A/N: Oh no! I ran into a problem as the chapter title had a character limit :( so I'll just past the full title of this chapter below

Chapter 3: Hands Held Firmly Behind His Back

"Princess… Princess Yona."

Yona huffs, disheveled and weary.

"Do you need to take a short break?"

"Phew, so you managed to escape in the end." Lili comments. "Tell me that things get better from here on." She begs.

Hak manages a smile. "They mostly do."

Clouds gather in the sky.

Hak guards over Yona as she rests against the base of a tree.

"Did Minsoo die?" Yona wonders forlornly. "Will I die, too? Will Soowon… kill you too?"

Kyoga feels like he has been stabbed in the gut.

The king that he trusted so much… There's no denying it now.

Soowon is a murderer.

He has been following someone who… who may not have been that much better than his father.

Conflict wars within him.

"I'll never hand my life over to that asshole." Hak growls.

"Heavens know that the only way you can die at his hands is if you go willingly." Kija says proudly. "There's no way anyone can kill you. Except me, of course." He sniffs pompously.

Hak snorts. "Don't get ahead of yourself now, White Snake."

Kija pouts.

Joodoh shakes his head, confused. He can't make sense of their dynamics at all. One moment they're talking about killing each other, the next they have each other's backs.

"Don't die, Hak. Because if you do… I won't forgive you…" Yona trails off as she falls asleep.

Hak gazes at the princess, reminiscing.

She was a princess who didn't know of filth or misery.

I still remember that time… as if it were yesterday.

Hak recalls it vividly as well, rewatching his thoughts.

"Oo, is Zeno going to see a flashback now?" Zeno exclaims excitedly.

…

He's always excited so that isn't saying a lot.

"Zeno will be seeing a new side of Mister!"

"Technically, it's an old side. Because, you know, it happened in the past." Geuntae grins. "Get it?"

Groans resound.

"That was a terrible pun." Joongi replies mildly.

"You just have no taste."

Joongi sips his tea, which King Hiryuu had procured for him. "My tastebuds are most refined, thank you very much."

Geuntae snorts, clearly disagreeing.

"Hak! Hey Hak!"

"Hm?"

A fifteen-year-old Hak is shown on screen.

"Wow, you look younger." Kija comments, taking in Hak's features and more relaxed disposition.

"Obviously. I was younger." Hak rolls his eyes.

"I like the feathers in your hair," Lili supplies.

"I removed them after… after I became the Wind Tribe General." He explains, ruffling his hair. In the beginning it had felt weird without the feathers, but now he's grown accustomed to it.

"You brat!" Mundok towered over Hak, nagging him for missing the meeting of the Five Tribes.

Hak replied irreverently as he bit into an apple, and muttered about the emperor being too bubbly.

Kyoga chokes on empty air.

"Were you allowed to talk about His Majesty in that impudent manner?" He asks, aghast.

"Well, it's true that King Il was very bubbly." Hak defends himself.

Kyoga thinks about it… and silently agrees.

"Call me grandpa, not Lord Mundok!" Mundok shouted.

Hak snapped back that they weren't related by blood, sticking out his tongue as he started brawling with Mundok.

"Bleh!"

"Even if you aren't biologically related, you still treat each other closer than some blood-related families." Lili comments. She's thinking of Soowon and Yona.

"Blood doesn't always run thicker than water." Joongi agrees calmly. He knows that Ayura and Tetora will gladly give up their lives for his daughter whereas some of his more estranged relatives barely care about her existence.

Hak scratches his head. "The old man just can't leave orphans behind. I have an adoptive brother as well." He smiles slightly as he thinks of Taeyeon – adorable, kind Taeyeon who was born with a weak body.

"So the Wind Tribe's hero is even kind…" Yoon mumbles dreamily.

"Hero?" Hak teases, knowing how much the younger boy admires his grandpa.

Heat creeps up Yoon's face while Mundok eyes him curiously. "U-uh, nothing."

Mundok snaps his finger. "Young lad! You were the one who helped the people taken to the Sei kingdom, right? The one I gave candy to?"

Yoon blinks, surprised that Mundok remembers him. "That's right." He says, uncharacteristically bashful.

