Treasonous Heart

I watch the spring go by and wonder

If I shall ever return home

- Tu Fu

Another Spring (713 - 770)

The village they are to depart from is only a ghost of the warm cheer that had welcomed them. Seol wears a noblewoman's winter hat with its veil obscuring her face. Min Ha had brought it over, dictating that being a sacred boned imperial princess - a scratch on her face would be considered a bad omen - even if the said scratch would heal without leaving a trace behind.

If she had thought she wouldn't have to appeal for Seo's aid anymore that he would wait by Woo prepared to help her mount, Seol could be no more wrong. Men who had joined them from Grand Prince Munwon's keep up in the center of Cheongju had reinforced the guard. Among their clashing uniforms of blood reds and dark blues making a pleasant contrast she couldn't find Seo.

"Where is General Kang?" She asks the captain of the guard. The man is suffering minor cuts and bruises himself. Seol wonders how many more new injuries Seo had sustained. It pains her to think that her stubbornness had ended up causing more damage than originally sustained. The man points her towards the inn's backyard, his expression wrought with guilt.

"This servant deserves death for allowing your beautiful face to be scratched - mama, I have failed in my duty."

"You have fought bravely and protected everyone including me," Seol reassures him. "Your duty is more than fulfilled. Please do not despair a minor scratch that would disappear in a day or two."

With that she takes her leave, in search of Seo. But She runs into Yul first. Yul is leaning against an old gnarled tree, watching Seo who is engrossed in target practice. As she approached her brother is the first to look up.

'What is happening here?" She asks Yul. The boy shakes his head.

``There is more than one man here you think they have failed you, sister," he replies. His eyes swim with concern, even as his expression remains passive. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm fine," Seol swallows. "How are you - Yul - ah?"

"Better," he says briskly. "I feel better after speaking with General Kang. But he has his own ghosts. Maybe he needs to be spoken to, himself."

"You think so?" Seol is uncertain.

Yul nods and turns to leave, then as if in an afterthought he looks back at her.

"Will you invite me to your home sister? Your home in the North?"

The way he phrases the question is all peculiar. Seol frowns. Yul had a strange ability of coming up with peculiar quips, questions, answers to which people only found out too late. It aided his reputation being foggy in Songak. People did not like the psychic vibe that he gave out.

"We are going to North Yul - ah, aren't we?"

Yul shakes his head and smiles faintly.

"I'd love to live with you - and to learn from General Kang. If you ever feel inclined."

With that he leaves, humming a merry tune under his breath and Seol makes her way towards Seo. An arrow buzzes through the air, finding and lodging itself neatly in the dead center of the target.

Another, another and another more follow in rapid succession.

Then three more are shot at the same time. The twilight is imminent and the archer alone and brooding, shines in the russet glory of the sunset. Seol hates it, how the bleeding sun in turn makes Seo look bloodied. It looks ominous and reminds her of the numerous injuries scattered on his back.

"Enough now," she called from the side, hands folded to curb the urge to pull him away from there. He ignores her continuing to shoot arrow after blasted arrow splitting his own perfect shot from before. "Stop it!"

The hum of his next shot masks the sound of her marching up to him, uncaring of the arrow that brushes past her ear, as the perfect reminder of the arrow that had given her the cut the previous night. Seol stops there, in front of his target, an eyebrow arched in muted challenge, even when he couldn't see it behind the veil that obscures her face.

Kang Seo clenches his jaw, his silver eyes shifting from the target to her face. He pauses for a moment and a smile threatens to break through her pursed lips. He is as tense as the pulled back bow in his hand. His mouth twitches.

"Move," he says without a shred of respect.

"I am Wang Seol, first princess of Goryeo - I command you to stop and talk to me!"

Insolently he tilts his head and shoots - the nerve of him! It takes off the ornament dangling from her hat and dark folds of the veil flap in the air.

Seol huffs in anger but the man is already lowering his bow, his jaw clenched into a line of displeasure. She is too busy trying to hold the veil in place that she misses him approaching her.

He looks exquisite framed in the setting sun, Seol looks up and finds her throat parched. There is a stinging scratch on her cheek where the arrow had brushed past her the night before. It throbs in reminder when the wind brushes against her cheek. Seo lowers his head, bringing their eyes to a level and with the tips of his fingers lifts the veil obstructing her view. His fingers leave the veil draped over the rim of her hat and curl on her chin, turning her face to the side to examine the arrow cut cheek.He traces the cut with one bronze digit.

"You were supposed to move," he says quietly.

She raises her chin and meets his eye. Unyielding and starless on the glittering silver.

"I'm the wolf dog's daughter. It takes more than an arrow to faze me."

"Reckless," he comments.

"Insolent," she shoots back.

He bites the inside of his cheek and looks away, his hand dropping to his side. She snatches it back, concerned. "You are hurt! Again!" She huffs.

"Nothing I didn't deserve."

"Kang Seo -!"

The silver eyes meet the darker ones, in the falling night they glitter like starlight.

"I was supposed to keep you away from the envoy, from reminders of war - from things that you fear…" he confesses. To her secret delight he doesn't snatch back his hand. "I failed."

"It doesn't matter -"

"You don't understand," he sounds frustrated with himself. "That man has designs for you that should not see the light of the day. I was supposed to keep you clear from his path. I should have known the man would bring war with him and you will get drawn in. If Shinju wages war you will have to leave."

"Where shall I go?"

He shrugs, blank faced.

"Silla."

"Are you disappointed?"

"Disappointed?" He chuckles darkly. Those silver eyes flash as if something had snapped inside him. He cups her face with one calloused palm.

"Fool," he hisses. "I'm devastated."

Her lips part to a shattered exhale.

"Seo..."

His hand trails across her cheek and fingers wave through her hair. His forehead rests against hers.

"Let me steal a moment, just one." he mutters. "I need to pick pieces of myself."

It's treason to steal from the princess, words dance at the tip of her tongue and the man she would allow to get away with her life begs only for a mere moment. A tear pricks at her eye and slides down her cheek, stinging acidically on the thin, half healed cut. Ask me to stay, she begs him silently. Say the words.

But then he never says and the moment is lost, home is lost.

*