CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Lady Ki trembled at the rate in which Baek-Hyun was failing. Emperor Woong was smiling as he watched their victory, he turned to Lady Ki and touched her face. "Look at the scene before you. Baek-Hyun is failing, did the heavens show this as well?". He asked and the woman dropped her head down slowly. "You do not have a choice Ki; you will be my queen in three days after this war". He said with the disgusting smile still on his lips. "I can see your doom straight ahead". Lady Ki voiced and the Emperor's face turned sour.

Baek-Hyun fought with all her might and she leaped on a horse to fight more but the soldiers weren't reducing. She was distracted as looked around to see that she had almost no soldier left. It wasn't going as she planned, she wasn't supposed to fight this much, the battle was supposed to be finished before it started. She was lost in the thought of her failure. She wondered what she would tell Hana that happened to Kyong. Suddenly, a Gi soldier cut the legs of the horse she sat on and the horse crashed making her to fall and hit her head on the ground. Chi-Mae didn't miss that and he furiously ran to the soldier and cut his head off instantly. For a moment, it seemed the soldiers around stopped to stare as the head rolled. Then Chi-Mae carried Baek-Hyun and flied to the wall and then he flew over the wall. Emperor Woong stood up from his seat and exclaimed. "Martial art, Impossible!". He knew that skill was very rare and it was only one kingdom that had a good knowledge of the skill. Hak-Kun soldiers. He had suspected foul play in the fight because almost all the soldiers were flying here and there the previous day when he was being attacked. "What are Hak-Kun soldiers doing in the field?". He yelled to Wang-So who was so innocent about whatever was going on there. "it seemed Baek-Hyun established a special Bond with the General of the Fortress". Lady Ki said with a smile a mild grin on her face. "I'm glad you have started seeing the end of your reign". She said again.

Chi-Mae dropped Baek-Hyun in one of the barns where some women hid. Her eyes were barely open and he looked up to stare at the women. "Look after her". he said and before the women could reply, he disappeared. The women stared at Baek-Hyun with fear. "throw the oil pouches". Chi-Mae ordered and in few minutes, three oil pouches were thrown into the air. He went to the pot of coal on the walls and he lit the tip of the arrow with fire and then he aimed at the oil pouches in the sky, he waited for the pouches to get closer to the soldiers on the ground and when it did, he shot the three of them and the oil bags exploded into flames and set the soldiers underneath them ablaze. Man-Chun stared at him. "How could be forget that so easily?". He asked himself as he stabbed a Gi soldier with the edge of his spear. Soon, almost all the foot soldiers were afire. Emperor Woong was pissed. "What is going on?". He yelled at Bayan and the man was helplessly trying to explain the situation. "You idiot, send men, get the other five thousand soldiers now". He yelled and some horse soldiers were employed to do so.

Baek-Hyun woke up to see a woman looming over her, she jerked herself up and the women were startled, she got up and looked around and then she staggered to her feet and then she started running out with her bow. She flew on the walls and she landed clumsily and inspected the battle field, there were thousands of dead bodies on the ground and her men were not exempted. She saw Chi-Mae making five soldiers to crash dead. She saw Man-Chun fighting with all his might but he was wounded all over, he saw U-Jin, each of his strike was like a thunder struck. With his spear, he sent Gi soldiers flying away in the air and landing painfully on the ground. She looked straight at Emperor Woong, his army looked untouched and she bent her head low so that the tears in her eyes would fall to the ground and not roll on her face. "Light the mounds". She ordered and the soldiers set fire on the tiny parts that led to the mounds they had made earlier. They were lucky enough that the enemy were standing right within the position of the mounds. Suddenly, the soldiers saw sparks of fire running through tiny lines and to the mounds that were around them, before they could know what to do, five mounds already exploded and then almost all the mounds were exploding, their horses went wild and stared running crudely with them still on it. Some horses ran right into other explosions, other threw off their riders, all together, the explosion had a reasonable impact on the soldiers and their horses. The Emperor's carriage had been transferred to a safe place away from the mounds. He was shocked about the damages and death that the explosions caused. "Let's turn around now your highness please, we will come back for your capital". Wang-So pleaded humbly when it was obvious that they had lose too many soldiers. "Pass me the sword". Emperor Woong stood up and yelled to a soldier and the soldier gave his sword to him. The Emperor turned to Wang-So and stabbed him with the sword and he pushed him out of the carriage. Lady Ki was shivering as she watched the old man bleed to death. The Emperor turned to stare at the number of soldiers he had left, there were over 7,000 of them left. "We fight and take control of my kingdom again, fight with all your might, get past that wall and kill everyone that gets in your way. Fight or they will kill you. Kill everyone that retreats, kill Baek-Hyun". He yelled to the soldiers and they cheered and they rode forward with their horses with shouting.

