Chapter Text
"King Soo-Won!", Tao called just before they entered the tent. "I have one request regarding the conference itself"
"What would that be?"
"Would you please permit Princess Yona, Lady Lone and Lord Hak here to attend the conference?", oh, the mistake. Lone felt the chills travel up and down her spine. Soo-Won was taken aback. This demand... even for the three of them, this is unimaginable. She was asking a lot. Advisor Kye-Sook and General Joo-Doh were as shocked as you could be.
"Princess Tao...", Yona called, trying to stop her.
"It was only through Princess Yona's efforts that this conference became a reality. She has the right to witness it with her own eyes"
"Please withdraw that request, Princess Tao", Kye-Sook demanded. His deep hatred for the three of them visible in the venom of his voice. "This will be a very important conference concerning the future of our two nations, one to which you should invite only your closest associates"
"Are you saying that the Princess Yona who was expelled from the castle is no longer part of the royal family?", Kouren asked aloud. Kye-Sook's jaw tightened.
"Princess Tao, it's okay", Yona told her. "I don't intend to attend the conference"
"... I understand. But everybody please know this ; we are able to come here and seal off many years of hatred from our hearts only because of the faith we have in Princess Yona. To Xing Kingdom, Princess Yona is something like a savior. We fully intend to treasure her as a close friend in the future as well", Kouren did not counter it and Kye-Sook felt violently threatened by her words.
"In other words, that was her telling everyone not to lay a finger on Princess Yona, Lady Lone and Lord Hak, right?", Hen-Dae wondered as he sat beside his General.
"Right", Tae-Woo said.
It's been a while now since the group entered the tent and Hen-Dae and Tae-Woo were still debating that conversation. "Advisor Kye-Sook was super on edge after that. Princess Tao must have read the atmosphere", Tae-Woo pointed out. "If peace is established with Xing Kingdom, His Majesty's followers won't be able to touch Lord Hak or the others without good reason"
"I reaaaaally hope it goes well", Hen-Dae shared. "By the way... You think it's okay for us to go over to Lord Hak?"
"You should read the atmosphere too", Tae-Woo commented.
"Yona!", a familiar voice rang.
"Lili!", Yona called as she ran for a hug. A smile appeared on Lone's face. "You came all the way here?!"
"Of course! I was worried! Is it alright for you, Hak and Lone to show your faces in this sort of place?", she asked as she looked from Yona, to Hak and to Lone.
"Yeah... it's alright. Xing Kingdom's Princess Tao is protecting us"
"I spoke a lot and made the Water Tribe army listen, so even the Sky Tribe army shouldn't be able to do anything for now. I'll protect you too, Yona, so start depending on me already!"
"Thanks. But you should be careful too, Lili"
"I'll be fine! I'm not afraid of anything anymore!"
Lone lifted her head then, grabbing onto Yona's arm. She turned around at the same time as Lili, staring up at Vold, Algira, Tao and Kouren that stood before the tent.
"How is the meeting going?", Yona asked.
"It is finished", Vold confirmed. "From now on, Xing Kingdom's foreign and military affairs will be left under Kouka Kingdom's supervision. It is a high price to pay, but with this, King Soo-Won has promised that the lives of Xing Kingdom's citizens will not be imperiled"
"...I was unable to control Gobi and his followers, the blame lies with me. We have no other choice"
Eventually, Advisor Kye-Sook, General Joo-Doh and King Soo-Won exited the tent behind them. Lone noticed Hak's energy beside her as Soo-Won only spared a look in his direction. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it hard, trying to bring him back. He slowly calmed down, looking down at their joined hands. He squeezed two times, signaling her he was okay and to thank her for it. She nodded, knowing he'd seen it.
Farther, Kye-Sook was getting restless. "...The Four Dragons which Xing Kingdom's High Priest spoke of, what are they?", he asked his King.
"...Who knows. I have no interest in them. Our business here is done. Let us return to Hiryuu Castle. The incident involving the Fire Tribe's signal beacon remains unsettled as well", Kye-Sook stayed behind as Soo-Won walked away. He signaled to a soldier to approach him. He leaned back and whispered to convey his orders.
"Investigate Yona and the Four Dragons"
**
"Yona, your compagnions are still within Xing Kingdom, are they not?", Kouren asked, making Yona turn around.
"Eh? Yes..."
"Vold, give General Namsek a message from me. Tell him to carry Yona's friends here"
"Yes!", Vold shouted as he ran away.
"Thanks...", Yona said as Kouren nodded.
"Where is Gobi...?", Kouren wondered.
"That guy, he ran off somewhere after that!", Algira angrily told her. "Old man Neguro and Mizari... I won't forgive what he did to them. I wasn't exactly on good terms with 'em. But still, I wanted to have more proper talks with 'em"
"Let us make Gobi and the nobles of the anti-war faction pay for their sins. Without fail"
"Hey, wait", Lili called as she approached Kouren. "Xing Kingdom's... Princess Kouren? You're badly injured, you know?"
"...It's the blood of my enemies"
"Lies! Look! Your back is obviously cut up! You need to be treated!"
"I won't be indebted to Kouka Kingdom. I will be returning to Kyuu Castle and then..."
