep.
In his dreams, he wasn't really sure, it felt so vague, but Yona's hands seemed to grasp his. Just the feeling of it calmed him slightly. Was it just wishful thinking?
Even if one day, he wouldn't be by Yona's side, maybe... it would be a bit nicer and easier to get by if they were more honest with one another...
In a hidden corner outside the mansion the same night, Kye-Sook spoke alone to a tall, dangerous man shrouded in a dark cloak.
"Track Princess Yona and King Il at Hiryuu Castle. Something about this entire arrangement seems fishy. In the case that Lord Soo-Won is being blackmailed, we have to eliminate threats now. And in the case that you find the informant that leaked our plot to King Il, I want you to end him."
The Assassin nodded, and left. He was going to travel to Hiryuu Castle as a spy.
He was one of Yu-Hon's bodyguards, shadowy and dark, and hidden in the night. He could end anyone easily, crush the life out of them.
None of the pathetic efforts of a little girl would stand in his way if he needed to kill her.
Notes:
This is more of a break from too much intensity in previous chapters, since Yona and Soo-Won are away from one another. It's kind of giving the whole "love letter, distant but connected" feeling...
If you liked it leave a comment/like and thanks for reading!