Mundok nods in appreciation. "That was a brave thing you did."

Yoon looks like he may just float away to cloud nine.

"T-thanks!"

Hak hides his smile. If they continue watching, he knows that Yoon's not-so-hidden idolization of Mundok will come to light.

"Now, now…"

King Il entered, smiling affably as he gently chastised them.

"I see what you mean about being bubbly…" Kija, who has never met the king before, murmurs. From what he's seen of him, he was very warm, cozy, plump and soft – like a squishy bubble.

Mundok bowed while Hak cringed.

Crap, I said he was bubbly…

"Ha! Too late for regrets," Jaeha snickers.

Hak makes to hit him with his guandao, then remembers he doesn't have it with him.

Hak greeted the king, and when the king commented that Yona got lonely without him around, he only replied while being all smiles, "you bubbly liar."

"What's bubbly?!" Mundok roared, swatting Hak down.

"This insolent brat isn't my grandchild anymore!"

"I told you we weren't related by blood!"

Kyesook conceals his distaste when watching their interaction. With how loosely Mundok had disciplined Hak, it's no wonder that the so-called Thunder Beast dares to insert himself as a very patent thorn in their plans.

King Il then said in his usual benign manner that he liked Hak's honesty, and offered him a steamed bun.

"So random?" Geuntae cocks his brow, wondering where the king had kept the steamed bun. In his pockets? Sleeves?!

"… I like steamed buns." Shinah mumbles to no one in particular. "With… meat…"

A platter of steamed buns appears in front of him.

"… Thank… you…"

You're welcome, King Hiryuu's deep voice echoes.

Ao is already digging into the buns with gusto, the little squirrel's pouches soon chubby and full.

King Il suggested that Hak take up the role of Yona's permanent bodyguard, but Hak refuted it, as he always did.

Joodoh clenches his fists.

The role of Princess Yona's bodyguard should have gone to him, as the General of the Sky Tribe. Yet it went all the way to the Wind Tribe, and to Son Hak of all people.

Hak, whom people whispered, was favored to become the princess's fiance and husband.

Heaven knows that because Hak was given that honorable position, Joodoh's own status and reputation took a hit, and rumors of the king and him having friction soon abounded.

Geuntae will doubtlessly say that he's bearing a grudge, but who can blame Joodoh when it was such an important decision?

"You dislike weapons right, Your Majesty?" Hak began to walk away.

"Well then, find someone who treasures life, and can guard someone without using weapons."

"Hak!" King Il called after him.

"Hmm… Seeing how averse you were to being darling Yona's bodyguard, I am rather intrigued to see how you ended up with that role." Jaeha muses aloud.

Meanwhile, Mundok cracks his knuckles. "That brat…" He mutters. "He dared treat His Majesty that way?!"

Seeing that, Hak recoils. "Old man, that was all in the past…"

Still, the sound of Mundok menacingly pulling his fingers doesn't cease for a very long time.

As Hak reflected on the reasons for his reluctance to be Yona's bodyguard, a flustered voice grabbed his attention.

"Hak!"

Yona dashed over, scooting behind Hak.

Taejun's eyes widen as he suddenly remembers his involvement in this tiny incident.

He practically melts in his seat, slumping lower and lower, hoping no one will notice him –

"My lord, wasn't this where you harassed the princ –" Heukchi begins dully, but Taejun suddenly yells, "FWOOOOSH!"

Everyone sends Taejun a strange, weirded out look.

"Hahahaha… I was in the mood to do some vocal exercises…" Taejun tries and fails to salvage the situation. "Uh. Fwoosh, fwoosh…" He waves his hands in the air wildly, enacting a scene that looks like it belongs to an exorcism.

Kyoga never wanted to strangle his brother more.

"Ignore him." He grits out. "My brother… has exquisite tastes in his highly diversified hobbies."

Geuntae snorts, turning away.

Ever since we were little… I can't help but lose all self-composure when I'm with the princess. Hak thought, staring at the flushing princess who was glancing around shiftily.

"Aww, that's so cute! You've had a crush on Yona since you were young?" Lili coos, already picturing the two running off merrily into the sunset.

