This week's update's a little late, Mian~

  Speechless, Dara watched as Soo Hyuk walked through the royal doors and onto the purple, persian-looking patterned carpet that they are standing upon. With him being in that gear and crown, she realised how similar he look to his brother that tried to kill her....

  Soo Hyuk gave off a different feeling. He no longer had that playful and cheekiness hanging on his face, but rather a heavy sense of responsibility. He glanced around the great hall, as if he's gauging the wealth of the Dal's royal family, his eyes briefly lingering on the casket of the deceased King that is now being draped with a maroon velvet cloth, but he didn't show any sign of emotions. Dara watched him silently, remembering how he had explained while they were eating, with a strand of noodle hanging by the side of his mouth and his hair messy, how he disliked the royal government of Dal because of how corrupted they are. Dara quickly shut that memeory out. Even that is painful now.

  His wandering gaze caught sight of Dara and halted on her aruptly. His eye are now laced with a layer of shock and surprise, as if he didn't plan on seeing her there, yet relieved that she is standing there, all alright. 

  "I'll wait for you outside." Dara said quietly to Jiyong, who had been observing the two intently. The shock and surprise in Soo Hyuk's eyes quickly turned into a guilt and pain filled one as Dara turned away.

  Soo Hyuk wasn't listening much to the peace negotiation. He tried and he wanted to, but his mind is now comletely disorientated by the earlier presence of her. Is she still outside? It's cold out there. She's still mad at me. Does she believe that I didn't knew that my brother would be planning a slaughter? Does she believe my words? Will she ever believe my words again? She couldn't breathe that day, why? How is she now?

  He vaguely heard what the Dal side wants: Compensation for everyone in Dal that are affected and a treaty to swear that the Taeyang government would be responsible to these people for a lifetime. That is nothing but common sense to Soo Hyuk. Ofcourse they should pay for the wreckage they've caused. 

  But they also want tributes. Annual tributes to Dal royal family as a show of apology for the next decade, comprising of 100 healthy, strong horses, 20 thousand tales of silver and 10 of their most beautiful women to be sent to become concubines or palace ladies. This request made even the other 3 Dal prince frown in disapproval. Why exactly does the royal family have to receive anything at all? This is absurd. 

  The commotion behind those crimson doors got louder and louder as both parties argued about the validity of such a request. Dara spared those doors a worried glance as there was another heated arguement that broke out. From outside, she couldn't hear anything but muffled voices. 

  The doors were rather violently pushed open as Soo Hyuk stormed out ten minutes later, his servants nervously trotting behing him. The final compromise was that the Taeyangs would pay tribute for 7 years instead of 10, and there would be no human tributes involved. Even that, he couldn't understand the new King's reason other than greed. They did nothing, sent nothing while the Taeyangs were slaughtering the people in the Fire City that night. But for the sake of peace, the way his advisors had put it, he agreed grudgingly.

  The long hallway outside the main grand hall was empty. Isn't  supposed to be waiting here? He frowned, his feet following the path of the long hallway down to the Palace Garden. The Palace Garden was a sight to behold, with flowers of thousand different colors blooming in delight all in one place. Bird chripped brightly above on the branches, and in the middle of all those flowers was the back view of a curious girl who had stepped into the bushes to see how all these plants co-existed together. 
 

  The best friend he had. The only friend he'll ever have.
 

  The new Crown Prince of Taeyang swallowed a lump in his throat.

  Oblivious to someone observing her, Dara picked up a white, semi translucent flower with large petals between her fingers carefully. It looks almost like it is crafted with snow. She gaped at the beauty of it and glanced down at the plaque that was planted beside it. 

          KIKO FLOWER. A GIFT FROM THE KINGDOM OF PYUL.

  "Whoa. Even the flower named after her is this pretty." Dara sighed, raising a brow, before  continuing her stroll into the glass greenhouse that belongs to Lady Kim that stored dead, porcelain roses. She wonders what's taking the negotiation this long. Is it not going smoothly, judging by all the quarreling in there? What if there is really a war? The thought almost tied a knot in her stomach as she quickly waved it away.   

  Something smooth and silky fell on her shoulders gently and Dara spun around to see Soo Hyuk. Almost instinvely, she retracted her steps back as her eyes widen in shock. In response, Soo Hyuk winced. She's afraid of me now.

  "It's cold out here." Soo Hyuk started, his voice hesitant. 

  Dara tore her round eyes away from him and to her shoulders, where he had draped his own gold-colored cape on her. She swallowed, and gingerly peeled it off her back before handing it back to him.

  A small part of him withered. 

  Dara stared at the man before her. She had always knew that Soo Hyuk was good looking beneath all the dirt on his face and the childish act he puts up. But he looks different today. His usually untidy hair was slicked to the back of his head neatly without a strand out of place, and on top of it sat his shimmering crown. He was well-built underneath that armor he wore. His features seem sharper than ever now that he's groomed and tidied. Yet, whats wrong? Why does he feel so different? Why does he feel like such a stranger? It feels like the Soo Hyuk that she knew no longer exists and the one standing in front of her is merely someone who shares the same face as him.

  "Are you-" Soo Hyuk tried again, but this time, another voice cut him across from behind him.

  "She's fine." 

  It was Jiyong, who emerged behind Soo Hyuk, casting him a glare before cupping Dara's shoulders.

