Chapter 24. Collapse.

 

 

"Keep running!" Jun Hoe yelled when Seung-wan fell for a second.

 

"Sorry! It’s this skirt!"

 

And without any warnings she took the skirt off, starting to walk in her undergarments through the cold and rainy winter day. In another context, Jeongwan would have blushed, but the risk was so high he didn’t have time to think about anything else than to arrive at a safe place.

 

"Where are going to do?" Seung-wan asked, unable to stop running.

 

"The Royal Gardens!" Jeongwan proposed.

 

"Why there?" 

 

"We can hide in the trees and it is a big place. We will get some time to the guards stop her."

 

Seung-wan wasn’t sure if the army would be able to stop a woman who had been able to hide for years in the shadows and was known as one best sword in the country, but the Crown Prince was right: it was their best chance.

 

"If I had only met her before…"

 

Jeongwan stopped and placed his hands in Seung-wan’s checks, staring at her with so much intensity that the young girl blushed.

 

"It is not your fault. You were almost a baby…" 

 

"But…" 

 

"Keep running!" Jun Hoe insisted.

 

Jeongwan offered his hand to Seung-wan, and both continued to run towards the Royal Gardens, which were known for being one of the densest and greener spaces in all the capital. The kings of Joseon loved nature and for centuries had been investing their money to improve and increase the Royal Gardens, so big and dense that they covered almost half of Hanseong and were bigger than the whole palace. - Wait! Seung-wan found some gardener’s tools and took some metal rakes, one for each one of them. Jeongwan took his, doubtful.

 

"Do you think we can stop lady Bo Ah with some rakes?" 

 

"Better than nothing." 

 

"True."

 

They finally arrived at the Royal Gardens, and, with caution, they started to move through the dense forest, waiting for some kind of space to hide from the woman who wanted to kill them. After what seemed an eternity, Jun Hoe found a small hole between two rocks.

 

"Do you think this is safe enough?" 

 

"At least lady Bo Ah would have a difficult time to catch us if we are hiding in this small place. We are smaller than her."

 

Jun Hoe was right, and they needed some time to recover from the fatigue of running so much through the mud without any moment to take a break. It was getting difficult to keep a steady path and they knew that no matter how much they'd run, the First Palace Lady would always be faster than them.

 

It was cold and once they stopped running, the three kids started to get cold and couldn’t help it but shiver. Specially Seung-wan, who had left her dress behind in order to be agiler.

 

"Take this."

 

Jeongwan took off his robe and placed it through Seung-wan’s legs, to give her some warm. The blue and silver colors that only the Crown Prince of Joseon was able to wear were shining.

 

"I have got an idea, your majesty!" Jun Hoe exclaimed.

 

He took the robe and put it over his own clothes and, without Jeongwan’s permission, he took the Crown Prince's hat and placed it on his head.

 

"We do not look alike, but, in the dark, I could be able to mislead lady Bo Ah if she finds us."

 

"No!" Jeongwan rejected.

 

"Yes!" Seung-wan approved.

 

Both children stared at each other, unable to understand the reasons behind their answers. On one hand, Seung-wan wanted to protect that suborn and proud prince that had grown on her for a few months. On the other hand, Jeongwan had already put in danger too many people to save his life that the mere idea of someone else getting hurt because of him, was enough to reject more protection.

 

"I might be the only legitimate heir of the King, but other people’s lives are also important. I do not want to have more deaths in my conscience, Seung-wan." 

 

"But… " 

 

"NO! And do not dare to disobey this direct order, milady."

 

"Please, Crown Prince."

 

Seung-wan didn’t know how to react to those arguments because she could feel the pain in Jeongwan’s words. However… 

 

"Jeongwan… please…" 

 

"No!" he insisted.

 

"Please, please, please…"

 

She approached Jeongwan and kissed him on the lips, slightly, because she couldn't find the right words to express her concern. Once she moved away, she still could see how Jeongwan’s eyes were wide open and his expression was rigid.

 

"The people who died wanted to protect the future. If you die, Jeongwan, the future is over because there will be tensions to get the throne and more people will suffer. Please, let us help." 

