Knight's Honor

by classroom_dust

Summary:

Luka turned to her, raising his hand and whispering in her ear.

“Um… how is General Hyuna doing?”

Sua’s eyes squinted ever so slightly, before relaxing in recognition. “Ah, my kidnapper. I thought I recognized you from somewhere. She’s… doing well?”

Till's eyes went as wide as saucers.

"Kidnapper!?"

--

Or, Knight Captain Luka misunderstands an order from King Till, and an inter-kingdom crisis ensues.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Notes:

There is a severe lack of HyunaLuka content in the fandom, and I am therefore stepping up from three years of fanfic retirement to deliver a throwaway medieval fic based on that one throwaway patreon post that i literally cannot stop thinking about! I hope it is enjoyed heart heart

“We're going to have to take Princess Mizi by force.” Luka declared, hitting a fist on his palm with a decisiveness to his voice.

 

“Eh?”

 

Luka stared blankly at the royal advisor in response, expression unmoved. The man broke out into a disbelieving grin, a singular fang tugging at his bottom lip.

 

The castle hallway they found themselves walking in was adorned in fine drapery, fiery colors of the sunset seeping through lucent cloth, flickering along the walls as if it were the mark of a flame. Luka and this particular advisor– Ivan, was his name– had chosen this thankfully empty stretch of the castle as their place to discuss extremely important political matters. The kind that should be discussed in the shadows of a dark, locked room, the kind that could upheave the carefully constructed tranquil balance between the very kingdoms themselves– yes, the usual.

 

It wasn't Luka's ideal location, to be honest. He'd prefer to be sitting down at least at a proper table, maybe even having some tea and sweets; But alas, that restless royal scrub had locked onto him, and, as usual, insisted they talk right then and there. This was a common pattern. ‘His highness asked this’, ‘his highness wanted us to do that’, ‘what about the task his highness assigned us’-- truly, being the right hand men to the king was more akin to being two glorified errand boys.

 

“We've exhausted every other option, and the king is getting impatient. You remember, yes? ‘do whatever you need to, use whatever means. Just bring her to me.’ Those were his highness’s precise words.”

 

Ivan maintained his incredulous grin. “And of course that screams ‘please go commit an act of political treachery’ to you.” 

 

“Well, obviously that would be the least ideal course of action.” Luka sighed, fiddling with his cape absentmindedly. “But haven't we tried everything else?” He stopped in his tracks, feet tired, and turned around to face Ivan head on instead, stepping closer with a lazy sway. “I’ve sent a formal letter of invitation, written up a kingly request, and every other official way we could get her to come to our kingdom. Not a single response across the board.”

 

The advisor gave a frustrated sigh, before reluctantly nodding. “I’ve just about exhausted my connections, too. It’s hard to get Princess Mizi to travel to our… unfortunate kingdom on such short notice. Especially since she’s already busy entertaining guests from the Ice Kingdom.”

 

Luka nodded with a wry smile. “Right. So you’ve done everything on your end, and I've done everything on mine. Let's get straight to the point. After all, this is clearly a serious matter to him.” 

 

Ivan shook his head. “It’s uncharacteristic, even for Till. He’s not the kind of man to just go around ordering kidnappings on a whim! Especially not one for Princess Mizi…” He waved his hand, a twinge of annoyance in his voice. Luka paid it no mind.

 

“As if he doesn’t send you to the dungeons every other day.”

 

“That’s different.”

 

“How?”

 

“It just is.” Ivan tilted his head up with… pride? How was being punished by the king a matter of pride? “You wouldn’t understand the intricacies of our long relationship.” He snarked, popping the p teasingly, and Luka couldn’t help but silently agree. He really wouldn’t understand.

 

The blonde rolled his head back, hearing a crack as his neck stretched. His muscles were still aching from all the training he’d done yesterday, and he felt his head pulse with a familiar dull pain. Pulling at the collar of his turtleneck, he managed the politest face he could as he offered a compromise.

 

“How about this? I’ll give you another week to find some way to wrangle Princess Mizi here, and if you can’t manage it, you and I will just go fetch her ourselves.” He motioned between them. “You have connections, and I have ability. No knights or other personnel involved. It would be simple for us, wouldn’t it?” 

 

Ivan stared at him for a few moments, sighed, and nodded with a pout on his lips. “Alright, alright, Sir Knight Captain. I understand. I’ll figure it out before then, so don’t you worry your pale little complexion off about it.” He groaned as he stretched his back, puffing his chest out into his air. Luka’s eyes were drawn to the way the thick furs around his neck curved with the arch of his torso, briefly glancing over before he was interrupted by another pang in his head as the sun caught the corner of his eye. 

 

“Mmmm… yes, got it.” He yawned, lightly fanning over his mouth with a gloved hand. “In that case, I’m going to go catch some beauty sleep. My pale complexion will be just fine.”

