#hakyona save me hakyona

[akaneenaka33]

When he holds her like this 🥹

[ratherhavehopewithyou]

This specific flavor of yona comforting hak >>>>>

ch. 178 / ch. 225 / ch. 254

[oneforblu]

i just LOVE finding a ship that is built on such amazing writing, and you can see how the characters impact one another. romantic or platonic, being able to watch two characters grow closer in such beautifully intimate ways is one of the best parts of consuming media. you can see all the author's hard work pay off with each interaction. it's so beautiful. and all the people that create fanart, edits, fanfics, of these ships pay all the love forward. it's such a beautiful and fun way to appreciate media. there is nothing better than discovering a new ship and falling in love with the characters as a pair AND individuals.

[theyonapodcast]

Hi!! I love your podcast!! I want to ask you, what are your favorite akayona fics??

Hi! Thank you!! And thank you for giving me an excuse to talk about my favorite topic.

HakYona

for happiness by thecivilunrest

Hak closes his eyes, and allows himself to pretend that this is more than duty.

At Their Hands by the-tzimisce (firstmaterial)

She turns to him, glances down to where he’s kneeling by the side of the manicured path into the grove, and when her eyes hit him that’s when Hak knows this is a dream, because only in a dream would the princess look at him with such focus - with such care.

Your Touch by LightBloom (honestly tied with An Exercise in Self-Improvement by LightBloom)

Yona had the perfect two-step plan. Get back into school and move in with Soo-Won. It's the start of the year and one of the steps falls through. So naturally, what's a girl to do except move into a house with her friend and 4 other boys, all while avoiding Hak's questions?

Denial and avoidance are healthy behaviors, right?

bad idea by makapedia

Explaining porn to a sheltered princess was decidedly not in Hak's job description. And yet here he is.

There Ain't No Tellin' Who You Might Meet by ViciousVentriloquist

In the summer of '79 Yona, a college girl with red hair, a privileged upbringing, and fresh trauma, gets a job at a local gas station.

Others

to all the ghosts still standing in this room by Sabraeal (Soo-Won/Lili)

It's just like Yona to frame this as a request, a favor: attend Princess Kouren's formal coronation as an esteemed member of the royal family, as one of her most trusted advisors. But Soowon was not Kouka's king for so long by not knowing how to read between the lines; he's a political liability, and it would behoove him to make sure that when Xing's new queen chooses her consort, he is the one standing beside her. It's better than he deserves; were it anyone but Yona, he would already be buried in the most convenient ditch they found on their way back from Kai. But still...Did she really need to send Lili to make it happen?

When the Red Summer Poppies Bloom by Letterblade (Kouren/Yona)

Princess Kouren, now that Yona's been able to get to know her, turns out to be an excellent teacher of swordplay. And some...more interesting things.

Renegades by SariahHime (Jae-Ha/Kija with side Hak/Yona/Soo-Won)

Two rough and tumble field agents, one very disgruntled yet well-polished detective, an elusive assassin, a chipper intelligence agent, and a shy sharpshooter are thrown into a world none knew before. In order to save their friend and their country they must face a hellish reality full of deception and lies.

You are also welcome to peruse my AO3 bookmarks to see if any summaries call to you.

[neixins]

yona of the dawn ofc :3

help i typed up whole paragraphs and then my browser crashed and none of it got saved 😭 i won’t be stopped though!

My rating (1-10): if it ends the way i think (hope) it will 10/10 no notes perfect historical fantasy shoujo series <3 if it doesn’t i hope we all explode

My favourite character: predictable answer but yona really is THEE protagonist of all time. she’s such a vibrant character even before she begins her journey and seeing her grow throughout the series is just so !!!! she cares so much and is ready to do anything to protect everyone and she’s clever and kind of insane but also silly and i love her so much!! also honorable mention to my special little guy gija <3 i adore his relentless optimism and how No Rational Thoughts Only Emotions And Actions he is 99% of the time. also he’s just so relatable To Me when he’s in poor little guy mode. i adore the entire hhb though, and so so so many of the side characters. they’re all just so well-written, it’s impossible not to love them