 

"Lady Seung-wan’s right" Jun Hoe added. "My family died because of the bad people who wanted to kill you. Let me avenge them, please, your highness."

 

Jeongwan sighed and agreed to the change with a nod, and just when Seung-wan was about to hug him once more, the raucous noise of a sword clashing to the stones made them aware that Kwon Bo Ah had already found them.

 

"I’ll go first, go later." Jun Hoe instructed.

 

The boy got out of their hiding place and started to run through the forest. Jeongwan wanted to scream, but Seung-wan covered his mouth, waiting for their attacker to go away and start following their friend. The three of them had already lost a lot for that fight, and Seung-wan did not want all their efforts to become vain. A few minutes later, Seung-wan searched for some signs of lady Bo Ah outside the rocks, and, since she could not appreciate anything, she thought it was a good moment to escape and keep running.

 

"Hurry up! We don’t know how much time Jun Hoe will be able to distract her."

 

The Crown Prince followed the girl through the forest, both holding hands and giving each other strength to keep moving. They hoped that if someday all this was over, they would be dispensed to run for the rest of their lives.

 

"Ahhhh!"

 

Seung-wan fainted because she bumped into a tree root, and when Jeongwan helped her to stand up once more, they could hear the fast steps of someone approaching them.

 

"What do we do?" Jeongwan asked.

 

They looked around for a place to hide, and, Seung-wan got an idea when she saw the big and leafy tree next to them.

 

"The tree! Remember that the other time nobody was able to find you in a tree? The rain will erase our track."

 

Jeongwan nodded and started to climb the tree, but Seung-wan didn’t follow him. Instead, she took her rake with all her strength.

 

"What are you doing?!" he yelled.

 

"Distract her. Go!"

 

The Crown Prince obeyed and hid between some leafs. Seung-wan smiled when she checked no-one could see him from any perspective. But she didn’t have time to check more because their pursuer was reaching them. It took lady Bo Ah a few more seconds to finally reach her.

 

"Where is the Crown Prince?" 

 

"We separated when you attacked Jun Hoe." she lied. 

 

"Who got the idea of sending me a fake Crown Prince? It was smart." 

 

"Thank you." 

 

"You could have been an excellent Crown Princess if Jeongwan was worthy of his title… what a pity…"

 

Bo Ah ran towards Seung-wan to kill her but the girl was able to stop the blade with her rake enough time to retreat a little and throw some mud into Bo Ah’s eyes. An action that made her fall. Seung-wan tried to escape, but the First Palace Lady grabbed her ankle and threw the girl on the floor, pointing her with the tip of her sword.

 

"Last chance, where is the Crown Prince?!"

 

Seung-wan’s mouth was covered in blood after the fall and her perfect braid was already undone. Jeongwan looked at her lying on the floor, and, for what seemed a few seconds, she stared at him, begging Jeongwan to stay quiet although he was about to witness her death.

 

"I don’t know!" 

 

"I am truly sorry, then…"

 

But Jeongwan just couldn’t let her die, not Seung-wan. He had already lost too many beloved people in his life to lose another one. So, with all the courage he had left, the Crown Prince jumped from the tree and landed on Bo Ah’s head. The lady immediately fell on the floor, and, dizzy after the big hit, she couldn’t get up from the floor.

 

"Are you stupid or what?" 

 

"I think I like you, so do not dare to die before I put my thoughts in order!" Jeongwan yelled.

 

Bo Ah’s noises made the kids react, and, although it wasn’t the best moment, Seung-wan gave him another kiss on the lips. That time, Jeongwan took Seung-wan’s hand without fear, and both started to run once more, hoping someone could find them in time.

 

 

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Seung-hyun ran with his guards towards the Queen’s chambers, because there had been an alarm about a sudden and unexpected attack. It was killing him, to think that his whole family had been there and he had been stupid enough to believe they were protected. But between his discovery and the attack, there was such a short amount of time that he hadn’t got the time to react.

 

"I have to be better!" Seung-hyun roared.

