Requester
SMTownR


Pairing
(GOT7) Mark Tuan x Ara Li (OC)



Genres
Romance and Angst



Plot
Tuan Yi En(Mark's chinese name) is a royal guard and Ara is a peasant thief who is the successor to her father's gang after his death. While on a mission to protect the princess they were attacked by Ara's gang.. mark somehow finds them but he ends up becoming their prisoner. Mark was kind of sick of his royal guard life and he stays with the group. The princess is in love with Mark. Ara and Mark falls in love as they spend time together. The princess comes finding for him and when she does the whole gang is taken as prisoners.. Mark's parents doesn't support the idea of Mark falling in love with Ara and therefore arranges with the King to get Mark and the princess to marry just as they had planned before.. mark and ara somehow escapes to somewhere far away.


Author
Charlot1081

    Jinju used to be a great town.  Her walls used to be strong and her people used to be happy.  However, once King Heol-Seok came to power, the town's riches were taken to feed the palace. Jinju turned into a town of peasants and thieves.  In this town, all the citizens know to stay away from the Li gang. 

Li Bo-Seok used to be a powerful man, who was also the king's brother.  Boseok decided to stay in the town instead of the palace because he was in a relationship with a woman there.  They were in love and she was a peasant.  Thus, the brothers disconnected.  And when Heolseok took from the town, his brother had a grudge. 

However, years have passed and Boseok has passed.  His gang was left to his only child Ara.

"Get the emeralds!"  Ara shouted to one of the men behind her.

She ran with a smirk on her lips and a knife in her hand.  Merchants and higher-ranking citizens of the town were devasted when the girl came through, grabbing any closed bags she could.  Her gang was behind her, stealing little things like gems on the stands and money from the merchants' money bags. 

She went through a house and looked at the scared citizens there.  Boseok had a rule, he never hurt anyone while stealing precious goods.  Whether the goods be food or money, no one was to be hurt.  The swords and knives were just for show, and boy did it work.  The father pointed to the cabinet and she didn't let an eye off of him as she took what she wanted.

"Ara!  Soldiers!"  Someone shouted.

Ara chuckled and went up the stairs of the house.  She opened the door to the roof and jumped from roof to roof as they buildings were only built a foot from each other.  Deeper in the town, the houses are built together, making running across them even easier.

She saw the soldiers with bows and arrows.  She smirked and jumped when an arrow headed her way.  She ran in a zig-zag pattern, wavering and stopping when she knew an arrow would pass.  She ran out of buildings to jump to, but she quickly made her escape by running the opposite way the soldiers expected her to run.

She jumped a cliff but stayed under the cliff.  A few minutes pass before the soldiers go that way, ignoring the small space she was hiding in.  She sighed in relief and waited a little longer.


Ara silently walked a back-route way to the heart of the town.  She lives in a special building, guarded by her father's men.  She recently turned into an adult, and she was elected to be Boseok's successor.  She needed to provide for the town because the palace wouldn't.

She took her job seriously, her citizens knew that.  She stepped into the building and saw a few of her men dressing their wounds up.  "We thought Li's men would have gotten you."  A man said.

"You think they can capture me that easily?"  She chuckled.  "Dad taught me good tricks.  I'm glad you're okay Bimil."


A man walked into the building and bowed to Ara.  "Miss Li,"  He started, "there's a boy who hasn't eaten in three days.  He's only five.."  He said.

She nodded.  "Give him a bowl of porrige, Cheolhan." 

The man bowed and left the building.  She smiled at the others.  "Let's eat a little and get some sleep.  You guys need some rest."  She waved to the men before leaving to her room.


***

"Princess Li,"  Mark started, "are you ready for your party?"  He stood tall in his uniform and sword on his hip.

She smiled, blushing when she made eye contact with her crush.  The princess was named after her mother, Su-Jeong, or Crystal.  Princess Crystal is now an adult, making her of age to marry.  Her eyes have been set on one man that has been with her for a few years.

Mark has been with Crystal since she reached puberty.  They met each other while walking one day.  She was having a celebration of her becoming older, and she picked him out of all the other boys who came to the palace.  Since then, Mark has been her official guard. 

And for awhile now, Mark has had this want to leave the palace.  At first, he was happy training and learning the ways of the palace.  But he's grown bored.  Not to mention he's not at all interested in the princess, who has an evident liking to him.

"I am ready, my guard."  She watched him bow.


He walked alongside her, guiding her to the throne at the head of the ball room.  She sat down and looked at the citizens, high-ranking citizens from Jinju were allowed to be at her party.  Other guests were richers from other ally kingdoms.  Mark put his hands behind his back as he watched the people dance to the music being played and eat.

