The Dawn of A New Sky - DISCONTINUED

XXXVI

Hak's Interlude - Watching Her (4)

Hak quickly grabbed the princess' shoulder and held her close to his chest just as he was instructed to do so in her so-called "plan". 

Ah, crap. I can smell her flowery scent. She's so close. 

"H-How rude! How dare you casually touch the princess?!" Fortunately, Lord Kang Tae-Jun's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

He grinned as he held her tighter. "And who gave you permission to touch my princess?"

"My?" The Fire Tribe brat echoed incredulously.

(Whose?  Yona thought in surprise and would have blushed incredibly red if not for her self-control. Kyaa~ that wasn't in the script! What are you doing, Hak, you baka?!)

"Y-You should watch your mouth, brat!"

"I'm not lying." He quickly countered. "When the princess and I were children, we pledged to spend our futures together."

"Right, Princess?" He asked, bringing the question to her.

"Y-Yes, it's true." She stuttered out, her cheeks pinkening, as she turned to face his chest to hide her blushing face from the two males.

"Princess, do you love him?" Kang Tae-Jun asked, still in disbelief over her chosen partner.

Princess Yona suddenly stilled at the Fire Tribe brat's question before taking a peek behind her. Her cheeks were flushed red as she looked at the brat. "Y-Yes, I love him." She said before hugging Hak from the front and hiding her face again. 

"I really love him."

Somehow, that sentence struck a chord within him.

"I refuse to accept this!" The Fire Tribe Lord's son declared. "You may have pledged your futures to one another but I am the second son of the Fire Tribe's General Kang, Kang Tae-Jun!"

"And who, exactly, are you?" The young man with light taupe hair asked as he pointed at him rather rudely.

With his face set in a poker face, he answered the man's question.

(He was still trying to ignore the princess' soft body pressed against his. Dammit!)

"I'm the Wind Tribe's next general, Son Hak." He cooly declared. "The king personally appointed me to be Princess Yona's bodyguard. Any objections?"

"Then show me your true strength - " Kang Tae-Jun was interrupted from fully pulling out his sword when a shoe suddenly came flying and struck him right in the face. He fell on his back and winced at the pain.

"Who threw that?!"

"I did."  Princess Yona said with a calm face.

(Hak noted that the princess was no longer blushing and was no longer hugging him.)

"Why did you do that?"

Hak watched as she politely gestured over to the emperor who was right behind the Fire Tribe brat. "If I did not stop you from pulling out your sword, my father would have injured his hand from trying to stop you."

"That is right. You should not pull out weapons in this place." The emperor said.

"Please forgive me, your majesty!" Kang Tae-Jun said before promptly leaving.

"It's alright." But the emperor's words went unheard to the light taupe haired boy's ears.

Emperor Il turned to look at the two of them. His face was set in a pleasant grin. "I had no idea that you felt that way about each other."

"That is a misunderstanding, father." Princess Yona quickly intercepted. "We only pretended so that he would stop bothering me."

"But after what we said, I doubt he'll be back." Hak said as he looked away.

"Hak, you've finally come around to the idea of being Yona's bodyguard...I knew I could count on you." The emperor said happily.

Hak smirked. "I don't come cheap."

"Please...look after Yona." The emperor lightly bowed his head towards him.

"As you wish." He knelt down on one knee in front of the emperor.

~

Present Time

Emperor Il, are you still watching over us somewhere?  He wondered as he stared at Princess Yona's sleeping form. Tears started to form on the edges of her eyes. He reached out to brush it away.

I will protect your unfinished business!  He declared silently in his mind.