The next day, the Princess and her maids’ belongings were already in the carriage by sunrise, as per the Princess’ orders. Both men, accustomed to early awakenings, were already up looking at the map as the oxen advanced slowly.

“So, examining the map further, there is a small path that leads to the mountains. We take that small path and get into the woods for a good distance, not enough to lose sight of the main road.”

“I still think it’s a bad idea to go through there.” The younger man put the map down.

“Then, would you feel better if we went through the left?”

“Don’t put it like that,” Yena warned. “You know I am also thinking about our safety.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Chaeyeon sighed.

“Why are you being like this? I have never seen you this aggressive.”

“I don’t know. I guess it’s because before I was only in charge of my own safety, not anyone else’s. Although I don’t particularly like the Princess, I wouldn’t want harm to come to her or her maids, neither do I want to endanger you.” Chaeyeon lowered his head. “Even then, I know I am being impossible. I’m sorry.”

Yena sighed. “It’s alright, but do keep that in mind next time.” Chaeyeon nodded, understanding Yena’s frustration.

“I didn’t mean to belittle your opinion, but I’m really afraid we will have no cover if we go through the eastern path.”

“I know, but, for now, you also have to think about the enemy. If the Prince already knows, would he think the Princess doesn’t suspect him, or that you don’t know?” Yena paused for a moment, stealing a glance at the map. “Moreover, we have to the Princess, who refused to abandon the carriage. How difficult would it be to pass through the more mountainous sections?”

“Fair enough,” Chaeyeon conceded. “If I think about it, even if they ambush us, it would be easier to run away through more hospitable territory.”

“So what’s your verdict, chief?”

“Maybe... maybe you’re right. Let’s go through the eastern path.” Yena nodded, her face betraying the satisfaction of Chaeyeon’s decision. The younger man smiled at him nervously, still trying to think about different dangers and ways to fend themselves (as he had done this all night, no sleep coming to him at all). After all, he was the one that got them lost on their way to Gentai.

The Princess came out of the inn, her maids in tow, carrying her robe.

“Are we ready to leave?”

“Yes, Your Grace. We are ready,” Chaeyeon confirmed, gesturing with her hands for the Princess to enter the carriage. Once inside, Chaeyeon’s head poked inside the carriage.

“If there is something you need, don’t hesitate to tell. We will do our best to help you.” The Princess nodded.

“Well, it’s time to go,” Chaeyeon said to no one as they put the oxen to walk.

Still exasperated with the whole situation, Chaeyeon walked behind the carriage, while Yena guided the oxen, relieving Mina from her position, having insisted in having her also rest inside the carriage. The trip was slow, and the surroundings, although unknown, were a big monotone. The good point this seemed to have was that there didn’t seem to be a lack of foliage and trees, which for Chaeyeon, it meant that there were more opportunities to blend in.

Some trees weren’t ones Chaeyeon had seen in person before. They were, some kind of pines, huge and tall, which made Chaeyeon somehow lament how vegetation wasn’t as vast and beautiful in her time as it was here. The terrain was still flat, its path so traversed it wasn’t as hard on his feet.

It took probably a few hours until the road narrowed, and there seemed to be the time to look for the little eastern road. It wasn’t hard to find, as it was also a flat road surrounded by trees and shrubs, making for a great view, although it seemed too flashy for Chaeyeon’s taste.

The younger man signed for Yena to stop the oxen, and, when they did, he got close to the carriage, opening its door again.

“Your Grace?” he called out for the woman, who was conversing lightly with the maids.

“Yes?”

“We are about to go through the right path, so I am sorry to say that the walk will probably be more rocky for you.”

“The right? Hadn’t you planned going to the left?” The Princess looked surprised.

“Yes, but, talking with Yena, we finally decided it would be less difficult for you to go through here. It would also be easier to help you if anything happens.” She nodded, agreeing wordlessly with Chaeyeon’s decision.

“Also, I wanted to ask. Is everything alright? Do you need something before we go further?”

“No, it’s alright. Thank you.”

“And you?” he asked the maids. “Do you need something?” The women looked at each other bewildered.

“No, thank you, Chaeyeon,” Juri answered with a small smile.

“Well, excuse me, then.” Chaeyeon bowed slightly.

The oxen started their slow walk again, making Chaeyeon internally groan in desperation. Weren’t there horses here?

As per Chaeyeon’s warning to the Princess, the road was rockier, as it was less traversed that the main road. In fact, there was no trace of anyone else walking through this road recently.

Wait...

Chaeyeon’s eyes widened, and he ran the beginning of the road. There were huge marks where the carriage had passed through, with some inklings of his own steps. He dragged his feet throughout the road, trying to muddle the trace of their own passing, hoping it wouldn’t be visible for anyone looking out for them, but he knew that hope was probably moot.

When he returned, the carriage was still advancing slowly, making Chaeyeon realize that he would have to muddle their trace until they finally reached the end of the road. However, Yena was looking at him questioningly, probably noticing he had left for a moment. The younger man jogged to Yena, knowing he couldn’t possibly shout.

“We were leaving a trace on the road.” Yena nodded, quickly understanding Chaeyeon’s train of thought.

“Do you want to change places?” he asked, wiping his hands on his pants.

