Normally, a trip from Gaegyeong to the Jung palace in Seogyeong would take three days. Chaeyoung got there in one.

With an intensifying battle, unknown whereabouts of the majority of her companions, a devastating betrayal, and a wounded bestfriend behind her, Chaeyoung charged through Goryeo’s rugged forest in search of Lisa. Through the onslaught of heavy rain, cracks of thunder, and bursts of lightning, she pushed forward without a wink of sleep.

All throughout, her father’s words constantly echoed in her mind. “In a world where allies are few, you have just created a fatal enemy.” She had not grasped the true weight of this statement back then. She had underestimated, she had been naïve, and worst of all she had trusted too easily.

And now, Lisa was paying the price.

Chaeyoung knew running away from a battle she herself had waged was not ideal. A queen would never have abandoned her army, her camps, her people for the sake of one person. But a friend would.

Images of Lisa flashed through Chaeyoung’s mind like a tragic, historical timeline. How she had been born in the palace shortly after the princess and lost her mother at a young age too. Memories of their childhood stabbed at Chaeyoung’s heart. Sharing toys, playing hide-and-seek in the enormous palace for hours, reading books together in the palace garden, dancing in the courtyard when no one was watching. Lisa had been far more than just a friend to her. She was family.

And she had spent all her life serving Chaeyoung. Protecting her, covering for her, mending her clothes, fixing her hair. She suffered in silence all these years purely in pursuit of Chaeyoung’s happiness, never even sparing a moment to think of her own. Chaeyoung could not live with herself if she allowed Lisa to die for her too.

She rode alone, leaving her already sparce army for the war that was becoming increasingly hopeless as the hours wore on. A part of her knew she would not require anyone else to save Lisa. Because she knew she was the only one who could grant the Jung family what they so desperately wanted. What every power-hungry noble in the country desires.

The throne.

~{❀}~

Fatigue tore at Jennie’s muscles like an internal disease which only exacerbated all the physical injuries she had acquired in the span of 3 days. A flesh wound on her right arm, several fresh cuts along her torso, a scratch on her left cheek and countless bruises. There was only so much her body could endure.

She silently withstood all the pain, continuing to fight her way through the crowd in hopes of reaching Taeyong. But, with every step she advanced towards him, he seemed to back away by two. It was almost like he was avoiding her. The thought angered her to the core.

Eventually, though, she had been forced to pull back her army for the evening without even being presented with an opportunity to shoot an arrow at Taeyong. Their army would have been massacred if they continued fighting into the night. Thankfully her internal warrior instincts had been cognizant of that fact and convinced her to set aside her thirst for revenge in exchange for the lives of her soldiers.

However, now, as she entered Jimin’s tent after replenishing her energy with a loaf of bread, a part of her could not help but slightly regret that decision.

“By my estimates,” Jimin began the meeting as soon as Jennie stepped foot inside the overcrowded room of warriors, “their army still outnumbers ours by at least 5,000. Not to mention the six army generals they have remaining in addition to Taeyong.”

“Who are the remaining targets?” Jennie asked, her memory foggy from the events of the past week.

“Jun, Woozi, Vernon, S.coups, Dino, and Seungkwan are the remaining generals. Then, there is Taeyong. And of course, Mingyu himself.”

“Too many people have died already,” Taehyung stated, his brows furrowed in deep concentration, “at this point, it would be futile to focus on evening the playing field by killing as many people as possible. We need to be strategic about this and focus on those 8 people. Without the commanders, the soldiers will have no reason to continue this battle.”

“I think they too are aware of that fact,” Yoongi sighed, “because I have not seen any of those people all day. It is almost as if they are hiding.”

Jennie scoffed, realizing Yoongi had a point, “cowards.”

“Taeyong probably warned them,” Jimin muttered, throwing Jennie a meaningful glance that caused her to clench her jaw in irritation, “they know that if the war continues long enough, we will run out of resources and soldiers quicker than they will – thus securing their victory.”

“Then we must break through their defenses and enter their main base,” Daesung stated firmly, and though everyone suspected that was the only option left, it did not prevent the apprehension from colouring all their features.

Yoongi’s response was preceded by a bitter chuckle, “that is a suicide mission at best. Their main base is overflowing with soldiers and highly skilled commanders. We would be dead on sight.”

A tense silence swept the room as Yoongi spoke the words they had all been thinking.

