Seulgi felt warm for the first time in months. She was drowsy, languid in her bed, practically melting into the soft mattress. She hadn't felt this relaxed in a while and her exhausted body begged to take advantage.  She knew these quiet feelings may not last but she was going to take advantage of it, allowing herself the time to heal was important and getting proper rest was the first step. The blankets hugged her body and she felt cozy. The warmth she was feeling wasn't due to fever—she was no longer chilled or sweaty—but due to the safety of her body and the quiet breaths rising up beside her. Her body was beginning to remember the joys of rest, the feel of crisp sheets, and the softness of someone's body resting near her. She felt comfortable and unexposed—as she hadn't been in her battle tent. She hadn't felt so new in ages, hadn't felt this right in a long, long time.

She opened her eyes then saw Wendy on her right. The fire crackled in the hearth—a sign that autumn was approaching—and the smell of spices and breads permeated the air. She looked over Wendy’s body and on the table were provisions and drink. She smiled and glanced back at the woman beside her, Wendy, whose lips were plump and pursed. She trailed her eyes downward and found that their hands were connected, fingers ensnared, wrapped together like a vice. A sweet face without dirt and blood was a joy to behold she realized and her eyes hadn’t gazed upon a face like this in ages. Red-cheeked and warm in sleep, Wendy was beautiful and Seulgi wondered why no one had told her so, realized she would have to tell her every day from now on. She ached to let her know that she was important, though often encased behind library walls, her scholar was just as important as a warrior and she needed to be told that. It would become her mission to train her with the bow but also to let her know that her every day duties were of the utmost importance. Holding a sword or bow would take a certain amount of guts, but arguing for peace and creating it was even more important than battle.

Wendy would probably take to the bow naturally though and Seulgi would be proud to teach her. They were confidants, connected with magic, and they loved deeply though they would never be able to act on it because of their bound souls. That part hurt the most but was a reality that they would need to face. For now it was good to have her back, good to be able to learn from her, good to be able to teach her new things as well.

Seulgi smiled at the thought of being this close to someone again without needing to yield a sword or dagger or club. Even In sleep Wendy's thumb brushed against Seulgi's own, a small tribute made to help ease frayed nerves. Each movement Wendy decided upon whether now or any other time was made to help, not hurt. It was in her nature, and these gentle brushstrokes were no different. Wendy, light as air, a breeze, a flicker of candlelight, an enchantress. Seulgi was glad to still have her, needed to find the ease that Wendy’s body exuded. They had both been hurt but Wendy was still flourishing and Seulgi longed to learn her secrets.

She took a moment more to look at the precious face before she remembered that she'd practically passed out at the feast from the ignored injury on her back. She honestly wondered if she was possibly still asleep, maybe even in a dream because of how comfortable she was but then she felt a twinge in her neck and knew the tea Wendy had crafted was the cause of her drowsiness, of her frankness with herself. She knew that the Wendy holding onto her was real and that her pain was still real as well.

She shut and opened her eyes in quick succession hoping to ease the twinge and when she turned gently to her left in order to relieve the pressure, she saw another's body next to hers. She saw legs, a tunic, and then she saw a face, the Queen's face. How had she not realized someone else was beside her? Seulgi sat up hurriedly and then groaned when she felt the bandage on her back pull the wounded skin. At the gasp, the two women flanking her awoke and sat up groggily to check if she was alright.

"Sweet, are you alright? Were you having a dream?" Wendy asked, her voice like parched sand.

"You could say that, a dream is what it must have been," Seulgi replied bitterly.

A hand on her weak side touched her half-bare shoulder.

Seulgi flinched, "Or not."

"She is alert because of I," the Queen remarked. Because of us.

"Yes," Seulgi replied pointedly, "I wonder why you are here. This is quite the surprise."

"These are my chambers, are they not?"

Seulgi looked around at the purple and cream accents, at the cruel crown on the nightstand and sighed, then nodded in agreement, "Yes, it appears you are right. We must leave at once, Wendy."

"Wait a moment, how do you feel?" Wendy questioned, "You must feel groggy."

The quaking timbre of Wendy's voice made her shiver, "I'm a bit groggy and I'm sore but the tea seems to have helped the wound. It does not feel as it did last night."

"Do you still feel cold?"

"I...no I'm not cold," Seulgi whispered, "That is a relief."

"I am no longer cold either," Wendy agreed with a jolly smile.

"I am warm," Irene said robotically, "And it is because we are reunited." Ice runs through your veins, do not forget.

"That may be true, I am certainly comfortable," Seulgi said, "But I wish to leave here at once and go to Wendy's chambers. The wound needs a new dressing and I would prefer to be in her company alone for that."

Wendy winced. She knew what was to come next and Seulgi was not going to be pleased. They had both been sent here for a reason last evening and she was sure the words about to leave Irene's mouth would be displeasing, even hurtful to Seulgi's ears.

"You may not leave," the Queen commanded. She stood from the bed and crossed her arms.

"She doesn't hold back," Wendy thought, "Or mince words."

Wendy breathed in as Seulgi gasped. The young commander looked to the eldest with scorn, she was ready to strike and she did, "You would force me to stay here against my will? And Wendy as well? We are your subjects, it is true. We have submitted to you in all things and now this simple wish will be denied? Your highness is a tyrant, a fiend who has caused this hurt for the three of us, this physical hurt of mine. I am your commander. I did your bidding in battle though I did not agree with it. Your majesty must realize your place in this separation of ours. I do not wish to see the Queen's icy heart again. I want Irene, our Irene. Show me only the kind-hearted friend I knew as a child. The Queen is a liar like her father and I will no longer answer to her," She sighed and fell back onto the bed in a heap.