My least favourite character: probably chagol, mostly bc i keep seeing theories about how he’s not really dead and blah blah blah (in the famous words of kesha) and i’m sick of it. he’s a good villain and while i believe kusanagi could pull off his resurrection well if she so chose, as a meinyan fan, i LIKE that her abuser died so unceremoniously. let him rot, i say! even if he does get resurrected he’ll always be Just Some Gross Loser Guy to me

The character I think I'd be friends with: gija :) we’d get along so well on account of The Neuroses and The Only Child-isms

The character I think I won't hit off with: keishuk doesn’t seem like someone who’d appreciate my whimsy tbh

My favourite episode/scene: (don’t say gijaeha love potion shenanigans don’t say gijaeha love potion shenanigans) trying to pick One Scene in a 40+ volume series pains me so i’m gonna cheat and pick five (in no particular order) :3 (1) this scene from ch 163. all the hakyona scenes are so fucking good but this one’s just so so so sweet and i think about it all the time + it encapsulates so many elements of their relationship that i love, mainly how deeply they care about each other and help each other grow (where’s the post about austenian romance as a mechanism for self-actualization…), but also how goofy hak acts when he wants to cheer yona up

(2) yona getting the south kai envoys to admit to the shit they’ve been doing in kohka and then going “okie dokie now let’s get this meeting started shall we :)” she’s an icon and a legend <3 (3) gija in ch 252. absolutely devastating chapter and i need my guys back posthaste but OHHHH!!!!!!! i have so many thoughts about gija and monstrousness but i’m just gonna link to this post lest i go on too many tangents again…. (4) the hot springs chapter of course OF COURSE what kind of gijaeha enthusiast would i be if i didn’t bring that chapter up. it’s one of the most crucial chapters for the development of their relationship and it so perfectly captures how different yet similar they are + getting to see so much of jaeha’s thoughts on page really helps contextualize a lot of his actions in general (also i find his tendency to overanalyze and act on his assumptions instead of just. talking to the guy who’s been nothing if not remarkably earnest from day one lest he accidentally makes the situation worse to be both very endearing and very funny). (5) the “he’s stronger than i am” moment in ch 168. actually that whole battle scene Fucks Severely on so many levels but that!!!! line!!!!!! it makes me so crazy like. jaeha’s not just trying to stall for time, he genuinely thinks gija’s stronger than him (“from good morning to good night” bonus chapter) but like. looking at it purely physically they Are equals. but gija doesn’t hold back like jaeha does (ch 75, ch 170) and also it’s clear from the hot springs chapter that jaeha admires gija for not letting himself get shackled by his past (even though he’s Literally Being Haunted). also the moment right before that, when jaeha fucking. obliterates the bow of the soldier who tries to shoot gija (he’s doing SUCH a good job pretending that they’re enemies btw) is soooOOUGHHH like jaeha doesn’t get angry often but he’s FURIOUS in that moment and it’s so delicious (i think it’s the “let’s deliver him as a gift to lord kuelbo” part specifically that gets to him bc like gija can dodge one (1) arrow just fine without help but he risked the whole plan—) (getting vaudeville hooked off the stage) wait i lied :) (6) the blue forest mini arc is soooo good and so dear to me i HAVE to mention it!! it really showcases how caring sinha is + there’s also the lore drops about ghosts and the hakyona/gijaeha parallels, both of which make me wanna explode <3

Whose clothing style I like best: jaeha. the slutty little crop top wins by a landslide <3 i wish we got to see it more often (wistful sigh)

Times I watched it (and if I would again): once all the way through but i’ve reread parts of it many times for fic research and while theorizing. i definitely wanna reread it front to back though, all the parallels and foreshadowing make it so perfect for rereads

[rollzerox]

So yeah gonna get hate for this but...

