“We’re leaving” Kyuhyun said casually as he pulled me into his lap.

I flushed, but didn’t pull away, shyly snuggling into his chest.  I glanced up when I heard Donghae sigh and ruffle his hair in exasperation.

“Well I can’t say I’m surprised” he finally murmured, seating himself across from us.

Kyuhyun chuckled sarcastically,

“No, but I wasn’t really thinking about your reaction”

Donghae nodded and sighed,

“Commander, I know it isn’t my place to say this, but aren’t you acting too rashly?”

I felt Kyuhyun tense and I entwined our fingers so he would stay calm.  After a few moments he relaxed slightly and I nodded for Donghae to continue.  The lieutenant shot me a grateful look before continuing.

“For starters, you know very well that King Hangeng had nothing to do with the Head General’s attack, so you leaving would not only confuse him, but probably hurt him.  Secondly, by leaving, wouldn’t that mean the Head General won?  Your abrupt departure would cause the other advisors to question your sense of responsibility which would give the Head General the perfect opportunity to tarnish your reputation.  Leaving would also mean that the Head General would have the pleasure of seeing you back down”

I felt Kyuhyun tense up again, but this time I couldn’t do anything to calm him back down.  Kyuhyun muttered curses under his breath, and his eyes flashed dangerously.  I felt my own chest fill with contempt for the sinister man, and based on Donghae’s expression, he shared my sentiments.

I bit my lip as the nasty emotions swirled through me.  I knew Donghae was right, and I knew Kyuhyun’s pride would never allow him to give his father the satisfaction of ‘winning’, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I couldn’t go back into that room and see that sadistic smile aimed towards me.  It was something I was physically unable to do.  I wasn’t strong enough and I knew that I would never be able to control my emotions in the presence of the Head General.  My body shuddered in a mix of fear and anger at the thought.  I just couldn’t do it.

“Please Kyuhyun” I begged, turning around so I could bury my face into his chest, “Please don’t make me see him again”

My emotions were still raw, and while Kyuhyun had soothed some of my doubts last night, I still couldn’t erase the image of Kyuhyun with the princess.  I clutched at his shirt, not caring that Donghae was witnessing my weakness, my desperation easily overcame my pride.

Kyuhyun my hair and whispered soft words in my ear.  I knew he was trying to placate me and calm me down enough to make me reasonable, but I was stubborn.  I ignored his reasoning and refused to be persuaded.

We were at a standstill.  Kyuhyun wasn’t yielding, and I wasn’t about to give in.  Donghae made his presence scarce, obviously trying to avoid any possible signs of drama.

Part of me wanted to deal a low blow, make Kyuhyun choose between his pride and me.  I just couldn’t bring myself to issue such an ultimatum.  I reasoned that it wasn’t fair for me to put Kyuhyun in such an uncomfortable position.  In reality, I knew I was just too scared that he would choose his ego over my feelings.

Luckily, before I let myself delve too deep into that mode of thought, a staccato knock interrupted our silent battle of wills.

Donghae went to answer the door, while I quickly slid out of Kyuhyun’s lap, choosing instead to kneel at his chair side.  I watched out of the corner of my eyes as Kyuhyun straightened his shirt and hardened his face.

I kept my head bowed, but watched surreptitiously as a flustered messenger bowed sloppily towards Donghae before rushing over to Kyuhyun and falling to his knees.  Judging by the messenger’s mud-splattered boots and windswept hair, it was evident that he had ridden a fair distance.

It was a pretty obvious to everyone in the room that this messenger was bringing valuable information from basecamp.  Kyuhyun’s jaw tightened and he spoke in an authoritative voice,

“Speak”

The messenger scrambled to his feet and Donghae stood at Kyuhyun’s side, looking more serious than I had ever seen him.

“Commander, Lord Siwon has made a move.  His troops are marching towards the barrier surrounding the kingdom”

“How soon?” Kyuhyun demanded.

The messenger shook his head in despair, and Kyuhyun’s voice grew sharper,

“How soon?!”

The messenger looked a intimidated and he stuttered,

“T-two days”

Kyuhyun’s jaw clenched harder and I could hear Donghae curse under his breath softly.

“Tell the king about the newest development and inform him that the Lieutenant and I are leaving immediately”

The messenger nodded and hurried out the door.  As soon as we were all alone, we jumped into action.  I rushed to gather Kyuhyun’s things while Kyuhyun and Donghae started talking in urgent voices.  Before long, Donghae rushed out and Kyuhyun stood to help me.

