A/N: Sorry for such a late update again, man this school stuff really be doing me in. Anyway, here it is, the second to last chapter! Hope you enjoy!
TW: mentions of violence and blood, but it's not extreme
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A terrible sense of déjà vu overcame Mina as she stood in the main building of the palace. The position reminded her of her nightmare from a few weeks ago. It was a cold day in January, the sun was barely up, and her father was absent from his throne. Exactly how her nightmare began. The only difference was that she was presently alone, standing with her own thoughts.
Mina was just being paranoid. Chaeyoung was fine, standing right outside. Far from how she ended up in that nightmare. Dead in her arms. In turn, causing her to no longer put up a fight. It was only a dream, but, because of what she did, in a way, she thought what those villagers said to her and her brother all those years ago was right. A coward, disgrace, ruiner, didn't belong.
"In my opinion, the rumors about you are baseless. It was really brave of you to say something. I don't think many would have."
She suddenly remembered Chaeyoung's words from that day. Back before they even knew each other. Back before they had a real conversation. She never fully believed in destiny, but maybe this was it. Maybe they were meant to be, despite it all. That was something she wanted to believe.
"My daughter, are you okay?" her father asked as he went to sit on the throne.
Mina turned to face him. "Just thinking."
"Mun for your thoughts?"
"I had a nightmare about something terrible happening on a day quite like this. Right here, in this building. The throne was vacant. I lost a battle, my lover died in my arms. They walked past me and took the throne. I couldn't fight."
"I see. If a battle does occur, be rest assured, I'm not going out without a fight. This throne will not be vacant. I'll be here at dawn if that's what it takes. And I'm sure you know, but your lover is right outside that door," her father looked at his watch, "and her shift is about to end. Perhaps get your mind off of this nightmare. Dreams rarely come true."
Mina chuckled. "Very subtle, father."
He shrugged with a smile. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a happy ending. And if there's one I'm fighting for, it's my children's. I've failed you guys one too many times. But, there's one thing I'll promise. I'll fight for everything I hold dear or die trying."
Mina, despite being adverse to fighting, agreed with the sentiment. If there was ever a situation in which she was forced to defend what she held dear, she would fight every time. No matter what.
"Well, I normally don't like fighting, but in this case, I'll make an exception. You are not getting there that easily." I said that in my nightmare. It felt so real. Because that's exactly what I would do. I would fight and protect that throne with all I had.
Her father banged his fist on the armrest of the throne. "Mina! Stop! What did I just say? I can practically hear you thinking from here. I'm this close to getting up and just pushing you out of that door and letting Guard Son deal with all of your paranoia."
Mina looked up in realization at her father's words. "She doesn't deserve that."
"Then take a deep breath and get out of your own head!"
That sounded like an order and one thing Mina never disobeyed was an order. She sucked in a breath, feeling her lungs expand, and let it out slowly, resulting in a deeper sigh than expected. It actually helped a fair amount. Her mind still swirled with a magnitude of thoughts, but her nightmare was no longer at the forefront.
"Thank you. I'll take my leave then," Mina said.
"Have a good day." Her father waved her farewell and made a shooing motion.
Mina chuckled at that but nodded and stepped out of the building. She looked to the side but a different guard stood in place of Chaeyoung.
"Good day, your highness," they greeted with a bow.
Mina gave a greeting in turn and looked up to see that the change just occurred as Chaeyoung was walking away from the post and was some steps in front of her. Walking a little faster to catch up to her, she grabbed her wrist when she did and started dragging her.
"What the..." Chaeyoung trailed off, noticing who was dragging her.
"Guess I caught you off-guard," Mina laughed.
Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Haha, very funny."
"Let's go to the well again."
"All of the sudden?"
"We never got to make a wish last time."
"I suppose that's true. But, is that really necessary? I already have everything I could ever wish for right here in front of me."
"Even so, will you still accompany me?"
"Of course."
So, they went. It was this kind of unspoken agreement between them. Words held a lot of meaning, but simply saying nothing at all did much the same in their eyes. Silence also conveyed feelings.
They didn't know why, but when they got there, the well looked different at night when they last saw it compared to now. The same power was still there, but for some reason, it was louder at this moment. It seemed much more alive.
"It isn't your imagination," they heard a voice in their heads.
