Chapter Text
We only stared at each other, as if waiting for something. Mei Nyan’s eyes met mine and she seemed to soften a little, as if knowing my presence would save her life. I was here for only one purpose ; make sure she stayed alive. And a part of me wondered how my life would have been if someone had fought for me like I was fighting for this woman. But then, her eyes closed as she brought her hands to her head, falling to her knees. I frowned.
“Are you alright?!”, Yoon asked. “Your wounds must have opened because of earlier…”
“...kh! That’s not it…”, she let out. I was going to approach her, help her, because Yoon had taught me everything he knew and I was the only one who could do something about this now, knowing what she truly had. But Joo-Doh stopped me. “This pain isn’t from an injury”
I looked from Joo-Doh, my eyes sharp, to Mei Nyan, listening to what she was going to say.
“It’s the Crimson Illness…”, my eyes widened in fear. She was risking my friends’ lives. I gritted my teeth, and could feel Joo-Doh tensing beside me.
“Crimson Illness?”, Yoon asked.
“Yoon”, I called, trying to warn him. But it couldn’t stop Mei Nyan from continuing her explanation.
“This isn’t an illness you can do anything about… I’m going to die no matter what… and it’s going to happen soon. Soo-Won, too, doesn’t have long… even if he makes me vanish from this world, that fact won’t vanish!”, I sensed the room’s energy change drastically. I looked at Hak, turned my attention from him to Yoon over and over. What had she done?
“Ugh…”, I let out. “What a secret that is, it’s getting uncovered by everybody”
My head snapped to the side, my eyes stuck on the door. Someone was behind it.
“Soo-Won doesn’t have long…?”, Yoon asked. Hak met my eye, nodded when he realized the same thing I had. “What’s this about? I’ve never heard of this Crimson Illness…”
“Yoon”, Hak called, which made the boy look at us. Hak had a finger up to his mouth, signaling him to close his mouth. Clatter sounded from outside. Joo-Doh walked towards the door and opened it in a hurry.
“Min-Soo…!”, Joo-Doh called. “Are you…”
“S-sorry if I surprised you. I heard that Lord Hak was headed this way after being released, so…”, I walked to the door, pushing Joo-Doh out of the way.
“Min-Soo, I need your help”, I told him, nodding. Joo-Doh seemed utterly confused. He walked in, running to Yoon’s side.
“She’s suffering from an illness I don’t know about”, Yoon told him.
“I’ll give her this medicine”, Min-Soo shared as he showed the medicine he’d used multiple times on His Majesty. “Please lay her on the futon”
“Min-Soo…!”, Joo-Doh called.
“General Joo-Doh”, Min-Soo called calmly. “I’ve just come from talking with Advisor Kye-Sook. She’ll be in my care”, I smiled.
“What?!”
“Naturally, she’ll be under surveillance too, but… I need her cooperation in order to understand this illness. This is all for the goal of healing His Majesty”, Min-Soo said. Joo-Doh’s head snapped to me as he walked in my direction.
“This smells weirdly like something you would have ordered done”, I turned toward him, smiling.
“As much as I would have loved to be part of this scheme, General Joo-Doh, this was not my idea”
My eyes shifted their focus, staring at Yoon. Joo-Doh did the same.
“Wait. We can’t let this boy hear this conversation…”
“Too late for that now, Miss Mei Nyan has already let the cat out of the bag”, Min-Soo pointed out.
“I’ll just say in advance that if you intend to put Yoon into a cell or cause him any kind of harm, I’ll definitely stop you, consequences be damned”, Hak threatened.
“There’s only one way to protect Mr Yoon”, Min-Soo said. “And that’s Mr Yoon becoming my assistant”
“Assistant?!”, I looked at Yoon, scared he would object.
“If we do that, no harm will be coming your way”
“What… am I supposed to do…”
“I’m the King’s personal physician. My life’s staked on protecting this country’s greatest secret and failure means death. Naturally, the same danger goes hand in hand with my assistant. But you’ll be able to avert the danger approaching you now. Mr Yoon, I’d wanted you to lend me a hand from the beginning, but I hesitated lest you got yourself caught up in the grave secret matters of the royal household. But I heard your conversation when I was outside just now… and I confirmed to myself, “he won’t betray anyone in his capacity as a physician. I shall persuade His Majesty and Advisor Kye-Sook, without fail. Mr Yoon, will you join me as the King’s personal physician?”
“I’ll be allowed to keep treating her, right?”, he asked. Min-Soo nodded. “In that case, I’ll do it”
***
As Min-Soo and I walked together to Soo-Won’s office, silence hung over us.
“Thank you, Min-Soo, for what you did for my friend. I owe you a lot”
“This is nothing, Your Majesty. I was more surprised to learn you know quite a lot of the healing arts as well”
“Of course. For the months we’ve been traveling together, Yoon showed me a great many things, which helped treat our friends and myself sometimes. He saved my life on multiple occasions, I owe him that”
He nodded, smiling. I could only imagine how hard life had become the moment we had stepped foot into this castle. Life had drastically changed, not only for Hak, Yoon, the Four Dragons, Yona and me, but also for everyone who lived in this castle. We arrived at the King’s study a few minutes later. Min-Soo displayed the events that had occurred in the last hour, and then waited for an answer.