Hak’s already back up and rejoining the army... After he JUST passed out next to Yoon. How many hours have passed? Really? I mean the dragons were still exhausted in Xing after what a week Yona was away arranging the meeting with Soo-won? I’m sorry but this is just making Hak way too overpowered and to push the reunion between him and Yona sooner I guess, but I really had hoped Vold and Algira would have been the ones to save Yona, or the dragons. I’m glad the dragons got to shine though with getting Li Hazara to surrender.

But I really think Hak should have stayed down for the count after the huge battle, they get Yona back and she finds out how injured he is, fearing the worst. Much like when Hak was away in the Water Tribe and comes back to finding Yona was attacked and had her back sliced open, Hak could wake by her side hearing her bawl out what she couldn’t say to his face and still wonder if he’s dreaming as she’s professing her love to him, or just quip how come she can only admit she loves him when he’s unconscious? XD

[realclever]

Here’s a cheat sheet I made for myself to know the chapter numbers for when significant HakYona Moments occurred in the Akatsuki No Yona manga. I figured I’d just share it in case anyone else finds it useful.

If some of the phrases don’t make sense it’s because I made them extra short to fit on one line in my notes app. For vague statements like “Wind tribe” I just think the whole chapter is a HakYona moment

Covers up to chapter 226

Spoilers ahead***

FB = Flashback

Chapters:

3 FB when Hak became Yona’s bodyguard

4 FB Hak, Yona and Soowon snow day and get sick

5 Hak picks leeches off of Yona

6-7 wind tribe

8 “give yourself to me Hak”

9-10 the cliff

12 kiss attempt / forehead slam

15 archery lesson, Hak warns: “I’ll get greedy”

16 Yona swipes Hak’s dagger

17 Hak: “the way she looks when she takes risks”

19 Kija interrupts Yona feeding Hak

22 Yona makes Hak stay as lookout in cave

32 Honey scene

40 Yona saw Soowon in Awa. Protective Hak

41 Love potion

47 Swordsmanship, Hak low key confesses

49 Hak and Yona doodles

52 Yona: “I’ll sleep with Hak”

60-61 Hak and Yona as kids

62 Jae-ha teases Hak, forehead kiss

63 Hak and Yona share a tent

64-65 Jealous Yona

75 Yona wraps Haks bandages

76 Hak bets on Yona’s archery

80 Shirtless Hak cover

81 Yona thinks of Hak (water tribe girl talk)

83 Injured Yona caretaker Hak

91 Yona stops Hak from killing Soo-Won

92 Hand holding, smile and hug

95 Kid proposes & asks Yona if she likes hak

98 Hak gives cheek kiss before “sacrifice”

106 -107 HakYona catch a bear

107-108 trapped together in seiryuus shrine

108 Yona->Hak “I won’t hand you over to ghosts”

109 Yona admires sleeping hak

109-111 Yona gives Hak the necklace

111.5 “Hak can you sleep with me”

121 Hak hugs Jae-ha and Zeno for saving Yona

122 Yona wants a Hak hug too

123 big Hak + Yona moments

124 Yona talks about Hak with Lilli

125 Hak flashbacks and saves pin for Yona

131 “I’ll go with you no matter where”

134 Cuddles & Hak pretends to be Ao

134.1 flashback Hak & Yona New Years

134.2 fierce candy, Hak is Yona’s “weakness”

137 Kiss in Ogi’s shop

142 Hak & Yona reunion

143 Hak shields Yona. Kouren & Neguro parallels

144 Hak->Yona “Don’t leave my side anymore”

146 Yona tries to carry Hak, Hak: “We need to talk”

151 Yona jealous and awkward

152 Hak’s confession

153 -154 Hak being playful. Yona being nervous

157 Hak leans next to Yona as she rests

157.5 Haks debut as general

158 Hak: “My feelings of love are not a lie”

159 HakYona one bed at fire tribe castle

163 Hand holding to “absorb power”

174 Hak saves Yona from fire, “I love you”

175 rescue and Water kiss

176-177 Yona says I love you more clearly

183 Post tournament, Hak schemes

187 Yona realizes she can’t see the gang

188 Yona hides from Hak

194 Baby HakYona FB

199 Yona thinks of Hak as her lover

200 Hak covertly checks on Yona

201 Hak gets “arrested” KISS!!!

202 “I want to be closer”