 

Ivan flashed a white smile, and Luka swore the sun reflected light directly off of his teeth. He squinted his back, and gave him a half-hearted wave before sauntering off to his quarters.

 

“...It’s Acting Knight Captain, by the way,” he corrected. Ivan let out a dry chuckle before walking the opposite direction, metal soles clicking against the tile and ringing loudly in Luka’s already pounding head.

 

---

 

Apparently, sleep in peace was not a luxury a Knight Captain was privy to, Acting or not. The second Luka passed the training fields to get to his quarters, a crowd of pages and knights flooded to his side, all clamoring about one thing or other.

 

“Captain, I wanted to show me that move from yesterday up close!”

 

Luka pulled out his rapier, and the crowd all shot back as if wounded by the act of him removing it. He gracefully twirled it in one hand before flicking his wrist to imply the sword was moving one direction, before changing course mid movement and sharply slicing it the other way. 

 

He sheathed it. 

 

A young girl spoke up. “Captain, I know you showed me last week, but I forgot how to parry…”

 

Luka firmly pressed his lips together. Could that junior not have asked anyone else? Everyone here knew the basics. 

 

The rapier returned to his grip, sliding out of its holster again. He held it up and took proper form as the page did the same. “You twist to parry the opposite orientation of your opponent’s sword. Block the hit in the middle, or else the force will send your blade flying backward.”

 

He struck obviously, but with harmful intention, at the page’s side, who hurriedly raised his blade to block as instructed. The force of Luka’s strike pushed his blade backward, but before he could make contact with the girl’s waist, she stumbled backwards, falling onto her palms. 

 

“See? Let my blade strike too near the tip and it will go twisting around like a clock hand.”

 

He sheathed it. 

 

“Oh yeah? Parry this, captain!” 

 

As every noise escalated with this migraine, Luka heard it before he saw it. The drag of the rapier against its sheath, the swing of it cutting sharply through the air.

 

Behind him.

 

Luka practically ripped his own weapon out, before cleanly swinging behind him, keeping it posed upright. A clang sounded as metal hit the ground.

 

The audacious knight’s eyes were sparkling as she knelt down to pick up her weapon, flung to the ground at the force behind Luka’s parry. He let out a sigh, before closing his eyes and mustering his most polite smile. 

 

He sheathed it.

 

“Are we quite done?”

 

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, glancing awkwardly between each other, and then to Luka, once they’d reached an unspoken understanding.

 

They all bowed. “Yes, captain! Thank you for your time!”

 

When they’d finally all dispersed, going back to hitting at dummies, Luka felt his limbs grow heavy, and resisted sinking into a slouch. He rubbed his fingers against his temples, and felt a familiar numbness in their tips.

 

He adjusted his gloves. It was time to go to bed.

 

---

 

Luka wished he was in bed right now.

 

He hurriedly backed up against the wall, peeking around the corner as he heard the footsteps of guards, and huffed out a tightly held breath as said footsteps passed without turning his way. 

 

Ivan had, of course, not managed to get the princess in his allotted time limit. So they went with Luka’s (easier) plan. They sat down at a table, planned things out briefly, and settled on a date, and that’s how he had ended up here. Ripe in the middle of a foreign kingdom’s castle, making haste to her bedroom. 

 

Ivan had done his job, pulled some strings, and provided him with an easy way in, a disguise, and a clean way out. It was up to Luka to wrangle the princess into that plan. Security grew tighter the closer he got to her room– he’d even had to knock out a couple guards here and there. It was exhilarating, in a way. Rarely did he get to show off his skills seriously in his home turf, and being thrust into under the table work like this really allowed him to spread his wings, and prove that practice paid off. A reckless smile crept onto the corners of his mouth.

 

Eventually, he came upon a door smothered in pearls and painted a delicate pink– ah, this must be it. Kneeling, he pulled out a lockpick and wrestled with the inner workings of the lock before finally hearing a satisfying click.

 

Gently, he pushed the door open, wincing slightly as he wasn’t able to avoid a slight creak. He locked it behind him.

 

There was a lithe figure lying without a single care in the world on the bed, clothed in a creamy white nightgown. The windows were closed, but he could hear steady breathing as the faintest hint of a snore sizzled throughout the room. Approaching the princess, he ripped a strip of cloth off the cape of the borrowed uniform he was using, fastening it on her face as a gag, and detaching rope from his belt, he tied it around her, entrapping her arms against her back.

 

He hoped Mizi was a deep sleeper. 

 

Steeling himself, he hoisted the princess off of the bed, thanking the stars outside that she was light. He had wanted to hoist her over his shoulder, but he found that the muscle stretched uncomfortably when he began to lift her up. He resigned himself to adjusting her to be carried with both arms.

 

The princess’s eyes were open. They stared directly into his own, dark and wide. Luka froze.

 

Surprisingly, she didn’t seem to struggle. She stared at him emptily, furrowing her eyebrows as she adjusted herself the best she could with restricted movement. She continuously glanced at the door, as if waiting for something. 

