While Jungeun couldn’t bring herself to say anything as she tried to process what just happened, Sooyoung took a seat at the edge of the bed, getting rid of the remaining contact and allowing  the younger girl to see the real color of her eyes. Burgundy wasn’t as flash as red, but it had a special glint to it – almost like a cat, the dim light of the room seem to reflect and make the burgundy shine brighter.

“I know it’s a lot to take in at once, but we don’t have much time, so I’ll try to be as brief as possible.” Sooyoung said, breaking the silence. Her eyes were now set on the princess, showing how serious she really was.

Jungeun blinked, nodding slightly. She had seen plenty of royals before – always from afar, the distant relatives that would do anything to be part of the line of succession, the people that would fight once it was time for a new King to take over. However, she had never seen someone with burgundy eyes, the dark color that seem to fit Sooyoung so well. “You are half human.” The blonde managed to say, stating the obvious. She knew such thing was possible, the books stated that their DNA was close enough to the human one to allow breeding between both species, however it was highly discouraged by the scientific community and the government – it would be risky to the kids, bigger chances of genetic diseases and some non-sense that was clearly being proven wrong by Sooyoung’s very own existence.

Ha nodded. “My parents met when my dad was working near the palace. My mother saw him by chance and they fell in love. She was your dad’s older sister.” She frowned slightly at her own words, as if she didn’t like the sound of it. “I guess I don’t need to say what happened next, right?” She arched an eyebrow and Jungeun shook her head.

“They got married under human laws after a couple of months, no one else was supposed to know about it.” Pursing her lips, Sooyoung averted her gaze as she got lost in the memories of the story her dad had told her so long ago. “Somehow the word about the wedding spread through the royals and eventually reached the King, at the time your father had just recently been appointed as the new ruler…He wasn’t happy with the news, but it was the Saeg Council that caused problems.” Making a break, the brunette took in a deep breath. “Your father tried to settle things peacefully to protect my mother, but it was useless. The Saegs couldn’t let the word of a royal marrying a human spread, so they took matters in their own hands and tried to kill my father. When they failed, they came after my mother even if she still lived at the palace.”

Jungeun gasped, her eyes growing wide at the mention of violence. Saegs weren’t violent, were they? She never thought her people, especially the snob royals that always act so mighty could do something like this. Perhaps, they weren’t that different from the ‘rustic’ humans they always think were so inferior.

 “The King was left no choice, but to stage my mother’s death. At the time the Queen was sick and it wasn’t hard to convince the public that the same happened to the princess. The royals were fooled into thinking their plan worked and my parents had to run away, hiding in the countryside. I was born a couple of months after it.” Grimacing, Sooyoung proceed. “Long story short: Ironically my mother died from the same damn disease that killed the queen, the king never contacted us and I was on my own with my dad. We had to move constantly and I had to use contacts ever since I was a child.”

With a deep sigh, Sooyoung massaged the bridge of her nose. She looked tired, as if telling this story brought her bad memories – Jungeun could understand it, she always felt something similar when she had to open up. Kim stared at the brunette, taking in all details of her face, noticing the similarities between them. Perhaps she should’ve know, Sooyoung always reminded her of her father.

They had much more in common than being part of the same family, both were forced to hide their whole lives – in very different ways. Jungeun had always been protected from the world, while her cousin was forced to learn how to survive on it. Neither of them had their moms growing up, and all thanks to the prejudice of the society they were born into.

Pressing her lips in a thin line, she took a seat beside the older woman. “What happened to your dad?”

“Still living in Seoul. It’s not the best neighborhood, but is a place where Saegs wouldn’t go looking for him.”

Jungeun frowned, she was still trying to understand the situation. “You mean they are still looking for him? And for you too?”

Sooyoung shook her head in a negative. “Some nobles recognized my dad a couple of years ago, but we flew away from the place before they had time to rat us to anyone. I don’t know if the Council is still looking for him or if they know about my existence, we tried our best to never leave any traces, to never stay too long at one place, but you can never know.”

The younger woman nodded, closing her hands into fists. Her life hadn’t been easy, however, compared to Sooyoung’s it wasn’t so bad. Sooyoung might be free to come and go, yet she’d always fear to be discovered, and she also had to think about her father. “I’m sorry.” Kim finally said after a long moment, looking up to meet the burgundy eyes that stared back at her. “I’m sorry the king… That my father didn’t help to protect you as he should’ve.” It was weird, after all she shouldn’t feel responsible for her dad’s actions, but she couldn’t help but feel this way. If the king had tried harder, maybe Sooyoung would’ve had a better life.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault, nor his. If anything, he helped to keep me alive by ignoring our existence.” It was the brunette’s reply, she had a small smile on her face indicating she really meant what she was saying. “The council doesn’t bend easily to anyone, not even the king. Why do you think he kept you hidden all along?”

