Author's Note - Well I only managed to write 2,000-ish...but I think you guys have waited long enough so I decided to release now...sorry again for delaying.

Yewon and Sungyeon heard a noise. That of a broken glass. The two dropped their wooden swords. Yewon was about to go inside to check it out, but Sungyeon was a step ahead. Wary, she raised her hand in front of Yewon, signalling her to stay behind.

“I’ll go in first.” Sungyeon was still gazing towards the direction of the noise, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Her hand was, however, forcefully put down. Sungyeon turned around, only to see a laughing Yewon.

“C’mon, I’m older than you.”

“This isn’t about age-“

Neglected. Yewon entered first. Though her smile was still on her cheeks, her eyes was vigilantly sweeping the house. Her cheerful outlook managed to hide her fear, which was just a bit less than Sungyeon’s. Her younger sister followed her tightly. They were searching for the broken glass, and, in the unfortunate scenario, an intruder. Intuitively, the glass fragments should be on the kitchen’s floor, yet they have plenty of glassware in the living room as well. Their living room was large, with a number of blind spots and other places to hide a person. For their safety, they should stick together. Before Sungyeon could ensure that it would be the case though, Yewon had gone inside the kitchen already.

Neither of them can fight. Yewon is a medic-in-training, while Sungyeon is just a guitarist. However, just between them, Yewon can handle herself better with some basic spells for self-defence, given that the intruder was just some petty thief. Anyone beyond that, they should run. But it could also have been a careless misplacement, leading to the glass falling on the ground.

Just as she was not-so-calmly assessing the situation, something shiny caught her attention. A reflection of glass, on the ground, split in pieces. Sungyeon found it. On the table near it, was a line of 3 glass cups, quite close to the edge. Sungyeon breathed a sigh of relief: it was just a mistake. Now that she remember, she placed them herself.

“Yewon-ah, it’s okay, I was too careless…”

Yewon was probably too focused in searching, she couldn’t hear Sungyeon, who then decided to head to the kitchen, and tell her that it was all just a false alarm. It would be a laughable story, after some more addition of dramatic elements.

“Yewon?”

…or not?

The destination for Siyeon and her made up of Tiara Knights was a Myrenii military camp 200 miles away from Lariste, situated in the outskirts of Araconesis, the latest city fallen to the Myrenii. There they would negotiate terms of peace, and if possible, secure the release of Kyla. At the very least, they must be allowed a sight of their youngest sister.

When they were riding close along the main road though, the only thing moving was the red and dark flag of Myrenii. They did not see a single soldier standing. When they reached the entrance, they saw bodies. After Rena tell the to approach with caution, Jieqiong ordered two of the guards to inspect the bodies. The two covered both sides of Siyeon, their hands right on the handle of their swords.

The guards squatted down and checked the bodies from head to toe. No wounds. They then tried to flip over the bodies, after which Siyeon can then hear the breaking of a string.

“y trap, back off!”

Siyeon’s warning allowed the two unlucky guards to prepare; they dived to the ground behind them. Still, two of the spring-guns which the trap triggered managed to hit different parts of the guards’ legs, immobilizing them. At the same time about 30 musketeers appeared on the hills above them. They immediately fired and killed almost all of the first line of the ’s wedge formation. The second and third line of Knights was unscathed, behind which were Jieqiong, Rena and Siyeon. Jieqiong grabbed the horse reins, ready to go and rescue the crippled guards.

“I can still save them-“

“No.”

“Those muskets take time to reload-“

“I said no! Do you think they are the only ones ambushing us?”

Siyeon was adamant. Her knights are fighting back with bows, until Siyeon give the next order, and the next order is obvious. They must escape as quick as possible. And that means they can’t afford the luxury of saving the two guards. No, they can’t die or get captured here. Siyeon turned around and saw 30 more muskets raising against them.

“Charge at them!”

The rally got the Knights fired up, as these fearless cavalry pushed towards the musketeers behind them. There were three more lines, now in front of Siyeon. The volley fire of enemy muskets facing them will take out at least 60% of the sixth and seventh line by the time the formation reaches them, and the muskets behind them will devastate the second line. The Knights would be halved, but at least half of them will survive.

Jieqiong was still looking back at the two guards they left behind, apparently still breathing. There was nothing she can do for them now, but she couldn’t help it. Her sight was later blocked by Rena, who was now riding behind her. Siyeon also pulled back, right next to Rena.

“Eyes front, Jieq.”

The determined eyes of Rena was always a bit scary to Jieqiong. It was a drastic difference from how she behave outside combat. A girl frequently shifting between two extremes, seemingly free of any limitations. One thing is always true, a fact she knew by the hard way: Rena is equally dangerous in both states. On her charging horse she tilted sideways and, as her brownish hair was blowing by the wind, she pull out two flintlock pistols and fired next to Jieqiong. Two less muskets.

Jieqiong would have clapped, but she noticed that the muskets finished reloading. She held her swords erect, and after the booming noise from the firing, a transparent barrier was formed by the swords. It was a waste though; it was obvious that her fellow Knights in the front lines effectively covered her, either by shield or life. She embarrassingly chuckled, but her smile soon faded into unease. The smoke from the muskets rendered them blind. As a terrific shooter, however, Rena’s instincts were tried.

