Ara anxiously clenched at the sleeves of her robes as the five men studied her intently.

After a lengthy silence one of the five spoke out, wearing a worried expression he turned to face the other handsome men."So... what do we do now?" Junsu asked, his eyes darted back and forth between Ara and Yunho. 

Ara noted that the man had a high voice and was small in stature, this contradicted any prior images she had of the men of the realm.  In fact all five of them were furthest of what she had imagined, she always envisioned the men of the realm to be brutish thugs who desired conflict and caused trouble. At least that was what she was told. As long as Ara could remember the men of the realm only evoked hatred within people. They were viewed as a burdensome clan which brought about unnecessary troubles to the people. Those who dared to join them were shunned from their families and were outcast from society. Despite this Ara knew that they were the only option she had left.

What do we do know? Junsu’s question continuously rang within Yunho’s mind. He traced his finger along his lips in deep thought. If he were to help this girl it would go against an ancient tradition as girls were prohibited from the men of the realm. However if he were to allow her to leave then he would risk the clan’s location being found out by potential enemies. Either way, any decision he will make would deviate from the rules he was bound by. Uncle, what would you have done? He asked silently, desperately longing for his Uncle’s words of advice.

Ara sensed the dilemma of the men and thereby sought to use this opportunity to her advantage. “Look, I only wish to stay within these quarters for a while. I promise to not tell anyone of this place once I leave. I can understand the need for secrecy…” she chose her words wisely, being sure to disguise her inner panic.

At this Yunho fixated his gaze at the young girl, though he still remained indecisive he couldn’t allow her to think that. “That is not an option. This is bigger than us… It is something you most definitely do not understand” he stated sternly.

Again silence engulfed the room, finally Jaejoong decided on taking immediate measures.  “There’s only one thing we can do” he sighed as he stepped forward, slowly unsheathing his sword. “Eliminate the threat” he ended coldly.

Ara felt her heart race with anxiety, she stared back at the cold man. The glint in his eyes warned her of his anger, he seemed a man with no pity which only sent more chills down her spine. “What threat?” she asked once she finally found her voice.

It was too quick for her eyes to register, Jaejoong effortlessly flicked his wrist and Ara felt the cold sensation of his blade against her neck. “You” he uttered icily.

Almost immediately one of the others advanced forward “Jaejoong-sshi isn’t that a step too far?” Yoochun asked uneasily. It was evident to Ara that the others feared Jaejoong just as much as she did.

Jaejoong scoffed at this “Would you rather risk all our lives for one girl?!” he snarled, eyes never leaving Ara.

In spite of what happened earlier Changmin stood within eye line of Jaejoong “I thought our duty was to protect the weak, killing her makes us no better than those we fight” he attempted to reason with the other, hoping that reminding Jaejoong of their moral codes would stop him. Though Jaejoong was harsh and often drastic, Changmin knew that to Jaejoong his duty was valued above all.

Jaejoong withdrew his sword and stared intensely at the younger man.  “We don’t even know her, would you really weigh all of our lives against hers? Do you value us so lightly?” he spat. Changmin dropped gaze to the ground, for a moment he had thought it worked. How wrong he had been.

“Enough!” Yunho called out, startling even Jaejoong. “We should discuss this in private”

The five were gathered within Yunho’s quarters, sat around a large round table made of rich wood. Junsu ran his finger along the intricate designs on the table, conjuring up what it is he should say.

“Guys, what are actually going to do? We can argue about this all day but we in the end we need to find an answer” he stated.

Changmin automatically sprang into defence. “After all the trouble we went through to save her and the oaths we swore, it is our duty to protect her now” he spoke with assertion.

This only initiated Jaejoong to retort “You mean the trouble you went through”. Changmin scoffed with annoyance, this only made Jaejoong continue. “You’re only going to get us all killed in your foolish quest to prove you’re just as good as the rest of us” he hissed. His words stung the younger, being the youngest he had always felt incompetent and Jaejoong never let him forget it. He stared at the cold man in disbelief and waited to see a flash of guilt or regret for his harsh words, instead the other resumed to his cold expression.