The blonde always thought the reason her father kept her away of the spotlights because he was ashamed of her very own existence and feared how it could affect his work, she was a nuisance in his life, an obligation that he was forced to take care of. To think about any other reason for his cold treatment gave her a weird feeling, a mix of hope and fear – she thought she was past the stage of wishing for her dad’s love, but apparently she wasn’t. “Are you saying he was trying to protect me?”

 “I think that if he didn’t care about you, he wouldn’t have come personally to hire us in first place.” Soo shrugged, her smile becoming a little wider.

“Wait, did he see you?”

“He didn’t spare me a glance.” Sooyoung narrow her eyes. “I still wonder why he picked us and why only now.”

Kim sighed, this was something she had asked herself numerous times as well. Why now, why Mars, why sending her with this crew and why in the word would he make such weird requests to Haseul…It was hard to match this new image of her father to the one she always had, and part of her was still afraid of what it really meant.  “I wish I knew.”

A silence fall over the cousins, it wasn’t uncomfortable, but a necessary moment for them to recollect their thoughts.

“Does Haseul and the others…?”

“Know about me? Yes.” Sooyoung interject nonchalantly. “We are a family, I guess you know it by now.”

The younger woman nodded. This explained a lot about Haseul’s curiosity about the royal family as well as some of her past comments, or how Hyejoo seem so ready to create ways to hide them from the authorities… “So how did Hyejoo come live with you?”

“We are only distant relatives actually, but her parents helped us a lot and I spent a couple of years with them. It was nice, but I couldn’t stay forever.” Ha explained with a small smile. “They live in a quiet place out of the city and that kid was always a nerd, so when she asked to spent some time with us, I couldn’t say no. We get a tech genius, she gets to play with Raven and buy new toys at the market.” Sooyoung shrugged with a light chuckle. Another moment of silence followed, as Jungeun imagined Sooyoung’s life before joining Raven and how the crew had come together eventually.

The king surely had picked them for a reason and it was pretty clear what it was now – Jungeun didn’t have any doubts the king knew about Sooyoung, it would be too much of a coincidence otherwise.

The brunette interrupted her thoughts, the smile on her face becoming a little stiff as she spoke. “I hope you understand now what I meant. If you two decide to stay together, there’s a chance…”

“History will repeat itself and the Council will hunt us down.” Jungeun finished Sooyoung’s phrase, her voice small and heavy. “But I’m not a princess, I’m just the result of an affair.”

Sooyoung arched an eyebrow, the glint of mischievousness back to her eyes. “Are you saying you’re still willingly to try?”

“I…I don’t know.” Jungeun hesitated. Earlier she was so adamant about ending her relationship with Haseul, but now she was wavering. She was still hurt by Haseul’s lies, still, Sooyoung words were slowly making its way to her heart, making her second guess things. “This doesn’t change the fact that she lied, nor that we’d still be at risk.”

“It doesn’t. And I don’t know if I should be supporting my cousin and my best friend to lead such dangerous relation, but…” Sighing, Sooyoung stood up. “If you two really want to do it, I’ll do my best to help. Just remember it won’t be easy.”

Jungeun gave her a weak smile. “Thank you, Sooyoung. For telling me all this…For trusting me.”

“Well, it was only fair since I also know who you’re. And well, I guess we’re family, aren’t we?”

Sooyoung could be harsh sometimes, and now she knew the girl had good reasons to, but she was a nice friend – relative, better saying. She wished they could get to know each other better. It was funny how fast her feelings towards the brunette changed in a span of hours – from the feel of betrayal and rage, to the confusion and doubt, to the gentle warm of comfort now. Having a family was something she always unconsciously wished for, and Sooyoung was a part of the family she never knew had, but was glad to welcome. 

“I guess we’re.” The blonde also stood up, nodding.

They exchanged a smile and perhaps it would have been the perfect moment for a hug, but Sooyoung ruined it by patting her head in the same annoying way she did with Yeojin. “Now go to sleep. I’ve a feeling Haseul will be knocking at your door very early tomorrow and I don’t think she will take a no as answer.”

 Jungeun pushed her hand away lightly, grimacing at her words. Talking with Haseul was unavoidable, she only didn’t know if she was ready for it now. Even if she forgave Jo, should she risk their safety for the relationship? She had to think about it – a lot, it wasn’t only about her and Haseul, all the crew could be affected by her decisions.

“I’ll get going now.” Sooyoung said already heading to the door, she stopped by it to shot Jungeun a look. “You’re more important than you think. There are no rules that say an illegitimate child is not eligible for the throne, are there?” With those cryptic words, the brunette left, leaving Jungeun a lot to think.

Sooyoung was right, albeit Kim had never thought about it before, there were no official rules regarding the birth of a royal heir, only a bunch of ‘traditional’ ideas that the nobles and royals tried to push – none of it was in the official books that dictated how their ruler should rule.

Suddenly her life seemed a whole lot more complicated.

“Just go look for her! You’re ruining my sleep with all those sighs and deep stares at the walls!” Yeojin shouted from her bed, scaring a distracted Haseul that had been sitting on her bunk bed for the last half hour.

