“No, absolutely not!”

You glanced over at Taeyong, pleading with him silently to calm down. He seemed to look around himself standing up in the middle of the dining area of the inn and coughed lightly at the attention he had garnered. Sitting back down, he shook his head softly. “It’s been a pleasure, it really has. But we have to get home to our own lands now. You will be missed by those at home and should really return. It’s a dangerous world on the road and much too arduous for ladies such as yourselves.”

“Are you looking down upon us?” you asked and the older man blinked at your sentence, your own gaze growing hard. You had expected some resistance from the man but it still irked you.

Marigold had told you that you needed this journey. And so, you would take one with or without Taeyong’s assistance.

You just really hoped he would change his mind.

“Y/N, their own home is some distance from here,” Jane murmured and you shot your best friend a steely look. She bit at her lip and nodded softly. “I mean, we can go see it if we must.”

Lucas nodded happily. “I’d love for you ladies to join us.”

“Finally someone is on board,” you mentioned elatedly and Taeyong groaned.

“Lucas isn’t someone who makes the best decisions.”

“Hey! I take offence to that,” the youngest said with a grin that insinuated that even he was aware of this side to him. It made you heave a deep breath.

“Listen, I’m not sure of your background, but you aren’t cut out for this trip. There’s a lot of walking since we lost our cart and horse,” the leader stopped to shoot Ten a look who merely shrugged, nonchalant. He sighed before continuing. “And it costs to be on the road. Unless you have a way of making money-”

“I promised I’d take her to see the ocean, hyung.” Jaehyun glanced up from the meal he had been slowly eating, his gaze intense as he stared at his friend. It reminded you of the way you sometimes directed yours at Jane, and you blinked as it seemed to have some effect on Taeyong’s adamant barrier. His shoulders slumped.

“Don’t be so uptight, hyung,” Ten added on, slinging an arm around Jane’s shoulders. She giggled. “Isn’t it our duty in life to help those who request from us?”

“Everyone though?” Taeyong bit back, groaning again. “I’ll have you know I didn’t make this decision. If anything goes wrong-”

“I will take the blame,” you spoke up solemnly, nodding once. Taeyong regarded you before he got up and left the table in a huff.

Lucas chuckled. “Don’t mind him. He’s actually a big softie at heart.”

“He cares,” Jaehyun mentioned and you looked to the man beside you. He smiled. “He doesn’t want anything bad to happen to you, that’s why he’s being like this. Don’t worry, when you get to know him more, he’ll become someone who will risk everything for you.”

“Oh, we wouldn’t want him to risk everything!” Jane suddenly said, her eyes wide. She looked at you in horror. “Maybe we should go home. I’m starting to think this is a bad idea.”

“You heard Marigold; we cannot return yet, Jane.”

Jaehyun and Ten both stared at you then, curious for the reason. You avoided their gaze by reaching for the jug of water in the middle of the table, pouring yourself another glass.

You smiled as you completed the task, no one would have ever let you do such a thing back home.

“Why not?” Lucas inquired, leaning over the table for the answer. He grinned. “Are you running from some arranged marriage or something?”

“Marriage?! Goodness no, that has to be discussed between kingd-”

“Jane!” You stood up then with your outburst. “We need to go buy something for the journey ahead, follow me.”

Once outside and away from the men, you grabbed a hold of her lower arm and whined ungraciously. “You need to stop talking!”

“Altogether?” she wondered and you shook your head.

“If you keep saying things, they will realise who I am in no time. We’re on the run now, we have to be careful. If they find out who I am, they won’t take us anywhere; instead they’ll fear us completely.”

“They’re going to find out eventually, it’s not going to take the guards long,” she said sadly and kicked her shoe into the dirt. You could tell she was enjoying this adventure as much as you were. Especially with the company she had been avidly keeping. You nodded.

“Do you want to give up on Ten so quickly?”

She gasped. “Of course not, I think I feel great things for him!”

“Then stop speaking so rash. Once we’re on the journey, then we’ll tell them. Maybe they’ll not be so fearful either because they’ll have built a rapport with us by then,” you said, though you cringed at the image of Taeyong’s potential reaction that flashed within your mind.

You were desperate though. Since your visit to the healer, you knew this was the right thing to do. It was risky, but you had learned from your studies that most things worth it in life came from a risk to step forward and try.