  "I'm done now, lets go back."

  "Don't get into fights like this alone." Soo Hyuk blurted out behind them.

  Dara halted in her tracked and Jiyong raised his head to look at her. Dara's lips trembled a little. 

  "Remember when you said that?" Soo Hyuk asked hopefully.

  Dara turned around to look at him, not realising that as she did, Jiyong's hands slid off her shoulders. What's with this walking down the memory lane. It's making her tear up. 

  "You're still my first friend." Soo Hyuk finishes, smiling a little.

  Dara couldn't bring herself to hate him. The anger and resent in her had long been extinguished, and she knew that the only reponsibilty he holds for that massacre was to leak the information that Jiyong and his men weren't going to be in town that night. But all the lies he had told her, his birth, his occupation, why he ended up in Dal even though he obviously didn't look like one, he had told them without battling an eyelid. How is she supposed to believe what's real and what's not?

  "I don't know what to believe." Dara said hoarsely.

  Behind her, there was a sound of the glass door being shut, leaving them alone now.

  "You just have to ask." Soo Hyuk pleaded. 

  Dara inhaled deeply.

  "You were the one who burned the towers, real or not real?"

  "Real."

  Those pair of familiar looking eyes she saw when she was beneath it... They were familiar because they belonged to him. 

  "You didn't... set the last one aflame because I was below it..?"

  "You'd get hurt." Soo Hyuk said softly.

  "You were working for Taeyang all these while."

  "Real."

  "I saw that mark on your chest before. You lied about it."

  "Yes." Soo Hyuk whispered.

  "You got close to me in order to get closer to the Ice Lord?" Dara asked, holding her breath for the truth.

  "At first... yes." Soo Hyuk admitted. Dara felt a soft nibbling pain. How stupid she must have seemed. She actually made his job easier by being such a nosey idiot.

  "We were never friends...." She murmured to herself.

  "Not real."

  His slightly raised voice startled her and she glanced up. "Other than  who I am and why I'm here, I didn't lie about anything else. I didn't know what its like having friends? Real. I didn't want you to get hurt? Real. That stall down the marketplace is my favorite place to get food? Real. I didn't know they were going to trampled on the Fire City like this? Real."

  Dara swallowed.

  "And I really like you." Soo Hyuk ended, his voice quiet now.

  There was a heavy silence hanging in the air as Dara processed his words. There's just one last thing left.

  "You never wanted Jiyong dead."

  Soo Hyuk opened his mouth, but realised he couldn't exactly answer that. While he never made attempts for the Ice Lord's life, having him eventually killed was part of his spying motives that were issued to him. He never wanted or not wanted him dead. 

  Dara's heart got heavier and heavier as the seconds ticked by. Realising that Soo Hyuk is unable to answer, she turned around sadly.

  "Then I can't trust you." She said.

  The ride home was a tense one. No one said a word. Jiyong was waiting for Dara by the stallion when she walked out of the green house. He didn't say anything when he helped her up the horse nor asked about Dara and Soo Hyuk's conversation. On the other hand, Dara was silently thinking about everything that Soo Hyuk had said.

  Even the servants sensed something off when they arrived. Jiyong's face was expressionless while Dara simply looked out of it. They didn't queried. Everyone knew that the late King's sudden passing must've been a blow to them.

  "Jiyong..." Dara called out after her bath, and Jiyong, who was in the study, looked up.

  "Is something wrong?" She asked.

  He stared at her for a moment. It feels like there is a small beast gnawning and scrathing inside him, but as soon as she asked, it sighed in defeat and turned away.

  "No." He said pressedly, going back to his scrolls.

  "But-" She began worriedly but was cut off short by a small tugging at the hem of her robes. She looked down to see a Doodoong that is in tears.

  "Dara Noona, Jisoo Noona went to look for my noona but now I can't find Jisoo Noona too." He hiccupped.

  Right, she havent seen Jisoo in the residence today.

  "Since morning?" Dara frowned. Doodoong nodded.  

  No way, knowing Jisoo, she would be back by now to prepare dinner with her sense of responsibility. Something must've caught her up.

  "Did she went to your house? Do you know how to go there?" Dara probed, and to her relief, Doodoong knew. "Bring me there."

  "I'll go with you." Jiyong said behind her, standing up. It's almost nightfall, its not safe with the current situation outside.

  Dara nodded.

  They had barely stepped into the front yard when the loud noise of another horse screeching to a stop almost pierced their ears. A figure leaped off from the stallion and ran straight into the house, bumping into Jiyong's chest before throwing her hood off to reveal the Princess of Pyul, her cheeks rosy from the hurry.

  She grabbed Jiyong's arms, her eyes wild. Jiyong had never seen her like that before, she is usually calm and out of it, never really like she's listening to anyone.

  Dara watched with gaping and her inside stirring with a small, uncomfortable sensation as they interacted so closely. Doodoong looked at the trio and decided that Dara was going to stay and watch, and he ran out to look for his noona alone.

  Dara gasped at Doodoong's escapade before turning her eyes back on the two. There's nothing here for her to stay or help. She tore her eyes awa from them and ran out after the child, calling his name.

  "Da-" Jiyong began, but Kiko gripped him even tighter, forcing him to look at her.

  "Help me." She whispered in a low, unsteady voice. "Help my sister."