“I, Kim Jaein, hereby declare that I as today forth will devote my life for the sake of The Silla Kingdom and to protect Her Royal Highness Dayoung, the Princess of Silla!”

The girl’s voice roared through the air that afternoon. Everyone was watching her at the city hall that day. She looked tough, so different to what she usually looked like. There was a mixture of cheer and murmur between the crowd. They cheered that a princess was willing to be a soldier and fight for the kingdom, but murmured because something bad might happen like it did with Wonhwa.

Jaein trembled after she walked down from the stairs of the city hall where everyone was watching her, but she must walk as tough as possible after her ceremony. She heard whispers and murmurs surrounding her steps down the stairs to the crowd, but she didn’t really care. All she wanted to see was her brother and her two friends. She looked at the tip of her shoes peeping back and forth under her scarlet robe all the way to her house and only raised her head up to the crowd when she heard her name being called by a familiar voice.

Jaein was dragged into a small alley secluded from the crowd by a strong hand. She was welcomed by a torso and a familiar smell of herbs on her face. It was Lee Taemin. He ran out from the crowd as soon as the new guard walked down the stairs to grab her horse back in her house and go to the Hwarang House to train with her father after lunch.

“Jaein, you really gonna do that? You really gonna risk your own life for the Princess?” Taemin panted. A result he got after running like a madman to seek for a secluded place where they could talk privately. His long hair was a little bit messy due to the activity, beads of sweat was visible on the side of his forehead. His hands were gripping tight on the girl’s shoulders.

Jaein blinked slowly like her pet cat.  She slipped her hand into the sleeve of her robe and pat it on Taemin’s beads of sweats “Yes Taemin, I’m really doing it. I won’t swear in front of the people if I was joking about all of this. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you last night, I’m supposed to keep it a secret.”

“But why? Why are you willing to do this?”

“Because they have no other choice. I’m the one able to keep the princess safe even in her bed because I’m able to sleep in the same room with her. I’m only gonna be her guard until all this hoo-hah with Baekje calms down. The princess is at risk, Lee Taemin.”

“But you’re also a princess!”

“But I will not reign! We can’t risk my oraboni. He’s going to be the future king of Silla. He can’t be dead— “

“So does it mean that it’s okay for you to be dead?!” He snapped at her. “Aren’t you even scared?”

“To be honest I am. But I should not be. You know I always wanted to be out there on the battlefield than at home waiting for a man to ask my hand for marriage.” She tried her best to sound as relaxed. “Come on Taemin, you know this bound to happen. You know that I’ll be out there sooner or later. I’ve been talking about this since we’re younger. Why are you acting all surprised all of sudden?”

“Because I thought you were just joking!” He shrieked then realised that his voice was echoing between the wooden walls of the empty alley. He sighed after he shut his own mouth with his hands. “I thought you were joking with all that. I’m just, you know, I don’t have many friends and if you’re dead then who would I be friends with?”

“Oh come on, man. I won’t die. I’m not even started with the training yet.” Jaein jumped to reach the boy’s shoulder and trapped him under her armpit. “You know my ability in battle, you shouldn’t worry! You know I can easily beat you, right?”

“Are you lovers done with that thing? Cause Father is looking for my sister.” The two of them looked up and found the girl’s brother standing on a stone wall above them, looking down at the younger kids. His long hair flew with the wind following the flow of the remaining length of his hair band. “Don’t worry Taemin, once it’s all done you can have her hand for marriage and keep her safe from doing dangerous things like this.”

“Oh, seriously?” Jaein groaned to her older brother’s words.

“If you’re done with your lover stuffs, come follow me this way. It’s a shortcut to our house.” Key gestured to the youngsters to follow him up to the wall and jump. Jaein swiftly climbed to keep up with her brother, leaving Taemin struggling to catch up with them. She whispered to the older boy how could she had no idea about the shortcuts. “I know this by observing from roofs. I’m only telling you this because you’re gonna be chasing assassins in the future. We’re gonna have a private session to show you many shortcuts you can take to chase people.” He said before the younger boy behind them was able to catch up with them.

The three of them had a lunch at the Kim siblings’ house then continued with Taemin being overly emotional when he bade goodbye to Jaein. Apparently the girl would have to stay at the Hwarang House for five days a week and would only be able to go home on Friday evening before coming back at Monday morning.

“Taemin, Taemin, hey! Hey I’m only gonna be there through the weekday. I’ll be home at weekends and we’ll be able to go to the Okta together like usual.” Jaein said as she patted the back of the boy hugging her too tightly she felt like he might break her bones at this rate. “Taemin, I’m not gonna die. I’m just gonna live an hour away!”

“But there are boys in there— “

“Oho! I know where this conversation is going.” Kibum sneakily said as he led Jaein’s horse along with his father to where the girl was. “Don’t worry, I told you earlier that you can marry her after all of this had done, right Father? Taemin could marry our Jaein, right?”

“Stop talking nonsense, Kibum. She’ll be your bride if we live in the palace.”

“That’s disgusting!” The siblings shrieked together, making their father laugh and Taemin stunned at his place.

The eldest man asked his son to climb down from the white horse he was riding and gave it to his sister. “Come Jaein, we have a lesson to catch.” He smiled to his daughter before she hugged the boys in front of her and climbed on the horse’s back. He led their way out from their house’s gate to the woods.

Kibum kept the younger boy company while watching her back slowly shrinking away before disappearing behind the leaves of the trees as they got devoured deeper into the woods. Kibum turned his head to the younger boy. Even though Taemin wasn’t really good at expressing his own emotions, it was clear that there was sadness on his eyes. Kibum sighed and took him under his arms. “Hey, she’s gonna be alright. She’s not gonna die. I know what kind of fighter she is.”

Taemin sighed to the tip of his toe peeping from his bright sky-blue robe that’s surprisingly felt so gloomy that day. “Still, don’t you worry about her a little?” Taemin raised his head to stare straight at Kibum’s clear brown eyes that looked exactly like Jaein’s. “She’ll go to a battle, she’ll fight some really bad guys and not just burglars.”

“You really think I’m that heartless? Of course I worry about her!” Kibum playfully poked on the younger boy’s head. He spent last night calming his sister down for her ceremony. He too was scared that something bad might happen to her. He knew it well how it felt to deal with assassins and the memory of his first time taking someone’s life was still vividly playing at the back of his head. He knew that it will be scary for her, but she had to deal with it because as long as they’re not the king, royals like them will always be a pawn on this big chessboard. Only stronger.

“I’ve been fighting and training with her since we’re little. I know Jaein could handle it well. And I bet you she’s better than half of the entire Hwarangs if not more.” He gripped tightly on Taemin’s shoulder. He won’t let himself being carried too far with emotions so he added, “Come, let’s go to the town to have something to drink. She’ll be back on Friday nights.”