“No.” Chaeyeon shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll go behind.” Yena nodded again, smiling at Chaeyeon, who shot him a small smile back. It was a little reassuring.

With that, he returned to the back of the carriage, and carried on with his task, muddling the road as much as he could. The road didn’t end as fast as they hoped, though, as when the sun was finally hiding in the horizon, they were still on that road.

Chaeyeon conversed with Yena as they continued moving, trying to agree on where exactly to camp. They finally decided on a patch with more foliage. Chaeyeon turned to open the carriage.

“Your Grace?” he asked, and gave out a gasp at the sight. The Princess had open widely, her head flopping on Aoi’s shoulder. However, what shocked Chaeyeon was her open eyes. They looked pretty much dead, to the point Chaeyeon’s first thought was that she was as dead as her eyes.

Mina, probably noticing Chaeyeon’s reaction, tried hiding a smile behind her hand before rushing to reassure him.

“The Princess is fine. She just fell asleep.” Chaeyeon’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he recovered his wits.

“Ah, uh. Alright. I just wanted to warn you that we are about to set camp for the night. We will be straying from the path a little, so it might make the carriage shake.”

“Thank you for warning us,” Aoi answered, looking at Chaeyeon, as if challenging him to laugh.

“I-I’ll go now,” Chaeyeon stammered out and closed the door.

“They are good, let’s go,” he told Yena, who nodded and tried changing the oxen’s direction.

“What? Why? What happened?” Yena asked when he saw the expression on Chaeyeon’s face. The latter started trembling, which worried the older man.

“Chaeyeon, what happened? Are you okay?” He couldn’t contain it anymore, and laughed boisterously, slapping her own leg.

“What? What? Chaeyeon, blink twice if you need help.” But Chaeyeon continued laughing. “Oh, gods, you’ve finally gone insane. Chaeyeon!”

The younger man finally stopped, though not naturally, as he was still trying to contain his laughter. “I’m alright. Let’s go.”

“Chaeyeon, what happened? Have you finally lost your wits?”

“No, no. It’s nothing,” Chaeyeon answered, probably knowing that, as it was, he was in trouble with Aoi (she heard him; thinking otherwise would be unrealistic). He didn’t want to get into more trouble with the kind maid.

“Tell me,” Yena whined, feeling left out. “What were you laughing about?”

“Nothing, nothing. I’ll tell you later.” Yena pouted, but nodded, knowing he wouldn’t get anything out of Chaeyeon for now. The oxen walked again, being guided by Yena. In no time, they reached a place both men thought was comfortable enough to rest without (much) worry.

“What do you want to do? Place the camp or collect wood for the fire?”

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to have a fire?” Yena asked.

“Might be,” Chaeyeon answered, shrugging his shoulders slightly. “But the night isn’t being kind, and the women might be cold. If you want, we can take turns to guard. Or I can guard myself, no problem.”

“Oooooh,” Yena exclaimed comically.

“What?” Chaeyeon asked, clearly confused by Yena’s excitement.

“’The women might be cold’? Or Princess Sakura might be cold?” Yena wiggled his eyebrows, his smile as big as the Cheshire cat’s.

“Don’t say non-sense,” Chaeyeon answered, rolling his eyes. “We have to protect the Princess. It’s our job.”

“Alright, alright,” Yena answered, raising his hands as if to stop him from coming closer. “We have to protect the Princess. And who am I to contradict the tough guy when he wants to protect the Princess from the cold?”

“Idiot. Just set the camp. I’ll go get wood.” Chaeyeon rolled his eyes again, walking away when he saw Yena laugh.

After collecting enough dry wood to make fire, he returned to their camping place. He found Yena still making their camp.

“They haven’t stepped out of the carriage?” Chaeyeon asked as he piled the wood in the middle of the camp.

“I told them to wait inside the carriage,” Yena said, sighing a bit as he continued smoothing their own makeshift beds. “Besides, the Princess is still asleep,” the older man added, snickering, now obviously in on the reason for Chaeyeon’s laughter.

“Did you laugh when you saw her?”

“No... Well, yes,” Yena admitted, laughing more openly. “It’s just that... I would’ve never imagined that a Princess would look like something that would appear in my nightmares.”

“Don’t laugh that loud. Aoi is probably this close to planning our demise.” Chaeyeon attempted to start the fire, but failed. “Hey, do you know how to do this?”

“Yes, do you want some help?” Yena walked towards Chaeyeon gesturing for the latter to give him the twigs he was holding.

“Yes, please. I’ll go make their beds.” Chaeyeon said, walking towards the carriage. Opening it, he still found Sakura asleep. However, Mina was also asleep, her head hanging.

“Excuse me, you told me that you had something to make your beds.”

“Yes. Juri, could you give Chaeyeon the bedding?” Juri nodded, looking among their belongings.

“Is this place suitable for the Princess to lay down?” Aoi asked worriedly, stealing a glance at the sleeping girl.

“As much as it can be, I’m afraid,” Chaeyeon answered. “But I’ll make sure that, at least, all of you sleep warmly.”

“Thank you, Chaeyeon,” Aoi smiled slightly, to then frown. “But don’t think I’ve forgotten that you have mocked the Princess.”