“We need to start moving if we’re going to take the back roads,” a voice told you both and you spun to see Jaehyun there, his stare unrelenting. He slowly smiled and finally glanced over you to Jane. “Ten is asking if you’ve gotten all you need for the trip sorted.”

Jane departed your side and Jaehyun folded his arms over his chest, continuing his scrutinising gaze. You rubbed your hands together awkwardly.

“Are you sure you must come with us?” he asked softly and you glanced up at him, nodding firmly. He nodded as well. “I will do my best to help you then.”

“Thank you, it means a lot to me that you would believe in helping me like this.”

“I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into,” he admitted and you sighed. He took it as your mood was changing again and raised his hand defensively. “I’m just saying.”

“No, you are right. I don’t know what will lie ahead at all. I’ve never done anything like this before. But I have to try too.”

“Then we will help you on your adventure. Are you ready?”

After a day of travels, you were now used to the walking. You had found a pace that worked best with you that didn’t tire your body immensely as it continued to heal. You were thankful for the ointment Marigold had gifted you with as well, whenever the pain picked up, you asked Jane to place the cream over the affected area. It smelt like peppermint and it cooled your skin, making it tingle. You believed that to be a good sign of healing.

Taeyong had led the journey for some time now, keeping to himself as Lucas goofed around with everyone, keeping the mood light. Jaehyun would smile and interject into conversation when he felt needed to; otherwise he walked on at your side, his eyes casting over you regularly. Ten and Jane were too wrapped up in one another by the second morning, giggling and making plans together that made your heart conflicted. You saw first-hand how happy he made her. He genuinely cared about her needs, and she fitted in at his side effortlessly. You could see them married one day. It made you yearn for her to have this, even though it would leave you alone.

This heavy thought made you focus on what lessons you would learn as you travelled instead. So far, you had discovered plants you had only seen drawings of in old texts from the library, found that hills were far too much work to climb up and down but you liked the push it gave your body to learn how to stabilise itself when the ground wasn’t even. Sleeping in the woods was feasible if you made a bed out of fir branches, and it was warmer than you had expected too. You enjoyed how fresh the air felt and when you saw a creek ahead, you dashed forward to watch the water as it travelled on its own path in a rushed manner. It transfixed you, and Taeyong stopped beside you, smiling lightly.

“See how the water parts around obstacles?” He pointed to where a rock stuck out above the water. Instead of being blocked behind it, the water travelled on either side of it, joining together again on its downward path. You nodded and glanced up at him for more information greedily. He seemed to enjoy your attention, and he crouched down, picking up a stick and put it into the water. You watched as the stream surged around it, unable to go through the stick, but it still wasn’t held back. You decided then that water was rather resourceful.

Taeyong smiled again. “Whatever you do in life, when you think of yourself as something with fluid movement, you will make your way through. Obstacles are hard, but not impossible.”

“Why are you sharing this with me?” you asked and Taeyong blushed. He even chuckled as he continued to look at you. You found him rather sweet and relaxed from your worries over his strong front.

“You look like you’ve never thought of being anything than whatever you are. Maybe if you think to travel through life in a different way, instead of wishing for things, you’ll experience them. Just my observation.”

“You’re absolutely right, I dreamed of seeing the world for my whole life. I never realised I could take charge and do all this,” you admitted and Taeyong watched you for a moment before glancing to see the others up ahead. Jaehyun was looking over his shoulder at you both, shooting a small smile in your direction.

“You’re learning like he had to,” Taeyong told you, standing up straight and stepping back out onto the road. You followed him. “You remind me of him, that’s why I was hesitant.”

“I do?”

“Jaehyun, he isn’t your average person. He thinks differently from us all. He’s the reason we’re all travelling together like this. Like water.”

“He is?” you repeated, staring ahead at Jaehyun’s back profile. You realised then that it wasn’t just you that was hiding secrets from your company, you knew very little about them yourself. As you looked up at Taeyong and smiled, you anticipated learning about each of them more, feeling thankful for him stopping by the creek with you.

“Come on you two! The next village is up ahead and I want to get dinner!” Lucas called out merrily, waving an arm at you both to beckon you forward.

As much as you were enjoying your time so far, the idea of sleeping in a bed with a full belly was more exciting than you ever thought anything else could ever be. You stepped forward with more vigour and Taeyong danced around you, grinning at you before tentatively taking your hand. You giggled and jogged after the others to catch up.

