The Legend of Nakrang

Pursuit

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to sawyerdavenport - thank you for the beautiful piece of fanart. I love it so much.

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"Sam Sook, wake up. Sam Sook."

"Grandma Geum Hee..." The princess assumed a slight pout in her dreamy state, before tossing on the straw bed. "...just another minute, please."

"The sun is already shining on your bottom! We have to go to the mountains to pick herbs today."

"Alright, alright...I'm getting up..." Yejin mumbled, stretching reluctantly with a small groan.

Covering her face with her hands, the princess rubbed the sleep out of her barely-opened eyes, before the stench of blood and damp earth hit her like a sledgehammer.

Sitting up straight in bed with a jolt, she strained her eyes to seek for signs of Grandma Geum Hee in the tiny hut.

"...where are you? I don't see you..." She asked apprehensively, her faintly raspy voice jarring in the resounding silence around her. "Grandpa Ho Seok..?"

It was then when Yejin realized that her eyes weren't opening fully not because of sleepiness, but because they were painfully puffy.

Everything came rushing back to her like a tidal wave, robbing her of the blissful ignorance that lingered in her mind.

The princess' hands, with caked mud still trapped under her nails, fell limply by her side as mental flashbacks flooded her mind.

There was nothing left.

No hope, or whatsoever.

They were gone, buried deep in the soil.

There was nothing left but blood-stained memories.

Two strong arms drew her into a warm embrace, one that contrasted reassuringly with the morning chill and the frost in her heart.

Wiping at the tears which had welled up in her eyes, Yejin allowed the Crown Prince's presence to share her pain.

Shifting in the embrace to meet Hyun Bin's concerned gaze, the princess sniffled, her sobs escalating as the harsh reality dawned upon her after a blissful night of dreamless sleep.

"They're gone...they're not coming back."

The Crown Prince nodded stoically.

"I miss them so much, Bin...we never even had the chance to thank Grandpa Ho Seok for saving us...I can still hear Grandma Geum Hee..."

Nodding, the prince gently held his consort by the shoulders, pinning her puffy eyes with his own.

"Yejin. Listen to me."

Lips still trembling involuntarily, the princess nodded, recognizing the same pain reflected within her husband's red-rimmed eyes.

"Yes...?"

Swallowing once, his jaw tightening with emotion and determination, Hyun Bin continued, "We cannot let Grandpa Ho Seok and Grandma Geum Hee die in vain. We have to survive this, and get back to Goguryeo alive."

Seeing that he had the princess' full attention, the Crown Prince continued, "In fact, we shouldn't be staying here, Yejin. Not for another second."

Yejin's eyes widened again, before nodding, blinking back tears with a long, shuddering breath.

"You're right. We should leave."