Little does he know, Crystal has her eyes on him.  She blushed, remembering her father has promised her they were to marry a week from now.  He will declare it in front of everyone at midnight.  She must wait patiently, however; it is only noon.

___


The highlight of the party, midnight, is only a few minutes away.  Crystal looked at her parents, giving them a warm smile when she saw their smiles.  Just as the king raised from his seat, they heard a commotion beyond the doors of the ballroom.  And with just a couple more seconds, the big doors were broken down. 

Many men in rags came in, stealing what they could with their battle shouts.  Women screamed when their bags were taken and men were shoved aside so that the thieves could take the food from the tables.

Mark took his sword out and looked at Crystal.  "You wait here with your parents, my princess."  He bowed before leaping away.


He went to the people, however a man pushed him aside.  He got up and saw a girl next to him, holding jewels and money like her life depended on it; like other lives depended on it.  He stood there in shock as they kept eye contact.  By the time he got his senses back, it was too late.  The girl and men were gone with all the things they were looking for.

Mark held his heart as it went quiet in the ballroom.  He noticed Crystal walking up to him with concern.  "Are you okay?"  She asked, holding his shoulder.

"I'm.."  He nodded.  "Fine.  Is there anyone wounded?"  He asked the whole room.

Everyone muttered a no.  He nodded and bowed to the king and queen.  "You highnesses,"  He started as he went on his knees, "I'm so sorry for haulting and letting the thieves take our guests goods.  I will find this troop and get back everything.  I will make sure I bring them to justice."  He promised.


The king sighed and nodded.  "It's alright, Yien.  Do what you need to do."  He allowed.

"I will head out tomorrow.  Please return to your chambers, Princess."  He turned to Crystal.  "I will the guests back to town safely."  He bowed.


Crystal was about to talk, but the man left before she had a chance.  She sighed and walked with her parents to her room.


***

Mark finds himself in the heart of Jinju.  The citizens were wearing scraps and the children looked hungry.  His bright, royal outfit stood out like a black dot on a white wall.  He looked around and noticed two men standing outside a building.  He recognized one of the men from the raid the night prior.

"Excuse me, I'd like to speak to your leader."  He bowed.


The men look at each other.  They open the doors and let Mark walk in.  There he sees many men looking him down like he was next on their chopping block.  A man behind him took his sword and walked him further into the building.  He noticed that he was being put in a cell.  "Wait!"  He held the bars and looked at the men.  "I need to talk to your leader!"  He said.

"You'll talk to her, just have patience."  Bimil said with a smirk.


Mark sighed when he was left alone.  He heard people outside the room talking, but he couldn't hear exactly what.  He looked out of the window in the cell to see hours had passed by since he was put in the cell.  Making it nighttime, Mark's head snaps up when he hears a girl's voice.

The door opens and light comes in from the lanterns in the men's hands.  The girl took a lantern and set it by the cell to illuminate the room.  She waved off the men and looked at Mark.  "Hey,"  She waved, "it's you.." 

Mark remembered this girl.  She was a thief the night prior.  "Hey.."  He muttered. 

"What did you come to Jinju for?  Isn't this town a little to raggy for a high-guard like you?"  She put her bag down and sat down on the floor.

Mark sat down in front of her, having bars between them.  "I came to ask what that was all about.  I wanted to return the stolen things and give justice.."  He said.  "Why did you steal things?"  He asked.

Ara sighed and took a small bowl from her bag.  She opened the bars at the bottom, putting the bowl in his cell.  "I stole so we could eat."  She said honestly.  "So we could survive.  It was wrong, I know.  But while the princess is having a banquet for just turning another year older, we're here starving."

Mark furrowed his eyebrows and picked up the bowl.  He hungrily at the contents.  "I've only been without food for half of the day.."  He commented.  "Look at me.."  He laughed pathetically.

Ara looked down at the floor with a sigh.  "Kids feel that every day.. They skip breakfast to work in the shops and fields so that your guard-friends can come in and take it to feed to you."  She said.  "You want us to give the riches back?  I can't do that."  She stood up.

Mark put the bowl down and stood up.  "Wait,"  He said as she reached for the door, "I never knew..  I've never been allowed out of the palace."  He admitted. 

"I'm so sick of that place."  Mark said, earning an interested eye from the girl.  "All I do there is stand by some girl who things she's everything.  All I do is listen to her commands and sleep when given permission.  I don't want permission.  I want to go out of the palace when I want to."


Ara huffed.  "What's outside the palace?"  She asked.

"This town that I pictured to be beautiful.  I want to make it that way."  He smiled.  "Please, I don't want to go back.  I want to protect the town, not a girl who gets mad when the sky is a little too bright." 


Ara looked him up and down and nodded.  "Fine.. you have a name?"  She asked.

