Chapter 1 - A Knight with Scar

Dark clouds covered the sky and rain poured down over a village in Silla Kingdom. A young woman covered her face and body from the strong weather with her thick coat and hood, trudging on the wet path toward her sister's house, tears blurring her vision. She closed her eyes, gathering her courage before knocking.

"Yes?" came the response along with the sound of footsteps from inside the house. When the door was opened, the owner of the house gasped in surprise. Her elder sister, who stood before her, looked like a mess. "Ye Ryung? Why so sudden? What happened?"

"Ren," Ye Ryung answered, lost for words. Her tears started to make their way down her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Ren asked with worry. "Come inside. Quick." She pulled her elder sister to the house and closed the door, blocking the sound of the wind. "Wait a moment. I'll make something hot for you." She turned to the kitchen and was reaching for a cup when Ye Ryung pulled her arm.

"No," Ye Ryung stopped Ren without taking off her coat. She stared at Ren, her eyes broken. "Listen to me," she urged, dead serious.

Ren turned to look at her. From the look on her sister's face, she knew something wasn’t right. She gripped the cup, her fingers shaking. "Don't tell me…"

"I'm pregnant," Ye Ryung said.

The cup fell to the floor, the sound of it breaking into pieces filling the air. Ren covered in her hand, disbelief in her eyes.

“-- And I had to leave," Ye Ryung continued.

Ren didn’t know what to say. Ye Ryung collapsed on her, crying hard on her shoulders. She swayed a little and caressed Ye Ryung's back, soothing her. "It's going to be okay," she tried to comfort her, yet she had no idea how to deal with the problem.

11 years later

A young boy bolted as fast as his legs could bring him, laughing. His cousin followed him.

"Come back here, you brats!" a man yelled furiously.

The boy glanced at his cousin in victory and took a bite of the apple he stole a few seconds ago. He threw another one to his cousin, who caught it in his hand and grinned.

"Get them," the victim ordered two bigger men to catch the thieves who caused him to lose money and stocks.

", Sehun."

"Catch us if you can!" Sehun yelled, amused at the men chasing him and his cousin. The furious look on their faces made him want to laugh even more. "Come on, Chanyeol," he told his cousin and smirked.

Chanyeol nodded, scampering beside Sehun. The men behind them got closer, passing through the people in the alley. One of the men threw his bat over Sehun, who expertly ducked it. Yet when they approached a corner to turn, the man gripped Chanyeol’s shirt from behind, clamping up his throat.

Chanyeol struggled to break free, but the man lifted him up and hissed, "Small kids like you should be punis—“ the man couldn’t finish his last word, for Sehun had kicked him on the gut. Pain struck him, and he fell with his back on the ground, releasing his grip on Chanyeol. "You!" He tried to stand up, and Sehun pulled Chanyeol to run off.

The other man ran after them, pulling out his knife to teach the two trouble makers a lesson for messing with them. Sehun bent down a little to lift Chanyeol, who stepped both his feet onto Sehun's shoulders and climbed onto the roof of one of the stands in the alley.

Sehun used his leg to step on the brick wall and climbed up, but the man pulled him down that he fell to the ground. People watched this and gasped.

The man aimed his knife at Sehun, but Sehun moved his head away, making it hit the ground instead. When the man launched the second attack, Sehun moved his head again to survive and aimed a kick at the man's face, making him groan in pain.

Sehun flipped to stand up as the man tried to regain his balance. Furious, the man attacked Sehun again with the knife, but Sehun managed to block all of his attempts. Sehun kicked the man's hand, making the knife fly off before expertly catching it.

He almost had the upper hand, but the other man grabbed him from behind. Sehun struggled to break free, elbowing his opponent's ribs. When his opponent released his grip, Sehun raced and planted the knife on the wall, using it to climb up to the roof.

Yet before Sehun could climb up higher, the man threw another knife at his hand. Damn. It scratched his hand, drawing a thin line of blood. His hand slipped away, and he fell down.

