Hak watches Yona carefully tie his sash around his waist. He's as in love as he's ever been.

"There. None will be the wiser that we weren't actually doing laundry out here."

"Well..." Hak eyes the pile of still very dirty linens they brought with them - one particularly incriminating towel with traces of Yona's blood she'd affectionately wiped from his offending body parts.

"Shhh, we can hide it with the other dirty laundry when we get back."

Hak smiles wryly at his unladylike princess as he scoops the pile under one arm and takes her hand with his other, "Not a problem. We'll be back in time for dinner."

Yona blissfully watches her held hand as they walk, then weaves her fingers between his - a new level of intimacy between them.

Hak gently releases their grasp when they reach the edge of the woods, "We should probably act like we were before."

Yona considers, "Are you embarrassed?"

"Not at all."

"As always, protecting me from some danger off in the distance?"

"Both of us," Hak sighs with dread as he watches the immediate distance - Tae-Woo approaching, head down in shame, Mundok right behind him, "Don't worry, Princess. I'll handle this."

"It's OK, Hak!" Yona pleads to her furious companion, "I'm happy to do this."

Hak is on the ground, fuming up at Mundok who just landed him there, "I am her bodyguard! My one job is to be by her side."

"You've waited behind doors for her before. This won't kill you," Mundok calmly - almost bored - retorts, "Better yet though, go join the others at dinner. I'll bring her back to you safely."

When Mundok and Tae-Woo arrived, the elder had surprised Hak and Yona by simply welcoming and walking them back as he detailed the awaiting dinner. But when they reached the great hall, he detained the princess for a private conversation - to Hak's horror. And Hak fought against it immediately. But Mundok wouldn't budge.

"Please don't worry," Yona tries to diffuse the tense scene with her sweet, calm voice. She places her hand on Hak's to steady and comfort him as she has countless times before - but when she sees Hak's face tighten as Mundok looks at that touch, she understands that there was a conversation before this between these two. About her.

She rises, her back straight with determination - she will smooth over whatever wrong Mundok thinks Hak has commit, "I'm looking forward to speaking with you, Mundok. It's felt like ages."

All the hard lines on the Old Man's face soften as he smiles down at Yona and places a hand on her back to escort her. His affections for his eldest grandson have always had be expressed through firm lessons. But with the princess, he's always been able to show his adoration outright. Like his very own granddaughter.

As she walks away, Yona tries not to think about Hak's worried expression behind her. Don't worry, Love. I'll take care of this.

"It has to be him! In the entire country, he's the only one..." Yona is desperate, verging on tears.

"It would only be temporary," Mundok explains, "Tae-Woo would be up to the task as your bodyguard in the meantime and you have your Dragon Warriors. ...but if I'm being honest, I'd rather you stayed with us here in the Wind Tribe until the dealings with Kai are out of the way."

Yona is calm, steady, and burning as she responds, "I understand your wish to reinstate Hak as General. I myself dream of he having his name cleared and regaining his status. But it's clear that since the seed of this suggestion came from Soo-Won, the offer cannot be taken at face value. And even with common goals, I don't believe Hak is ready to... he's not ready to support the king. Finally, I will never again wait in hiding or idleness. And I will not voluntarily part from Hak, fugitive or not."

It's a long moment as Mundok absorbs her fiery declaration. She's the girl he's always known - but truly coming into her own. If the conversation weren't so serious, he might be beaming with pride.

"You said you love the boy."

Yona blushes, and, despite the defiant speech she just gave, is shy and hopeful as she professes, "We want to marry."

Mundok is touched. He lets it absorb with a reflective smile, then, "No words have made me so happy in a decade. I had hoped... he would become a man worthy of the woman he's always loved."

The confession squeezes Yona's heart. For how long has Hak loved her?

"It's the reason I asked you if you'd be able to let him go. If doing things through official channels could give him his old life back and as a result make him a possible husband to you..."

Yona is moved, but, "I don't care about names, titles, approval... I just want to keep him from now onward, however it is I can have him."

"...there may be a way."

Yona can tell he doesn't much like the idea because he finishes his cup of alcohol before continuing.

He looks at her bittersweetly, "Marry in secret. ...because the king cannot know. The citizens of this country cannot know. Even Hak's own family."

The thought is a sudden pain that stabs through Yona's heart. She knew if they were to marry quickly that it would be a small, quiet ceremony barely stitched together in time. But this... the pain reverberates as all that it means comes into her mind.

Mundok offers, "But the Dragon Warriors could know. To all others, yes, you would need to hide your relationship. It's a direct threat to the throne. But those dragons themselves are a threat to the throne. They could share in this secret. And so maybe this wouldn't be so bad... until we can solve our greater problems with the king another way."

It dawns on Yona how marrying Hak now would egregiously fly in the face of Soo-Won's offer to allow Hak to return to his post. Instead, Hak would be taking up a much more threatening position at her side - she the rightful queen and he her rightful king. She shakes her head. She can't think like that - politically - not about her own marriage. Only so far as it will protect Hak. And to protect him, she knows Mundok is right - they will have to pretend to the world, Dragons aside, that they are still just a harmless wandering fugitive and an exiled princess in hiding.

"May we have your blessing?"

"I expect great grandchildren," Mundok teases his heartfelt approval, "From you two, they're going to be incredible."

Yona leaps to hug him, happy tears in her eyes.

"She'll be here soon. And you're the only guy she'll be looking for," Hak encourages Tae-Yeon who still has an empty seat waiting for Yona at the great dinner table. It's a feast and, as per usual in any Wind household, there's boundless merriment.

Jae-Ha slides a small bowl of a delicious-looking dessert in front of the child. Tae-Yeon beams at his green-haired "uncle" as he lifts his spoon to dig in. Jae-Ha turns his attention to his friend who's been missing for hours, "Did you have a nice chat this afternoon?"

Hak gives Jae-Ha a deadpan look: they're in a crowded dining hall, "Not the time, Droopy Eyes."

"Scared her off? Must be why our Dear Yona isn't here..."

Hak continues eating, "Not your business."

"I hate always having to ask her. You give me nothing, Hak."

Then Jae-Ha notices a pink, swollen patch of skin on Hak's exposed collar bone. One also on his neck. Small, heart-shaped almost... unmistakable to an experienced lover.

Hak is surprised when he looks up and Jae-Ha isn't there.

Jae-Ha started walking as soon as he realized... and he hasn't been able to stop. Pacing, wandering, trying to think but not being able to think at all. Being fucking furious at how casual Hak is treating something so painful to him. The knife he altruistically rooted for being stabbed further into his heart. For her. For him. The damn beast could at least tell him when it's been done. Put him out of his misery.

Jae-Ha rolls his head back in frustration as he walks, then jumps forward into the darkness. He won't be back tonight.