Taeyeon never knew how fun it was to ride a horse.

She actually never even got near one before.

Horses were for nobleborns, knights, warriors and merchants. Not for bastard children.

The fact that Lady Hwang Miyoung taught her how to ride a horse made Taeyeon fulfill a dream of her own. Ginger was a tall, slim and strong built horse with a gold-ish ginger tint and blond mane and tail, a complete opposition to Taeyeon’s overall appearance, where the black and grey shades of her clothes as well as her hair were the most prominent color on her figure.

It was a bit hard to get used to the flow of the horse moving around, especially when he was faster as she needed to balance her weight, grip and her own breathing pattern along with the horse. So far, Taeyeon has only managed to be able to breathe normally when Ginger was cantering at best.

Trying once again for a third time, Taeyeon tapped her heels on his sides, pulling the reins a little stronger, causing the horse to increase its speed and start galloping around the camp.

The sound of Ginger’s hooves hitting the ground step by step started to call Taeyeon’s attention and she thought if it was a good idea to breathe accordingly using that noise as guidance. Following her intuition, she started to breathe following Ginger’s movement along, allowing her to feel a little more reinvigorated.

And soon she felt her plan was a good idea as Ginger himself seemed to be galloping at a comfortable speed. “How fast can you go, Ginger?” She asked him, feeling that the horse wasn’t really at his fastest speed.

Praying for not being a bad idea, Taeyeon tapped her heels on his sides again, making him go a tad faster. The breeze hit her face with such force, the top bun of her head loosened up, allowing her hair to blow along with the wind. A smile appeared on her face, happy for the sudden feeling of freedom.

As Heechul’s waving hands nearby caught her attention, Taeyeon pulled the reins backwards slightly, making Ginger slow its pace till he was comfortable enough to break down his speed. Upon stopping, Taeyeon felt out of breath once again noticing she didn’t manage to breathe properly when Ginger ran at its fastest pace.

Damn, that was harder than it seemed.

“Having a good time there?” Heechul asked, his arms crossed over his chest when Ginger stopped completely. Taeyeon took time to exhale and Ginger blew out his nostrils just as well.

“It’s so fun, Heechul! You should try it!” Taeyeon said, smiling, still breathless. Her free hair fell over her shoulders and back. “Makes you feel like you’re the king of the world!”

“Well, King Taeyeon, it’s time for you to drop your little scene and get on with the journey!” He retorted it; his voice was a little dry.

Taeyeon frowned, climbing down from Ginger. “You alright, man? What’s up with the bad temper?”

“Just stop making us waste any time and let’s go!”

“How am I making us waste any time?”

“Riding that stupid horse while we still have a whole day worth of travelling?” He said back, and Ginger huffled at Taeyeon’s side.

“Ginger didn’t seem to like you’ve just called him stupid.”

“Let’s go, Taeyeon.” He called it a little too serious.

“Okay, I know what is on…” She nodded her head. “You are envious that I managed to ride Ginger, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“You are angry that I could actually tame him and ride him…”

“No, I’m not.” He said, and it really sounded sincere.

“So why do you seem so out of character just suddenly?” Taeyeon frowned, not understanding her best friend's behavior.

“Out of Character?”

“Yeah, you sound so bitter and impatient for some reason. It’s not of you to act this way.”

He looked away. “I just think we should stop wasting our time in this desert.”

“Well, we have to give ourselves some rest too. We’ve been walking the whole day, a quick pause for lunch won’t do any bad.”

“Yeah, but you haven’t eaten anything for lunch just yet… all you’re doing is riding that horse.”

“I’m trying to practice my skills on horse riding…”

“And that is making us waste our time here.”

Taeyeon frowned, not really understanding his impatience. “C’mon, man, tell me what is bothering you…”

“There’s nothing bothering me!”

“Is this still about Lady Hwang?” She asked, guessing his reasoning.

“What do you mean?”

“Your grumpy mood.”

Heechul exhaled and that gave her the affirmative answer.

“Heechul…”

“Just because you want to help her and drag her along till Stoneguard, it doesn’t mean I need to like her!”