“I’m not even doing anything!” The older Jo argued back, pushing on Yeojin’s mattress to annoy the girl.

Her sister, however, was correct. Thanks to Jungeun’s cold treatment, the brunette’s mood had gone downhill. The blonde was ignoring her for barely two days, but it felt like years and it was hard to pretend it didn’t hurt.

Sighing, she stood up to get change and start her day – for Yeojin’s relief. Once again, she was the first one to wake up and she had to try to find something to distract herself from her not so pleasant thoughts.

The pilot checked Raven’s general condition, making sure everything was working as it should. Just like Kim told her, it was pointless to delay their trip to New Mars and she shouldn’t simply ignore the girl’s demands, so she set the spaceships coordinates and took her seat at the pilot’s chair – Raven could guide itself through the galaxy if needed, still, Haseul liked to make sure there were no issues. For today, piloting was more of an excuse than a necessity.

It would only take them a couple of hours to reach the planet, they would be staying at an open camp at a safe distance of the place Jungeun would be living now. Haseul had visited Mars a couple of times, most of them just to make quick deliveries that didn’t allow her much time to explore, still she had enough knowledge to know her way around the main city and it shouldn’t be a problem to guide the group through it if necessary. However, she still had a uncomfortable feeling every time she thought about the place – maybe because it was there where she had to separate from the princess, but something told her it was more than that.

Jo went over the maps once more, checking the local news for anything worrying and verifying if Heejin had left her any messages – for all three, there was no news. She was probably just getting a little paranoid over the fact that they were finally reaching their last stop.

It was still early when she finished it all, having only Vivi as her company. The android looked at her with worry in her eyes, although her lips still had the usual smile. Haseul tried to give her a reassuring smile, but failed. Vivi knew her all too well, what would be the point in pretending?

“I’m worried about Jungeun. She has been acting weird and I don’t know why.” She confessed.

“She has shown signs of distress in the last 40 hours.” Vivi replied, her eyes shining pink for a brief moment.

“Distress?” The brunette pulled her chair closer to Vivi’s. She had noticed Jungeun’s change, but the blonde only showed her a cold, indifferent façade, hiding her true feelings.

“Her vital signals changed, stress related neurotransmitters are being released constantly, especially when she is around others. The pattern indicates emotional distress, since I didn’t accuse any physical damage in my evaluation.” The android informed. Sometimes Haseul forgets Vivi was originally designed to be a home companion, a robot to help monitor people with special needs – In the beginning she would give Haseul daily ‘evaluations’, but as time passed and Vivi became more familiar with her new job and status, it became a rare occurrence. Now Jo realized that the android still run those ‘evaluations’ daily, she only kept the information to herself.

Pursing her lips, the brunette tried to think about anything that could have affected Jungeun that badly – she couldn’t think of anything. Going to Mars would be a highly stressing experience for the blonde, still, they had a little under a week until then, besides it wouldn’t explain why being around others was making her feel worse – it should be the opposite. “Has she told you anything? Asked you something weird?” She knew the younger girl would go to Vivi for many things, perhaps she could give her a clue.

The robot reached out to the control table, her slender fingers typing away quickly as she accessed the same pages she had shown Jungeun just two nights ago. “She asked about this person. There wasn’t much information about her, this is all I found.” Jung Jinsol’s profile was shown on the screen, a picture of her house was also available.

Jo leaned in, her eyes taking in all the information as she tried to understand how this could have disturbed Jungeun. The Saeg girl on the screen looked pretty normal, from her looks to the listed information on her profile she was just an average citizen. “Did she say why she needed to know about this girl?”

Vivi turned the screen off. “She said this person is waiting for her there.”

And for this Haseul had no reply.

Ignoring Haseul was harder than she thought, especially now that her rage faded away, leaving only the faint ache on her chest every time she spotted the brunette. Unfortunately, now she had more things to worry than her own heartbreak.

She spent the whole morning doing what she did the best: reading. It was too bad she didn’t have access to the royal library any longer, but she still could use the internet to help to solve some of her doubts. Jungeun looked for all the news related to the deceased princess, trying to create a timeline that connected it to what Sooyoung had told her – unsurprisingly, it was a perfect match.

The news weren’t very detailed, still the reports on the royals were frequent, always mentioning the ‘worsening health condition of your highness the princess and the queen’ until it finally wrapped up with their obituaries. The king did a good job at hiding his sister, he even conducted a formal Saeg funeral for her…This new, soft side of the king would never cease to surprise her. Part of her felt bad for judging him so harshly before, but another part was still unsure of his reasons and honesty, at least regarding his love for her – if felt any.

Be wary of people was a direct consequence from the way she was raised, therefore she should be more wary of Sooyoung and this whole story, hence why she decided to make sure all the information was accurate – there was no way to confirm 100% of it without running genetic tests, still she knew it wasn’t really needed. She had noticed the sincerity on Sooyoung’s words, besides, what reason would the Ha have to create such lie?  It wasn’t like being her cousin was of any advantage in the moment, and as soon as they reached Mars, the chances were that she wouldn’t even see the brunette again…The thought made her chest feel tighter.

