I don’t think I had much sleep. How would I be able to sleep in this situation? After finding Yong Guk finally well enough to open his eyes – that meant his recovery was truly beginning.

“You hadn’t slept all night, Queen.” Hero mentioned to me. His voice indicated what the lack of his own rest had done to him. Staying up countless nights is draining to say the least.

“How is Yong Guk?”

“Bit by bit, he is starting to heal. It is looking dramatically positive.” The Knight announced optimistically. “What are you going to do now, Queen?”

“I plan to make a return.” I answered with my eyes still on Yong Guk’s sleeping form. 

“To King Gang Han’s castle?” Hero asked in surprise. “Already?”

“How long were we planning to drag this on – tonight, we’ll free Young Jae and King Min Jong.” Him Chan and Dae Hyun looked for their locations the last time we visited for this very purpose.

***

“Like we figured.” Woo Bin confirmed once looking out one of the windows in the hallway. “What a waste of energy and space – they’re intruding on the camps.” He mumbled unhappily.

“I want to go out there.” Hearing my words, Woo Bin’s head snapped down to look at me, a look of disbelief plastered on his face. I continued peering out through the glass from where I stood beside the Prince. I’ve already made up my mind. “Where is Steel?”

“Wait a minute.” Woo Bin breezed past me and stood in my path. “Do I need to remind you the message King Gang Han is sending by having his forces surrounding this castle – he doesn’t want us to leave.”

“But, we already did once.”

Hearing my response, Woo Bin had no other excuses to provide or to prevent me from doing as I wish.

“I’ll call for Steel.” I said lastly.

Leaving, I made my way towards the front of the castle. The gates opened and soon, the open air welcomed me. The forces started moving to their designated positions at my appearance. Standing more attentively and while grabbing for their weapons now that they had a chance to react. 

“When do you all leave?” I questioned aloud while Steel remained beside me. Our deal was that I wouldn’t actually step past castle’s gates in broad daylight and when we weren’t sure how they would respond. The members of the force looked amongst themselves – “Is someone going to answer me?”

“We are to wait here until further orders.” Finally, someone stepped forward. “And if you are to leave, we are to arrest you on the spot.”

“So…you’re all here while your comrades get hurt and meet death at the border where the battle is currently happening.” I stated and again, only silence was offered. “Do you know what you’re fighting for?” 

“…Of course we want to win the war.”

“You’re winning the war while staying here guarding this castle and to arrest me?” For every answer they give me, I had another question that would render them speechless. “What threat am I?”

“King Gang Han believes you want the Werewolves to win.” The same man replies. 

“Is that why I came to rescue the hostages here in Yoggu?” Honestly, what a mistake this was. All I was doing was proving how much of a fool King Gang Han was and how much of a bigger fool these people were for listening to him without once questioning the man’s actions. “I’ll let you guys think on that for now.” I offered a little smile as the gates closed up once more. 

“Do you think that was enough to raise doubts?” Steel commented once the outside was now out of view and as we returned.

“A little goes a long way.” It was a start, I suppose.

***

“Are you not going to visit him?” Dae Hyun appeared before me while I was in the hallway, lost in my thoughts and with my eyes set out the window watching the actions of the forces closely. “It’s a shocker to find you here instead of the recovery room.”

After remembering last night and then our last conversation back in the forest, I found myself hesitating to see Yong Guk again. Things weren’t going to flow along like how I wished it would. This isn’t a perfect world. It’s naïve to think things may work out without problems.

Maybe that’s what’s encouraging my hesitation.

I turned and looked up at Dae Hyun. “Don’t you seem kind of…” I thought of the word. “Not here.” It always seemed like Dae Hyun’s mind was wandering elsewhere.

“What do you mean?” He chuckled. 

“I noticed.” I wasn’t going to give him a chance to make up excuses. “I want to know – whatever that is bothering you.”

Dae Hyun was reluctant to share and breathed out a sigh. “Let me try to figure it out on my own first.”

“And then you’ll tell me, right?” I gave him a smile that he readily returned. “If it gets too much for you?”

“Sure. Whatever.” 

***

It was as hard as I figured it to be.

“What did Hero say?” The said Knight had walked out of the room a few minutes ago and left the two of us alone.

“The drug is gone from my system now.” Yong Guk answered in soft raspy words. “I was out for a while so that’s a given.” Some color did return to his complexion and I found relief in that. “Are you taking care of yourself?” Yong Guk suddenly asks.

Taken aback, I chuckled. “What made you ask that?”

“I could tell you haven’t been sleeping.” 

With the war and our individual plans, how could I not sacrifice sleep? Not bothering with an answer, I stepped closer and showed him what I held behind my back. Placing the familiar black suit on his lap, I offered him a smile.

“Welcome back, Yong Guk.”

He stared down at his suit I have kept with me all this time and ran his fingers across the familiar gold emblem. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.” I suddenly spoke and he looked up to meet my eyes. “That time – “ Back at the forest. “ – I took advantage of your state.” Yong Guk wasn’t in his right mind because of the drug and I didn’t take that into consideration before saying those words and kissing him.

There was a short-lived moment of silence before Yong Guk finally spoke, waving away my anxiety. “Did you find out about the truth?”

“I heard from Him Chan.” I confirmed. “About why you left.”

He nodded his head before returning to our previous subject. “There are a lot of things I want to say but…” His words turned softer and softer as they trailed off. “It’s hard.” He whispered the last part. 

But, I didn’t know what he meant. “About what people would think?” I gave a guess.

“You’re going to lose credibility.” He voiced his fears. “Hero updated me on what you’re trying to do – gain support and if you want humans to stay on your side…I will become a problem. Our…” He didn’t know what to call it or was he afraid to say ‘relationship’? “It will be a problem.”

“That’s not true.” I shook my head and denied his thoughts.

For the first time, Yong Guk reached out on his own accord for my hand and grasped it into his. “I’m content with just this.” 

“But, I’m not.” I replied before looking away as my mind grew frantic to think of reasons. “For you to be my Knight, it isn’t enough. I don’t want to go back the way we were – “ My eyes snapped back up and caught sight of Yong Guk’s expression and while my own reflected confusion.

“That’s not what I meant.” Yong Guk finally revealed. “Our interaction at the current moment is enough for me…for now. And until the war is over.”

Seeing my look, he figured to make it clearer.

With him holding my hand, he tugged me closer to him as he kept my gaze. “You were mine since the first moment we met. And that’s not going to change.” 

***

“Queen, please watch your injury.” Hero pleaded for the umpteenth time.

“I’m trying my best, mister.” 

“You’re not resting well, not eating well, you’re going on these missions – “ The Knight sighed while thinking of all the possible reasons. “Please think of yourself. The injury is taking a lot longer to heal as a consequence.”
 
“Queen, we will hold off the rescue mission.” Steel concludes from my bedside.

“But, they could get hurt as we delay