TW's: Violence, death, but nothing very detailed this time.

It was the middle of a cold morning and the palace was silent – a heavy atmosphere as the king sat on his tall chair, advisers to his right and left, as a very familiar couple sat beside them with their usual fake smiles. The Lee couple had arrived a few days ago, as expected, they came there with sheepish expressions and a whole lot of lies that Byun Hoon didn’t believe for a single second – all the Lee’s ever talk about was how it was probably the queen of Beojji who sent assassins after the princess and their precious heir, however they forgot the fact that no one knew about the princess journey to the East except them.

Staying calm and not acting recklessly was difficult, but the king had to do his best and remember it wasn’t only about taking revenge, but also about protecting his kingdom. Executing the Lee’s for treason without having evidence would only turn the other nobles against him and make the kingdom weak to other enemies, there was also the possibility that the Lee had contacted the leader of the South and tried to poison her with the same lies about war and they were facing a bigger threat now.

However, time was running out as the other nobles kept on trying to pry into his business and not so subtly pressure him to make a move. Byun Hoon was not a weak king, yet it was taking all his strength to remain calm and diplomatic instead of just telling everyone off and punish the Lee’s already.

It was a waiting game and he had no choice but to be patient. He had to trust his soldiers and believe in Minjoo – believe she would be able to reach home safely and they could make justice.

He prayed that Yuan was right and Minjoo would arrive soon.

“My king, they are here!” One of the servants informed, the young man bowing apologetically for having interrupted the meeting so abruptly.

The king didn’t mind it, his eyes growing wide as he stood up. “Minjoo is home?”

“No, Your Majesty.” The servant bowed his head once more, and the king had to take in a deep breath to refrain from showing how disappointed he was – it was getting late and with every minute, it was becoming harder to trust the good care of the gods and not take matters in his hands. “It is General Kwon with representatives from Beojji.”

Nodding, the king gestured for the group to enter. He had called for Eunbi’s assistance and her presence would be important today, hopefully she could bring information that could cease all the nonsense war rumors.

He watched as the one of his most reliable soldiers walked into the place, her expression serious as she was accompanied by two other women slightly taller than her – the people from the South. “General Kwon, thank you for coming.” Giving her a short nod, he turned his attention to the two figures that accompanied her, one of them had a familiar face, while the other hid under a hood. “And those are…?”

Eunbi took a step ahead, bowing in respect as she placed a knee on the ground and assumed the appropriate posture to speak to the king. The two people who were with her only mirrored the bow, remaining standing a few steps behind. The general shot them a quick reassuring smile before speaking to king of Geumyeou. “Please excuse me, my king. They insisted in coming to clear matters personally and I think it’s of your interest as well.”

“It’s fine, I appreciate the gesture.” Byun Hoon acknowledged the duo with a small smile, his eyes fixed on the familiar face from someone who belonged to the same lineage of the family that had betrayed him, but who had always shown herself to be very different from the rest of her clan. “Welcome back, Lieutenant Lee.” He greeted her kindly, using Chaeyeon’s old title. The woman had renounced her position in order to stay in Beojji after the war and the king had given his permission, knowing that with her there, the South would remain peaceful – one of the reasons why the other Lee’s words could only be lies.

Chaeyeon bowed once more, giving him a genuine smile. “Thank you for having us, Your Majesty. Making sure the relationship between our nations remains peaceful is a priority to Beojji.” The former Lieutenant reached for the woman who still had her face covered, gently holding her arm as a gesture for her to reveal herself.

The slightly shorter woman nodded, her left hand coming to push back the hood and reveal the lustrous pink locks and the face of elegant features. A collective exclamation of surprise could be heard as the people understand who that woman was and what her presence there meant.

The Lee couple who had been surprisingly quiet during all exchange now looked paler than ever before – the king had a smile on his face now.

“Queen Sakura of Beojji. It’s an honor to have you here.”

The rain had turned into a light drizzle as Minjoo calmed down, Chaewon slowly helping her to go back to the safety of land so they could sit down and breath properly. The princess never left her safe embrace, her heart regaining its normal rhythm as she finally felt safe once more. The golden fox spectrum remained close, like the guardian it was, watching over them and she mentally thanked it – as her energy was growing weak, the spectrum would eventually disappear and go back to its place inside of her body.

Chaewon cupped her face with one hand, keeping her other arm around the younger Kim. “You did your best for you and for me too. I can’t thank you enough for it.” She reassured her princess with kind words, knowing that surviving a battle was never easy, as winning wasn’t the only important thing always – for Minjoo it was probably a very bitter reminder of what happened to her mother, a reminder that a cruel fate could fall upon her if she wasn’t careful enough. Chaewon would never forgive Lee, whenever his damned soul was now, for what he did. “You are a princess like no other, your mother would be proud. I am very proud of you, my Minjoo.” Caressing her face softly, she placed a long kiss on the cold skin of the girl’s forehead, hugging her closely once more.

Min didn’t reply, only snuggling up to Chaewon with a tired sigh.

Now she realized the greatness of her general’s path in life, how hard it must be for Chaewon to go through numerous battles and not lose herself – not only her life, but her kind heart and gentle soul. It takes more than skill to become a warrior, but a brave heart and a sense of honor – just like a queen should have, just like her mother had. Maybe she also had it, and maybe it would be enough to help her to rule this country one day.

Listening to Chaewon’s words made her relax a bit, reminding her that no matter how hard that battle was, she did what she had to and was left with no regrets. She couldn’t protect her mom back then, but she was able to help her lover today and vindicate her mother’s memory.

“I just want to go home.” Minjoo said in a whisper, her voice a little hoarse now, still hurting albeit it was no longer making it hard to breathe. Right now, she just wished to be back in the palace, back with her friends and family, away from the nightmare of that day.

Chaewon seemed to understand her needs, therefore she only nodded, caressing her back and hair with fondness. “We will be there by tonight, I promise you.” The general gave her a tentative smile, but once more this smile was snatched by the sense of danger as her ears detected the sound of voices and horses quickly approaching.

The soldier grabbed onto her sword guard and exchanged a look with the princess, ready for a new attack.

There was no attack, nor the need to protect themselves.

Even before they could see them, Chaewon relaxed as she could discern the very familiar sound of Yena’s voice alongside Hyewon’s quieter one. Minjoo was also able to hear it and they sighed in relief, not even bothering to move as they waited for the others to come into view.