“I’m sorry,” Chaeyeon said, biting the inside of his cheek. “I shouldn’t have.”

“It must have been quite a sight,” Juri laughed slightly, handing Chaeyeon the bedding. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Juri,” Aoi hissed.

“Let them be, Aoi. Anyone would be shocked at such sleeping face.”

“But the Princess is going to be unhappy.”

“She should have thought about it when she went to sleep,” Juri waved the other girl off.

“Well, thank you. I’ll be back to help you get to the camp,” Chaeyeon said, not wanting to leave them more time on that cramped space. He was sure Mina’s neck was going to hurt horribly.

By the time Chaeyeon had finished making the girls’ beds, the fire was already started, courtesy of a very proud Yena, who puffed his chest when it finally ignited.

“See that?”

Chaeyeon just patted Yena on the back, walking toward the carriage again, Yena behind him. Both girls were still asleep, and Yena had to smother another laugh when Aoi shot him a glare.

“Should we wake them up?” Juri asked.

“If you want to,” Chaeyeon shrugged.

“Or we could try carrying them,” Yena suggested. Aoi looked half-parts conflicted and scandalized, and Chaeyeon could understand why.

“Alright,” Aoi said uncertainly after a moment. “It’d be a shame to wake the Princess now.”

“I’ll carry Mina. Chaeyeon, you carry the Princess,” Yena ordered, making Chaeyeon raise an eyebrow. The older man just shot him a look, which made him sigh.

“Yes, alright. How should I go...?” he trailed off as he entered the carriage.

“Just... Raise her legs first,” Aoi looked at a loss on what to do. “She has a heavy sleep, so it won’t be easy to wake her.”

“Alright. I promise to be kind,” Chaeyeon reassured the maid, moving to carry Sakura. He huffed as he tried carrying her. “These robes are a bit...”

Trying his best not to trip, as Sakura’s robes obscured his sight, he got out of the carriage. Yena was next, helping the less stuffily dressed Mina. Juri and Aoi followed them outside to the camp, both frowning slightly at their sleeping arrangements.

“Hey, Yena. Where am I going?” Chaeyeon asked, fumbling when part of the robe entered his mouth.

“You’re alright, just keep going in that direction.” Chaeyeon walked slowly, hoping to god he wouldn’t suddenly trip with Sakura’s robes.

And that’s exactly what he did right after. He yelped as his foot slipped on Sakura’s robe, making him throw said girl onto the floor. He didn’t even manage to cushion his fall, as his hands had cushioned the Princess’ fall instead.

The Princess, now completely awake, having also squeaked in surprise, more than in pain, tried looking at Chaeyeon, who had managed to fall with his face snuggling into Sakura’s neck. Everyone froze for a moment, until Sakura yelled.

“What are you doing?!” Chaeyeon scrambled to stand up, erasing the thought of the Princess flowery scent.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace,” he said, truly embarrassed and contrite. He was about to extend his hand to help Sakura stand up, but Aoi pushed him out of the way, helping Sakura instead.

“You said you were going to be kind.” Aoi was glowering, probably wishing to throttle Chaeyeon.

“I-I did,” Chaeyeon rushed to defend himself. “I tripped with her robes!”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault?” Sakura chastised, looking flustered.

“No, no at all. Just...” Chaeyeon told himself to behave. It did him no favors to fight with the Princess. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He raised his hands to the sides. “I didn’t mean to, Your Grace. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Why were you even carrying me in the first place?” Sakura asked, crossing her arms.

“We didn’t want to wake you up, so we thought best to carry you to your bed,” Chaeyeon explained. Sakura’s eyes widened.

“Wait. I was asleep?” she asked, as if she had just realized something.

“Uh, yes. We didn’t want to wake you.”

“A-and you saw me? Asleep?” Sakura’s face betraying the revolution going through her mind.

“Naturally.” At Chaeyeon’s answer, she looked even more embarrassed, panicked even.

“Please, forget what you saw,” she pleaded, mortified.

Yena, unwisely, decided it was the perfect time to in.

“If it’s of any consolation, Your Grace, Chaeyeon has never seen anything like that.” Sakura looked like she was about to blow a gasket. Aoi shot Yena a look.

“It’s alright, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon soothed, feeling bad for her, and even a little guilty for laughing his off a while ago. “I’ll forget. I’ll forget. Look, from now on I won’t even remember, and Yena won’t, either. Right?” Yena looked ready to say something, but at Aoi’s glare, he agreed.

“The Princess sleeping? I don’t even remember something like that,” he said, trying as well to make the atmosphere lighter.

The Princess still looked embarrassed. “From now on, I’d rather be woken up, preferably before anyone else sees.” She directed her statement at her maids, who nodded silently, albeit one looking more appalled than the other.

“Talking about sleeping, Mina really is a heavy sleeper,” Yena whistled as everyone turned to look at the girl, who was now lying on her own bed, sleeping soundly.

“Mina has always been a heavy sleeper,” Juri commented with humor. “Never really imagined to what extent, though.”

“Well, it would be better to go to sleep now,” Chaeyeon said, stretching his arms. “It still is going to be a long walk before we reach a safe place to stay.”

The women nodded, agreeing with the thought, as they were exhausted as well. Aoi and Juri turned to speak with each other, to then turn to the Princess.