 

A knock on the door. 

 

A feminine voice rang out, rich and curious, when no one answered. 

 

“Hellooo? Are you in there, princess?” 

 

Luka felt irritation zip through his veins. He had only needed to make it down a floor or two before he could make contact with Ivan’s people, allowing him his smoothly planned escape. With this mystery woman outside the door, what now? His eyes darted around the room, hoping for some kind of royal balcony, but to no avail. That left him just one solution. 

 

He hoisted the window open, and the princess rolled her eyes, wiggling in his arm uncomfortably. He rolled his eyes back at her, letting out a breathy laugh as he climbed outside the window and shut it behind him, sliding onto the roof.

 

It was a precarious situation. Both of his arms were restricted in their movement, so all he had was whatever friction he could use to keep himself steady in his legs. Thankfully, the roof layout was fairly layered… as long as he kept any leaps he made to short distances, he might have the strength left to make sure he didn’t slip and die. But he might not.

 

Truthfully, the view from the top was paralyzing, but it was the path he’d chosen. He closed his eyes, concentrated on the sound of his own heartbeat, and opened them again, taking a step forward on the tile.

 

His breaths came harshly, but it was proof that he was alive. He should use the fear of ending up the opposite to his advantage. 

 

Another step forward. His heartbeat roared in his ears, blood pounding in his head. The princess tensed in his arms, clearly beginning to grow wary of this stunt. Luka lowered his weight onto his lower body, sliding down to a sitting position and scooting to the edge of the roof with his feet.

 

He sucked in a breath, and pushed himself off, landing hard on the soles of his shoes as he hit the segment of roof below. Pain shot through his calves that had taken the brunt of the landing, and Luka couldn’t help but be filled with exhilaration. He could do this. Now resolved, he repeated the same movements to get down to the next floor, and he was about to jump down when a blunt noise ripped through the air.

 

It came from the training grounds in the courtyard– a familiar woman was out there, at the damn witching hour of night, hacking at the training dummy as if it had kidnapped the princess itself. Luka watched, hypnotized, as she grunted with each swing, wearing nothing but what he recognized as the black undershirt to this kingdom’s armor. Long brown hair flew out wildly behind her, and after a few minutes, she wiped the back of her fist against her mouth before backing away and craning her head up to the stars, clearly exhausted.

 

His fingers ran numb, grip on the princess loosening dangerously, cheeks burning through his skull at the sight of her. His heartbeat screamed in his ears as he stared, and he prayed silently a thousand times that her skyward gaze would drift over to the roof he was perched on– that she’d see him, on his high perch, and mistake him as an angel.

 

But alas. She turned her head to the ground, hung low, and rolled her dominant arm back, before stretching back up and stalking away into the castle. Luka slowly came to his senses, curling the princess closer to his chest before she slipped and fell to her doom. The starstruck feeling remained with him, though, even as he leaped down to the next level.

 

Hyuna– General Hyuna now, was it? Was even more beautiful than the day she’d thrown her sword at his feet. Than the day she left the knighthood.

 

---

 

The princess kicked mildly at him for the rest of the way, and continued to put up a small struggle when handed over to Ivan’s people. Though, Luka got the feeling it was less truly because she was afraid, and more because it would simply be wrong not to put up some kind of fight. 

 

He nodded solemnly to the cloaked figures. They were to part ways here, Luka boarding a carriage to make his way back to his home kingdom, and the rest of them transferring the princess through more… discreet methods. It really was quite useful to have a royal advisor so connected with the world of the underground. Saved him from the dirty work.

 

“Remember.” He warned, one foot on the steps of the carriage. “This is of utmost importance to his highness, and is meant to be carried out with absolute secrecy. Kidnapping a princess is not light or honorable work in any fashion, but… if the king demands it of us, we must listen. Do you all understand?”

 

Slowly, heads nodded. 

 

“Right. I expect to see her at the castle by the morrow. Don’t get caught.” He winked, and stepped up inside, gently fastening the door closed.

 

---

 

In hindsight, Ivan should’ve checked on the prisoner– hostage? Honored guest? First. But Till had been demanding results, and he was all about giving them. He woke up, didn’t bother to comb his hair, and tried to stroll as casually and suavely as possible into the throne room, where he found his king impatiently tapping his foot against marble.

 

He smiled slyly. “What’s wrong, Till? Waiting for something? Or should I say… someone?” He twirled the fur around his neck, suddenly conscious of his messy appearance when Till’s glare seared onto him. 

 

“Of course I am! How many times have I said it…. “ He frowned, slouching backwards onto his throne. “I just want to see Princess– M… Mizi!” He stuttered briefly, as if the very act of saying her name got him all embarrassed. Ivan sighed. 

 

“Here I thought you were waiting for little old me…” He joked, and Till only fixed him with a hard stare. 

 

“Get serious.” He groaned. “I have both you and that knight freak–”

 

Ivan did a rather terrible job of stifling a giggle, hissing into his palm. “...Knight Captain Luka?”