She wouldn’t be seeing her cousin, nor any of the other crew members anymore. Not even Yerim would be there. By the way it made her heart ache, she could only deem herself as a fool for avoiding them when she clearly wished to have them beside her…Even if it was fake. But was it really?

Jungeun hated this feeling that was slowly creeping into her chest and making her heart melt again, was it hope? Perhaps she just wanted to believe in the best.

Haseul didn’t speak to her that day, not directly at least. The brunette had informed they were heading to Mars now and before night they would be landing in martian lands. Everyone seem surprised with the sudden change of plans, but Haseul had told them it was better to arrive earlier so they could explore the planet – for someone who was paid to lie, in that moment she surely didn’t look like a good actress and the crew was clearly not buying it.

The pilot’s eyes carried more than just worry today, she seemed hurt and tired and Jungeun found it hard to watch. She expected Jo to come by her room again, to insist more – to fight for her? There was a chance Haseul didn’t even understand what was happening between them now.

Jungeun wondered if Sooyoung had let her know and that was the reason for the change in her demeanor.

It was past lunch time when she decided to follow Ha’s advice – it wasn’t about her ego, her heart wouldn’t be at peace until they had made things clear. She walked around the ship, looking for Haseul in the usual spots she would be at this time: the conference room, the lounge and even the garage…The brunette was nowhere to be seen and Kim hesitate before heading back to the bedrooms area. She hadn’t seen Yeojin in the last hour, so there was a chance the younger girl was in her room too. One Jo was already too much for her to handle in the moment.

With a sigh, she knocked on the door and waited. It didn’t take long for the door be thrown open and her eyes meet bright brown ones – at a much lower height than usual. “Oh. H-Hi, I-“

“It was about time. I like you, but not that much today.” Yeojin said as she brushed Jungeun aside, leaving the room and pushing the older girl inside. “Go and solve whatever you two have going on. Honestly, I never thought I’d miss you guys being disgusting, but is much better than the sigh parade.” The young Jo didn’t waste any time waiting for a reply, she closed the door behind Jungeun’s back and went away before she could protest.

Haseul was also taken aback by her sister’s actions, because she shot up from her buck bed, hitting her head in the process and now stood there in an awkward position, rubbing her bruising forehead. Her gaze met Kim’s, the atmosphere heavy as they both just stared at each other, waiting for the right moment to speak.

“Jungeun. Please, take a seat.” Haseul was the first to break the silence, gesturing the bed that was the only place available to rest. Sitting, she ran her fingers through her hair ignoring for a moment the pain in her head to tend to her emotional pain instead. She didn’t expect Jungeun to be the first to look for her and by the girl’s expression, she wasn’t there to apologize for being cold in the last couple of days – more like the opposite. Jo gave her a weak smile, unsure of how to proceed. “Your eyes…”

“They are beautiful?” Jungeun completed with a hint of sarcasm in her voice that didn’t fail to reach the brunette. The princess sat down, keeping her distance, just like when they first met.

Haseul hunched her shoulders, averting her gaze. “Yes they are, but I was saying you don’t have your contacts on today.” She corrected, before risking a glance at the blonde. She could feel Jungeun’s animosity coming in waves to hit her, but Jo couldn’t possibly understand the reason why. “Jungeun…Can you tell what is going on?”

For a long moment Jungeun set her red eyes on Haseul, her stare piercing through the brunette like sharp knives – it was cold and it was hard for the pilot to not break the visual contact, but she managed to look back at the princess. Finally, Kim drew her gaze away, focusing on her own hands over her lap. “I heard you and Sooyoung talking. Don’t even try to lie, she already told me that the king asked you to take care of me…Whatever it means. Aren’t you such a good actress?”

If the blonde cold stares were enough to bring her pain, her words sent Haseul into numbness, as if her whole body was indeed freezing. Of course it had been that.  Jo wanted to blame it all on Sooyoung and her big mouth, but it would be petty and childish of her, and completely unfair to Jungeun. She knew that hearing about the contract would upset the blonde and wished for it to never happen – luck wasn’t on her side, ‘upset’ didn’t seem like the word to describe the hurt on Jungeun’s eyes in the moment. It made her feel small and heavy, as if the weight of guilty had taken a toll on her.

“Jungeun, I know what you heard is... I don’t have an excuse for that, at the time I just thought it would be a way of getting easy money and we needed it and I didn’t think much of it.” Jo shook her head, feeling her breath uneven as she tried to articulate words. She wouldn’t make apologies or try to lie her way out, Jungeun deserved more than this and their relationship was precious to be ruined by even more of her mistakes. “It’s all on me, the other girls didn’t agree on it. They didn’t even know about it, except for Sooyoung and she never liked the idea.”

Inhaling deeply, Jungeun pressed the mattress under her fingers tightly. To hear that for Haseul she was just ‘easy money’, even if for a brief moment, was more than enough to remind her of all the heartache she had went through when she heard the girls talking that night.