“Do you want to change into your bed robes?” Sakura frowned.

“I don’t know...” she turned to look at Chaeyeon and Yena, who were now fiddling with the bonfire, giving the girls much needed space.

“You can’t sleep with that, Your Grace. It won’t be comfortable,” Aoi advised, shooting a sympathetic gaze at Sakura. “Chaeyeon has already seen you asleep, so this...”

“Don’t even mention it,” Sakura grumbled, to then sigh miserably. “I’m going to look ugly...”

“But you can’t sleep like that, Your Grace. Your makeup is going to get smudged,” Juri added, noticing the sullen expression. The Princess thought about her words for a moment before sighing.

“It needs to be done... Ugh, why did Rino even think on doing this?”

“Because she cares about you,” Aoi supplied, rubbing Sakura’s back consolingly. “And if she hadn’t, he would have left and you wouldn’t see him again.”

Sakura sighed again. “I know. I know. Let’s just get ready for sleep,” she announced miserably.

Both women nodded. “Let’s go clean your face, first.” The Princess was guided to sit on a nearby rock.

Sakura, despite her own vanity, hadn’t ever thought about attracting someone through beauty. Sure, she had a long list of suitors, but she cared about none of them. Looking beautiful had always been something she did for herself. It was different in this moment, and it made her feel weak in a way.

Now, she was more worried than she normally would at the thought of someone seeing her bare face, mostly because that someone was someone she loved.

Love? Was it love? She wasn’t sure. She just knew that she had felt this pull the moment she first saw him. He hadn’t even noticed her, as he was just absentmindedly walking through temple grounds, but she had noticed him.

She didn’t understand why she had fallen for him specifically, as he didn’t seem to be an exceptional man, but one early morning, he had been loitering around the lake; when she saw him smile, looking at the lake, though not at his reflection, her heart fluttered at the softness... Softness she would only see in glimpses, barely present on the surface.

And when he danced, she was left completely breathless. His dance was nothing she had ever seen. It was strong, sharp, and powerful, and his face betrayed emotions she had never seen expressed so barely. It was something close to anguish, deep sadness that moved her.

She hadn’t wanted to face him, too shy to even try to talk to him. But through Rino’s teasing, he was invited into their space. She knew she hadn’t probably given him the best first impression, but she hadn’t known how to act then, even less when Rino was visibly trying to entice him.

She huffed angrily, remembering those moments.

“Are you alright, Your Grace?” Aoi asked, worriedly looking at her. Sakura was shaken out of her trance, and turned to gaze at her friend, smiling reassuringly.

“I’m alright, just a little frustrated.”

“I wish I could do something to alleviate your uneasiness.”

“Could you cover Chaeyeon’s eyes until tomorrow morning?” Sakura laughed slightly, ignoring the anxiety brewing in her stomach. Aoi just smiled sadly at the Princess.

“Don’t worry too much, Aoi. You’re doing your best by me.”

“But Princess Rino left you in my care. How would I even venture to look at her again if I can’t take care of you well?”

“You can’t protect me from everything, Aoi, not even love troubles.”

“No, but I can try,” Aoi said stubbornly, making Sakura smile.

“Thank you for staying by me.” Aoi’s eyes softened.

“You have nothing to thank for, Saku-chan. I will be here for you, as long as you need. And until I know that that idiot is going to treat you well.” The maid’s eyes turned murderous, still having the image of Chaeyeon on top of Sakura clearly.

“I don’t think he is a dishonest man,” Sakura said, trying to calm Aoi, even when she herself was blushing at the reminder, still embarrassed at the whole thing. She had remained frozen until she felt Chaeyeon’s nose nuzzle her neck; then she had entered into panic mode.

“He could have been more careful. Unless...” Aoi said, narrowing her eyes. “You liked it.”

“No!” Sakura exclaimed. “Well, maybe a little?” Aoi gasped. “He was warm...” she trailed off, wringing her hands. Aoi looked at Sakura, conflicted.

“Then I hope he really is an honorable man.”

Juri arrived with the things necessary for Sakura to sleep. She started working on Sakura’s face while Aoi worked on smoothing Sakura’s hair. When Sakura was finally bare-faced, both women worked to change her clothes. It turned to be harder than usual, though usual meant the Princess had four or five servants to help her with her robes, so it wasn’t unexpected at all.

They finally returned to the camp, Sakura squeezing Aoi’s hand anxiously. The older girl squeezed back, praying to all gods that Chaeyeon would be at least a gentleman to the Princess. He has proven thus far to have a severe lack of tact and knowledge of politeness.

“Are you ready-?” Chaeyeon was struck when the girls finally came from where they were changing the Princess’ clothes. “Wow...” She had never seen anyone so pretty. Used to the eccentric (to her, at least) makeup and appearance, the sight of a bare Sakura made Chaeyeon gape slightly in awe. She wouldn’t have imagined that she looked like this. No celebrity she had seen could even begin to rival her beauty.

Aoi shot him a murderous glance, misunderstanding his awe for disgust or morbid surprise.

“No, I mean, I would have never imagined you to be this beautiful, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon said mindlessly, trying to get the maid off her neck. “If you would let me say it,” she added, clearing . What was she saying?

