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Y/n

The royals were their main obstacle.

Y/n and Jimin had attempted countless plans to get Kayira and Nionna to budge. Jimin had spoken to every single citizen of his to negotiate peace, Y/n had asked her parents and Hoseok for their ideas, and Y/n and Jimin brainstormed more plans than imaginable together. However, the main issue was not their lack of trying but rather the royals not wishing to form an alliance with the opposing kingdom.

Her next plan was a marriage between her and Jimin. One of love, but no one needed to know that until they had children together. Or maybe never, otherwise it risked execution. The future was unpredictable, after all. They could unite the kingdoms, but there was no guarantee the word "unite" would mean they became buddy-buddy with one another.

That led her to standing outside with her parents. Every other day, they enjoyed standing outside the castle and overlooking their citizens. Nionna had peaceful day-to-day experiences, with the farmers going out to do their professions, the teachers putting the kids through lessons, the guards training for any Kayira attacks, the monks gifting those around them with waterfall liquid, and the list went on and on.

Cheers and laughter made up the soundscape of Nionna, along with the whinnies and snorts from distant ghazhazhilas that roamed the outside of Nionna's border and helped with chores; however, if they were ever disrespected, they fought back. Many had died from ghazhazhila. They were powerful animals they never used for meat, but for services and guidance. With four legs, a snout, and majestic black manes matched with sparkling black bodies, they were the dominant force in the valley. No one dared oppose them.

Y/n saw the curves of the tall mountains and how low-hanging clouds passed by the snow-covered tips. Not much lay beyond the mountains. Clearings for farming, sure, but no further civilizations. The history books claimed Nionna and Kayira were alone with the gods. Y/n believed it. They had been writing history books for over five hundred years. If not once in those centuries had there been outside contact, even after explorers investigated the neighboring land, then she believed they were alone.

And she didn't know how to feel about that.

"Prepare for the festival tomorrow," Mother said to no one in particular.

Father shifted on his feet. His left leg was weaker than his right thanks to years of farming. "A feast it shall be."

A feast. While Kayira had nothing.

Y/n opted not to voice those thoughts, but she had other opinions to share. Opinions that could lead to the end of the war, if the higher powers chose to listen.

"Forget the festival, we have more important matters to discuss," Y/n said. When speaking to her parents, a tremble always entered her words. Not that time. "Kayira is mobilizing more and more by the day, are they not? Why wait for destruction when we could have peace instead?"

"Y/n." Father sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I appreciate your commitment to saving lives, I do, but politics are more complicated than you think."

"I think you are avoiding peace negotiations and not getting creative with your plans."

"Y/n," he said again, his voice sharper than before. "We offered them food, free access to our waterfalls, and soldiers to reinforce their borders. They rejected all of it and want us to burn. Does that sound peaceful to you?"

She couldn't argue, so she averted her gaze. But that didn't mean she didn't have another plan up her sleeves, so she cleared her throat to voice it.

"I understand, Father. You are right. I do not know the extents of your peace conversations with them, but I have an alternative: marriage."

"Marriage?" Mother asked with a scoff. "What would that do?"

"You need to negotiate with Kayira's true wants in mind. Yes, they need resources, but what do they love above all? Power. If they had a direct tie to the royalty of Nionna, that could sway them."

"That... is a fair point." Father sighed as he said it. "But you know what that means, do you not?"

"Of course I do. I would not raise that point if I didn't." Y/n turned to both her parents, and them to her. The eye contact didn't deter her. Not with Jimin in her thoughts. "I would like to marry Prince Park of Kayira in return for peace between our kingdoms. I would like your blessing and to use your political skill to make Kayira at least communicate with us. Please, send a messenger over."

Most messengers got slain, but it was worth a try. Y/n didn't want to send anyone out who would get hurt or worse, though she had a feeling Jimin was watching and waiting for her message, and she had faith he would not hurt a hair on the messenger's head.

"Very well. If you are sure you can handle this, I will send for a messenger," Father said while Mother rolled her eyes.

"They're animals with no manners. You think they'll agree?"

"It's either that or let more people die. Please, I beg you to see things from my perspective. My people are dying, Mother, and I have a potential solution. I must try, no matter the cost, and no matter what it means for me."

Plus, I'm in love with the prince.

For obvious reasons, Y/n didn't voice that part.

Mother rocked on the backs of her heels and clicked her tongue before stomping away. Father didn't bother going after her, and he rested a hand on Y/n's shoulder when she tried to.

"Don't. She'll come around. I know it seems hard to believe, but she wants peace as much as you."

"Funny way of showing it."

"You're telling me, kiddo." Father wrapped an arm around Y/n's waist and overlooked the nature as the crashes of water from the waterfalls drowned out the chatter from Nionna. "I'm proud of you. I know we don't always see eye-to-eye, but I hope you know I will always love and cherish you."

"No man is perfect." Unless you're Jimin. "I know you are proud, Father, as long as you know I am, too."

He grinned and nodded, and from there, he sent for a messenger and had the boy scamper off to go find Kayira. For the rest of the day, Y/n roamed her kingdom and spoke with her people and visited the children at school to read a story to them. Hours passed of her daily routine. By the time she finished, night blessed the land with their bright moon and twinkling stars. She didn't know which one to pray to that night. Instead, she went to the waterfall she had drowned in.

It was isolated. Lonely. No one else remained that time of night. Patrols marched by but didn't take much note of the princess other than to say honorifics. She did her best to return them as she got on her knees and rested her hands on her thighs.

"Sister," she whispered, and the echo of her voice felt like it rippled the water, but in reality, it was the gushing waterfall not far from her. "You may be gone, but never forgotten, and I will ensure your legacy is remembered in the textbooks. You give me the strength I need to do this, to make peace between our kingdoms. I will not stop until your kingdom is safe, and Kayira is set free. You have my word."

She grabbed a rock and bashed it against her hand to create a gash, letting a tiny droplet of blood spill into the otherwise cyan water that glowed like the moon. The deep scarlet hue infected the liquid. She imagined her sister's favorite color was red. Or perhaps that was Y/n's mind tricking her, seeing as her favorite color was red, too. Red like the meat she enjoyed every other night, or like the rain she enjoyed dancing in, or the paint Hoseok used to decorate the homes of the families around him. Or red like Jimin's himatia.

The calm was interrupted by a shout from behind her. A foolish part of her hoped it was her prince, but of course, that was far from the truth. Upon turning, she spotted the messenger with spiky hair and a tunic too loose for his small chest bounding over to her. Heaves overtook the sound of the pouring waterfall as the boy stood above her.

"Ka... Kayira," he said in a wheeze, almost coughing the words out.

She got to her feet and rested her hands on the tiny boy's shoulders, setting his posture and having them lock eyes. "What is it, my boy?"

The young one took staggering breaths and met her gaze without fear. A lopsided smile stretched across his thin lips as he laughed and spoke the words she didn't think she'd ever hear.

"They agreed. Kayira agreed to meet you."

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