We worked silently, but I could feel Kyuhyun’s eyes on me the whole time.  Almost instinctively I could feel what he was thinking and I, turned to face him.

“I’m going with you” I said firmly, “You promised”

Kyuhyun frowned and tried to argue,

“Ryeowook I don’t want you to get hurt”

“Why would I get hurt?” I countered, “We’ll both be at basecamp.  You’re not fighting Kyuhyun, you and I both know that you’re not healed yet”

His frown deepened, and I quickly held up my hand, frustrated with his lack of cooperation.  I looked into his eyes searchingly and issued to ultimatum that had been on the tip of my tongue for most of the morning,

“Kyuhyun, if you care for me even a little bit, you will not fight”

He froze and stared at me, but I didn’t let myself waiver.  I hoped my insecurity and doubt didn’t show in my eyes.  He didn’t say anything, but he cupped my face softly.

“P-please Kyuhyun” I whispered, and my voice broke, “You’ll get h-hurt”

He rested his forehead against mine and I looked into his eyes, silently begging for him to agree.  He leaned in and whispered against my lips,

“Okay, I promise”

I let out a sigh of relief and leaned up until our lips met in a gentle kiss.  I knew he wanted to fight and I knew that he would be willing to risk his safety, but more importantly, he cared enough about me to make a promise.  At that moment, he made me a priority, and for that moment it was enough.

~*~*~

Kyuhyun, Donghae and I left the castle immediately.  There was no time to spare, so we left without seeing the king or the Head General.  We set out on horses, the carriage set to arrive at basecamp later with all of our belongings.

Donghae rode his white stallion, Bada, while Kyuhyun and I rode his big black horse, Starcraft.  I clutched Kyuhyun tightly, but didn’t complain as we galloped at top speeds.  I knew it was crucial to arrive as soon as we could, so I simply squeezed my eyes shut and held on for dear life.

When we rode up, all the soldiers were already gathered at the center of camp, obviously waiting for direction.  Kyuhyun and Donghae stayed on their horses as they began shouting out orders.  They divided the soldiers into general combat forces and special task teams.

The normal soldiers were quickly dispatched to various locations under the supervision of Kyuhyun’s captains.  The specialized fighters were placed more strategically and they were led by the higher ranking officers under Kyuhyun’s command.  Donghae led the espionage/hand combat team that would be located closest to the basecamp so he could work with Kyuhyun.  Normally Kyuhyun would have head the archery/sniper team, but he kept his promise and instead put Yesung in charge.

The two would never get along, but it seemed both agreed that winning this war was more important than their egos.  I was sure my master would hate receiving orders from Kyuhyun, but I was also positive that he would do his job well. 

Once all the troops were dispatched, I did my best to convince Kyuhyun to come rest in the tent.  He was still not fully healed and I worried the stress of the situation was pushing him too far.  Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, Kyuhyun refused to settle down.

He was in a sharp mood, and all my pleadings earned me was a few biting comments.  I brushed off the hurt, knowing that pressure of the situation paired with the frustration of not being able to be on the frontlines was making him hot tempered.

Kyuhyun paced around the eerily quiet camp, stopping only when Donghae or the other officers reported their status to him.  From what I managed to overhear, the troops were situated well around the kingdom’s barriers with the special task forces providing back up from strategically placed locations.  King Hangeng and Queen Heechul had also been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

For the time being, the only thing we could do was wait for the inevitable clash.  The atmosphere was thick with the tension, and I didn’t even bother trying to calm Kyuhyun, it was useless to even try.  Even as night fell, Kyuhyun remained awake as he continued to receive messengers and issue orders.

I got him to eat some cheese and bread and drink a bit of coffee, but besides that, we had little interaction.  I knew it wasn’t his fault and I knew I was being overly sensitive in lieu of the situation, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit neglected.

That night, as I fell asleep watching Kyuhyun pace, a heavy sense of dread settled in my chest.

Oh my gosh... how much do u guys hate me for not updating?

I'm sorry, i really am.  Midterms happened, and I had two essays due and there's been crazy amounts of drama in my dorm (and despite my best efforts) I found myself wrapped up it the middle of it all.  I know this isn't a great excuse for abandoning you all, but it's true.

I'm sorry I balls....

Music: "Voodoo"- VIXX