The Yellow Sea is calm, an unsettling peace breathing through the waves while they clamber up to the hull of the ship. Ten’s fingers are curled around the railings, half of his body bent forward allowing the wind to hit his face while he watches the keel barrel on to the waters. It’s quiet on the ship with just the occasional clunking of boots on wooden floorboards as the soldiers do their rounds on the decks. From afar, the dark silhouette of the Forbidden City ghosts behind the clouds while the morning sun peaks from just beneath the edge of the sea.

“How many more hours?”

“Four or maybe less, Your Majesty.” Sir Gamon is standing behind Ten, his hand gripping the guard of his sword.

“Make sure everyone’s ready an hour before we dock,” Ten orders, turning around to face the mun nai. “The Imperial Palace has a watchtower, they will see us before we even reach the shores.”

“Yes, My King,” the mun nai bows before retreating to the hatch at the main deck.

Ten sighs. His palms feel cold and there is that light drumming sound echoing in the hollows of his chest, knocking on his fears. It would be a lie to say that he’s alright and that he’s ready to die in this war. It was his choice to defend their ally and the lands that rightfully belong to their people. But the truth is, he’s scared. He’s frightened beyond himself and the uncertainty of his future… their future. It will never be just about himself anymore. That’s what scares him the most.

Taeyong is just standing there, frozen to the side of the deck with his head bowed low. Ten’s never heard a word from him again since that conversation with his friends at the Palace of the Scarlet Phoenix. The ride back to the shores of Yongil Bay was painfully silent, and Ten was aching to talk to him, to ask if he truly meant every word he said. If the fire in his eyes meant he was staying and if that smile meant he still wanted to stay by the King’s side.

“Taeyong,” Ten hears himself say. His voice sounds so distant and he barely recognises it.

The soldier looks up, his gaze instantly resting on Ten’s face. “Your Majesty,” he greets back.

There’s that wall again. That thick barricade that separates them like a plague. It’s towering above them now, threading along the empty space between them and threatening to grow further. To rise way beyond the clouds. There’s a glint of hesitation and fear in Taeyong’s eyes, something Ten’s never seen before.

“Did you mean what you said back there?” Ten asks, his voice barely rising above the hum of the sea.

The wind is gentle when it cards through Taeyong’s hair, whisking it away from his face. There’s a mild cut drying near the tip of his bottom lip. The soldier nods softly. “I promised the late King I would protect you. I never back down on my word.”

So was it only because of my father? “I see,” Ten answers, shaking his head. He chews on his bottom lip. “Thank you.”

Taeyong opens his mouth and closes it again, bowing his head to stare at his feet. Ten’s fingers ache to reach out to him, to touch him. He wants to melt in Taeyong’s arms and bask in his presence, because he doesn’t know if he’ll ever get the chance to do it again. He still misses being so near him, and the more he inches towards him the more he feels so far away. Everything in him still longs for Taeyong’s warmth.

“Ten,” Johnny clears his throat as he climbs up the forecastle deck, bringing with him the smell of lavender and wild flowers. His hair is dripping wet and it brings a smile to Ten’s lips.

“I see you’ve found my bathroom,” Ten says, feeling a bit of weight slip off his chest.

“Siam has the best bath oils,” Johnny laughs, turning to the direction of the ship where the sun is starting to slither out of the waters. “Looks like we’ll dock in three hours.”

Ten nods, his eyes catching a glimpse of Taeyong staring at him. He ignores it and follows his friend at the edge of the ship. “Are you sure you want to go down there with us?” Ten tiptoes around his words. “You can just stay here, you know? I’d feel a lot better having one less person to worry about while I’m fighting out there.”

Johnny laughs with a shake of his head. The water flies out of his hair and hits Ten’s cheeks. “Since when did you become the better one at sword fighting?”

“Since now,” Ten answers, smiling. “I mean it, Johnny,” he says more seriously.

Johnny’s eyebrows frown when he turns around to face him. “I also meant it when I said I said I’ll fight with you until the end.” He taps the tip of Ten’s nose with his index finger. “Stop worrying too much.”

Ten chews on his lips again. “I can’t help it.”