“6 seconds! Brace yourselves!”

To effectively counter the cavalry charges, the enemy would move into a square formation. The noise of the footsteps induced reassure Rena’s prediction. Yet, she can later deduce that the footsteps were farther and farther away, The smoke was clearing, beginning from the front, and the formation did not bump into any musketeers.

“Huh?”

When the smoke on their sides also cleared, a deafening rallying cry can be heard. Myrenii pikemen in overwhelming numbers were pushing at both sides. Siyeon’s Knights got no chance against the pikes, but fortune smiled upon them; the pikemen were not fast enough to blockade the front as well. Even so, the three sisters would not make it. A commander of the first line looked back and realized they had to act. They were to protect the three at all cost, as expected of them, as they were obliged to. Under his command, the remaining lines dispersed to the sides, throwing themselves without hesitation at the pikes in the dim hope that they will be slowed down. When their horses fell, the soldiers leaped, engaging the pikemen in close distance with swords, and later bare hands and legs. Having served their purpose, they soon perished with honour. Thanks to their sacrifice, the teary sisters escaped through the tiny gap between the two packs of pikes.

It seems that the enemy did not pursue, probably because they lack cavalry. Rena and Jieqiong had so many people to thank. The knights and Siyeon’s sound judgement. If Jieqiong was allowed to save the two guards, they would not leave that kill zone in time. And then again, there seemed to be no time for anything, mourning or gratitude. What should they do now?

“Siyeon…what should- princess?”

Only by then did the two realize that, Siyeon was not on the horse.

This was awkward. Save the heavy breath, Rena and Jieqiong sat quietly on the saddles, both thinking the other had a clue of where Siyeon had gone. Of course, aside from the obvious possibility that Siyeon did not escape the converging pikes. If the Myrenii intended to kill Siyeon, she would’ve died by now. Worse, it means that Kyla probably met the same fate. The enemy pulled a perfect trap.

As this thought popped up on the minds of both, the two stopped their horses. They watched as Siyeon’s unoccupied horse galloped away from their sight. Half of their mind was trying to supress the urge to tear up; another half was blank. Rena’s trembling hand reached for that of Jieqiong, who let them get warm.

“Maybe they will only capture Siyeon…like what they did with Kyla.”

They paralyze themselves in despair, as if they want to go back there and surrender, until their eyes fully dried. Until their head had cleared enough to reassess their predicament: no more peace. And, the Myrenii army is probably heading to Lariste as of now. Because of the peace offer before, siege defence preparations were completely halted. Laristean soldiers would not be combat ready either, they are probably enjoying beer and meat. Oh no, Kyungwon has to be warned.

But regardless of that, the war is over. Defeat is a forgone conclusion, but there is worse fate than capitulation. Pillage, genocide, even razing the city… Lariste is not capable of saving itself, luckily they did have a powerful ally: Nayoung.

“Rena, you’ve got to warn Kyungwon unnie…I’ll go ask for help in the Pontem.”

It was clear to Rena that Jieqiong had ulterior motives in this arrangement, but she was not in the mood of either stopping or teasing her. She nodded, and pulled Jieqiong close by the shoulder, then a heartfelt whisper to her ear.

“Jieqiong, stay safe.”

“Rena, stay safe.”

Both of them cannot promise anything about that. Perhaps this is the last time they will meet; the Pontem and Lariste were a thousand miles apart. Rather than saying those words, they want to stay next to each other. But they’ve got work to do, for everyone they love.

They went their separate ways. Jieqiong wanted to have one last glance at Rena, and when she turned around she saw Rena staring back as well. They smiled, the uneasiness and fear at first brightened to the affection and hope. Until the girls were diminished to a point, and they had their eyes fixed on the road, and the rough road far ahead.

It had already been an hour since Kyungwon stood still in the Pristine Residence, still the shock she had when she first stepped in lingered. Two trails of blood, leading from the kitchen to the door and then vanished. Judging from the vast amount of blood, the injuries were severe, lethal even. A conclusion Kyungwon had been refusing to make. On his order, almost all of the city guards were searching for suspect. As far as he knew, the war was more or less over.

It can’t be.

Like a broken record, repeating infinitely in Kyungwon’s head. This was a responsibility entrusted to her, her job. And apparently whether Yewon and Sungyeon were kidnapped or killed, she failed. She wandered every inch of the house, as if trying to recreate the scene, but in truth she was of no help. Her head ached, so he sat down. Then it ached even more, and she knelt down.

I’m sorry, it’s my fault.

The pain didn’t lessen by any bit. No one could’ve seen it coming, yet as the oldest sister in Lariste, Kyungwon vowed she would protect all the kids, against enemy, even against fate. And then she could reassure with pride, she could lead. Now the world slapped her face so hard that her heart hurts more, with the plain evidence that she could never. When the news that Kyla was captured came, she should’ve watched the other kids more closely.

Hell, maybe Siyeon, Rena and Jieqiong are now walking into a trap. And I didn’t stop them.

No one could’ve seen it coming.

But I should have.

The night was long and full of sorrows, until someone screamed in a dark corner of the city.