"You have remarkable observation skills," though Ik-Soo isn't watching Soo-Won as he says this.

Instead, Ik-Soo sits adjacent to this foreign visitor whom Kija brought back to his village. Both Ik-Soo and Soo-Won watch forward from an outdoor table where they've been having lunch as the villagers celebrate Kija's return out on the lawn before them.

"Oh?" Soo-Won asks innocently with a hand scratching behind his head, then a little seriously, "I'm beginning to see you and I have some things in common."

Ik-Soo doesn't react, just stares forward with peace in those eyes that no one can see, "I won't pretend we're not in Kouka. Even if they weren't throwing a festival for Kija, you would have easily connected this was once his home."

"After the shoes," Soo-Won glances down at the handwoven straw sandals on his feet, "My expectations for you to be forward were low. I'm impressed."

"Expectations are a dangerous thing to hold."

Soo-Won takes a deep breath. A little blonde boy beams as he chases two friends, then turns in pause when he sees Soo-Won's harrowed expression watching him. Soo-Won closes his eyes at the painful, nostalgic feelings at war inside him.

"In patience we gain strength," Ik-Soo encourages.

"Whatever it is you're trying to achieve with me… I don't believe in the same things you do, Priest."

Ik-Soo is unmoved, "And yet in your heart you're desperate to comprehend how she with a single look could make your heart stop and freeze your feet to the ground as though you had become a statue."

Soo-Won snaps his head over to look at Ik-Soo, but the priest has already risen and started walking away. How did he…? Ik-Soo trips over nothing, then rises with a friendly wave to the children that he's really OK.

Soo-Won again stares at his sandals - hard, then rises and follows after Ik-Soo.

The once and still king walks with a slight limp due to his healing wounds, but he catches right up.

"Where are you going?"

"To pray."

Soo-Won sighs, "May I leave with them? The dragons. Or am I intended to be a captive here? I don't wish to stay in this place. I need to go back."

Ik-Soo continues down a path into the woods along a river, "You need air. I think you're missing the big picture."

"Your foolish philosophies are getting us nowhere."

"They got us right here," Ik-Soo stops and gestures around at the foliage.

"This is the very definition of nowhere."

Ik-Soo as casually as ever, "Until you are able to see beyond, you won't be able to find your way back."

"Did you not just moments ago compliment my ability to observe?"

"Ah, yes, you're brilliant."

Soo-Won throws a hand to his forehead. This man is an idiot.

"But you overlook almost everything."

"Pardon?"

"You've existed in a very small world, Soo-Won. On details that pertain to it, you are incredibly focused. But until you let go of your obsession with all that you had and knew, your world will stay the same. I think it's probably a very painful place to be right now. Why not come on a walk outside instead? It's beautiful out here."

Ik-Soo begins walking again. Soo-Won calls after in frustration.

"You're wasting both of our time and putting the princess in danger. I need to speak with her. She and Hak must be to the palace by now. There are things there that-"

"The princess will not be harmed."

"We don't know that," and yet as Soo-Won begins to follow once more, he finds himself questioning whether Ik-Soo actually could know that… maybe even feeling relief if he did, "How did you know… about the way she looked at me?"

Ik-Soo stops and sits at the edge of a pool of water the river gently spills over into. Soo-Won joins beside him.

"I once served at the palace, many years ago."

Only the sound of the water.

"I understand you know what that means."

"I told you that I, too, do not believe in what you do," Soo-Won clarifies, fully understanding now they are also speaking about his father Yu-Hon and when he threw all the priests out of the palace.

Ik-Soo again is not visibly discouraged, "Faith is a personal journey - I have no business on yours. I'm simply here to help you. There are things that happened at the palace at that time that I will reveal to you. You can decide on your own to trust my words or not."

Soo-Won stares at this man… suddenly not wanting to be somewhere else. Just here - listening.

"You'll have to earn each one."

