Kwon sat on the couch playing around with his violin while Clara flitted throughout the kitchen making dinner. She was chopping vegetables when her father walked through the door. Kwon looked up from his strumming and smiled at the man that had housed him for the last ten years.

“Welcome back, sir. How was work at the factory?” He asked getting up to help him carry his bags.

“It was the same as usual. Dirt everywhere. The smell of metal heavy in the air.” He laughed.

Clara came in and shook her head. “Oh you two. Did you bring anything back today?”

Her father smiled and went in one of his bags and pulled out another bag wrapped around something.

“I was able to get some meat on my way home. Chicken! Put this in the stew.” Clara laughed and took it gratefully before walking back to the kitchen and began cleaning and cutting the chicken.

Soon they were eating hot bowls of chicken stew. Clara’s father laughed with them about what happened in town while they were out.

“The mayor actually gave us some coins for our performance this time. Any other time he yells at us to stop.” Kwon said before taking another bite.

“They mayor is such a hard . This is nothing new kids.”

Clara kicked Kwon’s leg lightly to get his attention and peeked over her spoon as she did so. He looked at her and squinted his eyes at her. She nodded in the direction of her father and he raised an eyebrow at her. This went on for a few minutes before her father spoke up.

“Alright. I know you guys are kicking each other. The damned table is moving.”

They both stopped and looked at him shocked.

“You always do that when you want something. So what is it now so I can prepare my ‘No’ for you.”

Clara sighed. “But daddy, you haven’t even heard the question.”

He crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. “You’re right. Let’s hear it.”

Clara her lips and wiped . She shared a look with Kwon and sighed.

“Daddy. Kwon and I want to go back home.”

He raised his eyebrow. “You are at home. I don’t understand the request.”

“I mean we want to go back to the Capitol. We still have our home there. And I want to go visit mom’s grave.”

Her father took a deep breath. “No.”

“But daddy—.”

“My answer is final. You are not going back there.”

Kwon sat on his side of the table watching this feeling disappointed in the old man’s answer. He saw Clara’s face light up earlier at the thought of being able to visit her childhood home but here they were being denied the trip.

“Come on old man. We just want to go for a visit. What’s the harm in it?” Kwon interjected.

“It’s a two week trip. And then you two plan to be there for how long? I can’t have you two alone in the Capitol galavanting. Who knows what will happen?” He said before taking another bite of the stew.

“We wouldn’t be doing anything at all sir.” Kwon pleaded with him.

“Please daddy, please? Let us go! We would only be there for a week!” Clara joined in with Kwon putting her hands together making her eyes really big. Her father looked at both of them and groaned.

“Fine. Fine you can go.”

Kwon and Clara looked at each other and smiled.

“—BUT on one condition.”

Their smiles disappeared and they looked at him curiously.

“You are to send me a letter every week during your travels. Got it?” He said pointing his spoon at the two of them. Their grins returned and they nodded. Her father gave a small smile before they went on to finish their dinner.

~~~

Clara woke up bright and early and began packing their bags for their trip. She decided to be nice and let Kwon sleep a little bit longer while she put everything together.

Kwon on the other hand was wide already awake in his room, his head resting on his arm, lost in thought. For years Clara had been the only one to tell him that he was of some royal heritage but he had not a single memory of it. Then all of a sudden some knight comes and tells him the same thing. All because of this ring he carried with him.

He lifted the ring in his hand and twirled it around in his fingers. He didn’t know why but he felt a strong attachment to it. For hours after he woke up ten years ago, he would stare at the crystal blue stone hoping it would gauge his memory. But it didn’t do anything.

Now here he was staring at it again, hoping that even the slightest bit of memory would return to him. He jumped when he heard a knock on the door. He looked over to see Clara peeking her head in to see if he was sleep.

“Oh you’re awake for once?” She joked, walking all the way inside.

He smiled at her, letting the ring fall back against his chest.

“I couldn’t sleep with all that racket out there. What are you doing?”

“Preparing for our trip of course. Daddy gave us permission and I think we should go as soon as possible.” Clara grabbed his wrist and tugged him, trying to get him out the bed.

“Do we have to go today?” He asked holding his weight down.

She nodded, still tugging. Kwon smirked and grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the bed. She shrieked and looked at him in shock. She really hated when he did this to her. It was always a tease from him.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. Her breathing became shallow as he held her close.

“Fine, we can go today. But I want a few more moments of sleep.”

She slit her eyes at him before pushing herself off of him. “You have thirty minutes. Breakfast should be done by then.”

Clara walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Kwon raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head before closing his eyes for a few more minutes.

Half an hour later, Kwon came out of his room and sat at the table.

“Alright, so what’s the plan?” He asked taking a bite of bread.

Clara looked up from her plate and smiled. “Well we’re just going to go in the direction of the capitol. We should make camp somewhere tonight of course.”

Kwon smiled back at her. “You have no idea how to get there do you?”

Clara hung her head. “Not at all. You?”

Kwon took another bite of bread before dipping it in the leftover stew from dinner.

“The old man gave me a map when you went to bed last night. Just let me be the navigation on this trip alright?”

She smiled sweetly. “I can always count on you Kwon.”

But once we get to the capitol, who knows what will happen. She thought.

They finished their breakfast and grabbed their travel bags, walking out the door after leaving a note for her father. Kwon led them out of the town and down the road.