Do-han's expression softened, sympathy clear in the quiet understanding behind his gaze.
"I do not know the full details, but it seems there was some clash with the ministers. However, Your Majesty, please do not take it to heart. They speak only out of concern for you."
Genie's smile lingered faintly, but she would not allow herself to be tethered by the day's exhaustion any longer. Slowly, deliberately, she nocked an arrow onto the bowstring. Raising her arms with steady grace, she drew the string back, feeling the familiar resistance against her fingers.
One eye closed, the other focused unwaveringly on the distant target. Her posture was poised and steady—unyielding.
In that moment, beneath the quiet night sky, the queen's spirit sharpened, her resolve as taut as the bowstring, ready to face the uncertain trials ahead.
At that precise moment, as Genie's fingers released the taut string of the bow from her right hand, the sharp twang of the arrow's flight cut through the stillness of the night. Suddenly, a hurried voice shattered the fragile calm.
"Your Majesty!"
Startled, Genie and Do-han spun around in unison. There, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, stood Deputy Commander Danjin. His chest heaved from the desperate run, his eyes wide with urgent alarm.
"What is the matter?" Genie's voice trembled slightly, betraying the sudden spike of unease in her chest.
Danjin fought for breath before managing to speak.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for the late hour—dozens of bandits have appeared at the city border!"
A cold shiver ran down Genie's spine. The weight of the news settled heavily in the air, thick and oppressive. Do-han's face, usually calm and unreadable, tightened with concern. The queen's attendants exchanged anxious glances, their hands tightening around the hilts of their swords.
"Are the citizens of the capital safe?" Genie pressed, urgency sharpening her tone.
"Minister Jade has already led the special forces out of the palace. They will likely be able to protect the people before the bandits cross the mountain range." Danjin paused, measuring each word carefully. "Minister Jade asked me to convey this to Your Majesty. It will take the bandits considerable time to descend from the mountain border to the capital. If the special forces have indeed departed, they should suppress the bandits before they reach the city."
Genie nodded slowly, a fragile calm washing over her turbulent thoughts as she tried to steady her racing heart.
She drew a slow breath and commanded firmly, "Danjin, remain here and guard the palace."
Without hesitation, Danjin straightened, the weight of responsibility restoring strength to his voice. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
The queen's gaze lingered on the horizon, where shadows threatened the peace of her kingdom. In that silent moment, she vowed to protect her people with every fiber of her being.
At that very moment, the tranquil silence of the mountain pass shattered as a fierce battle erupted—bandits surged forward like a crimson tide, their war cries slicing through the frigid air.
"Yaaah!"
"Yaaah!"
Dozens of bandits, their heads wrapped in blood-red scarves, thundered down the rugged slope, wielding crude hammers and heavy axes. The earth trembled beneath their charge, a wild, savage force unleashed.
At the forefront, Minister Jade commanded the special forces with unyielding resolve. Mounted high upon his horse, his dark hair whipped wildly in the biting winter wind, each strand a banner of defiance. With fearless precision, he swung his gleaming sword in wide arcs, cutting down the oncoming foes.
The special forces met the assault with ferocious determination, their blades sharp and their spirits sharper. Steel sang against iron as swords clashed with the brutal weapons of the bandits, echoing like thunder through the mountain valley.
"Do not let a single one through!!!" Jade roared, his voice booming over the chaos.
"Yes!!!" came the resounding cry in return, fierce and unwavering.
Despite the biting cold that bit at their skin and chilled their bones, the warriors pressed on, their breath steaming in the frosty air as they fought tooth and nail to protect the capital.
A bandit, wild-eyed and desperate, raised a massive club high above his head, aiming to crush the back of a warrior unaware, his guard down for a moment. But with lightning speed, Jade's sword flashed through the air, knocking the deadly weapon aside before it could fall.
Bit by bit, the overwhelming force of the special forces pushed the bandits back toward the treacherous mountain slopes. Panic rippled through the enemy ranks—some dropped their weapons, turning to flee the merciless battlefield.
"Do not leave even one alive!!!" Jade's voice cut through the din like a blade.
But victory's taste was bitter and immediate pain struck amidst the fight. From the chaos emerged a deadly strike—Wanan, a fierce warrior among the special forces, gasped sharply as a heavy iron axe buried itself deep into his back with a sickening thud.