“I’m not asking you to like her. I’m asking you to not give her a hard time meanwhile.” She said softly. “Lady Hwang has been through a lot, you know that… you’ve been there with me. And although I understand you don’t like her social class, I know that you know we are doing the right thing.”

“Honestly, I’m not really sure…”

Taeyeon sighed. “She’s lost her whole family, Heechul. In just a blink of an eye, the life she used to know was taken away from her in a really brutal way…And if we don’t help her, she could lose her homeland too.” Taeyeon managed to notice Heechul clenching his jaw. “We are bastard borns, poor and illiterate but we are not the type of people who would leave people like Lady Hwang to the wind and hope she would die.”

Heechul looked away.

“We are better than that.” Taeyeon recalled. “And I know you are far better than that.”

He exhaled. “Don’t be such a knightly boy, though.” He asked, his bitterness long gone.

“Knightly?” Taeyeon asked, not understanding what he meant by that.

“With Lady Hwang…” He added. “It might be turn into a problem if you continue to act like this.”

“A problem? What problem?” She asked, frowning, making Heechul scorn.

“Flower Prince Image, remember?”

Taeyeon blinked, astonished. “You really think...that I, a bastard, would charm a noble lady, Heechul?” She chuckled at that image. “Are you out of your mind? Bastards and highborns can’t really fancy one another... It’s against the law!”

“I know, this is why I tell you to stop your prince game!”

“There is no prince game!” Taeyeon retorted, albeit a little angry. “I’m just a nice person!”

“Don’t be a nice person then!”

Taeyeon was taken back. ”What do you want me to be then? A jerk?”

“Somewhere between Shindong and Leeteuk could work.”

Taeyeon grimaced her face. “That would be really unpleasant.”

“Just don’t be yourself at her presence!” Heechul cleared.

“Isn’t this the opposite of advice in general?”

Heechul looked at her. “It’s just for today... Till we reach Stoneguard!”

Taeyeon sighed, shaking her head amused. “You know there is zero chance of Lady Hwang having affection towards me, right?”

Heechul didn’t look so convinced. “What? You think there is?” She asked, widening out her eyes.

“Think for a second, King Taeyeon…” He called, ironically but serious yet. “And tell me… who is the most handsome between us?”

“Minho.” She said bluntly, making Heechul blink his eyes. “Although Donghae has his charms too.”

“Are you serious?”

Taeyeon shrugged her shoulders. “What? I think they are rather good looking people! Flaming Charisma, You know?” She moved her hands like there were flames on top of her fingers.

He shook his head sideways, raising his palm up. “Okay, let me start again… Who has a sword amongst us?”

“Me.”

“Who has long hair?”

“Me.”

“Who has the palest skin tone?”

“Me.”

“Who has the highest code of honour?”

“Me.”

“Who has defeated Master Shin and saved Lady Hwang from her husband’s hands?”

Taeyeon blinked, feeling something weird inside of her. “... Me.” She answered, but that answer wasn’t so firm and blunt like the others.

“Who has saved her from being by those horsemen?”

“...Me…”

“Who has sworn to protect her through this desert until we reach Stoneguard?”

…

Taeyeon didn’t respond to this one.

Heechul perked his eyebrows. “You are the closest thing to a noble knight for that lady. And if you’re not careful enough…” Taeyeon looked at him. “ The Lady of Rosegarden might grow some feelings for the bastard boy from Ironstow.”

Taeyeon gulped, feeling the tips of her fingers to get warm. “Still...It’s illegal, Heechul.” She said lowly. “It could never happen.” Even more because Taeyeon wasn’t even a boy to begin with.

“Bold of you to assume matters of the heart will obey rules and stupid laws.”

Taeyeon blinked, not knowing what to answer. That kinda stirred some thoughts and feelings inside of her. “That was a good line.” She said up.

“What?”

“That was a good line. You should put it in the book.” She encouraged him. Heechul chuckled.

“That’s not the point.” He put it back, cutting off his smile.

