Her Prince / BTS Namjoon x Original Character

Chapter 13

"I couldn't leave without telling you goodbye. We are leaving the Hwen not because we want to but because we need to. There's so much that I want to tell you, but I can't. One day I hope that our paths cross again. But until then, I will cherish the memories of our talks, walks, laughs, and even the times neither of us said anything but just enjoyed each other's company. I want to write more, but they are waiting on me. Please don't lose that beautiful smile and laugh of yours."

Yeona went over the note in her head for the hundredth time. When she woke up this morning, Namjoon was gone, and a letter was lying next to her. They were gone. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing them again, especially Namjoon. She wondered if their leaving had anything to do with the men from last week or if something had happened at home.

"Yeona! Yeona!" The sound of Kaira's voice brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see her friend making her way towards Nightingales, where Yeona currently sat.

"Are you okay?" Her best friend asked as she sat down, "You haven't eaten anything, and you look sad." Yeona looked down at her now cold food that she had been just pushing around with her chopsticks.

"I didn't sleep very well last night," she lied "What made you wake up so early and come looking for me?"

"I received a letter from Deu-Sung this morning," Kaira said excitedly.

"Oh, and what did your soon-to-be husband say?" Yeona placed her chopsticks on the table and gave her friend her full attention.

"He's moved up the wedding date." Yeona couldn't help the shocked look that came across her face.

"He moved up the wedding date?" Yeona repeated, making sure she had heard her correctly.

"Yes! I'm getting married this weekend!" Kaira squealed out in excitement.

Before thinking of anything to say, Kaira placed some coins on the table and grabbed her hand. "Come on. We need to go tell Uncle," She said, pulling Yeona away from the table and through the streets.

Yeona couldn't help but laugh at the look of horror on her Uncle's face when he saw a very excited Kaira coming his way and calling for him. Yeona sat on the counter as she listened and watched a very animated Kaira tell her Uncle about the new wedding date. Her mother and Deu-Sung's mother had decided that it would be better if they got married sooner. That way, they could start a family before he became Magistrate.

"I want both of you to be there. But you'll have to close down the shop for a few days."

Yeona hopped off the counter.

"A few days?" She asked, walking towards them, "I can't afford to be shut down for a few days," Yeona said.

"Please, Yeo," Kaira clasped her hands together, "You both are my family, and I really want you there." She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

"I can ask my brother to look after the shop." Both women's heads quickly turned towards Yeona's Uncle.

"What?" They both asked in unison.

"I said I'll ask my brother. He owes me anyway." Yeona covered her ears as Kaira let out a squeal and hugged him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Kaira repeated over and over as she hugged him, "I'm going to go let my mother know," She said before running out the shop door.

"Are you sure?" Yeona asked, laughing at her Uncle, who was rubbing his ears.

"Yes. I'm not letting you travel alone, and you'll never forgive yourself if you don't go." The two of them stared at each other, waiting for the other to change their mind.

"Ok," Yeona said, heading towards her office, "Guess we are taking a trip to Jinzou in a couple of days."

"Good cause I think we could both use the distraction," KangDae said softly. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was upset and trying to hide it. He knew it was from Namjoon leaving. After the seven men had left last night, he went to check on her and saw the letter that he had left. He couldn't force himself to pick it up and burn it like he knew he should have. The Prince wasn't supposed to leave any trace when he left or say anything. But he wanted her to have some bit of closure, unlike his sister had when her Prince disappeared. So he left it lying on the floor next to her and headed home.

Yeona and her Uncle spent the remainder of the week getting things ready with the shop so that his brother wouldn't have to do much. Was he capable of running the whole shop by himself? Yes. But they didn't want to take any chances. All he had to do was take care of the front. The other blacksmiths would be able to do their jobs without KangDae.

Yeona rolled her eyes for the hundredth time as she loaded her things onto her horse. Today was the day they started their trip to Jinzou. They had borrowed a couple of horses from the training grounds, and her Uncle kept asking if she was okay to ride it. She and his brother kept telling him that her Father trained her.

"Are you guys going to rest in Iksan?" Her trainer asked as he petted her horse's head.

"No, we'll ride the horses as long as we can before we rest," her Uncle replied. Iksan was four hours away on horseback, and they should stop to at least stretch there. But that's also where Namjoon and his men were. He didn't want to take the chance of them seeing each other. So he had decided to stop at the next village to rest the horses before they continued. Yeona thought that the men had headed home earlier in the week, and he wanted her to keep thinking that.