"Ahhhhhh!" Grunting, swords, and sweat fill the training grounds.
The Sky warriors haven't worked so hard in their lives as they have in the past few days. They have a new fear in them about Hak. And an undeniable respect for him as a warrior. If any of them are working against him... they certainly must be conflicted about things right now.
That is not a man to fuck with.
Joo-Doh glances around the field. "Where's the Thunder Beast?"
Hak is frozen. Rip the rest of this gear off? Or... charge the princess and take her in my arms… Wait. Did she just ask me if I MIND?!
Yona watches her personal warrior as still as that first time she kissed him in Ogi's back alley hideout. Given what happened between them after, she knows that this reaction from Hak is actually some kind of confused ecstasy.
They both know his mind doesn't allow him to believe he deserves the good things that happen in his life. Being loved. Wanted.
But Yona knows how her husband feels about sex. She's felt the rapture in his trembling body and the loss on his softly parted lips while he's been inside her. She's seen the wonder in those beautiful blue eyes as all his inhibitions and insecurities have flitted away as he's lost his mind. Sometimes, Hak is just a mortal man.
So no matter what's going on between them, she knows there's a chance...
The way a mischievous smile rises on Yona's face, Hak knows he's about to be fully at her mercy. This girl is literally the only Koukan in existence who can bring him to his knees, begging and obedient. She can land him there in seconds.
Yona advances, eager and hopeful. She boldly reaches forward. Feels his hardness through the cloth of his pants.
Hak does a sharp intake of air like he's just held his breath for two minutes. His eyes cloud over as he feels her small hand grip and stroke him, coaxing him to need her. Now. And he's needed her for days, desperately.
Yona doesn't let go of him as she reaches her other hand up to gently guide his face down to hers. He's intoxicated by her touch, her smell, her want of him. As he follows her lead and takes her lips with his, he feels his hips involuntarily press forward against her hand, yearning all the way to her body.
As the tip makes contact through all the fabric between them, all the blood in Hak's body flashes with heat. He wraps his arms around Yona and pulls her tighter against him still.
Their kiss is deep and slow. To someone watching, it'd look like they're trying to devour each other. But really, they're desperately trying to get as close as possible. Though nothing could be enough. And so they press their soft surfaces hard against one another. Their tongues flick and rub between their mouths.
Yona moans into Hak. He wants to make her moan more - when she starts getting loud, that's when she really starts melting into his arms.
And Yona is melting - the way he moves his mouth over hers, encompasses her figure within his broad shoulders, her thighs can't help but get weak. Her core tightens inside, aching for him to enter and take all his pleasure from her welcoming body.
"Yona," he praises as he gasps for a respite, to orient himself in this sudden rush of passion.
But she's already pushing his pants down. And he's already dropping the robe from his shoulders.
There's a better place, a better way for all this. But etiquette has been all but replaced by need now. There's no space for thinking, only doing. And it's all so natural.
Hak moves his hands down to Yona's hips and tugs slightly to tease them up. Yona responds by jumping up. He pulls her against his abs as she wraps her legs around his torso.
Hak carries her toward a table as they continue making out and her wetness slips across his abs. There's no time to take off shoes or finish getting Hak's clothes off. He sets her bare bottom on some fabric on the table. He looks deep into her eyes to see if this is all OK.
It's a sacred moment shared between them. Their gaze into one another with sincerity, love, and hope. Words aren't needed. But all humans still try-
"I missed you," Hak professes.
Yona feels a shock of joy, then replies, "I wanted you."
Yona can see the words touch him as they hold their gaze. Then he swoops down to kiss her and she can feel his smile against her lips.
Hak's hands ghost down to her hips and-
"Hhh," Yona feels him enter her.
Hak's hands splay out across her back to hold her steady as he begins to thrust. As his movements become more powerful, the table begins to rock. Yona gasps out in pleasure as everything on the table - except her - begins to fall off. Cups. Weapons, Sharpening stones. Shoes.
"Nng. Yes. Harder, harder," she begs.
Hak complies, his mouth parted and breathing heavy. Yona throws her head back, her hardened, swollen breasts moving like waves beneath him.
The door's closed. Odd.
Joo-Doh reaches out to try the knob when he hears it - something pounding against the wall. A man's grunts. A woman's cries of pleasure. Things falling?
The Sky general raises a single hand to halt all the warriors who were following him. "I think we should return to the grounds."
The halted warriors suddenly notice the sounds. One half of the fighters blush while the other half glance over with fascination.
"Hak!" Yona's voice carries through the wall as the banging gets louder.
"Now!" Joo-Doh threatens, mortified.
All the warriors' eyes go wide as they scurry to head back to work.
Joo-Doh turns to see Jae-Ha standing at the end of one of the porticos.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the door," Jae-Ha affirms.
Joo-Doh pushes air out of his nose, then huffs back to the training grounds.
Jae-Ha smiles at the scene. Way to go, Little Brother. I knew you'd get your priorities straight.
"Ahh ahh," Hak comes into Yona in long spurts, his hands tensing against her back and his dark hair a mess against his cheeks and forehead.