There are sixteen ships sailing to the enemy’s gates now with the addition of Yuta’s fleet. The sun is pale from where it rises in the east, its rays veiling over the shadows of the Forbidden City. Ten breathes deeply, the cold wind drowning his lungs in ice. He shivers. It won’t be too long until they arrive at the enemy’s shores.

“Are you afraid?” Johnny whispers from Ten’s side. His eyes are fixed on the rising sun.

“I’m not,” Ten says.

He’s not afraid. He’s a bundle of nerves threatening to explode. He closes his eyes, wishing so hard that by the time they hit the sand, his blood is no longer running cold.

***

The first explosion is in the form of a firecracker. It hisses into the air, rocketing into the skies before blasting into a hundred stars and disappearing in the breadth of the sunrise. The tip of the palace lights up like a row of small candles, starting off from its farthest left to its right before the cauldron burns a huge flame in the middle. Just a few feet from the shore, there’s a thick line of pine trees leading to the woods. The lands are quiet, but the tiny pop that signalled the lights from the palace is enough warning for Ten to know that the enemy’s been alerted of their arrival.

Ten can already see the sand beneath the sea as they sail towards shallow waters. Just barely a mile away, there are at least a hundred soldiers waiting for them at the shore, half of them mounting a rag of black colts. There’s a bit of orange glimmering at the distance and a sense of dread begins to spiral through Ten’s nerves.

“What’s that?” Ten squints, pointing to the flecks of light that are starting to beam up the shore. Johnny runs to the railings, his hands paling against them.

“,” Johnny curses under his breath. “Are your cannons loaded?”

“What??” Ten’s eyes are wide while he watches Johnny jump off the forecastle deck, running to the side of the main to yell at the other ship.

“We have fire up ahead! Load the cannons!”

Ten’s breath draws to a stop and he runs towards the railings to give the shore a better look. Johnny’s right. Those are not just specks of light. There’s fire at the tip of the arrows directed at them. The moment fire catches on the ship, they’re doomed.

“Johnny, wai—” Ten’s breath catches when Taeyong makes a grab for his wrist.

“You need to draw up the sails.”

“What?” Ten asks, watching the soldier’s gaze centre on the enemy up ahead. “But we can’t reach the shore without them.”

Taeyong lets go of his hand to run to the railings, diving low to watch the waves crash against the hull of the ship. Ten follows him, his heart ramming on his ribs. “Tell Sir Gamon to get behind the wheel,” Taeyong says, his eyebrows furrowing while he pulls himself back, turning to face Ten. “The ships are still moving at speed due to the force of the winds. If we pull up the sails, the ship will still continue to move before it draws to a stop. The enemy will aim their arrows at your sails to quickly spread the fire. We can’t risk it, Ten.”

Ten nods briefly before he makes a run toward the main deck. “Sir Gamon!” he shouts. The mun nai instantly emerges from the hatch followed by a few soldiers, hands on the ready at the guards of their swords.

“Your Majesty!”

“Get all the men ready. I need you behind the wheel to make sure we head straight for the shore. Tell all the ships to draw up their sails now and get men behind their wheels!” Ten orders.

The wind is merciless, fighting with the men as they pull up the sails. It blows forward, drawing the sails back while the men climb up the shrouds to reach the taller masts. Ten watches while sail after sail start to disappear, leaving only the thick masts battling with the wind. They’re still moving, but the water drags on the hull of the ships and slows down their speed. The nearer they get, the larger the fire grows at the tip of the enemy’s arrows. Ten swallows thick as smoke slips under his nose, making him choke. He runs back to the forecastle deck to find more soldiers from the enemy’s side skirting around the shore.

“As soon as they shoot the first arrow, tell your men to fire the cannons. Aim for the men with horses first” Taeyong says, walking in front of Ten to block his view of the enemy. Ten knows what he’s trying to do. He’s shielding him from attacks. “When I tell you to jump in the water, don’t look down and just jump.”

“Wait, I—”

“You know how to swim, right?” Taeyong’s eyes are staring at him intently and there’s a glint of fret to them.

“I… I do,” he stutters.

“Good.”

“But… but the waters are too shallow. We’re nearing the shore,” Ten says, his voice lilting. His knuckles are starting to pale out around the guard of his sword. He can hear Yuta shouting orders from his ships at his right, while Jaehyun’s voice echoes from his left. The scent of pine trees filters through the thickening haze coming from the enemy’s fire.