 

Till snickered back, tilting his head at Ivan. “I meant what I said. Uh… anyways, yes– I’ve got you both on the job, and you have my permission to do whatever you need to, so how long could it possibly take? Is there something I need to sign? Approve? You should just come to me right away!” He rested a bare foot on the arm of the chair. Ah, what dignity, for a king to not wear shoes. 

 

He’d been like this since he began his rule. Rebellious, wild, unstable. The late king, Urak, had been less than an amicable father, and such an unsteady upbringing had led the young prince himself to an unsteady rule as the new king– especially with the responsibility of it thrust onto him at such a young age. 

 

But Ivan had always found him fascinating, even now. He didn’t mind, only continued to guide him as his advisor. If it wound up in him being thrown in the dungeons thrice a week, so be it. 

 

But that was enough stalling. He signaled to the attendant at the door with a steady, dark gaze. “Bring her in.”

 

He closed his eyes cheerfully as he heard the doors open, and the princess be guided in. With any luck, Till would be singing his praises (and, he supposed, Luka’s– but that didn’t really matter) in three… two…

 

A gasp. “What the!?”

 

Ivan cracked an eye open, frowning. Till’s face was filled with nervous disbelief as he leaned forward, scrutinizing the woman presumably behind Ivan. His jaw sank.

 

Ivan turned around. 

 

A remarkably calm girl, about his and Till’s age, with short black hair that starkly framed her pale skin, and purple eyes that bore into some distant spot on the wall. She was still in her nightgown, and she seemed to be shivering. In summary– absolutely not Princess Mizi. 

 

“That’s not Mizi– that’s…!” Till nervously straightened himself up on his throne, pressing a thumb between his teeth. “Sua, from the neighboring Ice Kingdom!”

 

Ivan slowly rotated his head back to his king, slowly raising his hands in the air. “Huh? Really? My bad…”

 

The girl suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. “Ah, it’s freezing…” Her voice was steady, but carried a slight tremble, and her shoulders continued shaking.

 

Till had gotten up from his seat, striding over to Sua. “O-oh, really? This is the north– that must be why…” Ivan wanted to annoy further, to impishly correct him about Sua being from the literal Ice kingdom, but before he could, the doors swung open, and Luka strolled casually inside, white cape billowing behind him, arrogantly graceful. Ivan grimaced. As if this wasn’t all his fault. The bastard probably just picked up the first princess looking girl he saw and made a run for it. 

 

Suddenly, an accusing finger was jabbed at Ivan’s chest, and he stumbled backwards as Till’s spit hit his face. “You! Go bring Princess Sua a blanket or… something else to wear!” 

 

Heat rose to his face, and Ivan blinked, an uncontrollable smile overtaking his features. “Got it!”

 

“Got it!? Is that all?” Till gripped the front of his shirt, dragging him closer in an embarrassed frenzy, and sending Ivan into one of his own. “You know what… this is all your fault! I told you to do it right!” He glanced furtively between Ivan, then Sua, then Luka, then Ivan again. “What are you going to do now!? Y– you’re the one responsible for this!”

 

An excitement crept up Ivan’s spine. “...I need to do something? Oh please. Like what?”

 

Till let go of his shirt, pushing him back with a bright red face and frantically waving his hands at the guards. “I’ve had enough of you! Guards, lock him up in the dungeons! Don’t let him out until I say so!” 

 

“That’s just too much~” Ivan protested, but as much as he would deny it, this routine between them was tried and true.

 

Yes, this again. Ivan just sighed with contentment as rope was tied around him, and he was dragged away. He used to walk along with the guards, but recently, he’d begun to admire their dedication– so he simply sat still while they used all their might to drag his heavy frame all the way down underground. 

 

Luka, who had moved to stand next to their incorrect princess, hit him with a bored look as he slid past. “Farewell.”

 

Then, the captain turned to her, raising his hand and whispering in her ear.

 

“Um… how is General Hyuna doing?”

 

Sua’s eyes squinted ever so slightly, before relaxing in recognition, though she didn’t do him the favor of whispering back. “Ah, my kidnapper. I thought I recognized you from somewhere. She’s… doing well?”

 

Till’s eyes went as wide as saucers, his head twisting itself to look at Luka.

 

“K...”

 

Ivan suddenly had the genius thought this whole ridiculous plan of Luka’s might be worth it: just for that horrified look on his face.

 

“KIDNAPPER!?”

Notes:

Luka, staring at Hyuna fighting a training dummy: I wish she would attack me like that

Sua, about to fall one hundred feet and splatter to her death: I like women too but you don't see me freaking out like an animal

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Summary:

Hyuna shows up at Luka's door.

Notes:

the pathetic man content in this chapter is so severely prevalent... Luka and Till losing all good senses at the same time...

I feel as if I should clarify!

