The train is still and the compartment is dark.

Satisfied that you're awake, Jaehwan straightens and begins to gather your bags. Alarmed, you bolt upright.

“What's going on?” You immediately begin to shove your feet back into your boots, confused by his haste.

“There are Swords on the train, we're getting off here.” Jaehwan kneels again to help you with your packing, as your hands have suddenly gotten very shaky.

There are Swords on the train. Swords, capital S. Royal guards sworn in service of the king, likely out for your blood.

“How do you know? How are they here?” The panic crawls up your throat, choking your breath.

Jaehwan takes your hand and pulls you to your feet. “All very good questions for later.” He slings his shoulder bag across his back and takes your suitcase in hand. Signaling you to wait a moment, he peeks out the door to the hallway.

Motioning for you to come along, he swiftly opens the door and strides down the hall to the nearest exit. Bags in tow, the two of you step out into cool night air. The platform is largely quiet, manned by a skeleton crew of overnight attendants guiding the few passengers off to their destinations.

Jaehwan wastes no time looking around and immediately heads for the exit, making you scramble to keep up. The platform is raised high above the city, and the two of you take a long staircase down to street level. Jaehwan easily takes the steps two at a time in his hurry, but your descent is not quite as graceful as you run after him.

Once on the street, he quickly scans the signs, apparently looking for a particular direction. The streets are similarly still. When in Armistice you’d occasionally see tourists and party-goers wandering around until the early hours of the morning, here the only glimpses of life are a couple of passed out panhandlers and the fluorescent glow from a 24-hour diner. Hands on hips, you bend over slightly to catch your breath. Your patience is admittedly running rather thin, and you have to try not to yell.

“Where exactly are we?”

“The Tuvan Republic. This city’s called Douvarak,” Jaehwan mutters in response. “There's a car rental around here somewhere.”

You tense a bit, realizing you’re many, many kilometers away from Asadal, with the king’s lapdogs after you. You’re not quite sure how long it is to the border or how to get there, and you feel a sense of dread settle over your skin at the thought of relying on a man you’ve really only just met.

Jaehwan apparently decides on a direction and starts walking again, grabbing your hand to make sure you're following. You slip your hand out from his grasp, but keep pace with his, walking quickly to match his long strides.

“And where exactly are we going?”

“I told you, car rental,” he responds smoothly.

You roll your eyes in annoyance at his non-answer. “Where are we going? I thought the train was the plan. Can you even drive?”

Jaehwan seems amused at your rapid-fire speech. “What, you don't trust me?” he asks, grinning.

“I barely know you,” you respond, adjusting your backpack, calves burning from the walk. “I trust Hakyeon. For the most part.”

“Well, call this one of Hakyeon's contingencies.”

You're skeptical, but follow along quietly, casting a wary eye to the few other passersby. A couple more streets later you arrive at a large car park. The lights are off in the attendant’s booth, but thankfully there seems to be an automated kiosk.

Jaehwan inserts the so-called royal card and swipes through the options. You stand idly by, tapping your foot impatiently.

“How do you know the Swords were on the train?” You're still confused and more than a little irritated at how in the dark you are.

“Saw them,” Jaehwan says, not looking up from the screen. “They must have boarded sometime before this stop. You fell asleep, so I was checking the halls.”

The kiosk makes a series of beeping noises and spits out a small key fob with several buttons on it. Grabbing it, Jaehwan starts walking to the long rows of parked cars.

“You recognized them?” You follow along, brows furrowed.

He nods in answer, still scanning for the right car. “They definitely work for the king. They were peeking into the compartments, searching for you, I assume.” He apparently finds it, sleek and silver, and taps the driver's side door with the key fob. The lights turn on with a beep and the doors unlock.

You toss the bags into the back, still processing this information. The immediate panic has drained away, leaving you tired and with an uneasy feeling in your stomach.

The two of you slide in, and Jaehwan starts the car, the engine nearly silent. You had never actually learned to drive, relying on public transport, and you could count the number of people you know with a car on one hand. The interior is all leather and twinkling indicator lights.