Taeyong turns around to look at him, his eyes burning with the reflection of the sun. “Trust me,” he says.

Ten bites on his lips and nods. He will never not trust Taeyong again.

The first arrow slices into the air, landing on the main deck of Yuta’s ship. His men act fast, killing the fire before it even starts to spread. It doesn’t take a few seconds until a rain of fire arrows start flying into their direction, their tips fizzling like stars in the sky before they land on both men and ships.

“Fire the cannons!” Ten shouts and the cannons instantly go loose, fire crackling from the sides while the base of the ship quakes. Ten twists an arm around the railings to steady himself. The cannons fire straight into the enemy’s direction, sand exploding before the soldiers as fire catches on their horses. “Load them up!” Ten shouts again.

Their ships are nearing the shore now, rocking violently against the waves while the force from the cannons pulls them against the current. Ten’s feet take him to the quarterdeck, right behind the wheel in Sir Gamon’s firm grip.

“Sir Gamon, I need a couple of men on standby on every ship. The rest of our men, including you, are coming with me to the Forbidden City,” Ten’s words slip out in between heavy pants.

The mun nai nods, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Johnny!” Ten calls as soon as he sees his friend running toward him. “The Imperial Palace is about a couple of miles past the woods. Tell Yuta to get all his horses ready.”

It doesn’t take too long before a new flock of arrows start flying into their direction again. The fire catches on three ships this time, two from Ten’s side and one of Jaehyun’s and a deep echo of screams start to rise above the explosions. A soldier from Ten’s ship swings around the shrouds to land on the main mast of Yuta’s deck and deliver the instructions for battle.

“Fire!” Ten yells again. The sound of the explosions wallops into the sea like thunder as Yuta’s ships fire their cannons at the same time, landing their weapon smack in the middle of the shore. A deep crater emerges in the sand while the smoke clears and the enemy’s soldiers topple off their horses, landing on the men standing on the brink of land. Ten almost tips forward while their ship shudders as the currents pull them back.

“Ten, we need to go!”

The King doesn’t even get the time to react. Taeyong’s fingers slot in between his, gripping his hand tight while he pulls him toward the ledge of the main deck. Ten inhales sharply before closing his eyes and pulling his legs over the railings. The warmth of Taeyong’s palm does very little to bite down the cold of the sea wind, but he breathes more deeply praying the air would help calm his nerves. It doesn’t. He slowly opens his eyes to find the currents raging beneath his feet and he whimpers, fear clogging his throat.

“Don’t look down,” Taeyong whispers harshly, pulling him closer and his hands aimlessly cling on to the soldier’s arms. The sky hisses, turning red as more fire arrows litter the sky. “Now, Ten!”

The wind flaps over the King’s ears, blowing ice on his skin. It shouldn’t bother Ten as he should be used to the feeling of falling. He’s done it a lot of times before when he would jump off the balcony to escape the confines of the Grand Palace. He’s done it again just a month ago to run back into Taeyong’s arms. What he’s not ready for is the cold knives that stab into his skin as soon as he breaks into the water. The waters pull him in, arctic and biting, and he opens his eyes to see nothing but blue and bubbles sizzling up to the surface. Ten almost in a breath underwater before strong arms pull him up and he’s reminded that he still can’t breathe. Not yet. He starts kicking absentmindedly, dying to reach the surface. His hand is still locked in Taeyong’s grip while he pulls him to the direction of the light above them. The sun is casting its light through the waters.

Ten gasps the moment his head breaks into the surface and he chokes. Smoke is slithering down from the ships as fire catches on the shrouds. From afar, Ten can see Johnny and Sir Gamon swimming toward the shore along with a few hundred men from different ships. The fleets have been brought to a stop with no sails to cushion the wind and pull them closer to the lands. Ten finds himself paddling toward the shore, kicking into the waters while the sound of crashing swords fills the air.

Taeyong is still pulling him by the arm, leading the way to the shores. Yuta’s ships are still moving despite the absence of their sails and their keels knock into the earth before soldiers upon soldiers spill out of their decks. Their swords are longer and their soldiers swifter, swiping their blades at the enemy’s chests and throats with precise aim.