204.5 Yona staring at pictures of delivery boy Hak

205 Hak wants to meet Yona badly but doesn’t want to cause trouble for her

207 Yona jumps from window to say bye to Hak

211 “As long as Hak believes in me”

215 Hak gets swept up in flood

216 Yona has breakdown about Hak

224 Hak reunites with HHB on battlefield

225 Hak kisses Yona intensely while in daze from rain induced panic

226 Yona’s presence calmed Hak

[wrath-of-dawn]

Not me being absolutely in LOVE with this adorable hakyona sticker made by the lovely @soniaaart on insta. 👀💕

She had a full sticker sheet of all the main gang and this one as a print but I loved the sticker. It's a great size too 😍

Gotta save some more money before blowing more on her store again 😅

[kaizokucujoh]

Hakyona layouts!

Like/reblog if you save or use

Made by me @kaizokucujoh

(3 scan credit: sapphire-san)

[akatsuki-no-yona]

Suwon redemption urgh but makes sense because the fandom absolutely adores him (sometimes more than Hak) and she too

I'd have never thought that in the final stretch of the manga we'd get only tons of Suyona and Hak is everywhere but not with them the entire time doing mostly irrelevant stuff besides Kin. That we are really talking about a Suyona wedding right after Hakyona became "canon" (but still not official sadly). There is no need for that bs since Hak isn't jealous at all? HakYona shipper start to ship Suyona now because Hakyona's not getting anything but slaps in the face (she looks uncomfortable when Hak kissed her and she can't tell him she wants to see him) and she hugged Suwon like she hugged Hak (she loves both). That Suwon being a descendant shows that Yona was born to safe him (what shippers say). That we don't get development for Hakyona at all. "himesan"? equals? healing? getting together? anything? instead he starts to kneel again which he hasn't done for 150 chapters?

Suwon redemption urgh but makes sense because the fandom absolutely adores him (sometimes more than Hak) and she too

Maybe most in the fandom may adore him, but here are people like me who don't adore him and don't like him.

Su // yona has a lot of moments that ARE NOT romantic. Kusanagi said in a special chapter that Suwon is not interested in romance. Yona doesn't love him, her eyesight is indifferent and hostile, the fact that she will hug him or tell him not to die and help him, it has nothing to do with romanticism, it only testifies to her goodness, even the enemy and the person who hurt her so badly She understood why Suwon became king of this country and she wants to understand him as Yona said to Riri and she does and is good to him. Just like Haku, he wants to save his life. It is only Haku's will that he wants to help him and shows his kindness, although he is still hurt, he wants to help him.

And if hakyona fans shipping su // yona now. It's their business, but it will end sometime and I am sure hakyona is ENDGAME! I belive in hakyona supermency!!!

Maybe they are not officially canon yet, but officially, they know they love each other.Haku is not jealous because he trusts her completely.

Haku called her "Yona" after the second and she turned red, her heart was beating like crazy and she said NOTHING.

Hak, he calls her that because yona wishes it! and they haven't talked to each other yet!

I believe they will become equal, I believe HakYona is ENDGAME because developing Yona and Haku's feelings through the path they have gone through and Yona's confession of Haku's love would make no sense !!

[trconlyme]

Guys... Is Yona going to die soon???

I mean, king Hiryuu died early. And according to the newest chapter translation, it seems to be because he, too, was afflicted with the disease or at least because of the fact that, even though he was just human, he was a dragon before and became a human against the will of the Gods and they wanted to have him back or something (it doesn't matter). The point is : King Hiryuu died early due to a disease, his descendants die early due to a disease. The dragons ( Except for Zeno) die early because that is price for their abilities.

sooooo, we need to address the elefant in the room: is Yona doomed??

She is reincarnated Hiryuu. And she is now only 16 years old. She is fine, for now. Like the dragons.