This time Yoochun voiced his concern for the girl, knowing that the younger had suffered enough verbal abuse from the older man. “Jaejoong-sshi we are honour bound to protect to those in need. If we allow her to come to harm then we turn our back on the man who trained us” he articulated.

For the first time Jaejoong could not reply, how was he to argue against him now. What he spoke of was the truth, but he couldn’t give in so weakly. Yunho cleared his throat which disturbed Jaejoong from his inner thoughts. He looked at Yunho, who did not look up at the others.

“I don’t care you want to defy my uncle’s code…but I can’t” Yunho finally voiced.

This alerted Jaejoong that he was defeated, Yunho’s word was final and he would never go against it. “If her life means that much…then I will follow you” Jaejoong forced out expressionlessly, he could see Changmin smile in triumph from the corner of his eye. If the girl meant something to Yunho then she would have to mean something to himself as well.

Yunho gaze broke away to look at Jaejoong “It’s not her life that matters, but my uncles memory” his voice resonated with the others. Though they had differences and disagreed endlessly, General Jung was one they unanimously respected and loved. He was their teacher and father figure, they would not let his death go in vain.

Ara still propped up on her knees awaited the five men to come to a conclusion. Her robes hung loosely over her thin frame, if only he had not seen through her disguise. How did you know? She pondered internally. For most her disguise had been more than convincing “I must look too girly to pass off as a man” she sighed heavily. “Aish, what’s taking them so long?” she groaned.

Ara jerked her head as the heavy wooden door finally opened revealing the five handsome men. She gulped as Yunho towered over her, to her surprise he held out his hand gesturing her to stand up.

“We have decided that you shall stay with us. Though there are no expectations, we will treat you no different than we do each other” he pronounced.  Ara responded to this by nodding in affirmation.

Shortly after Changmin cut in eagerly “We promise to protect you to the best of our abilities, okay shrimp?” he smiled warmly. Ara scoffed lightly, Shrimp? She thought, but decided to ignore it for now and instead returned a smile.

It wasn’t long until Jaejoong intervened, wearing a scowl on his face. “But if you do anything to endanger us or think about betraying us. You will answer to me” he stated sharply. Ara met his darkened glare and took a step back, before anyone to could do or say anything Jaejoong walked out abruptly.

 Ara’s eyes followed Jaejoong as he left the room “Is he always like that?” she mumbled. An arm weighed down her shoulder, Changmin smirked as she tried to squirm from underneath his arm.

“The answer to your question is yes. Yes, he’s always like that. Try not to worry about it shrimp, he’ll be the least of your worries” he grinned.

Ara quirked an eyebrow “What do you mean?” she asked curiously. Changmin giggled and walked away, leaving Ara confused.

“You!” a voice called out behind her, looking behind to face Yunho.

“Yes… sir?” she asked whilst bowing politely.

“Yunho-sshi will suffice” he reassured.

Ara gulped “Yes Yunho-sshi” she stared at the tall man, eyes studying his fine features.

Yunho straightened his posture and held a composed expression. “Starting from tomorrow you will become our servant” he proclaimed.

Ara widened her eyes but was quick to swallow any profanities. “Servant?!” she asked in disbelief.

Yunho raised an eyebrow “Well death was the other option, I’m sure Jaejoong-sshi would be more than happy to comply with that” he sighed exaggeratedly.

Ara immediately shook her head violently. “No. No, it’s fine. A servant I shall be” she blurted. Yunho nodded and left, along with both Yoochun and Junsu. After she was sure she was alone, Ara assessed the situation. “Ok… a servant isn’t ideal but it will guarantee me safety. In any case how bad could it be to be a servant?”