He would feel the ground, he thought. But apparently, his body crashed a carriage and landed on the ground harshly.

He winced in pain. . The man would definitely attack him again with the knife.

But nothing happened.

Horses' steps and the sound of wheels stopping echoed in his ears. When he opened his eyes, he found a soldier on a horse aiming a sword at his face. The tip of the blade touched his chin, cold on his skin.

"What is it?" came the King's voice inside the carriage.

"Just a small boy, Your Majesty. Do you want us to get rid of him?" the soldier asked the King, not leaving his eyes off Sehun, for he thought that it was very rude to crash the King's carriage.

"What is it, father?" came a small girl's voice from inside the carriage, filled with worry. She had nearly screamed from the crash.

"It's okay, my beloved," the King answered his daughter. "Spare the boy. I do not want Irene to be in fear. She is too young to witness bloodshed around her," he ordered his soldier, telling the truth about his 8-years old daughter.

"Right away, Your Majesty," the soldier obeyed and took his sword away from Sehun. "Stand up and apologize to Your King," he ordered Sehun.

Sehun got back to his feet and stood up. He faced the carriage door, and the soldier pushed him. "My apologize, Your Majesty," he declared briefly, his voice firm without fear.

At first, the King was not even bothered to find out the source of the voice. He could care less if it was some other boy, but something about Sehun’s voice interested him. It didn't give the impression of someone cowering under his authority. It even sounded menacing, which was something he would never hear from his people.

The King turned to the window and opened the curtain so that he could see the young boy.

People in the alley watched with mouth agape. Their King had paid an attention to the boy, which meant that something bad must have happened.

"What is your name, young boy?" the King asked, beholding Sehun's piercing dark eyes, and saw his bravery, lack of fear and strong personality.

"Sehun."

The King broke their eye contact as Irene nudged him. "Father?"

Curiously, the little princess peeked out of the window, trying to find whom her father had talked to. And for the first time, their eyes met.

When the princess stared at Sehun, his breath caught in his throat. His heart skipped a beat. And for the first time, a strange emotion stirred inside him, along with lack of control.

Meanwhile, his aura sent shivers down her spine. She had never seen someone else with that kind of aura before. It was the kind of aura her father had, which could make anyone cower under it.

The King closed the curtain. "Bring him to the woods with us," he ordered his soldier.

The villagers murmured, surprised by the King’s command. The King and his troops had just passed by the village on the way for hunting at the woods, but he had suddenly decided to drag the 11-years-old boy along with them. Was it an honor from the King? Or a punishment?

The soldier immediately brought Sehun up onto the horse with him, and Sehun didn't have any time to accept nor refuse. Within seconds, they rode off, leaving the villagers behind.

Chanyeol gaped, watching from the rooftop. The King had brought Sehun outside the village. "I have to tell Aunt Ye Ryung about this." He hurried to go back home.

"Father, can I come with you this time?" Irene pouted. She crossed her arms on her chest, watching as her father got off the carriage.

The King chuckled at her cute expression. "No, the woods are dangerous for you," he warned, telling the truth. He drew out his sword to check the weapon before checking his soldiers, who were getting prepared. Each of them had arrows on their back. "We will just catch some deer and be back in no time. Besides, don't you like this place?" He raised a brow.

"I love this place." Irene sighed.

They stood near the lake where she usually played while waiting for her father to finish the hunt. It was a beautiful place where she liked to collect flowers, but the fact that the new young boy joined the hunt bothered her. His presence invited her.

"Good girl." The King kissed Irene's forehead. "Remember to stay out of the water. I ordered two soldiers to guard you, my dear."

She nodded, stepped off the carriage, and looked up at him. "Be careful, father."

Sehun was checking out his weapon when a soldier announced, "We're leaving in three minutes."

Sehun nodded and stretched out his hand, aiming the arrow at a spot to give