"Whatever mental image you're thinking of, get it out of your head." Hak closes his eyes, leaning back. "The princess won't ever reciprocate my feelings anyway…" He trails off.

Lili frowns. She considers herself pretty observant, and she doesn't think Hak has a null chance at all – in fact, she thinks he has a pretty good shot at winning Yona's heart.

"You give up too easily, Hak." Jaeha is inclined to believe the same. He has seen the way Yona looks at Hak, and even if it used to tear his own heart apart… Well, now he has chosen to give the two his blessings.

Though of course if things change, he'll always be there for Yona. And making sure Hak doesn't get too confident is his duty.

Jaeha drawls, "but you conceding defeat early means I have lesser competition."

A dull ache strikes Kija in his chest, and he rubs it.

Weird, he thinks.

Hak opens one eye, glancing at Jaeha. Jaeha beams back at him.

"Droopy-eyes… You don't stand a chance either."

In the past, Jaeha might have fired back with another taunting remark.

Now…

He maintains that listless smile as he replies, "I know."

The others' gazes dart back and forth between them.

"I'm sensing a strange energy… What is this foreboding feeling?" Taejun mumbles. That indescribable feeling stems from a new rival who has appeared in his quest for love, though he doesn't know that.

Hak and Jaeha turn back to the screen, and Taejun uneasily follows suit.

"Princess Yona!" An animated voice called out. "Princess! Where are you?" Taejun trilled as he walked around, looking for Yona.

Kyoga chokes on his tea.

"Taejun?!" He sputters in disbelief. Never mind, scratch that, he can believe that his idiotic brother will try to pester the princess.

"Sorry Brother!" Taejun wails. "That was a highly immature me and I assure you that I have most definitely grown since then! I no longer harbor such illicitly lecherous thoughts towards the princess!"

(Though he is still very much in love with Yona… Just that he has refrained himself from engaging in fantasies where they marry and live together happily ever after. He thinks.)

Kyoga is about to have an aneurysm.

"You had obscene thoughts about the princess?" He shrieks.

Taejun pales, shaking his head profusely, but Heukchi states tonelessly, "yes he did."

"HEUKCHI! I WILL FIRE YOU!" Taejun roars.

"No, you will not, my lord." Heukchi replies plainly.

"… Ugh, I hate that you're right."

A few moments later…

"He's courting you?!"

"So your brother has 'highly diversified hobbies', huh? Hobbies that extend towards hounding after the princess?" Geuntae raises a brow.

A vein is throbbing intensely on Kyoga's forehead. "Kindly…" His teeth grind together. "… forgive my brother."

Taejun sinks lower in his seat.

Especially when Kija turns his gaze towards him, filled with annoyance. He recalls the time when Taejun brought a fire signal with him to alert the Fire Tribe soldiers to their location, and that irritation deepens.

Taejun gulps.

Hak burst into laughter.

"It's the truth!" Yona insisted when he didn't stop laughing. "I'll strangle you."

She complained about how Taejun kept coming to the castle to give her presents and ask her to play with him.

"All he ever says is I'm as lovely as a flower or my heart is pierced through by your gaze." She groused.

Taejun winces.

"My heart is now pierced through by your harsh words, Your Highness," he moans.

Hak's expression was outwardly filled with disinterest.

Inside, he was thinking about how King Il currently had no heir to the throne and Taejun was probably trying to appease the princess so he could get the throne.

Mundok glares at Taejun. "Is that true?"

Taejun pales. "I-It's –" He fumbles. He should lie. But then he deflates as he thinks of Yona, and how disappointed she would be if he were to do that.

"It was the truth…" He whispers.

The others look at him critically.

"But… not anymore." He glances at the others pleadingly. "I don't want to be with Princess Yona just for the throne anymore!"

"So you do like the princess romantically," Kyoga points out.

Taejun can't deny that.

His elder brother just sighs. Even he can't bear to tell Taejun just how little of a chance he stands.

"He's so annoying!" Yona was ranting.

Another wince from Taejun.

"Why don't you tell him then? Tell him 'I have my heart set on Soowon'." Hak said bluntly.