You're chewing on your bottom lip, lost in thought as Jaehwan pulls out of the lot. The dashboard clock tells you that it's a little after four in the morning, almost a full day after you originally left home. A sinking thought occurs to you as you’re mulling over the predicament.

“Do you think something happened to Hakyeon?” you ask quietly. “Is that how they found out about me?”

Jaehwan’s brows are furrowed as he fiddles with the on-board navigation. He shakes his head. “I don't know. He instructed me not to contact him while getting you home, just in case it's traced.”

This does nothing to assuage your fears, and it must show, because Jaehwan offers you a smile.

“Don't worry about Hakyeon,” he says soothingly. “He's survived in court this long, he can take care of himself.”

You shake your head, staring out at the darkened road. “Nothing about this feels right. Not coming back, not Hakyeon's hare-brained ideas.”

“Then why are you here?” Jaehwan looks at you sidelong, and while his tone isn't accusatory, you still feel a little defensive.

“I don't have to justify myself to you,” you respond, trying not to sound petulant. Nothing about this is right. But Hakyeon is your cousin, and the only person you have still considered to be family.

“Understood,” Jaehwan says just as petulant, drawing out the syllables.

You try to bite it back, but his childish whine makes you smile. Jaehwan has this annoying ability to make you smile against your will, and you’re getting used to it too quickly for your liking.

It's quiet as the car turns onto the highway. The navigation built into the center console glows in muted blues and browns, illustrating your route through the unfamiliar country. Douvarak falls away to dark plains with a silver river running through, dotted in the distance with faint glows of more cities you can’t name. Geography was never your strong suit.

“How did you recognize the men on the train?” you ask, trying to fill the silence.

“They’re a couple of my old squad mates.” His tone is nonchalant, but you bristle in alarm.

“You’re one of them?” Your voice is low but you can't help the whine of panic in your mind. “You’re in the king’s special forces?”

“Was,” Jaehwan clarifies. “Past tense.”

“Why would you join the Swords?” The revelation casts a shadow on all your interactions with Jaehwan, as you're constantly reminded that you really don't know this man. You glance quickly, stupidly, to the locked door and the rushing scenery, the car feeling more and more like a trap. “How do I know you're not working for the king?”

He's unfazed by your distress, eyes trained on the road in front. “I thought you trusted Hakyeon?”

“My cousin isn't infallible.” You inspect the man in the driver's seat as best you can in the low light. Between his bleach-blond hair, messy from travel and growing out at the roots, and his casual dress of a black turtleneck and leather jacket, he doesn't strike you as one of the king's goons. You're now becoming quite used to his full lips being curled in an easy smile, eyes crinkled in laughter, but looks could be deceiving.

“You have nothing to fear from me, Princess,” he says, making an awkward salute with one hand. “I am your gallant knight in shining armor, dutifully saving you from the bad guys.” He giggles at his own impression, and you scowl in response.

“I asked you not to call me ‘Princess’,” you mutter, turning away to stare out your window. The title makes your skin crawl with anxiety.

Jaehwan sighs. “You're insistent you're not a princess, but I don't know what else to call a young lady of the royal family.” His playful tone strikes a nerve.

“I lost my crown years ago.” You don't mean to adopt as harsh a voice as you do, but you're talking partially to yourself now, gripping the leather of your seat with a tense hand. “I lost my family, I lost the throne, I lost everything.” They washed away in the waters of the river and you came out a different person.

Jaehwan has nothing to say in response, and you allow the silence and memories to lull you into a fitful sleep.

Dawn breaks a rainy gray as you pass through the border into official Asadali territory. There is no flash of realization or prophetic moment once you’ve made your triumphant return to your homeland. In fact, were it not for the copious signage welcoming you to the Kingdom of Asadal and the immigration control booths in the distance, this could be any stretch of dirt in the world.