“I know.. I know what the point is!” She said back. “I just think you're overreacting… Nobles and highborns like Lady Hwang don’t follow matters of the heart. They follow their laws and their stupid conventions and silly traditions! Why do you think they all go arranging marriages?” She asked, perking her brows. “They only care about climbing their social status up and keep their fake game till they die. Lady Hwang would never, ever, dare to grow any sort of feelings for me, Heechul. And you know that!”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“What if you grow any sort of feelings for Lady Hwang?”

Taeyeon blinked, obliviously. That was such a random question for her that she didn’t even know how to answer. Being a woman herself, Taeyeon never really tried to look at Lady Hwang’s with any other eyes than a fellow woman who desperately needs help to go back to her homeland. Every action she took so far, it was never out of interest in Lady Hwang whatsoever, but only following her morals and wishes.

But from the eyes of Heechul, and all the other people involved, Taeyeon is actually a man. And of course it is natural for men and women to nurture feelings towards each other. And maybe this is what Heechul is afraid of. That Taeyeon grows feelings for Lady Hwang, a noble born, causing her to put her own life in risk.

She then understood where Heechul’s bitterness towards Lady Hwang was coming from. And she understood why he wanted them to make it to Stoneguard as fast as possible. He wanted them to be safe and be sure that Taeyeon couldn’t feel any feelings towards Lady Miyoung.

But he didn’t need to be worried about that. Taeyeon wouldn’t dare to fancy a noble lady like Hwang Miyoung.

“I won’t.” She answered, firmly. ‘There’s no way I would grow feelings for the Lady of Rosegarden, Heechul…”

He seemed to be more at ease with those words. “That’s good to hear.” He smiled. After a couple of seconds, he moved his head. “Get something to eat, it’s about time we take the road.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain.” Taeyeon replied, making Heechul roll his eyes. He turned his back to her and walked to the bonfire where the other boys were.

Taeyeon moved her head back, her eyes falling at Lady Hwang in the company of her servants. Ginger huffled at her side. “I know, right?” She said to him, “It would be a hell of a problem if she grows some feelings for me...” She sighed. “Let’s just hope for the best, Ginger…”

~~*~~

When the early evening approached, they were all still in the desert lands. Taeyeon had been walking through the afternoon as Ginger was taken by Shindong and Leeteuk as it was their time to ride the horse.

Riding Ginger was so much more fun than walking. On top of Ginger, Taeyeon could feel the wind and the breeze hitting her face, and her worries seemed so small and unimportant, but now walking through that desert all she could feel were symptoms of exhaustion, hunger and fatigue.

When Lady Hwang made a suggestion of settling for the night, Taeyeon felt grateful for the idea. Stoneguard wasn’t so far away. If they stay for the night, and leave the desert by the early morning, they should get to Stoneguard at noon. An extra night in the desert wouldn’t be a bad idea.

She quickly approved the suggestion, and her approval was shown to be the general response of her entire group. Donghae and Jonghyun were extremely tired as well, as they were the victims of walking alongside Taeyeon.

Heechul seemed to be really more at ease after their conversation on that same day. He didn’t really complain about the extra night they’ve given themselves out nor he did show any feelings of bitterness towards Lady Hwang when she asked for the camp to be set up. Taeyeon considered that to be a really good thing as she would be a little hurt if her best friend kept treating the Lady of Rosegarden as a threat to them all.

After the bonfire had been lit, Taeyeon sat between Donghae and Heechul, accepting her best friend’s bottle of water. Leeteuk and Shindong were fighting for a piece of bread and Jonghyun and Minho were narrating their fight to everyone around.

Sooyoung and Yuri were seemingly having a good time with them, giggling at their performance whereas Lady Hwang and Seohyun portrayed themselves with more composure.

Taeyeon was glad that they decided to sit with them for that night, getting closer to them and taking their time to talk to some of the boys as well. Sooyoung, Yuri, Minho and Jonghyun seemed to go along really well. And she even saw Seohyun, the handmaiden, have some small talks to Heechul a few times.

As