Four pairs of wide, surprised eyes met the couple as their friends arrived – only then Chaewon remembered that Minjoo’s fox spirit was still around, even if Minjoo made sure it disappeared quickly. It was too late to try denying it, albeit the general wasn’t worried about it. Right now she only felt happiness for seeing her friends once more.

“Chaewon! Princess Minjoo!” Yujin screamed with a grin, waving her hands in a childish way.

“Oh, was it a fox? Wow! I mean, sorry for being late, it’s hard to ride with a broken arm!” Yena said as she greeted them with her usual smile, bowing her head in respect to the princess. She looked just fine, some bandage here and there, but very much alive and well. Hyewon, Yujin and Hitomi also looked good, giving their own greetings as their curious eyes observed the scene around them.

“Are you okay, Your Highness? Chaewon?” Yujin was the one to ask as they came closer, her puppy eyes big and worried, but also curious. Chaewon just knew she would have a lot of explaining to do once they had enough time.

Knowing Minjoo wasn’t in the best shape to do the talking now, the general was the one to answer. “We are okay now. But we should move, the princess needs to change into some warm clothes and then we need to reach the palace as soon as possible.” Slowly, she stood up and helped Min to do the same, her hands so used to touching and being there to soothe the younger woman, ignoring the curious stares – her friends might be a little nosy, but they were loyal to the core and she knew she didn’t have to worry about their judgment.

“Understood, general. We will you to a safe place.” Hitomi said before the others could speak, her eyes serious as she gave Chaewon a nod – as usual, she was always reliable. Chaewon thanked her with a small smile, coming close to the black horse so she could help Minjoo up before climbing up as well.

“Yujin’s safe house is not far, we should go there and then move north.” Major Choi suggested, coming closer to them so she could offer Minjoo her own coat for warmth. “You could use some new clothes too.” She mouthed to Chaewon and the general only sighed, nodding.

“Yena meant to say that we apologize for not arriving earlier. Even though it looks like you have it under control.” Hyewon corrected with her usual sober tone, gifting them with a small smile. “You don’t have to worry, we won’t fail the princess again.”

Minjoo finally moved, her eyes dark and tired as she shook her head to say: “You never did. I’m thankful.” The husky voice was a giveaway of the tragic battle they had experienced and the soldiers looked at the princess with concern in their eyes, a grim mood filling the air as they glanced at the lake now plagued by dead bodies. Questions weren’t needed.

“Then we should get going.” Yena said without the usual playfulness, taking the lead of the group even if she could only use one arm to guide her horse. “Let’s guide our princess and our general home, safe and sound.”

The group started to move in sync, taking the path through the forest, this time without bothering trying to stay hidden. Their group was small, but skillful and most importantly, they were very loyal – Yena might be a jokester, but they both knew she meant her words when she said they would take them back home safely. Those soldiers had risked their lives for Minjoo and Chaewon once and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if needed – with them around, they would be able to finally reach their destination.

Chaewon received several bone-crushing hugs once she was alone with the soldiers as Minjoo went inside the other room to change into warm clothes. She didn’t reject the affection, giving them a thankful smile and patting their backs – those were tough times for all of them and they had a lot to catch up.

They sat in a circle, the girls covering Chaewon with their capes to keep the young general warm while she couldn’t change into warm clothes – Chae was too shy to change in front of everyone now and there was no way she could tell them that Minjoo wouldn’t mind if she entered the room now; maybe freezing would be better than hearing what her friends had to say about her relationship with the princess.

“How did you find us?” She asked first, trying to understand how her friends managed to reach them right on time.

“Well, now that is a long story.” Yujin said with a sigh, the youngest of the group seemed rather tired and Chaewon could imagine the reason why.

“We weren’t after you, but following that Lee bastard. He was supposed to stay with a search team, but when we reached their camp, he and his men had killed the soldiers and run away.” Hitomi summarized it while munching on some bread, her cute face didn’t match the rage in her eyes – clearly the heir of the Lee clan had been nothing but cruel during his short life and all he left behind was enemies.

“We don’t know how they found you, but he probably got a lead from someone. We will make sure to find out who.” Yena continued, her duck-like lips pressed together in a rare demonstration of seriousness.

The general only shook her head slowly, she knew it was probably someone from the small town they had visited, they were pretty far from there but it wouldn’t be so hard to find them if Lee knew where to check – no doubt, finding him before the girls did was bad luck, but maybe it was for the best, to end it all once and for all. “There is no need. I will ask a team to visit a certain town later, but starting a witch-hunt in a poor city would just be cowardly.” People could do all things for money when they were desperate, killing them for it would only put more blood on her hands when all she wanted now was peace. “Now tell me how you guys managed to defeat those men back at East and Yena almost became a wingless duck.”

“Ya, don’t call me a duck when I was trying to save you!” The said duck tried to protest, but was soon cut off by Yujin who excitedly told Chaewon about their battle to take down the mercenaries.

Chae just watched as her friends took turns telling her about everything, from that fatidic night to everything that happened after, including the king’s orders for them to track down Beomgyu while the king himself dealt with the older Lee’s back at the palace. It was better than what she had expected, Minjoo’s father didn’t take any drastic measures and Beojji hadn’t attacked either, if they could reach the palace by tonight, maybe they could avoid things from escalating.

But reaching the palace also meant facing the traitors there.

“So, that fox back there…It was the princess, right?” Hyewon asked without wasting time, her voice quiet as the others watched Chaewon with curious eyes and the brown-haired woman blinked, trying to focus on the present moment.

Kim nodded, knowing lying would be a waste of time and bring nothing good. Those were her loyal friends and colleagues, if anyone deserved her trust, it was them. “You all know the legend, you also know how important she is. I reckon I can trust you all to keep this secret, right?” Glancing at the others, she observed each one of them nodding with a hand over their hearts in a silent promise. “I trust you guys with my life, please help me to get the princess to safety.”

“You have our word. The princess is under our protection, always.” Yena said to reassure her, the others nodding once more. Chae gave them a grateful smile, but Choi continued before she could thank them. “But the other thing we saw there…I don’t think I have ever seen you holding a woman, or anyone for that matter, before.” She wiggled her eyebrows in an annoying way and Chaewon could feel the natural reaction to the playful teasing from her friends: red ears and a hint of annoyance with a lot of embarrassment.

Chae moved in her place, uncomfortable under the gazes and the little annoying smiles she was suddenly receiving. “No wonder you weren’t interested in those gisaengs, huh?” Hyewon said – of course it had to be her –, crossing her arms and lifting an eyebrow.