BUT, if the dragons can be expected to live until around 27, but not really past the age of 30. And we know that Hiryuu also died young (my guess is around mid 30s at most). How long does Yona have?

More over, how could Yona and Hak have children knowing that they are doomed by the dragon disease like the Hiryuu clan? Hak and Yona would never do that.

There is a high chance that Hak and Zeno will be the only ones alive in a couple of years.... My heart cannot take it.

I had a hunch that the series would fix this by having Yoon find out the cure to the Dragon disease with senjusu. As soon as we learned about the dragon disease I thought they would make it that way and I was thrilled to see the manga walking this path. I really felt validated and a bit of a smartass hahah. But now Zeno is already saying it won't work. WHAT?!?! WHY?!?! Why prop up a young genius boy doctor and a super difficult to get, mysterious medicinal herb if you are not going to use it to solve the disease in your story?!?!

Right, that would not solve the problem of lifespan for the dragons, or Zeno's immortality, but at least we could save Sowoon and Yona. I WANT TO SEE HAKYONA'S BABIES

I don't know how sensei is going to solve it all, I really trust her and think she is an amazing writer, but I must admit Im a bit nervous.

I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS PLEASE LET ME HAVE THEM FINALLY HAPPY

[oneforblu]

hakyona volume cover 24

I think many of us can agree that Kusanagi has made many beautiful covers throughout the years, but one cover that sticks out to me the most is volume 24.

It's so simple, but it highlights Hakyona's development. Hak has always been the one to protect Yona, from protecting her from falling off a cliff to using his super strength to protect her from invaders, and so on. But Yona has also gathered the strength to protect her loved ones. She's no longer the naive princess but now a powerful, independent woman who can not only defend herself but her loved ones too. As Hak is protecting Yona, Yona is protecting Hak.

These two will do anything to save one another. If it means putting them in harm's way, they will bravely put themselves in danger if it means their loved one is safe and sound. This cover is just so well done and beautiful; it makes me so happy!

[buri-art]

Do you think that in Yona of the dawn the dragons should have a love interest like Kija and Jaeha in order to move away from their romantic feelings for Yona and please why or why not.

First off, from a purely fangirl perspective, I’m not a big shipper and therefore am not pining for them to get together with anybody. In fact, I don’t see anything that makes me wish to see it in canon because it would be odd to take a romantic spin this late in the series. That being said, I like to contemplate interesting ships here and there which are brought up in the fandom, and I did write a whole fanfic about Tao’s maid who Kija saved and did sort of wish for them to be a thing someday in the far, far future. XD  Even setting aside my appetite or lack thereof for shipping, I don’t think it’s necessary. Ultimately, their dragon blood and the feelings it stirs in them is the bigger challenge they have to overcome, and seeing if it can be replaced wouldn’t be solved without another Hiryuu in play (which adds a level of interest to their interactions with Soowon, but there’s not such a big pull there). 

Plus, sometimes characters just have to accept not being the main love interest to their object of affection, and it’s good for everyone when they grow to accept that, whether they have someone new to have affection for or not. Jaeha is especially the one who needs to come to peace with this, beyond just what his dragon blood tells him. The tension is in the inner battle! : D

But do I always want them to have a special bond with Yona, even now that HakYona is officially canon? HECK YES. Give me that special Yona and Shin-ah bond especially! T^T

[neixins]

tiny hakyona standees save me.. tiny hakyona standees. save me tiny hakyona standees

[muzmuzme]

OMG... OMG.....OMG...OMG

WHAT DID I JUST READ... AND WHAT DID I JUST SEE.... THAT CHAPTER WAS SHORT.... TOO SHORT... I WANT MORE

@lichthime did you read the chapter yet????

[harleyquilt]

Guardian Of My Dreams

Summary: The memories of that night still burden Yona, day and night. Even so, she's never alone when she wakes up. Not anymore.

Words: 2570

Notes: A small hakyona fic based on my headcanon. I like hakyona. I like supportive hakyona. I like soft hakyona Nothing else to really say, I think. Hope you enjoy.