Baek-Hyun didn't want Emperor Woong to leave that battle field alive. She would get him and kill him for everything he has done. She would make him pay for his sins. She carried her bow and removed one arrow from her back and she lit it up. She waited for a long time, she aimed for she knew if she missed, he would escape. She waited and her palms sweated, she stared straight at his forehead and that was where she was aiming at. She looked around and saw that she almost had no men left and Man-Chun was barely alive. She looked down at her brother's body, and she closed her eyes, she remembered how her mother was killed in front of her and her father was burnt to nothing, it all rang in her head, how she rotted in the dungeon in Hak-Kun because of the task that same Emperor gave her. She remembered how her siblings struggled in the dungeon without food for days. She remembered how she promised Chi-Mae that she would stay alive. The same promise her mom asked her to make, the same promise Hana asked her to make before the went out to that war. Finally, she remembered the empty golden throne in the throne room. She had dreamt of being a warrior but then, that was not her interest, she wanted to be an Empress! Baek-Hyun opened her eyes and she stared straight at the Emperor and she let the arrow fly.

Lady Ki sat pitifully moving her lips to say some prayers when suddenly something wet splashed on her, she turned her eyes to the Emperor and she found an arrow in his forehead and he was bleeding and struggling to speak, but then, he suddenly stopped moving and she rushed to him and confirmed him dead. "Victory! Victory!". She said quietly and then she turned to him again and called but there was no reply. She smiled and her heart raced wildly in her chest, she didn't know what to do so she jumped down from the carriage and asked the soldiers that were holding the carriage to loosen her hands. But they refused and went to inquire from the Emperor but they found him dead. "Fall back! Fall back, the Emperor is down". they shouted to the horse soldiers that were riding crazily. One of the soldiers had compassion and loosened Lady Ki's hand and the woman ran wildly. Baek-Hyun smiled when she saw it, tears rolled down her face and she threw her bow down but then suddenly, thousands and thousands of soldiers on horses and on foot where trooping into the battle field. "Hak-Kun soldiers". She whispered to herself with a smile. The horse soldiers from Gi where taken unawares by the Hak-Kun warriors and before they could turn and run, the Hak-Kun soldiers were already all over them. When the soldier that carried the king's carriage saw that, they dumped the carriage and ran for their lives. Chi-Mae stopped fighting and everyone else stopped at well. He smiled when he saw Young-Jae and his own soldiers killing all the Gi soldiers that they came across. Hak-Kun warriors, under Young-Jae's command, they chased the Gi soldiers out of the capital. Late Emperor Woong's carriage was deserted on the battle ground and Baek-Hyun ran to it. She dragged the dead body out and for the first time, she cut off the head of a person, she cut off his head and she raised it up in victory. "Victory!". She shouted and the soldiers shouted back. Man-Chun was so happy that tears filled his eyes. Baek-Hyun ran back with the head and she threw it to a ground of rejoicing soldiers. Then she continued running, running into Chi-Mae's embrace. Lady Ki watched them and she smiled, she was right about them after all. Then she turned to Man-Chun to see him smiling at her, she felt a million butterflies dancing in her stomach and she looked away quickly. The citizens in the city heard the cry of victory and they all buzzled out of their houses and joined in the cry of victory, they didn't know why they were happy about strangers taking over their homes, but they were happy their king has been defeated. Hana's ears stood as she heard the joyous cries outside the temple. "she did it". She screamed suddenly and the women stopped their prayers and listened. "Victoryyyyyy!". They all screamed and they dashed out of the temple to rejoice. The men too and even the children. Prince Young-Sun knew he had no reason to rejoice, he sat in the same corner he sat wishing that Hana would just speak to him. "My prince". Hana's voice rang in the hall since it was now empty. "I'm sorry about your loss, I'm sorry I lied but if I had told you the truth, I'm sure you wouldn't have helped me with that map. I lost my parents too, on the same day. You will have to move on because some of us had to". It sounded as if she was reading those words from somewhere and he just stared at her. "You should have given me a prep talk". He said and dragged her hands so she sat beside him. "You have a good sister; I wish had one". He said and stared at her. That was when Hana felt terrible for him. "I'm so sorry". She said looking pitiful and he nodded. "I will forgive once your sister allows me to live a normal life and not as a prince". He said and she nodded. "of course, and I'll be your princess". Hana said and he smiled. "I got you something, follow me and I'll give you". He said and stood up and held out his hands to her and she took it.