The effect was immediate as Yona blushed heavily.

For some reason, Soowon feels his heart twinge. It's not guilt. It can't be guilt.

He has long since cast aside such useless emotions.

"But… it's just… one-sided…" She mumbled while fiddling with her fingers.

That's why I don't like coming here, Hak thought.

"Oof." Jaeha reclines in his seat. "Must suck for you, Hak, having a one-sided love as well."

Hak snaps his hand out, and Jaeha barely ducks in time. His fist glances against Jaeha's nose.

"Droopy-eyes, I do not need, or want, your sympathy."

Jaeha is clutching his nose. "Oo, that small contact there felt really good."

The others not from the Happy Hungry Bunch shoot him looks ranging from creeped out to befuddled.

"He's a pervert," Yoon explains off-handedly.

"You can't just tell us something like that and leave it there!" Taejun grouches.

"I don't think you're in a position to complain." Yoon sniffs at him coldly.

"Er, on second thoughts, never mind." Taejun distances himself from the conversation.

"Hak…" Shinah begins quietly.

Hak holds up a hand. "Your sympathy is appreciated but unneeded." He says wryly. "Eat your meat buns."

"Al…right…" Shinah continues eating enthusiastically.

"What a difference in treatment between Jaeha and Shinah," Kija comments.

"You're so cold, Hak." Jaeha complains.

"Yeah, and you enjoy it." Hak rolls his eyes.

Jaeha shakes his head. "Not when you're willingly doing it. You must hate it for it to be fun."

Yoon groans. "Ugh, a selective pervert is the worst type of pervert."

"You sound like you met a lot of perverts before." Geuntae points out.

"Both fortunately and unfortunately, I've only met one and that's enough to last me a lifetime." Yoon deadpans.

"Fair enough."

They resume watching.

As Hak continued to act apathetic, Yona muttered, "that's so cold, Hak. If it were Soowon… He would never say that."

People shake their heads.

"Mm… How inelegant." Joongi murmurs. "That was a graceless remark."

Kija shoots him the stink eye. Yona is always graceful in his eyes.

"Well then –" Hak whirled around angrily, pissed. "You can go cry to Lord Soowon to protect you, right?" He snapped.

Yona stared back at him, shocked by his outburst.

Mundok clears his throat. As much as Hak was annoyed by Yona's comment, he should have refrained from lashing out at her.

Hak lets out a sigh. "Fine, she shouldn't have said that and I shouldn't have replied that. We were both in the wrong. Happy?"

Mundok hums. "Say that to Her Highness the next time you meet."

"Are you crazy?! That happened years ago! No, she would think that I'm crazy for bringing that up now."

Later, Hak and Mundok were in their room, the former wanting to go back to the Wind Tribe territory. Mundok asked what he's angry about, and Hak insisted he was not angry at all.

"Sureee you weren't angry, with that thunderous expression on your face." Jaeha scoffs.

As Mundok walked away, Hak heard a knock on the window. He opened it and got the shock of his life.

Yona peered up at him, crawling in. She dropped a bunch of fruits on the ground, and abruptly apologized.

Shinah disagrees inwardly when he sees Yona referring to herself as cowardly.

She is anything but cowardly. She is the bravest being he knows, the light he is drawn to.

Your name is Shinah. You took my hand and led me in the darkness. You're my moonlight.

Because of her, he loves his name, even if he isn't quite sure what love itself is.

"I am the proud princess of Kouka kingdom." Yona said determinedly. "So I shouldn't complain, but do something about it myself."

So the princess can have this kind of thoughts, Kyoga thinks, surprised. He has always thought of her as an airhead, like her father.

She pointed at the fruits as she scooted away.

"It's a bribe for our reconciliation!"

Geuntae blinks. "Her Highness… is quite different from the rumors."

"Rumors are wildly exaggerated and blown out of proportion." Joongi counters calmly. "One should never trust them fully."

"And yet did you not also think of Princess Yona as a weak, sheltered girl?" Geuntae challenges.

"… You are quick to assume that my impression of her has changed."

"Has it not?"

