~ a lily among thorns~

"it becomes a weakness"

Nari skipped chirpily alongside Ban-Ryu as they began their journey to the city outskirts. Few words were exchanged between the two, Nari's head instead being consumed with happy thoughts about Poong-yeon. Every once in a while, Ban-Ryu would glance over to where she was beside him, having to make sure she was still actually there. His eyes would be met with her cheery smile, and he would grin slightly at the girl's anticipation.

Nari had left Hwarang in a thick purple coat, her bag strung over her shoulder and her hair done up neatly in a tight round bun. Now, her locks hung loosely around her neck, her appearance becoming more feminine the further away they got. Somewhere along the way, Ban-Ryu had offered to carry her things, and now Nari's hands were free to pick the winter flowers that grew petitely on the side of the road and pluck their pale lilac petals which all held a very sweet distinctive aroma. This aroma reminded the girl of the many winters she'd walked through meadows with her father, to find flowers for her mother back home. She clung to the nostalgic smell dearly.

Around an hour into the pair's journey, a cool change began to set in, causing rosy cheeks and runny noses from the icy breeze. Nari had never gotten used to the cold weather, and as the temperature continued to drop, she confided more and more in the coat that was wrapped tightly around her. Eventually, her whole body had begun to shiver, and she held closely to Ban-Ryu who seemed relatively unfazed by the chilly air.

"It's not that cold," Ban-Ryu suddenly remarked as his ears picked up on her teeth now beginning to chatter.

"I'm-I'm freezing," Nari stammered, the words barely leaving her lips.

Ban-Ryu thought for a moment, concluding that the only way to warm her small figure was to distract her with a conversation.

"Whose house are we travelling to?" he asked, having been given only directions to their destination.

"An-an old friend of my-my mother's," Nari answered with a cold stutter, her wavy blonde hair flicking in the increasing wind.

"He lives a fair way out of the city," Ban-Ryu continued. "How often does he journey into town?"

"N-never," Nari stated with a sniff, her nose continuously running. "Once you see him, you'll understand why. He sends his servants instead."

Ban-Ryu raised his eyebrows with surprise.

"Servants?" he asked. "He must be wealthy."

Nari gave a little nod.

"As are-are all the retired court officials," she uttered quietly.

Ban-Ryu's mouth dropped slightly.

"A retired court official? How did he know your mother?"

Nari tucked her windswept hair behind her ears.

"It was really my-my father who had made his-his acquaintance," Nari began, but hesitated shortly after, cautiously considering how much to share. Once concluding that Ban-Ryu was her friend, not foe, she continued her story. "My mother's business spiked when f-folks found out her husband was a foreigner. People f-flocked from all corners of the c-country to see him. Hwang Jeong-seo, later to be our f-friend, travelled from the court to marvel at F-father. Except, unlike the others, he wasn't j-just there to gawk. He set up a business deal with my-my grandfather and became very close with my family. My parents thought him to be a v-very interesting man, kind with a golden heart, yet very intelligent, competitive and sometimes even hard-headed."

Ban-Ryu nodded his head slowly, processing all the information he'd been given.

"So, does this 'Hwang Jeong-seo' know what has...has happened to your family?" he questioned solemnly.