“Understood”, he said. “We’ll be keeping Miss Mei Nyan in the Crimson Dragon Castle as a prisoner of war”, better than killing her I guess.
“Your Majesty… in addition to that, I’d like to request your permission for my assistant, Mr Yoon, to go outside the castle”
“Permission to go outside?”
“I’ll have him fetch a drug I haven’t tried yet”, Soo-Won looked at him sideways, as if disappointed or uninterested. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t seem like he’d approve of it. “I understand very well that the Crimson Illness isn’t an ordinary disease. But as your personal physician, I want to exhaust all methods available”
“...very well”
“One more thing, by your leave. Would it be possible to send Lord Hak along as Mr Yoon’s bodyguard?”, Min-Soo asked. Soo-Won’s eyes widened as he halted what he was doing.
“Couldn’t it be anyone else?”
“The herb in question is so prized for its scarcity that even if castle officers go, they might not share it with us… Besides, it’s convenient that Lord Hak already knows of your illness from the time he was looking for Miss Mei Nyan after she broke out”
“He won’t be willing to go fetch medicine for me”
“That’s not the case. He said he’d be going”, Min-Soo said. Soo-Won didn’t add anything after that.
“What Min-Soo says about the medicine is true”, I butted in. Soo-Won turned his head towards me, as if acknowledging my presence finally. He looked me up and down.
“The comfort of your royal decree wasn’t enough?”, he wondered.
“How I dress now shouldn’t matter”
“Then, what does? You didn’t accompany Min-Soo here to tell me what he says is true or to make sure he didn’t lie”
“I want to leave with Hak and Yoon. I would very much like to see Awa again and get out of this castle for a short while… before I suffocate”, he seemed hurt by my words, but I couldn’t stay here longer. It would destroy me.
“I am in no position to stop you from leaving. You can do whatever you want with your life”, I nodded at his words.
“Thank you”, I turned to Min-Soo, smiling, showing him it went better than I expected.
“We’ll take our leave, then, Your Majesty”, Min-Soo said as we both turned around.
“Wait. Lone, stay for a minute”, he said. I waved a hand towards Min-Soo and he exited the room. I stayed standing before my husband, my hands joined behind my back. “I wanted to tell you that I’m going to make you lead our army on South Kai when you return”
He didn’t look me in the eye. “Is it that hard to say the words while looking me in the eye? Do you truly wish to make me leader of your army? It seems like an important position you wouldn’t want to give to just anyone”
He finally looked up, met my eye. “You’ll be General of your army once you get back from Awa, Lone”, I was caught by surprise. My eyes widened slightly.
“Thank you. It means a lot to me”, I said. He nodded, going back to his books. I turned and left.
***
I made my way to Yoon’s little apartment as I left my husband to his work. I arrived at the door, opening it.
“I still can’t wrap my head around her being able to use a sword like that…”, General Joo-Doh said. I turned my attention from him to Hak as I closed the door.
“She isn’t your garden variety Princess… she’s the first woman I’ve seen wield a sword so well”, I raised an eyebrow, making my presence known.
“Pardon me?”, I let out, sounding insulted. He rolled his eyes, sighing.
“Okay, first of all, you’re not a woman, you’re a monster”, he explained and it made me scoff.
“Thunder Beast, if Yona hears that, she’ll say, “I’ll go train right now””, Yoon shared. I laughed lightly.
“If the Princess can get this good in a short time, that will be a wonder indeed”, Hak said. My eyes traveled down to Mei Nyan. She was awake. She turned her head toward my two friends.
“So you were the Thunder Beast”
“Uwah! That surprised me”, Yoon jumped.
“So you’re up?”, Hak wondered.
“I heard you say “Thunder Beast””, I cocked my head to the side, wondering why she was so curious.
“I am the Thunder Beast, what of it?”
“So you’re a possession of Princess Yona’s?”, Mei asked. He hesitated.
“That’s right”
“I thought I was going to seize everything that Princess Yona had…”, she looked up at the ceiling.
“What a wish… how would you even pull that off?”
“It’s unfair. The Four Dragons, the Thunder Beast, even the Lightning Girl, a healthy body and a life free of want or discomfort”, I stayed silent through it all. Our first conversation popped in my head, how she had absolutely no clue I was the Lightning Girl, only the new Queen. This girl truly didn’t know anything.
“No matter what I say to refute that, it’s probably not going to make an impression on you, but I wish that, if nothing else, the words of the guy who’s desperately trying to cure you will make one”
“Ah, it’s okay”, Yoon said. “I don’t have much to say. I’ll be away for a little while. I’ll definitely restore you to health, so wait for me. But I won’t be able to go looking for your little Hoh with you, I’m sorry”, I watched as her stare went blank. She got lost in thought. She brought her hands to her face, hiding her eyes as she cried. I smiled as the two men stood up, walking out of the room. I followed them.