Sua is from the Ice Kingdom.
Ivan, Luka, and Till are all from the Anemone Kingdom. Hyuna was raised in Anemone.
Mizi and Hyuna are from the Cyanea Kingdom.

I realize these kingdom names are all a bit silly, but I'm not worrying about being all too serious about this fic. I wanted to get another chapter published before Weige, because unfortunately it will ruin my life and I will be too unrepairable to write./j Please enjoy!

From the moment Luka had been inducted into knighthood, he had been above everyone else.

 

Heperu was the captain, after all. His own father, and yet it was a shock to the entire castle when he was introduced as his son. Luka had been a weak child. He had to be trained privately– his constitution made it so that the standard training regimen would be too tough on him, that such constant strain would only lead to him falling quickly behind. Subsequently, his existence had been kept almost entirely private. 

 

While he and Heperu sometimes trained outside when the weather wasn’t too bad, having a consistent, indoor environment was better for his development– and so a training room was built. He spent most of his early days there, where they became cyclic. He would wake up before the sun rose, train with Heperu in that windowless room, and pass out as it set. That was the beginning of his life– an extended state of the womb, fighting and training and failing, all to have the strength to truly be born, and earn the right to life in the sun.

 

And he got it, too. He recalls so vividly the unfamiliar scorching heat on his skin as he entered the courtyard with all the other teenagers, freshly named squires. He remembers the shocked murmurs amongst them, as Heperu proudly named him his son, and officially took him on as his chosen apprentice. He remembers the jealous gazes from the ones who thought such a thing was unfair. 

 

They’d all sparred each other that afternoon, ready to glean each other’s skills. Heperu had a firm hand on his shoulder as Luka was made to stand aside in the shade; ever the exception.

 

He was disappointed, then. As he watched the others fight, countless mistakes flashed into his vision. Incorrect sword holds, sloppy footwork, weak parries, and most of all– a complete lack of resolve. Never in his life had he witnessed such an unsteady grip on a blade, such a lack of direction. He felt so superior, both in skill and mindset. To these children, sparring was an activity of play. 

 

But to hold a sword meant to live , to fight for survival. Everything you have must be thrown into your blade, and thrust forward, as if reaching out your fingertips to catch the edge of a cliff. 

 

He felt distant.

 

And he acted accordingly. He didn’t talk to his peers, and they didn’t dare approach him. He dueled with Heperu, and none else. Luka had finally reached life in the sun, but while others basked in it, to him, it only served as an irritant. His peers' skin would tan beautifully in the light, and Luka’s only blistered, red and itchy. The glare of its blinding rays only served to intensify the pounding pain in his head, making it impossible to focus.

 

It was all such a pain, especially while trying to work on his swordplay, so Luka simply resigned himself to a life in the shade. 

 

He couldn’t help himself, though. He would often sit under the branches of a tree in the courtyard, expression devoid of any emotion as he watched the lives of the other children around him. They would chase each other, play games, sing songs, roll in the grass. A knight would come to sternly tell them off, reminding them to do their duties, and then, they would finally begin training with each other. 

 

There was always something new going on for him to watch. One particular day, the toddler prince had somehow managed to wander into the courtyard all by himself, and he cheered and clapped as the squires dueled passionately. Everyone eventually noticed him, and they all went wild with excitement. A few boys and girls sat next to him, cooing at him and pinching his cheeks, despite the kid’s annoyance. Others twirled their rapiers in front of him, trying to show off their fanciest tricks, and earn a cheer from his royal highness.

 

Luka found himself fascinated by the scene, until it was cut short. King Urak burst through the doors, stomped over, and grabbed the little boy by the collar of his shirt– holding him up and carrying him away with a furious scolding. 

 

As all the excitement died down, he’d begun to doze off, eyes drooping. The throbbing in his temples started to become a sort of numb pattern of familiarity, and the heat from the sun gathered around him, invading his shadow of solitude.

 

He rested his chin on his knees, closed his eyes, and…

 

A foot kicked him roughly on the leg. 

 

“Hey, just because you’re the captain’s son doesn’t mean you can slack off! You’ve been sitting for like… two hours. Come on, get up!”

 

Luka huffed, and cracked an eye open, the back of his head scratching against the bark of the tree as he looked upwards. Ouch. 

 

A brunette boy leaned down above him, hand outstretched to pull him up. His head was blocking out the sun, selfishly using its light to frame his face with a golden halo. Wide grey met pale yellow as Luka cracked open his other eye. 

 

Heart relentlessly pounding at the sudden encounter, Luka instinctively reached out to the boy. The action was a confused one– he didn’t really know what he was doing, or why he was doing it. In fact, his hand only sluggishly made it halfway up before he paused, clarity flooding into his head. 

 

The boy leaned forward, almost tripping over himself, and his hand crossed the gap between them, gripping Luka’s with firm resolve. He yanked Luka to his feet. 

 

“I’m Hyun-woo. You’re Luka, right?”

