"Psst!" YooA called out in a whispering voice as she hid behind a tree with Mi Joo and Ten right behind her.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Ten asked with much concern before she turned to give him a look and shut him up.

"He is a close friend who I met while he trained at the palace to be a royal guard. We can trust him."

YooA turned back around to see she had gotten Han Sol's attention and she quickly signaled the tall guy over. He looked around to see if anyone was watching before he quickly headed over to them.

"What are you doing here, princess?" Han Sol asked as he looked at her with surprise before he glanced over at Mi Joo and Ten. "Who are they?"

"I have a really big favor to ask you," YooA said as she lowered her mask so it hung around her neck.

"Anything for a friend," he said, nodding for her to continue.

"I need you to sneak us out of the gates without anyone noticing. This guy is a very wanted thief, and I am sort of running away from the palace," YooA said as she pointed back at Ten and then at herself.

Han Sol could only stare at her with disbelief as he slowly shook his head. "Do you know how much trouble I could get in for doing that? If the other royal guards found out I co-"

"They will not find out. Just trust me with this. It's really important," YooA cut him off.

Han Sol let out a sigh as he threw his head back. His dark and silky hair fell back smoothly before he faced YooA again and it fell back neatly again. He ran his fingers through his hair as he made his decision. "Fine, I'll help you out. But I could get beheaded for this."

"Thank you so much," YooA said with a smile. "I owe you."

"Yeah, you really do."

YooA raised her mask back up and signaled Ten and Mi Joo to raise up the hoods of their coats. They did as instructed and Han Sol took them to the gates as he kept his eyes on the other royal guards that stood farther away to make sure they didn't see them.

"Dear God please forgive me," Han Sol mumbled as he took out a key and unlocked the gates. He opened them up and the other three quickly stepped out.

"Thank you," YooA said as she turned to look at him.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Just go and run before anyone sees," he said as he motioned her to go.

YooA nodded and she quickly ran off with Ten and Mi Joo following at her sides.

"So where to now?" Mi Joo asked as she ran besides Ten.

"The Forbidden Forest."

~~

The sounds of owls, the crunching dead leafs, the cold running whispering breeze, the shaking and rustling tree branches; it was a scary place: The Forbidden Forest. There was a reason no one dared go in.

Somewhere in between the woods, the ocean, the Southwest, and the Northeast kingdom, lied a forest where everything suddenly turned dark and grim as soon as stepped in. The dead, gray trees, the howling and whispering noises, the sickening stench of death and moist, the mystical creatures only heard off in stories. It was The Forbidden Forest indeed.

"It just had to be The Forbidden Forest," The White Rabbit, Jang Jun, mumbled in annoyence as he hopped behind the three while glancing around in disgust.

"What if we bump into Maleficent?" Chills ran down Ten's spine at YooA's words as he kept trying to move on forward without being hit by the dead, dry, gray, poking tree branches.

"Nuh uh, I don't mess with demons," The White Rabbit mumbled, ready to close his book and hop the heck out of there before he remembered his job.

"Do not speak like that or it will actually happen. Besides, nobody knows if she really is located in The Forbidden Forest," Ten said.

"Where else could she be located?" YooA scoffed before she started whining about the branches hitting her and the scary noises.

"Maybe you shouldn't have come. This is no place for a princess," Ten said, although not even five minutes later he yelped at a sound in the bushes that turned out to be a bunny.

"This is no place for a princess,  bleh," YooA imitated Ten as she rolled her eyes.

"Can you two stop fighting for one moment?" Mi Joo asked as she turned around to give the two a look.

Being from the place she was from, where technology was a thing and evil magic and creatures and things of the sort weren't, Mi Joo was having the hardest time going through The Forbidden Forest. She had never even gone hiking before, and suddenly she was going through some forbidden forest with a princess and a thief. Boy did she hope it was all a dream, because just thinking about it sounded weird.

"I am not fighting. This peasant boy is simply trying to start a war with a princess," YooA scoffed as she crossed her arms and stood straight like the princess she had been raised to be.