 

When he heard the rumors of the Thunder’s death, Seung-hyun feared the worst, and he started to have a panic attack. He couldn’t move and his whole body was shaking. His guards were so alarmed that they decided to call some physicians when Seung-hyun vomited, too nervous and anxious to keep any solid food inside his body.

 

"Abeonim!"

 

The scared voices of Yeon Jun and Ha Yi made Seung-hyun react and he suddenly stopped to feel pain in his chest. Both kids run towards their father, crying and scared. Seung-hyun held them in a big embrace, smelling their scent because he was too afraid it was going to be the last time he could sense it. -

 

"Are you hurt? What happened? Does anything hurt? Your chest – does your chest hurt? Your arms? Anything?" 

 

"We are fine, father." Ha Yi affirmed. 

 

"Thank Heavens for that!" 

 

"But…" Yeon Jun intervened. "Lady Kwon Bo Ah attacked us, father… she wanted to kill Jeongwan and mother told us to run! We run sooo much, father…" 

 

"And I am really proud of you, sweetheart."

 

Although he was still scared, worried and traumatized, Yeon Jun giggled when he heard his father calling him sweetheart and hugged him even tightly. Too afraid his only living parent was about to disappear too.

 

"Where are the others?" Seung-hyun asked after a while.

 

"We don’t know, father…" Ha Yi informed. "I took Yeon Jun’s hand and run when lady Bo Ah hurt mother and grandmother… " 

 

"HURT?! ARE THEY ALRIGHT?!" “Not again, please, Gods, not again…” Seung-hyun begged.

 

"WE DON’T KNOW!" and Ha Yi started to cry.

 

"I am sorry, sweetie, but I am also scared… forgive me." and he kissed her forehead, trying to hide his own tears.

 

"A king can be scared?" 

 

"Yes, very scared, Yeon Jun." 

 

"We do not know where Jeongwan, lady Seung-wan and the boy Jun Hoe are, father, sorry." Yeon Jun informed. "They escaped."

 

Although his eldest son and heir was missing, the fact that he was able to escape from lady Bo Ah gave him some hope to find him alive.

 

"Your main priority now is to find the Crown Prince." Seung-hyun instructed to his best friend, Lee SooHyuk, who was standing beside him. "Send both the army and the navy to find him if necessary." 

 

"Yes." 

 

"We shall go to the Queen’s chambers. Now."

 

Ha Yi and Yeon Jun hold Seung-hyun’s hands while running towards Mi-young and when they arrived, they saw how both the Dowager Queen and the Queen were waking up and talking, a bit dizzy, but alive and breathing. Seung-hyun was so happy at first that he didn’t notice the presence of the last person he thought he would see.

 

"KWON JIYONG!" Seung-hyun roared.

 

There he was, his former best friend, Kwon Jiyong. He aged a little, but he was still that skinny man with the face of a boy. He wasn’t even able to grow a proper beard, not even after seven years. He was tanned and his eyes had become harsher, the vision of someone who has seen things human beings should never see. And, as always he had that charismatic aura that only him was able to pull off. Memories of their past friendship haunted him, and the King didn’t know how to feel about seeing Jiyong after so many years. Luckily, it wasn’t the moment to think about it: more urgent things needed his attention. So, at least, for a few hours, Seung-hyun wouldn’t have to deal with his emotions.

 

"King Choi Seung-hyun. Long time no see." 

 

 

 

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"We don’t have time for this! We must go!"

 

But Jinwoo didn’t listen to the princess' complaints: that wound could get infected if he didn’t treat it immediately and stopped the bleeding. He kept using clean water and some bandages some of the gentle neighbors had given them.

 

"Oooouchhh!" Taeyeon complained.

 

"Are you alright, princess?" Jiyong held her hand, to give her some strength.

 

"We should be at the palace, NOW!" 

 

"Just a few more minutes, princess Taeyeon."

 

When Jinwoo finished cleaning the wound, Taeyeon sighed and relaxed her whole body. Happy the torture was over.

 

"You will need a surgeon to sew up the wound and acupuncture, but I do not have the materials here." 

 

"More pain?!" she complained.

 

"Then next time you should be more careful, princess. " 

 

"Who has said there will be a next time?" Jiyong questioned. "She is done with dangerous situations from now on."

