The river looked different to Dahyun’s eyes. Perhaps it was because of the orange and gold leaves scattered around it. Last time she had been here, the leaves had been growing green and healthy from the trees surrounding the river. But now, the entire forest was decked in shades of red and yellow, and the only hint of green was from the grass peeking through the carpet of leaves.

But that wasn’t the only change. Dahyun made her way over to the river and crouched down, dipping her hands into the cool water. The water wasn’t as clear as it used to be, murky red staining the formerly crystal stream in a way that made Dahyun’s stomach curl. The blood running over her fingers could be the blood of her friends who died today.

It could be the blood of the people she had killed.

She took her hands out of the water, wiping them clean on the small patch of dry grass next to her. She shouldn’t have come here. They were in the middle of a war, and escaping to her childhood hideout was a foolish thing to do. The clearing may be deep in the forest, but Dahyun had been delusional to expect this place to remain untouched by the ugliness that had swept across the entire kingdom. The river that flowed peacefully through this clearing was connected to the ford Dahyun had fought desperately to defend earlier. She should probably go before a dead body came floating through, and the magic of this clearing was lost forever.

Just as she was about to stand and leave, she heard the tell-tale sound of metal clanking. Instinctively, she grabbed her staff, but despite her body’s reaction her heart leapt with hope. As far as Dahyun knew, there were only two other people who were aware of this place’s existence, and Tzuyu had rarely been able to find it without her help.

“Chaeyoung?” she called cautiously into the forest.

From the other side of the river, a woman in dirty armour stepped forward. She was short, with long dark hair, and the crest of the Son family on her plate. Chaeyoung smiled, and Dahyun felt a lump in as a surge of conflicting emotions hit her.

On one hand, she couldn’t deny that she had wanted to bump into Chaeyoung here, and that the main reason she had come was hope that somehow Chaeyoung would have the same idea. The fact that they were meeting here again despite neither of them properly planning it, well it made Dahyun want to cry honestly. Happy tears, because despite time, distance and the war between them, this bond they had was still strong.

But on the other hand, there was blood on Chaeyoung’s armour, a rusty brown colour that was tinged with too much red to be mud. Looking at it filled Dahyun with guilt, because it was the blood of her comrades that Chaeyoung had cut down today. How many of them had asked Dahyun for a blessing before the battle? Could it be her fault that they had died? She sent them off to fight the girl she loved, and surely the Goddess Anma knew that deep down she did not want them to succeed. They had trusted her to protect them, and she had given them a half-hearted prayer.

The guilt was sickening, but not even her conflicted feelings could dampen the pure love Dahyun felt when Chaeyoung smiled at her. After more than a year spent travelling and camping, seeing those cat-like eyes sparkle warmly at her felt like coming home.

“Chaeyoung.” Dahyun said again, her mind unable to move past the fact that they were really here, together again at last.

Chaeyoung’s smile turned into a full-blown grin, all teeth and rosy cheeks, unchanged from the time they were children. The nostalgia of it hit Dahyun like a blow to her stomach.

“Hello my lady.”

Dahyun met the love of her life when she was nine years old.

It wasn’t her intention to do so of course. All she had wanted was a break from the temple. Most of the time she was happy, but sometimes Dahyun still got overwhelmed by grief, and if she confessed to the priestesses they just made her sit in silence and pray.

So instead of trying to seek comfort, Dahyun snuck out. When she and Tzuyu were meant to be meditating, she slipped out the back door of the temple, then followed a rabbit’s trail down the hill.

It wasn’t like Dahyun planned on running away for good. Living at the temple gave her food, shelter, and a friend in the form of Tzuyu. But that day, Dahyun found herself stuck in a rut. Her mind kept flashing back to two years ago, when she got the news about her parents’ death. She just wanted some space to mourn them, so sneaking out didn’t really feel like a bad thing to do.

She started to regret it when she reached the woodlands, which turned out to be a lot denser than they seemed from the top of the hill. By the time she made it into a small, sunlit clearing, she was covered in scratches and her robes were torn.