“Is she not beautiful when she is adorned, too?” Aoi asked, huffing slightly when Sakura placed a hand on her arm. The Princess didn’t want to ruin the bliss she felt at his remark.

“She is,” Chaeyeon backtracked. “It’s just that... Maybe because I am a commoner, I think she looks more beautiful like this.”

A gaping Aoi turned to look at Sakura, who was blushing scarlet now that she had no makeup to cover her fluster.

“Thank you,” Sakura answered, a smile shyly blossoming on her lips. Chaeyeon felt her heart flutter, feeling that the smile definitely suited her. However, it lasted little, as her face was immediately after set into impassiveness, which, somehow, made Chaeyeon feel like it shouldn’t happen. Sakura smiling was definitely better.

Yena coughed, dissipating the slightly awkward air, which Chaeyeon thanked. “We should let them sleep, right?” he asked, turning to look at Chaeyeon, who smiled slightly, amused at his lack of bravery to even look into Juri’s general direction.

“Yes, we should,” Chaeyeon answered.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Juri asked both men when they laid their back against one of the trees. Both Sakura and Aoi were already lying on their own beds, but turned to look at the men when Juri spoke.

“We are,” Chaeyeon reassured her. “Just, not right now.”

“Is that alright?” Juri asked, betraying a little concern.

“D-don’t you worry,” Yena said, stammering. “We are strong. We’ll be alright.” Chaeyeon snorted, making Yena elbow him in the ribs.

“Yes, you all should sleep well,” Chaeyeon added.

“Well, alright. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

“Please, rest as much as you can,” Sakura added awkwardly, disliking Juri’s easygoing interaction with Chaeyeon.

“Yes, you too,” Chaeyeon blinked, surprised at her remark. Everyone finally settled for the night, with both Chaeyeon and Yena awake to guard the sleeping girls.

“Agh, I think someone will have to saw my legs off,” Yena whined, rubbing his legs.

“Someone will have to saw my head off,” Chaeyeon said dryly, rubbing his temples.

“We are dead men, aren’t we? We will have to beg on the streets of Geumsong for food,” Yena announced dramatically.

“Well, at least we would be able to sit down.”

“That is a good argument,” Yena groaned. “A very good one.”

“How was it, being at the back?”

“Not as bad as having to guide the oxen, I’m sure.”

“I’d say both places were terrible.”

“I’ll agree with you, good man.” Chaeyeon stretched his arms, having the thought that their conversation was becoming just incoherent strings of words. “I’ll go get some water. Do you want some?”

“Yes, please. The water from the canteen wasn’t enough.” Chaeyeon saluted Yena, making the latter stick out his tongue. Frowning playfully, Chaeyeon turned to walk to the small stream of water they were close to. It had definitely been a good idea to keep closer to a water source.

Despite the tranquility of the night, Chaeyeon was still alert while filling the canteen, knowing (but hoping it wouldn’t become a prophecy) that they could be ambushed whenever, but specially at night, when it was the hardest to escape, to even see.

When he returned back to the camp, Yena was still lying against the tree, looking intently at the canteen in his hand. Wiggling his fingers, he called out to Chaeyeon, who decided to walk slower to tease the older man.

“Stop teasing! I am parched!” Yena pleaded, making Chaeyeon smile slightly.

“Ha, thanks,” Yena said as he took a huge gulp from the canteen.

“It’s nothing,” Chaeyeon dismissed the appreciation, sitting next to his friend.

“So, what is happening with you?”

“What? Why?”

“You are never this teasing,” Yena pointed out, “If anything, I am the one that plays with you.”

“Nah, just... I felt like it.” Chaeyeon wasn’t even sure where did this bout of playfulness came from. Yena smiled mischievously, but said nothing, confusing Chaeyeon even more.

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing at all.” Yena shrugged his arms, turning to look to the side of the carriage.

“Liar.”

“It’s nothing important. Believe me.” Chaeyeon narrowed his eyes, but said nothing, deciding, for once, that he didn’t want to know what that man was even thinking about, though Chaeyeon had an inkling about the topic of said thoughts.

“Well, whatever it is, stop thinking about it.” Yena didn’t answer, and only stuck out her tongue teasingly.

After that there was silence. They were both exhausted, to the point where there was no topics for them to talk about. It suited Chaeyeon fine, as the silence was comfortable, though, disadvantageously, it was making him feel drowsy.

“Don’t you want to go to sleep?” Yena asked, a few hours into their vigilance.

“You go to sleep first,” Chaeyeon answered after a moment of thought. “I’ll be fine. I’ll wake you when I feel like I can’t stay awake anymore.” Yena looked at him for a moment, but then complied, sliding onto the dirt.

“Alright. Do wake me up if something happens.” Chaeyeon nodded, although he knew Yena wasn’t watching him.

The night was free of any intruder, to Chaeyeon’s slight relief. There was still a bigger wariness growing inside of him, though. There was no way that they wouldn’t encounter whoever was pursuing them, Chaeyeon was sure of it.

As everyone woke up, Chaeyeon was cleaning the fireplace, trying to leave no traces of their stay in that spot. Yena was yawning when he punched Chaeyeon’s arm.

“You are too strong!” Chaeyeon hissed, punching him back.