"Seulgi, don't," Wendy said, “Your worry and stress will not help the healing process."

"No, love, I must say this out or it will fester and I will die, the wound is nothing compared to the true laceration on my heart," Seulgi murmured something intelligible and then began to speak again with fervor, "Call me treasonous, place in my body a thousand knives, hang me, slice me to my soul, do as you wish, but I have no need of this Queen any longer. I will be free from this moment onward."

Irene looked at her with pained eyes but took her criticisms and held her own tongue back.

Seulgi began to yell, "She is no one, a stranger to me and I will not answer her call. Arrest me now, I will go to the dungeons freely for my traitorous words, it is all done anyway if we can't be together as the three. I will die without our bond. It has become unbearable."

You are weak. Irene turned, her eyes misty—from the fire smoke or her own bleeding heart she couldn't tell—and walked to the window, "You may not leave yet, I must speak as well. It is of the utmost importance.”

Seulgi sighed, “Go on then, tell me what you must.”

“I do not wish to be cold ever again. I have tasted warmth again today. It is a pleasure unknown to my heart for months now. You are right in what you say. I have betrayed you both. Send me to the gallows as well. I will die a happy death beside you because I will be able to gaze upon your faces. All that sorrow must wait though.  We have received our quest."

Seulgi sat up again with a wince and both she and Wendy looked to where Irene was standing and then the queen's words began to pour forth, "We have finally received our quest, this is it, and we must go soon. We will be together again as you have wished, Seulgi. We will not be in golden light as of old but in darkness. Our bones will ache and our muscles will strain. Our tongues will dry and our voices crack. We must use one another for strength. We must work as one now, must flow through each other."

"That will be difficult," Wendy murmured, "Seulgi is water. She is who must connect us."

Irene spoke again, her voice wrecked, "I have treated you both so poorly that I do not have any real hope to fully renew our friendship or whatever this is that we are in. What is past is past, the good and bad. I cannot apologize, it is not enough, never will be. This quest is before us and we must be together for better or worse. I cannot change the magic flowing in our veins. I can only hope that your heart will accept me until we return here."

"We...have actually received it?" Seulgi asked quietly, "I thought you were jesting. What has happened?"

"A force is in the high hills, it rolls through towns and leaves them begging for mercy," Irene said.

"Yes," Wendy said, "I have seen the directive myself. It was received last night, something sinister happens in the distance, it calls us to chase it."

"And we will go together?"

"I understand your disbelief, but of course," Irene said suddenly, her face half-bathed in candlelight, "We will travel together as was meant."

Seulgi’s eyebrows furrowed, "I am confused, you know it to be true, but how?"

"My dear one, do you remember the surge last night? That power that sparked in our veins?" Wendy asked.

Seulgi nodded, “Yes, it was the partial cause of my collapse I think. The wound began to fester, but the surge took me by surprise.

"The same is true for me," Irene said, "I felt it strongly as well. Afterward, after the feast, a rider approached with news of this darkness. I saw the fear in his eyes and knew he ushered in news of our quest."

"You're positive?” Seulgi questioned, "That this is true?"

"Yes," Irene answered, "I've never been more sure of anything."

Seulgi looked to Wendy with sad eyes and laced their fingers again for comfort, "She speaks true?" Wendy nodded, "Yes, she does. I believe she would not hide the truth from us."

Seulgi looked at Wendy with questioning eyes.

“Well, let me clarify, she would not hide news of our quest from us, she couldn’t. I believe it is physically impossible for her to do so.”

“Really?” Seulgi asked, “Impossible?”

“Yes,” Wendy said, “The “crimes” she has committed against us did not deal with the quest. This is something different, something completely new. She cannot hide it from us.”

“Well,” Seulgi said, her eyes sad, “This seems to change our circumstance a bit.”

“It would appear so,” Irene mumbled.

"Come to us a moment then," Seulgi said. Her heart softened when she saw Irene's tear-stained face, the tracks drying in the soft light, "Climb up here."

Irene walked over and did as she was told, climbed into the spot she'd gotten up from before. She looked away, her eyes downcast until Seulgi spoke with a kind voice.

"Lean against us and let me speak, I want to be warm again, and I will need both of you for that," Seulgi whispered. Irene leaned against both of them hesitantly.

"I will not forgive you," Seulgi said as she took Irene's hand with her free one, "Not yet. I do not trust you now.  I will not forgive you until we are back safe and sound in these chambers again. I still love you and I know Wendy does as well, but you have hurt me, cut me to the quick."

Irene nodded in understanding.

"That's not to say that I will not do as asked. If the quest has truly been sent, then I must follow you. You are our leader and I will follow you. I do not regret telling you my heart a moment ago, but I must maintain my role for this, and I will. I will do as you say.

"Oh loves," Irene said, "I am sorry. It is not enough but I am sorry."

They nodded in return.

"Queen...Irene," Seulgi said, "Tell me of our quest."

"There is a cave, a cave in the north that we must find. Therein lies the evil, there we will find our match..." Irene glanced at the crown on the nightstand and felt her neck ache and her eyes surge with pressure. You were made to lead…

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I'll be back soon with chapter 4! Please comment and let me know what you think :)