Seungwan was already out of her bed by the time Taeyeon had gotten up. The elder princess had learnt that her younger sister had gone out to practice her sword moves once again and she sighed. The quarrel they had the night before had most definitely dented their relationship. Taeyeon wanted to cry as she remembered the events that had unfolded.

The eldest Mongolian princess was betrothed to Prince Baekhyun for certain. The Prince was certainly fair-looking and of a good nature however Taeyeon did not want to marry him and stay in the Bae court, she only wanted to live with Miyoung for the rest of their lives on the great plains. Just then, a knock came from the door and Miyoung entered, her face as sombre as the day before. There were even dark eye circles under Miyoung’s eyes and they were puffy. Miyoung too, was as heartbroken as she was over the proposal.

Miyoung had barely closed the doors behind her when Taeyeon had thrown her arms around her and felt Miyoung back against the door before she returned the same passionate embrace.  

“Miyoung… Seungwan is too incredibly intelligent, I am so afraid she might do things that would cause herself harm,” Princess Taeyeon sobbed as she said.

Miyoung patted Taeyeon’s back lightly to soothe her before removing her arms gently and guiding her to sit on the bed. As Miyoung looked at her with eyes so weary, Taeyeon felt terrible for themselves again.

“Your younger sister is wise beyond her age. You have held her reigns well enough, she should know where the boundaries are,” Miyoung said calmly before adding, “now, it is you I worry about.”

Taeyeon shook her head as more tears leaked out. “There is no way this betrothal could be broken. You know better than me, don’t you?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Miyoung nodded slowly as if the world of regret was weighing down on her. “I know but no matter what, I still would not give you up. I would love you for the rest of my life and hope for any chance that you would return.”

With an expression on pain, Taeyeon concurred with a nod of her own.

“When we return, I will be setting out to war camps with my father, to learn the ropes of becoming a war adviser,” Miyoung said with a steely expression.

There was a hitch of breath from Taeyeon and then a long pause before Taeyeon spoke again. “Nothing I say could dissuade you right?”

With a regretful shake of her head, Miyoung took Taeyeon in her arms as renewed tears sprang from the princess’s eyes once more. “I love you, but we each have to perform our respective duties. We will, ensure the success of the Great Khan’s agenda. Your father would be the greatest man to lead the people and bring about prosperity upon all. Taeyeon, you and I must aid him in it.”

With one final resolute nod, Taeyeon promised Miyoung that she would not disappoint. How could she when she was of the Great Khan’s own blood?  

**

Seungwan had vented her anger during her training session for the following three days. Her sister’s forced betrothal to the prince of Bae had ignited her dormant emotions. It did not matter how many cuts or bruises she had on her body, all she could feel was the rage that was burning within her. Along with the rage, certain images flurried in her mind. Of black smog, whinnying horses, and her bloodied mother. It brought tears to Seungwan’s eyes.

The young princess let the tears flow and mix with her sweat as she continued to train harder. Then she finally felt something else, something that was stickier and more viscous than both sweat and tears. It was then that Seungwan realised she had torn the skin on her head, somehow and blood was flowing down from her temple. The little princess had performed so many training routine that she did not even know what had caused it. Was it the blade from the blunted sword? Was it the splinter of wood from the dummy? Or had she simply just cut herself against something while she rolled?

Shrugging, Seungwan wiped the blood away carelessly and tried to conceal her injury as she made her way to her own room. However, before she managed to reach it, the two princes had intercepted her with usual playful grins on their faces. Seungwan was not in the mood and had waved them off. The princes did not let up and Seungwan had momentarily forgotten about her cut and let it show.

Blood was still seeping out from it. Both princes had frozen momentarily upon seeing the injury. Seconds later, Prince Kyungsoo had bolted to summon for an imperial physician. Seungwan groaned in great annoyance.

Prince Kyungsoo returned within a minute, huffing and panting as he said.

“I-I caught wind that the imperial physician is with Joohyun right now. We could go there right now. It’s just over the bridge anyway. Let’s go!”

Seungwan had not even had the time to protest before both Prince Kyungsoo had grabbed her wrist whilst Prince Jongdae had pushed her back as they ran for Princess Joohyun’s quarters.

Unlike their usual subtle prodding, the two princes had made quite a commotion when they had reached.

“E-Emergency,” Prince Kyungsoo said breathlessly when they had bumped into one of the palace maids from Princess Joohyun’s quarters. “Princess Seungwan is injured and is bleeding a lot. The imperial physician needs to see her before she bleeds to death. Immediately.”

Seungwan rolled her eyes at Prince Kyungsoo’s exaggeration but the surprised look on the palace maid had amused her slightly. The palace maid immediately bent down to examine her. Nodding her head, the maid then asked for permission and beckoned them to follow her when she received them.

Princess Joohyun, anticipating their audience had met them by her door with an extreme look of concern on her face. Seungwan pouted, she did not like that look, Seungwan did not need people worrying over her.

“Come in and lay on the bed. Brothers, please remain outside while the physician patches her up,” Joohyun told them with a voice of authority that Seungwan found a little more pleasing.

Seungwan had regretted letting the physician “patch” her up because according to the physician, Seungwan was more than injured in one place. After his attempts to close the bleeding wound on her forehead by asking the maid to apply pressure on it, the physician had insisted on giving Seungwan a