But none of that mattered to Dahyun, because in that moment she knew she’d found the perfect place. There was a river running through the clearing, small enough for her to wade across and only get her ankles wet. Dahyun stashed her acolyte robes behind a tree, then spent a good few minutes splashing and giggling in the water. When she finally flopped down on the riverbank, the warm sunlight dried her damp feet easily. Dahyun closed her eyes, feeling utterly content.

A small rustle from the other side of the river made her sit up and look around. Had she been followed? Was it one of the priestesses come to drag her back? Was it Tzuyu? Or was it a wild animal, like a bear? Dahyun couldn’t fight a bear, she’d rather deal with an angry priestess.

But the answer turned out to be none of the above. Instead, a tiny, unfamiliar girl around the same age as Dahyun peeked her head out from behind a tree.

Dahyun’s first thought was that the girl wasn’t from the temple, which was a relief. Her second thought was that if the girl wasn’t an acolyte, then who exactly was she? Her clothes looked warm and expensive, and her hair was tied up nicely, so Dahyun didn’t think she was a commoner. But what noble would allow their child to run wild in the forest?

Dahyun managed not to ask any of those questions. Instead, she gave the girl a friendly smile, and waved.

“Hello.”

The girl ducked back behind the tree, and Dahyun waited patiently for a minute until the girl stuck her head back out. Dahyun waved again, and this time the girl didn’t try and hide. She stepped out and approached the riverbank with curious eyes that mirrored Dahyun’s own.

“Who are you?” The girl asked loudly. “What are you doing in my forest?”

“Your forest? This land belongs to the temple!” Dahyun felt baffled by the girl’s audacity. “You’re the one who’s not supposed to be here, so I should be the one asking the questions! Who are you?”

“The temple?” The girl seemed confused for a second, and then her eyes widened. “You’re a priestess?”

Uh oh. Dahyun gulped, wondering if she could bluff her way out of this. But she was a terrible liar, and she knew it, so she just went with the truth.

“I’m not really. Just an acolyte.”

“Why are you here on your own?”

The girl didn’t seem judgemental, just curious. Still, Dahyun felt panicked.

“Please don’t tell anyone! I’m supposed to be meditating right now, but my room felt too stuffy so I ran away and found this place.”

“It’s alright. I won’t tell.” The girl sat down opposite Dahyun. “I’m not supposed to be here either, but my parents are busy so I don’t think they’ll catch me if I’m back in an hour. My name is Chaeyoung.”

“I’m Dahyun.” Dahyun relaxed again, reassured that the girl wouldn’t tattle on her. “Have you come here before?”

“No, I just found it today.” Chaeyoung picked up a pebble and tossed in into the river. “Usually I can’t explore this far without getting in trouble, but my little brother was being fussy today so no one noticed me going on an adventure.”

“That’s nice.” Dahyun smiled wistfully. “I used to have a brother.”

She could see Chaeyoung’s curiosity growing, but the smaller girl was polite enough not to ask. Still, for some reason Dahyun felt like talking. Maybe it was because Chaeyoung was a stranger, or maybe there was just something about the clearing that made all of this feel like a dream. Dahyun felt like she could say anything to the girl in front of her, and whatever secrets she spilled wouldn’t leave the edge of this forest.

“It’s the reason I ran away from the temple.” she explained. “Two years ago, my parents and brother were killed by bandits.”

“That’s terrible.” Chaeyoung gasped. “Did they catch the men who did it?”

“Caught and executed.” Dahyun nodded. “But after that, my auntie and uncle took control of our land, and they didn’t want me around anymore because otherwise their children wouldn’t be able to inherit everything. So they sent me to become a priestess.”

“Can they do that? Just send you away?”

“Not really, but I think they were going to kill me if I didn’t agree to go.” Dahyun shrugged. “It’s not so bad really. I have a friend called Tzuyu and we get to play in the meadow after prayers. Oh, and on Sunday we get honey with our bread!”

From the look on Chaeyoung’s face, she didn’t see the joy in honey bread. Dahyun would have to smuggle some out to show her next time.