----

The night was still. Yona was alone and she wandered around the castle grounds. Neither guest or guard could be seen. The air was thick with humidity, the discomforting heat adding to the nervousness Yona already felt as she neared her father’s quarters. Her excitement, however, was enough to encourage her to keep going. No matter what she felt at this very moment, she was determined to tell her father that it was Soo-Won she wanted. She’d convince him to change his mind, somehow.

When she neared his room, she took a deep breath and she mentally planned out what it was she was going to say. With a smile, she opened the door. She was about to speak, but she instead paused at the sight of two dark silhouettes that stood before her. A shallow gasp. The sound of something spilling onto the ground. And, finally, a loud thud as the figure of her father fell to the ground. Blood poured out of the wound that cut through his chest. His face was deathly pale, his eyes rolled back. Yona’s eyes widened, her own complexion fading to a sickening white.

She knelt down, calling for her father, tears rolling down her cheeks. He remained silent and she called for him again, her hands clutching at his blood stained clothes. The image itself was almost too much to comprehend, so much so that she was certain that what she saw was nothing more than an illusion. However, with the sound of approaching footsteps, she slowly looked up to see her beloved Soo-Won. He stood with a blood stained sword and a haunting expression, one she had never seen from him before. His eyes were so cold. So dead. Her father’s blood was splattered across his clothes and face. This wasn’t Soo-Won. It couldn’t be, she thought. She shook her head, now weeping. Her pleads, however, seemed to no longer matter to him and he instead raised his sword, ready to cut her down.

“You will see you’re father soon.” He spoke, his voice as empty as his eyes. “Yo-”

“-na!” Yona gasped. Her eyes opened wide and she saw the faces of Yoon, Hak and the other dragons looking over her. They were all watching her with concern as she sat up and she rubbed her sore eyes. Her heart was racing and at first, she felt quite disorientated. She was in her tent, not the castle. Soo-Won wasn’t here.

Right, it must have been a nightmare. One of many.

“You gave us quite a fright, miss!” Zeno sat next to her, giving her a tight hug. “You were tossing and turning in your sleep, so we thought to wake you up.”

“Ah, I see.” She sighed, rubbing her head. “I’m sorry everyone-”

“Don’t be sorry, princess!” Kija, with his tired eyes, insisted.

“Nightmares are to be expected.” Jae-ha added with a smile. Shin-ah, all the while, handed Ao to her, and the small squirrel nudged Yona with her fluffy head.

Yona felt tears once again fill her eyes, though this time, it was tears of overwhelming happiness. Her nightmarish memories often intruded into her mind unexpectedly and each and every time, she was left harrowed with immediate sensations of painful loneliness and heartbreak. Her feelings for Soo-Won have long since faded, a bitterness now left behind, but his betrayal, along with the death of her father, still stung like fresh wounds. She wanted to move on and not be held back by these tragic memories that lashed out against her, yet even now, months later, she was struck with the same pain she felt back on that night of her birthday.

She looked up to see Hak standing just outside the tent. He saved her that day. Without him, she’d be dead alongside her father. Even so, he too suffered the tragedy of that night - that in itself shouldn’t be ignored. And by the look of his grim expression, she knew he understood what it was to suffer from such memories.

“How do you feel?” Jae-ha asked, Yona now fully awake. “You look quite pale.”

“I’ll make some warm milk and honey.” Yoon declared and he quickly left the tent before she could protest.

“Ah, well,” Yona let out a small laugh, “I guess I’m okay. It was just a bad dream.”

“Does the miss want to talk about it?” Zeno squeezed her tighter, his hug as warm and as comforting as his voice.

Does she want to talk about it? She wasn’t sure. What happened that night was already well-known by everyone here. Her father was murdered and her and Hak were forced to escape - what more is there to say? Perhaps that wasn’t the point, though. Still, at least at this moment of time, Yona saw no real point in indulging her own sorrows.

“I’m fine, I promise.” As she spoke, she noticed Hak grimace before he turned away. “Thank you for your concern. I didn’t think it’d wake you all up.”