Covering her face with a hand, Chaewon mumbled a curse. “Why do you always have to bring up the gisaengs-”

“What do the gisaengs have to do with you this time?” Minjoo’s voice took them all by surprise and the soldiers were quick to get on their feet, while Chaewon only looked up in surprise, but received a small, tired smile in reply. The younger Kim came closer, a hand caressing Chae’s messy damp hair as the princess sat next to her. “You should go and change before you get sick. I will let your friends tell me more about the gisaengs.”

There was a glint of playfulness in Minjoo’s chocolate-brown eyes, a hint of golden in them – she was feeling better now, which made Chaewon feel a little lighter, but also had to prepare herself to deal with Minjoo and her friends teasing her at once. Not minding her teasing, she nodded before standing up. “Eat something and don’t listen to their nonsense.” They exchanged a look as she reached out to pat Min’s head lightly, comforting her one last time. “I will be right back.”

The four women watching them also exchanged looks, biting their own lips to control the urge to speak and ask questions. It was rather obvious that something was happening there and the princess and the general weren’t good at hiding it – was it even of any use after seeing them together this morning?

“Thank you. For everything.” Surprisingly, it was Minjoo the first to speak. “I appreciate what you did for me and your promise, I trust you with my secret.” There was no need to say she had heard all their conversation – the walls of that house weren’t enough to block her acute hearing. She bowed her head to them with a small smile and the soldiers were quick to follow her lead, almost comically trying to remember they had to be formal. “Now please, sit down. I would like to hear your stories, it seems like you have a lot to tell.”

“S-Stories you mean…” Yujin, the poor puppy, stuttered, afraid of what her mischievous friends could say. Hitomi covered her face with a hand in disapproval, the older duo had the sense of staying quiet and showing some rosy cheeks, embarrassed – one thing was teasing their long-time friend, another was discussing such inappropriate matters with the princess.

Minjoo chuckled softly, shaking her head slightly. “You can relax now. But I would also appreciate it if you didn’t provide the general with any gisaengs in the future.”

Byun Hoon judged that a private meeting was for the better, far from the lies from the Lee’s and their manipulation. Therefore, now he was sitting in a smaller room with the assistance of Yuan and the presence of Eunbi to his right, sitting opposite to him there were Chaeyeon and Sakura, the new queen of the South.

The last war had been a long and tough one, a difficult war to dethrone the vicious king of Beojji and give the true heirs of the throne a chance to lead their country – Sakura, as the oldest daughter of the rightful king who had been killed by the usurper, was the one to take the crown. Beojji was still struggling, but things were getting better and one of the reasons for it was their good relationship with the neighboring country.

“Eunbi, mind explaining?” The king asked the soldier who was also an old friend – she had once been one of the protectors of the former queen, someone who protected not only her body but also her secrets and served as a loyal friend. Eunbi had taken upon herself the task of avenging the death of the queen and was a big force in the last war, therefore, Byun Hoon trusted her the most.

“As per your request, my king, I tried to look into the threat at the border. I went there to see it for myself, but only found reports of thieves and mercenaries trying to wreak havoc. I found no evidence it had anything to do with Beojji, as it seems to be affecting their citizens as well…” Kwon explained, her expression solemn as she reported everything in detail. She was always meticulous, even if it meant spending extra time, she made sure to get her facts right and proceed with care. “So, after that, I decided that reaching out to Chaeyeon for assistance would be the best.”

“We received the same information, from the same people.” The young Lee added, a frown on her face as she recalled the mess she had found when she tried to check what was happening – mercenaries, for sure, wreaking havoc for some cheap money; but who would have paid them? It was something she still didn’t have a concrete answer, just a very unpleasant gut feeling. “The Lee’s, my uncle in particular, reached out to me as well. Saying that Beojji should be aware of Geumyeou’s actions and reminding me that he could be useful…” It could, of course, just be all talk – her uncle was never known for being a man of action, but a sly one instead. Yet, she didn’t like how his little games could affect her new home country. “I am afraid my relative’s greed is bigger than I had imagined. I broke contact with them ever since my parents’ death when they took over our land, and they seemed happy about it, but suddenly I was getting letters from them. It wasn’t hard to guess what they were trying to do once I talked to General Kwon.”

Sakura gently patted her wife’s back, a worried gaze on her pretty brown eyes as she looked at the king – the queen of Beojji was a quiet and collected type, still a bit shy and insecure since she was still learning how to rule, but she never failed to support her loved ones; Chaeyeon was in this list for a while now, having helped her to regain her rightful place. “I’m still trying to rebuild our nation, my people are still struggling and we still need to regain their trust.” She said with sincerity, seeing no reason to try to put a strong front when the king of Geumyeou knew about the struggles of her country. “I have no reason to want war against an ally and risk all the progress we’ve made.”

The king heard everything with attention, only nodding once in a while. All of this new information was valuable, yet those were also things he had managed to presume – the war was never a real possibility, just a game so the Lee’s could try to spark a new conflict and take over easily. However, Byun Hoon couldn’t act on it before, but now that he had the confirmation coming from nothing less than the queen of Beojji herself, things would be very different.

“You see, Your Majesty, things have become worse ever since I sent Eunbi to check on the border.” Leaning over the table, he hit the wooden surface with his fingers in a nervous motion. All the anger he had been keeping inside was about to explode and he would make sure it reached the ones who deserved it. “My daughter has disappeared since then. She was attacked when she was visiting the Lee’s at the east territory.”

The women around the table opened their eyes wide, in clear shock and horror. The threats of war were dangerous enough, but implying that the other kingdom could have anything to do with the disappearance of the future ruler of Geumyeou was something much more serious.

“Minjoo was attacked?!” Eunbi’s eyes were now filled with concern, forgetting about her professional self to show her worry regarding the princess she had known since she was born.

“Majesty, we had no idea anything had happened to the princess. We have been travelling for days now.” Sakura was quick to defend them, making sure the king could see how genuine her words were. “Moreover, I would never order an attack on the princess, Your Majesty. I know better than anyone how it feels to be caught in the middle of a power struggle and I wish it upon no one.”

“I was with them all the way, my king.” General Kwon added, her small body still filled with anger as she spoke. “They aren’t responsible for it. It must be that Lee bastard-”

“Don’t, Eunbi.” Byun Hoon lifted a hand to stop her, he could understand her feelings – his were similar, but right now they didn’t have time for useless accusations. He didn’t want to waste a single second more. “You don’t have to. I only have one question to them…” He turned his attention to the former soldier who was now the consort of the queen of Beojji. “To you, Lee Chaeyeon. Do you still have the letters your uncle sent you?”

