The members of the King’s court were all gathered at the palace gate. Commander Jongkook assembled three squadrons to join him in guarding the princess on the diplomatic mission. The palanquin was ready, and a wagon carried the supplies for their two-day trip towards Gaya. 

It was customary for diplomatic missions to carry tributes of resources like grain, gold, and cultural items as gifts to the host kingdom. However, the commander deemed it necessary to send off the tribute ahead of them. Commander Sung was sent ahead of time, along with two squadrons to bring the tribute to Gaya, so Commander Jongkook and his troops could focus all their efforts on protecting the princess. 

Commander Sung’s group had already returned after a successful mission, but they issued a warning to Commander Jongkook that the road to Gaya had been littered with pirates and rebels. It was summertime, and, specially in the middle of a drought, these groups were much more active in their efforts. The report had worried the King, given that his sister could be caught in jeopardy, but the princess had insisted that they could carry out the mission safely. The princess was first to leave the room, after the king insisted that the commander stay behind.

“You’re older than me aren’t you, Commander?” King Kwangsoo asked.

The commander replied, “Yes, your majesty.”

“Well, in that case, please take good care of my sister... Hyung,” the king’s words took the commander by surprise. “I know she can be stubborn, but word travels around the palace. Apparently, you’re one of the few people who can win arguments against her, so I’ll hold you to that, specially when it’s her safety that is in jeopardy.”

The commander had heard word of how close the king was to his sister, and this was a confirmation of that. He bowed, and simply affirmed the command of the king, before taking his leave.

The princess was safely huddled within the palanquin, and she opened the window to give a small wave at her brother. The king nodded at the greeting in acknowledgment, throwing a glance at the skies in a silent prayer to keep his sister safe. He then spared a glance at the commander, the princess’s ladies, and the rest of the squadrons, who then bowed their heads at the king in reverence.

The commander then gave instructions to their entire party, before leading the way out of the palace gates.

The diplomatic mission party had been traveling for a full-day now, and the sun was beginning to set. Within her palanquin, the princess sighed, wishing to get out. Since they left the palace early that morning, the group had only been able to take a break during midday. She peeked out the window of her palanquin, and it looked like the party had no intention of stopping. She called out to Donghoon, who immediately went out of line to walk alongside the palanquin. “Shouldn’t we start setting up camp for tonight, Donghoon?” she asked.

“The commander said we’ll set up camp tomorrow morning after dawn breaks. He wishes for us to march on through the night,” the soldier dutifully answered.

The princess absolutely disliked the idea; it made no sense for the commander to disallow the rest of their party to rest for the night. She asked the men carrying her palanquin to stop, sending the squadrons and wagon behind her to halt. When the commander heard the commotion, he rode his horse back to the side of the palanquin. “Is there a problem, your highness?” the commander asked, obviously irked at the surprising turn of events. He saw Donghoon move back to his spot among the ranks, sending an apologetic glance his way. The commander looked first at Donghoon, then at the princess curiously.

“Aren’t we setting up camp tonight?” the princess simply asked.

The commander knew this would definitely be another debate with the princess, so he took a deep breath, “No, your highness. Our next stop will be at daybreak. That is when we will set-up camp. We can navigate the path anyway with our torches. This is a relatively straight path, your highness.”

“But everyone is tired,” the princess exasperatedly said. There was a bit of selfishness on her part; she really wanted to get out of the palanquin. In fact, if not for royal protocol dictating that princesses like her must travel in a palanqui