The thought of there not being a next time didn’t even occur to her. The universe had sent her Chaeyoung for a reason, so it only made sense that that they would meet again. When the time came for Dahyun to return to the temple, there was only the slightest hesitation in her voice when she asked:

“Do you want to meet here again next week?”

Chaeyoung smiled, and Dahyun felt the warm certainty in her heart that she had made a friend.

“Same time as today?”

“I’ll be here.” Dahyun grinned.

“Not if I’m here first.”

One week later, Chaeyoung was the first to reach the river. The following week, Dahyun risked sneaking out half an hour early just to be the first one there. The week after that, they both arrived out of breath and with twigs tangled in their hair, and both of them insisted that they’d been a second faster than the other.

By ten weeks, they’d lost count of who was winning.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Dahyun looked over at Chaeyoung. This was the sixth time they’d met at the river, and the normally cheerful girl looked quite serious, sitting with her legs tucked under her chin.

“Sure.” Dahyun pushed herself onto her elbows from where she was lying in the grass. “You know all of mine already.”

“Really?” Chaeyoung seemed surprised at that.

“I told you that I’m an acolyte at the temple, and I told you about my auntie and uncle. I think that’s everything.”

“So you have no other big secrets?”

“Hmm...” Dahyun plucked a blade of grass and rubbed it between her fingers thoughtfully. “I don’t think so. Oh wait! I think you’re really pretty.”

“That’s not a secret!”

“Yes it is!” Dahyun giggled and pointed at Chaeyoung, who was burying her chin further into her knees. “You’re all red!”

“Because it’s a strange thing to say!”

“No it’s not! Everyone always tells Tzuyu that she’s very pretty.”

“Well I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

“Now you know.” Dahyun grinned. “So, I told you my secret. That means it’s your turn.”

And just like that, Chaeyoung’s sombre mood returned.

“How much do you really know about me Dahyun?”

“What do you mean?” Dahyun frowned. “I know everything you’ve told me. I know that you live in a castle with your parents and your brother, and that you can eat honey bread every night if you want to. I know that you can imitate a duck and a window being cleaned. I know that you like to sing and write poetry, and you’re really good even if you refuse to let me say so. I know that you have a friend who lives in another castle and she’s also called Chaeyoung, so you call her Rosé whenever you meet because otherwise it would be confusing. I know that your favourite colours are black and purple even though those aren’t the colours of your family crest. I know that you want to be a bard when you grow up but you also want to learn how to fight like a knight, I know-”

“That’s not what I meant.” Chaeyoung interrupted. “I mean… you don’t actually know who I am, do you?”

“You’re Chaeyoung.” Dahyun was growing more confused by the minute. “Aren’t you?”

“I am, but…” Chaeyoung sighed, flopping back against the river bank. “What do you know of the land surrounding your temple?”

“It’s part of the Northlands, isn’t it?”

“And who runs the Northlands?”

“Some powerful baron. The Northlands are very big so I think he must be the second or third most powerful person in the kingdom.”

“What’s his name?”

Dahyun squinted suspiciously. She remembered learning about this a while ago, but she was always so sleepy during morning lessons that only half the information ever stuck.

“Baron… Baron Im? No that’s the queen’s name. Baron Park? No, that’s the other royal family. Baron…”

“Baron Son.”

“Yes!” Dahyun snapped her fingers “That’s it!”

“And my name is Son Chaeyoung.”

“Oh.” Dahyun blinked, and then it hit her. “Oh. So Baron Son is-”

“My father.”

“Oh.” Dahyun repeated again, struggling to wrap her mind around this new revelation.

She had always suspected that Chaeyoung was a highborn lady, but the girl had never specified so Dahyun had assumed that Chaeyoung’s parents were like Dahyun’s aunt and uncle. Dahyun’s family had a castle and a small piece of land in the north, but she never would have thought that her friend came from the family all northerners swore fealty to. Chaeyoung’s castle was probably three times the size of the one Dahyun had been born in. No wonder she could afford to eat honey bread every day!