While the Tuvan Republic rolls into Gwasong Province in cracked earth and distant mountains, your heart thuds faster and faster at the encroaching guard houses. The king has clearly been looking for you, and you’re terrified to find out what’s waiting for you. To your surprise and mild bafflement, nothing really happens, the two of you passing through with little more than a flash of Jaehwan's ID to a bored guard. At the very least the usual border security should have checked the car. Most nations had adopted open border policies nowadays, but you'd expected even a modicum of inspection. You idly mention as such to Jaehwan, who doesn't respond immediately, but just keeps driving with a faraway look in his eyes.

Jaehwan has veered off the official highway onto a lesser traveled back road some ten minutes later before he answers. “The border guards have been recalled by the king. The auxiliary guards are under the magistrate’s control, and right now they’re tied up protecting his properties and business.”

You furrow your brows, confused and disturbed by your uncle’s actions and the irresponsibility of the magistrate. “I don’t understand. Since when is Magistrate Maeda a businessman and since when does he use state resources for his own things?” 

“Magistrate Maeda no longer governs Gwasong. Magistrate Shin took over nearly seven years ago. He owns and operates a spring water bottling company.” 

Even more confusing. “Okay . . . what happened to Magistrate Maeda?”

“Dead.” Jaehwan doesn’t elaborate but your nightmares fill in the blanks for you.

“So there hasn’t been proper government presence in these areas?” You didn't know what you'd find back in your homeland, but anarchy certainly isn't it.

Jaehwan scoffs in a darkened impression of the laughter you're getting used to. “Oh, the king makes his presence very clear. When there are taxes to collect or a protest to shut down. But he doesn't really care who comes in through here or what the magistrate does.” What little humor there is leaves his face as he continues. “The Capital is a different story.”

“Will we have trouble getting in?” you ask, alarmed further.

He shakes his head. “Hakyeon made arrangements. We're supposed to go around to the mountains instead of using the river,” he explains, but you hear the uncertainty in his voice.

You decide you need to have a serious talk with your cousin about his masterminding your life. Everything about his plans feels like a gamble to you. You don't remember him being this much of a risk-taker, which leads you think he must truly be desperate.

The traffic very slowly increases as you travel through Gwasong. Jaehwan sticks to the local roads, staying off the more-traveled highways and taking you through more rural towns. Royal tours in your childhood generally stuck to the major cities, so it’s with an intense curiosity that you watch the passing scenery. There’s not a lot you remember of the provinces beyond the stereotypes that any child grows up with and the cursory notes from your civics tutor. Northerners talk weird and drink their tea too sweet, in the south the people don’t get anything done before noon. You remember your mother always wanting to visit the tea gardens in Gwasong.

It gets more crowded the closer you are to the inner belt. The provinces circling the Capital are smaller, but much more densely populated, making Jaehwan’s route trickier as he tries to avoid the larger towns. He peers at the navigation, yawning and blinking rapidly to clear his eyes. You’ve been skirting around one of the larger cities in Seochon Province for the past hour, blending into the local traffic.

“What’s that?”

You cringe at your own breaking of the heavy silence that had settled between the two of you, but your curiosity outweighs the tension in this moment.

“What’s what?” Jaehwan is almost too focused on the road, in his own world.

You straighten from where you’d been slumped against the window. “The tents. Why are there so many tents?”

You’re followed along on your side of the road by an elevated train platform. Woven between base of the pillars are numerous tents, some of them haphazardly reinforced with cardboard and scraps of sheet metal. The structures remind you of the footage from various music festivals, but the people shuffling about certainly aren’t trendy teenagers. They’re a motley combination of people, from old men and women to small children running about. It’s hard to tear your eyes away from the small pop-up village as you’re stopped at a red light, watching the people take shelter from the rain under the platform and huddle around the scattered campfires.

“Refugees,” comes Jaehwan’s reply to your left.

“We have refugees?” You narrow your eyes as the light turns green and the scene fades away. Did you miss a war while in exile? “When did we take in refugees?”

“We didn’t. They’re from Minami Province probably. Maybe Namsu.”

