"You know you've fallen in love when you don't want to fall asleep.
Because reality is finally better than your dreams."
[-]
Jiyong glances up at the dark, cloudless sky and exhaled heavily. It's almost 3am. The night is light up by nothing but the small fire torches that stand high up from the ground like lamps, and all around there's nothing but peace, accentuated by the soft melody that the crickets are playing.
Looks like he'll have to pull an all nighter again. Jiyong is almost sure that the culprit will strike again tonight. No, he is sure, based on the pattern of timing that the towers had been destroyed; it doesn't make sense if a third one isn't sent ablaze tonight. He has to get the arsonist this time.
Jiyong bent down and examined the ruins of the second burnt tower again. No smell of kerosene, no smell of coal. He had been trying to figure out what did the arsonist used exactly in order to get such an infrastructure down but he couldn't. The fire reportedly burned with way more smoke than it should; it couldn't be any type of fuels that he knows of. Jiyong racks his hair in frustration. He should've stopped the guy after his first crime and never had allowed the second to happen. He had never felt this incompetent before.
The capitol should know about this. After all, this isn't just a city affair that Jiyong can handle by himself. The towers, as everyone knows, are a vital part of Dal's boarder-defence, and the capitol would send the funds to order a reconstruction. But then again, everything in the palace is dark and scheming. Every issue that happens gets exploited to the fullest and used to the greed-filled-people's advantages- The political factions struggling for power, the lady-in-waiting fighting for affection, and the princes that tries to bring each other out of the king's favor. All these are part of the reason why Jiyong even left the palace in the first place. He knows things wouldn't get settled quickly. Not when it's such a huge affair.
Jiyong shut his eyes, containing his internal struggles. His older half-brother is another worry. How would he react? Surely he wouldn't aggravate the situation, would he? He's bound to inherit the country someday or another, he wouldn't want to make his own life hard for himself, right?
He stood up, deciding that it's best to at least alert the capitol of the series of sabotages as he walked towards the gates on The Fence that seperated the direct boarder conflict zone with the rest of the city. The Fence is a 3m tall structure made entirely of thick wooden stakes impaled into the ground with sharpened tips on the top to prevent trespassers. It stretched across some distance, cornering away the zone and ending at the river on one side and the Forbidden Forest on the other.
Jiyong stepped a foot out of the gates and beckoned for one of the soldiers. In a low voice, he gave his instructions and the soldier nodded before mounting his stallion, speeding of into the night. By morning, the news would've reached the palace.
The prince sighed, turning back to return to his post when a small figure in the distance caught his eye. The figure doesn't seem to notice his presence yet as it leaned against the wooden fence, restlessly kicking the sand on the ground.
"How long has that person been here?" Jiyong asked the two guards stationed outside the gates quietly.
"For a while now, my lord, she didn't want disturb you." A guard answered quickly as the other suppressed a snigger.
Jiyong glanced at the time. It's 2 minutes to 3.30am. He exhaled in exasperation. Only one person can be so stupid.
"OI."
The figure's head snapped up, allowing the light to shine on her face. Startled by the sudden yell, her eyes was round with surprise.
Since when was his assumption ever wrong?
With two fingers, he beckoned for her to come, and she did, shuffling her way over with her face bowed and her lips twisted in a manner that it does whenever she gets into trouble. Jiyong contained the urge to laugh at her guilt ridden face.
"What're you doing here, Park Dara?" Jiyong asked the obvious.
"It's not illegal!" She said quickly, bringing her eyes to meet his before quickly dropping them again as she twisted her fingers nervously. "I mean, civilians are allowed at this area. We just can't cross the fence." She mumbled, pointing to the plot of land around her.
Jiyong raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms across his chest, leaning his side against the open gates. Realizing how his men were silently shaking with laughter behind him, he sent them in.
"So?" Jiyong asked, he himself slightly amused with Dara's antics.
"It's late and you didn't came back so I wanted to take a look..." She muttered.
Jiyong didn't know how to respond to someone's worry, so he gazed at her, tongue tied instead.
"I can help with the case!" Dara offered enthusiastically.
"I mean, I know things that you people don't! Who knows?" Dara said indignantly upon Jiyong's laugh. "I may even save you with my knowledge one day."
"Wow." Jiyong mused, his armor letting out a soft clang as he unfolded his arms from his chest. How would this girl be able to solve what they can't? "So I should scream when I'm in danger, so you'll know when to come and get me." Jiyong said airily.
"You bet." Dara grinned, and Jiyong smirked, stepping aside to allow her through the gates.
Happily, Dara skipped through the gates and immediately opened in awe. This place seems like a screen cap taken straight from a historical war drama. Iron woks with burning coals lit up the dark night sky. All around her there are soldiers clad in armor scattered here and there, going about in their duties. On the 4 remaining, standing towers, there are people observing any little movements from the Taeyang side. The atmosphere is almost like the demilitarized zone that separated North and South Korea back in her time.