“As you can see, the Lee family has been plotting behind my back for quite a while now.” Geumyeou’s king said as he waved the pieces of yellow-ish paper he held in his hands – the letters that Lee Seon Ho had sent to his niece, the proof of his treason. Byun Hoon was showing the nobles gathered in the hall that his accusations weren’t baseless, more than this, he was preparing this moment to make justice with his own hands. “This, right here, is the proof of their treason.”

“I want to preserve our countries’ good relations, but I also want to help in the best way I can. I can guarantee the letters are genuine, Your Majesty.” The voice of the ruler of Beojji resonated through the large hall where a very important meeting was in course. “My wife, Chaeyeon, is in a difficult position because of her relatives’ actions, but we came here to clean matters.”

“They are lying, my king! Those letters are nothing but rubbish!” Seon Ho screamed, a vein popping on his forehead as he stood up to defend himself – the nobles around him moved away, murmurs dominating the room as Lee’s wife looked back and forth with apprehension. They had tried to leave earlier, but were ordered to stay by General Kwon herself. “They are trying to attack our beautiful kingdom by taking your heir hostage!”

“This is ridiculous! We weren’t even aware of the princess’s disappearance until just now.” Chaeyeon said from her place beside Sakura, she would not let her uncle keep on lying and putting so many people in risk. “Wasn’t it you who asked her to visit your land? And for what?” The king had told them about Lee’s sudden invitation and everything that happened ever since – there was no doubt her uncle went too far this time. “It is very suspicious that she was attacked when she should be under your protection.”

Chaeyeon’s words seemed to enrage the man even further, his dark eyes shining with hate as he kept on screaming. “How dare you to accuse me! I am the head of the house of Lee, the longest living clan of this country! You are just a dirty traitor trying to poison my king against your own family!”

“Family?” Chaeyeon scoffed at his words, everyone in that room knew that Seon Ho had latched onto everything her dad had left after his death, expelling Chaeyeon and her sisters and mother out of their own home. “You stole everything from us! You are the dirty one here!”

“He only did that to protect our clan from your greed!” Soohee, Lee’s wife, finally spoke, only to weakly support her husband. Of course, she was aware of everything her family had been plotting from the start.

“Silence! Go back to your seat Lee, I didn’t tell you to move.” The king screamed, his strong voice making the Lee couple shiver. With a cold stare, he watched the couple quiver in fear, before turning to face the younger Lee. “Chaeyeon, you may continue now.”

Chaeyeon, however, didn’t get a chance of saying anything.

A very flustered young guard appeared by the doors, cleaning his throat as he tried to announce: “I’m sorry to interrupt, but-”

“No need, Joon. We don’t have time for that.” Another voice cut him off – a very familiar and feminine voice, one that was unmistakable. The king instinctively stood up, watching as his daughter entered the room with confident steps, her sword by her side and a tired look on her face – beside the princess, General Kim Chaewon walked with her usual unreadable expression and protective posture; the rest of their group of soldiers followed behind.

The room fell into silence, the couple from Beojji exchanging relieved smiles while the elder Lee’s looked petrified. General Kwon who had been standing by the king’s side let out a relieved sigh, exchanging a look with the old adviser who smiled calmingly at her – the king was oblivious to it all, still looking at his daughter as if he had seen a ghost.

Minjoo smiled, ignoring the stares she was receiving to focus only on her father. “Dad, I’m home.”

“Your Majesty.” Chaewon greeted with a polite bow, a hand on her sword as she glanced at the Lee's in a silent warning.

“The princess!” Lee Soohee exclaimed in what could only be a mix of horror and surprise – her husband suddenly looked paler. If things were bad for them before, now there was no escape.

The Kim couple, alongside their friends, had made their way back to the capital as fast as they could – borrowing one of the horses from the dead mercenaries back at the lake, they were able to move quickly and following the main roads it was easy to advance. Having a whole group to protect the princess, suddenly they had no need to fear anything or hesitate, therefore by the time the last rays of sun were illuminating the city, the group arrived at the capital and went straight to the huge palace.

Minjoo was both excited and nervous, wondering what she would find inside the place. But it only took her a moment to realize they had arrived just in time. Now she stood in the middle of the huge room, eyes burning with sparks of gold as she held her head up high, showing the Lee’s that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t break her – having Chaewon’s comforting presence made it easier, giving her an extra boost of confidence.

Ignoring all conventions, the king stepped away from the throne and made his way towards the princess to involve her in a tight hug – before being a king, he was a father, after all. “Minjoo! Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” He grabbed her shoulders, his brown eyes inspecting her for any injuries, just like he used to do when she was still a kid.

The princess only returned the hug, patting his back in a comforting way.Pulling back from the hug, she gave him another smile before glancing at her bodyguard for a moment. “No. I’m fine, Chaewon was with me all the way.” Returning her attention to the man, she added: “I’m sorry it took me so long, but I’m here now.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I’m glad you’re home now.” Byun Hoon smiled tenderly at his daughter, before turning to face the young bodyguard who accompanied his daughter on this journey. “General Kim, thank you for keeping your promise.” Giving her a gentle nod, his dark eyes then returned to the small crowd that had been watching them all along – particularly the Lee couple that was now being watched closely by major Choi and Lieutenant Kang. “Won’t you all welcome my daughter?”

As expected, all the nobles and advisers in the room were quick to bow down to the princess, their voices chanting praises and welcoming words – of course, the sincerity in their words were of variant degrees, but it didn’t matter. The king was now imposing his power, showing Minjoo off to prove that they had won this unofficial war.

The Lee couple gave the princess a stiff bow, their pale faces unable to hide their feelings – fear and frustration.

“Master Lee. Ma’am.” Minjoo greeted them with a sarcastic smile, the heat growing inside of her as her eyes met theirs. Those people wanted her dead and almost succeeded at it. “I came back to bring you something.”

Glancing at Chaewon, she waited for the general to show them what they had brought – something they had retrieved from the battlefield once they came back to get the horse. Minjoo was nauseated by the smell of blood and iron there, but it wasn’t about collecting war trophies, it was about making sure they would have undeniable proof of what happened.