"Ugh...!" he groaned, his strength failing as he crumpled forward to the frozen ground.
For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Jade's eyes caught the sudden, agonizing fall of Wanan as the iron axe buried itself deep into his back. The chaos of battle seemed to blur for a moment, the clashing steel and roaring cries fading into the sharp clarity of his comrade's collapse. Without hesitation, Jade jerked the reins, pulling his horse around with a fluid urgency, and galloped swiftly toward Wanan's side.
With a practiced motion, he dismounted, boots crunching against the frozen earth. Kneeling beside Wanan, he reached out and grasped his warrior's arm firmly.
"Are you alright?" Jade's voice was low but edged with concern.
Wanan's body trembled in pain, his breath ragged as he groaned, "Ugh... I-I'm okay..." His words came out strained, blood slowly seeping from the wound and staining his battle-worn clothes a dark crimson.
Jade's gaze swept over the battlefield, confirming that their fierce resistance had forced the bandits to retreat beyond the mountain ridge. Relief flickered briefly before he shifted his full attention back to Wanan.
Carefully, Jade helped him to his feet, steadying the wounded man against his strong frame.
"Wait here. I'll take you to the medic immediately."
Pain etched deep lines across Wanan's face as he clenched his fists, muscles trembling with the effort. Yet beneath the agony, something unexpected bloomed—a profound gratitude that warmed his spirit despite the cold.
In the Ash Kingdom, injury was met with cold indifference. Warriors were often left to suffer alone, regarded as expendable cogs in a ruthless war machine. No one had ever shown him such care—except Mobo, his loyal comrade.
But here, in the Hana Kingdom, even amidst the chaos of battle, Jade's compassion was unmistakable. Jade's unwavering support moved Wanan deeply, reminding him that he was more than just a soldier; he was part of a brotherhood that valued each life.
For the first time, he felt a flicker of hope amid the blood and steel.
At dawn's first fragile light, Queen Genie paced restlessly before the towering royal palace hall, the cold stone floor cool beneath her delicate feet. The once serene night had been shattered by the bandits' brazen raid, and now the weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on her chest like a suffocating shroud.
"Your Majesty, please do not worry so much," Chief Han's calm voice broke through the heavy silence.
Lady Park stepped forward gently, her eyes kind but laced with concern. "Your Majesty, the special forces have driven the bandits beyond the city border. The citizens are safe, and the Commander and his men will return unharmed."
But Genie heard nothing beyond the pounding of her own heart. Her thoughts churned in a relentless storm—images of fierce combat, clashing steel, and the possibility of injury shadowed every corner of her mind. She was not alone in her anguish; the entire palace stirred in anxious unrest. Servants and guards, once deep in sleep, now moved briskly through corridors, their whispered prayers and hushed conversations weaving through the dawn air.
Her gaze lifted toward the pale, high full moon still lingering in the early sky, its cold light casting long shadows across the courtyard. In the quiet solitude of her soul, Genie prayed with desperate fervor.
"God... Please protect them..."
Time stretched painfully. Each passing minute felt like a lifetime as her thoughts circled around the brave warriors fighting in the cold mountain passes, each moment pregnant with the possibility of tragedy.
Then, the sharp sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the marble corridor.
The Deputy Commander burst into the hall, breathless but with a radiant smile that illuminated his face.
Genie's heart leapt. "What is the situation?"
"Minister Jade and special forces have driven all the bandits back to the far side of the mountains," he announced, voice ringing with relief. "They are now returning to the palace!"
A breath she hadn't realized she was holding escaped her lips—a deep, shuddering sigh that seemed to release the tight knot of fear strangling her heart. The suffocating tension finally gave way, and a fragile calm settled over her spirit.
Without hesitation, Genie turned to Chief Han.
"Tell the royal medics to be waiting at the palace entrance immediately. The injured warriors must be tended to as soon as they arrive."
Chief Han bowed promptly, her voice steady and sure. "Yes, Your Majesty."
As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the palace windows, Genie stood tall, her eyes searching the horizon where the battered yet triumphant special forces would soon return—her hope and prayers entwined in the rising dawn.