“So… should I bow?” Dahyun asked hesitantly. “Or address you as My Lady?”

“Please don’t.” Chaeyoung winced. “One of the reasons I like being with you so much is that there’s no formality. Coming to this river, it’s as if I’m escaping all the pressure of my normal life, and I get to just be me.”

“I feel the same way.” Dahyun admitted. “I don’t hate the temple, but with you I get to talk about things not related to the goddesses, which is a nice break.”

“So can we keep it this way? No titles or boring stuffy rules. Just us, being friends.”

“Best friends.” Dahyun corrected.

“Best friends.” Chaeyoung agreed, but then her face fell. “What about Tzuyu?”

“I can have more than one best friend.”

Chaeyoung pouted, and Dahyun felt like she had said something wrong.

“Tzuyu’s the friend I see every day, my best friend in my normal life.” Dahyun tried to explain. “You’re my best friend from my secret life. We’re special friends.”

“Special friends.” Chaeyoung repeated, and when she smiled Dahyun instinctively smiled back.

Chaeyoung had that effect on her. Dahyun liked it, the way she didn’t have to force her face to smile like she did when she was trying to be polite. just wanted to curve upwards whenever it looked at Chaeyoung, and it made her heart perk up too. It was like the time a bird had landed on her big toe and stayed there for a good few seconds, only better, because woodland creatures were rarely friendly, but Chaeyoung smiled a lot.

“I need to go now before they notice I’m gone.” Dahyun stood up and dusted herself off. “See you next time, special best friend.”

“Have a good week, special best friend.”

Dahyun had a skip in her step for the rest of the day. Back at the temple the priestesses and acolytes were baffled by her cheery mood, but that only made Dahyun’s grin wider. The exception was Tzuyu, who smiled at Dahyun with a knowing look that made her blush. Dahyun couldn’t fully understand why she kept blushing. It was probably just the thrill of having a secret best friend.

A secret special best friend. She made a note to tell Chaeyoung next week that she’d made their title even longer.

“I give up!” Chaeyoung dramatically threw her stone into the air, and it landed in the river with a loud plop. “I’m incapable of skimming stones!”

“You’re not allowed to give up.” Dahyun leant low and expertly skimmed her own pebble across the river. “This is your birthday present, remember? We’re going to stay here as long as we need to until you can get at least three hops with your stone.”

“I know that this is your gift to me, but maybe some people just aren’t meant to skim stones. Besides, you can never stay for longer than two hours.”

“Today I can.” Dahyun smirked. “Us acolytes are supposed to be writing and memorising prayers until the sun begins to set. We’re not to be disturbed until then.”

“Surely they’ll realise something is wrong when you show them your blank parchment?”

“They would, if Tzuyu wasn’t writing mine for me.” Dahyun skimmed another stone, feeling particularly cocky. “It’s part of the deal we have.”

“What deal?”

“She’s from a foreign country and still struggles with the language, so she likes the extra practice of writing double the amount of prayers. Then tonight I’ll stay up to memorize them and help her with her pronunciation.”

“Wow.” Chaeyoung’s mouth was wide open, and Dahyun felt a swell of pride at impressing the girl who was basically a princess. “You go through all that trouble just to sneak off here and meet me?”

“Temple life is strict.” Dahyun shrugged. “But you’re worth it.”

Chaeyoung looked adorably flustered after that, and even though she didn’t say anything further about it, she stayed with Dahyun for the next three hours until they were both able to skim every type of rock across the lake.

Dahyun had dark circles under her eyes the following morning, and she got scolded for dozing off in the middle of lessons. The harsh yelling almost made her cry, but then she thought of Chaeyoung’s embarrassed expression every time Dahyun surprised her with a compliment, and she smiled.

The priestess made her stand in the corner for the rest of the lesson, but not even that was enough to wipe the giddiness off Dahyun’s face.

Dahyun was late.

She willed herself to move faster through the forest, but her back hurt terribly, and tears of frustration leaked down her face. When she reached the river, she ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make herself appear calmer, but judging by the look on Chaeyoung’s face it didn’t work.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Dahyun waved her hand dismissively. “How are you? Have you started learning how to joust yet?”