“You needed money and the girls too. I can understand that.” It was surprising Jungeun managed to speak without betraying how shaken she was. Only for a couple of moments, she had to grab hold of herself and put her heart in second place. “I just have three questions for you, so don’t bother trying to fool me with your stories.”

The older woman wasn’t in a much better state. The numbness of the shock was slowly turning into panic as the realization of what was happening hit her. It was all her fault and she desperately needed to find a way to fix, if not for her own good, for Jungeun’s. Jo wanted to apologize, to hug the girl tightly and tell her how sorry she was – not for accepting the job, no, if she hadn’t taken the opportunity she would never had met Jungeun in first place. What she was sorry for, was for omitting the truth, for letting her find out in the worst way possible. It was selfish of her and it wasn’t fair that Jungeun was the one paying the price for it.

Kim’s words might be harsh, but she deserved to hear them, that’s why she only nodded in agreement. She had nothing more to hide.

“Did you lie to me about anything else?”

It was a simple question and Jo didn’t hesitate in answering. “Everything I told you about myself and about my life was completely sincere.” She kept her eyes on Jungeun, hoping the girl would eventually spare her a glance and notice the sincerity in her face. “But…” Haseul grimaced. It wasn’t directly related to their relationship, but Jungeun also deserved to know. “Is not exactly a secret, but I didn’t tell you the whole truth about the attacks back then. It didn’t happen only in Japan, it happened in all the locations we visited. There’s a high chance it was a combined effort and they were targeting us all along.” Burdening the princess with more things to worry was never her intention, yet it was better to be honest now.

“They were targeting me. That’s what you mean.” Kim didn’t seem surprised by the news, it was as if she was expecting it. “I always felt like it was the case, but I didn’t want to accept the guilt for being the one that cause other people harm.”

“No! They were targeting us.” The brunette emphasized the last word, mastering all the courage she had to get closer to the younger girl. She didn’t touch her, but her gaze never left her face. “You’re not alone. I and the rest of the crew are here with you, I know you may think otherwise now, but we do care about you and would do anything to keep you safe.” She had decided to protect this girl from the moment she had lay her eyes on her, and it had nothing to do with the contract.

“Us…” Jungeun’s voice faltered, it was quiet and heavy on emotion, as if she was afraid of the answer. “Was it also part of the deal? Just another way to get extra cash?” She finally risked a lance at the pilot, vulnerability in her big red eyes.

If Haseul wanted to hug her before, now it was physically painful to not have the blonde in her arms. Still, she clenched her hands into fists, preventing herself from touching the other woman. It was up to Jungeun whether or not she would be worthy of her affection after listening to the human’s words, she wouldn’t dare to make a move until then. “It wasn’t. If you heard us that night, you know that it was never part of the plan. The king would probably cut down my pay if ever figured out about us. But I couldn’t help but want to be more and more close to you, and the more I knew you, the more I wanted to stay by your side. This was also not a lie.”

Jungeun was holding so tight on the mattress that her fingers hurt, the only thing stopping her from throwing herself into Haseul’s arms and let her sweet warmth surround her, pushing away any doubts and fears. She could see the honesty in the brunette’s words and actions, still she was afraid of trusting in her eyes and let herself fall into another trap. “Do you love me?” It wasn’t a fair question, she knew it. Having Haseul’s affection in such short time frame should be enough, love takes time and effort and it’s such a powerful feeling that can change everything…So powerful that it made Jungeun’s heart  hurt only thinking about every moment they had together and how it could’ve been the last.

Three weeks was enough for her, enough to make her so attached to the brunette that felt so empty for staying away of Haseul even if only for two days. She was risking it all by loving her, even more now that she knew about what the Saeg were capable of doing. If it wasn’t love, it wasn’t worth it.

But Haseul was worth it, more than anyone ever could be to her.

“I love you.” Jo’s voice was soft, but firm. A small, shaken smile growing on her lips as she spoke. It was the first time she had ever said it out loud, and although it made her feel vulnerable, it also made her feel strong and brave enough to not tear away her gaze from Jungeun’s face as she repeated. “I love you. I fell for you when I saw you at the square. I like you when you finally showed me a real smile at the market. I loved you in the moment I could see your real self. And I still love you now, when I hurt you and it’s killing me know that.“ She took a long breath, trying to avoid the tears that made it hard for her to breath and her voice to falter. “I’ll still love you even if you decide to end things and not forgive me, just please, know that it was never fake. Every moment was real and I’ll always cherish it, just like I cherish you.”

It wasn’t about given in, it was about allowing themselves to find the peace in the arms the person they loved the most, therefore there was no point in who took the first step, it only mattered that as soon as Haseul finished her speech, they were caught in a strong, loving embrace.

There was still a lot to be said, but for this little moment they searched for comfort on each other’s presence. The warm feeling was there, filling up Jungeun’s heart just like Haseul’s mint scent filled her lungs with the familiar smell, putting her at easy. As Jo gently caressed her back, whispering apologizes into her ears and the princess’ allowed herself to lean on pilot, giving up on hiding her emotions, her heart slowly started to mend itself once again.