Taehyung spoke first, his sharp jawline taut with resolute determination, “unfortunately, that is all we got. With the way things are going, we will all be dead in a matter of days anyway. We ride out at the first crack of dawn.”

With those final words, the meeting was adjourned. Everyone scattered in different directions, heading towards their personal tents in hopes of acquiring a few moments of rest before the chaos that was yet to come.

But nothing could cure Jennie’s restlessness. She could not just remain idle as the world exploded around her. So, she grabbed her bow along with her black-and-white arrows and made her way towards the enemy lines yet again.

Thunder and lighting cracked all around her, heavy drops of rain rinsing the bloodstained ground and dutifully sweeping away the ashes of burnt corpses. The night had become eerily quiet as both sides tended to their wounded armies and prepared for the next day. As she reached a small vantage point behind a large boulder just outside one of the enemy camps, she caught a glimpse of several torches lighting each corner of their camp and the gaurds that protected them like vigilant statues.

With a sigh, Jennie glanced up at the crescent moon and its thousands of star companions, envying their ignorant bliss. How they continued to shine through the darkness of the night no matter what ugly events had transpired earlier in the day, was beyond her.

Rustling and hushed voices diverted her attention back to the enemy camp. With slow, careful movements, Jennie peeked above the boulder to assess the situation. When she realized the guards were switching out for new ones, she used their brief distraction to quietly crawl closer to their base – using their temporary horse stable as a cover this time.

She was unsure what her plan was. But she knew that the first step in warfare was to know your enemy. That was why she needed a few moments to observe them. How they move, who they answer to, when they switch their roles, all of it could be used against them if used properly. And at this point, the princess’s army could use as much advantage as they could gain.

From this spot, she could discern their main base much more clearly. They had far more tents and horses than the Princess’s army. Their soldiers occupied a much greater space, which also meant they needed more gaurds to secure the entire perimeter of their camp.

Jennie was just about to peek her head around the stable to continue her observations when, suddenly, a hand clamped around from behind. Her first instinct was to scream, but the intruder’s hand had obviously predicted this. Her next reflex was to fight. However, a long, sturdy arm clutched her waist tightly, restraining her before she could move a single muscle.

“What the hell are you doing here?” the attacker demanded in her ear, just loud enough for her to hear.

Perhaps she would have been more terrified if she did not recognize those arms and that distinct voice. Taeyong.

~{❀}~

Chaeyoung pounded on the gates of the Jung residence with all the strength remaining in her drenched, numb hands. With her peripheral vision, she caught a glimpse of several archers perched on top of the gate, aiming at her like she was an uncaged animal. They may have shot at her too, if it were not for Secretary Jung’s loud, booming command.

“Open the gates!”

She could not enter fast enough, rushing through the entrance on horseback as soon as the wooden doors rose high enough to accommodate her height. Once she was inside, though, the sight before her not only caused her to grow sick with nausea, but also forced her to come to an abrupt halt.

Because there, in the middle of the Jungs’ open courtyard was a very weak, pale Lisa. Her lips practically blue from the cold, and her arms tied behind her back around a large wooden pole so roughly that the rope had caused long blisters to run along her slender wrists. Disoriented from being left in the thunderstorm for so long with no nourishment or drink to heal her exhausted body, she did not even seem to realize Chaeyoung had arrived, her lids constantly fluttering shut against the heavy downpour of rain.

“Lisa!”

With a horrified gasp, Chaeyoung leapt off her horse and rushed towards her. Tears of grief and anger blurred her vision at her tragic condition. She could only imagine the bruises that coloured her knees from hours of kneeling in such an uncomfortable position.

But before Chaeyoung could reach Lisa, Secretary Jung and Jaehyun blocked her path while several guards surrounded Lisa.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Chaeyoung demanded, practically screaming in their faces as anger flooded through her, “let her go at once!”

“I’m afraid we cannot do that,” Secretary Jung spoke in an exaggeratedly calm tone that only aggravated Chaeyoung’s frustration, “not for free, that is.”

She glanced behind the old man to throw Jaehyun a disapproving glare as if she expected better from him. He blatantly averted his gaze and stared at his shoes, as if he too expected better of himself. At least the younger man was decent enough to show some humility. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about his conniving father.

With a sigh, she returned her focus to the main threat, “what is it that you want?”