Joongi thinks back on what he has seen so far. He may feel sympathy for the princess, but it is a separate affair from whether he respects her.

"No."

Not yet, he thinks. He has a feeling he may soon, but Joongi isn't one to fall prey to his gut feeling.

"You're harsh." Geuntae takes another swig of his wine.

"And you are far too hasty."

Hak picked up an apple.

That's why I didn't want to get too involved with the princess…

Sometime later, he was awoken from his nap by the gossiping of servants. Specifically, regarding King Il. They complained about how Kan Soojin had been secretly buying weapons from neighboring countries.

Kyoga's face darkens, his heart splicing in pain at the reminder of his father's eventual betrayal.

If only I had seen the signs earlier and stopped him! Then maybe… maybe Father would still be…

The servants continued to berate the king, fearing that the power of the tribes would grow while the monarchy would weaken.

"Well, they aren't wrong." Joodoh says gruffly. He has always believed that Yuhon was a better alternative to Il when it came to the throne.

"But you should have supported the king instead of backstabbing him…" Yoon mutters.

Joodoh goes silent. He has no retort to that.

Yoon goes on, emboldened by Joodoh's lack of reply.

"King Il did not fail the five tribes. Yona did not fail you all. The five tribes failed the king. You failed the king, you failed Yona."

Yona, who has been alone and afraid since her father's passing.

"If anyone has failed Yona…" The words slither across the room. "It would be me." Soowon smiles sadly.

"Don't speak her name." Hak hisses.

Soowon can't summon enough energy to perfectly plaster on the mask of the bumbling, amicable king he is.

So he only replies tiredly, "if that is what you want –"

"DON'T –" Hak reigns in his anger " – pretend that you care. It makes me sick."

Soowon closes his eyes. In this place, it's as though the Crimson Illness doesn't even exist. His mind is blissfully clear for once.

And he's at peace.

Frighteningly so.

"… Very well." He breathes. Because it's all an act. He can't suddenly be caring about Yona, or Hak, because… because he tossed them away a long time ago. And he has no regrets.

He doesn't regret.

As Hak reflected on King Il's earnest request, he smiled to himself.

I suggest you give it up, Your Majesty.

"Clearly King Il won since you eventually became the princess's guard." Kija says.

"His Majesty…" Hak replies fondly, "was very persistent."

"N-no!" Yona's shout alerted Hak to her presence.

His smile dropped as he saw Taejun bothering Yona again despite her insistent refusal. He wanted to show her the flower garden in the villa, unheeding of how disinterested or adverse the princess was.

"Taejun…" Kyoga and Mundok say at the same time, both their tones tinged with disapproval and vitriol.

"I know, I know! I learned my lesson already, I won't do that again," Taejun begs.

"You better not do that again," Mundok growls.

Taejun nods fervently.

He's annoying… If Soowon were here… Hak thought.

Then he scratched his head. No, even if the laid-back, clueless-about-love young master were here…

He imagined Soowon saying cheerfully and downright densely, "wow ~~~ that sounds like fun ~~~ see you later, Yona ~~~~" and then taking his leave.

Geuntae barks out a laugh. "Knowing His Majesty… That's exactly what he would have said."

"Knowing that it's me…." Soowon sighs but he has a genial smile on his face. "I think that's what I would have said as well."

Lili hides her smile. Soowon can be a klutz at times. Her smile fades as she thinks about how much Hak had known about Soowon, and how irreparable their friendship has become.

He's been like that ever since we were kids. He wouldn't worry about the princess.

"Oof. Hit the nail right on the head, didn't you?" Yoon cringes. He doubts Hak knew just how right his words were, and that they came in the form of Soowon murdering King Il.

As Taejun continued to pester the princess, the servants were hesitant to step up.

"That's General Kan's son. If we accidentally provoke the anger of a general…"

The generals present in the room shift uncomfortably.

Sure, they may have high status, but it's not as if they will abuse their power… right? Glancing around at each other, and knowing what they know now… Well, they're not quite so sure anymore.

Hak told himself not to get involved, to let them be. He closed his eyes. Yet he recalled Yona's words in his mind, unwittingly:

It's a bribe for our reconciliation!