The charred remains of the burnt towers caught her eyes. Jiyong watches as she rushes towards the wreck, and nodded at his soldier, who immediately granted Dara access. She is wearing what she wore when he left, the same creamy-pearl-colored robes that was fastened at her small waist where it flowed down to her ankles. He stood aside and let her examine the wreckage to her heart's content, not really believing that she can really help, but is rather interested on what she can really do.
Dara couldn't see how the massive towers that can hold actual people can be reduce to such a small pile of smoldering wreck. It doesn't smells like kerosine or petrol, and there isn't any traces of oil left behind. What could it be?
"Can it be the neighboring kingdoms that did this?" Dara asked, returning to the Ice Lord's side.
"The Taeyangs, maybe. I can't see why the Pyuls would do this." Jiyong answered.
The Pyuls. The word triggered the reminder that Jiyong is in fact still engaged to their princess. Am I really going to continue being like this? Dara thought to herself sadly. And the way that Jiyong had spoken about the Pyuls sounded like he rather liked the people there, too.
Jiyong glanced sideways at the suddenly muted girl, who's lost in her own world (yet again). He nudged her shoulders lightl and she snapped back to her senses with a dazed look on her face.
"Tired?" Jiyong asked.
Dara shook her head, forcing out a small smile. It is rather late and the haze caused by the torches are smoking her eyes a little, but she didn't want to get sent home. So they stood, side by side, with their back leaned against the fence, watching the soldiers hurry about in their tasks.
"How are things going with the Princess Kiko?" Dara summoned up her courage to break the silence between them.
Jiyong shrugged, carelessly kicking a twig away from him before turning to look at her. "What about her?" He said mindlessly.
"She seems... really nice and beautiful..." Dara mumbled. Why the hell am I saying this to him, she thought absurdly. But she didn't know what else to say.
"Mmhm."
"She's really pretty." Dara summed it up as something inside her hung its head in defeat. She doesn't even know much about Kiko but her beauty alone and the aura of kindness she seems to have with how she genuinely smiles to everyone around her is enough to make her feel so much inferior. Even her, as a girl, will feel attracted to someone as charming as the princess.
"I know." Jiyong said, mindlessly picking off the bits of flower petals that have entangled themselves in Dara's ash brown hair. He didn't notice how his arm had been brushing on her face for a while now, but Dara did.
"Jiyong." Dara said suddenly, grabbing his hand that's on her hair. The Ice Lord froze, almost as though he just realised what he had been unconsciously doing.
"You feel something for me too, don't you?" She said in a small but determined voice, her eyes staring straight into his brown ones. Nothing else seems to be able to explain this; his protectiveness towards her can't be just out of kindness or pity, can it? And what else can explain all these gestures he subconsciously does? Is it all really just affection for a friend?
Jiyong traced her face with his eyes and saw the perplexed, but sincere look on her face. He wishes to touch her cheek, to admit something that he has already long admitted to himself. But he couldn't. With every passing second that he didn't have an answer for her, he sees the light slowly die out in her eyes again.
"You're so afraid of being happy." Dara said quietly, swallowing down the lump in . She can see it in his eyes, but he wouldn't say it and she won't force him to. This isn't the first rejection she has received from this dude anyway, right?
"I'll check out the standing towers over there." She said dully, turning away.
"I just don't want it to be taken away." A soft mumble behind her made her stopped in her tracks away, and she turned around, to see Jiyong still fixed on the spot, his crimson hair fluttering gently in the night wind as he struggled for words to explain it to her. He was never born with the skills to express himself, but Dara sees the sincerity in his eyes.
She held his gaze for a few moments before Sangchul runs up to his general, panting. Jiyong turned around immediately, his face wiped instantly of the vulnerability that Dara, and only Dara, can see.
"The Taeyangs started firing arrows again!" Sangchul reported urgently.
"Stay here." Jiyong almost commanded to the girl behind him.
"Be careful!" Dara yells after them, the worry and anxiety taking over her again as the two men sprinted off. "Stay safe." She whispered.
"How long have they been doing this?" Jiyong shouts to his right hand man as he retaliated ith an arrow of his own, his hand quickly reaching his back for a second.
"They've been like this for the past 2 days!" Sangchul yells back over the chaos. There are one of two men down on the ground already, but the Dal soldiers seemed better prepared tonight, efficiently deflecting the steady stream of assualt with shields and stacks of hay.
"How long will they keep shooting?" Jiyong asked, firing a fifth one. Behind them their soldiers everywhere are running to the area to reinforce and defend.
"I don't know!" Sangchul answered loudly as he dragged an injured soldier to safety. "We were too busy trying to put out the fire on the towers afterwards!" He yelled, and then froze, his eyes mirroring the Ice Lord's as it hits them.
". Dara." Jiyong whispered in horror as he spung around and darted.
"IT'S A RUSE! FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" Sangchul roared.
My favorite chapter so far.
What will happen next?
You tell me.
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