~ a lily among thorns~

"nothing made sense"

It was not long before Ban-Ryu showed up at the entrance. All the members of the household, besides Jeong-seo's daughter, lined up to bid Nari farewell. She bent down to hug Poong-yeon, whose eyes were evidently drooping with sadness.

"Don't worry, buddy!" she assured him cheerily, hiding her own bitterness to rid him of his. "I'll be back soon."

The little boy hesitated, looking his sister earnestly in the eyes.

"Do you promise?"

Nari interlocked her pinky finger with his.

"I promise."

They gazed lovingly at each other one last time. Nari realised how much of a man Poong-yeon was growing to be, and she smiled proudly. She could hold her head high knowing he was her little brother.

"Well, don't forget me," a croaky voice piped up.

Jeong-seo leant on his walking stick with a chuckle, holding out an arm to hug her. Nari smiled warmly, falling into his loving embrace.

"Thank you," she sighed gratefully. "You've been a refuge for both my brother and me."

Jeong-seo gave Nari a light pat on the back, before placing his hand on her shoulder.

"You be careful out there," he cautioned sternly. "You're no longer under my protection in court. Do not draw any unwanted attention towards yourself."

Nari nodded understandingly, taking a step backwards. The last in line was Yoon-sung, and he greeted her with a teasing smirk.

"Your luggage is with Ban-Ryu. He's waiting at the gate," the guard told her, before holding something out to her.

In his hand was a long wooden bow, accompanied by a satchel filled with arrows.

"Now that you know how to shoot, you may as well put the skill into practice."

Nari took the gift with disbelief, testing how it felt in her grasp.

"Thanks," she beamed, looking back up at the man. "You know, if we hadn't of gotten off on the wrong foot, I think we'd be best friends by now."

"Perhaps," Yoon-sung laughed, before motioning to the door. "Your company is waiting."

Nari smiled, taking in the people before her one last time. She didn't know when she'd see them again, but she was forever grateful for their endless help and care towards her strife. With a smile and a sigh, she turned around, walking out the door into the morning sunshine. Although the sky was blue, the air was still chilly. Her attire did not suit well to the weather. She was wearing the pink dress that Yeo-Wool had bought her. It was the first time she'd put it on, and it fitted her well. She felt the presence of the gold necklace around her neck, and she clutched onto it firmly. Her father was always near her heart. In her other hand, her bow was held securely in her grip. She intended to use it as frequently as possible in Hwarang. Sitting under her gown, she felt the coin and hairpins lightly weigh down a part of her dress. Throughout her stay, she'd tried to figure out some sort of possible answer to the last missing piece, but her efforts had failed. She was still left clueless to the meaning of this secret message.

"Perhaps one day, all things in my life will make sense," Nari thought to herself, closing the door behind her. "I'll kill the king, avenge my mother, figure out this message, find out what happened to my father and bring Poong-yeon back home. Maybe...I'll even pursue Ji-Dwi. Surely I'll be happy after that."

Nari stepped forward towards the gate where Ban-Ryu was waiting, but a small echo of a voice stopped her. She heard Poong-yeon from behind the door laughing and shouting – in retaliation to Yoon-sung she guessed. With a smile, she leant her ear against the door, taking in his giggles for one last time. They faded away eventually, Nari guessing he'd walked into another room. At that, she went to walk again, but a small muffled noise brought her ear back to the door. Nari squinted her eyes, focusing hard on the voices from within. One she identified as Jeong-seo, the other as Yoon-sung.