Ten could only roll his eyes as he tried to hold himself back. "Did you just call me a peasant?" And the two started their bickering session all over again.

Mi Joo, being done with them, just walked ahead as she tried to drown out their voices. As she walked through the bushes ans branches and mud, she looked around, wondering how a place could be so dark. She was sure it was daytime already. They had left YooA's kingdom during night time, then traveled to the forbidden forest, and now they were there. But the sky was gray. Not even as if it were to rain, but just, gray.

"Is this what evil magic does?" Mi Joo wondered as she kept walking. "I've read fairytales and watched movies where there's evil magic, so I wonder if this is a place for it. Is there even magic in this world?"

Suddenly Mi Joo lost all five senses as a loud, screenching, howl was heard so loud that raven birds flew out of the trees and away, and the whispering and wooshing sounds of the forest came to a halt. Everything was dead silent. And for some reason, that scared Mi Joo more than anything before.

All in once, Mi Joo felt the adreline rushing through her and she could hear her heart start thumping once again and ten times louder. Instincts kicked in and she quickly turned around and saw Ten and YooA who had stopped bickering and looked more alert standing farther behind her.

A loud growl came and they all turned to face west where the noise had come from.

Without any words exchanged, all three of them started running as fast as they could. But not in the same direction.

Mi Joo ran northeast while Ten and YooA, who had been father away from her, ran southeast.

Gasping and panting, Mi Joo kept running as she felt her breath shorten. It was that one night all over again. The same feeling of having her life on the line came back and she remembered how she had tripped and hit her head.

Behind her, Mi Joo could hear shuffling and loud steps as if she was being followed. She didn't dare stop nor turn around to see what was chasing her. She just ran like she'd never run before. Even with the three branches scratching her arms and tugging at her arms she just ran. Unfortunately, it seemed like the speed was too much for her legs to handle and she went tumbling down as she stumbled with her own feet.

A huge hit to the floor, but luckily she didn't hit her head that time. She quickly turned around and sat up when something huge and hairy jumped at her and straddled her on the moist and cold ground.

The first thing she saw when she looked up was a pair of shinning red eyes looking down at her. Forgetting how breathe in that instant, her mind went into panic as she couldn't do anything but stare up at the bleeding eyes.

The giant thing seemed to scan her face, and somehow, the more it stared down at her, the more the eyes lost their tint of red. Somehow that seemed to put Mi Joo more at ease and soon enough she found herself staring at a beautiful pair of brown orbs.

It wasn't so scary anymore. It was more. . . Suspenseful? Thrilling? Mi Joo didn't know how to describe it. But staring into those eyes, she could feel her heart rate calm down and feel at ease. Because there was something about those eyes, something which she couldn't understand. So she just kept staring, millions of thoughts running through her mind, yet none at all.

"Is this part supposed to be romantic?" The White Rabbit whispered to no one as he stayed intrigued at the scene in front of him.

But feeling uncomfortable in position she was in, Mi Joo ended up shifting beneath the giant thing, making her knee bump with something furry. The brown orbs suddenly disappeared at her touch and she was faced with an alarming red pair of eyes.

Before Mi Joo had the chance to go back into a state of panic and fear, the gaint thing jumped off of her and leaped over her before it disappeared into the dark forest and she was left alone.

A shaky breath made its way out of her lips as her hand went up to clutch her chest. "Oh my gosh. . . It's like a mockingbird. My heartbeat."

She then turned around to face the direction that the thing had gone in as a million thoughts started pooling in. Was that a werewolf? Why did it's eyes suddenly turn brown and then back to red? Did I almost die? Did I accidentally scare it?

How the hell do I get out of here?

~~

 "Okay, I think we managed to escape that thing," Ten said as he finally stopped running and YooA stopped besides him.

The forest was dead silent except for their heavy panting as they both tried to catch their breath after all that running. Once they had cooled down, YooA moved to sit down, when something stopped her. She looked down at her hand to see it was being held by Ten's hand.

She suddenly felt hot once again and her face started shinning a bright red as she cleared . "Erm, uh, Ten. . ."