 

Jinwoo smiled at the cute couple and told the others (who were waiting at a neighbor’s house who truly believed the Silver Dragons were heroes for the humble people).

 

"We are ready to go!" the doctor informed.

 

Everyone nodded and took some of the weapons they were able to get from the neighbors and soldiers who did not think the Silver Dragons were a threat to the Crown, but a group of people who were abused by an unfair system. The only one who didn’t seem ready to leave was Yuri, who was still sitting in a corner, looking at the floor emotionless.

 

"Black Pearl!" Taemin tried to cheer her up. "We need our incredible swordfighter with us!" 

 

"I… I… have to go."

 

Yuri took two of the swords and stood up quickly, hiding her face under a big black scarf, looking like a Japanese ninja.

 

"Yuri!" Jiyong stopped her by holding her wrist tightly.

 

He knew his sister could release herself easily, but, she needed that human contact at that moment.

 

"I can’t believe you… my sister? A traitor? It can’t be true… it can’t…"

 

Jiyong hugged his sister and let her express her emotions. He had seen her cry just a few times in her life, and she always tried to sob in silence, so nobody would be able to see her weakness. From Jiyong’s point of view, those small moments made her more human and relatable. But Yuri’s façade was so well built that it was getting more and more difficult for her to let her feelings flow.

 

"Can I go? I can’t believe she has plotted against all of us…"

 

Jiyong nodded and after a small kiss on his sister’s checks, he let her go alone, no intentions to make her stay. Because, honestly, he did not want to see his siblings fighting against each other on the battlefield. It would break his heart even more.

 

"But… we need her!" Taemin complained.

 

"Jeongwan needs her." 

 

"I know, Taeyeon… but in her state, she would only be a nuisance. She isn’t ready for fight."

 

Taeyeon could sense how much Yuri was struggling with that betray. Even her, that maybe was the least close to Kwon Bo Ah, felt a pain in her chest every time she took a few minutes to think about what that traitor had made to them

 

"Alright… let’s go."

 

They walked through the narrowest and less crowded with soldiers streets, only to prevent any collateral damage: another fight before reaching the palace was the last thing they needed. Once they arrived at the palace, the guards were shocked to see their princess in the company of the Silver Dragons.

 

"They saved my life countless times. So, nobody arrests them until I say otherwise."

 

The whole crew got shocked by the firm and sharp order the First Princess of Joseon had given, because, usually, she was a kind and comprehensive person. It just proved to everyone that the princess resembled her brother, the King, more than they thought.

 

"Tell me what had happened and why even the Navy is here." she asked.

 

"Your majesty… how to start…" one of the men, that Taeyeon identified as a General, talked.

 

"Sum up, please, milord." 

 

"Nobody expected it… but it seems that the First Palace Lady has attacked the Royal Children and hurt the Queen and Dowager Queen." 

 

"WHERE ARE THEM NOW?!" 

 

"We do not know, your highness… everything had just happened a few minutes before you arrived." 

 

"Where was the attack, milord?" Chaerin asked.

 

"Second Palace Lady!" the General bowed to Chaerin too.

 

"Please, we need to hurry, no time for formalities." 

 

"The Queen chambers." 

 

"Let’s go!" Taeyeon instructed.

 

Everyone followed the princess through the palace, because, she knew every single corner of that place better than anyone else. While walking through the palace for the first time after seven years, Jiyong got goosebumps while remembering all his memories there. The first time he met Seung-hyun, Taeyang and Daesung, when he fell in love with Sandara, when his father was executed… A mix of both sad and happy moments that made him feel nostalgia.

 

Once they arrived at the Queen’s chambers, they saw a few men and women lying on the floor, including Park Sang-hyun, the Thunder. Seungri and the other Silver Dragons approached him, to see if he was still alive, but, the paleness, the lethal stomach wound, and the open eyes made them realize he was gone. Seungri embraced him, because, although the circumstances had set them apart, they used to be good friends when they were children. Carefully, he cleaned the blood from his face and closed his eyes, so he could finally rest.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of the Silver Dragons tried to find survivors and Chaerin started to talk with the generals to plan an efficient and fast strategy.