“I took it from Lee Beomgyu’s dead body.” Chae unwrapped the fabric around the object, revealing the pendant tinted in dark red – blood – it was made of a large tooth, a wolf’s canine stolen by a ruthless hunter, something that was used to conjure the poor creature that it belonged to. “He attacked the princess alongside his men. He dared to use black magic against her.” Covering the pendant once more, the general glared at the Lee couple who watched her actions in horror. “He received his punishment. There is no mercy for traitors.”

“You killed my son?! Monster!” Soohee tried to latch onto Chaewon, but was held back by the guards. Chaewon didn’t even blink an eye, her cold stare still on the couple.

“You sent him there, like you sent those men after my mother.” Minjoo accused, her eyes never leaving their faces as she made sure they knew she meant every single word – she wasn’t able to get justice for her mother before, but now it would be different. “Yet, you still have the nerve of coming here to lie to my father while your son was out there trying to kill me.”

“This i-is…” Lee Seon Ho gulped down, trying to gather whatever courage he still had – if he ever had any to begin with. All he ever did was abuse his power and attack people when they are the most vulnerable. He wasn’t looking for courage, just for more lies to tell. “This is nonsense! The princess has been poisoned by this lowly soldier, Your Majesty!” He pointed an accusatory finger at Chaewon, the paleness in his face replaced redness due to his anger. “This woman dared to kill a noble and is now trying to trick the princess by using dark magic!”

Once more the guards acted to make sure the Lee’s wouldn’t approach Chaewon. Albeit the general remained silent through it all, there was tension on the brown-haired woman’s face as she heard their hateful words.

Minjoo, however, was never the type to stay quiet. “Chaewon is not a lowly soldier, she is my general and the only one I trust.” The princess pulled Chaewon closer by holding onto her arm, giving her a reassuring look before turning to face the desperate couple. “Also, I was the one to kill your son, not her.”

The older couple opened their eyes wide, their screams for revenge temporarily dying down as they realized their last resource – lying – had failed yet again.

“Guards!” The king intervenes, his deep voice commanding the soldiers to control the Lee’s who were now doing a last, pathetic attempt at resisting their destiny.

“No, no! She is a lying monster!” Seon Ho tried to get rid of the soldiers, but he was no match to them, being easily put on his knees as the guards held onto his arms – the position everyone traitor eventually assumed, ready to receive their judgment. “You can’t do that, I’m a Lee! I’m-”

“Honey, you can’t let them do this to us!” Soohee cried out loud, her tears rolling down her face, yet unable to incite any sympathy from the people around her – even the other nobles had stepped aside, not wanting to be involved in what was about to happen.

“Shut up! For so many years I searched for the ones behind the attack on my wife, and now you dared to go against my daughter.” The king’s usually kind brown eyes were dark with nothing but hate and despise. “Yuan, my sword. I will do what I should have done so many years ago.”

All that could be heard was the sound of Lee's cries as the crowd watched the ever-benevolent king show a dark side of himself in the name of revenge.

Minjoo averted her eyes as the sword came down on Lee Seon Ho’s neck, his head hitting the floor with a quiet thud and only the sound of blood dripping and his wife’s screaming permeating the night. The princess had seen enough violence for a life-time, but she wouldn’t be the one to stop her father from exercising his own justice.

Without a word, Chaewon stepped in front of her to cover her vision of the scene as Byun Hoon continued the execution, protecting her in a subtle way. The screams died quickly, the dripping of blood making the floor dirty as the Lee’s met their ending in such a pathetic way.

“It shall serve of example to every single person out there, do not plot against your king, do not try to hurt my family again, now or ever!” The king spoke again as he put down his sword, his eyes lingering on the nobles as he spoke – he knew better than to trust any of them, but from now on they would have another reason to never try to betray the royal family. “Geumyeou is a kingdom of kindness, but the sword that protects you, can also harm you if you deviate from the right path.” Giving back the sword to Yuan, he thanked him with a small nod and asked for the guards to take away the bodies before glancing around in the search of someone. “Lee Chaeyeon?”

The woman hesitated before answering, patting her wife’s hand gently before daring to speak – having just witnessed the death of her relatives wasn’t a pleasant experience, even if she couldn’t feel bad for them. “Yes, Your Majesty?”

“The land at east shall go back to its rightful owners. And only them.” Byun Hoon decided, gesturing to one of the advisers to take note of his words – an official statement that couldn’t be contradicted. “I trust you to make sure it will be a land free of traitors.”

“My sister is still one of your soldiers, Your Majesty. I’m sure she will look after that land with the utmost respect.” Chaeyeon gave him an easy smile, feeling a little relieved now – not only because her family would be able to go back to their rightful house, but also because for a quick moment she feared that the king’s rage could reach her as well. “My family will remain loyal, always.” She bowed her head gracefully and received a similar greeting in return, a silent vow.

“Queen Sakura.” The king called out next, his voice sounding a little tired now. “I apologize for meeting you under such circumstances, but I hope you can see how my kingdom is keeping our deal and we plan on continuing to do so.” Talking to a queen in the middle of a room covered in blood wasn’t the ideal, but as the king, he would make sure to say everything he needed while he had the attention of everyone. “Please, stay for a couple of days so we can properly talk.”

The queen of Beojji nodded, her tension from earlier still present as she tried to smile and ignore the gruesome scene just a few feet away – ruling a country wasn’t ever easy. “Of course, Your Majesty. I thank you for the hospitality.”

With this, Byun Hoon waved his hands at the small crowd. “Everyone is dismissed for now. The room needs to be cleaned and my daughter needs to rest.” With a stiff smile, he watched as the nobles started to move and give him overly polite bows as they left the place. With a sigh, he added. “We all do.”

The younger Kim duo also nodded, exchanging a glance as the princess took in a deep breath.

Now everything was officially over.

The days after coming back to the palace were erratic – but in a good way. The king was acting like an overzealous dad and even insisted on having breakfast with Minjoo in the first day, asking her so many questions and making sure she was completely fine – for her horror, he even asked the royal doctor to check on her and she had to control her blushing when the old woman commented that there was something different about her, albeit she was fine. The princess said the truth, she wasn’t hurt with the exception of a sore throat thanks to the battle against Beomgyu, she only left out any bits that could reveal her new relationship with Chaewon.

A worried king also meant a lot of family time, meaning that for the next few days Byun Hoon was with her for most of the time, be it just to keep her company or even to have her help when dealing with the queen of Beojji. She was glad he was including her in the kingdom matters, and it didn’t hurt that Sakura and her wife were good company, but all this attention was a little too much. Now, even when the king wasn’t around, she had Yuri clinging to her as well as Yujin – the recently promoted captain of the guard – and Wonyoung, like her own little security team.

