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“We should set up camp, Princess.”
The former princess Yona found herself crashing back to earth, barely avoiding a collision. Son Hak—although he wasn’t Son anymore, she had to remember that—had stopped in his tracks directly in front of her. She peered around him to survey the small forest clearing before nodding slightly and ducking around Hak to set her luggage down at the base of a nearby tree. The whole time, she felt Hak’s intense gaze on her back, but she refused to look up at him. Ever since they took up their journey again, Yona couldn’t look at Hak without feeling a flush of embarrassment.
I’m asking if you can pay me for my abilities…
His words still rang in her mind, as if he had just spoken. They both knew the answer to that question. There was no way Yona could pay him, and if even she had money, she couldn’t afford to keep him. Many considered Hak the strongest in the land, and for good reason. For anyone else, the Thunder Beast’s services would not come cheap. Yet, when Yona pushed him, Hak broke down and agreed to continue serving her. He was probably doing it out of pity or guilt, and neither of those things sat well with Yona.
“I am going to gather firewood and hunt for dinner, Princess.” Hak’s voice interrupted Yona’s thoughts, causing her to startle slightly for the second time. “There is a river right over there. If you want to bathe now would be a good time.”
Yona nodded silently, and that was all the permission Hak needed before taking up his Hsu Quando and disappearing into the woods. Even though Hak was out of sight, she had no doubt that if she somehow fell into trouble, he would come rescue her. Thinking about it made her shoulders slump. Hak could make a healthy living if he left her behind. Yet, she forced Hak to stick with her while she dragged him down.
The simple fact of it all was that if Yona was going to be a burden on Hak, he deserved some payment for his work. Another fact was that she had no money. Then again, Hak had suggested a different form of compensation. Yona’s stomach flip flopped, but she squared her shoulders. Hak had made sacrifices to stay with her, so she would do whatever it took to keep Hak by her side.
~
The princess was unnaturally quiet. She had been all day. Even though the memories made his heart hurt, Hak found himself thinking about the first few days after they left the castle. Back then, Yona wouldn’t speak, eat, or walk unless he guided her. Thankfully, their current situation wasn’t that bad. The princess had eaten some of her dinner and responded cheerfully whenever Hak talked to her, but her emotions didn’t seem genuine. Now she was sitting quietly, staring off into the distance.
There was something weighing on her mind, and Hak had no way of discerning what it was. Was it lingering feelings for Soo-Won, the loss of her father, worry over the fate of the Wind Tribe, or just anxiety about the future in general? It was impossible to say. The princess had experienced too much misery in such a short time, and the trauma still had apparent effects.
Suddenly, she stood up, facing Hak with a determined look. Hak watched her carefully, making sure that his face gave nothing away. He knew the drill by now. First, the princess would get that fiery look in her eyes. Then, she would demand something of him, and that something usually led to heaps of trouble. Even when he tried to dissuade her, she would win him over no matter how he protested. Hak watched her like a bird of prey as she began to move towards him. The intensity of her gaze seemed to get stronger with each step she took.
“What is it, princess? If you have to piss, I’m not taking you,” was what Hak wanted to say, in hopes of throwing her off before she asked him to do something completely ridiculous. However, he only made it halfway through the first sentence before Yona climbed into his lap with amazing dexterity. Hak immediately choked on his words, fighting to keep his emotions in check.
“Princess, what—?” He stared to say as soon as he was able to form coherent words, but Yona cut him off.
“Earlier, you said you needed payment, right? We both know I don’t have money, so this is the only option. You suggested it yourself after all.”
Hak immediately found himself incapable of thinking straight, probably because his blood was rushing south. Yeah, he had joked about it, but the princess should have known he wasn’t serious and oh god she was starting to untie the ribbon around her clothes shit shit Hak do something!
“No.”
Hak finally sprang into action, his hands moving to catch Yona’s and pull them away from the half undone ribbon. They both sat there for a second, staring wide eyed at each other, unable to move.
“Hak—“
“I said no, Princess.”
Carefully, Hak maneuvered himself out from under her and stood. This was better. Now he was able to breathe and think a little more clearly. He could still feel the heat pooling in his crotch, but he could hide that since Yona wasn’t sitting in his fucking lap anymore, shit, he couldn’t believe that had even happened.
A slight tremor passed through Yona’s body as he looked down at her. She was sitting on the ground now, hunched over, as if in pain.
“Why?” she asked, her voice wavering. “Do you not want me? I thought you said—?”
“Princess.”
Hak knelt before her as he caught her face in his hand, and gently guided it upward so she would look him in the eyes. His eyes locked onto hers, trapping her, even though she looked like wanted nothing more than to crawl in a hole and stay there for the rest of her life.
“Princess, what I want does not matter. You are the daughter of my master, and he commanded me to protect you. Therefore, I will. If you ‘want me’ that is more than enough payment for me.”
The princess nodded, her eyes becoming a little less watery. That was much better. Now, Hak just had to get her back in good spirits.
“Besides, if you wanna get a man in bed you have to do a better job of propositioning him. At least say something sexy instead of just plopping down on him.”
“Why you—!” The princess flew at Hak in one of her rages, yelling and cursing at him as he easily dodged all her attacks. He let their little game continue for a few minutes before gently patting her Yona’s head, causing her to snap out of her rage.
“Go to sleep, Princess. We still have a long journey ahead of us before we find this priest.”
She flushed slightly and nodded, retying her dress as she returned to her bedroll. She curled up under the covers and soon her breathing evened out as she fell fast asleep. Hak took his normal post, sitting against a tree as he continued to watch her. His sharp eyes focused on the slight rise and fall of her chest as she slumbered. It may have been a bit creepy, but he desperately needed the distraction. He couldn’t afford to think too much, or he’d find himself wanting things he knew he could never have.
Yona—no—the princess was not for him. Even now when she had leaves in her hair, dirt on her face, and callouses on her hands and feet, Hak still saw the resplendent princess of the Kouka kingdom. He desperately wished he could show the world what had happened to her, so that they might take pity and take her back to the world where she belonged. That was a foolish wish. That man had taken a normal life away from her, leaving Hak with no choice but to push his needs aside. He would take care of the princess, becoming her sword and her shield for as long as he lived.
And swords and shields were mere tools. They didn’t require payment.