life may not be fair but it sure is beautiful

Duty and longing

Dear Wangohan-sshi;

My servants have told me that you were sent to train to Qin for nine moons when I tried to summon you to have tea with me. Therefore, I only got loneliness and a feeling of false warmth from today's tea. I am sad that your training is separating us but I am keeping my posture as the princess and acting mature about this. I know that this doesn't mean that you are gone for good. I am only saddened that I will be having those teas that we drink together only by myself. I will be missing you and your oh-so respectful words.

Sadly, this is the only letter I can send to you during these moons. I would love to hear from you, but do not mistake this wish of mine as a command. I would hate to put you in a tough spot during your training.

I wish you the best of luck to you. I am confident that you will bring our kingdom nothing but pride.

Princess Jiwoo of the Kim Dynasty, your friend.

Jungeun held the paper neatly while her horse made his way into their kingdom's grounds for the first time in months. She missed everything about her home. Her mother's cooking, Taeyeon's silent caretaking, her father's subtle compliments, and having tea with her friend.

She felt a blush creeping up to her cheeks, making her too embarrassed even to think. She was not in love with the princess. Just acting as a boy all her life has finally caught up to her and made her see the princess in a different way. A way that made her shine as she walked to their garden, a way that gathered the attention to her crimson lips while she blew the steam of her tea, a way that made her hair glisten under the sunlight as she tucked some of it behind her ear. It was a dangerous and glamorous way.

Her eyes scanned the horizon to guess the distance to the capital. She had at least one more day until she could make it to her home. The things she had missed conquering her thoughts, she became much more determined to make it home early.

She had missed a lot.

"Are you ready to prove yourself, young man? Are you enough to protect your princess?" the king asked raising his voice. The day Jungeun has waited since she was 7 had come. She would be put to test in front of the king to be Jiwoo's guard. She was beaming with anticipation.

"I dare say that I am, your majesty. I will put my life on the line for the princess' safety and honor. I will do my duty if you assign me to it, your highness." She said bowing while holding her swords handle.

"Then I will challenge you with this country's finest warriors. If you can unarm or knock down all of them, your duty and destiny will be set beside the princess." The king said, gesturing for those warriors to come out to the courtyard. "Prove yourself, Kim Junghyun."

You can do this, Kim Jungeun! She thought to herself, drawing her sword.

Five men, she counted, armed with swords and daggers were coming towards her like she was a meek prey to be eaten. If Jungeun attacked first she would have a disadvantage so she waited. Her eyes met the princess' for a second, her brown eyes shaking with fear but her expression gave her the courage she needed. Jungeun nodded her head lightly, she had a fight to win.

One of those men finally drew his sword and charged at her. Jungeun took a second to analyze his movement as she dodged his attack. He was obviously a man of sheer power, not very much strategy behind his moves. Jungeun smirked, it was too bad for the man, moving without thinking had severe consequences when faced with someone like her. She watched the man gather his balance in the blink of an eye and charge once again. Jungeun knew if she didn't practice many hours dodging her father's sword she would be cut in half. This man sure had a lot of strength but Jungeun was fast.

Thanking her teacher back in Qin inside, Jungeun rotated her body as she jumped. Her right foot knocked the man's sword from his grasp and only a second after her left foot collided with his head. He wasn't knocked out but he lost his sword. Her sword still in her hand, Jungeun pointed at the man's throat with it the second her feet landed on the ground. He held his hands up and exited the courtyard. Four left, she thought. Two men that looked alike, looked at each other a second before they charged together towards her. Using her small built to her advantage she quickly dodged them as well.

These two kept her busy for a few minutes before she jumped towards one and placed her hand on his shoulder to jump over him and knock the other out with a kick. This time, thanks to this man being leaner than the man before, the man she kicked fell to the ground, his eye closed. Without wasting a second she swung her sword towards the other and the sound of metal clashing filled her ears. She turned around herself and tried to smash into the man's stomach with her elbow but he dodged her this time.

A few minutes later the man was laying on the ground, his hands in the air, his sword away from him, and Jungeun's at his throat.

Overwhelmed with a fake sense of victory, she missed the way one of the two men left standing was making his way towards her. The man wasn't that well-built this time, he was somehow skinny which made him move more freely. He was so fast that Jungeun didn't even see his sword coming straight at her. The weapon crashed at her skull with a loud thud.
For a few seconds, all Jungeun could hear was her own heartbeats and the princess' anxious screams. Terrified of disappointing her princess, she got back on her feet as quickly as she could and tried to control her breathing. She was capable of winning this fight.
Even though the two men were teaming up against her she didn't feel scared. Gathering up all of her rage and desire to win she attacked.