Queen of Roses

47) The War

This was it. The time had finally come.

Chaeyoung's stallion followed behind Jungkook's, charging towards the opposing army with a ferocity that matched the brisk fall winds. From their current location, it looked like they were approaching an endless cloud of enemies, a sight that only grew more daunting the closer they got. However, Chaeyoung's army would never back down. She firmly held onto the belief that the determination of her soldiers fearlessly following behind her could compensate for what they lacked in numbers.

Jisoo, and Lisa remained at her side, the long strides of their horses equally matching her own as they simultaneously unsheathed their weapons.

She stole a glance to her right where Lisa was riding on her own for the first time. Lisa's auburn hair whipped through the foggy morning air, one hand gripping her horse's reins while the other clutched a lustrous silver dagger. During such a crucial time it was a wonder Chaeyoung had the time to feel a flash of pride surge through her upon seeing her bestfriend successfully conquer her fear and develop such strength in only a few short months.

Then, Chaeyoung glanced to her left and felt a completely different yet same degree of pride for Jisoo. She had dedicated her entire youth to serving the royal family and had been Chaeyoung's protector long before they embarked on this journey. Jisoo had always been strong. But the same ferocity no longer existed in her gaze as she focused on the army ahead – a long sword held securely in her hand. Instead, there was a hint of sadness. Like she was finally thinking about her own desires. Like for once in her life, she was afraid of losing something.

Empathizing with Jisoo, Chaeyoung gulped back the lump of emotion in her throat. Her hand flew to her jade necklace. An image of Taehyung flashed through her mind just as they reached the other side of the battlefield, but she shook it away quickly.

He would survive. He had to.

Battle cries filled the air as swords clashed againt each other, spears punctured skin, daggers sliced flesh, and arrows whipped through the air. Bodies collapsed to the ground one-by-one. Streams of blood snaked onto the ground, forming intricate pathways through the tiny pebbles scattered along the dry, hard ground. Gusts of heavy wind hoisted the royal blue flag of Chaeyoung's army and the blood-red flag of Mingyu's army high in the sky – as if they too were preoccupied in their own silent battle.

For a split second, Chaeyoung caught sight of the very back of the army, relief flooding through her as she noticed a royal blue flag raised high in the air. Jennie, Taeyong, Namjoon and Seokjin had reached them in time. Another blue flag to the west indicated that Yoongi, Jimin, and Taehyung had also enacted their end of the plan. That only left the East side.

After a few minutes of enduring the bloodshed and gruesome deaths surrounding her, Chaeyoung turned back and released an ear-splitting whistle. The signal. Without a moment of hesitation, Jungkook sharply turned his horse to the left, following behind Chaeyoung as they lured hundreds of Mingyu's men to the east – straight into a trap.

The two of them swerved through the tall canopy of pine trees in Gaegyeong's eastern region with a stampede of officers chasing after them. Horse hooves pounding through fallen autumn leaves disrupted the peaceful chirping of the birds as they continued to float through the same forest they had taken all of yesterday to explore.

'Only a few more trees to go' Chaeyoung silently reassured herself when she noticed the light mark of blue paint on the stump of one especially tall tree. Her eyes met Jungkook's quickly and he nodded, indicating that they were on the same page. The cries of the battlefield were finally beginning to fade, but behind her, she could clearly hear a handful of Mingyu's best commanders screaming orders to their soldiers. Orders to speed up. Orders to kill.