She loved all of them, but she was missing her old routine where the only one following her around all day was Chaewon…The said Chaewon she could barely see lately. First the king asked Chae to elaborate a proper report on everything that happened and help to reorganize the troops at east. Then, to her surprise, her dad simply told the general to have some ‘days of rest’ with her family and suddenly she had no excuses to ask Chaewon to stay.

In the whole week since she had come back from that eventful trip, she had only seen Chaewon a few times and none of them gave her the opportunity to even hug her – needless to say, it was enough to make her a little upset.

Minjoo wanted to talk to her dad about her choice and make things clear, but she couldn’t do it before talking to Chae and making sure they would pick the perfect time and not jeopardize her military career or Minjoo’s freedom – she wanted to believe her dad would understand and support them, still, the idea that it may not happening made her a little uneasy. So, she would have to be patient for a while – even if it went against her impulsive nature.

After a long day that included saying their farewells to the dignitaries of Beojji and sharing lunch with some friends of her dad, lessons by the afternoon and a dinner with her dad that insisted on telling stories about her mother – what she appreciated very much, with the exception of the details about how Yura was as stubborn and impulsive as her and she had taken after her –, Minjoo could use some sleep. But Yuri had another thing in mind.

Minjoo sighed, already knowing what was about to happen when her same-aged friend gave her a smirk as soon as they were alone – Yuri teasing her all the time was making it really hard to keep any secrets, that night was another example of it. “So, the general got hurt and you helped her take care of the wound.” Yuri said as she lay on her side on top of the blankets that were supposed to be the princess bed – not very professional, but at the moment they were just two friends, not a princess and her maid.

Minjoo rolled her eyes, taking a seat by the window and trying to ignore her talkative best friend. “I already said I did.”

“But I didn’t see a single scratch on your favorite general. So where was the wound exactly?” Yuri’s brown eyes were wide, a mischievous hint in them. Of course, Minjoo knew what she was trying to do.

Minjoo gave her a sharp glance. “Her shoulder, you know that. Why does it matter?”

“It matters that you were alone with her for days and came back all heart-eyes after seeing her without her robe-” Yuri’s words were interrupted by the pillow Minjoo threw at her and the other girl caught, her body shaking with laughter as she noticed the princess’s red cheeks. “I’m so right!”

Minjoo was looking for another pillow to throw at her friend when she heard a very quiet voice calling her name, it was so low that anyone else would have missed it – yet her sensitive ears were able to pick it up, the familiar voice making her stand up right away. “Enough with it, Yuri. Go, go, you need to sleep!” She tried to kick Yuri out of the room, making her friend stand up as well so she could push her towards the exit.

“Wait, I’m going to sleep here!” The shorter girl tried to argue.

Minjoo didn’t pay her any mind, awkwardly pushing her through open doors and giving her a smile before closing it. “Not today. Goodnight, lady Jo!”

If Yuri wanted to protest any further, Minjoo didn’t give her the chance, making sure the doors were well locked before running back to the window and leaning in to observe surroundings. “Chaewon!” She called with a genuine smile as soon as she spotted the older Kim’s familiar features.

“You didn’t have to kick her out like that, you know? I could wait.” The young general let out a light chuckle, her soft chestnut eyes bright with the hints of silver as she leaned on the window frame to face Minjoo. “Good evening, my princess. How are you today?”

“But I could not!” Even if it wasn’t the best position, she reached out to hug Chaewon, allowing herself to close her eyes and enjoy the familiar scent that she became so fond of. “I’m not used to not having you around anymore.” She confessed with a hint of hesitation, after all she knew Chae also needed her time with her family.

The general pulled the brunette closer, lips greeting her soft dark hair as a smile spread through her face. She had missed being close to Minjoo, even if there was so much to do now that they were back home and all the invisible walls – and real ones – were once again in between them.

Things weren’t the same though.

Now the nobles were a little less confident, the rumors about what happened spreading farther and farther – luckily, none seemed to involve Minjoo’s secret. The rumors were, of course, exaggerated, but for now it was a good thing. Chaewon would honor her duty as the princess’s guardian, however, she prayed Minjoo was never put in such a danger again.

Chaewon’s family welcomed her with hugs and a lot of scolding, all worried and ready to hear from her the real story – she was a soldier for a while, yet her family would never get used to it and every time she came back from battlefield her grandma would scold her as her parents would be all over her, her older sisters patting her head and nagging her for getting hurt; being at home was always comforting.

Therefore, she tried to enjoy the days she had with them and not worry too much about the future, a task that was never too easy. Being away from Minjoo made her a little restless, always worried that something might happen and with a heavy feeling inside of her chest. Now that they were back, they had to take a new step or this relationship wouldn’t last – a step that was a little scary to even think about.

She had decided to come back tonight, instead of waiting for the morning, in the hopes they could finally have some time together – being the general, pass by the guards wasn’t a problem, albeit she had to pretend to be on duty to avoid any suspicion. Going behind the king’s back wasn’t her style at all, but she really wanted to see Minjoo alone for once.

“I had to visit my family, they were worried and I feel like I owned them a proper explanation as well.” Chaewon explained as she broke the hug, her eyes inspecting Minjoo’s face. “You have Yuri and the others here, right?”

Minjoo nodded, remembering how much she was being spoiled lately by everyone. “And my dad, I think he is looking at me like I’m a kid all over again. But I understand how he feels, I missed him and the others too.” Being at home made her feel safe and comfortable, hugging her friends and dad was also good, even if they were a bit too much at times. “I’m just glad to be back and to know we are safe now.”

The general seemed relieved to hear her words, and Chaewon was indeed relieved – even if it was a bit irrational, she couldn’t shake off her fears completely until she heard the reassuring words coming from Minjoo. Cupping Min’s face with a hand, she caressed the soft skin before giving her a smile. “I’m glad. I know it all was really tough, but you overcame everything and now you are stronger. Things will only get better.”

The princess mirrored her smile, brown eyes going golden as she leaned in to capture Chaewon in another hug. “But I still missed you.” She said, bringing Chaewon in for a gentle kiss that the general couldn’t really resist.