"You caved in the end," Jaeha teases. "Like I knew you would."

"The power of fruits. Who knew they could be this effective," Yoon says. "Then again, it is Yona we're talking about."

"Yes, the miss can be very persuasive when she tries her best!" Zeno says as he… juggles three balls?

Your skill has only improved since then. King Hiryuu is impressed.

"Zeno also tries his best!"

Ohohoho, I am looking forward to what else you can do.

The others shake their heads. King Hiryuu is almost a fool for Zeno.

"You're really cute, Princess Yona. When you try to resist me with the strength of a kitten, it makes me want to touch you more and more," Taejun whispered in Yona's ear.

Crack.

The others turn as they see Mundok's armrest shattering.

Taejun pales. "G-ge-general M-Mundok…"

Mundok throws aside the wood fragments and glares at Taejun through his beady eyes. "Young lad, we're going to have a talk after this."

"J-just a talk, right? Nothing else?" Taejun laughs unnaturally. When Mundok doesn't reply, he lets out a whimper.

"Never mind…"

"No… Stop!" Yona's struggle was futile.

Mundok's other armrest breaks.

"That's enough."

"Finally," Mundok growls. "Took you long enough, my dilly-dallying grandson."

Hak tore Yona away from Taejun, embracing her protectively.

"Master Kan Taejun." The way he pronounced Taejun's name sounds like a threat.

Taejun shivers, remembering that moment clearly.

"Hak." Yona sounded surprised but happy to see Hak.

"Who gave you permission to touch my princess?"

Kija spews out his tea. "Your princess?!"

Hak shrugs. "Desperate times, desperate measures…"

He had really enjoyed playing the role of Yona's fiance. Probably too much, since it won't ever come true.

"My?"

"Whose?"

Both Taejun and Yona thought, their expressions identical in their befuddlement.

Jaeha snickers. Yona's shocked expression is hilarious. Taejun's though… That he can do without.

When Taejun called Hak on his bluff, Hak deflected it swiftly, saying the princess and him made a lifelong vow to each other when they were young.

Mundok frowns at Hak suspiciously. "I don't remember such a vow."

"Oh, I made it up," Hak reveals casually.

"I just knew it! You darn brat!"

As he tugged Yona closer to him, she was visibly flustered.

"What's wrong, princess? Don't be so shy."

"Ho ho ho! Not in front of other people!"

"Pff." Yoon's shoulders tremble as he chuckles. "Yona's acting is so stiff."

Jaeha has dissolved into cackles. "W-what's up with that 'ho ho ho'?!" He gasps out.

"It's a good thing my brother's a hairbrain because he won't catch on to that." Kyoga sighs. "Despite Her Highness's less than ideal acting."

"Princess… Do you… love him?" Taejun questioned while sweating profusely.

"Oo, I wonder what darling Yona will reply," Jaeha says.

Hak remembers that moment… and a faint blush dusts his cheeks.

"You're blushing!" Jaeha jabs one finger at Hak. "Why are you blushing? Something good must have come out of that."

The blush vanishes from Hak's face. Everyone turns to look at what Jaeha is pointing at, but doesn't see anything.

"Your eyesight must be failing you, droopy-eyes," Hak says boredly.

"Y-yes." She squeezed Hak tighter. "I love him. I really love him!"

Hak blinked, stupefied. He blushed lightly at Yona's words.

"Hak, you actually look adorable there," Jaeha says contemplatively.

Hak's fist shoots out and Jaeha ducks. "What happened to your no violence rule?!"

"It disappears whenever you're involved."

"So how did you feel when Yona said that?" Jaeha cannot be daunted. "Did your heart skip a beat?"

He's really courting death.

Jaeha is right, though. Hak's heart did skip a beat. Or many beats. He was that discomposed.

Taejun refused to accept it, and said as much, declaring that he was the second son of Kan Taejun. When he asked Hak who he was, Hak replied aloofly that he was the next general of the Wind Tribe…

"Son Hak."

Shinah gazes at the screen with wide eyes. That was a very suave introduction by Hak.

He wonders if he can incorporate that in his introduction, then realizes that he has no one to introduce himself to anyway.