"Did you hear that?" Mina asked.
"Yeah," Chaeyoung said.
"You should. Only protectors do. But you're right, I am more alive during the day, much like the majority of the population. For how long I've been here, night markets have always been a confusing concept to me. I have no clue how those people are able to live that way. But to each their own, I only have the capacity to judge greed and impure intentions. Those people are out of my reach," the voice said.
"Huh?" They both sported confused expressions.
"I thought you were smarter than this." This time said in the king's voice.
"Ah, I get it. The same voice from that dream that wasn't actually a dream. The one that sounded like the king, but wasn't him," Chaeyoung said.
"Do you understand now? What's right in front of you? The full extent of my magic?"
"The well. It's the well," Mina said in realization.
"Took you long enough. Now, heed this warning. What is destroyed can eventually be rebuilt with time, but what is lost can't be so easily found again."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You'll soon find out, some dreams do become reality."
Oh. Exactly the thing I was dreading.
Mina didn't want to make a wish anymore. Instead, she took the mun she had and crouched down to carve her initials into the base of the well. A more permanent mark. As she tried to find an open spot, she noticed familiar initials. Her lover had already marked it in the past. Of course, it only made sense. They lived vastly different lives back then. Unlike Chaeyoung who had lived near the village almost her whole life, and had the time to spend making her mark, this was a chance she never got until this moment. So, she took it, carving her initials in the space next to Chaeyoung's, in between another set of initials she didn't know: P.CW. There was probably an interesting story there, as with everyone else who carved their initials here, but it wasn't for her to tell. It wasn't her place.
"Indeed. They all have interesting stories."
"I can only imagine." Mina stood up.
"You know, one of your friends also marked me."
"Who?"
"I'll leave that one up to you."
"No straight answers, huh?"
"I don't think that is what it does," Chaeyoung chimed, hearing the entire exchange.
"I wish I could give you one, but I have secrets to keep too."
"That's fair," Mina said. She turned to Chaeyoung. "When did you mark it?"
"I think it was after we stopped sending each other letters. I spent a lot of time waiting here, hoping I would see you again. One day, and I apologize, but I just got tired of waiting, so I marked the well, hoping maybe, someday, you'll see it. Did I expect today would be that day? No. But, I am glad you were able to."
"Me too."
Nothing else needed to be said.
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There was a plan set in motion from the beginning. The day the palace burned was inevitable. Much of the guard knew that, but especially Jeongyeon and Nayeon. It was the former's goal ever since she came to the palace to sit on that throne. It was only a matter of time.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nayeon asked.
"Are you? What's with the sudden doubts?" Jeongyeon asked.
"To be honest, I have a bad feeling about this."
Jeongyeon kissed Nayeon's forehead. "It'll be okay. We have a plan."
Nayeon sighed. "I know we do. I'm just not so sure anymore."
"Do you trust me?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course, I do."
"Then, let's go."
Nayeon nodded as she readied herself for the fight of her life.
Is this really what someone deemed a "protector" would do?
If it wasn't, she didn't have the time to question it anyway. This was going to be carried out one way or another. It was out of her jurisdiction at this point. She couldn't stop it even if she wanted to. It was like Newton's first law of motion, "objects in motion stay in motion unless acted on by another force," and Nayeon wasn't a strong enough force to stop it. And besides, she wasn't going to defy the one person who stood by her through everything just because of a feeling. She had feelings about things all the time.
So, she took a deep breath to calm her mind and walked alongside her partner while gripping the hilt of her sword. Admittedly, partly out of fear, but mostly as a defense. This fight was not something she wanted to underestimate. They got to the main building and unexpectedly, their daughter was replaced with another guard.
"Good day, captain. Co-captain," they greeted.
"Good day. Where's the guard that's normally supposed to be here at the time?" Nayeon asked.
"Ah, she's inside," the guard pointed his thumb behind him. "The king wanted extra security today for some reason."
"Do you know why?"
"No clue." He shrugged.
"Okay, thank you."
They walked in and were immediately confronted by Mina who held a sword. "Hah, if you think you're getting there that easily, think again. I'm not letting that nightmare I had come true."
Jeongyeon smirked. "So, what I'm hearing is, you want another fight."
