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The next few weeks saw Jisung settling in and training hard in the barracks under the First Code, which was specialized for melee weaponry and stealth. For this he needed speed and agility, and he spent the weeks preluding the Spring Festival honing his skills and swordsmanship. 

Other than his skill in use of armory and weapons, the upcoming archery tournament would determine his skill with bow and arrow. 

Jisung was quite talented in that meticulous field, being trained since childhood in multiple defensive and offensive arts such as archery. But not only was he nervous for obvious reasons — because this was a competition, possibly resulting in promotions or honors for some — Jisung was nervous as, due to it being a tournament, there would be an audience.

Not only an audience of everyone from the capitol and every city surrounding — the Royal Family would be attending the event.

More specifically, the Princess.

Jisung gulped, fiddling with the large bow in his grasp, plucking at the cord and rolling his shoulders to adjust the quiver of arrows on his back. The makeshift arena in the middle of the training field was already filling with people, and the strong rays of noonday sun beat down on both the soldiers and the viewers, only an occasional light breeze offering relief to the already sweating participants.

But most were not sweating solely due to the heat, Jisung himself an example. Some of the other soldiers were wiping the sweat from their brow with a shaking hand, their nerves surfacing in the suspense before the tournament began.

One of these anxious soldiers was the puppy-like but stoic Kim Seungmin.

Chan poked at the nervous brunette's arm with a chuckle, his smile lighting his face as he teased the younger. "Why so nervous, Seungmin?" Chan leaned a forearm on Seungmin's shoulder, turning an arrow in his hands. "I heard the Royal Family will be here."

The puppy-featured brunette swallowed thickly, fiddling with his own silver-tipped arrow. "I know," he monotoned, keeping his thoughtful gaze on the bullseye targets at the far end of the arena.

"Princess will come, too," Chan continued.

Seungmin blinked. "Will she?"

"Do you want her to come?" A sly voice chirped in as Hyunjin approached the group, his bow resting over his shoulder and torso. He wiggled his eyebrows at Seungmin, but the latter rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I don't care."

"You do care!" Hyunjin pressed, taking on a sing-song tone as he taunted the younger soldier.

Chan caught a glimpse of Jisung's slight confusion at their playful banter and snickered again, stepping closer to the new recruit and leaning in, as if he was about to disclose a secret. Seungmin lifted his bow and drew it back for a practice shot, aiming for the target at 100 yards. His breath was steady as he raised it to his eye, carefully calculating the distance.

With a low voice, Chan revealed with a laugh, "Seungmin has a special affection for Princess." 

Seungmin released the arrow. It went flying through the field, grazing the top of the wooden target and missing altogether.

"You're distracting me," He snapped at Chan, annoyed that he had missed, and Hyunjin chuckled at the sharp glare Seungmin was giving the older. Jisung laughed as well, feeling the playfulness under the tension shared between the two. It seemed that teasing and bothering each other was a common way of showing affection between them, and Jisung felt a sense of comforting comraderie when he watched them.

The announcement that the tournament was now beginning caught them all off guard, and the dread that was forgotten in a moment of banter came back as a hollow settled into their stomachs. Jisung felt like his insides were tying into a knot, and he wiped his hands on his uniform before adjusting his grip on his bow.

The new recruits, as well as existing members of the Astral Guard, lined up to begin the competition, and the Royal Family arrived, making their way to the platform above the arena that offered the best view of the playing field.

The booming voice of the Commander of the Astral Guard introduced the Royal Family one by one as they took their seat.

Jisung pressed his eyes shut and tried to take a deep breath, but it was drawn shakily as his anxiety for the tournament built up.

But the tournament was far from what he was really in suspense of. He knew she would be there, and he waited patiently to hear her introduced, so proudly. She was the pride of the empire, what it all stood on, the hope of her future rule was the foundation of Astrea, and Jisung knew this well.

The King, The Queen, the Queen Consort...

His breath caught when the name he was waiting for was finally announced.

"Luna de Claire, crown princess of the Astrea Empire, heiress to the Astral Throne."

Beside him, Seungmin's head snapped up and he turned to stare at the platform where the Royal Family was being seated, the brunette's attention caught at the introduction. But Jisung took his time to look up at the owner of the title of Crown Princess. 

A small part of him dreaded seeing the person who was the reason for all of this. He didn't want to lay eyes on her, he wished her name was never spoken to him, just the sound of it made him clench his jaw.

But he turned slowly, not at all rushing the first meeting between him and the one who his hatred was sworn to. 

As he lifted his eyes, his stomach dropped again at the sight of her. He was horrified that she was familiar.

The flowing jet hair, the porcelain skin that glistened under the midday sun, those defiant onyx eyes that immediately made contact with his and stared at him, a flicker of recognition flashing through them. 

The thin veil that fluttered in the slight breeze and covered her lower face, her features set in stone and her expression blank until she saw him. 

She straightened, apprehensive towards his presence, and looked away.

Jisung turned away as well, setting his determined gaze on the targets, placed farther and farther away until the farthest was almost on the horizon. He gripped his bow harder, feeling the smooth wood under his fingers. 

The Commander filled his lungs and bellowed out to the field of soldiers, "Let the tournament begin!"