Go Ara POV

Very bad was the answer, it was very bad to be a servant. How could any being undergo such labour? I have been in the same position for hours, squatting down whilst endlessly scrubbing the floor of the weapons room.

“Aish!” I yelled out as my foot knocked over the bucket of dirty water. I whimpered and slid to ground, and remained staring up at the ceiling. I have been here for a couple of weeks and yet I feel as though a year had passed after being allowed to stay with the men of the realm. Though my stay had not been easy, I was in no position to complain. I am safe and that’s all that matters, my weeks of a being a servant can never be compared to the pain I had to endure with the others.

The five, which I later learnt to be the highest ranking officials had kept their word and take care of me. Well, all except the one they call Jaejoong-sshi, he never fails to display his undeniable hatred towards me.  Never once had he returned a smile, instead I was always met with a scowl or grunt. Despite his prickly demeanour, I could not deny how striking he was. With long, lustrous black hair, porcelain skin and full lips; the older man was coldly beautiful. The other four made me feel more than welcome, both Junsu-sshi and Yoochun-sshi always told hilarious stories after they had completed their patrols. Though it was more like Yoochun-shii narrating the many misfortunate episodes of Junsu-sshi, most of which never failed to make me laugh.  Then there is Changmin-sshi who is persistent on calling me ‘shrimp’ instead of my name, though it irritates me occasionally, I’ve become rather accustomed to it. It’s almost become endearing. I never feel an outcast when I’m around him, if only I knew someone like him when I was back there, perhaps then my existence wouldn’t have felt so bleak.  Lastly there remains Yunho-sshi, though the others are handsome he was gifted with a classic appearance. Possessing a sharp jaw-line and narrow, dark eyes. It was enough to make any girl swoon. His broad shoulders and long legs only emphasised his masculinity. He resembled that of a prince which only made me more compelled by him. Yet he still remained a mystery to me, his smiles felt empty and eyes looked sad. “What have you been through?” I wondered, slowly picking myself up from the now filthy floor.

“Ommo! How is it that it looks worse after cleaning?” a voice asked. I immediately jolted upright and traced the voice back to an older looking soldier.

“Apologies… I-I um… It was clean but I knocked over the bucket…” I stammered nervously. Just great, I cursed mentally.

He smiled broadly and picked up the fallen bucket. “Don’t worry yourself, I’ll take care of this” he gestured me to leave.

I stepped over the puddle of filth and turned back to look at the soldier. “A-are you sure?” I asked.

The man nodded “Yes, you’re needed elsewhere. Actually that’s why I came here looking for you”. Shifting my weight to one leg, I waited for the man to continue. “The general is still within his quarters along with vice general Jaejoong-sshi and the others. He asked if you could bring his morning tea to his room instead of the refectory” he explained.

“Yes sir, and thank you” I bowed courteously and made my way to the kitchen. This shouldn’t be hard at all.

End Go Ara POV

Yunho massaged his temples, he could sense the stress of their situation weighting down on him. “We cannot ignore the mounts of recent disappearances. We have to trace the source of these attacks. It has to be done” he sighed heavily.

Yoochun could see that Yunho was stressed as it is, but he couldn’t not ignore the obvious disadvantages they face. “Hyung… we don’t have enough to go patrolling in groups, which means we cannot cover vast areas anymore. It would take us years to find the root of these travesties”. The others nodded in agreement, Yunho too knew it would be impossible to find out who was culprit to all these disappearances. It’s hopeless, he thought silently.

A sudden thump, accompanied with a series of crashes disturbed the five from their train of thought.

“Ommo! Aish! So-sorry” Ara called out frantically, picking up the shards of china that were scattered among the floor.

Jaejoong’s eyes narrowed at the incompetent girl “Were you listening in on our meeting?!” he snapped, eyeing the girl venomously.