Soo-Won receives those words with dread. He hasn't sat still this long since he can remember. He feels like jumping out of his skin already. And he needs to talk to her. It's all he's been thinking about. That and the pain.

"Then after all has been revealed… what exactly? I'll know something I didn't before and you'll let me leave?"

"You'll see. Patience."

Soo-Won stares forward over the calm water and wonders about how quickly he can draw the secrets from this man. How quickly he can get back to Yona to warn her.

"Min-Soo!" Yona throws her arms around her old friend at the door. She turns back toward her room, "Look - Hak, it's like old times!"

"Well…" Hak watches Min-Soo nearly fall over from Yona's hug - he's clearly still healing from his wound.

Yona brightly continues, "We were just about to head out. Can we help you with something?"

"General Joo-Doh sent me to find you. When you weren't in the King's chambers, he got pretty rattled."

Hak sighs, "You can tell General Joo-Doh we survived the night without him hovering over us. And we'll be sleeping in this room from now on. He's not invited."

Min-Soo's cheeks go a little pink, "Of course."

"Hey," Hak calls after, freezing Min-Soo mid-turn, "It's good to see you."

After a returning smile, Min-Soo disappears.

Hak and Yona walk down the hall together and it's a little weird because they're side by side - which they most often weren't in the palace before - and not touching - which is rare of them anywhere lately. So with a bite of her lower lip, Yona sneaks a hand across and grabs Hak's. When his wry smile creeps up, she glows.

"Kyo-Ga came already. He'd like to speak with me about coronation."

"Whatever you said at camp seemed to really work with that guy. If he had the power, I'd say he'd put a crown on your head right here."

"To be honest, it makes me a little uncomfortable."

"I'm glad. Me, too."

"I trust him. I just think… sometimes we can't even trust ourselves if we let our ambitions get ahead of us."

"With all the generals, they're capable of being great men if you lead them well."

"Actually…"

Hak pauses to sit on a bench under an arch for this one, "Did you know this was one of my favorite napping spots?"

"No… that's really irrelevant, Hak."

"I'm asking you not to ruin my memory of this spot with whatever you're about to stay."

"You're so mean, Hak! I'm going to say something… good."

He raises his eyebrows in suspicion, "OK Princess, go on…"

"We've been discussing who to appoint as the new Water Tribe general. I've decided. Just as we agreed that I should be involved leading the generals because of my unique contributions in peace and negotiation, I think that Lili should become a general because of her bravery, open-minded views on how things are done, and how much her tribe respects her."

Hak scratches his chin and considers, "That's all true, though it's hard to get past that she doesn't fight."

"I know. I've already thought about it and… well, you taught me. Maybe Wind warriors have a knack for that? If she spent some time with Tae-Woo, he could train her which would mean he'd spend more time at the palace. I'm sure she could teach him some things, as well."

Hak sighs, "He's not gonna like that. At all. But she's loyal to you and that means a lot to me. As it is, I'm already gonna have my hands full figuring out who's not loyal and still in the Sky Tribe."

That sentiment affects Yona more than she expects. She stiffens… "Now that I think about it, maybe we should wait to see a doctor? Who knows what could spread before the coronation."

There's a pain in Hak's expression as he looks up at her, holding her hand in his, "I hate this."

"Once Mundok is here, he'll know what to do."

Hak kisses the top of her sweet hand, "OK. ...then I think you have some dragons to go see."

Yona smiles great big, but- "You're not coming with?"

"I'll be right behind you," Hak smiles back up at Yona to calm her, "There's something I need to do first."

She nods, then, "I can't wait to stuff you all full of delicious things at lunch!"

"Palace food - that I have missed," Hak confesses.

Yona leans forward and they kiss gently, deeply for a long heartfelt moment before Yona pulls back with happy eyes, reluctantly drops his hand, and heads down the hall toward the other loves of her life.

Hak watches after her wondering if he can even let himself allow her to walk to their room on her own. ...he rises and follows at a distance - the answer is no, no he can't.

How the hell am I gonna do this when there are two of them?!