The sun shone brightly on the seawater, dancing with light feet on its gentle waves. Fish of all sorts swam near the surface, gleaming silver in the sunlight. They were so pretty, so cheerful that Sen couldn't help but toss bits of her lunch in the water to feed them, watching as more of them gathered to fight over her leftovers. Just as things were getting particularly interesting, a dark shadow passed over the water. A moment later, something landed on the ship with a thud.

"Jae-ha!" Sen exclaimed, turning around. "Why, I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow."

"I didn't want to stay late," he replied, brushing specks of invisible dust from his shoulder. "Didn't you hear? We're attacking Kum-ji again tomorrow."

"No, Gi-gan didn't tell me," she said. Although she spoke in her usual voice, Jae-ha noticed her frown slightly. "And you know the pirates think ill of me, so..."

"Oh, don't mind that superstitious bunch," Jae-ha said with a slight chuckle. "As for the captain... she must know you can't walk properly yet and didn't want to bother you."

Sen's frown was replaced with an expression of contemplation. After a moment of thought, she nodded.

"Yes, that must be it," she agreed. Her lips lifted into teasing smile as she changed the topic. "I still find it hard to believe you found proper preparation more important than the company of beautiful ladies."

"Not proper preparation, dear, but my life," Jae-ha corrected. Sen shrugged.

"They say that dying beneath a beautiful woman's skirts marks one distinguished even between ghosts. Aren't you tossing away such great honour a little too thoughtlessly?"

"You're too cruel," Jae-ha sighed. "I even bought some dried fruits to cheer you up, yet you treat me this way, plotting my death already..."

"Dried fruit?" Sen repeated, very interested. Jae-ha handed her the box.

"To think that all the money I spent was a waste," he went on, his expression filled with grievances. "The merchant said this fruit would bring back a man from the brink of death."

Sen, who was eyeing the contents of the box eagerly, expressed her doubt.

"It doesn't matter whether it works or not," Jae-ha told her. "The only miracle I expect it to bring is a smile to your lips."

...

Gi-gan watched the two chatting happily with a heavy heart. Sighing, she stepped towards them and cleared her throat. Two pairs of eyes looked at her at once. Such unsuspecting, kind eyes, what a pity… The captain straightened her back.

"Sen, there's something we need to talk about," she began. How does one introduce such a topic? "It's... well..."

"Is it about the next attack?" Sen asked apprehensively. Gi-gan narrowed her eyes.

"Where did you hear about that?"

"Forgive me, captain," Jae-ha said, bowing his head. "I told her."

"Right... I didn't take you into account," the captain muttered. "Not that it matters, anyways."

"Ma'am, is this about my injury?" Sen asked nervously. "I promise to work twice as hard next time—"

"There will be no next time," Gi-gan interrupted. Jae-ha's eyes went wide.

"What?!" he shouted. Sen lowered her head and bit her lip.

"You might find this sudden, but I've been thinking about it since the first attack you joined us on," the captain went on. "I wanted to believe that Jae-ha's recommendation was right, so when I first saw your poor skills, I let it go. I told myself it was because you hadn't gotten your sea legs yet. The second time, I also blamed the rocking of the ship, then your brief illness after the third. I kept making excuses for you, but nothing got better. I simply cannot use you as a pirate."

"I find you're a little harsh, captain," Jae-ha protested. "I'm sure she'll get better with time, as long as she has the will."

"But she doesn't!" Gi-gan retorted, tapping her foot. "Have you seen her in battle? It's pathetic! Her attacks are as soft as kitten scratches."

"The captain's right," Sen told him quietly. "I dislike inflicting deep wounds. When I look at those injuries, I can almost feel them on my skin..."

"Maybe she's not someone who should be used on the front lines. Hasn't she helped us as a strategist?"

"No, not really," the captain said after a moment's consideration. "All she does is quote from old books and agree with everything I say."

"Military tactics aren't exactly my forte," Sen explained, her voice soft. "Especially when the battle isn't taking place on solid land."

Jae-ha glanced at her in frustration. Who enjoyed undermining themselves to this extent? He racked his brains trying to think of a logical reason why life could not go on without this woman (not his life, of course, but the crew's), but even after considering every possibility twice, all he could come up with was an unconfident, "... she's a talented seamstress?"

"That's not enough to earn her living," Gi-gan replied without needing to think. "Sen, I have a lot of mouths to feed. I really don't want to make you leave, but there's no good reason to keep you either."

"Of course, leeches that only take and never give must be disposed of," Sen agreed. "I would do the same when I... if I were in your place, ma'am. But what if I were to prove myself useful?"

"Poetry doesn't count."

"My self-awareness is not that badly lacking, ma'am," she laughed. "No, I'm thinking of much greater things—things that will be of use in the future."

"You want me to invest in something," Gi-gan stated. Her tone made it evident that she would not give out money.

"I wouldn't dare," Sen replied, shaking her head. A strange smile spread across her lips as she went on, "Have you ever wondered what would become of Awa once Kum-ji is gone, ma'am?"

"The slaves would be free, his wealth distributed amongst the people and the city would request a new governor from Geun-tae," Gi-gan listed. "Why?"

"Ah, you see, that's not enough," Sen told her. "The slaves will wander around, jobless, people will spend the money as easily as it was gained, and the governor will not know what to do with the mess Lord Yang has left behind. And what will the mercenaries do once his Lordship is gone? Blend into society with ease? Or rob and pillage?"

"I—" the captain began before pausing. She really had no idea. Such times always seemed to be an event in the distant future, something to be considered later on.