"May I remind you, I won the last one. I intend to do the same today."
"Confidence."
"Well, I don't expect you to kill your daughter in real life, so, yeah, I guess you could say that."
"What? Like hell I'd do that."
"You want the throne, right? Are you willing to go that far?"
"What kind of a question is that? I'm not that heartless, princess."
"Good to know." Mina slashed.
Jeongyeon was caught off-guard by the sudden movement, but was easily able to counter it by dodging as she drew her own sword. Metal clashed with metal as Jeongyeon slashed. The sound was like music to her ears. The last time she heard this sweet sound was back in the academy, and that was more than ten years ago. She had been craving a fight like this for a long time. The metal scrapping, sparks flying, the thrill of attacking, all of it, even the cuts and bleeding. In fact, that was what made it all the more exciting, the risk of seeing red spill from your body. Just the thought made you want to continue to fight, to do everything possible to avoid that outcome. Jeongyeon loved a good fight, and the princess was giving her exactly that. That was something she least expected, but enjoyed nonetheless.
On the other hand, Mina thought that sound was retched. The sound of metal clanging kept her up at night, and not in a nice way. It reminded her of the way her father handed her a sword when she was a kid and told her to learn how to use it. It was heavy, the blade was intimidating, she often dropped it and hurt herself, holding it caused blisters on her hands. Fighting with it was a whole different challenge. The sound as it came into contact with another sword never left her mind. It was like a ringing in her ears. Yet, she finally understood her father's words, the reason he wanted her to learn how to use one in the first place. It was for this moment. Mina hated fighting, and the captain of the guard was giving her exactly that. So, she vowed to win.
She went behind Jeongyeon and hit a pressure point in her back with the hilt of her sword, making Jeongyeon stumble and lose her balance. She saw her father give a proud smile from where he was seated on the throne and signaled to Chaeyoung who was standing next to it.
Since Nayeon was paying attention to Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung took the opportunity. Nayeon luckily dodged a split second before being hit. She sighed in relief before also drawing her sword. To her, fighting was a means to an end, she didn't love it as her partner did, and she wasn't averse to it like the princess seemed to be, she was just indifferent. If fighting got her closer to her goals, she did it, but she really didn't care either way. What she did care about was the fact that now she was fighting with her daughter. Seeing the intensity in Chaeyoung's face as the metal of their swords met, seeing the way she moved after each slash, the way she gripped her sword, the way she used her height to her advantage. Nayeon was proud of how well Chaeyoung grew up after she and Jeongyeon adopted her.
"Impressive. I didn't expect that," Nayeon said.
"Well, I did learn from the best," Chaeyoung said.
"It seems so." Nayeon slashed.
If this was what it came down to, Nayeon was going to give it her all, nothing less. And she wanted Chaeyoung to do the same. She was fighting her own daughter, sure, but that didn't mean everything else was suddenly thrown out. That fact didn't erase the fact that Chaeyoung was also a guard, also attended the same academy as her, and also graduated in the same position as her. They had the same footing. That meant she wasn't going to hold back.
Thankfully, Chaeyoung got that hint the moment Nayeon slashed at her. On this battlefield, they were equals, and honestly, she didn't want it any other way. She was her kid, but she never felt like she was treated like one outside of affection. Nayeon talked to her like the adult she was. She appreciated that.
"Why now?" Chaeyoung asked.
"For what?" Nayeon asked.
"Why attack now?"
"A plan takes time to enact."
"I understand. Just this timing, it feels weird."
"Ah, I get it, but it was always just a matter of time. This day, well..."
"What?"
"Just prepare to run."
"Run?"
Chaeyoung was surprised and Nayeon took that chance, cutting her cheek. Chaeyoung put her hand to her cheek, staining her fingers. It weirdly wasn't painful though, and that surprised her. Getting cut always hurt, but somehow this time it didn't. Perhaps, it was the adrenaline and that delayed feeling all the pain, but Nayeon's shocked expression made her think it was something else.
"Chaeyoung. The cut just suddenly scabbed over. I—I think you're one too," Nayeon said.
"Maybe I am. Did you know, the well talks?" Chaeyoung asked.