“You are not so weak yourself,” Yena shot back, though less seriously. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I wasn’t that tired,” Chaeyeon answered, though he knew it wasn’t convincing. He had been whining about his headache just after the girls laid on their makeshift beds, after all.

“It would have been fine if you woke me up.”

“I know. But I wanted you to rest more.” And that wasn’t a lie, either. He just had another reason behind it as well.

Yena smiled gratefully, even when it was evident that he could read Chaeyeon’s mind. “Thank you. But next time, tell me. I promise to tear those idiots to pieces.”

“How is a duck going to beat someone to pieces?” Chaeyeon asked, amused at the idea of Yena trying to beat someone.

“A duck? Do I look like a duck?” Yena asked patting his face.

“Yeah, when you pout, you look like a duck. Doesn’t he, Juri?” Chaeyeon turned to address said maid, who laughed slightly.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him pout,” she answered, giving a gaze to the man who looked close to fainting.

“Wait for it. It won’t take long,” Chaeyeon said, snickering at his friend’s floundering. “Do you need help with your beds?”

“If you please.”

“Alright. Are you going to help me, Yena?” Said man jumped slightly in his place, nodding bashfully.

“Y-y-yes. Let’s go!” Chaeyeon laughed slightly, following the man who now jogged to the beds.

“You shouldn’t too much,” Juri said sympathetically, although she also sported an amused smile.

“You know?”

“How can I not, when he is so obvious?” Juri laughed slightly.

“Does it make you uncomfortable?” Chaeyeon asked, curious about Juri’s feelings.

“No. It’s endearing.” Chaeyeon wanted to ask if Juri reciprocated, but stayed quiet, instead, feeling it wasn’t any of his business to dig too much.

“Is it correct to assume you know about the Princess?”

“What about the Princess?” Chaeyeon asked, confused about the change in topic.

“It’s nothing,” Juri waved her hand daintily. “I think you will know later.” Chaeyeon looked at Juri, trying to figure out the girl, but he gave up when he realized he couldn’t.

Yena was already folding the makeshift beds, while the women where standing next to the carriage, talking animatedly with each other. The Princess was already dressed with her robes, though her face was now free of makeup, which was strange to see. Aoi and Mina where already dressed, as well, their faces far more relaxed than the past day.

“Are you ready to part?” Chaeyeon asked as he came closer, Juri next to him.

“Yes, we are,” Sakura answered with a tentative smile.

“Do you perhaps want to already get into the carriage? Or do you want to stay here outside while we finish preparing?”

“I’d like to take a breath,” Sakura answered. “There is still a long way ahead of us.” Her more sober expression made Chaeyeon’s heart ache, though she couldn’t understand why. Chaeyeon wanted her to smile, though, for unknown reasons, so she did what she thought was sensible.

“You aren’t wearing makeup today?”

“No, I’ve decided it’s a big problem to paint myself everyday. Why? Is it not alright?”

“It’s more than alright, but I was just confused. I’ve never seen you without makeup, except yesterday.” Sakura smiled. “You look pretty, anyways, though you already know what I think.” Chaeyeon added, wanting to distract Sakura from the negative thoughts of their situation, even at the expense of her own sanity, as these types of words made her cringe. Despite her own past like of compliments, she herself wasn’t one to compliment.

The Princess’ smile turned more bashful, while Aoi and Mina looked at Chaeyeon, bewildered at the compliment he had given so easily.

“I’ll go help Yena,” Chaeyeon excused herself, internally wanting to dig a hole and crawl into it, even though she felt satisfaction at the return of Sakura’s smile.

She helped Yena get their things together without saying a single word. The older man still seemed nervous, his thoughts taking him far away from where they were at the moment, so there was no need to start a conversation, to Chaeyeon’s relief. He probably didn’t catch Chaeyeon’s words to the Princess.

“We’re ready to go, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon huffed as she stopped in front of the Princess, who had been conversing with the maids again.

“Alright,” the Princess said, and at her words, Aoi and Mina helped carrying her robes to facilitate her entrance into the carriage.

This day seemed to also be a calm one. It made Chaeyeon rest easy, knowing that it would it still be taxing, but it wouldn’t be as taxing if their circumstances were different. It was perhaps for the best that Yena convinced him to go through this road.

After a while, Yena started humming a tune. It made Chaeyeon curious, so he asked.

“What’s that song?”

“It’s nothing. Just a random song that’s in my head,” Yena answered, humming again when finished talking.

“Is there any kind of music that you like?”

“Nah, music is only useful for festivities... and for road entertainment, of course. What about you, person from the future?”

“Not so loud,” Chaeyeon chastised lightly.

“Hah, they can’t understand us. We are speaking Korean, remember?”

“One can never be too cautious,” Chaeyeon answered, not ready to give up his stance, even when he knew he was being overly cautious. They obviously couldn’t understand them. “Anyways, yes. In the future it’s easier to listen to music, and I myself happen to be a music enthusiast.”

“Are there bands everywhere?”

“Well, yes, but...” Chaeyeon scratched his head. “I mean... there is this thing that let’s you listen to music whenever you want, without needing a band to play a song every time.”

“How does that work?” Yena turned to eye Chaeyeon skeptically.

