dancing in the moonlight

✣2✣

I had to watch them burn her, while she screamed her innocence.

It was hard to watch everyone so excited, and I think they could notice my look of disapproval

Anna could tell i was uncomfortable and pulled me to the side,

"They'll feed you at the barracks, where we should be headed now. I wish you didn't have to stay there, but its Yongguks orders" she said while taking us down a path into the woods

"I'll be okay, right? It's not like they'll kill me" i said with a slight chuckle,

fake optimism would be how id get through this 

"We can't be sure, I advise you not to talk to them too much. You're not from here and might say something offensive without meaning to" she spoke quietly as the noise of the crowd got farther as we did

"Thank you for warning me" I spoke while kicking a rock, didnt feel too good in these ancient shoes..

I stopped to look at some trees, much taller than I'd ever seen

"I don't think he likes me much, does he?" i said turning to look at Anne who had also stopped

"Yongguk? he doesn't like nobody, heartless is what he is" she said while picking some berries and putting them in her satchel

it was now silent in the forest as they were too far from the main village

"Why is he like that?"

"He used to be happy, told stories of how his brother and sister and mom would be coming here soon too," she sounded sad while explaining

"Then when his father went to go get them from the other side of that mountain, he never came back."

now I see why she sounded so sad

"That's horrible did you guys ever find the body"

i hear noises farther off but it just sounded like an animal..

"he goes looking once a month, its been 20 years. People have tried to tell him that they are most likely dead, but he doesn't listen"

once a month?

"hes acting oblivious at this point..  they're definitely dead unless his father just said that and abandoned him" I scoffed, what an asshole move that would be

suddenly there was a loud deep voice behind us

"my father is NOT dead"

we both turned to look and our blood ran cold when it was in fact yongguk walking towards us

"Yongguk, what are you doing here?" Anne quickly walked up to dismiss him before any more harm was done

"what are you doing talking about me and my family, I told you to take him to the barracks and come right back to town" he stopped once she was in front of him and looked at us both slowly

"We were just conversing, sorry" she said while offering him some of the berries she gathered before

he reluctantly took some but his angry expression didn't change

"yeah.. sounds like you were, but about me and my family" he spoke with his mouth full as he had just shoveled berries into it

there was no defense on our part, we were talking shit, and im not even sorry, im just sorry that he caught us

"what's his name" he looked in my direction and I thought maybe I could get a word in

"Ju-" just as quickly as I started talking, I stopped, his face was angrier than before

"SILENCE! I wasn't talking to you, you peasant"

"His name is Junhong, Choi Junhong. Now don't talk to him like that, how would your mother feel if she knew?" Anne stood in between us, blocking us from seeing eachother

"shut your mouth, Anne, don't talk about my mom unless you wanna be on that stake next" he rolled his eyes and turned and started walking away

she let out a nose of frustration, but there wasn't anything she could do.

I moved past her, towards Yongguk and shoved him, only causing him to slightly trip

"You can't talk to her like that"  instant regret is what I'm feeling but I wouldn't let him treat a good person like that

"you shouldn't have done that..." Anne took a step back

Yongguk stabilized himself and then turned to glare at me, hand on his sword

"don't think just cause you aren't from here that I won't kill you" he snarled drawing his weapon,

"you shouldn't just kill somebody because you don't like them" I took a step back, just cause he shouldn't kill me, doesn't mean he can't..

almost like he was reading my mind, he yelled almost hysterically

"who says I can't" laughing he put his sword away

"it wouldn't be right, innocent people dying like that" I glared, now he was just making fun of me..

"boys take him to the barracks before I lose my temper" he yelled and suddenly guards came out from behind trees,

I tried to surrender and go peacefully but they didn't care, two roughly grabbed me by my arms and started dragging me

"let me go! I can walk myself" they didn't.

Anne tried to follow but other kept her away, so she yelled telling me where to find her

"Junhong, tomorrow follow the guards back into town and come to my bakery" she then stayed heading back into town with Yongguk

-

"Why are you following me" Anne hated Yongguk, he was so rude, but he was helpful to the village and aided them in many times of need..

"I need to get back into town, there's one trail." he huffed, still not calmed down

"you can't treat him like that Yongguk, he's young and scared" she stopped to grab more berries as she spoke

stealing a couple berries, Yongguk spoke up,

"you don't find it weird he came upon us while we were burning the witch, out of nowhere, from Asia? no recollection of how?"

"it is odd, but you can't just act like he's a criminal" closing her satchel,  she kept walking

"I'll treat him like a lowlife criminal until he proves his worth"

Anne couldn't think of a comeback as he was partly right anyways, they had no idea what Junhong was up to.

they were reaching the town now and there was music to be heard from the celebration

"im having him work at the bakery unless you can think of a better job" Anne spoke confidently, he'd do a good job there, although he may be the only man

"that'll be good for a weak boy like him" Yongguk chuckled waving to the guards at the city gates

"stop treating him like he's below you" Anne was getting quite annoyed with how Yongguk kept talking down on the boy

"he is, and always will be. He's hiding something and I will find it what it is" they were now outside of Anne's bakery, and she started heading towards the door

"go for a walk and clear your head, he's a sweet boy" anne said while she walked into the bakery and turned, dropping her satchel next to the door

"you'd actually have a lot to learn from him in that aspect.." she said under her breath before shutting the door

"if you weren't the governor's daughter, you'd have burned at the stake months ago" Yongguk yelled through the door before storming off.