These are citizens? Your eyes narrow further. “Why are they here? And not in shelters or something?”

Jaehwan exhales a long breath and glances at you. “Your uncle's made life difficult for a lot of people. Unfortunately everyone can’t have a prince cousin to help them out.”

You grit your teeth, his words hitting you like an accusation. “I didn’t ask for—” You stop yourself abruptly, feeling like you've taken some sort of bait. “Regardless. They should be in proper housing.”

“That they should.” Jaehwan has the smallest of smiles on his face which splits into a mighty yawn. He rubs at his eyes briefly and sniffs, readjusting his grip on the wheel. “It isn't up to us, unfortunately. The northern provinces have little interest in caring for a bunch of strays, as it is.”

Staring out at the wet road ahead and contemplating what you’ve just seen, your anxiety climbs a notch. You’re no stranger to seeing people in poverty, spending so many years in the world’s largest city, but seeing it at home is a rough shock, especially in comparison to your gilded childhood. Each question Jaehwan answers produces a dozen more as you’re realizing there’s so much going on in the kingdom you’ve missed during your uncle’s reign. This is probably a conversation best saved for your cousin, among many others. It’s been countless hours since the comforts of your cozy little apartment and you’re both physically and mentally exhausted.

Jaehwan isn't fond of stopping on long drives, it seems. Or maybe he's anxious to get you back to Hakyeon, you think. Whichever it is, he hasn't stopped driving since the Tuvan Republic, and somewhere around his fourth yawn in under half an hour you feel something resembling guilt. It has absolutely nothing to do with the general hostility you've been displaying toward him thus far, you reason, and everything to do with your overbearing cousin and his tendency to order people about. Whatever the source of your sudden concern, a pause would do you both some good.

“Maybe we could stop for a little bit, grab some coffee.”

Jaehwan shakes his head at your suggestion. “This isn't the kind of place to be stopping.”

“Not safe enough for my big, bad bodyguard?” you say, glancing at him sidelong. You're not exactly itching to get captured by royal guards or whatever the danger may be, but being cooped up like this is rough on your patience.

He lets out a mirthless chuckle for your benefit. “Something like that.”

You frown. Nothing about the locale seems outwardly dangerous to you, the charms of dirty city streets aside. Perhaps a change in strategy is required. “I could super use a walk to stretch my legs and a bathroom break. Do I need to pull the ‘Princess’ card?”

“Hey!” whines Jaehwan, an affronted pout on his lips. “You can't tell me not to call you that and then pull rank, that's unfair.”

“Or I could just tell Hakyeon you were mean to me.” You feel silly, with your arms crossed and tongue sticking out at Jaehwan, threatening him with the wrath of your cousin. But it's kind of nice to feel silly.

If nothing else, it gets Jaehwan to laugh properly for the first time in a little while, which oddly makes you feel better. You're expecting a clever retort, but he rewards your endeavors a few minutes later by pulling into a charging station. Sandwiched between a fenced-in empty lot and a rusty warehouse, it isn’t the nicest of service areas you’ve been in.

There are no attendants, so Jaehwan gets out and sets about plugging the stall’s charging cable to the car himself. You hobble out of the car awkwardly, trying to massage some feeling back into your legs and taking a few experimental steps forward. The streets are busy in the middle of the day, even here in the outskirts of the city. There’s a guy idling against his own car, an older model and rather beat-up looking, a few stalls over, while a steady stream of pedestrians file in and out of the attached convenience store. You stalk around to Jaehwan’s side, watching as he fastens the cable lock and slides in the credit card.

“Does the recharge take long?” you ask with genuine curiosity. You really don’t have a lot of experience with cars, much less the upkeep of one.

Jaehwan smiles and shakes his head. “Nah, these modern superchargers are pretty good at cutting down recharge time. We also haven’t used too much of the battery so far. We’ve got, maybe, ten minutes?”