There was so much pulling the apart, much more than they could control. Yet, only for now, Haseul wanted to keep Jungeun as close of her heart as she could. Having Jungeun back into her arms brought her the usual feeling of being back home after a long time, of carrying a precious gift that only her could find, the feeling that made her heart swell with so much love that it became almost too big for her chest.

There was also something that Jungeun was hiding from her – the woman that Vivi showed her earlier, the one she would be living with soon. Yet, Haseul didn’t ask about her, or anything at all. And when the first tears hit Haseul’s shoulder, she only hugged the girl tighter. Kissing her head, she let her own tears fall.

They remained like that, lost into each other’s warmth and in the safety of their love, for a moment that was simultaneously eternal and too short.

A moment ruined by the sound of the door opening and the sight of Yeojin’s dark expression.

“I hate to interrupt. But Heejin is calling, and it doesn’t look good.”

‘Not good’ was definitely a good definition for the news they received that afternoon.

Heejin was calling from Earth, the brunette had her full uniform on and a tense expression on her face. “There was an attack to the king. We don’t have much information right now, the Saegs are getting into the way and something really weird is happening…Sihyeon’s family even called her back home and now I’m on my own.” The young cop grimaced, shooting a glance over her shoulder to check if there was anyone around before continuing. “They will say it’s the Purists again or that it was an accidently or whatever, but this is not the case. The king was attacked during a secret trip no one was supposed to know about, there was no way the Purists could’ve known.”

“You’re saying the Saeg did this.” Sooyoung said, her voice once again assuming the cold tone that matched perfectly her stiff posture.

“Or that the Purists have an insider.” Haseul complemented, clasping Jungeun’s hand a little tighter. She hadn’t let go of her ever since Yeojin appeared and she didn’t seem to intend on doing so anytime soon.

Heejin nodded, her eyes assuming a darker shade. “I don’t know the king’s current state, but…” She hesitated, her gaze laying on Jungeun for a moment. “They are planning on something big to try something like this. I suggest you all to stay away for a while. Whether the Purists are being controlled or not, right now the Earth isn’t a good place to be at….Maybe not even for humans.” She bite her lip, betraying her own nerves before risking a stiff smile. “I’ve to go now. I’ll contact you if I’ve any news.”

“Don’t. You’ve helped more than enough, just stay out of trouble now.” Sooyoung cut off, her words were firm, but there was worry in her eyes.

“Sooyoung is right. Please take care and stay safe!” Haseul nodded her head, emphasizing her words. They seem to care deeply for the police officer and in other occasion to see such display of affection would make Jungeun smile, but now she could only nod in agreement.

Heejin sighed, her smile becoming a little more natural. “I’m an officer now, you know? I can take care of myself!” She said before saying a quick goodbye and finishing the transmission.

As the screen went black, the crew exchanged worried looks.

Jungeun tried to keep her composure and not shown how affected she was. If they were attacking even the king himself, how far they were willing to go? Suddenly Mars didn’t seem far enough. She would like to say that she was only worried about herself and the crew, that she didn’t even care about what was happening to her father right now, but it would be a lie.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that he had sent her off, put her into safe hands and made sure she would have a place to go and stay out of danger, while he stayed behind to safe whatever threat there was. All along she thought he wanted to get rid of her by hiding her somewhere no one would bother to look for a bastard, but it all this time he was just trying to save her?

For the first time in her adult life, she wished for the king to stay healthy and well, she wished he was safe and fine. She wished they could talk and help her understand if he ever had seen her as something other than a nuisance.

After crying so much earlier, it was hard to believe her eyes could still bear any more tears, but here the tears were, burning her eyes and making her vision blurred. Wiping away her tears with her sleeve, she forced herself to break the silence. “Haseul, are we too far from Mars now?” She asked, receiving a confused look from the brunette, before the older woman shook her head.

“Two hours or so. I can make it one though.” Haseul gave her a reassuring smile, her brown eyes remaining serious as she dragged Jungeun to take a seat beside her at the control panel. “Soo, prepare everything for landing in minus fifty. Hyejoo activate our outer shields, make sure to protect Raven’s engines. Yeojin and Yerim, go and pack some clothes, make sure you have money and food as well. We don’t know what to expect, so we should be ready for everything. Vivi, coordinates to the place Jungeun asked you about before.”

Kim turned to face the android that just smiled and nodded. Of course, Vivi didn’t keep any secrets from her captain. The blonde gave Haseul an apologetic smile, they fought over lying, and while she didn’t lie, omitting the fact that there was a potential partner waiting from her on Mars was a pretty big deal.

The others went to follow Haseul’s instructions without hesitation. Leaving the princess alone with Jo and Vivi.

“That’s okay.” Jo inferred before she could say anything, the pilot keeping her focus on the controls. “Whoever is waiting for you is a friend not a foe, and that’s all that matters now.”

