Back at the cottage, Clara shuffled around the kitchen to make dinner for the three of them. Jiyong sat on the couch fiddling around with his violin watching her all the while. Clara’s father had yet to leave his room and that worried Clara the most.

“Well since we’re out of the palace for a few days it seems. Why don’t we go explore that cave we found when we were kids?” Jiyong said as he lightly strummed the strings.

Clara turned and looked at him with raised eyebrows. “What cave?”

Jiyong placed the violin down and walked over to her. “You don’t remember? When we were younger you were showing me around and we found it. You talked me out of walking down there then.”

“Hmm…” Clara thought while chopping vegetables. She vaguely remembered them exploring the woods as kids in the capitol and couldn’t remember a cave.

“Please?” Jiyong turned her to face him and gave her pleading eyes. She burst into laughter and pushed him away.

“Fine, we can go. Now let me finish making dinner.” She went back to chopping vegetables and he rested his chin on her shoulder, watching her. She let him stay there as she continued and it wasn’t until they heard a clearing of someone’s throat did they look up.

“Daddy, you’re up. How are you?” Clara put down the knife and wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing. She smiled and walked over to him.

“I’m fine. Just still in shock. Y-you’re the prince.” Her father slumped down onto the couch and Clara rushed to his side.

“Daddy, he’s still the same person. Just because he has a title doesn’t change who he is to us.” She said patting his hand.

“I suppose you’re right.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “Alright, what’s for dinner?”

Clara smiled at him and went back to making their dinner.

~~~

The next day, Clara woke up to an eager Prince ready to go on an adventure.

“Get up Clara. We don’t have all day!” He said from behind her door. She chuckled and got up, wrapping the blankets around her before answering the door.

“Aren’t I usually the one to wake you up in the morning?” She asked peering up at him as he stood in her doorway smiling.

“Yeah but this time I actually want to do something today.” He said practically bouncing on his feet with excitement.

Clara ran a hand through her bed head and smiled at him. She closed the door on him and went to get ready for the day. When she was done, she had on her cloak and her hair was tied back in a simple low ponytail, a few curls hanging from the side of her face.

Jiyong smiled at her and they put on their hoods before walking out. He grabbed her by her hand and they walked in the direction of the woods. No one noticed them as they walked down the path into the dense woods as best it should have been for their mission.

“So what exactly is it that we’re looking for?” Clara said brushing the little bits of snow that landed on her shoulder off of her.

“A cave. Something about it as kids we wanted to go inside but you talked me out of going in. Something about how we weren’t ready to walk in there.” He said looking straight ahead, his neck turning every which way searching for the cave.

“I know we’re looking for a cave but what is it that you think would be in there for us to find?” Clara made him stop. He turned and looked at her and cocked his head to the side. He thought about it for a moment.

“I don’t know. But something in me feels that we can go in there now.”

Clara breathed deeply. She remembered what cave he was speaking of. It was what she remembered her mother telling her that made her worried about going in there.

Flashback

“Clara! Clara dear! Come here!” Her mother called for her from the steps of their cottage.

“Yes mommy!” Clara ran from where she was in the small fields behind their home. She had a handful of field flowers in her hand and was smiling running up to her mother.

“How are your powers holding up? You haven’t used them have you? Or gone to the cave?” She asked brushing young Clara’s hair from her face.

“No mommy! I won’t use them!” Clara said holding out the flowers to her mother.

“Good. It’s dangerous for you to use them now. It’ll become unstable really fast, okay?” She knelt next to her daughter and looked her in the eye.

“When can I use them?” Clara asked looking up at her mother with big eyes.

“When it’s time to awaken something special for this kingdom.”

End Flashback

Clara sighed at the memory. Her mother died before she could even learn what it was or even why she had her powers but she’s kept them hidden all these years. She wondered if she was ready yet. She hadn’t used them since before Jiyong showed up in their home.

She wasn’t ready to use her magic.

“Well come on Clara. I’m not going to leave you behind. We have some exploring to do!” Jiyong said excitedly a few feet in front of her. She put on her smile and ran to catch up with him.

~~~

After what seemed like forever, they had yet to find the cave.

“Are you sure it’s this way Jiyong?” Clara said tiredly.

He winced slightly when she called him that but he let it go for the sake of keeping his pride in knowing where he’s going.

“Yes, I’m sure. It should be right up here.”

They passed by a large bush, which Clara had counted it to be the fifth time. She sighed and pulled Jiyong to a stop. He turned and looked at her curiously. Ignoring him she went over to the bush and lightly pushed it away, careful not to prick her hands and revealed an opening to a cave.

“See I told you it was up here!” He said proudly.

“Yes your majesty.” She said about to walk inside but he grabbed her and turned her around to face him.

“Stop calling me ‘Jiyong’ and ‘your majesty’ when it’s just us. I’ve told you this before.” She looked up at him in surprise and then relaxed.

“Sorry. It’s slowly started to become a habit after a while.” She looked at his chest avoiding his eyes. He sighed and let her go.

“Come on let’s go.” He led her inside of the cave and they walked in silence with one another. Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they walked. The echo became louder the deeper they went into the cave, as it also got darker.

“Could you conjure up some light Kwon? Eventually we’re going to need to see where we’re going.” Clara said chuckling softly.

Kwon smiled at her and held out his hand and did a slight flourish until a blue fire appeared in front of them.

“Nice job.” Clara said chuckling. She walked over to it and put her hand up to touch it, unafraid, but Kwon grabbed her hand and stopped her.

“I don’t think it’s safe to actually touch. It’s still fire remember?” Kwon said smiling at her but Clara shrugged him off and reached out to touch it again. She giggled when it touched her hand and twirled her hand lightly inside of it. She looked at Kwon who was staring at her in shock.

“What else can you do that I don’t know about?” He asked when she removed her hand, free of a burn.

“I don’t know. Something about this cave is bringing something to life in me that I can’t explain.” She said walking ahead of him until she realized he was still standing there. She turned to look at him. “Well come on then. We don’t have all day Kwon.”