Part III

The wooden door of an old inn opened with a squeak and a tall figure in a brown coat walked in. The shady clientele froze by their tables, staring agape when the figure took off the hat and revealed the black, long hair.

“A woman?”

Whispers carried along the hall and curious eyes followed her every step. However, Yoona ignored the sudden ruckus caused by her appearance. She came up to the counter and called the bartender.

“I heard rumors of dignified guest coming to the town, is that true?” She asked squinting warily.

“May be,” the fat man replied; his voice was sounding low and rough, probably from the amount of alcohol he had consumed in his wretched life.

Yoona smiled inwardly. This would be easy.

“How much your certainty about that matter costs?” A languid smile spread on her lips.

“Not much for such a pretty face,” the man drawled sleazily.

Yoona restrained the urge to cringe in disgust.

“Then let us go outside.” She batted her eyelids seductively.

She made her way to the door smirking under her breath as she heard man’s loud footsteps behind her.

Several minutes later he was begging her to spare his life as she pressed the cold blade of her rapier to his throat. And so she got all the needed information. Jessica was staying at the nearby hostelry, and the execution of Tiffany and Yuri was to take place tomorrow at dawn.

~*~*~*~

“You fools! Take your dirty hands off me! Do you know who I am?!” Yuri was screaming and wriggling as the two officers held her firmly by the arms and led to the dungeons where she and Tiffany were to spend their last night before the execution.

“Yah! Don’t touch me!” Tiffany was mimicking the movements of her lover as she was being dragged in the same manner behind her.

“Hurt her and I swear I’m going to cut your head off!” Yuri shouted, trying to look behind her, but it only resulted in tripping over and now her legs were dragging on the dirty floor.

They reached the cells and were thrown to inside; each of them to a separate one unlike it was during the week when the trial continued. Once tossed to the floor of her new cell, Yuri immediately stood up and lunged at the officer, but he just smirked and closed the bars.

“You! Come here and fight me, you coward!” Yuri tried to reach the man stretching her arm through the bars, but it was futile.

“Forgive me Lady, but the other one is more to my taste. I think I’ll strive to fix her,” The officer snickered and headed toward Tiffany’s cell.

Yuri’s eyes dilated in utmost horror replaced then by boiling rage.

“Touch her and I’ll gut you, you dirty bastard! Do you hear me?!” Yuri was bawling while shaking violently the steel bars.

“Stay away from me!” Tiffany shouted desperately from the other cell. “Don’t you dare--”

“Gah!”

A low whimper was heard. Yuri figured out that Tiffany must have kicked man’s sensitive spot.

“You little--”

But it only enraged the officer who was now determined to teach the damsel a lesson.

“ENOUGH!” A manly voice reverberated in the dungeons.

Its tone and sternness sounded somewhat familiar to Yuri. A similar voice would scold her for her pranks while she was still at the palace.

“Miss Hwang is to be released. I’ve paid the fine, here’s the document.”

Yuri listened carefully to the voice and suddenly was struck with realization that it was no one else than her own brother talking.

“Siwon!” She called out and heard steady footsteps approaching.

A tall man stood in front of her wearing a finest white uniform richly trimmed with gold; his countenance was stern as he glared disapprovingly at his younger sister.

“Yuri, why am I not surprise to see you here?” He raised his thick eyebrow. “So you are responsible for leading this poor Lady astray?”

“You are wrong brother. We are in love,” Yuri said facing the man.

“Brother? You run away from home, bring disgrace to our family and you dare to call me your brother? I have no sisters Yuri,” he seeped menacingly through his gritted teeth.

“At least I haven’t sold my ideals! And look at yourself! You always detested the war! I hope father is proud of his little soldier now--”

“You!” Losing his temper, Siwon sized his sister by her shirt pressing her to the steel bars.

“Let her go!” Tiffany latched onto his arm until he released the girl. “Yuri, are you hurt?” She reached through the bars to gently cup her lover’s face.

“I’m fine Fany. I am so sorry for getting you into trouble.”

No matter how strong Yuri wanted to be in order not to worry Tiffany, tears began shimmering in her eyes once she felt girl’s gentle touch.

“I promise to come back for you. I won’t let you die.” Tiffany also found it impossible to withhold her own grief, her voice quivered and salty drops rolled down her cheeks. “I love you.” She leant closer to kiss her beloved one but was forcefully pulled away by the arm.

“Enough of this! Soon you are to become my wife and I shall not tolerate such shameful acts,” Siwon stated in a tone of finality.

“I shall rather die than say ‘yes’ to you!” Tiffany retorted and closed her eyes preparing for a slap as Siwon raised his hand; yet that did not happen.

The man only grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the dungeon.

“Tiffany! Tiffany! TIFFANY!!!” Yuri cried from the top of her lungs, observing as the girl disappeared into the darkness. Once she lost her completely out of sight, she fell to her knees weeping bitterly; her balled fists were hitting the dirty floor repetitively.

If only Yoona was here. Together they would invent some plan to escape but alone she felt all her strength abandon her and fear paralyzed her senses. Yet it was not the perspective of being executed that filled her heart with such grave dread, but the fact that she was to never again behold her dear Tiffany who would be forced to marry Siwon and lead somber life at his side. What her death meant comparing to Tiffany’s torture? It was just a fleeting moment and her pain would disappear while Tiffany’s would last for years.