"These are all problems I know solutions for," Sen told her, her eyes flashing with a strange, calculative light. "Let me prove my usefulness and write a plan for the future."

"How do I know this will work?" the captain asked with suspicion. Sen's eyes curved upwards as she smiled.

"Is my word not enough?"

"Are you joking?" Gi-gan asked, clearly unimpressed. Sen's smile deepened.

"Well, if not, I can draft a plan, and if you do not find it satisfactory, I'll go. It's also fine if you don't feed me for those few days."

"How can I be sure your plan will work? Did you do this kind of work before? I need to know the results."

Sen glanced at Jae-ha uneasily before turning back to the captain once more.

"This is a bit... I'd rather only speak to you about it, ma'am."

Although Gi-gan found it suspicious, she agreed and led Sen to her cabin. Jae-ha stared after them, wondering what their discussion would be of. As time went by, he found it increasingly tempting to eavesdrop. Slowly, he inched closer to the window of the cabin. To his great disappointment, he could not hear a single word of what was being said. After what felt like an hour, the door creaked and out stepped Sen, looking somewhat weary. Jae-ha hurried to her side.

"So?" he asked urgently. Sen gave him a cheerless smile.

"I will stay."

...

"I will stay," Sen told Ba-luo in a matter-of-fact manner. "But I will no longer need your training. Thank you for what you've done so far."

"I'm glad," Ba-luo replied, although he did not seem completely happy. "I was always worried that you'd get hurt. You really look frail at times…"

He smiled kindly, a smile Sen had grown to find attractive. If only his eyes weren't quite so fishlike… Inwardly, she admonished herself for thinking such a cruel thing. It wasn't his fault he was born with them.

"I'll be inside a lot more," she said, playing with the string of her cloak. It was quite warm, suitable for protecting one from cold March winds. "If you'd like, you can visit me once in a while."

"Of course," Bai-luo said. "We're friends, after all."

...

Just like she had said, Sen rarely ever left her room after her discussion with Gi-gan and only did so to grab a bite to eat or stack up on writing tools and oil lamps. She gave up on sending letters completely. Sometimes, Jae-ha or Ba-luo visited her, but only briefly. The captain did not look upon their visits favorably and found increasingly absurd tasks to keep them from doing so.

Weeks passed and months went by. Kum-ji's ships came and went, new pirate recruits appeared every day to replace those fallen. Nothing seemed to change until the second month of spring, when Yang Kum-ji left Awa to bring a gift to the daughter of King Il who was to have her birthday that week. Until then, to the relief of all, trading with Kai was to cease temporarily.

….

In Hiryuu Palace, sleeping chambers of the King.

Su-won watched Il drop to the ground. The late King's blood stuck to his hand and clothing, its smell engulfing him. He despised the way the liquid clung to him and decided to wash himself as soon as possible. Wiping his sword, he turned to the door. Then he heard a clatter. A figure rushed out from behind a curtain and dropped to their knees behind the corpse. Even in the dull light of the single candle illuminating the room, the curly mop of red hair was clear to the eyes. And how could Su-won not recognise the sobbing voice which called to the dead King? How could he not recognise the gentle face wet with tears? It was none other than his cousin, the sweet and foolish princess Yona, lovingly pampered all her life. Crying, trembling Yona, begging her father to rise.

"Su-won, F-Father's been stabbed!" she sobbed, looking up at her cousin. "C-Call a d-doctor, quick! Someone h-hurt him!"

"It was I," Su-won said in a low voice. "I, the one who has freed the country of the despicable monarch who never should have ruled."

"N-No! You haven't!" Yona cried, clasping her hands before her heart. "Nuh-never... ever... even if your life... or my life... depended on it would you do something... something like that, right?"

"Wouldn't I?" asked he, a proud smile finding its way to his lips. "I have lived for this day and shall cherish its memory even as a ghost."

The princess shook her head as if to rid her ears of such terrible words.

"F-father l-loved you," she whispered. "Ever since you've c-come to the palace, he's cherished you as his own child! He's n-never done anything wrong to you..."

"So his façade has fooled you as well," Su-won mused. "Though what did I expect? The late king has killed my father, Yu-hon in cold blood, and left me alone—"

"Su-won, we both know very well, Uncle died in an accident!"

"Of course you'd be partial to your father," the man said in a tone of disgust. "No, he was killed with this sword by none other than Il, his own brother. I swore to avenge his death as a child and become King in his stead. I have kept my oath. Once I rid this palace of you, I shall become the ruler of Kouka, the eleventh king of our dynasty."

"Have you l-lost your m-mind in your grief?" Yona asked, her entire body shaking. "Father would never do something like that... And you would never do this to him—you would never do this to me!"

Tears rolled down her pretty cheeks and once fallen, mixed with the blood of her father. She buried her head in her hands, no longer certain were to look.

"Could you really kill me?" she asked, her lips trembling. "Me, Su-won, this girl who has done you no harm? Who has loved you and loved you with all her heart? I can't forget you, I can love no other. I never wanted anything but to stay by your side..."

Su-won listened wide-eyed. His expression softened. In spite of himself, he moved to comfort her when the doors burst open.

"Lord Su-won!" a voice called, and five soldiers and a strange man with dark hair entered. They paused upon seeing an unexpected figure in the room.

"Is that the princess?" one asked in confusion. "What should we do?"

"Kill her," Su-won ordered without hesitation. Yona screamed. The dark man nodded in approval. Swords flashed in the candlelight.

And within a week, Su-won was crowned king.