A familiar warm feeling took over her body as she melted against Chae, her eyes closing to enjoy the kiss and her heart beating a little faster, happier. She nibbled on Chaewon’s bottom lip, trying to deepen the contact, but was left disappointed as the older woman backed away.

“I will always be here, you know that. But we can’t behave like before.” Chaewon’s voice was apologetic, more like her usual General Kim tone than her sweet Chae one.

Minjoo shook her head, trying to bring the soldier closer again – it was late at night and they were alone, she wouldn’t miss the opportunity because of silly social norms. “Chaewon, don’t forget your promise.”

“I’m being brave, Minjoo.” Chaewon said patiently, placing a gentle kiss on top of Minjoo’s head before breaking the hug. “However, everything will happen in its due time, we barely arrived at the palace and we still don’t know how the king will react to us.”

With a sigh, the raven-haired woman crossed her arms, ignoring the urge of just pulling Chaewon inside the room so they could cuddle together like before. She missed sleeping in Chae’s safe embrace. “You mean we need to play ‘the princess and her bodyguard’ until we figure a way to talk to my dad?”

Trying to not grimace at her words, Chaewon nodded. She felt like she was failing her princess, but being impulsive and letting their emotions takeover would only lead them to failure. “It’s not just an act. I still am your protector and I can’t risk having this duty taken away from me because someone saw us together and created a rumor.”

Maybe words were indeed a powerful thing, because as soon as she uttered these words, she could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Chaewon felt herself becoming stiff, exchanging a look with the princess, she moved away from the window as Minjoo unwillingly dragged her feet back to bed – it was all useless though.

“Kim Chaewon.” The king said as he spotted the young general who wasn’t able to run away without attracting even more suspicion to herself, so she stayed at a safe distance from the window. “Come with me now.” His voice had a strong note, it was an order not a simple request and Chaewon had to do her best to keep an expressionless face as she bowed to him.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” It was lucky that her voice didn’t betray her nerves, even if she knew it was probably nonsense, she couldn’t help but wonder if the king had somehow seen her and Minjoo together and this might as well have been their last encounter.

However, the man didn’t move right away, instead he came closer to the window to say. “Kim Minjoo, do not dare to follow us. I will call you, later.”

The dark-haired man led the way to his personal office instead of the great hall where most meetings were conducted, a calm place filled with all kinds of parchment that always smelt like fresh ink. He took a seat by the wooden table, but unlike the other times he had invited Chaewon to discuss any plans, he didn’t ask her to do the same. Therefore, the young soldier stood awkwardly in front of the table as she waited for the king to speak.

“General Kim.” Byun Hoon finally said, his deep voice a little heavier than usual, dark eyes watching the young woman intensely.

Chaewon tried to keep a neutral face as she bowed her head politely, making sure her voice wouldn’t show her nerves. “Your Majesty. How may I be useful?”

Minjoo’s dad shook his head, adjusting his position on the chair so he could rest his back against it as he kept his eyes on Chaewon. “You have been useful enough already. You brought Minjoo home, kept her safe and sound all the way.” It was a compliment, but it didn’t sound like it when the man’s face didn’t give away anything but that sharp gaze that was so similar but at the same time, different from Minjoo’s. “You kept her happy, am I correct?”

It wasn’t hard to know it was a tricky question, that her answer could lead to unwanted results – whatever was the reason the king had to call her there today, it didn’t feel good. Nodding slowly, the general opted for being honest, yet careful. “I just made sure no harm would be made to the princess and she could be returned home as soon as possible.”

“That is not what I asked, Kim Chaewon.” Clicking his tongue, the man brought a hand to his chin, resting an arm on the table as he observed the nervous warrior in front of her – his lips curved in the smallest of the smiles, amused. “Do you think I don’t know my daughter?”

With a sharp inhale, Chaewon lifted her eyes to meet the king’s darker ones. She felt her chest heavy, body stiff with nervousness. “I am sorry, my king. I’m not following.” Saying anything she shouldn’t would be worse, therefore she could only wait for him to be direct – she wasn’t expecting to have this kind of talk just yet, but it looks like the king was one step ahead.

“Playing dumb doesn’t fit you, general.” With a cold glare, the king gestured to the chair in front of him, finally asking Chaewon to take a seat. He watched as the woman slowly did it, waiting for her to be in front of him to continue. “I will be direct: I can see the way she looks at you now. In fact, she has been looking at you as a woman for a long time.” With his words, Chaewon had to do her best to not gulp down, albeit she could feel her face growing pale – it was going like all her worst predictions and she wasn’t sure if there was anything she could do now. If the king started to scream for the guards to come and attack her, she might end up facing her own friends. “The fox rain only happens once in a lifetime, hers happened when she was with you.”

The fox rain? Frowning slightly, she nodded as she recalled the heavy storm that fell during their last night together, a rain that persisted even in the morning and painted the skies with hints of gold – of course, Minjoo’s mark. She wasn’t sure how much the king knew about their relationship and what caused the fox rain, but it didn’t matter now, all that mattered was that Minjoo’s father knew about them.

It was time to stand up for herself and Minjoo, to try and protect their relationship the best way she could – with courage and sincerity.

“I’m not going to try to deny it, Your Majesty.” Taking in a deep breath, she got ready to open her heart and hopefully it would be enough to show how genuine her feelings were. “The princess is special to me, she is dear to my heart and even if I’m aware of the difference in our positions, I still am holding tight to this feeling.” It was almost funny that she never feared battle, but now it was hard to keep her head up high and not let her voice break as she spoke, maybe because this moment meant so much – it could make or break not only hers, but also Minjoo’s fate. “I don’t mean to disrespect you or the princess, I’m not trying to overstep the limits or go against Your Majesty’s wishes. But I will, and I beg you to consider my request, ask you to allow me to court the princess and protect her forever, as my wife and as my princess.”

She stood up to bow to him deeply, putting aside all her pride to protect the one thing that meant so much for her – her love for Minjoo and the relationship born from it. Chaewon had never given up, she was never a coward in front of her enemies, but the king wasn’t just another enemy. Her fate was in his hands and she could only get it back by using her words, not her sword.

Byun Hoon didn’t reply right away, he stared at the woman for a long moment, his relaxed posture not betraying his feelings. Tapping the table with his fingers, he started talking: “You know, Kim Chaewon, in most kingdoms, such an absurd request would make you lose not only your rank, but also your head.” He gave her an odd smile as Chaewon straightened her back, taking in a deep breath, albeit she didn’t say anything in return. “But Geumyeou isn’t like any other kingdom.” To Chaewon’s complete shock, the man winked at her, his smile playful like the one Minjoo often presented her with. “I chose you to be with Minjoo for a reason, young Kim, and I’m pretty satisfied with the results.”