 

---

 

“W… what do you mean kidnapper!? You didn’t… there’s no way you…” Till covered his mouth, hand twitching, eyes as wide as saucers. 

 

The scrape of Ivan’s metal boots was a grating dissonance to Luka’s ears as he was dragged to the dungeons. He politely waited for the throne room doors to swing shut before he spoke.

 

“Yes, kidnapper.” He nodded respectfully. “Your highness was demanding that Ivan and I bring Princess Mizi in as soon as we could, through whatever means. We exhausted every other option, so we arranged an operation to take her by force. And here she is.” He calmly explained, glancing towards the princess, who remained as calm as she’d been last night.

 

The king’s eye twitched, and he gripped the arm of the throne, hand turning pale with the force of it, and face turning pale with fear. Ah, no, now it was turning red with anger. It’d probably go blue soon if he kept holding his breath. Luka watched with anticipation.

 

Alas, it only took on a slight blue tinge before Till let out a sound of discontent. Shame he wasn’t able to see it go all the way.

 

“Tch…! By whatever means, did you really think I meant by force!? Ivan I understand, but I at least expected more from you! Besides, you got the wrong princess, anyhow…”

 

To be fair, it was actually more his idea to kidnap the princess than Ivan’s, but if Till believed otherwise, he wouldn’t be bothered to correct him. The last part took Luka off guard, though. The wrong princess? It had most assuredly been Princess Mizi’s room; not to mention that voice calling for the princess outside of her door. And was this one not wearing a tiara?

 

“Wrong… princess?”

 

“Yes, you dolt. This is Princess Sua! From the Ice Kingdom!”

 

Oh.

 

“Ah. The Ice Kingdom? Then you’re, what… the seventh? Fifth?” He looked at the dark haired girl. 

 

She shrugged. “The ninth.”

 

The Ice Kingdom had a surplus of princesses and princes. Ten, to be exact. They had just kept appearing, and while the kingdom got plenty of use out of them, only the eldest was slated to take the throne. The rest were used for public appearances, or diplomatic missions, the like. Some simply served as decorations to the family portrait, most days– pretty little things to showcase the royal family’s beauty. 

 

He glanced towards Till, face relaxing. “Well, if she’s the ninth, it's nothing to worry about. They probably won’t even bother to take any aggressive action until they absolutely must. If anything, Mizi’s kingdom will be facing the brunt for letting their diplomatic guest go missing.” 

 

Sua dryly coughed, shivering violently. What was a princess from the ice kingdom doing wearing such exposing pajamas, anyhow? Really, it was far from Luka’s fault from mistaking her. “He’s right. Seeing as this is all some kind of… misunderstanding, just return me to Princess Mizi, and it’ll go over as if I was a speck of dust.”

 

Her eyes narrowed as she looked King Till up and down, a disgust forming on her face at his appearance. “Kindly leave Princess Mizi alone, though. I’m sure you understand how ridiculous this plot of yours is– and if you kidnap the real thing, then the Cyanea kingdom will practically consider this an act of war.”

 

Till gulped. “R-right… you’re right…”

 

…

 

“You heard her, Captain! Put her back from where you got her and–”

 

An attendant burst through the door, hands falling onto her thighs as she bent over and heaved in deep breaths. “Y… your Highness! Acting Knight Captain! The Cyanea military is here…!” 

 

“What!?” Till screeched.

 

“Ah…?” Sua tilted her head.

 

“Hm?” Luka raised a brow.

 

“They’re claiming you’re holding a princess of the Ice Kingdom hostage, and… and…” She frantically fumbled over her words, trying to explain herself. “And are claiming it as an act of war! They demand that you return her, or they unleash a siege on the castle this instant– the general is even with them–”

 

Luka straightened up, pale cape whipping behind him as he turned to face the attendant. “The general’s here?”

 

“Yes… along with her army… a- and Princess Mizi…”

 

Sua straightened in her chair. “The princess is here?”

 

And to top it off, Till sat up from his slouch on the throne. “Princess Mizi?”

 

Luka swiftly took action, marching up to the throne, and taking a deep bow. Till’s face contorted into a confused panic, and he glanced wildly around the room.

 

“Your highness, I deeply apologize.” He said with the most sincere tone he could muster, head raising slightly to make eye contact with the king. “More than Advisor Ivan’s, it was my idea to kidnap the princess. I misconstrued your words, and assumed that you sought her for political means, not… social ones… and acted accordingly. It was also I who broke into the Cyanea palace, and even dragged the wrong princess into this debacle. Indeed, I have made a grave mistake.”

 

Till frowned irately, pointing a finger at him. “That’s right! This is your fault…!”

 

“It is. Therefore, I humbly ask that you permit me to take actions to repair the damage I have done. I will personally escort Princess Sua to the general– ah, and the princess, and apologize on our kingdom’s behalf. I will also handle all future negotiations, if the general should decide to take them on herself. After all, it is better for military officials to keep their dealings with each other. If a different diplomat is sent instead of the general… then I’m sure Ivan will do his part in making up for our wrongdoings, and handle it as usual. Does this proposed solution sound… satisfactory, your Highness?

