life may not be fair but it sure is beautiful

Echoing laughter

Jiwoo's head pounded as she forcefully opened her eyes, trying to remember what caused her to be in that situation. The last thing she remembered was talking to Kim Jungmin... Oh...

Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest, the man's words echoing in her mind, making her cry in disbelief. After going through ridiculous obstacles, she thought they would be together at last. But the fate that mocked them with every opportunity, laughed in their face once more. This time, it was more of a slap though. Because this time, there was a chance that she was dead, forgotten in a ditch and stained with her own blood.

Even if she felt her whole energy getting drained, she sat up in bed and looked around for a familiar face. What she didn't expect to find was her father sitting on her cushions, watching her with a worried expression.

She immediately bowed, as much as possible while sitting down, but regretted doing so. Her head went dizzy as she sat upright once again.

"Father, you're here." She said, blankly stating the obvious. She needed to get out of there.

"Yes, dear." He said smiling. "How are you?"

"Not the best I've felt but not dying entirely." She said absently. "Father, may I ask a favor of you?"

"I know what you want dear, but I can not do that. My men are weak right now. We might be victorious, but wars are never good for both sides. I can't set my men on a mission to find a dead body. I am sorry." He said looking like he didn't care at all.

"It is funny how you have every fund available to defend your pride but none for your daughter's shattered heart. Truly wondrous." She snapped, knowing that, father or not, yelling at the king was never a good idea.

"Mind your tone and tongue, young woman. There are plenty of men who are worthier than a simple guard. You will find another." He said dismissing her with his hand.

Jiwoo was furious beyond belief. She felt her face go red and entirely forgot about her fainting. "There is not one man in this world who could be as worthy and as valuable my Junghyun. Either you let me go find him, or I will end this torture of mine called life without hesitation." She yelled getting up on her feet and taking a step towards her father. "And before I go, I will make sure that everyone knows the death of their princess is in her father's hands."

Kim Jukan sat there, his eyes widened with surprise as he listened to his daughter. "You? How can you ever find someone by yourself? You are a spoiled princess who knows nothing about the outside world."

Jiwoo stomped her foot down as she folded her arms. "Why don't we test it out and see if I'm as helpless as you think?"

Her father laughed at her, mocking her alongside her own fate. "Alright. I will let you humor me. Beat your own guards in a duel and I will let you go and find that boy."

Jiwoo smirked and bowed. "Your offer is accepted, my king."

-

Jiwoo stood in front of her father, in Jungeun's clothes, her sword hanging from her hips and her face stern with determination.

Her father looked thoroughly amused as he sipped on his wine, sitting on his throne which was on the platform of the training yard.

"Today we gathered here my loyal men, because Princess Jiwoo dared to speak up against her king and acted all high and mighty. She claimed that she could beat her own guards in a sword duel. We shall see if those claims are true. Unlikely, I know, but truly amusing."

Jiwoo gripped her sword's handle tightly as she forced out a smile towards the crowd of men laughing. She wanted to run towards them and slash through them with her sword but that was no way a lady should act.

She saw from the corner of her eyes that half of her guards were piling up by the side of the training yard. They had worried expressions on their face, they were afraid of injuring the fragile princess, or so Jiwoo assumed.

"I did dare say those words and as a woman of my word, let my guards charge at me and let's see what happens." She said unsheathing her sword. Once again laughter filled the courtyard but her father looked at her furiously, obviously mad at her for speaking out like that, and gave the orders for guards to attack.

Jiwoo turned t the guard who was coming towards her, his walk unsure and his expression fearful. He knew that if he injured the girl, his job and life would be over. She smiled at him and whispered. "I won't show mercy, Youngjae-sshi."

She took a deep breath and pictured Jungeun in front of her. If she could spar with her, there was no way she couldn't beat these wimpy boys.

She took her stance and waited for him to charge at her. He hesitantly swung his sword in her direction only to be met with hers who knocked his sword out of his hand in her first try. That was one of the hardest moves Jungeun drilled in her head, saying that if the opponent didn't have a sword, they only had their thin neck on display.

She directed her sword at his throat with a smirk and waved the next guard over. Youngjae returned to the sides, looking shocked and ashamed.

Her father's voice echoed through the yard. "Show no mercy! There will be no punishments in case of injuries! This is a duel, not a petty tea party."

She got into position before the next guard, Jung Hoseok, charged at her with an apologetic smile. After dodging his first attack with a cartwheel, she quickly swung her sword towards his sides. He was pretty quick to catch on to her attack but he couldn't react in time properly and his block was weak. Noticing this, Jiwoo sped up and kicked his sword out of his hand. But she wasn't enough to notice him doing the same. They both lacked weapons. Little did he know that in hand to hand combat, she was pretty gifted. Being lighter than most and also shorter, she was much faster at any attack she learned. Looking at him with determined eyes, she raised her fists and listened to another round of laughter ring in her ears. Hoseok smirked and charged at her, trying to grab her wrist to twist it, but Jiwoo was quick to jump out of his way. Before he was able to do anything else, she jumped higher than she ever did before and kicked his face with all of her strength. As he stumbled back, holding his head, she jumped over his shoulder to strangle his neck with her legs.

He held his hands up in defeat.

As so did nine men after him. There was no longer laughter echoing, only silence with occasional whispering.

"Now, my King, if you are truly a man of your word, may I go and find my love, since you don't seem to able to do it?" said Jiwoo, trying not to sound out of breath. After all, since the beginning of the war, she was only able to practice on her own, rarely.

Her father looked at her with gritted teeth and veins popping from his neck. "Fine. You may. But tell that boy when you find him, he never has a chance of becoming a general anymore."