“Dahyun.” Chaeyoung stood up, her serious eyes seeing right through Dahyun’s breezy façade. “What happened?”

Dahyun’s lip trembled, but she forced a smile and a shrug.

“Tzuyu and I got caught last night, reading after bedtime. The High Priestess was in a really bad mood so we both got whipped.”

Chaeyoung’s gasp of horror made Dahyun waver enough to let a few more tears slip. She hoped Chaeyoung wouldn’t notice, but the shorter girl immediately rushed over and shoved something warm and crumbly into Dahyun’s hand.

“I’m happy I brought this then. Have you ever tried cake before?”

Dahyun looked down at the sweet-smelling food, and she bit her lip as her stomach gave a loud rumble. Chaeyoung burst into giggles, and Dahyun soon found herself laughing too, the pain in her back temporarily forgotten. The two girls sat down under a tree, munching on the most delicious treat Dahyun had ever eaten.

“Why can’t bread taste like this?” Dahyun moaned, stuffing another handful into . “When I become High Priestess, I’m going to make it so that we eat cake every day instead of bread!”

 “And when I become Baroness of the Northlands, I’m going to ban whipping as a form of punishment.” Chaeyoung announced.

“I’m going to do that too with the temple!” Dahyun decided. “No whipping, only cake.”

“Hear hear!” Chaeyoung cheered. “What else will we change?”

“Hmm.” Dahyun leant back against the tree, shifting around a little to ease the pressure on her back. “One thing I’d change would be letting priestesses marry.”

“Really?” Chaeyoung titled her head to gaze at her. “Why? Do you want to marry someone?”

“I want the option I suppose.” Dahyun replied. “If I want to settle down someday, start a family, I don’t see the problem with that.”

“But who would you want to settle down with?”

“I don’t know.” Dahyun rolled her eyes. “There aren’t many opportunities for that kind of love at the temple. It’s a miracle I even became friends with you.”

Chaeyoung sighed and turned away. Dahyun had a feeling she’d missed something big, but she didn’t know what. She wanted to ask, but that would be awkward, and maybe she was just overthinking.

“I really hope you get to become High Priestess someday.” Chaeyoung said quietly. “If I… say I wanted to marry a girl. Would you marry us?”

Dahyun’s head snapped around to stare at Chaeyoung with wide eyes. Where on earth had that come from?

“…Well I don’t see why not.” Dahyun said at last. “You’d need to get a priestess of Marnu, goddess of marriage. I don’t know any right now, but if one happened to reside in my temple then I wouldn’t have a problem with them marrying you to a girl.”

“Good.” Chaeyoung said, still in that nervous quiet tone. “That’s good.”

“Why do you ask? I mean, what made you think about that?”

“A few things.” Chaeyoung said, and Dahyun felt the tiniest bit of irritation at her deliberate vagueness. “You know that new foreign religion that’s sweeping the country?”

“Those three girls who claim they’ve found enlightenment?” Dahyun huffed. “They’re the reason the whole temple is in a bad mood. I don’t understand why so many people are turning from the old ways when there’s proof that our gods exist and that they do reward the faithful.”

“These three don’t worship any gods, and I think that’s part of the appeal.” Chaeyoung said. “Instead of leaving it all up to these deities, it’s about seizing control of your life and making the most of it. The girls came to visit my castle recently and I got to speak with one of them.”

“Which one?”

“Sana. She’s the one who became enlightened to the true meaning of love. The other two found enlightenment in the form of fire and creation.”

“Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me.” Dahyun scoffed. “Do they have any proof that they’re not just fooling everyone?”

“I don’t know Dahyun, when I spoke to Sana she really made me think about things. What do I want for my future? An arranged loveless marriage?”

“We’re kids Chaeyoung. Why even worry about that right now?”

“Kids my age are already getting engaged.”