The streets buzzed with shouting and merriment, as Baek-Hyun and Chi-Mae walked back to the palace with the surviving soldiers, the whole villagers bowed to them and greeted, it was almost as if Baek-Hyun was already their queen. Well, she was certain that she would be a queen someday not far from then. They had a lot of clean up to do. The soldiers were bleeding and some were half dead. Lady Ki got to work as she kept treating from one person to another and of course she paid greater attention to Baek-Hyun. Man-Chun could barely lift an arm, Baek-Hyun felt terrible for him but then she remembered her brother. She asked that Hana should be taken to her. she knew she had to tell about him that night, or never. She didn't want to cry about it again and she would cry about everything that night. As usual, when Hana got the news, she didn't cry, she just nodded and looked away and all through she was just staring at Baek-Hyun as she cried but when she returned to her room, she met Young-Sun on the way and when he asked her about it, that was when she started crying. She cried so badly and the poor prince didn't know what to do with her. Baek-Hyun didn't cease to cry, tears continually rolled down her face even when she willed for it to stop. She stood up and walked to the window and she looked outside it. The streets illuminated beautifully but that didn't stop the moon from shining bright on the dead bodies that were scattered everywhere. She cried about so many things and she so badly wanted to say them to someone, she never wanted tears to ever drop from her eyes again and she would ensure that. Just then, Chi-Mae went inside the chamber. Most of the lambs had not been put on so the room was dim but when he went, he put on all the lights before walking to her. He stared at her and cleaned her face. "The war is over and things will stabilize in few days". He said and put some strands of her hair behind her face. "Chi-Mae, it started from losing my parents to the war that raided my home and peace, then I got separated from my siblings and then I became a concubine to an Emperor who sent me out to kill you, but I don't know what you did to me and I totally couldn't, today, I lost my brother, he has left me with a great responsibility and I hope I do no fail him. Chi-Mae, today marks the end of my losses, I don't ever want to lose anything else and I won't, I know I would have lost more if you didn't come for me the time you did, I would have lost myself as well, I'm certain. I wouldn't believe you came for me, and then Hak-Kun as a whole stood up and fought for me, you and your people have made me what I am today, and I owe you that, I will forever be indebted to you and Hak-Kun, thank you, so much". There was no use cleaning the tears in her eyes before, because now, her face was a river. "I will always fight for you Baek-Hyun, fight for our love and for our future, you are my responsibility and you owe me nothing, you are what you are today because you determined to be and I love you, I don't know how because I was so sure I wanted to hang your head in my study as one of my precious collections when I first met you but now, I want to nail your heart to mine, I love you Baek-Hyun and I would shout it out into the wind so that the whole world can hear that I love you". "I love you too". She replied and he kissed her. That night, she slept in his arms till dawn, she was so sorry that she couldn't mourn her brother's death properly. He died a hero. She knew, they all knew.