When she first met Tiffany, she was sure that like Yoona said it was lust which had drawn her to the beautiful Lady, but what in the beginning was a mere infatuation, turned into something much deeper and meaningful as she was spending every minute in girl’s companion during the last two months.

Tiffany was the kindest and most adorable person she had ever met. The way she would ask Yuri about her life with unceasing curiosity truly enchanted her; then the playfully, yet apt remarks she made to her stories would amuse her to tears. Her loud shrieks upon noticing a bug creeping somewhere in the grass were so adorable that Yuri often felt guilty when she somehow admired the look of Tiffany trembling and whimpering with damp eyes while clinging tightly to her side. And yet, despite her deepest disgust to insects of all kinds, every morning the brunette would go to the woods to pick up berries, which Yuri liked so much, and then fed her with them as though Yuri would be unable to do it herself. And when the night came she would sing lullabies in her husky, melodious voice as Yuri would rest her head on her chest and drifted off to sleep. However, there were also nights when Tiffany’s angelic nature would yield to the temptation and she would throw herself at Yuri showering her with greedy kisses while pinning her to the bed; and Yuri already knew that another sleepless night spent in Tiffany’s embrace awaited her.

In those circumstances, it was hard not to develop a deep affection toward Tiffany who expressed such strong devotion to her, and Yuri was certain that it was Tiffany with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

If only she had not been so foolish! At some point on their journey, the poor, shady inns and woods appeared to her as beneath their dignity and she thought that Tiffany deserved something better than those. They started to stay at more luxurious places; that in turn, equaled more stealing and they began drawing too much attention to themselves. It also did not help that the two found extremely hard to withhold their affection towards each other while being in public. All in all, it was a matter of time before someone would denounce them to the authorities for one crime or another.

Suddenly she recalled Yoona’s words and finally realized their meaning.

“It is a freedom of a hare hunted by a pack of dogs.”

The freedom they had was fickle and false, it promised many liberties but concealed their prices which now Yuri was to pay with not only her own life but with Tiffany’s also.

She let down the two most important people in her life.

“Forgive me Yoona,” she whispered lying herself on the cold floor.

The crescent moon was lighting up her crying face as its light streamed through the small window in her cell. It reminded her of her lover’s smiling eyes. Holding onto that image, she fell asleep tired from crying.

~*~*~*~

Yoona climbed onto the highest tree that grew in front of the luxury hostelry at which Jessica was presumed to stay. Straining her sight, she observed the windows in search of that one familiar face. And there she was, standing on the balcony, clad only in a white nightgown and bathed in the pale moonlight. she looked like a descendent of Heavens and Yoona could only gaze breathlessly, mesmerized by the marvelous image, which rekindled the sweet memories. Her heart was thudding in her chest eagerly as the burning passion engulfed her senses.

She is the one.

Corners of her lips lifted upwards forming a dreamy grin, and she descended the tree in haste almost losing her hat in the process. Not thinking clearly, she ran toward the balcony and leapt at the ivy, which covered the walls of the hostelry, to climb up and meet her love.

“Jessica!” She called girl’s name in a hushed voice.

Jessica let out a startled shriek seeing a person climbing up the ivy and then invading the balcony of her room.

“Shhh.” Yoona brought a finger to her lips, commanding to stay silent and winked at her knowingly.

Jessica’s eyes widened in utter surprise as she recognized the face of the intruder; she would never forget this vision of pure beauty that she once beheld with her eyes. Yet afraid that it might be just a phantom of her imagination, she grabbed firmly onto the hand and withdrew them to the inside of her chamber.

“Yoona,” Jessica breathed, lovingly girl’s face.

Yoona felt her body grow weaker at the simple touch. She closed her eyes leaning her head into the warm touch and then she felt searing pain when Jessica slapped her across her face out of blue.

“Yah! You cold bastard!” Jessica screamed with rage. “How could you leave me like that?! Stealing my heart then running away without a trace! Give it back to me or,” her voice died in as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Or…?” Yoona prompted hesitantly.

“Or kiss me,” Jessica whispered and sized the girl by her coat locking their lips.

Losing herself into the passionate kiss, Yoona’a arms wrapped tightly around Jessica’s slim waist pressing their bodies closer while Jessica removed the unnecessary hat and tangled her fingers into Yoona’s dark locks, then she stumbled back, whether coincidentally or purposely that remained a mystery, and fell onto her bed with Yoona landing atop her. Their lips separated and now they were gazing deeply into each other’s eyes blushing fiercely.

“I knew you would come,” Jessica murmured breathlessly.

“How?” Yoona inquired, her chest heaved rapidly in unison with Jessica’s.

“Silly, you told me yourself that true love would find me one day. Jessica smiled with that charming, sincere smile of hers, and Yoona felt a surge of happiness and exhilaration once Jessica planted a chaste kiss on her moist lips.

However, something felt wrong.

Yoona followed Jessica’s suddenly mischievous eyes and remarked that some buttons of her shirt were somehow undone and what hid underneath became quite exposed much to Jessica’s contentment as Yoona hovered slightly above her propped on her elbows. Feeling her usual shyness coming back after a moment of pleasurable oblivion, Yoona stood up abruptly and covered her chest with a coat.

“You knew!” She pointed at Jessica as if accusing her of some crime, but the girl just laughed amused at the return of timid Yoona.

“Of course I knew you were a female.” Jessica left the bed grinning from ear to ear as she approached Yoona and began playing with a strand of her black hair.

She noted that the girl looked even more beautiful with long hair.

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