But "I am Yona's moonlight, Shinah" does have a nice ring to it…

Ao nibbling on his finger draws him out of his fantasizing.

Hak drove in the nail further when he revealed that King Il personally asked him to become Yona's exclusive bodyguard.

An incensed Taejun tried to test his strength for himself, unsheathing his sword.

Kyoga clicks his tongue, barely containing his rage. First his brother tried to court the princess despite her blatant abhorrence, and then he attempted to attack the next Wind Tribe's general?

Grab.

King Il materialized out of nowhere, grabbing onto Taejun's blade with his hand.

Geuntae's keen eyes snag onto the king's hand.

"If he grabbed the blade like that, it would cut into his palm!" He cries out.

Joodoh, another talented swordsman, nods his head. "That surprised me. I thought King Il was afraid of weapons."

"He wasn't afraid of weapons," Hak can't help but to clarify. "He hated them, but not out of fear."

Joodoh blinks, and falls into his own thoughts. All along… Perhaps he hadn't known the king as much as he thought he had. And now he would never get a chance to.

He frowns. Where is all this useless sentiment coming from?

"Don't do that," King Il said sternly, all traces of his good-natured self gone.

"F-forgive me!" Taejun ran away, panicking.

"I would have run away, too," Lili shivers. "His Majesty could be surprisingly scary when he wanted to."

Now this was a side of King Il that Joodoh did not see often. He had harbored resentment towards the king whom he saw as pathetic and weak, but it seems that his former master might not have conformed entirely to his expectations.

King Il turned back, and just like that, his usual affable, bubbly self was back. He smiled at Hak benignly.

"Woah, what a change," Yoon remarks. He hated the royal family before he met Yona, blaming King Il for his inaction when it came to the Fire Tribe and its poverty, for letting Kan Soojin get away with his immorality.

But after meeting Yona, his worldview has shifted. At least, he doesn't hate Yona – far from it. He's not quite sure how to feel about King Il yet, though. He can't bring himself to say that he respects the king, but he is beginning to see that his ideology wasn't wrong.

All of his flawed methods were in the hopes of creating a better world, and Yoon can't fault him for that. Even if some part of him still feels bitterness at how much he, and the other Fire Tribe residents, had to suffer.

When King Il teased Hak and Yona about their relationship, Yona denied it while Hak explained that it was all a ruse to trick Taejun.

"Hak. You're finally willing to become Yona's bodyguard, right? I knew I could count on you."

Hak smiled, thinking wryly, geez, this family…

"I'm honored."

And he was.

At that moment, Hak knew that he had chosen the correct master to follow.

He got down on one knee, listening respectfully as King Il said, "I'm entrusting Yona to you."

"That almost sounds like he's giving his daughter to you, like romantically, you know," Taejun says.

Everyone looks at him silently.

His eyes widen. "No! There's no way His Majesty meant it that way, right?!"

It's a common fact amongst them that King Il had adored Hak so much that he not-so-secretly wished for him to be Yona's fiance. At least Hak had gained the approval of Yona's father, they suppose.

… I'll never leave them alone.

Besides….

Hak gazed at the blood seeping through King Il's hands, clasped behind his back as he walked away regally.

This king… is no coward…

More than a few of them are stunned when they see that.

"How is he acting so unaffected?!" Kyesook blurts out, and recomposes himself. "There is no way…" The king he knew was cowardly. The king he saw hated violence, weapons, blood… There is no way that King Il could have been so calm after getting slashed in his hands!

"What did I tell you?" Hak's tone practically screams I-told-you-so. "His Majesty was one of the bravest people I know. He fought every day, but none of you knew. None. He fought for a world of peace, but you threw that all in his face when you betrayed him."

Kyesook glares at the screen and refuses to reply.

Soowon stirs at Hak's words, tamping down the anger rising in him. That's not true. If his uncle had really loved peace that much, then he never would have raised his weapon and killed his father.

Hypocrite.

King Il was a hypocrite.

Back in the present time, Hak gently sweeps away Yona's tears as he vows to protect the regrets that King Il has left behind.

