“Is anyone hurt?” 

The Knights shook their heads at my question and I looked toward more of the townspeople who have started to arrive to join us with Jongup and Daehyun as their leaders.

“Someone hurt their foot,” someone announces within the crowd.

“Hero, please go tend to the individual,” I softly asked of the Knight before handing him some of the first aid equipment I managed to stow away in my bag. “We need to head in the direction of the next town,” I breathed out while the sickening feeling in my stomach began to diminish.

“On foot?” Stealth questioned in surprise. The feat would be easy for the Werewolves but for the humans, it would prove to be tough. Not everyone is physically capable.

“King Minjong said he will send others to meet us halfway to help us... and we can’t stay here.” The farther we get away from the rebels, the safer we will be.

“Queen.”

I focused back upon hearing the soft voice of a child. I looked down beside me. “Yes?”

“You will protect us?” The young boy stared up at me with worried eyes. 

There was a slight pause before I responded, “Of course.” Slowly, I see the worry leave his features. If only everyone else is easy to convince like the child before me. “Where are your parents?”

“Jaehyun.” A mother runs forward from the groups of people to get to the boy. “Do not wander away from me.”

“I wanted to see the Queen.”

The mother looks away from him and up to me and I recognize the face. The face that walked forward and questioned me on my abilities to protect the citizens just the other day. “Hello, again,” I greeted her.

“You allowed the town to succumb to those Werewolves,” she directs the words accusingly at me.

“In favor of the people’s safety,” I answer. “A town can be built again, it’s replaceable… can you say the same about a life?” When she offered no response, I walked forward to where my Knights stood. “Everyone, we need to move.”

***

“Was it Seonjang that led the attack?” I asked quietly so the groups of people trailing behind wouldn’t hear.

“No,” Steel answers while I notice Daehyun’s sudden attention on us from the side. “…It was Red.” My steps suddenly stop and Steel turns back to look at me. “Queen.”

Yongguk? 

Jongup reaches for my hand and silently, I allow for him to pull me along.

Blank.

My mind drew a blank.

“It pained you, didn’t it, Queen?” Hero appeared beside me. I wonder if he knew the turmoil I was experiencing at the moment.

“What do you mean?” I asked him to clarify.

“To hear that we needed to abandon the town.”

It was easy for me to say it was replaceable but did I feel the same way? Not one bit. “My father helped build that town.” The castle is gone, the town is gone… everything that had traces of my father was gone.

“But, a town is just an empty shell without its people,” Hero goes on to explain. “I believe it can be built again with you as Queen.”

“…Is that so?” I asked softly.

“Without a single doubt,” he comforted me. “I think we need to let the people rest.”

“I’m not that great,” I mumbled softly.

“Why do you say that?” He peered at me from the side.

I didn't know how to put it into words. “Please announce the break to the people.” After my words, he goes off to join the others.

“When we start walking again, do you want to get on my back?” Daehyun offered while I watched the people take their seats among the trees. There were just so many people– it seemed endless as I looked out.

“I will be fine. But, the people.”

Daehyun immediately groans. “I knew I should have just kept my mouth shut.”

“Contact the Knights traveling at the end of the pack and see if there is anyone injured or if there are young children,” I ordered him.

Not bothering to hide his displeasure with the turn of events, he spoke curtly into the earpiece. I looked away and caught sight of Junhong staring at me.

“Are you hurt, Junhong?”

He shot my legs a quick look before looking away. “No, I’m fine.”

With the Knights checking the many people, I took my time and sat down. Jongup comes up and instead of reaching for my hand like he usually did, he was scanning my legs. 

“What is it, Jongup? Are you hurt anywhere?” 

“Hurt,” he repeated as he continued his observation.

I looked down, following his line of sight, and pulled my dress up to reveal my shins and found small bloody scratches covering my skin. I had been so absentminded that I didn’t even realize. I moved the end of the thin fabric back down. “They’re nothing to be worried about.”

Hearing my words, he moved and took his spot right next to me on the dirt ground.

Once getting our fill of rest, the large group returned back to our task as night started to greet us. This time, the shifted Knights carried quite a few people, ranging from the injured, the elderly, and to the young children.

Jongup, who can’t seem to handle the touches from the random people, opted out of the duty and stayed beside me. I looked down when I saw him reacting slightly by staring ahead of him with alerted eyes.

“Jongup,” I called out softly. Was it more of the rebels?

The Knights lowered themselves upon the ground and the people slid off as the surrounding groups naturally came to a stop.

“Queen.” Steel moves to the front to get to me. “Help has arrived. They’re still quite ahead but we should just remain here.”

After minutes of waiting, the troops broke through with large trucks and I stood to my feet, suddenly baffled by the sight.

The region of Kkum doesn’t have troops.

“Queen.” The people bowed before me.

But, I knew of which regions that did.

I recognized their uniforms. “You’re all from the region of Yoggu.” 

***

“It wasn’t just your town that fell to the Werewolf rebels, Queen Haewon,” the captain in charge explained as they started to load the people onto the trucks available. “The entire region of Kkum did. And it is easy as to guess why– your region doesn’t have any defending power.”

Along with the region of Sowon, Kkum didn’t ever need an army.

“Captain Jonghwa,” I called out. “Who sent you?”

“King Heebin,” the young captain answers. 

I couldn’t put a face to that name and he realized.

“His son is Prince Woobin.”

I sighed. “I see.” Once getting that out of the way, I had other questions. “If Kkum has been targeted, how is Sowon?” I was worried.

“I have not heard any news. For now, we should get everyone moved into Yoggu, Queen Haewon.”

“Not everyone here will fit into the trucks at once. I will remain here until the last person has been taken care of.”

Captain Yonghwa was quick to reject the idea. “That can take all night. I can’t leave you–,"

“That is what I want, so please carry it out.” I walked away so that he couldn’t deny me further. “Mr. Bang, please head there with the people. You will be in charge in my place.”

The older Knight nods while I ask Hero and Stealth to also join him.

“Do we wait?” Daehyun questioned and I nodded.

It was the early hours of the morning when we managed to get everyone into Yoggu. Camps had to be set up and while I made my visit to the Kim Kingdom. Since they were expecting me, I found Prince Woobin and his father waiting.

“Thank you for sending your troops,” I greeted them.

“Is everyone safe?”

“No causalities in my town, just a few injuries,” I answered with relief.

“Let’s talk some more inside,” King Heebin suggests.

***

“The region of Kkum has been captured,” King Heebin confirms the news as we sit across one another at their meeting table. “We lost quite a bit of people in the other to