"Ayura! Tetora!", Lili called as they grabbed onto both Kouren's arms.
"Yeees!", Tetora shouted in approval. Kouren was surprised and Lone couldn't help but smile.
"What are you doing?! Let go...!"
"Ooh-- You've trained your body well, haven't you?"
"Would somebody from the Wind Tribe please lend us a tent and some medicine?", Lili asked Tae-Woo.
"S-sure!", Tae-Woo felt insulted as Hen-Dae called for Ayame.
"Don't concern yourself with me!", Kouren screamed as she tried to fight them off.
"Now now, if you move around, your cuts will open up!", Tetora warned her, a smile still on her face.
Kouren was surprised by the strength both of the women possessed.
"Let go!"
"We won't be charging you any medical fees or anything, so just come along", Lili said.
"But that's our medicine", Tae-Woo pointed out, discouraged.
"There's no denying Lili", Yona let out, sighing.
**
Yotaka had been sleeping as Kouren kept an eye over him. Eventually, he woke up.
"-taka. Yotaka", she called. "Yotaka"
"Your Majesty!", he called as he pushed up on his arms. She was sitting up in Tetora's clothes, the front opened on the bandages around her breasts. He was frozen before her.
"It's me Yotaka. My clothes were in tatters, so I borrowed some"
"Oh please, keep them Princess Kouren", Tetora said as she gave her a pat on the back.
For a second, Yotaka thought they were at the red-light district.
"Give me back my coat. Yotaka can't comprehend the current situation", Kouren ordered.
"Oh? That's too bad. Those clothes are in such bad taste"
After a while, Kouren briefed Yotaka on what had happened during the battle.
"...I see... So Mizari died... Neguro too. So I am now the last of the Five Stars"
"Me and Voldopus are still here", Algira pointed out as he knelt with them.
"Don't call yourselves members of the Five Stars!"
"Oh! You're alive!", Tae-Woo shouted as he leaned over the pillars separating their camps. "What the heck, that's great!", Yotaka looked up, surprised.
"The Wind Tribe's..."
"It's Tae-Woo", Tae-Woo said.
"When I was seriously hurt as part of Gobi's plan, this person saved me", Yotaka explained.
"...I see", Kouren let out. "Thanks for taking care of my subordinate", Tae-Woo jumped down from the fence.
"'was no big deal. But I'm relieved the guy I saved isn't dead. I brought some medicinal food, so eat it later", he jumped back on his side a few seconds later.
"...Your Majesty... It seems that Kouka Kingdom wasn't inhabited solely by demons after all...", by his words, Kouren thought about the young woman that kept her up on her feet when she almost fell. The young woman that she had called a God-given gift. "I wanted... to tell Neguro too"
"Yotaka. I think I will bring Neguro and Mizari back to Kyuu Castle for burial. I thought I should keep you here until your wounds healed, but..."
"No... I will also... witness it... please allow me to accompany you, Your Majesty...", he said as he cried the few tears that would fall.
**
"Princess Kouren, Princess Tao! Are you... leaving already?", Yona asked.
"Sister and I are withdrawing our troops from Sansan and returning to Kyuu Castle. We may not make it in time, but... there are some things we would like to tell father as well"
"I see", and then a few seconds later, Tao encircled Yona with her arms, hugging her one last time as she cried.
"Princess Yona...! I am truly, truly grateful. For all that you've done!"
"Princess Tao, I'm glad that we met", Yona told her as she stared into her eyes. "Princess Kouren as well"
"I spoke to Soo-Won regarding this as well, but there most likely will be some amongst the populace who will revolt. For now, there will be no time to look back upon the past and so I shall progress forward- just like yourself"
"I too will visit Kouka Kingdom again, so let us meet again some time", Vold said, but then turned his head toward Algira. "Wai- Idiot-Gira! Aren't you going to say goodbye?!"
"Yeah but, Shin-Ha-Nyan and the others, they still haven't woken uuuup... I wanna thank 'em too", Algira told him as he crouched before them, his head resting in his hands as he pouted. He ended up hugging them.
"It's alright. Seiryuu and the others are just tired and sleeping right now. I'll let them know"
"Uuuuu Zeno-Nyan! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Later", he finished with a little tear as he ended up walking away. I smiled sadly.
"Algira...", a voice sounded. "See you later", I looked with hope toward our three compagnions. They had all woken up. I smiled as I met with Jae-Ha's stare.
"Shin-Ha-Nyan, Ki-Ja-Nyan, Jae-Ha-Nyan!!", Algira shouted. The others were very much happy to see them alive.
"Jae-Ha-Nyan...?", Jae-Ha wondered.
**
A few days later... King Bushin passed on, and Kouren officially acceded to the throne
'This time, a favorable treaty was signed without the Kouka Kingdom shedding even a single drop of blood. We should be able to call this a major accomplishment. However... that Princess is dangerous', Kye-Sook thought.
**
Lone POV
I stood there, looking upon the camps that still held, wondering what Kouren meant by god-given gift. I wanted to talk to her about it, understand why she was pushed to say all that. The pain that lashed through my side was a reminder of the wounds that had yet to heal. But, well... maybe one day, we'll see each other again and I hoped that then, we would talk about this matter.