“Hey, Thunder Beast. Lone”, Yoon called. Hak and I were walking in the front, side by side. He had his glaive and my hand rested on the handle of my sword.
“Hm?”, Hak let out. I turned my way to the side, meeting his eyes.
“What’s up?”
“I’m glad you’re accompanying me, but are you okay with being away from Yona? And you, Lone, don’t you have royal duties?”
“White Snake and the others are by her side, so it’s going to be fine”
“My only royal duty is staying alive”, I chanted, smiling.
“That may be true, but… The one you were aiming to be an exclusive bodyguard of is probably not myself. And Lone, you’re usually the one who needs protection these days”
“Haha!”, Hak laughed a true, priceless laugh. I just shook my head. “Well, sometimes I wonder whether I shouldn’t split myself into three or so”
“Wouldn’t all three of you run to Yona’s side anyway?”, Yoon pointed out as I pursed my lips.
“Even if it was I who brought it up, you’re being annoying”, Hak stated. “Well, I’m just one. And I’m going to protect you, Yoon. I gotta do one more thing. I have to let White Snake and the others know I’m alive. Also, hasn’t the Princess been crying or something? Well, she’s got a lot on her plate. That thought has kept me busy. So let’s go and come back as soon as we-”, he rambled, making me laugh.
“Please wait, Princess….!”, I jumped, turning towards the direction of the sound. My eyes widened when I saw Yona outside her window, perched on the wall on the jutting wooden poles. Jae-Ha and Ki-Ja were looking out of the window, screaming for her to come back. Yoon and Hak were shocked and alerted. Hak started running and I told myself he might be there on time when she suddenly jumped.
“Yona dea-”, Jae-Ha started.
But then, maybe he wasn’t going to make it. She landed on the ground, replicating one of Jae-Ha’s powerful jumps. I watched as Hak’s arms were up in front of him in a “ready to catch her form”, but he hadn’t made it in time.
“I made it on time…!”, she let out, taking back her balance.
“...Hey”, he let out. Yoon was still confused and shocked when she approached him.
“Yona… kh! Aren’t… aren’t you hurt?”
“Yoon, it’s been so loooong!”, she called, hurrying to hug him. I was smiling, watching Hak’s beautifully angry face. I approached him, laid a hand on his shoulder. “I heard about it from Min-Soo… You’ve become his assistant and are going to fetch the Senjusou”
“Y-yeah”, he let out, still confused.
“Yona dear, if you wanna go down, just tell me”, Jae-ha told her as he jumped down as well. I smiled at his arrival, walking toward him.
“Ah, I’m sorry”, she let out. “I was in such a hurry I didn’t think”
“Don’t “I didn’t think” me”, he irritably said, his face deformed. “This is dangerous! Stop copying Droopy Eye’s antics! You can break a bone”
He reached a hand around my shoulders as I neared him enough. I rolled my own arm around his waist, even when we were almost the same height. He kissed my head.
“It’s fine, I’ve been doing it often”, Yona told him as we watched it unfurl.
“Don’t do it!”, he shouted. “Droopy Eyes, watch her properly, you! I don’t know what this Princess will do if you let her loose!”
“It’s really okay, I’m saying! I’ve been training, you see”, Yona repeated.
“Yona, if you give him a motive, the Thunder Beast will split himself into three and come keep you under watch”, Yoon said from beside me and Jae-Ha. I smiled, laughing loudly.
“You don’t need to come to my side, the three of you can stay by Yoon’s and Lone’s”
“You aren’t going to tell me you don’t need even one, are you?”
“I’ll leave Yoon and Lone to you… Starting now, our precious Yoon, who’s shouldering a secret and a job that endanger his life, is under your care”
“Understood, milady”, he said as he knelt and bowed his head.
“...Hak”, Yona called. “Please don’t lower your head”, he seemed surprised. He stood back up.
I smiled, turning toward Jae-Ha, hugging him truly now. “I’ll be back, Jae-Ha. I will miss you”
“I love you, Lone love”, he whispered in my ear.
“I love you, too”
I knew we were safe here, because we were hidden and nobody was allowed here except a selected few.
I broke from the hug, walking to Hak. He ruffled my hair. “Did you hear that, you’re rusted, Your Majesty. You need my protection now”
I scoffed, smiling up at him, hitting him in the shoulder.
“Convey my best to Captain Gigan”, Jae-Ha said.
“Yes”, Yoon approved. “Is that a friend of Pukkyu’s?”, he suddenly asked, making me turn around. I noticed the same little animal from earlier on Shin-Ha’s shoulder. The little animal let out ‘hooh’ sounds. “Little Hoh…?”, he wondered, curious. “Little hoh?!”, he let out, this time louder. “You’re little hoh, right?!”
“Little hoh?”, Ki-Ja wondered, confused.
“I found little hooooh!”, Yoon shouted.
Part one finished.