“I want what even the wealthiest man cannot obtain without status. Something you could give us by stating only a few vows. Something you could have given us four months ago. It would have saved you a lot of misfortune back then.”

Dread filled Chaeyoung’s veins like cold ice, numbing her mind the same way the freezing rain had numbed her body, “what do you mean by that? Did you… were you responsible for my father’s assassination?”

The royal secretary laughed, the unpleasant sound echoing through the silent palace, “oh no, your highness. That would be treason! But we were aware of the attack. We knew when it would happen, which is why we suggested taking you with us to our palace. If you had aligned yourself with us, Mingyu would never have dared to wage a war. Not with the resources and soldiers we have in our possession.”

Chaeyoung reeled at this news. They knew. All throughout their visit, they could have prevented her father’s death and saved the country from a devastating war, but their wounded pride and greed had stopped them from doing the right thing.

Suddenly the past few months flashed before her eyes. The universe had offered her two paths and she had chosen the complicated yet gratifying one. One decision had drastically altered the course of her life, transforming it into a life of adventure, reflection, self-growth, experience, friendship, and love.

If she had chosen the easy route, the crown would not only belong to a greedy, self-serving family, but she also would not have gained such an appreciation for life. How invigorating a drink of cold water could be after a morning of training. How every creature, no matter their size or strength retreated to rest at dusk. Nor would she have gained an understanding of her people, her culture. She never would have formed the bonds that brought her more happiness than a pocket full of gold ever could. And in a marriage formed strictly out of obligation, she never would have discovered love. Though air would continue to fill and leave her lungs, she never would have truly lived.

It became clear to her that although rejecting the Jung family’s marriage proposal contributed to the adversities she was faced these past few months, it was the best decision of her life.

But perhaps a fulfilling life was never meant for her in the first place.

“You want the throne,” Chaeyoung stated flatly, her expression grim and her muscles tense, “but that is not something I can give you. You cannot just swoop in and claim it for yourself when we have been fighting endlessly for the past season to take it back from Mingyu’s undeserving clutches. There is a war going on at this very moment for that purpose, and yet you drag me miles away to discuss such superficial matters?”

Although her reasoning was not a lie, deep down, Chaeyoung was aware of another underlying reason she could not agree to marrying Jaehyun. The necklace around her neck was firm proof of it.

Secretary Jung gasped dramatically in response, “are you saying the life of your companion is a superficial matter?”

“No,” Chaeyoung muttered through clenched teeth, somehow her anger rising to an even higher degree, “I am saying the matter of succession can be discussed at some other time. Kidnapping my family in the midst of a war in order to corner me into a binding marriage – that is what is superficial.”

“The battle will be lost without our aid, anyways,” secretary jung shrugged nonchalantly, “but if you agree to marry my son, we will become your family. Which means we will assist you in the war and secure your victory. Afterall, we cannot allow the country to crumble if we are the next ones to rule it.”

Chaeyoung hesitated, considering their proposal as images of the ongoing battle invaded her thoughts. Jisoo was injured, Taeyong had rebelled, half of their army had been mercilessly slain, and Mingyu was still alive. It was no secret that they were losing. If she rejected them again, not only would Lisa die, but she would ride back to a war that would be lost anyways. The Jungs were no doubt aware of this fact as well. They chose the perfect timing to unleash this ultimatum on her.

But if she agreed, she would lose the love of her life. Images of Taehyung overpowered all other thoughts as she realized this. His carefree, deep laugh that she had only recently gained access to. His dark, intelligent eyes that looked so deeply at her that she was certain he could see her soul. The way her heart fluttered everytime his fingers brushed across hers. Their blissful night in the Busan garden. Whispers of love and promise they had shared when they were certain nothing could ever keep them apart.

She had always been shackled down by duty, but her heart would not allow her to give up Taehyung. Nor could it endure another second of watching Lisa’s torture. Never had she felt so torn, so helpless.

“Is there any other way?” Chaeyoung asked, trying to mask the desperation in her voice. She was already at a disadvantage, showing her emotions would make her appear weaker than she already felt.

“I am afraid not,” secretary Jung said before regarding her thoughtfully, “we have offered you more than enough. A secure throne, a loaded army, an end to the war. The decision is obvious. I do not understand your hesitance.”

“I am already promised to another,” the words left her lips in a fit of frustration. Since her logical excuses were not working, she was hoping t