The others remained silent for a moment. “Well,” Jea-ha smiled, “if it helps, I used to have a lot of nightmares after I escaped my village.” Yona and Kija turned their head to one side, clearly curious, Zeno smiling discreetly. “You see, I used to be chained in a little hut, a way to prevent me from escaping.”

“That’s terrible!” Both Yona and Kija said in unison, gasping in horror. Jae-ha chuckled and nodded at their shocked reactions.

“But I always tried to escape, breaking one chain after another. I’d always be caught, though. However, after a while-” He paused for a moment, looking between the dragons and then at Yoon, who entered the tent with Yona’s drink. “To put it simply,” he continued, “I escaped for good eventually. It was strange. The whole of Kouka was now free for me to play in, but I had no idea what to do. It was overwhelming. So overwhelming that I often suffered from nightmares of waking back up in that hut, my feet chained once again.”

As he spoke, Ao offered him an acorn, which he politely declined. Shin-ah remained silent, though he too thought back on his own experiences in his village. He may not have suffered from the nightmares Jae-ha spoke of, yet he would often dream of his elder, Ao. Sometimes, when he would eventually wake up from these dreams, he’d find himself teary, unsure whether he was upset that Ao was long gone or if he was regretful that he couldn’t give Ao the freedom he wanted whilst he was still alive, even if he never admitted in wanting it himself.

“Nightmares really are scary.” Yoon mumbled to himself. Yona nodded and she took a sip of the drink he made for her. It was delicious and already, she could feel a smile return to her face. “Moreso when it’s linked to bad experiences. I wish we could do more to help.”

“Really, you don’t have to worry.” Yona insisted with a wave of her hand. “Besides, this drink is enough to heal any wounds I may have.” Yoon blushed and offered a confident smile filled with pride.

As the night continued, they talked about their past lives, both the good and bad moments they have experienced across the years. It was relaxing, in a way - Yona could find comfort in the fact that they have all struggled every now and again, reassuring her that perhaps one day, hopefully, she too can find peace in her life and her past, just like the others have. With time, she eventually drifted back to sleep, the presence of the others enough to take away any tension or fear that burdened her after the dream.

A few nights later, she was left helpless in her own dream once again. This time, it wasn’t just Soo-Woon. Before he could strike her with his sword, Hak stepped forward. The walls crumbled away, as if the force of Soo-Woon’s blade destroyed all that was around them. Hak, however, blocked the attack with his glaive. His scowling face was shrouded with a fearsome and dark anger that consumed him whole.

As Yona remained stunned on the ground, she noticed their lips moving. They were speaking, yet Yona couldn’t understand anything that was being said. They were nothing more than unpleasant sounds, like metal being dragged across stone. She tried to cover her ears and she shook her head, desperate to push away this sound that boomed inside her head.

To her surprise, the noise abruptly came to an end and when she looked up, she found herself lost in the dark woods that stretched across the mountains. Hak, too, was here. Along with the continuous stench of blood. His body was slumped against a tree, his body covered in wounds. Blood seeped through his clothes and puddled onto the ground, Hak’s breathing coarse as he gave her a weak, wry smile. She ran to him, not knowing what it was she was supposed to do. How was she supposed to help? What was she to do? There was nothing here - no one to help them. She wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t solve anything. Not at all.

She couldn’t save anyone and it was all her fault.

Yona’s eyes opened slowly and what she saw now was the top of her tent. Yoon was asleep next to her, completely undisturbed. As she sat up slowly, careful not to wake him, her body felt incredibly heavy, as if she was being pulled down with a weight of sorts. It was clearly late into the night and she wasn’t entirely awake. She could just simply go back to sleep, yet she was somewhat disturbed by the dream she had just experienced. It wasn’t so bad that she wanted to wake up Yoon, but…

She decided that all she needed was some fresh air and so she crept out her tent, hoping the campfire wasn’t completely out yet. To her surprise, what she found instead was Hak, who was sat some distance away besides a great, big oak tree. Of course, she thought, it was his turn for watch duty tonight. He didn’t seem too surprised to see her. Maybe she wasn’t as quiet as she thought she was. She stood awkwardly for a moment, not knowing what to say.

