Hana of the Dusk | Akatsuki no Yona

Chapter 1: Home.

Hak strolled into Yona's room, carrying his spear on his shoulder. It was already noon, yet he hadn't heard the Princess's annoying voice yet today, which was quite bizarre. Usually Yona would bother him as soon as she woke up, but it's not like he hated it.

He found her sitting at the window, resting her elbows on the windowsill. She was staring out at the hills, her lips forming an obvious pout, as if she was sulking about something.

Hak approached Min-soo, who was cleaning Yona's room. "Did she have a fight with the king again?" He whispered to Min-soo.

Min-soo shrugged, "I don't know. She doesn't seem to be in a good mood, so I don't want to disturb her. But you're her close friend. You should talk to her," Min-soo suggested.

Hak nodded before walking towards the gloomy princess. He placed his hand on her head, "what's with the long face? Your birthday is in two days. You should be excited."

"My birthday is in two days, and my sister hasn't returned yet," Yona complained quietly. She looked over her shoulder at Hak with her big purple puppy eyes, "she already missed my birthday for the last two years. I know she sent letters and gifts for me, but it's not the same without her around. She promised she'd come home for my birthday this year, but where is she now? What if she forgot my birthday?"

Hak thought Yona had a fight with King Il or Soo-won, but it turned out the reason for her low spirits was because she missed her only sister. Hana had been busy traveling all over the kingdom that she had no time to come home. He wondered how she looked now. Was she the same flat-chested Hana he always teased when they were younger?

She always punched me whenever I called her a plank, Hak recalled, smirking at the memory. Hana started living with the Wind Tribe at the age of 12, so she and Hak lived together for 4 years before she set out on her adventure. Hak couldn't say he didn't miss her— heck, he missed her as much as Yona did. They had become siblings who were bound by an adamantine friendship.

"Don't worry, Princess. Hana will come back before your birthday, I'm sure of that. She's not the type of person to break her promise," Hak convinced her to ease her doubt in her sister. Hana would never go back on her words.

"Hm, I hope so," Yona murmured.

In turn, one of Yona's handmaidens burst through the door, alerting everyone in the room.

"Princess Yona, Princess Hana is here!" The handmaiden exclaimed.

"Really?!" Yona squealed enthusiastically, jumping onto her feet. Her face was lit up with a bright smile, and all dejection she was feeling just now had vanished. Yona sprang past Hak and ran out of her room hastily. She couldn't wait to see her beloved sister again.

"Ah, Tangerine has finally found her way home after two years," Hak said.

Min-soo looked at Hak, "I wonder what she looks like now."

Hak took a bite of the mochi that Yona didn't eat, "I bet her chest is still flat."

—

From afar, Hana could see a long row of people heading towards Hiryuu Castle. Seeing this, she was sure her father had invited many guests for Yona's birthday. This was an important event for the King, because this was the perfect time to find a groom suitable for Yona. The man who married Yona would become king, so Il had to choose very carefully, for the sake of Kouka Kingdom and his own daughter.