Akira feels the groove of the bow, familiarizing herself with the weapon before she fires. She lowers down her bow as she hears a cheer from the side; Seonghwa is clapping enthusiastically, too much in fact, as her target has barely reached the middle of the board. In fact she's lucky enough that her arrow did hit the board. She sighs; it doesn't seem like it'll be good enough if she wants to make herself a part of the team.

Slightly pouting, she puts the bow down before sitting next to him. She knows that Seonghwa is giving her encouragement, but she feels frustrated knowing that she only has a few days left yet she's nowhere near ready. It's slightly ironic considering how she's supposed to be the one leading the attack. When she sees his face however, he's smiling as he does tiny claps with his forefingers.

"I'm not good enough," she complains. "But physical wise, archery is my best option."

"You're doing great," he utters, patting her head. "Akira, you do know that I took years to master the art? You've only trained for a while and your progress is amazing. I'm proud of you."

Despite feeling worried that she might not be able to give her best, she can't help but smile seeing how he's supportive of her. Without asking, she places her head on his lap, burying her face into his stomach.

He laughs. "That tickles." He feels her arms struggling to wrap around his waist, before he chuckles again and helps her.

As there's a silence after she presses her face against his stomach, she sniffs before uttering, "To be honest..."

"Hmm?"

"I'm scared."

"Of?"

"Everything." She pulls her face back slightly, seeing that Seonghwa is looking at her with a small smile on his face. "Of what's happening to San, the attack, both of our kingdoms and," there's a shine in her eyes, "our children. Well I'm just-" she blinks as she says through a pout, "-it's my first and I'm scared. I've heard a lot of scary stories about pregnancy."

"There's still hope to cure San, right?" he asks as he brushes her hair.

She sighs. "Sara said that the only way to put a stop to the curse on San is to stop the Nyla royal bloodline... so the curse won't be able to be passed on to anyone anymore. The theory about the curse being alive because the Ileara royal bloodline still exists is not true." Her body tenses, "At least that's what she told us. So far, we only followed whatever other people told us. About Ileara... about the fact that my mother was a princess from Ileara... about the palace attack about to be initiated from now.... what I'm told of the only way to cure San. It's all based on trust. I wouldn't know any better if any of them did lie to me about them."

"What makes you trust them in the first place?"

She blinks as she pokes a finger on his chest. "Because I was desperate to find a cure to the curse."

"And you did," he smiles. "At least for me, for now. Sometimes..." He leans forward, placing a kiss on her temple. "The best we can do is to trust people. It doesn't make you weak just because you're the type to trust people so easily."

"I usually never trust people that easily," she counters. "But I guess there were some instances that I've changed from who I was." She changes her position so she's now looking at the sky, clear and sunny - a complete contrast to whatever is brewing inside their palace. Locked away, with barely any shine of hope as the only person who could stand on par with the curse has reached her limit.

"It's cruel," he utters. "How we have to suffer because of things in the past. It came back to haunt us, and even though everything should have been settled, we're embroiled in the problem."

"What about us?" She drags her eyes to him, and she smiles. "We only met each other because of a coincidence, not fate, like you said." She places her hand on his cheek, "I'm happy that you're back here with me."

He stays quiet, feeling something tugging at his consciousness as she utters about their meeting being coincidental instead of fateful. "What if we-" he says, "-were in each other's lives before we realized it?"

She pauses, tilting her head as she chuckles. "I for sure don't remember meeting anyone looking like my future husband back then. Your face," there's a twinkle in her eyes, "is one that I won't forget once I've seen it. Did you suddenly think of something?"

He presses his lips together, shaking his head. "No, I was just wondering. But still," he grins, "we're here now." He places his hand gently on her stomach, "And we're going to have a bigger family soon."

She blinks before she mumbles, "I told you I'm scared."

"Ah, which reminds me," he utters. He grins, "I'll be beside you throughout the period, so you don't have to worry so much."

"I read that-" she clamps her lips in embarrassment, "your body changes a lot when you're carrying a baby." She scratches her head, "I might used to be a general and I would barely bat an eye if my body was hurting, but I can't lie, this is another different level of scary."

He chuckles. "I told you we're going through it together."

"That's not fair," she grumbles as she ruffles his hair. "I'm the one having to suffer through all of these body changes and you're just waiting beside me."

"I'll hold your hand, give you moral support and cheer you on."

"That's not enough. I need you to suffer together with me." She huffs, "Men. They knock up someone and they're the one who has to suffer for nine months while they go and have fun."