"The palace calls me by my Chinese name, Yien."  He said.

Ara opened the cage and walked up to him.  She held his shoulders and pushed him down to be lower than her.  He obeyed and looked up at her.  "We all call each other differently.  We chose to call ourselves what we want.  And today marks a new era in your life.  A life of a crook, a thief; a person worthy to a cell.  Name yourself."  She commanded.

"I like the name my mother called me when I was a boy, Mark."  He said.

She nodded.  "Mark it is. Don't disappoint us, Mark."  She walked out of the room.  "Your tasks will be given to you by Cheolhan.  You will stay far from the palace until you're ready to battle against your own."  She said loud enough for the building to hear her words.

Mark bowed.  "They're not my own anymore."  He said, shedding his jacket that had the royal seal on it.


***

Like that, a month passed with no word from Mark.  Crystal was growing restless as she worried about the man.  "What if he was killed?"  She asked her father.  "We have to go find him."  She said, running to the temple doors.

"Crystal!"  He shouted.  "You will not go to the town."  He commanded.  "Not without an army, of course."


She smiled and ran up to him.  "Thank you, Daddy!"  She hugged him. 


He hugged back momentarily.  He assembled an army to protect the girl as she walks into Jinju.  She looks around the higher-ranking citizens before going deeper into Jinju.  And what she finds there makes her drop her paper fan.

There she sees her guard, Tuan Yien, kissing the girl from the raid.  She turns to her army and stomps her foot.  "Arrest those thieves!"  She exclaimed, getting the attention of the two kissing nearby.

The thieves were out numbered.  Ara motioned them to put down their swords and looked Mark's way.  Mark put his sword down as well, letting the guards bind his wrists.

Crystal marched her troops right to the palace with the thieves bound in carriages. Mark looked up at the king when he was put in the throne room with Ara. 

"I don't think your heart is corrupt like this girl's heart is."  Heolseok stood up and walked down to Mark.

Mark stayed on his knees, just like the girl beside him.  "Therefore, I will give you another chance in the palace.  Ara and her thieves will be put in prison.  I will decide their lives shortly after your marriage with Crystal."

Mark looked up at the king.  "Marriage?"  He asked.

"That's right.  Before you left my daughter's birthday party, I was going to announce that you two were arranged to get married."  He said, walking back to his throne.  "And I would like to keep the arrangement on."

Mark saw Ara's shocked expression in the corner of his eye.  He sighed.  "I will marry her, my king."  He bowed, touching his forehead against the wooden floor.


Ara inwardly huffed.  But..  Her heart tore in two as she was taken to a special cell away from her gang.  She sighed and looked out the window.  He proclaimed his love to me, though..

She took out a stone from her shirt.  She had hidden her necklace from the moment she were captured.  Mark made her a necklace as a symbol of his love and loyalty to Ara.  She thumbed the gem and let a tear drop onto the cell floor.


***

Mark was sent to his own chamber.  He was allowed to move freely, leaving his room just like if he were a normal citizen in the palace.  However, he didn't want to be viewed as such.  He secretly left his room and ran through the darkness of the night.  He looks at the guards outside Ara's chamber. 

He held the gem he had around his neck, a necklace she made after accepting his love.  He pushed the necklace into his shirt and leaped forward, not making any noise as he quickly comes up the side of the guards.  He made it quick, letting the guards fall to the floor silently.

He opened the door with the keys one of the guards had on him.  He then wandered until he found Ara's cell.

"Ara,"  He tapped on the bars with the key, "come on.  We're leaving."

"But the princess-"

Mark smirked.  "You told me to be witty, and here I am.  Let's go."  He opened the cell door.


She hugged him first, kissing his lips for a brief minute.  Holding hands, they scale the palace walls, running into the forest.  They had the plans to recruite more troops to get Ara's men out later.  But for now, they are saving themselves.


***

The morning comes and Crystal spins around in her blue silk.  She opened Mark's chambers and gasped as she didn't find him.  "Guards!  Where is he?"  She clenched her fists.

"We don't know,"  A guard came running up to her, "and two men guarding Ara's cell are dead.  Ara is gone."  He informed.

Crystal sighed and looked down, knowing that they must have gone out hours ago.  "What do you want us to do, Princess?"  He asked.


She shook her head and waved her hand.  "Forget it.. Search me a new guard."  She grumbled angrily.


She then stomped away with tears in her eyes.  I guess I was nothing to him..


 

A bitter ending for Crystal.
I used some of my new Korean vocabulary in this story.
I've been learning gems, so I wanted to be clever with that hehe
I know there wasn't much romance between Ara and Mark, but I felt like the raid was the highlight XD
Thank you so much for requesting!

<3