Chae could only blink in confusion, unsure about how to act with this sudden change in the king’s attitude – it was starting to feel like one of her friends’ pranks, but she never thought something like this could come from the ruler of this nation. Trying to keep her composure, she risked a question. “A reason?”

“Old Yuan told me that only a tiger would be able to protect the golden fox. He told me that only the guardian of white tiger’s spirit would be able to put Minjoo at ease and bring the best out of her.” The man said with ease, as if he had been waiting for a long time to say so – and he was. As a king and as a father, he never did things without putting much thought and choosing Chaewon was a pretty big decision made after much consideration. “At first, I searched through the nobles and even in other kingdoms, everywhere only to never find anyone. I was a bit skeptical about it.” Back then, he had thought the old adviser might have been mistaken, that maybe it was just a meaningless prophecy, but life was quick to correct him. “But then, one day, Eunbi told me about you. A brilliant young captain that was known for being smart and kind. A soldier who also happened to be blessed by the spirit of the white tiger.”

“That is the reason why you gave me a new rank and the duty to watch over the princess?”Now the king was smiling openly at her and Chaewon felt like a fool for having never noticed it – she had wondered why she was chosen to guard the princess and received such a high rank, but back then she thought her work during the war and Eunbi’s influence were the main reason that granted her this position. She had been so wrong.

Byun Hoon nodded, looking very satisfied with himself – smug like his daughter could be at times. “I knew from the moment that I saw you, and by the way you looked at my daughter, that it was the gods’ wish. It looks like I was correct.” That first meeting made it clear it was worth the try, however, watching over the princess and the general for the last couple of months confirmed Yuan’s predictions. “You can come out now, Kim Minjoo.” He glanced at the door, where his daughter was surely just waiting the right moment to rush in. “Your habit of being nosy hasn’t changed. What did you think I would do to your favorite general?”

The princess – looking pretty flustered – entered the place with quick steps, her eyes going from her dad to Chaewon and back, confused about it all. As usual, she had ignored her dad’s order and followed them as soon as she could, using her accurate senses to overhear the conversation and it took all her self-control to not invade the office when Byun Hoon started to sound like a crazy king and not her loving father – she was relieved to see it wasn’t the case at all. Her dad’s mischievous side was a little too strong today.

“The matter is of my interest as well!” She said in a defensive tone as her dad only rolled his eyes at her with a smile, and she could see Chaewon giving her a small, relieved, smile. “I was worried.” Taking a place by Chaewon’s side, she hesitated for a moment before clinging to her arm – Chaewon had kept her promise and fought for them, it was her turn to do it. “We were supposed to tell you about it, when the time was right.”

“Tales about old kings killing off the lovers of their daughters aren’t quite my style. Also, I don’t need an angry nine-tailed fox destroying my palace with thunder and fire.” He waved his hand, as if the idea was ridiculous and the couple wondered why they had even worried to begin with – Byun Hoon was, after all, a good father and Minjoo was definitely not someone easy to go up against. “I want you to be happy, Minjoo.” His eyes were serious now, the smile smaller as he turned his attention to his one and only daughter. “Happy and safe, and if Kim Chaewon is able to make you feel like this, then she has my blessing.”

“Dad!” Minjoo exclaimed in excitement, giving Chaewon a grin before leaving her side to give the king a bear hug – the man laughed as he hugged her back, too used to her affection. “Thank you for respecting my choice, dad.” She kissed his cheek and he patted her back lightly.

“Thank you, my king.” Chaewon said, her tone quieter than Minjoo’s loud voice, but equally genuine just like the smile on her face. She never thought things could be so easy and good, now her body felt light again, the burden of worry was gone and there was only space for the bliss of acceptance. “Thank you for trusting me with your daughter and for allowing me to be with her, I promise I will keep my word.”

“Of course, you will. I'm a kind king, but protecting my daughter is always my priority.” Byun Hoon warned, albeit his smile was gentle as he prompted Minjoo to go back to Chaewon’s side. “I guess wedding preparations are in order now. Under one little condition.”

“Dad!” Minjoo tried to protest, already predicting her father was still enjoying his moment of mischief.

“No, Minjoo. It’s fine.” Chae gently patted her hand, holding it lightly before nodding towards the king. The man was being kind to her and she could only try to repay his kindness. “What would it be, Your Majesty?”

Byun Hoon gave them a smug smile, bringing his hands together.

The young Kim couple married two months after that night, in what was a big event to the whole kingdom – and the safest, as pretty much every single soldier flocked to the capital to watch one of their own get married to the princess. Eunbi, alongside Hyewon, Yena – with a smiley Yuri – and the rest of their friends were in the front row, ready to congratulate and tease the couple.

The crowd was so big that even from the top of the highest building of the palace, one could only see a fraction of it, however, the light rain that fell over them as the wedding proceeded managed to keep it under control – what may or may not have something to do with the princess’s happiness.

Chaewon, instead of dressing in the heavy armor that most used for formal events, was dressed in an elegant robe that carried the colors of her tiger spirit – white and silver, a perfect contrast to Minjoo’s beautiful white and gold hanbok. The princess had a huge smile on her face all the way and the general’s ears were painted red as she returned the smile with one of her own and Yuan guided them through their wedding vows.

Yuan united their fingers by using a red thread, giving them a warm smile as he officialized the union after receiving the approval from the king through a soft nod. The newlywed couple exchanged glances, Minjoo’s eyes burning with gold while Chae’s remained a calm shade of silver as she enlaced their hands together and brought it to her lips to graze Minjoo’s skin with a light kiss.

The couple turned to face the crowd and greet them with polite bows as the citizens cheered them on – or at least they should, Min broke the protocol by pulling Chaewon closer to kiss her for a quick moment, giving her a bright smile. “I guess I’m not too young to get married now, huh?” She winked playfully, before going back to waving to the crowd.

The flustered general could only chuckle lightly, feeling light and happy as she looked at her wife with adoration, words weren’t needed to show her affection.

The king came to their meeting, hugging the couple by the shoulders to show his approval – or at least it was what it looked like to the crowd, because as the man smiled brightly and patted Chaewon’s back, she could hear him saying:

“Remember you promised to give Geumyeou at least three heirs.”

A/N: Epilogue coming in a few hours.