He gasps. "I don't do that."

"You better not. If I have to suffer, I'm dragging you with me. We're in this together, remember."

He chuckles. "Deal." He lets out a contented sigh as he leans forward, wrapping her in his arms. He tangles her hair in between his fingers, "I love you so fucking much. We still have so much stuff we need to do together... I still haven't brought you to my parents' graves... and we didn't even have a honeymoon. For a family," a mischievous twinkle comes to him, "we're getting one."

"Bring me to your parents' graves after the supposed planned attack against the palace," she utters, "for our honeymoon..." she trails off as her eyes dart from left to right, "we'll think about where would be nice for that." But her expression slightly changes as she's reminded of San, the guilt trailing her even more as she looks at Seonghwa's face.

Everyone deserves a happy ending.

She suddenly stands up straight, startling Seonghwa as she turns her body to look at him. "We're finding a cure for San."

She stands up hastily, picking the bow up with one hand before her other hand finds Seonghwa's. She pulls him up before dragging him with her, storing away the bow before they make their way back to the palace building. She doesn't say anything, or tell him where they're going as she keeps on holding on to him, smiling at the palace staff they pass by.

"Where are we going?"

"I thought of something," she finally says as she looks over her shoulder. "And you said you wanted to meet Sara to relay your gratitude to her. We have to see her before she decides to go back." She mumbles, "I hope we're not disturbing her though. I was thinking of meeting her during breakfast but it seemed that she was still sleeping. Plus," there's a lift at the corner of her mouth, "you came back."

Seonghwa lets himself get dragged, bowing his head slightly as he sees how amused the palace staff are looking at them; the nonchalant king being dragged by the queen who seems enlivened. He smiles as he tightens his grip around her hand and looks at her from behind.

As they arrive in front of what he assumes is Sara's temporary bedroom, Akira turns to look at him and takes a deep breath. The queen hesitates to knock on the door, afraid that she's disturbing her personal time, but before she can land her fist on the surface, the door swings open, a smiling Sara standing in the middle of the doorway.

"I sensed that both of you were coming," she says, tilting her head to acknowledge Akira. "Your Majesty," she addresses both of them.

"Ah," Akira chuckles, but she doesn't let go of her grip around Seonghwa's hand. "I'm sorry if we're disturbing your personal time."

"Please," Sara breathes. "I'm in your kingdom, feel free to disturb me anytime." She smiles, "I was actually thinking of looking for both of you. I wanted to say thank you."

Akira crinkles her eyebrows, finally releasing her hold on Seonghwa's hand. "But we're the ones who should be thanking you. You saved my husband."

As Seonghwa nods, he speaks up, "I wanted to relay my long overdue gratitude to you. We were just so caught up with-" he glances at his wife, "-each other."

Sara nods, not letting up the smile on her face as she's amused; she's pretty sure that Seonghwa has been told of the news that his wife is currently pregnant with twins. So she shakes her head, uttering, "I felt like it was my duty to do so." The couple don't see how there's a flicker of pain in her eyes as she says, "Since I'm the only one who knows how to deal with the curse."

"Are you... leaving already?" Akira can't help but ask as she sees that on her bed, Sara has already packed her small bag she brought along. "You're welcomed to stay longer, and-" She presses her lips together, feeling bad that she'd have to say it, "-we're still kind of hoping that there's some way around the curse." She doesn't add the words 'on San'.

Sara's face changes at this, as her mind flashes back to how bad it was for her even after trying to cure Seonghwa; for sure she wouldn't take any more chances. She doesn't want to tell the king and queen what she had to go through just so she could see Akira get Seonghwa back, so she merely titters.

"I'm sorry, but I told you that was my limit. My body is fine now," she utters as she takes a look at Seonghwa, "because the curse isn't as strong in your body. As for San... I'm not taking any chances."

Akira sighs, but she nods anyway. "I know you must be irritated by our constant blind hope." She blinks as she looks at the witch, noticing something off about her. Yet she doesn't point it out as she vaguely says, "I hope that everything is alright with you, and that your stay here was pleasant."

"It was!" Sara chirps. "I got to taste cloud thanks to Wooyoung, even though he annoys me up to the point I feel like punching him sometimes."

"Cloud...?" Seonghwa trails his eyes shoot up, trying to find a picture. "Ah!" He snaps his fingers, "Cotton candy."

