Rika of the Dawn ⚠ short hiatus ⚠

Escaping The Castle and Memories

Hello. It is I. Deepest apologies for the very, very, very late update and fair warning you now, it's like that with all stories I write. I hope you like it. I know lots are missing, like in the second chapter, I never did write down that So-Won explained why he killed King Il. My apologies for that, but I did warn you that I wouldn't go directly by the anime, it'll have the storyline, but not all of the lines the character say. Anyways, sorry for the late update. Enjoy.

Hak and So-Won were fighting. Each time their blades found each other, orange and red sparks spewed.

As Hak was distracted with So-Won, a soldier lifted a sword towards us. My sister and I have just witnessed our father's murder. I will not let myself witness Yona's. Moving swiftly and quickly, I kick the soldier's feet out from under him and snatching his sword.

I hold it at the hilt, glaring at the surrounding soldiers.

I pushed my pain and sorrow into a box and locked it. We needed to get out of the castle and off its' grounds. Without a doubt, every soldier that once bowed to us will be on So-Won's side.

"Hak, we have to get out!" I yell, fending off a charging soldier.

"Obviously!" He yelled back.

As if it were magic, an arrow appeared and shot out, sinking into a crack of the cobbled ground.

This alerted all soldiers and So-Won. Taking this chance of the distraction, Hak swung himself at Yona and me, grabbing Yona and we took off to find a place to hide.

It was a young boy who shot the arrow. I didn't know his name, but I have seen him plenty of times with Yona. He was with us as we his behind thickets of bushes.

"Is King Il really...?" I felt Yona tense at my crouched side.

Seeing how she reacted, the young boy felt guilty for asking, "I'm sorry I had to ask. I heard rumors, but I didn't believe it. I had to get the truth. I'm truly sorry, Princesses."

A trio of soldiers ran past our hiding spot. We crouched down so we wouldn't be seen.

"We need to get out of here." I hear Hak say lowly.

I say nothing but hold onto Yona. I see the servant boy take something that looked like Yona' Haori. I turn my head towards him as he pulled the colorful fabric over his body.

"I'll distract them. Their attention will be on me long enough for you guys to run." He said making Hak glance at him.

Soon, the boy ran out from the bushes we were hiding in. Soon after, I could hear the guards shout, I fear for the boy's life. Wasting no time at all, Hak, still holding onto Yona, charged at two guards at the gate, readying his weapon and slashed them dead.
(Sorry, that was me being lazy, hope you'll forgive Author-Chwan!!! (>^<) )

It wasn't long until we reached the forest. With Yona and I slowing Hak down, we'll still be difficult to find. It's all so strange.

Father is dead. So-Won killed him.

Although Father's murder loamed over my head, Yona was hit with it the most. With each passing minute we scurried across the forest grounds, my sister became dull--like a doll. She went into Father's chambers seconds before I, most likely witnessing So-Won finish what he came here for: Our father dead.

I don't know how long we were traveling, but Hak made us stop for a while. Yona was exhausted. She has no endurance at all, even in the direst situation.

"You need to rest, Yona." I didn't need to say it, Yona was already sleeping, leaned against a tree. I drop my attention at the ground next to her and decide to rest also.

Hak stared intensely at us for the longest time. Worried. Concerned. Sympathy. Loyalty. Set on protecting us.

My entire body felt numb. The shock was setting in. My mind wavered back. The blood. So-Won's regretless and cold gaze. Father's lifeless body on the ground.

Warm liquid welled from my tear ducts, overflowing and streaming from my eyes. History was repeating. Mother, Father has joined you in death...is he with you now? Are you rejoiced to see him again or are you neutral?
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"Even though Mother is gone, we're still here!" Child Yona attempted to comfort our crying father.

I hid away for a little while, trying to process Mother's death.

"Mother is gone! How can you smile like a jolly fool?!"

I lashed out at Yona one day. She was only trying to lift my spirits. Father was hardly never around. So-Won and Hak were around often that winter.

I watched from the sidelines as Yona lured Hak into a snowball fight. So-Won was all giggles and grins, Yona wasn't in sorrow anymore.

Yona became sick an hour later. And then followed Hak and So-Won. I've always wondered how someone can be okay and cheerful after a close loved one's death. Now I know.
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"Princess Rika, you look rather lovely this evening." My head tilted towards the voice. Why is he here? Kan-Tae-Jun. The Fire Tribe's General, Kan-Soo-Jin's second son. This man child is a womanizer and a big, immature baby. He's as selfish as he is being a suck up and spoiled rotten.

"Flattery does not get one anywhere, Kan Tae." I move away from his being, becoming uncomfortable with his clinginess and closeness. I never did it like it when The Fire Tribe General brought his son to monthly meetings with Father. Burdensome. Troublesome. He never knew when to quit hovering.

One day, Kan Tae Jun finally got a taste of his own medicine-- that was the day Hak officially became Yona and I's bodyguard. Then by some miracle, I managed to convince Hak to train me with weapons. Archery. Swordplay. Hand to hand combat. Spearing. I thought if I had combat dented into my brain, that would be one less person to protect. Mother's death woke me up and I saw the world's true colors. There was no such thing as absolute peace. Not at all. Father's death made me see through the raging colors of this miserable battle for power: humans are savages. No matter how good or bad they are. A sweet, innocent child will be scarred by an adult or tragedy, in the result, that child will grow into a monster...and that monster will not stop until all is his.

So-Won...what happened to you? Was killing my father satisfactory to your desire to rise to power, or was it something deeper than a want for control?