“Another bad dream?” Hak’s voice was quiet, but not so much that she couldn’t hear him. She replied with a small nod and he sighed, moving himself so that he was closer to both the fire and her. He patted the log he sat on, telling her to take a seat next to him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked once she sat down. She thought for a moment and looked up to his face. His voice was as soft as his somewhat tired expression. In her dream, he was on the brink of death, his face contorting to the pain of all his wounds. The relief she felt - how could she even describe it? She was simply happy to see him, here with her at this very moment. If anything, the reality that was her nightmare made her all the more afraid of losing him.

To say such things, though, was something that also frightened her. After all, the last thing she wanted to do was jinx everything. No, she was happy just to be by his side. It was enough to remind her that her dreams were not reality, regardless of how real they were to her.

She shook her head eventually and she leaned her head against Hak’s arm. His body remained still and he frowned, not knowing how to react. He looked at her, then at the fire, then back at her. Some colour returned to her face, but she still looked exhausted. She blinked slowly, a slight pout to her lips and her brows somewhat furrowed. She said she didn’t want to talk about it, despite looking so displeased. It was possible that he simply wasn’t that approachable for such things. It wouldn’t be so surprising; last time she woke from a nightmare, he couldn’t help at all. He could only watch from afar, her screams that called for him ringing through his ears. He wasn’t as comforting as Zeno, or as sympathetic as Kija. He wasn’t as practical as Yoon or Shin-ah, or as good at talking as Jae-ha. He was her bodyguard. But he couldn’t do anything for her in the end - nothing that mattered.

“I…” Yona began, her voice small and quiet. It was enough to pull back Hak’s attention. “I’m glad you’re here with me, Hak.” His stomach turned at the sound of her words, his brows raised. She sat up and panicked for a moment. “I-I mean, I’m happy that everyone is here. That wasn’t to suggest that I don’t appreciate the others, it’s just…” She seemed to calm down and Hak remained silent. Silent and surprised. “You saved my life that night on my birthday, I never thanked you for that. And since then, you have nearly lost your life several times protecting me. S-So, I j-just wanted you to know that- that I really am happy that you’re here.”

Her cheeks were smeared with a bright red blush, her hands clumsily clutching at her skirt. Even so, her words were clear and her eyes remained on his. She still looked incredibly tired, yet she sat up tall and told him the words that he didn’t deserve. Again and again, she amazed him. She took his breath away, over and over, always surprising him in a way he couldn’t describe with words. She burned as brightly as the campfire, her eyes flickering with so much beauty and courage. No matter how worthless he felt, he remained forever grateful that someone as dazzling as the princess continued to show her remarkable kindness to him.

He broke into a smile and without saying a word, he pulled her closer to him, her body leaned against him once again. “Don’t get all mushy on me. You’ll make me cry.”

“When do you ever cry?” Yona yawned. His body was surprisingly warm, she thought as she curled up next to him. “Hak,” she yawned again, “do you ever get bad dreams?”

Her eyes were closed and her breathing slowed. She was so small against him. “Sometimes.”

She clutched his sleeve. “You should…” Her voice faded off. “You should say something...then…”

He never responded and after a while, her grip loosened, her expression softening. With a small smile, he carefully picked her up, careful not to wake her up again. She looked so peaceful in his arms with her head rested against his shoulder. After tucking her in, he knelt beside her and he brushed away the strands from her face. To see her so peaceful and calm - it was enough to soothe his own guilty thoughts. After all, all he ever asked for was her happiness.

“I'll protect you, princess. From anyone and anything. I'll scare away any ghosts that haunt your dreams.” Her face scrunched up for a moment and she sighed his name. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. It wasn't good to hear her call for him like that; it only made him all the more greedy. Sighing, he stood, ready to return to watch duty. “Always.”