Ten turned around to face YooA and then looked down to see what she was pointing at. A blush crossed his face as he quickly let go off her hand and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Uhh, I'm sorry, i-It was an accident."

"It's fine," YooA mumbled as she avoided eye contact. She clasped her hands together as the scene kept replaying in her head.

When the two had heard the loud scary growl, Ten had grabbed her hand and pulled her to run with him. YooA felt her heart skip a beat at the fact that he didn't leave her behind despite how much they bickered in the one day of knowing each other.

Randomly, a sudden gasped slipped out of YooA's mouth as her hand went up to and her eyes widened in fear. She turned to Ten who gave her a questioning look and said, "We left Mi Joo behind."

Ten's eyes closed and a sigh escaped his lips as realization hit him. "I can not believe we left her."

"We have to go back."

"We can't. We do not even know where she is, and the forest is too big to search. Chances are we will probably run into something that will eat us before we reach her."

YooA let out a sigh as her eyes wandered around the forest. He was right. She couldn't even remember which way they had come from, and the longer she stayed there, there more unsafe she felt.

"Fine. Let's just find this stupid cave and head off."

~~

"Ki Hyun, where are you going? That's the way to the South kingdom, ruled by the Evil Queen," Ye In said as she suddenly stopped her horse before it could follow Ki Hyun. Won Ho and Joo Heon stopped right behind her.

Ki Hyun turned around and looked at them before he glanced back at the forest that laid in front of him. "I know. We won't go over to the kingdom, I just have to stop somewhere near there in the forest."

"Please do not tell me we are going to meet up with-"

"Yes, we are," Ki Hyun said as he kept on riding his horse. "Look, you guys can head off if you want and prepare everything. But I have business to attend to and can meet you all later "

Ye In, Joo Heon, and Won Ho all looked at each other before they looked back at Ki Hyun with uncertainty. "Why do you need to meet up with them?" Ye In asked.

"I know we have restrained from asking them for help, but we are desperate and running out of time, whether we like it or not," Ki Hyun said as he shook his head slowly and looked down at his hands. "We couldn't even find anything in the southwest kingdom."

"That is not your fault-"

"As a leader it is," Ki Hyun cut Ye In off with a stern voice. "Now, I really have to get there so if you want, you three can just go now."

Joo Heon and Won Ho looked over at Ye In to see what her final decision was. A nod of her head and they were all headed in a different direction from Ki Hyun.

"Was it really wise to leave him behind? What if he does not make it back in time for the ball?" Won Ho asked once they were further away from Ki Hyun's direction.

"He will make it. I know he will," Ye In said as she kept looking forward. "He always does."

~~

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

The horse's footsteps and the rustling sounds of the crunching leaves were all Ki Hyun could hear as he headed down south. It was quiet. Calming. Relaxing.

He hadn't felt so at peace in such a long time. With Won Ho and Joo Heon being loud and troublesome on one said, and Ye In constantly nagging at him at the other while the pressure of a leader crushed down on him from above, it was restless for him.

"I feel ya bro," The White Rabbit mumbled as he shook his head. "Ever since I got this job I've been growing white hairs, and not just because I'm a white rabbit. Anyways, not like you can hear or see me. . ."

The last time Ki Hyun had felt so calm and at ease was a bit over five years ago, when he was seventeen, before the king and queen of the Northeast kingdom had died and Jae Hwan had to step up and take charge.

Things were better during those times. Ki Hyun and Ye In would play around without a care in the world. Without having to take care of the townspeople that fell into poverty after Jae Hwan stepped in and stole it all.

Ki Hyun didn't have to look after Ye In so much, and as a twelve-year-old, she lived freely, practicing her archery and sword skills without worrying that she'd have to use them on actual people one day and that a single slip could cost her her life.

He didn't exactly know how the rebellion had started. Maybe it was just natural, maybe every one else had a meeting and secretly appointed him as leader. But after stealing from the rich for the poor, their ambition grew and not only were they going agaisnt the rich, but Ki Hyun was leading them against the kingdoms. He didn't know the exact transition, but he couldn't complain. It wasn't very leader-like of him.