"Mmm," she smiles, leaning her forehead up against his. She's never orgasmed multiple times from a single penetration like that before. She's in awe how the pregnancy has made her walls so sensitive from the extra bloodflow.
Hak sneaks a peck onto her lips, then trails kisses down her neck. Yona moves her hands up over his gorgeously-defined pecks, her thumb tracing over scars along the way.
"Hak?" Yona asks.
"Mm?" He's distracted but trying to listen.
"Hold me?"
He glances up from the arm he was kissing and smiles at her. In an instant she's in his arms being carried.
Hak stops to assess the room and smiles wryly at how much they knocked onto the floor. Then he sees his robes. He lays them out on the dirt floor, then lays Yona on them, putting some of his clean robes over her to keep her warm. He pulls her into his arms.
They lie there staring at each other, he playing with her hair, she gathering her courage.
"It's really hard on me... when we don't do that," Yona admits with a blush.
Hak stops moving to process this. "...on you?"
Yona tries to understand his shock. "Wait… you wanted to, too?"
A corner of Hak's mouth pulls back as he runs a hand through his hair and considers how to answer that one. "Princess… I plan to live a very long time because it's my job to make sure you live a very long time. And for that entire time, you don't ever need to ask that question. The answer is always gonna be yes." He lets out a breath, then adds, "You have no idea."
Yona snuggles up against him, "That makes me happy."
They canoodle for a good while longer before Yona has the courage to bring up that other topic...
"Jae-Ha told me about the gift."
Hak scowls toward the door. "He did, did he?"
"And that he told you about Lili."
Hak immediately softens and looks down at her.
Yona looks up at him with her big amethyst eyes. "Are you mad at me?"
"Mad? Because someone made a move on you when you were pretending we weren't together?"
Yona considers that response with a super cute hard-think face. Then, "Oh. When you say it like that… it doesn't seem like such a big deal."
"I'm sad though."
"Huh?"
"You were afraid to tell me."
"Oh. Hak… I just… I don't know, It felt like something wrong had happened at the time. And you don't know Lili like I do. I still wanted you to be open to giving her a chance."
Hak keeps his sad gaze on Yona. She still sees him as coming up short in forgiveness. He doesn't need to wonder why.
Yona switches the subject- "Would you ever consider using concubines? I know it's normal in the history of the palace, it just never occurred to me as something we'd ever... do."
"Never."
The speed of Hak's reply gives Yona's heart a flutter. "Really?"
"I wouldn't ever do something that could damage our relationship. And I don't even want to. Why would I? I'm next to the coolest, most badass and beautiful wife in Kouka. I'd be an idiot to take my eyes off you for a second."
Not that he cares to mention it, but he also spent most of his life watching the sole object of his affection show affection toward someone else right in front of him. He knows that fucking agony. But he has nothing to complain about anymore. He'd do it all over again for Yona.
"Just checking. Sometimes you are an idiot, you know."
Hak looks at her adoringly. "Me? Never."
Yona slips out from under his robe and climbs onto him. He gracefully rolls onto his back, welcoming any and all advances. She moves her hands into his hair as she kisses him.
"As long as you're all mine, I'll take every version of you."
Hak smiles. "All of them?"
Yona considers. "Most."
"I'm a package deal."
"Behave."
Yona feels his hardness against her back. She starts feeling the heat rise in her again. As she leans in for another kiss, she whispers, "Don't behave."
Hak nibbles her lower lip, then she lifts herself and slides down onto his most sensitive place. They begin to make love again - slowly, intimately.
Joo-Doh is back. Jae-Ha looks down from the red roof and shakes his head no.
Moments later when Joo-Doh arrives back at the training field, he looks to the west at the setting sun.
"Head to dinner," he commands.
"In our gear?" The warriors never do this.
Joo-Doh doesn't say a word but starts heading toward the dining hall himself. Enough already.
The soldiers trade impressed glances. There's some serious stamina going on back there.
In their third round, Hak is thrusting deep into Yona from behind. She's on her knees with her legs close together, which makes it as tight as possible for him.
They're both loud and sweaty at this point, but in no way tiring of their intimacy.
Yona reaches under herself to grab his balls and massage them as he continues. He bends down over her so he can knead one of her breasts.
Hak's face is almost pained from the pleasure as he climaxes into her once more. Yona savors the amazing feeling of his warmth filling inside her. She tingles at every extremity and cherishes the effort to catch the breath he took away from her.
When he pulls her back into his arms, they confide once more about the recent days apart. About the ridiculous requests, gifts, and company. How easily things like that could get overwhelming and split them apart. But that they're a team and need to put each other first. No more secrets. No more days without touching.
"Are you sure you still want to be king?" Yona asks.
"That's a silly question," Hak snorts.
"...I thought it was a good one."
"I've never wanted to be king."
"Oh. Then why'd you-"
"I need to be king. That's why I don't want to be consort. As much as I'd love to be your sex slave husband, Princess," he loves her shock at that sentiment, "the more power I have, the better I can protect you. And the better you're protected, the more Kouka will flourish."
Yona is touched, "You'll even put up with the ridiculous nobles and court politics for that?"