Nayeon did know that. She heard it once, many years ago. She also knew only protectors heard the well, because they were the only ones worthy of hearing it. By that logic, it was clear that Chaeyoung was a protector as well. She saw how the green in her aura seemed to shine brighter too. It only made sense, green was a color that represented health and Chaeyoung apparently had the ability to heal rapidly. Nayeon really had no chance if that was the case. She was doomed either way. If this was going to happen, it had to happen now. She glanced at Jeongyeon and made a hand sign.
Jeongyeon glanced over at Nayeon at the same time and caught her signal. She took a breath before yelling, "Fire!"
The king suddenly stood up. "What did you just say, captain?"
"Fire, your majesty. Fire," Jeongyeon repeated.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sitting on that throne one way or another, do you hear me? If everything around it has to burn for me to do so, so be it. I'll finally have what I rightfully deserve."
"But then, you'd have no palace to stay in."
"Ah, but rebuilding is my favorite part of destruction. The whole idea is rebuilding it in my own image."
"So, this was your plan all along? I should've never promoted you. In fact, I should've never even hired you!"
"You say that, but there's not much you can do about it now, your majesty. Another mistake you just have to live with."
"As long as everyone makes it out safely, I couldn't care less anymore. Have the palace. Let's see how well you rule."
"Father! No!" Mina suddenly cried out.
"It's okay. This is my karma," the king replied.
"So, that's what you meant by 'prepare to run,'" Chaeyoung said.
"I warned you," Nayeon said.
"Clever. Low, but clever."
"Isn't it beautiful? To fight with flames slowly consuming everything in its path?" Jeongyeon wondered.
"I get it, that's the game you're playing, you want us to run," Mina said.
"Yes, princess. That's how I win."
"Then, I'm fighting until I see them."
"I admire your tenacity. If you want to dig your own grave, who am I to deny?" Jeongyeon swung her sword.
Mina gritted her teeth as she countered the hit. Every sound, every spark, every cry spurred her on. She wasn't planning on giving up so soon. The flames were going to have to be almost to her feet before she ran. She wasn't going to abandon this place without a fight. It was home to everything and everyone she held dear.
Minutes turned into hours before the flames finally reached them, before their orange hue surrounded the main building. They were the only four people still left. This was their time to finally say goodbye. Mina stabbed her sword into the ground, dispelling a force powerful enough to knock Nayeon and Jeongyeon to the ground and push back the flames for some time. She was surprised by the amount of power she had to do that, but now wasn't the time to contemplate it, so she grabbed Chaeyoung's hand and ran. She bet the other two would soon follow after, but she didn't have time to care. She was battered, bruised, and her home was burning. She turned around for a second and saw the flames enveloping the palace. All she hoped was that the people staying in the palace were able to get out okay.
"I'm sorry," Mina apologized.
"It's okay. I had no idea my parents would do that. In fact, I should be the one apologizing. The palace is burning and it's partly my fault," Chaeyoung said.
"No, it's not. You have no control over your parent's decisions."
"I suppose that's true. But, I knew that was what Captain Yoo wanted, I knew she wanted the throne. I just didn't know this was what she would do. Maybe I could've stopped it."
"When someone puts their mind to something, there's little you can do to stop them from achieving it. So, don't get yourself down. Let them rebuild. We can go somewhere else."
"Where?"
"Anywhere."
"Really?"
"Yeah, why not? Up for an adventure?"
"What about..."
"My role? I'm no princess anymore. If anything, I never even deserved that role in the first place. I read the history that was erased from my early education. We usurped the Yoo family more than two hundred years ago. So, Captain Yoo was right, it was taken from her. It was her right to take it back."
"Won't your family be worried?"
"I'm an adult, and besides, you know what happened with my brother, who says I can't do the same thing?"
"Are you saying you want to run away with me?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm tired of always fighting. If the palace is gone—at least for a time—that means, I don't have to fight anymore. I'm finally free from the burden of my role."
"Then let's do it. Let's go on an adventure."
"Are you sure?"
"One hundred percent."
So, off they went, leaving everything they once knew behind them.
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A/N: Thanks for reading! By the way, I finally made a functioning Twitter! I know, so late in the game. I've actually had the account since 2018, I just never did anything with it, but now I'm finally doing something! So, if you would like, you can follow me for updates, polls, my random musings, and other fun stuff: themeraldgirl23
See you in the final chapter!