“I don’t know how to explain that to you, honestly. I don’t even know the whole process myself.”

“You don’t? How come?”

“Well, as more things are discovered, it is more difficult to know everything there is to know about our world, much more about the things people create. We end up just specializing in one thing.”

“And what did you specialize in?”

“In nothing. To specialize in something, we need to go to college, and I never got to.”

“College,” Yena repeated slowly, as if tasting the new word.

“Anyways, yes, I really music.”

Before the conversation could go further, Mina opened the window. Chaeyeon, noticing Mina, approached the maid immediately.

“Yes, is there anything you need?”

“The Princess wants to rest for a moment.”

“Oh? Is she alright?” Chaeyeon asked, surprised (and a little worried).

“Yes, she is. She just wants to take a breath.”

“Alright. Yena! Did you hear Mina?”

“Yes, I’m stopping now!”

“Tell the Princess we are stopping for a moment.” Mina smiled gratefully, closing the window again. When the carriage had stopped completely, the door was opened.

“Is something the matter, Your Grace?” Chaeyeon inquired when the woman was already in his line of sight.

“No, I just needed to rest, that is all,” the Princess answered, looking around, as if in a dilemma.

“Do you need to take care of your needs?” Chaeyeon had learned that he couldn’t quite allude to human waste in front of the Princess, so he often had to ask things in a roundabout way. It was a little annoying, to be honest, but he did as he was told.

“No. I just need a breather,” the Princess answered, fanning her face, as if embarrassed. Leave it to the royalty to be embarrassed to the slightest hint of human needs.

“Alright. Don’t hesitate to voice out any need you have.”

“Uhm... what were you and Yena talking about?”

“Hah?” Chaeyeon was surprised at the question.

“Oh, we were talking about music,” Yena answered cheerfully, cleaning the sweat in his hands with his trousers.

“Yes, Yena had been humming, so I asked him if he had a particular liking to music.”

“And I don’t.” Sakura seemed to be mulling about something. Chaeyeon waited for a moment before he decided to ask again if the Princess needed something when Sakura spoke again.

“I am getting quite bored. Would you mind conversing with me while on the road?”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Chaeyeon said, feeling conflicted about the petition. While he was all about Sakura becoming more friendly towards them, he wasn’t quite happy to not be able to freely speak with his friend. Well, whatever the Princess wants...

Sakura smiled. “Alright, then. I shall not make everyone wait any longer.” The door to the carriage was closed, but the window was opened a few moments after Chaeyeon and Yena had started walking again.

Both men were quiet for a moment, but it only took one look at Aoi and her pointed glare that Chaeyeon understood that the Princess expected them to start the conversation.

“Ah, uh. Well, Your Grace, do you have any particular liking towards music?”

“I do, although it’s not my favorite art.”

“Ah, well, then, what is your favorite instrument?” Chaeyeon cringed at her own words. It was one of those awkward questions you would ask when you were in your first grade of elementary school and you were trying to make friends. But what else could she ask? The reason conversation was more fluid with Yena was because he knew about her, but there weren’t many things that she could talk to Sakura about.

“Favorite instrument?” Sakura pondered.

“Yes. For example, the instrument I like listening to the most is the piano,” Chaeyeon further explained, letting out a small detail about herself, hoping that this careless moment wouldn’t be prejudicial to her in the future.

“The piano? Is that a Sillan instrument?”

“Not quite,” Chaeyeon answered hesitantly. “You have never thought about your favorite instrument?”

“No, I’ve never. I play the yamatogoto, so I suppose that would be my favorite instrument.”

“And what about you?” Chaeyeon asked Juri, hoping that either Yena would finally man up to speak to her or would just find a way to hilariously make a fool of himself, either was fine with Chaeyeon (he might be a bit of an , huh).

“I like the hichiriki,” Juri stated, her expression one of surprise at becoming the focus of the conversation.

“Was that the one you played at the celebration?” the young man asked Juri, remembering the performance Yena was so entranced by.

“Yes, that’s the one.” Juri smiled.

Chaeyeon turned to look at Yena, who was trying his darnedest to appear as if he was oblivious to the conversation, but was failing miserably. It almost made Chaeyeon laugh.

“You see, it was the first time me and Yena,” he emphasized his friends name, making the older man jump in his place. “Saw a musical performance here.”

“And did you like it?” Juri asked.

“I thought it was lovely. What about you, Yena?”

“Ah-I, well. I just-I also think I-I agree with Chaeyeon.” The younger man coughed to hide his laughter.

“Yes, it was very lovely,” Chaeyeon summarized, smiling at Juri, who also smiled, amused, back at him.

In that moment, someone cleared their throat, breaking their moment of complicity. Chaeyeon turned to look at Sakura, who now sported a frown on her face.

“Is something the matter, Your Grace?” Chaeyeon asked, confused. Looking at the other girls for any clue, he could see Mina shaking her head, and Aoi looked as if she was conflicted between choke-slamming Chaeyeon or just slamming her own head against any available furniture. What? What was going on?

“No, everything is alright.” Sakura smiled, but in her eyes shined a dangerous glint, which made Chaeyeon mentally back down. “I think I’ve been entertained enough,” she added, closing the window forcefully, making Chaeyeon jump.