The witch nods enthusiastically. "It's delicious, even though for most part it's too sweet for me." She chuckles, "I'll miss that once I go back to Ileara." Her eyes go down, a sudden rush of sadness coming to her, "Well, to whatever there is."

Seonghwa and Akira look at each other quietly, communicating through their eyes as they nudge each other.

"We were thinking," Akira says, "that if you'd want to stay here. Anywhere you'd like in the kingdom, actually. So you don't have to be going back to the kingdom alone. And it's not because," she quickly adds, "that we're looking for you for the cure of the curse. We just thought that it'd be a gesture of gratitude for what you've done for us."

Sara mulls over the offer, even though she knows what her final answer will be. The more she stays in the kingdom, the more she's faced with the tugging feeling of knowing that there's definitely something she can do to cure San. She looks at both the rulers, glancing at how the king seems to be poking at the queen's waist while the queen slowly slaps his hand away, even though she's smiling.

Must be nice to have someone who loves you, isn't it, little girl?

Shut up. Don't act as if you have found yourself a home.

You took me in, and you have to live with me. Don't you want to find true love too? You can't be watching other people too, all courtesy of your pitiful self willing to sacrifice yourself for them, but in the end you're the one who's left alone.

Again.

"I'm afraid I have to decline your offer," Sara speaks up, which manages to make Seonghwa and Akira look at her, slightly embarrassed that they were caught up in their own world. Still, the witch's eyes travel to their hands which are linked naturally. "I appreciate your thoughts, but I'm fine living on my own."

Liar.

Shut up.

Trying to fight me, little girl?

You're nothing but a stupid curse, leeching off someone's body.

She hears mocking laughter ringing in her brain, but she pretends that she doesn't hear it as she utters, a little bit too loudly, "I'll pay one last visit to San and see what I can do. Only the best I can do is probably give you advice on how you can deal with him. Which..." she trails off as she tucks her hair behind her ears, "could still see the same conclusion." Her eyes flick to them, "That maybe you'd need for him to..." she doesn't say the word as she knows they'd understand her.

"Still," Akira quickly says, "please do know that I'm truly grateful that you cured Seonghwa. I don't know how else I'm supposed to relay my gratitude to you."

Sara smiles softly, her eyes still subconsciously glancing at their intertwined hands. "It's because I wouldn't be needing anything, and I'm as happy as I am right now. Just," her eyes drop down to Akira's belly, even though there are no obvious signs yet, "it'd be enough for me to know that your babies will be born healthily. That's all I could ask and please, take care of yourself."

"I will," Akira utters.

The couple's eyes follow Sara who has retreated into her bedroom with the door ajar, picking up her packed bag. The witch then fixes her appearance in front of the mirror before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"You're-" Akira starts. "Leaving now?"

Sara nods. "I'd like to get back to my kingdom as soon as possible." She laughs, "I know that my kingdom seemed like barren land to you, but I'm comfortable there, surrounded by nature I'm used to. Although I appreciate the treatment you gave me here, I don't think I can get used to it." She says playfully, "Socializing with humans kind of drains me a lot. Especially with social butterflies like Wooyoung. So," she tilts her head forward, "I'll take a look at San and then I'll leave."

The witch respectfully bows towards the couple, who are speechless - both heavy and sad that they'd need to let her go.

Even though Akira and Sara's first meeting was rather in a hostile manner, they both had become more understanding of each other - on why the other would act that way. They've become acquaintances, though Akira had hoped she could befriend the witch - something about the latter makes her feel pitiful, even though she knows that she doesn't have the rights to feel that way.

If people were to see Akira befriending the witch somewhat naturally, she knows they'd say that she's only trying to get close with her just because she has the key in curing the curse.

Before Sara walks away from them, she stops before turning around, addressing Seonghwa. "I had this question, and I was wondering if you'd be more than willing to answer." After a thought she adds, "Your Majesty."

Seonghwa shrugs, not finding it anything weird to have her asking him a question. "Sure, go ahead."

"When you were overtaken by the curse, did you... perhaps... have any flashbacks?"

He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, noticing that Akira is glancing at him from the side. "I had some, um," he utters, "flashbacks, I guess. But they weren't clear enough."

She blinks as she nods slowly. "I'm guessing it's related to Ileara?"

"How did you know?"

"It was a wild guess," Sara starts, fully facing the king. "The curse sometimes makes you unearth something that you don't want to; usually memories that you bury deep as a coping mechanism. Memories that you thought you've thrown away are unearthed as the curse forces you to cave in to it. Desires are not the only thing it'd bring up; bad and painful memories too. Sometimes some things that you didn't even realize you went through."

