"...I cannot."

Hyejeong felt her heart twist and snap inside of her chest - the same way Seolhyunari twisted and snapped the single daffodil off of its stem. It was an effortless yet injurious gesture. The princess held the flower tightly in her hand, crumpling its delicate petals. She stood up and loomed over the crouching redhead.

"You have done your damage. I wish to cease this futile exchange of words." With that said, Seolhyunari began to saunter away, and Hyejeong found herself unable to stand up and follow after the girl. Instead, she watched the brunette's retreating figure, her heart growing heavier with the increasing distance between them.

Seolhyunari was right. What could words do at this point, when through those words, Hyejeong had hid the truth from her lover and lost her trust? From then on, she could only prove her sincerity through her actions.

Despite their abrupt leave from the banquet hall, the Chief took no offense to it (only slight suspicion) and the revelry continued without another interruption. The Chief also insisted that there be an even grander celebration held in honor of the princess finally finding her love, with many prominent officials of Dies invited to the occasion. However, Minah adamantly refused any further celebration and publicity of the event and announced that she would be leaving to Roseus with the Angelus defectors the very next morning. There was a heated dispute between daughter and father, but the latter eventually gave in (after giving Hyejeong a very stern warning/threat).

Thus, it was ultimately decided that Minah would join Hyejeong and her party on their journey to Roseus, accompanied by her most trusted companions, Yura, Hyeri, and Sojin. The Chief was aware that the four of them were more than capable of defending themselves, in case things on the journey became rough - or the intentions of the Angelus defectors were misconceived.

Minah was clearly ecstatic that her plan had progressed even more smoothly than she had expected, and she had packed plenty of wine and other Dies commodities to demonstrate her gratitude toward Hyejeong and the others for helping her. Some members of the Angelus party felt a bit of regret for leaving the merry kingdom as quickly as they had arrived there, but they were relieved to see that they would reach their final destination soon. It was only a matter of time before they would attain nearly unlimited freedom in Roseus and be able to rest as much as they needed to.

Meanwhile, Seolhyunari was still disheartened and angry with Hyejeong (and she didn't appear to be letting up soon), so she declared that she would be sleeping in a reluctant Chanmi's room for the final night in Dies, leaving her lover to sleep alone in the room they were supposed to share together. As upset as the princess was, Hyejeong knew that she wasn't the type to hold a grudge or stay angry for long, so she allowed Seolhyunari to have her space to clear her mind.

Before she could put her own mind to rest, Hyejeong called Choaya, Yunaria, Minah, and Sojin to the meeting room where they would plan the safest and quickest route to Roseus. They discussed other things as well, such as what else to pack for the journey and what they would do once they reached the kingdom. The redhead found herself at ease as the discussion went on without much trouble while the maids served them tea (which Minah claimed was the best commodity second to wine in the kingdom of DIes).

"We should avoid crossing the Crystallum River, as we would run the risk of falling in and being carried off-course while on horseback. The costs are too dire for this route to be considered." Sojin explained as the others nodded, all except for Yunaria.

The blonde happened to notice a shadow near the doorway in the candlelight, and she glanced at the area to catch a certain princess peering into the room. Yunaria inwardly sighed, wondering why the princess even bothered to put up an angry act when she was only going to behave like this. Hyejeong was currently proposing an idea about travelling through the outskirts of the Dies kingdom (where many crimes took place) until reaching the Roseus boundary, when Yunaria caught her attention and gestured toward the doorway.

Hyejeong immediately noticed the princess, and she quickly excused herself from the informal meeting to attend to her lover. As soon as she rose from her seat and walked toward the door, the discussion continued without her. Seolhyunari realized that she had been seen, and she tried to make a smooth escape by briskly walking away. However, Hyejeong easily caught up to her and walked beside her, causing her to give up and slow down her pace.

"Why are you not asleep yet?" Seolhyunari trained her eyes on the sturdy walls they passed, refusing to look at the taller girl at her side. She also refused to respond to Hyejeong, causing the tired redhead to stop in her tracks. "Have your rest. I will return to the meeting then."

Hyejeong her heel and intended to walk in the opposite direction, but she felt Seolhyunari's warm fingers wrap around her wrist. She turned to look at the girl holding tightly onto her wrist, but Seolhyunari continued to avoid her gaze. She sighed, combing through her red locks with her other hand. "You should let go. I understand that you are still upset with me."

The brunette gently shook her head.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that you seek me for a reason - and that is because you wish to sleep beside me?"

After a brief pause, the princess wordlessly nodded.

"Very well then," Hyejeong glanced at her wrist and Seolhyunari released her hold on it. "Allow me to inform the others first."

