One year later:

The huge basket filled with dirty clothes and bedlinen was so heavy that Jisu had a hard time managing her balance. With a sigh, she put down the heavy basket to wipe the sweat from her forehead, which threatened to run into her eyes. Even though it was forbidden to her to take a break from her work, Jisu didn't continue her work immediately. Today was the day, the anniversary date of of Graham's death. How could she ever forget that day?

The sky had seemed so black and so sad and many people had gathered at the Piazza de Leone, the largest piazza in the whole city. It was always a big spectacle if someone got executed and no one, not men, not women, not children, would ever miss such an event.
Everyone had been so excited, everyone except for Jisu and Jongsuk. They had stood right in front of the scaffold so that Graham could have seen them perfectly.

He had smiled, as he had knelt down in front of the wooden block and he hadn't stopped smiling as the persecutor had read out his crimes. The smile had been only for them, had told them not to give up and that even if he died, things would go on, just only without him. The people had cheered as the sword had split his head from his torso. They had cheered in excitement over the death of another criminal. Yes, just a criminal. For them, he had been nothing more; someone they didn't know and he would disappear out of their minds very soon again.

Jisu had cried. Bitter tears had been shed that day, her tears and not Jongsuk's. He hadn't cried, had tried to be strong for both of them but Jisu knew that he had cried in the night time as he had been alone. That night, Jisu had spent in Hielo's cave. She couldn't have been able to be in the same house as the man whom she had loved so much. Her dragon had comforted silently and had let Jisu cry all the night long.

After that, Jisu never had cried again, never.

It had been really, really difficult to take care of the children with just theft, which only covered their debts. They hadn't dared to steal bigger sums or something with more value. The risk that they could be caught had been too high and none of them had wanted to do that. In the end, neither Jongsuk or Jisu could have protected everyone. Some children had died because of diseases, some of hunger and some others had disappeared to nowhere. Only a few where left and some could assume that it would be easier now to survive but it was not.
The council had risen the taxes and everything had become even more expensive.

The decision had been made without the king's consent and many people were mad about it. Soon enough, Jisu had realized that they couldn't survive only with theft alone. Jongsuk had started to work at the Dragon Harbour while Jisu had started working at the palace as a maid. It was a hard job, but probably not as hard as Jongsuk's. The last time she had seen him, his arms had showed burning marks, small and slight but she was sure that his whole body had those burning marks, and other scars.

Jongsuk. Asking herself how he was doing, Jisu picked up the basket again and managed to heave it on her shoulder. Their relationship had worsened with the time and now, the only time they saw each other was when they delivered the money to the house where they had lived before. During that one year, Jisu's hair had grown a lot and soon enough she could cut it and sell it.

It would be a pity, really, but she would do everything she could to help the others.

“Jisu! Don't fall