“What?” Suddenly the whole conversation felt a lot more serious. “Are you-”

“Of course not. My parents would never do that to me, nor would they need to with the status we have. But one day I’m expected to settle down with some suitable lord and produce a few viable heirs, and I don’t think I want that to be my only option.”

“So what other options are you considering?”

“Who knows?” Chaeyoung gently blew a leaf off her face. “Maybe I’ll marry a priestess.”

There it was again. The sense that Dahyun was missing something big. She wanted to ask Chaeyoung to be straightforward, but she still couldn’t tell if it was all in her head. Was Chaeyoung really trying to hint at something, or was Dahyun just reading into things?

“Dahyun!”

Surprisingly, it was not Chaeyoung who jolted her out of her thoughts. Tzuyu stumbled into the clearing, panting for breath.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she cried. “They’re searching for you back at the temple and I told them you were feeling ill and had gone out for some air but they’ll start getting suspicious if we’re not back soon and I don’t want to get in any more trouble today so-”

It was then that Tzuyu noticed Chaeyoung sitting next to Dahyun, and the way her jaw dropped and her ramblings abruptly cut off was enough to make Dahyun laugh. Tzuyu looked utterly awestruck, as if she was seeing a myth come to life right in front of her eyes. Part of Dahyun wondered if Tzuyu had previously believed she made Chaeyoung up as an imaginary friend, because she looked completely stunned to see the girl outside of Dahyun’s tales.

“Hello.” Chaeyoung got up and stuck out her hand. “You must be Tzuyu. It’s lovely to meet you.”

“I… yes, that’s me.” Tzuyu stammered, quickly reaching forward to shake Chaeyoung’s hand. “I’m sorry to interrupt you and Dahyun but I think we need to go home for today. It’s really nice to meet you! I don’t mean to be rude and I wish I could stay longer it’s just-”

“It’s fine.” Chaeyoung smiled. “I’ll see Dahyun next week, and you’re welcome to join us.”

“O-Oh, thank you.” Dahyun had never seen Tzuyu this shy and nervous, and she was struggling to contain her laughter. “I’d love to get to know you more. Dahyun’s told me lots of good things about you.”

“Has she now?” Chaeyoung turned to smirk at Dahyun, who gave her a sheepish grin. “Well hopefully I won’t disappoint. Now get going before I cause you both to anger the priestesses even further.”

They took off then, Tzuyu still looking like she’d seen a goddess in the flesh. Dahyun continued to find it hilarious, up until that night they were laying side by side on their straw mattresses.

“Chaeyoung’s so beautiful, isn’t she?” Tzuyu whispered to her. “I know you said she was pretty but I didn’t realise what you meant until I saw her. She’s just so…”

Tzuyu buried her head into her pillow, and something unnatural and ugly curled in Dahyun’s stomach.

“Do you like her Tzuyu?” she said, trying to sound casual even though tasted like bile.

“Of course I like her! She’s lovely, just like you told me.”

“No, but what I’m trying to ask you is if you would want to court her.”

The room fell silent, and Dahyun wished she could see Tzuyu’s face, but they hadn’t dared leave the lamp on after getting caught last night.

“I suppose it’s nice to think about, but I don’t believe she would be interested in me.”

Dahyun thought back to the conversation she had with Chaeyoung, and how Chaeyoung had casually brought up marrying a priestess. She should probably tell Tzuyu about that, further for being smitten.

Instead, Dahyun gave a mild grunt and turned over to face the wall.

“Goodnight Tzuyu.”

“Goodnight Dahyun.”

Sleep did not come easy that night. Dahyun lay awake wondering why the thought of Tzuyu and Chaeyoung together bothered her so much. They were her best friends, so surely, she should feel delighted at the thought of them finding happiness with each other? Surely, she wasn’t afraid that a romance between them would exclude her? Dahyun knew she wasn’t that selfish, not when it came to her friends.

So why did this bother her so much? It wasn’t the thought of Tzuyu finding love, that much she knew. But as for Chaeyoung… the more she thought about it the more she felt confused.

What was this jealousy inside her, and why was it centred around Chaeyoung?