Ten’s knees shake when they hit the sand and he climbs up on his feet, his lungs seemingly thinning out from lack of air. A soldier from the enemy’s side finds him and gives his horse a mighty kick. The colt neighs, galloping to their direction. Ten pulls out his sword from its sheath and is just about to aim it at his attacker before Taeyong’s already standing in between them, ending the man in one swift swipe. The soldier falls straight into the sand, gurgling blood out of his mouth and the horse gallops back into the woods in fright.

Taeyong takes on two more men, killing them in a single hit before Ten could even release his breath. “Stay close,” the soldier pulls him near, his back hitting Ten’s chest. Ten can feel himself shivering in his soaked robe but he tightens his grip on his sword.

It doesn’t take long before Yuta and Hansol are riding to their direction, each of them sitting on top of a white mare followed by a few hundred soldiers. Jaehyun and Doyoung have already secured a horse from one of the fallen soldiers from the enemy’s side and are riding towards them too.

“Take one of our horses,” Yuta says, motioning one of his men to get off their horse. The soldier hops off and hands the mare over for Ten and Taeyong to use. Ten doesn’t even complain when Taeyong half-carries him onto the saddle, his heavy robe latching onto every part of his skin.

The noise is starting to die down with more men from the enemy’s side falling to the ground. Johnny’s face is scrunched up while he pants, running to where they are, Sir Gamon tailing him from behind. There are still well around a thousand soldiers from their side that’s up and moving on the ground, but Ten winces seeing hundreds of soldiers both from the enemy’s side and theirs already lying lifelessly on the sand.

“Where to now, Your Majesty?” Sir Gamon asks, sweat dripping down his sideburns and chin.

Ten turns his head to the side to stare at the trees. “The Forbidden City is beyond the woods, right up there.” He points to the roof of the Imperial Palace that’s now glowing with lights. “It’s a couple of miles by foot. We’ll get there in half an hour if we take the horses there. They know we’re coming.”

“Are the woods safe?” Yuta asks, his eyebrows frowning while he stares at the thick line of pine trees that only multiplies in number as the path leads deeper into the forest.

“We don’t really have a choice,” Hansol mutters beside him, wiping the blood off his sword on the sides of his robe.

“Jaehyun, are you alright?” Johnny asks, turning everyone’s attention to the Emperor who’s sitting behind Doyoung on the same horse.

“I’m fine,” Jaehyun says. “I can fight. Don’t worry about me.”

Doyoung bows his head in front of him with a frown. There is a quiver of arrows hanging around his left shoulder and a bow tied around his mare’s neck. Soldiers in the East are well trained in archery, and Ten’s almost sure Doyoung aced those classes too.

“Some of our men can use the horses of the enemy to ride to the Forbidden City. A hundred of us can get there first if we move now,” Yuta says. “The rest on foot will most likely arrive an hour later.” The Crown Prince gives his horse a light kick and it turns to face the woods.

“Wait,” Ten calls, his eyes surveying the woods. “If we get there first, we won’t have enough men to defend ourselves. We’ll be outnumbered.”

“Ten’s right, Yuta,” Hansol says. “We need more men to get through the gates.”

The Crown Prince purses his lips in thought, his eyebrows stitching together in a single line. “Double up the men on horses. We can have two men on each horse to get there faster. We should have at least three hundred men with us when we get there. The rest will just have to follow. We can’t waste more time. They’re probably still shaken up now and it’s best to get to them while they’re still at their weakest.”

“I agree with Yuta,” Ten chimes in. “We can have all our men focus on fighting off the guards at the gates and the soldiers doing rounds around the palace. Sir Gamon can lead them. The seven of us can go straight into the palace and search for Sicheng and my uncle.”

“If we find them,” Johnny starts, climbing up on one of the horses from the enemy’s side, “do we kill them?”

Ten shakes his head, staring at his friend intently. “Bring them to me.”

***

The white mares are fast, their long legs galloping into the woods like lightning. Ten’s fingers clasp tighter around Taeyong’s belt as the soldier crouches lower, motioning the horse to go faster. Yuta’s horse is right in front of them. Hansol is sitting behind the Crown Prince, an arm draped around the royal’s waist while his free hand stays poised around the guard of his sword.

Ten glances up and sees the head of the Imperial Palace peeking through the branches of the trees. It won’t be long before they—

“Ten, watch out!”

Ten ducks in time before an arrow hits him in the head. Ta