Silently, the couple entered their dim, shared room. Seolhyunari immediately walked to the other side of the bed and crawled underneath the covers. Hyejeong disliked the one-sided conversation between them, but she also felt deserving of it so she endured it without question. She slowly joined her lover, making sure that there was plenty of space between them in the large bed. The other girl turned away from her and faced the window, where the moonlight poured in so uselessly with nothing to directly illuminate.

It felt so much colder, as Hyejeong had grown accustomed to sleeping with Seolhyunari curled up against her. She pulled the covers up, trying to compensate for the lack of warmth, but it would obviously not be the same. She remained still, listening to Seolhyunari's uneven breathing. She knew that the girl was still awake, and she would continue to be, if she were not comfortable.

Hyejeong slowly inched her way towards her lover's back, making sure that the girl knew she was approaching her from behind. Seolhyunari allowed it and said nothing. Carefully and gently, Hyejeong pressed herself up against the younger girl, sharing her warmth. Then she placed her arm around her waist and rested it there to make Seolhyunari feel a sense of security.

"Do not mistake this for forgiveness. I will only allow you to hold me for tonight." Seolhyunari murmured.

Hyejeong hummed in acknowledgement, the corners of her lips curled into a smile as she felt the princess' body relaxing beside her. She heard the brunette's breathing begin to even, and she was satisifed knowing that the girl was finally drifting off to sleep. She pressed a kiss into her soft hair, wishing her sweet dreams.

Hyejeong didn't expect Seolhyunari to behave any differently as a result of their previous night together, and her predictions were correct. The princess even acted as if that night had not occurred. She didn't utter a single word to Hyejeong, even when they had already departed from Dies.

From the discussion about the route, the group decided that it would be best to proceed with Hyejeong's idea and travel the outskirts of the kingdom. Although there were risks with robbers, kidnappers, and the like, it would be better for their horses and for time efficiency. If they travelled quickly without rest, they would be able to reach the Roseus boundary by the next morning.

So far, there weren't any problems yet encountered (Hyejeong suggested that they place all their weapons in hand and in plain sight) and Minah estimated that they had travelled halfway through the route already. In the meantime, Seolhyunari insisted on sharing a horse with Yura while Minah volunteered to ride with Hyejeong in the other princess' place. The Dies princess eventually noticed Seolhyunari's cold behavior towards Hyejeong, and she was especially confused when she felt the brunette glaring at her. If she was going to get jealous, why didn't Seolhyunari just swallow her pride and ride with Hyejeong?

Hyejeong caught a glimpse of this subtle interaction, and she quietly apologized to the princess behind her. She also decided that  the current moment was a good opportunity to finally tell Minah the truth about their identities. Thus, after receiving agreement from the other members of the group, Hyejeong spent some time explaining the truth behind the situation to Minah while Seolhyunari observed them enviously. Surprisingly and thankfully enough, the Dies members of the party took it well and shared the initial suspicions they had about them. They understood that Hyejeong and Seolhyunari in particular had to conceal their identities as the Chief definitely would have taken advantage of the situation for the war.

The conversation turned out to be quite long-winded, and the members of the group shared their differing experiences in their own kingdoms with one another. They found it a pleasant way to pass the time (except for Seolhyunari, who didn't say a word the entire time) and they had reached the boundary to Roseus by sunrise.

Hyejeong led her white horse to the front, with Minah sitting behind her. The boundary guards instantly recognized Minah and allowed the party to pass through without a single fuss about the matter. The group decided to push themselves further to reach the castle, where Minah guaranteed they would be able to stay for the time being. At this point, Hyejeong was more than content with the present circumstances, aside from Seolhyunari's continuing anger with her.

There was a strange, light feeling in Hyejeong's chest as she looked around the main town. The common children happily running about, the ranchers guiding their cattle to bring to market, and the blacksmith earnestly hammering away at a heated iron rod. So much had changed since she had been here, but the overall atmosphere of the kingdom remained the same. She was finally home.

Minah knew her way around the vast and bustling Roseus well, and she directed Hyejeong until they arrived to the towering,  golden gates of the Roseus palace. Roseus was a lot more different than Angelus, more than Hyejeong remembered. The most prominent difference of them all came from the royal palace itself, which was more heavily guarded here. There also wasn't as much greenery and flowering plants to be seen around the area - there were many commoners wandering about outside of the gates instead, seeking an audience with the palace's occupants. Hyejeong didn't recall ever coming to the palace of Roseus herself when she had lived in the kingdom.

"I would like to request an audience with Their Majesties." Minah told the guards at the gate, who promptly sent the royal messenger out upon recognition of the Dies princess. She had told the truth when she said that she was well-acquainted with the rulers of Roseus, because they were all brought before the aforementioned rulers in a relatively short amount of time. The interior of the Roseus palace, Hyejeong realized, was not so different from that of the royal palace in Angelus. It felt familiar to her, comforting even. She felt drawn to this place - like she belonged to it.

The guards led the group to the throne room, where