 

"Mother! Mi-young!"

 

Taeyeon sat next to the unconscious body of the Dowager Queen and, as gently as she could, she placed her checks near her nose. Once she was certain her mother was breathing, she tried to wake her up.

 

"Please, Jiyong! Take care of Mi-young!"

 

Jiyong approached the young woman lying next to the Dowager Queen, seeing for the first time the new Queen of Joseon. He had heard about her a lot, but, still, he hadn’t been able to put a face to the woman everyone seemed to love and admire. For him, she had always been Queen Sandara’s replacement.

 

When he was sure she had a pulse and was breathing, Jiyong tried to wake her too. It didn’t take long and her warm big brown eyes startled him. He didn’t expect such a warm and caring face from her.

 

"My children, please, sir…"

 

It also surprised him that her first words were related to some kids that weren’t hers by blood. It meant she truly loved Jeongwan, Yeon Jun and Hayi, and, somehow, he felt relieved that Sandara’s son would have a caring step-mother. It would have made Sandara happy, to see that his baby was loved.

 

"Do not worry, your majesty… we will find…" 

 

"KWON JIYONG!"

 

The deep and imposing voice of the King Choi Seung-hyun startled him as much as it used to do it seven years ago. Slowly, he faced his former best friend and saw how responsibilities had aged him, with some wrinkles around his eyes and forehead. Yet, he still was that handsome and imposing man of sharp eyes and features. The situation was so tense that Jiyong didn’t know what to do, so, he did what Seung-hyun used to do when he wanted to relax the ambiance: a joke.

 

"King Choi Seung-hyun. Long time no see."

 

 

 

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"Run, Seung-wan!"

 

Jeongwan had to pull the girl to run faster every minute that passed, because she was losing strength.

 

"Do not wait for me, Jeongwan and run!" 

 

"NO!" 

 

"You are sooo stubborn…" 

 

"Excuse me?!"

 

But they didn’t have time to discuss any longer, because, once again, Bo Ah was standing in front of them, her whole body ready to attack.

 

Seung-wan took their last rake and asked Jeongwan to stay behind her.

 

"When she attacks me, you run, alright?" she whispered.

 

"Seriously, with a rake?" Bo Ah had to control the urge to laugh.

 

Seung-wan didn’t change her determined expression, and put her whole body instance, ready for an imminent attack. At first, Bo Ah hesitated, because she was going to fight with a little girl. But then, she remembered all the sacrifices she had to make to get where she was, and, that after her public display of intentions, that was the last time she would be able to kill the Crown Prince. It was her last chance to end everything. So, she started to run towards the little girl, sword pointing at Seung-wan’s chest… “At least, I’ll let her have a fast death.”

 

But when she was about to stab her in the chest, two sharp swords obstructed her path, and, with all her agility, Bo Ah did a flip backwards, to avoid her new enemy.

 

"You should fight with equal competitors, sister."

 

Yuri exposed herself to everyone, and Seung-wan sighed in relief: the Black Pearl was there to help them, not everything was lost.

 

"I do not think you are an equal competitor, sister."

 

Bo Ah ran towards Yuri and tried to stab her once again, but, gracefully, she dodged her with a fast spin.

 

"If you are going to use martial arts, Bo Ah, me too. Remember it was you who taught me everything."

 

Then Yuri moved her swords fast while slowly approaching her sister. She was studying her position, to see if there were any flaws in her defense. But, as usually, Bo Ah’s defensive position was perfect.

 

"I also remember to teach you how to respect your siblings…" 

 

"I RESPECTED YOU!" Yuri complained. "But you had to become a sociopath and try to kill innocent kids."

 

Yuri lunged towards her sister with strength, and their swords clashed once more. They were in so much tension that they couldn’t move their positions, because any slight change would give the other one the chance to give a mortal wound.

 

"I haven’t become a sociopath…" Bo Ah tried to defend herself.

 

"Really?"

 

Yuri decided it was time to end that situation and jumped through the air in order to stand behind her sister. But Bo Ah was also really fast and turned around just in time to avoid an attack. Both sisters lunging to each other.