 

Till swallowed thickly, and then nodded, squeezing his eyes shut, face red. “It’s fine…” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is so embarrassing…”

 

Luka had already hastily begun untying Sua, heart thrumming in his throat. He unfastened his white cape, wrapping it around her– if she was brought to them shivering, it might escalate tensions further. Then, he motioned ahead of him, for the ice princess to follow him to the door. 

 

When they entered the hallway, Sua followed him in stride, refusing to fall behind, even with Luka’s rushing pace. 

 

“Thank you for the cape.” She said blankly, and yet again, Luka got the sense that she only said so out of obligation. As if being polite was simply meant to be part of her identity– like it was a rule she must follow.

 

“You’re welcome.” He responded, equally as hollow, much too focused at what was awaiting him at the castle gates. 

 

“You have something going on with General Hyuna, no?” She commented, and Luka paused in his steps, turning to look at her. “Don’t be surprised. You were staring at her so intensely on the roof last night, and now you jump at the chance to meet her for negotiations? What's your deal?”

 

Luka stared at her for a few moments, and then smiled. “The general is an old friend of mine. You may not know this, but she was raised over here. I’d simply like to rekindle our relationship.”

 

The princess tilted her head upwards, scrutinizing him. “...well. Best of luck, then. The general is a confusing woman to navigate.”

 

“And you. Do you have something going on with Princess Mizi?”

 

“...”

 

“I’ve been thinking about how this whole thing could have possibly happened. The diplomat princess from the Ice Kingdom, sleeping in her highness’s bedroom, as if it were her own. And the woman who knocked on the door and called for you– it must’ve been her, right?” 

 

Luka didn’t actually care all that much, but it felt nice to get back at the princess’s own digs at himself. He gave a smug smile, awaiting her answer, and idly adjusting a glove. 

 

“...If you already know, then don’t bother asking.” She said briskly, and continued walking steadfastly ahead, missing the turn they were meant to take.

 

“You’re going the wrong way…”

 

---

 

The second they walked through the castle gates, a pink haired woman burst forward, crushing Sua in a hug. 

 

“Princess…!” She exclaimed, tears flying from her eyes. Luka wiped a stray one off his face. “I’m so glad you’re safe– I rushed to find out where you were all night yesterday… and then I got Hyuna and everyone over here first thing in the morning… oh… oh Sua…!”

 

Sua gently and slowly reached up a hand to rub her on the shoulder, a smile blooming on her face. “Ah… you really didn’t need to, Mizi. It wasn’t a big deal. You and I both know my kingdom wouldn’t have started a fuss over it…”

 

Mizi pulled away, holding Sua by the shoulders, and shaking her back and forth. “That’s…! I don’t care if you’re not important to the Ice Kingdom, princess– you’re important to me! You can’t be thinking your worth is so insignificant, and…!” Her face darkened. “Ah. You reminded me.”

 

She looked at Luka, who raised his eyebrows, and pointed to himself. “Who are you? Where’s King Till? I need to have a serious talk with that boy.” 

 

Luka gave a brief bow, looking anywhere but at the princess as he searched for a familiar head of brown hair. “I’m the Acting Knight Captain Luka, your highness. I understand that it’s not customary to send someone like me out for these sorts of meetings– but this whole situation is rather my fault, and not his highness’s, so I have come to take responsibility.” He stood back up, rolling back a stiff shoulder. “I was the one who suggested the kidnapping, because I misunderstood my orders. If anyone should atone, let it be me.” He left the part about him enacting the kidnapping out, for the moment. It would only serve to enrage her further, in this protective state of hers.

 

Mizi put a hand on her hip. “It’s not just you I want atoning. It's your kingdom. I’m sorry, but I simply find it… unacceptable! That you can execute such a violent and criminal plan so casually! For a kingdom’s knight captain to even have the idea to kidnap someone– anyone, not just a princess…! How could such a thing cross your mind?” She pulled Sua close to her, holding her hand. “If you’re such a person, then the knighthood, and therefore the king must be. I cannot let this incident go without consequences.”

 

She looked to the right of her, and smiled nervously. “Was that good?”

 

And then, it happened. Out of the crowd of soldiers, walked forth a woman clad in chainmail, taking her place as Princess Mizi’s right hand. 

 

She looked at Mizi with a grin. “It was fantastic, princess. Way to stand firm on your convictions!” She slung an arm around Mizi’s shoulder, and ruffled her hair. 

 

If seeing Hyuna from the roof last night was hypnotizing, seeing her now had Luka brainwashed. She’d matured greatly from when he last saw her; her shoulders more broad, hair longer and more wild. Her natural tan was made vibrant by the sun, and her eyes still contained all the force of a thunderstorm– her very presence stole his breath away. Luka felt his heart claw at his ribs, rip through his flesh, fight to escape his chest– and he took a deep breath as she looked forward, meeting his gaze.