You shrug. “Sure. We’ll be in and out.” You wrinkle your nose at your surroundings and frown. “The way you went on about it, I thought there’d be guards all over the place.”

“There’s more than just the king to be afraid of.”

With another shrug, you start heading toward the store, figuring you can at least kill some time finding lunch. The rain has let up since you entered Asadal, but you’re still thankful for the canopy overhead protecting you from the drizzle. Arms wrapped around yourself for warmth, you’re lost in thought when you feel a tap on your shoulder. Immediately, Jaehwan is there, with a hand on your back putting himself between you and a bedraggled stranger. You’re startled by the sudden appearance of a man to your left who has his hand awkwardly in the air. By the look of his worn jacket and unshaven face, you can tell he’s probably been on the streets for a while now.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” the man trails off, wide eyes taking in Jaehwan’s imposing presence. “I was hoping you kids might have some spare change?”

You open your mouth to answer, but before you can gently turn him down, Jaehwan has pushed you through the automatic doors to the store. You whirl around angrily, watching the man walk away to a corner of the lot.

“What was that about? He just wanted some change.”

“Best not to talk to strangers, you know?” Jaehwan says with a quirk of his mouth.

The frown is heavy on your lips as you stare him down. “I don’t appreciate being pushed around.”  

Jaehwan holds your gaze, looking down at you with an even smile. “I’m only here on orders from your very pushy cousin to keep you safe and deliver you home.”

And with those words as reminder, the fight leaves you in one fell swoop. For all his friendliness and jokes, Jaehwan is just here on behalf of Hakyeon. You sniff and turn on your heel, finding yourself unable to come up with an appropriate response. Bathroom break it is, then.

To your dismay, you're once again being followed to the bathrooms toward the very back of the store, and before you can utter your complaints, Jaehwan fixes you with a stern look.

“We're in Asadal now, I can't let you out of my sight.” When you raise an eyebrow and point to the sign that says Women, he grimaces and corrects himself. “So to speak.”

Rolling your eyes, you leave him awkwardly standing next to the bathroom. Questionably cleaned stalls aside, you’re grateful to not be stuck in the car, even if it’s for a little bit. When you return, Jaehwan is leaning up against one of the beverage coolers, head tilted back and eyes closed. With his hair falling ever so daintily over his eyes, you'd almost find him attractive if you weren't so annoyed at him.

With a huff, you rush past to the little sandwich counter. You order two coffees and some sandwiches from the bored looking teenager manning the register, paying for them yourself before Jaehwan has the chance to pull out the royal credit card.

You push a coffee and a sandwich into Jaehwan's hands, noting that he's been watching you with a look of amusement.

“Can't get me to my pushy cousin if you die of starvation,” you grumble, leaving for the car. You hear him laugh as he follows you, and without meaning to it makes you feel a little better in a way. You're halfway to the charging stalls when you realize the man from before is still in his corner, sitting on a milk crate by himself. Without really thinking about it, you start walking toward him.

“Princess.” Jaehwan has a hand wrapped around your wrist and a warning in his eyes.

You meet his gaze, unflinching. “Jaehwan. Please.” It kills you to ask for any sort of permission, but you won't be able to sleep again for a while if you do nothing.

He releases you, expressionless and waiting. You turn back and approach the stranger who doesn't notice you with his lapels turned up against the breeze.

“Excuse me?” The man doesn’t immediately look up, so you clear your throat and try again. “Um, sir?”

His head snaps up as he meets your eyes with his own bloodshot ones. He cracks open a smile to reveal yellowed teeth, one of the upper canines missing. “The girl from before! What can I help you with?”

You hold out your coffee and sandwich, which he immediately takes from you. “It’s not money,” you start hesitantly, watching as he quickly unwraps the sandwich. “But I figured you could use a meal.”

He nods, gulping down two bites of the sandwich faster than you can believe. “Thank you, miss,” he gasps between swallows.