 

"Everything became bigger than I expected… I just wanted some changes."

 

Bo Ah spun around again and Yuri stopped her attack.

 

"I had this plan, you know? I wanted power and revenge…" 

 

"For what?" Yuri tried to push harder, but Bo Ah was just too strong for her.

 

"Father forced me to get the title of the First Palace Lady although he knew I wanted to marry the scholar Jung Yun-ho. Only because he was getting important at court and wanted to strengthen his position. I could never marry nor have children!"

 

Bo Ah was mad, because talking about the situation made her remember that rainy winter day almost twenty years ago, when she was just a teenager girl and was begging to her father to let her be with the man she loved. Only to be completely ignored and humiliated by the mockeries and laughs of her own father. So she kept attacking her sister with all her techniques, and Yuri started to struggle to keep a good defensive position.

 

"Why Sandara then? And the Crown Prince?" so she decided it was best to distract her older sister.

 

Yuri immediately believed Bo Ah’s words, because although she loved her father very much, she also knew he was a man full of ambition and greed. It didn’t surprise her that he presented his own daughter to the position without telling her first, only to keep his favorable position at Court.

 

"Because they were taking my power! We need a strong half-Chinese Crown Prince, not a weak Korean one!"

 

"He is a kid!" 

 

"And a threat!"

 

Bo Ah tried to avoid her sister once again, to attack the Crown Prince. But Yuri didn’t let her continue and hugged both kids, unharmed. She knew she couldn’t defeat her sister, because she was the First Palace Lady, after all. So, deep inside, she expected some kind of appreciation towards her younger sister, enough time to let her figure out an escape plan.

 

"Get out, Yuri!" she insisted.

 

"Not until you tell me the truth!"

 

Bo Ah sighed and doubted for a few seconds if she wanted to kill her sister. The lady knew she would die to defend those kids, because she was that type of noble person. But, at least, she would let her know what she was dying for.

"When father forced me to take the position of the First Palace Lady ten years ago I didn’t like it, because I wasn’t able to marry my beloved Yun Ho nor have children."

 

It was true: the high positions at Court were really appreciated by the noble households, because it put their families inside the structures of power.  However, it made their children unable to have legitimate descendants, so, only families who had been blessed with a decent amount of offspring were able to take those positions. And their father, Kwon Hyun-Suk wanted to secure his position at court by making her eldest daughter the First Palace Lady.

 

"But, although I couldn't marry Yun-Ho... I was powerful… and able to control the Court and threaten the corrupted ones… it was too easy… to manipulate people and accumulate a small fortune for myself. But then… Seung-hyun had to become King, and decided to take away from me my power, by controlling everything more and more… I could not let that happen…" she took a deep breath. "So, when the opportunity to destroy him became plausible, I took it." 

 

"But… why support a queen that was also controlling?" 

 

"Where do you think I took my fortune? I sold secrets to the Chinese spies and felt powerful because I was able to control everything. Even Queen Mi-young’s decisions. A half-Chinese heir and a closed position to his upbringing would have made me the real ruler of the nation and spread my influence at the Chinese court. In the shadows."

 

Yuri couldn’t believe her words, but, Bo Ah seemed so proud and sure of the decisions she had made that the Black Pearl didn’t have another choice but to fight back.

 

To make her lose balance, Yuri kicked her knees and begged the kids to start running.

 

"Kids! RUN!"

 

Jeongwan and Seung-wan took advantage of the situation and started to run once more, at the limit of their resistance. But their wish to survive, knowing the woman’s ambition and thirst for power would never stop, made them fin energy out of nowhere. Bo Ah recovered easily after the attack, and, after climbing and jumping through some of the trees surrounding them, she stood in front of the children, without letting them pass. But Yuri was also a fast woman, and she stood in between Bo Ah and the kids once again.

 

"You will not touch them as long as I am alive." 

 

"Good. Then, prepare to die." 

 

 

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"Your highness!" one of the generals screamed. "Step aside from the Silver Dragons!"