“Haseul, you know I…”

“I know. Keep that in mind.” Haseul glanced at her, she didn’t smile this time. “Whatever that is, we’ll found a way to work things out. But for now, let’s focus on getting there safely.”

At first sight, New Mars wasn’t much different from Earth, a big planet covered in green and blue. However, the continents were all connected like a big block, the ocean was a huge one without defined borders. There were no glass domes like on the Moon, nor a weather system like on Earth. Terraforming Mars was the biggest project both species had ever engaged into and the success was tremendous, once the atmosphere was reestablished, life found its way. The former ghost planet, had come back to life.

It was a beautiful sight that should be appreciated, but none of the crew members of the cargo ship that entered the planet spared it a glance other than to check for potential danger.

Just like humans and Saegs could make something so amazing, they could also ruin it. Today, the girls were hoping for the worst, not the best.

They went through security by using a fake license Hyejoo made them long ago, registering Raven under a different name as a working spaceship for a delivery service – it wouldn’t be hard to find them even under this cover, but it could buy them some time. Haseul asked Vivi to deal with the security, keeping everyone else out of the sight of the lazy officer who didn’t even bothered to check twice or questioned anything – thanks to Hyejoo again for making Vivi her own ‘citizen card’, it was usually just a running joke between them, but it came in handy.

Haseul took charge again as soon as they were headed to the city.

The original plan involved waiting around and making sure it was safe before visiting the place, but in light of the news, they couldn’t afford to wait. New Mars was supposed to be a safe place for the princess, but if the king was down – perhaps for good –, how could they know if a trap wasn’t waiting for them?

Keeping a safe height, Haseul overflew the city they were heading to, watching out for any signals of attacks – at least the so-called Purists weren’t subtle, it would be easy to spot them. After a first attempt, she decided to fly a little lower and check it with more care, still to no avail. The absence of attacks didn’t ease her heart, it’s was quite the opposite. She was afraid the menace had only taken a different appearance now, ready to sneak on them whenever they seem vulnerable – it could also be only a product of her imagination, they were so far away from Earth now, and part of her wanted to believe it was enough to keep them safe.

She thought about simply going to somewhere else and wait, but they needed to know why the king had sent Jungeun here and there was only one way to do so – Haseul really hated the idea though. With the king dead, the rules weren’t clear and she couldn’t possibly know whom would be after them, or what they were capable off. Jung Jinsol was their only clue in the moment. Even if they decided to hide, the Earth wasn’t safe in the moment, what meant that the Moon and even Mars might also be compromised…Travelling to outside the solar system would be a big risk itself. Besides, her family, just like the families of the rest of the crew were still back on Earth, they couldn’t simply leave for good.

The house where Jungeun would live wasn’t near the most populated area of the city, the construction itself wasn’t very big, but there was plenty of space, mostly covered by vegetation as the woods invaded the borders. It should be big enough to land with Raven, except it was totally out of consideration. Raven was big and compared to small, patrol spaceships, it was slow. Also, Haseul didn’t want to risk bringing the kids to the ground just yet, they might be loud and sometimes even a little annoying, but they were still just teenagers and she wouldn’t risk their safety.

“You three will stay here with Vivi’s while we check the situation down there.” Haseul voiced her new plan, and as expected the youngest members protested right away – even Yerim, who usually would only follow the instructions without much questioning.

“We’re not going there to play. I wouldn’t even take these two with me if it wasn’t needed.” Sooyoung cut off, her tone had a hint of her usual mischief, but her eyes were stone cold as she glared at the baby wolf. “Hyejoo, if things don’t go well, you’re the only one that can pilot the ship. So be ready for it.”

“I can fly Raven?!” Hyejoo sounded both excited and confused at the same time, forgetting her protests for a second.

“No!” Haseul said as fast as she could, her petty jealousy for the ship making a quick appearance – she couldn’t help it, Hyejoo was a smart kid, but Raven wasn’t just a computer and it required a lot of training to be able to properly pilot it. “I mean, unless it’s is completely necessary. Vivi can control everything here, she will only need help if there is any source of interference.”

Sooyoung scoffed at them, before reaching out to ruffle the other two kids’ hair in affectionate – yet annoying – way. “Don’t try to sneak out, bean sprout. Same for you, little bat.” Yeojin whined, but Yerim only showed her a yellow smile.

Jungeun, who was a little behind the three, watched their interactions with a shaky smile. She exchanged a look with Vivi, her good friend who had supported her so many times in little way that were more important than she could’ve thought. “I’ll take care of them. Do the same for me.” The robot subtly gestured to the ship owners as Haseul hugged the younger Jo and Sooyoung tried to do the same with Hyejoo without as much success.

The blonde hugged the android – a little to tight to the point it was slightly uncomfortable, Vivi might not have a human, or even a Saeg body, but she had the kindest heart and Jungeun learned to love her like all the others. She wanted to thank her for everything, yet she didn’t. She would thank Vivi once they were back safely, there was no time to keep on think about how things could go wrong.