"What are you implying?"

The witch sighs as she throws her bag over her shoulder. "I'll be frank with you, whatever abilities you have; talking to animals or plants, having emotions shown through your eye colours, they're not exclusive to Ileara. But one thing that I'm sure is that growing delentines is exclusive to Ileara. Which could only mean that you came from Ileara."

There's a long, uncomfortable pause as Seonghwa feels Akira gripping his hand tighter despite not saying anything.

However, he breaks the silence. "But my blood is crimson. Both of my parents were of the noblemen bloodline, and I was born in Nyla."

"Right," Sara utters, nodding her head. "That's why I'm confused. When I saw that there were delentines growing in your kingdom and I asked who were the ones growing them, they said it was you. It was a known fact, at least back then, that only those from Ileara could grow delentines. The plant is exclusive to Ileara." She shrugs, "Was. Anyway," she waves her hand in front of her face, "forget about it. Maybe it was just back then; something could have shifted and anyone could grow delentines now. Apologies for making you worry, but it was really just a wonder of mine, Your Majesty. They're beautiful."

Sara does a quick bow, setting her heart in stone about how she won't be turning back anymore now. She has done her job here in Lucida, and it's time for her to retreat in her lonely cave, surrounded by nature. It doesn't matter what happens after to her, because as long as she sees that the queen has finally gotten her king back, she believes that she has done enough.

She looks over her shoulder to see that the couple are watching her go with apprehension, hiked up by the question that she had asked. It's something that has been making her think ever since she found out that it was the king who had grown the delentines; is it possible that both the king and queen came from Ileara?

But as always, his blood colour makes her question her own conclusion.

She keeps walking towards the direction of the underground cell, already accustomed to the layout of the palace even only after a few days. It's like she's pulled towards the cell by the power surrounding San anyway, something that she has placed carefully around him. She arrives at the cell, granted entry as she sees the other prisoner first - Jihyun, she thinks - but she doesn't acknowledge her as the latter seems to be sulking. She turns her head to look at the cell at the furthest right, where San is currently sitting on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest as he stares at the wall.

San does look up as he senses someone coming to him, automatically giving a smile to her as she approaches him. He trails her with his eyes as she takes her place in front of the bars, looking down at him. Her face is unreadable as she looks at him, but her eyelids flutter as he gives her his dimpled smile, greeting her.

"I heard that you were the one who helped to control me," he chuckles. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you. I could've seriously injured Akira if you weren't there, but," he scrambles to get up, wrapping his hands around the bars, "I remember that I stabbed you instead."

"It didn't affect me," she utters simply. "It's already healed."

"I'm sorry," San says as his eyes hold her stare. "And uh, I hope that you can be honest with me when I ask you this."

She lowers herself down, crouching on the floor. "About what?"

"I need to die in order for the curse to disappear, right?"

She looks away, sighing heavily. "Yes."

"Then kill me," he utters calmly. "I've thought about it... and I know that the rest won't approve of this, but I no longer want to burden them."

"You want me to kill you," she says. "Even though you know that the others would hunt me down for doing that to you."

"If I tell them about what I'm planning to do," he lowers down his voice, in fear of Jihyun listening in, "I know that they would try all their might to stop me." He smiles, "I could only trust you to help me do that."

She releases a heavy breath again, wrapping her hands around the bars as their stares collide. She looks distressed, while San looks calm, looking as if he's only planning a picnic instead. "When?" she asks shortly.

"When the attack on the palace happens in three days," he replies, "when everyone is distracted, kill me. You're probably the only one who can kill me in one go."

"Why are you doing this?"

He chuckles painfully. "If I'm doomed from the start because of the curse, I don't want to affect anyone else anymore. Plus it seems that you're the only one who can control me from acting out too much. There's no other way it seems, and the longer we put it off, the bigger the danger I'm posing to everyone else. It's selfish to have everyone suffer just because of me."

She pauses as his last words bring a bitter taste to her, and she almost scoffs as she feels like it is as if he's directing the words to her. She puts her nose up high, but after a second her shoulders sag as she looks at him. She hates the fact how he looks so calm talking about wanting her to kill him just so he could get rid of the curse, while she's the one who's struggling to come to terms with the curse.

"Then please do me a favour," he smiles, "on the day the attack would happen, take my life away."