 

But Seung-hyun didn’t move, he stood there, unable to speak or to react. And he knew that the more he hesitated, the more time would Bo Ah have to find his boy. Yet, he wasn’t mentally prepared to face Jiyong at that moment. Thanks to all the Gods that he had married a competent and diligent woman because he didn’t know how to react in a situation like that one.

 

"We should focus, general! The Crown Prince is in danger and the Silver Dragons have come to the palace to help us." 

 

"Really?" the general couldn’t believe her.

 

"That’s why they had helped me when lady Bo Ah attacked us and that was what Kwon Jiyong was telling me when he was waking me up. Right?" she regarded.

 

Jiyong gaped at the woman in front of him because nobody from the Royal Family had ever trusted him enough to lie and defend him in front of the others. “Maybe Taeyeon has spoken well of me in front of the Queen” was the only argument Jiyong could find for her actions.

 

"Yes. We know our sister more than anyone else. We can find her." 

 

"Where?" Taeyeon asked. "Ouuuch!" The pain from her wounds made Taeyeon collapse on the floor, and, immediately, Jiyong took the princess in his arms, worried about her.

 

And then, Seung-hyun saw how they stared at each other, with the same devotion Sandara and Jiyong used when they thought nobody was watching them. He understood everything.

 

"We shall go to see a doctor, daughter." the Dowager Queen suggested.

 

"But…" she looked at Jiyong.

 

"She will be fine, lord Jiyong." Uhm Jung Hwa assured while approaching her daughter.

 

"I am not a lord." 

 

"A title doesn’t make a man noble."

 

Taeyeon took her mother’s arm and started to walk towards the Dowager Queen’s chambers, her face completely turned around, because she knew it might be the last time she would see her beloved Jiyong. And she felt so sick and tired that she was unable to say goodbye.

 

"Where do you think they are?" Mi-young asked.

 

"Before he died from blood loss, one of the men who tried to stop lady Bo Ah said he saw her going towards the Royal Gardens, your highness." one of the generals informed. 

 

"Damn it! It is a big area! How do you think we should proceed, General?" 

 

"Please, Queen Mi-young…" Jiyong insisted.

 

"Do not listen to this traitor, your highness!"

 

But Mi-young didn’t listen to the generals’ advises and listened to him anyhow. Jiyong never thought he would vow in front of a new Queen, but, in just a few minutes watching her acting, Jiyong knew she was worthy of the title, “more than Seung-hyun”, because she listened to others’ opinions and was able to keep calm and take logical decisions even in terrible situations, without letting panic show on her face.

 

"Allow us to find her." 

 

"She is your sister… who can guarantee you won’t set her free? What guarantees me that you’ll be efficient?" 

 

"We know her and know how she works. She always has this weird way of walking, so no-one can track her steps. But we always do. And also, she is a smart woman, she would have guided the Crown Prince towards an isolated place, but close enough to a good escape route for her… please, let us try." 

 

"… " 

 

"She plotted to kill our father and killed the woman I loved, your majesty. It is also personal for me."

 

Mi-young crouched and faced Jiyong, because she could not treat as an equal the men who came from a safe hiding place and volunteered to save her son from his own sister. He didn’t owe her anything yet he decided to help. He was worthy of her respect.

 

"Bring her alive, I want to know if there’s someone else helping her, please." 

 

"She is an excellent warrior and will fight back. But I’ll try my best." 

 

"I like your honesty, lord Jiyong. Now, please, go and find my son." she stared at the rest of the Silver Dragons. "I’ll trust you. Generals!" she stood up, and although she was shorter than the men around her, Mi-young had an imposing posture. "Make sure ALL your men control the city and protect our citizens from that woman. She can’t leave the capital. NOW, GO!"

 

Jiyong nodded and went out to find his sister. Hyori following him close, because, after all, her daughter was out there too.

 

"Where do you think she is?" the woman asked.

 

"If I am not mistaken, there is a meadow near one of the west boundaries of the palace, right?" 

 

"Are you sure she’s there?" 

 

"No. But if I was her, it’s the most logical place to go."

 

Hyori nodded and started to run even faster than all the Silver Dragons. Jiyong knew she was an agile woman, but not that much. “Maybe the urge to find her baby girl is what makes her run like that”.