Hak turns his head to smile at her, "Anything."
He reaches out and holds his hand just an inch from her ever-so-slight pregnancy bump, then he closes his eyes as he closes that gap and touches her there. He feels that fullness he's been dreaming about. And he's so damn happy he could cry.
It's the most incredible thing he's ever felt.
Yona sees Hak's expression… and it's better than any laugh or smile she's ever been delighted to put on his face.
It's the most incredible thing she's ever seen.
Yona and Hak are starving as they wander into the dining hall at the end of everyone's supper. They're both looking a little disheveled, but glowing. And luckily Jae-Ha had a change for Yona so she's clothed in more than just a cloak.
Joo-Doh watches them, grumbly but also a little touched. He knew those kids since they were so small… it's not so bad to acknowledge that not all of that ended in tragedy.
The Sky warriors there are still in their gear - a topic of much conversation. One thing is for certain, the rumors of the torrid romance and surely-coming heir from Kouka's soon-to-be new rulers won't be dying down anytime soon. It's all starting to build into something of a proud legend.
And moments later when Hak announces in apology to the still-geared-up warriors that they won't be working these hours any longer, the fascinating mythology around him only grows.
"Having something to fight for makes the best warriors. Make sure you see your families. I don't need us forgetting why we're here."
Soo-Won stares into the fog at the edge of the woods once again.
The village is surrounded by a thicket in every direction. It's a perfect shroud to keep someone from entering this hidden place. And it's beyond frustrating for anyone waiting for that very thing to happen.
"Worse than watching water come to a boil, I'd imagine," Ik-Soo suggests as he arrives behind him.
Soo-Won smiles softly but doesn't turn to face the priest-now-friend, "I have faith."
"Isn't it amazing?" Ik-Soo joins in awe, "Only when we accept we don't have control over when or how things manifest, then can we truly see."
Soo-Won suppresses a laugh, fully aware that they're two guys staring into a dark thicket, one of which with a mat of hair over his eyes.
"Come with me."
Ik-Soo leads Soo-Won out the other side of the forest to where he can look over a hill. The moon shines down on them now. And even in the darkness of night, Soo-Won can see more than he ever could from the village.
"It's brave of you to show me a way out," Soo-Won offers.
"I have trust."
Soo-Won takes a deep breath. He feels his heart calm to be standing in an open expanse. It's been too long. And it's unbelievable that he's standing here, painless, inside and out. Well, mostly. He just needs to see Yona. When he sees her, then...
"Your goals have always been set on the wrong thing."
Soo-Won looks at Ik-Soo, curious what he means.
"Seeing the princess right now is something… but it's not the root. It won't cut out the pain."
"...I've never met anyone who can heal others like Yona," Soo-Won confesses. "Maybe she could even heal me."
Ik-Soo folds his hands together and lets out a deep breath, amazed by what he just heard.
"Then there's something you must know. The final piece I will share with you."
Soo-Won looks up at the moon and braces himself.
"I'm ready."
"As I mentioned before - after the beheadings at Xing, your father lost everything. Not just the crown… he had seen a darkness within himself with which he could not cope. Neither could his father nor his brother - King Il. But the person who could see past that, to the man he once was and could once again be, was Yona's mother. They developed a close friendship and she helped him heal. For that… he fell in love with her. Which is exactly what led to her death."
Ik-Soo turns to look at Soo-Won. The once-king is no longer looking at the moon, but directly back at Ik-Soo. Tears in his eyes.
"King Il? Did he kill her? Tell me she was unfaithful to him. Tell me it was he who…"
Ik-Soo knows why the boy is begging for that to be true. But there is only one truth.
"She wasn't unfaithful. But that did not stop the jealousy. Neither King Il nor your father ended her life."
Soo-Won gasps as he lowers his head and tries to breathe. He's realizing something that's shaking the core of his foundation, his life. And in his heart, it all clicks right into place. Like he always knew. And always denied it.
"Should I give you some time alone?"
Soo-Won shakes his head, angry, determined. "No. I have... wasted… too much time."
"I hope you understand now why the princess cannot be your path to salvation."
They stand in silence for a time before Ik-Soo begins to wander away.
"Wait," Soo-Won calls after.
Ik-Soo turns.
"Tell me… my father. That's the only part that doesn't make sense. If it wasn't King Il who murdered him… I know it couldn't have been…," Soo-Won cannot even bear to say the name, "Then who?"
"After Yona's mother died, Soo-Won... your father ended his own life."
And for only the second time in his entire life, Soo-Won collapses to the ground against his will. And he sobs.
The first time was as a guilt-ridden friend, silent heaves in secret the night Tae-Jun told him Hak and Yona had fallen from a cliff and died.
This time, it is as a left-behind son, agony at the realization that the years of pain from missing his idol, his father… were by his father's own doing. And that without intention, Soo-Won himself had almost taken the same way out of darkness.
No. Never again. Now alone, Soo-Won clasps his hands together and prays up at the moon for strength. He will never again try to take his own life. And he will save Hak and Yona's.
He rises to face what he has to do. He can tell Yona everything when she gets here. It's time to end what his parents started, once and for all.