It took Dahyun three months to figure out why she was jealous of the thought of Chaeyoung falling for someone. This was not a fact she was proud of, and so Dahyun preferred to phrase the tale slightly differently. When Dahyun was nine years and six months old she met her soulmate, and when she was eleven years and ten months old, Dahyun realised that she wanted to be more than friends with her.

It wasn’t a dramatic reveal. It was quiet, and personal. At the river with Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, wrapped in warm woollen blankets to protect against the winter chill in the air. Tzuyu was telling Chaeyoung about the ritual they were preparing for, where they would all be chosen to serve a certain goddess. It was the point where they went from being acolytes to priestesses, the moment they had been working towards since they arrived at the temple, and it was less than a year away.

Dahyun sat trailing a twig through the water, deliberately not looking too long at Chaeyoung, who was listening intently as Tzuyu explained the roles of all the different goddesses.

“And there’s Baiche, Ruler of the Heavens and of all the Gods and Goddesses. Obviously, none of us are going to get chosen by them, because they only mark one acolyte every hundred years or so. When their spirit enters your body to possess you, they share their power with you, and as the most powerful deity it’s rare to find someone who can withstand the energy of Baiche. I’m just hoping I don’t get Aphtar, because that’s what everyone expects, but I don’t want my life to be all about love and beauty.”

Chaeyoung hung on to Tzuyu’s every word, and Dahyun tried to ignore that strange feeling in her stomach. She still didn’t understand what exactly she was jealous of, and the more she thought about it the more it bothered her. Maybe today she should just confess her worries and the three of them could try and get to the bottom of these confusing emotions.

“What about you Dahyun?”

She looked up from the river and saw that Chaeyoung had turned to face her. She looked at Dahyun with bright warm eyes and a toothy grin, just as curious as the day they had met. But at the same time, some things had definitely changed over the years. Chaeyoung’s eyes were deeper and more aware, her lips were fuller, and it made Dahyun want to… want to…

Oh.

That’s when it hit her. It felt like all the air rushed out of her lungs in a single breath, and the world around her that had grown so confusing finally slotted into place.

She wanted Chaeyoung to kiss her.

“Dahyun?”

It all made sense now.

“Dahyun are you alright?”

Except Chaeyoung hadn’t realised the fundamental shift in the universe, and that just wouldn’t do. It felt like all those months of stress and confusion had suddenly turned into pure energy, and caught up in the thrill, Dahyun leant forward and kissed Chaeyoung.

Dahyun wasn’t sure how first kisses were meant to go. All she knew was that two people pressed their lips together, so the thrill she got when she felt Chaeyoung press back was entirely unexpected.

She pulled away after five seconds. Chaeyoung’s cheeks were flushed and she was breathing slightly heavier than before. Dahyun had a feeling her face was a mirror image of the shorter girl’s, especially when she noticed Tzuyu gaping at them and could practically feel the redness burning in her cheeks.

Chaeyoung’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Dahyun opened hers too, to try and explain, or justify, or ask Chaeyoung if she could kiss her again.

Then they heard the distant sound of a bell chiming, and Tzuyu jumped to her feet.

“That’s the bell for the evening sermon! We’re going to be late, let’s go Dahyun!”

Dahyun scrambled up, but froze before running after Tzuyu. She looked down at Chaeyoung, who was still staring at Dahyun with a dazed expression on her face.

“See you next week?”

“I...” Chaeyoung blinked rapidly. “Yes. Definitely.”

Dahyun ran then, before the temptation to stay became too much. She couldn’t get caught today, not when she absolutely needed to be able to sneak out next week. She would talk properly with Chaeyoung then, explain everything.

She had kissed Chaeyoung.

And Chaeyoung had liked it.

Dahyun mumbled her way through the sermon, unable to get her mind out of the daze she was in. Tzuyu desperately tried to muffle her giggles next to her, but it was obvious that neither of them was paying attention. The priestess kneeling behind them was displeased, and made them stay at the altar reciting prayer for an extra hour. By the time they were finally free, it was already dark and time for bed.