The man doesn’t bother saying anything else, as busy as he is with his morsel. You give him an awkward nod and turn back to the car. Jaehwan is already seated, watching you with mild interest. You plop down with a sigh, caught off guard when Jaehwan hands you half his own sandwich.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

You settle into your seat as Jaehwan scarfs down the sandwich one handed, eager to get back on the road. You nibble on your half more slowly, pensive.

“No.” You shrug, not sure what to say as justification. “I just felt bad. And you didn’t have to treat him like a threat. The guy was just hungry.”

Jaehwan sighs almost patronizingly. “Desperate people can easily become threats. The migrants hang around major cities, displaced and unemployed. A lot of them turn to less savory methods to get by.”

You frown deeply as the two of you return to the road. You’re so tired, and this entire experience is so surreal. You just wanted to get by with your mediocre corporate job, doing your best to blend into the life of everyday people. And then Hakyeon came and ruined it all and saddled you with this man who unsettles you in the strangest way.

“You were a Sword,” you say, more to yourself than anything else. You wonder how your cousin came to be such good friends with one of the King’s guards that he’d entrust your safety to him.

Jaehwan is quiet for the time being, focusing on his route through the city. It's midday now in Seochon on the western edge of the inner belt, and the streets are busy with travelers. Despite blending into the stream of cars and trucks, a part of you still feels like you're being watched.

“I was, at a time,” he answers finally.

“Not an easy position to get.” The formal, stuffy title, the Crown’s Swordsmen and Guards, belies the tough nature of the royal family’s personal armed forces. You remember your father's own guard team, all made up of grizzly men of the Swords. It's hard to picture Jaehwan among them.

“No, it's not,” he says, a small smile playing on his lips. At your continued staring, Jaehwan shrugs and elaborates. “I didn't know what to do with my life. My brothers already had the family business handled, and no one really expected anything of me. So,” he continues, “I applied to military school and then joined the Swords.” He grins and adds, “My mom nearly had a heart attack.”

“But you left?”

He nods. “Military life wasn't really for me, at the end of the day. I did some private security for a while, but then Hakyeon called with a favor to ask and now I'm here.”

“Lucky me.” You're not sure if you mean this to be sarcastic or not, but Jaehwan grins and glances at you.

“Lucky you.”

You get to the guard houses surrounding the Capital by nightfall. Swinging around to the western mountains flanking the city rather than crossing the Yuseong River had added several hours to your trip, but Jaehwan assured that it was all part of the plan. You repeat this to yourself in the tunnel through the mountains in an attempt to calm your nerves, but it does little to help in the face of the encroaching city. Jaehwan exudes a stillness that seems relaxed, but you can tell his jaw is clenched, grip tight on the steering wheel as the city walls approach. The glittering lights and buildings loom above you, but you're focused mostly on how different it all seems from what you remember. You didn't spend a lot of time in the city proper, mostly having lived at Starfall Palace outside the city, but it all feels so much bigger and more expansive to you now.

Jaehwan pulls up to the gate, which opens automatically on approach. The walls are a beautiful polished stone, thick and several stories high, but you can see the various cameras and security devices embedded into them. You're idly wondering if they looked like this in your father's time when the gates shut behind you. The front is also closed off, obviously to allow for inspection of the arrivals, but it gives you the unsettling feeling of being in a cage.

A security officer steps out from the booth to side, speaking through Jaehwan's open window. “Identification, please.”

Jaehwan pulls out his ID card and hands it over, then reaches into a pocket inside his jacket to pull out some folded papers. “I also have with me a foreign national. Her paperwork has been approved by the prince.”

The guard unfolds the documents, which you realize have a copy of your Armistice ID on them. You'd be alarmed at how Hakyeon had gotten his hands on that if you were not currently so nervous. The guard returns to his booth to scan Jaehwan's ID and your papers, and you're doing your best to remember to breathe. To your immense relief, the gates open, and the guard returns to hand back the items.

“Please enjoy your stay in the Capital.”

Jaehwan thanks the guard and makes to drive off when the guard ducks down to look through the window directly at you with a beatific smile.

“And welcome back, Princess.”