And I promise you one day… We'll be back at your castle.

End of Chapter 3: Hands Held Firmly Behind His Back

"Yeah, well, that promise is rotting away somewhere as we haven't even gone back to Hiryuu Castle since then," Hak says bluntly. He still intends to uphold his promise, except they have more pressing concerns right now – like the Xing kingdom matter.

Yona better be in one piece, safe and sound, when they return, otherwise he may just find himself trying to kill a dragon.

A deep laughter resounds, as though King Hiryuu has just heard his thoughts and is amused.

(Because that's true; he can read their minds, after all.)

"Knowing what we know now, I'm sure none of the generals will object to you returning with the princess," Lili says, casting a pointed look at Joodoh, who has enough sense not to make a fuss.

Geuntae strokes his chin. "Her Highness is technically the rightful heir to the throne… So perhaps we should hold another five tribes meeting. To decide who is fit to rule Kouka."

Kyesook's eyes flash. "Are you hearing yourselves?" He snaps. "Her Highness is a sheltered, pampered princess who knows naught of politics and power! She will lead Kouka to ruin!"

"Watch yourself," Mundok growls.

"It is not a crime to speak the truth. The kingdom became a mess during King Il's reign, and now that His Majesty Soowon has become the new king, he has unified the five tribes, has he not? Think of all he has done to restore Kouka to the glory it was during King Joonam's era! How can you betray him now?"

"You dare speak of betrayal –" Mundok begins, but is interrupted by a whoosh sound.

They all turn as Kija roars, standing up with one draconic claw extended, huge and menacing. Joodoh leaps in front of Soowon, but he need not have bothered; for once, Kija's target is not the king but his wretched advisor.

"I'm going to tear your lips off!" He charges at Kyesook.

What follows is pure chaos.

Jaeha grabs at Kija, but so does Shinah, and they end up tangling together in a snowball of claw (Kija), snarling (also Kija), frantic dissuasion (Jaeha), mumbles (Shinah) and "pukyuu" (Ao).

Yoon pinches the bridge of his nose, way too used to their squabbling by now.

"BE QUIET!" He eventually screams.

They stop fighting. Jaeha's back is being prodded rather uncomfortably by Kija's foot, Shinah's face is somehow squished in between Jaeha's hands and Kija is being crushed by Shinah's weight above him.

Yoon glares at them. Despite being a foot shorter than most of them, the others still fear him, because —

"If you continue making a scene," he begins threateningly, "all of you will be on dinner duty."

His words have a magical effect. Kija's claw retracts, Jaeha lends a hand to pull both Kija and Shinah up, and then the two rowdiest members of the Happy Hungry bunch plaster on a smile.

"Yes, Mother," they say obediently, even Shinah.

"WHO'S YOUR MOTHER?!"

"Oh, watching you all is like free entertainment." Geuntae guffaws. "The good kind."

"I beg to differ," Joongi says with a slight frown on his face. "All this ruckus is unwanted and undesirable."

"For your weak heart, maybe." Geuntae shrugs.

Joongi's eyes snap open a sliver.

"Now, now…." Soowon interrupts. "It won't do good if the generals of our kingdom start to quarrel about trivial affairs, won't it?" His tone is gentle but possesses an edge of reproach.

Both of them dip their heads.

Soowon chuckles. "It wasn't a scolding, so don't look so downcast!"

As much as Yoon hates to admit it, Soowon's leadership is impressive. But what is the use of all that if he is an untrustworthy, sly snake?

"Let's watch the next chapter, shall we?" Soowon asks, meeting no dissension.

And just like that, chapter 4 starts.

Father, don't cry.

A/N:

Writing Taejun was very fun; he's a character that comes to me quite naturally. Someone I must confess I find hard to write is Soowon; he's just a very complex character with so many facets to him, and I'm not sure if I can do him justice with my work.

Next chapter may take a bit longer because I just started working on it today, oops. Do share our thoughts on this chapter – if there's anything you like, don't like, want to see more of, or specific scenes you want them to react to.

Thanks for the favs and follows!

My works (including this) are cross-posted on ao3 as well so you can also find me there, under the same name.

Until next time!