Vivi patted her hair lightly when they broke apart, however soon a pair of familiar arms was holding her tightly. Yerim had tears on her eyes, her lips quivering as she tried to refrain from sobbing. The view made Jungeun’s chest clench even tighter, as she hugged the purple eyed girl back. “Why are you crying? I’ll just go there to get information and we’ll be right back.” She chuckled, trying to hide her own worried feelings.

“Then why can’t we all go? Or just wait out?” Concern shone on Yerim’s pretty eyes, making them look violet. Jungeun knew what she thought, it was probably the same she feared: what if Jinsol, whoever she was, tried to keep her there? What if the king’s orders were for her to stay no matter what? Maybe it could even be a trap and Jinsol wouldn’t be there at all…Still, she had to shake those thoughts off.

“There’s nothing to worry about.” She forced a smile, and adjusted the backpack on her back. She was wearing the same clothes from the night her and Haseul visited Osaka, but this time she has her blue contacts on just in case – Sooyoung was also wearing her brown ones. “If anything, we’ll be the ones surprising her, not the other way around.”

Yerim didn’t look very convince, but nodded, hugging her once more before going to Haseul and Sooyoung.

Leaving the youngest behind, the three women headed to the garage to get inside Baby Raven. However, Ha stopped Haseul before she could start the ship. Seating in the copilot seat, Sooyoung handed the shorter brunette a black object. “Here. Just in case.”

Haseul frowned at the sight, while Jungeun left out a surprised exclamation at the sight. “You really shop in the weird side of the market, don’t you?” The pilot said with a grimace, yet she accepted the gun. It was similar to the one they used at the police academy, Heejin carried one like that, it was a high-pressure gun with short range.

“It’s not so different from that electric toy you carry around.”

“My toy can’t kill anyone.”

Sooyoung crooked an eyebrow. “Exactly.”

“We won’t need it, will we?” Jungeun interjected – only to receive a weird object herself. Honestly, Sooyoung shopping list was very different from the usual.

The mechanic turned to the blonde. “I found it back in Japan. It works to keep track of all individuals within 50 meters, keep track of it at all times. We still have our tracking devices, so you’ll know if it’s us or someone else.”  Ha explained as she pointed out the small screen that could be projected. “If we have to run, or they try to separate us, use it to find your way back.”

“Sooyoung, this…” The device was pretty useful, but would they really need? Sooyoung seem to think so. The idea of being separate from the girl sent a chill down her spine.

“Would you rather a gun?”

“Thank you, she’ll use it well.” It was Haseul who answered, giving the younger woman a tight-lipped smile. She was in her ‘responsible professional’ mode, what meant that she was probably thinking about the best ways to keep everyone safe without any confrontations, while Sooyoung was getting ready for the worst already – they were a good combo for an emergency.

Jo told them to fasten their belts and put Baby Raven in motion, leaving the garage to enter open space – Raven was hovering around the forest, low enough to not be detected by the radars, but still at a good height to not be easily reached. Haseul’s strategy was to land with emergency ship right the backyard of the house, Sooyoung would be ready in case they needed to take off as Haseul and Jungeun tried to talk to Jinsol pretending they were there just to drop the princess as it had been accorded.

Nonetheless, the plan never came to life.

As soon as they left Raven and tried to approach the house, Haseul had to make a sharp turn, moving the ship upwards and gaining altitude before dropping back again, to flip the ship off and go back to where they began in a matter of seconds. Jungeun held tight to her seat, grateful for the seatbelts that kept them grounded to their seats.

While Sooyoung scoffed to herself, it looked like she was used to this kind of stuff. “Seems like we are not very welcomed.”

The pilot left out a sigh, her knuckles white due to the strength she had used to change the route last minute. “That’s a freaking force field! They are protecting the house.” She explained as the ship was stable again, hovering outside the said field.

Raven’s radar hadn’t detected it, but now that they were close enough, it was possible to notice the subtle disturbance it caused. A second too late, and they would have hit the barrier, knocking the ship right out of the sky.

Sooyoung leaned in, her fingers pressing against the sensitive screen in between the seats. “It looks like they’re going somewhere.” She announced, using the ship’s panel to project the image of what looked like a blonde woman leaving the barrier for the south limit, going into the woods – but she wasn’t the only one.

The other woman looked up, as if noticing their presence. Jungeun felt her breath stuck in as the image zoomed in, revealing a face very familiar to her.

“So in the end he sent me back to you.” She murmured, her naturally pale skin becoming a tone lighter as she reached to clench on her chest.

Sooyoung and Haseul exchanged worried looks, the pilot turning the ship around, preparing to land in the forest. “Seems like we won’t need the guns.”

A/N: Hi guys! I'm sorry I'm a little late this time! I can't believe we're finally reaching the ending, only one chapter to go!

I'm sorry about any mistakes and the delay! Thank you so much for reading, commenting and all that. I hope you'll be here to check the finale next week. Again, thank you and see you soon!