“What the...? What did I do?” Chaeyeon wondered. “Yena, what did I do?” he asked his friend in Korean.

Yena shrugged. “If you don’t know, how do you expect me to know?”

“But I wasn’t even... Ah, whatever,” Chaeyeon sighed, walking towards the back of the carriage. That’s what happened when he even tried to be friendly.

“Breathe at ease, Your Grace,” Mina said, having also jumped at Sakura’s rash action.

“How can I breath at ease? When he...” Sakura huffed angrily. When he is ignoring me? “Do you like him?” she asked Juri, glaring at her.

“Of course not, Your Grace,” Juri answered humorously, knowing that her glares were harmless. “Nor does he like me.”

“Then why was he even...? Why was he even speaking with you?” she asked, deflated.

“Do you expect him to only speak to you?” Juri asked, even when everyone inside the carriage already knew the answer.

“But he smiled at you! And you smiled back,” Sakura exclaimed, crossing her arms.

“Your Grace, not every man who smiles at a woman wants to bed her.” Sakura huffed again, disagreeing with Juri. Ever since she had become of age, man around the palace only looked at her with one motif. Every interaction, every poem, every smile, everything they did was with a purpose. How else would it be? How could Chaeyeon be any different?

“Moreover, he was just complimenting the performance. Not my performance, but the performance of everyone playing.”

“But he was looking at you while he said it.”

“Where did you want him to look at then?”

“I... I...” but Sakura faltered.

“Remember he greeted me and Aoi back at the inn?” Mina asked rhetorically, trying to help Juri’s case. “I think he just wants to be friendly with all of us.”

“Is it too bad to want someone’s sole attention? Is it wrong for me to want him to only look at me?” Sakura uttered after a moment of silence.

“It’s not. It’s definitely not bad,” Aoi finally said, softly patting Sakura’s arm. The rest of the girls just looked at the Princess sympathetically.

There was no more interaction between the two parties for the rest of the day, and that suited Chaeyeon fine, although there was a small fear that the Princess would be insufferable when night fell.

But when night fell, the Princess wasn’t insufferable... or well, she was, but in a way Chaeyeon did not expect. When night had fallen, Chaeyeon, as always, warned them about finally having to stop for the day. Differing from the yesterday, Sakura was wide awake, and almost jumped inside the carriage when he asked for the bedding to make their beds.

Chaeyeon quirked an eyebrow when Sakura had rushed to grab onto the bedding, giving it to him, gently, even when she was avoiding his gaze.

“Thank you,” he said, skeptical, and closed the door.

The Princess was probably trying to make amends for her weird behavior some time ago, but couldn’t she also verbally acknowledge her wrongs? Was it always going to be like this? It made Chaeyeon huff in frustration, even when there was a small seed of relief sprouting in her chest.

The beds were soon prepared, and the fire was alight, making Chaeyeon open the carriage door once more to ask them to prepare for the night. It had taken a moment for them to come out, but when they did, Aoi whispered, “she’s sorry.”

“Then she should probably apologize,” Chaeyeon shot back, making Aoi narrow her eyes at him.

“You...” she said, but only muttered something under her breath, instead following the Princess to help her with her clothes.

“Tch.” Chaeyeon walked towards Yena, who had been eating some strawberries they had found on the way.

“Isn’t it unsanitary?” Chaeyeon asked as she grabbed one from her friend’s hand.

“Excuse me, Prince. Would you perhaps wish to send for me to wash them?” Yena curtsied mockingly, popping another strawberry in his mouth.

“Shut up,” Chaeyeon spat, hitting him playfully. She inspected the fruit for a moment before eating it. “Wow, it’s the juiciest fruit I’ve ever eaten.”

“What kind of fruits have you been eating all this time?” Yena asked, eating another berry.

“Fruits with less quality. Don’t even ask.”

“Alright, I won’t. I’ll just eat more.” It took a moment for Yena to swallow the mouthful when he spoke again. “So, is it now my turn to guard for the night?”

“No, I’ll wake you up for your turn.”

“No, you won’t. You will just stay the whole night awake.” Yena pointed his finger at Chaeyeon.

“I- Well, maybe I would,” Chaeyeon admitted, knowing that lying would be shameless.

“It’s your turn to sleep, so lie down, and let me guard.”

“I... Alright... But you will wake me up if something, anything, happens?” Chaeyeon asked, not wanting to argue with Yena on something like this, but still feeling anxious.

“Yes, yes. Stop worrying and go to sleep.” Chaeyeon hesitated, shuffling his feet.

“Alright, mister, you go to sleep,” Yena declared, pushing him towards the bedding, disregarding Chaeyeon’s objections. “Don’t you see? That bedding is calling your name, asking you to rest in it.”

Chaeyeon snorted. “Are you now a bedding whisperer?”

“One of my talents,” Yena said, winking at Chaeyeon. “Go on. Sleep for a while. I already promised you to wake you up if something important happens.”

“Alright,” he exclaimed quietly after a moment, turning to lay on the bedding opposite the Princess and her entourage’s bedding.

Although he knew he was tired, Chaeyeon hadn’t really imagined how much tired he was, and he didn’t get to really think about it until the next day, as he fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

Happy holidays!