“Oh hyung, making a move?!” Ten mentioned at your arrival and the older man rolled his eyes, shoving Ten before he let you go.

“It’s called chivalry, not that you would know anything about that, Ten.”

“He does too!” Jane defended and Ten grinned at her happily. “He’s looked after me all day long.”

“I wonder why.” Taeyong glanced between the couple and then laughed, going ahead to sling an arm around Lucas waiting at the door of the bar.

You were hesitant to step inside. Although you had eaten in one at the last village, it had been during the day. You followed Jane inside, attempting to stick close to her. But Ten dragged her off to the dance floor immediately, leaving you stranded until a hand slipped into yours. You glanced up at Jaehyun and gave his hand a small squeeze.

“Perch on me, little bird.”

You laughed. “Taking this nickname a little too far, don’t you think?”

“Shall I call you Princess like Marigold did then?” he offered and you froze, shaking your head immediately to break your stupor. He smirked. “Princess doesn’t suit you.”

“It doesn’t?” you wondered as you sat down, his hand still linked with yours under the table. It was comforting and you didn’t want to let go. He showed no inclination of doing so either and you smiled at him. “Why not?”

“Princess is a title that suits someone who doesn’t aspire to anything more than a luxurious life. You slept in the woods last night, a princess wouldn’t do that.”

You bit back your smile, if only he knew just how far a princess would travel to escape the walls that entrapped her. You nodded at him. “I prefer being a little bird then.”

“Little bird it is,” he agreed with a chuckle and then glanced at Lucas and Taeyong returning to the table with drinks. They didn’t look like water to you, and they smelt like something very different. You went to reach for one but Taeyong clucked his tongue disapprovingly at you.

“None for you, this is a man’s drink.”

“Hyung, I wouldn’t tempt her to prove you wrong,” Jaehyun said with a sigh as he tried to hold your arm back himself. He gave you a stern look, however. “Liquor is pretty strong.”

“And you’re going to drink it?”

“I have orange juice for you and Jane,” Lucas told you, placing a cup in front of you.

You groaned, taking a sip of your beverage begrudgingly as the three men clunked their drinks together and started drinking and exclaiming about it being well deserved. You had worked hard too, and before you thought it through any further, you grabbed Jaehyun’s jug before he could finish it and downed what was left.

It was strong and made you splutter as soon as you were done, gasping at the three men with how disgusting this drink was. They all watched you for a moment before laughter roared around the table.

“That was horrid!” you cried and Jaehyun slung an arm around your shoulders. “How is that well deserved?!”

“I know you want to learn everything, but slow down will you? Not everything tastes good the first time—no don’t grab Ten’s drink too!”

You whined as he took it out of your hand, you had only wanted to try and understand why this dreadful drink was so good to them. Was it a gender thing? You remembered your father would drink alcohol as well, whilst your mother stuck to wine. Was wine alcohol? You had so much to learn about, even the drinks in this world too.

“My father sheltered me too much!” you exclaimed with a pout and Lucas chuckled.

“Are you throwing a tantrum?”

“Yes!” you told him and he grinned, scooting his chair closer to you.

“Tell me then, why did your father shelter you?”

“Because she is worth everything and more in this world to him,” Jane interjected, her eyes aghast at your current state. You smiled up at her and nodded. “Y/N, don’t be so reckless. We need to get you to bed.”

“She needs food to get rid of the alcohol first, her stomach won’t like it otherwise,” Taeyong insisted and Jane glanced around the table and then across the room at something you couldn’t quite see.

“I’ll come back for some food for her. Did you say we had room number five? I’ll take her to bed now.”

“Bye!” you called after the men who all stared at your departure, your giggles falling from your lips continuously. Was this why they drank it? You felt free of all inhibitions and as Jane entered your lodgings for the night, you stepped away from her grasp, wobbling across the room as you yanked at your dress, undoing the first two buttons. “I’m so hot.”

“Alcohol isn’t for us; promise me you’ll never drink it again. We need to keep ourselves in check, your Highness. Please don’t make this any harder, you warned me and now I will you.”

Sobriety returned and you stared at your best friend, realising why she dragged you away. “Are they already here?”

She nodded. “They were handing out missing flyers. I’m afraid we may be caught soon.”

The door opened and you both gasped, relaxing when you saw it was Jaehyun.

He held up a flyer though, walking to your side and stared at you with wide eyes. “Little bird, exactly which cage did you escape from?”