Slipping on the puddle of tea around her feet she bit her lip in attempts to prevent herself from crying aloud. “N-no, no I swear. I lost balance and fell through the door. I only came to give Yunho-sshi his morning tea” she insisted whilst regaining her balance.

Jaejoong cut his eye at her “Is he to drink it from the floor?!” he derided causing Ara to drop her gaze.

Yunho watched the situation play out, trying his hardest not to laugh. It was then when the whimsical idea occurred to him. Ara was flushed from embarrassment and turned to leave but halted when Yunho called after her.

“Yes?” she responded. A flood of potential scenarios ran through her head, was he about to tell her to leave and never return or worse was he going to allow Jaejoong to kill her. The man smiled kindly at her, making her even more perplexed of her fate.

“How would you feel about truly becoming one of us?” he asked. Ara blinked in confusion, what does he mean? She questioned internally.

After piecing together what the other meant Jaejoong intervened before Ara could reply. “Yunho I know what you are suggesting and I am against it. It’s best if she just sticks to kitchen duties, even though that alone is a struggle”.

Ara still had no idea as to what was going on, she felt Jaejoong’s steely eyes glare at her and quickly averted her gaze.

“You all pointed out the shortage in men, did you not?” Yunho replied calmly.

This only frustrated Jaejoong further “So what? This girl is going to make up the fifty we are short off?! Think about this rationally Yunho. Put this whim of yours aside” he argued defiantly, he refused to allow this girl get any closer to them. He would make sure of it.

“Excuse me but could someone explain to me what is going on?” Ara asked weakly, truly unable to grasp the situation she was in.

Jaejoong smirked at Ara’s naivety and turned his attention back to Yunho. “Great she’s retarded as well” he scowled.

Ara frowned “Sorry, but what did he mean ‘being truly one of us’?” she questioned again.

Changmin glanced back and forth between both Jaejoong and Yunho and decided to interpose. “I think it’s a good idea hyung, but who’s going to train her? I mean the shrimp can barely balance a teacup let alone a sword” he pointed out. Both Yoochun and Junsu hummed in agreement whilst Jaejoong seethed silently.

Yunho watched the other three lean in with eagerness, he knew all too well how they desired to prove their skills to him, but he had already decided who was suitable for a task like this as soon as he had suggest it. “Jaejoong will train her” he declared and watched as the other jerked his head to face him.

“WHAT?!” he bellowed. The other three shuddered at Jaejoong’s explosive response, all except Yunho who was amused by his hysterical friend.

“You’re the strongest swordsmen among us, who better than you?” he grinned knowingly.

Jaejoong stood and walked over to where Yunho was seated and glared intensely at the other man. “I will be preoccupied with my duties, I have no time to play swordfight with an incompetent girl. I refuse Yunho.” He avowed. Jaejoong studied the other’s composed expression and tried to decipher what he was thinking.

Yunho knew that would be wrong to manipulate his friend but he was desperate and was sure that if anyone could get something done it would be Jaejoong. “You made time to train Changmin, Yoochun and Junsu. I don’t see why you can’t do the same for her” he pushed, knowing that Jaejoong could not refuse him now.

Jaejoong grit his teeth, Yunho knew how to play him and it aggravated him.

“You!” he barked, eyes not leaving Yunho.

Ara sprang up alarmed, still unsure of what was happening. “Yes Jaejoong-sshi?” he replied shakily. 

Jaejoong drew in a deep breath and allowed the anger to simmer down before he continued. “Come to the training grounds tomorrow at the crack of dawn. Wear something appropriate. I’ll expect you to wait for me, I do not accept tardiness” he ordered and turned to look at her. She won’t survive this, he concluded silently.

As he turned to leave he felt a hand gently pull him back. Jaejoong looked back at Yunho who smiled apologetically and mouthed ‘thank you’. He hated how meek he was when it came to Yunho, grunting a ‘you’re welcome’ he left the room.

Ara watched as Jaejoong stormed past her, not before giving her a look of hatred. What just happened?