Crunch.

Ki Hyun suddenly pulled his wrists back, pulling on the reins, and brought his horse to a halt. His ears perked up and alarm showed in his tiny, squinted eyes. Not making a single move, Ki Hyun looked around the trees that surrounded him.

There was no wind, so there was no way leaves rustled because of that. He didn't sense any animals around. No smell, no prints. Nothing.

There's still some way before I reach the territory... so.. 

Ki Hyun scanned the whole area once again as another rustling sound of leaves was heard from not far away. With a small thud, Kihyun got off of his horse and his hand slowly slid down to the handle of his sword, getting ready for any sudden surprise.

Making careful steps to avoid making much noise, Kihyun headed in the direction of the rustling leaves and thudding footsteps. One mistake and Ki Hyun had accidentally stepped on a twig and made it snap in two. 

The rustling leaves and thudding footsteps suddenly came to a halt and Ki Hyun knew he was caught. But he continued on with his steps as he fully pulled out his sword.

Ki Hyun had been roaming the woods since he was a little boy, and knew them like the back of his hand. He knew all the creatures and where to find them. Everyone who lived there and how to approach them. Every plant, from the rarest, to the medical ones, to the deadliest ones.

There was nothing much, possibly nothing at all, that scared Ki Hyun. He was daring and possibly a fool for it. So he continued until he reached a clearing and looked down at the floor.

Footsteps. His eyes scanned the area, following the footsteps, until they suddenly stopped and led to nowhere. Ki Hyun wasn't stupid. He knew what that meant.

Whoever had been out there must have heard Ki Hyun and hid. Possibly in a tree or a bush, making the footsteps suddenly stop. And whoever the person was, was clever. And they were planning to attack him right at that moment.

In a single second Ki Hyun spun around and raised his sword up to protect himself from the sword that came clashing down on his. He came face to face with a big pair of round brown eyes as the rest of the face kept hidden behind the swords that were the only thing keeping the distance between them. A single breath and a blink of the eye and the person backed up and Ki Hyun followed as they engaged into a sword fight.

The swords clashing here and there and the person spun around as so did their hair. That's when Ki Hyun noticed it was a girl. His view of her wasn't clear enough, as he focused on the clashing of their swords and the swiftness of their moves.

He started desiring to see her but her spins and moves didn't give him a clear view. She was a good fighter. Obviously trained for a long time. Whether she taught herself, or someone else taught her, it was impressive.

Never had Ki Hyun fought with a girl like this. Or guy. Everyone was always too predictable and even Ye In was different with a sword. She was sharp and precise and always aimed for what she knew would get her the best. This girl, on the other hand, was delicate and moved in more unpredictable ways that seemed sloppy and messy, yet seemed to work in the end.

But there was a mistake in her plan. A mistake that he was able to foresee, and soon enough, she slipped, and without thinking anything through, his sword fell from his hands and he caught her in his arms.

They both heavily panted as they stared straight into each other's eyes. Fear was written all over his face and he suddenly felt like he had no reason to fight her or see her as an enemy.

Beautiful. She was absolutely stunning and gorgeous. With her fair skin, long and silky hair, and big brown eyes. 

She reminded him of one of those town girls that were of high class and often looked down on people like him. The ones who would barely step outside of their giant houses in fear that they would step in mud and get their silk dresses dirty. But only, she was much more gorgeous and her beauty was indescribable. Which was why he was all more impressed at the fact that she could handle a sword.

"Ji Soo! Where are you?! It's time to go back!" A voice called out through the forrest.

That's when it hit Ki Hyun and he quickly let go off her and backed away with wide eyes. His eyes scanned her from head to toe and the words slipped out of his mouth.

"Princess Seo Jisoo?"

"Now this is what you call a romantic scene," The White Rabbit mumbled with a smirk before he closed his book and watched..

Thank you to anyone who read this! I have been busy lately so it's taken a while to uodate, but I hope this was enjoyable and I will try to update again soon :)

 ~Jackie