Lying on her straw mattress, Dahyun remembered her conversation with Tzuyu months ago. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cringe at herself for being so dense for so long.

“Tzuyu?” Dahyun whispered into the dark. “I think I want to court Chaeyoung.”

“I know.” Tzuyu whispered back. “I’m glad you finally realised it.”

“What?” Dahyun sat up, hearing Tzuyu do the same in the darkness. “I just found out today! How long have you known?”

“A few months?” Dahyun had a feeling Tzuyu was still laughing at her. “Probably when I told you I liked Chaeyoung and you looked like you were going through a personal crisis for about a week afterwards.”

“Oh.” Dahyun leant back, suddenly glad the darkness hid her worried expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about how you like her too.”

“It’s fine.” Tzuyu genuinely sounded alright. “I always knew I didn’t have a chance. The way she looks at you, I honestly thought she would be the one to kiss you, not the other way around.”

“Stop it.” Dahyun moaned, flopping down on the blankets. “I still can’t believe I did that.”

“Neither can I. I think one of the goddesses must have possessed you earlier than scheduled. There’s no way you were brave and smart enough to kiss her without a little help from Anma or Aphtar.”

“Blasphemy!” Dahyun cried dramatically. “That was entirely my own foolishness thank you very much.”

“Foolishness?”

Dahyun’s felt the tension start to creep back into her system.

“I kissed her Tzuyu.” she whispered quietly. “What if I spooked her? What if this ruins our friendship?”

“I already told you she likes you back silly. Things will change, but they’ll change for the better.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I know that even an unwanted kiss wouldn’t lessen how much she cares for you. And I also know that that wasn’t an unwanted kiss, and you’re worrying over nothing.”

Dahyun said nothing. She heard the sound of straw rustling, and then she felt Tzuyu’s hand on her arm.

“I understand why you’re scared, but trust me when I say that there is nothing you can do that would make Chaeyoung push away from you for good. You love her, and she loves you, and sometimes that’s all that matters.”

Memories kept flooding back in, but Tzuyu’s words from that night stood out the loudest in Dahyun’s mind. Thinking back, she could still remember how afraid she’d been after the kiss, heart pounding like Chaeyoung’s rejection would be the end of the world.

At twenty years of age, Dahyun had experienced much worse than a few first kiss jitters, and the memory of her own nervousness made her smile. Eleven-year-old Dahyun couldn’t have known just how much her world would change when the civil war began. Today she had cut down Chaeyoung’s bannermen, and Chaeyoung had killed Dahyun’s comrades in return. If there was a time for Tzuyu’s words to be proven false, it was now.

Yet here they both were, at the river again.

Chaeyoung made the first move this time, leaping across the shallow river in two jumps. Gloved hands reached up to caress Dahyun’s face, and Dahyun instinctively leant into the touch.

“It’s been so long.” Chaeyoung murmured. “So much has happened. I almost forgot.”

“Forgot what?” Dahyun leant closer as Chaeyoung ran her thumb under her chin.

“You. Us.” Chaeyoung’s breath tickled Dahyun’s face “Everything.”

There was so much they needed to talk about. So much history they needed to lay to rest if Dahyun was ever to be completely comfortable loving Chaeyoung again. But here in Chaeyoung’s arms, all Dahyun could think about was how lonely she’d felt these past few months, lying in her tent and wondering if Chaeyoung had survived another battle.

“If you’ve forgotten, then let me remind you.” she whispered.

She leant forward and kissed Chaeyoung, and for a moment the blood on their hands was washed clean, and they were just innocent children in love again.

In that moment, Dahyun knew that she would never stop loving Chaeyoung. It didn’t matter that she was High Priestess of Anma, whose loyalty had been sworn to Queen Jihyo. It didn’t matter that as Baroness of the Northlands, Chaeyoung was second in command of Queen Nayeon’s army. Soon she would have to step back to the other side of the river, and they would go back to being enemies, but for now it was just the two of them, and the magic of their secret clearing.

Even with a civil war dividing them, there was no power on earth or in heaven that could stop Dahyun from finding her way back to Chaeyoung.