 

“...Hyuna–”

 

“I’ll handle negotiations.”

 

Mizi took on an expression of shock. “Are you sure? I’m the one who wanted to take it this far, in the first place, and…”

 

She grinned reassuringly, shaking her head, and tightening her arm around Mizi’s shoulders. “It’s no problem for me, princess. You’re still meant to be entertaining Princess Sua back at the palace, and earning the Ice Kingdom’s favor. But still… I agree that the Kingdom of Anemone needs to face consequences, and so I’ll be the one to help you follow through with that. Besides…”

 

She looked Luka up and down, and he felt the tips of his ears grow hot.

 

“Besides…?” Mizi looked at him as well.

 

“Ah… nothing, nothing. I just thought… it’s better for military officials to discuss matters among themselves, and it looks like the Knight Captain here has been put in charge of negotiations. Unless the king would like to get in a word?” She yelled, and then coughed loudly, gaze travelling to the arch of the gates.

 

Till was there, peeking out from inside the castle, face flushed. “Agh!” 

 

Mizi frowned. “Till! I have words for you…”

 

He ran forward, until he stopped in front of Mizi, and quickly got on one knee. “I’m sorry, Princess Mizi!” He said with clear humiliation, face a brilliant pink. “I didn’t mean it, really… I just wanted to see you and– and–” He glared up at Luka, turning to yell at him. “And this incompetent subordinate of mine took it the wrong way! I just wanted them to invite you over, or something, really, really, really… I’m sorry! Really…”

 

Mizi sternly gazed down at him, before she broke out into a laugh, pink hair bouncing gently behind her as her head bobbed up and down. “Well, when you apologize so sincerely…” She let go of Sua’s hand to raise her own and stifle her laughter, and then gave a brilliant smile. “I suppose it really mustn't have been your fault.” 

 

She reached out her hand to help Till up. He took it, the red on his face invading his entire body, and mouth wrinkling at the corners in a shy frown as he looked at her adoringly. “Still, Till, this really isn’t good, especially since you’re the king. Um… why not try to make your instructions clearer next time?” 

 

“Y…yes…” He nodded quickly, clenching his fist at his side. “I will… M- Mizi…!” He hurriedly bowed.

 

“Achoo.” Sua said. Not sneezed, Luka would like to note. Said. Just the word.

 

Mizi looked quickly to her, dropping Till’s hand to help adjust Luka’s cape tighter around her. “Oh, I’m so sorry, my dear Sua! Are you catching a cold?” Sua nodded, looking directly at Till, eyes squinting. “Let’s get you back in my carriage, come on, come on…” She led her away, a hand rubbing her back. 

 

Luka looked to Till, who looked at him, face still burning. Luka wasn’t much better, though– he felt like he was on fire, still being so close to the general– his lungs were collapsing in on themselves. 

 

“You said you’d take care of this, r-right?” He snapped. “Then do it!”

 

The king stormed off, and Luka and Hyuna were left standing alone– Hyuna at the front of her army, and Luka at the front of the castle. 

 

Hyuna waved her hand behind her. “All of you, follow Princess Mizi back to the kingdom, and ensure nothing happens to her. When you return, inform lieutenant Isaac that he is to be the Acting General until I return. I will be staying here for some time to take care of Anemone’s punishment.”

 

The soldiers saluted in unison. “Yes, General Hyuna!” 

 

Luka watched in apprehensive silence as they marched away, and faded into the horizon. He was beginning to miss his cape. A cold wind blew over him, and he shivered.

 

“Luka.”

 

Hearing his name from her mouth felt like a miracle. Luka couldn’t help it as a wild grin broke out on his face, and his cheeks flushed with emotion.

 

“Hyuna…”

 

Ever since she’d left– she hadn’t left his mind for a moment. He had always thought, in her absence, how to fix things. What he could do to rope her back by his side, what he could’ve done better, how it all could’ve been avoided– whatever it’d take to get Hyuna back into his life, and by his side, he’d do it. And this ‘negotiation’ stay? It was the perfect opportunity to finally bring her back to his arms. 

 

“...we should go inside. And talk.”

 

Years of trying to learn how to express his love for Hyuna in a desirable way, and it was all going to culminate within the next week. He had to start planning– where he would take her, how he could convince her, what they would talk about– how he would apologize–

 

“Luka, come on. There’s snot running down your nose. You’re going to catch a cold.”

 

But how could he apologize? She wouldn’t want to talk about it, surely. It was an event of the past, one that lay buried deep in her heart, just as it was engraved in Luka’s. To bring that day back up, and have her do anything but scorn him and tell him to keep silent, he would have to break through to her first. To do that, might be the most difficult task…

 

Hyuna sighed, and rolled her eyes. Grabbing Luka’s wrist, she tugged him along; He nearly tripped over himself– and she led them both inside.