We saw fiery arrows showering followed by a couple of horsemen. The villagers were screaming and running to save themselves from the fire.
"We have been attacked!" Mother-in-law said, "Soyoung, you stay here...I will deal with them."
"But mother, I want to help too...." I said.
"No...I promised my sons to protect you in their absence. Thus, you are not leaving this house till I return," She looked at Wook and Iseul, "You both take care of her-"
"MISTRESS! WE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY THE KING'S MEN!" Seojun came and informed.
"King's men? Here as well?" I frowned, "Mother let me-"
I was cut off by mother-in-law, "Seojun, protect her!"
Mother-in-law locked us four inside the house and went to deal with the men so that I can't leave the place.
"MOTHER...LET ME HELP YOU...YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THEM...PLEASEEE!!!!" I banged on the door and yelled but there was no response.
I ran towards the window to see what was happening.
"HOW DID YOU ALL COME HERE?" Mother-in-law asked the men.
"We followed a woman...haha.." One of them replied.
"They have followed me!" Iseul gasped, "Oh my God...I am so sorry...I am the reason your village is being destroyed..." She apologized to Seojun with tears in her eyes.
Seojun looked hurt seeing his village burn down as he replied to Iseul with a deep sigh, "I don't think it is because of you...it is just fate...our fate..."
"It is not fate! It is me! I am the one because of whom all these are happening...the king clearly wants to end me and that is why he has sent the knights away, captured my family, and now is burning the village down..."
"WHO ARE YOU, WOMAN? AND WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO STOP US? GO AND CALL THE MASTER OF THIS VILLAGE!" One of the men yelled.
"I AM THE MASTER OF THIS VILLAGE!!!" She said while shooting arrows at them. Many villagers gathered around her and started fighting against the king's men.
"YOU HAVE COMMITTED A CRIME BY CREATING A VILLAGE FOR OUTCASTS...THERE SHALL BE NO VILLAGE FOR OUTCASTS! HENCE BY THE KING'S ORDERS, WE ARE BURNING DOWN THIS VILLAGE!!!!" He declared, "MEN! SHOOT THE FIERY ARROWS EVERYWHERE AND BURN DOWN THE HOUSES!"
They started shooting more fiery arrows and the whole village started burning.
"SEOJUN!! LET ME OUT! I MUST DO SOMETHING!" I pleaded.
"My sorry, my lady...but I cannot!" He apologized.
"Milady is capable of protecting herself and the whole village....you must let her out!" Wook argued.
"I am afraid that I can't let you all out no matter what you say!" Seojun made himself clear.
"AHHHH!!!" I saw that the villagers were now shooting fiery arrows at the king's men.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK? ONLY YOU KNOW HOW TO SHOOT FIERY ARROWS?" One man yelled.
Some of the king's men were burned alive.
"See...our villagers are enough to protect all of us! do not worry!" Seojun said.
"ENOUGH!!" One of the king's men grabbed mother-in-law and held his sword against her neck, "PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS RIGHT NOW OR ELSE SHE WILL BE BEHEADED!"
"DO NOT PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN! FIGHT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT...DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ME!" Mother-in-law yelled as the villagers looked at each other.
"PUT THEM DOWN RIGHT NOW!!!" He said again and pressed the blade to her neck, making a small cut. She hissed in pain.
The villagers slowly put their weapons down and surrendered themselves.
"NO NO...WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?! DO NOT SURRENDER!" She pleaded but the villagers stood there bowing their heads.
"That's like good citizens!" The man smirked.
"Milady...." Tears rolled down from Sejoun's eyes.
"I can't let this happen...Jeongguk just reunited with his mother...I can't let her die...Wook, give me your dagger!" I said.
"Oh, so she is Jeongguk's mother?!" Iseul asked and I nodded.
As Wook gave me his dagger, I made a small cut with it on my fingertip.
"What are you doing, milady?" Seojun asked.
"Doing what needs to be done...." I tore a piece of my dress and wrote a letter with my blood.
"Soyoung, please don't take any steps hastily..." Iseul said.
"I know what I am doing...'If you can't work against your enemy, work with them'" I said while wrapping the letter around the dagger.
"Huh? What?" Iseul asked.
"I once saw a theatrical drama with Hosung and the drama taught me that if I can't work against my enemy, I must work with him...seems like that time has come..." I said.
Seojun, "Milady, you must not-"
"You will not stop me!" I glared at him.
"Ok but at least allow us to attend you to wherever you are going and whatever you are planning to do," Wook bowed and the other three bowed too.
I sighed, "Fine!"
"Lady, we know that lady Soyoung is here....where is she?" The king's man asked.
"I would rather die than tell you all...." She said.
"Ok...then so be it!" The men forced her to kneel and were about to behead her.
That's when I threw the dagger. It hit the king's man's hand and landed on the ground.
"AHH!" The man dropped his sword and looked here and there to locate who attacked him.
"Sir, there is a letter!" Another man pointed.
3rd person POV
The king's man finally spotted the four of them near the window, "BURN THAT HOUSE DOWN...AND BRING THE PEOPLE HERE!" He said and picked up the letter as the other men started to run towards the house where Soyoung was.
"NO!!!!" Jeongguk's mother yelled.
"RUN AWAY FROM HERE AND MEET ME AT THE PALACE YOU THREE!" Soyoung said and ran towards the bathing chamber.
WOOK, "MILADY-"
"I know you all are here for me....if you all promise to not hurt villagers, I will myself go and meet your king but if any of them dies, you all will never be able to find me, and as a result of which, your king will put you all to death!" The king's man silently read the letter.
"WOOK! SEOJUN! LET HER GO...SHE WILL BE FINE. WE MUST LISTEN TO HER AND RUN AWAY FROM HERE!" Iseul stopped the men from following me.
Soyoung ran into the bathing chamber and jumped towards the window. She came out from the window as queen and landed on a tree branch.
"WE CANNOT LEAVE YOU-" Seojun came into the bathing chamber but was shocked to see that only her dress was lying on the floor. Just then the roof of the house started burning.