 

The clash of swords made the whole group stop, and follow the direction of the sounds.

 

"Lady Yuri!" 

 

"It is the Crown Prince’s voice!" Hyori informed, and they run even faster.

 

When they arrived they saw Yuri holding her left arm and bleeding, while Bo Ah was about to kill her. Two terrified children unable to move or react.

 

"Nooooooo!"

 

Taemin immediately took his arch and shot an arrow so precise that threw Bo Ah’s sword a few meters away. To their surprise, Bo Ah did a tricky flip and took it back before they could even blink. Seeing his sisters fighting against each other to death was a situation Jiyong never wished to witness. It hurt him so much that he panicked for a moment, unable to move from his position. In the meanwhile, the rest of his crew decided to attack and Hyori carried the children towards a safe place.

 

"Nooooooo!" Bo Ah screamed.

 

The First Palace Lady went mad when she lost the Crown Prince of her sight because that meant she had lost her chance to kill him forever, and she had nothing left to fight for. With all her abilities, she took Yuri’s sword and decided to counterattack them: she had nothing to lose. SeungHoon advanced quickly to protect Yuri from Bo Ah’s blades and the young pirate received a mortal wound on his chest.

 

Although in pain, Yuri dragged along the ground to approach her fallen friend. She took his hand and smiled while his friend gave his last breathes, looking at the shining stars that had appeared after the rain.

 

That unexpected attack gave Jiyong the strength to carry on and fight together with his crew. He felt desperate, because he did not want to kill his sister, yet she wouldn’t doubt to kill him if she had the chance. She was such an excellent fighter that not even four trained men were able to defeat her, but when she stabbed yet another Silver Dragon, their pretty boy Jinwoo, Yuri became so mad that she rose from the floor and smashed her sister’s head on the floor when she saw a small flaw in her defensive attacks.

 

 

"That’s for father!"

 

 

Yuri punched Bo Ah.

 

 

"That’s for Sandara!"

 

 

Another punch. 

 

 

"That’s for Bom!"

 

 

And she punched her again.

 

 

"That’s for YoungBae!"

 

 

And again.

 

 

"That’s for MinHo!"

 

 

And again.

 

 

"That’s for Taehyun!"

 

 

"And again." 

 

 

"That’s for Jonghyun!"

 

 

And again.

 

 

"That’s for SeungHoon!"

 

 

Yuri’s hands hurt so much she wasn’t able to punch Bo Ah once more, but she had to, no matter the blood or the possibility to break her fingers from overworking them. She couldn’t kill her own flesh and blood, but the physical relief made her felt better. With all her effort, she peeked at the motionless body of Jinwoo and gave her sister one last punch before she collapsed, exhausted.

 

 

"And that’s for Jinwoo!"

 

 

Jiyong hold Yuri in his arms tightly, trying to stop the bleeding from her wounds while the rest tied and unconscious Bo Ah, so strongly that she wouldn’t be able to escape.

 

When he saw the last shadow trapped, Jiyong sighed in relief, because, finally, after all the suffering, they had won. Yet, he couldn’t hold his sad tears running all over his cheeks.

 

 

 

 

Because, he might avenged everyone he once loved, but never a victory had tasted so bitter.

 

 

______________________________________________

A/N: I hope Bo Ah’s reasons to plot against the Crown are getting cleared… she was tempted by power and her ambition to keep it made her do the things she did. She was completely blinded. There is not a deeper reason: like making your grandchild the King or getting revenge from your opportunities lost. In this world, the most dangerous people are the ones that, even when they have everything, they never get enough and get blinded by ambition. Bo Ah is one example of those people. And, as sad as it is, there are lots of people like her in this world. And Yuri doesn’t mention Sang-hyun in her final punches because she still doesn’t know her love has died. Her sadness is not over yet. I know the last part might look a bit anticlimactic, but I wanted it to be like that, because Bo Ah, with all her fighting abilities, couldn’t get an honorable defeat. It had to be something as rotten and dirty as her soul.

 

Next chapter is the last one... with an epilogue I hope it gives my story a decent ending... one year and a half of sufferint TT OMG! Don't know how to feel.