The Setback

The next morning, Gu Won and the soldiers left for the mission. 

** My earlier discussion with Gu Won before he left for the mission ** 

"I was able to confuse her not to go but, she insisted you will supervise the mission alone", I report back to Gu Won. 

"I guessed she hasn't found you responsible to tell you the truth yet as I can see you are still not aware why she is like this", he said and walked away from me. 

Since then I have been worried about what is wrong with Seo Hwa, she is not looking well either. 

** Back to present ** 

** Seo Hwa POV**

Gu Won looked at Seo Hwa for some time and Seo Hwa nodded his head at him with tears in his eyes then Gu Won continued on his journey as he left the village with 20 skilled soldiers. 

I am very disturbed now so I drag Seo Hwa to a corner. 

"what happened, why is Gu Won glancing at you like that, is there something going on that I must know about? I am worried about you", I asked with concern. 

"No, I am safe, it is not wrong, he may be worried that he is leaving me with you, you know what is he like", I lied to his face. I can't tell him now with all that is going on now. 

I made sure all the people that knew about it would not talk about it and I made sure Gu Won promised me not to talk about it to anyone until I knew what I would do about it. 

He looked at me for a while and said. 

"OK, I will believe you".

I know he didn't believe any word I just told him but he have no choice until I am ready. I can't do anything to put him in danger now. I followed him as we returned to my room. 

"Let's focus on the mission at hand presently, everything will be fine, I promise you", I promised him as I sat on my legs. He kissed me after I while and lied to me on the bed. 

"I missed you", I said silently to his ear. He lied to me and we made love until evening. 

We waited for the soldiers and Gu Won to return for two days but there was no reply until the third day evening when an injured soldier escaped into the village. 

"what happened to him", I asked as they brought him in. 

"We were attacked from behind, they know we are coming, they laid an ambushed down to the place they hold their captivity", he explained. 

"wait... Did we have a spy among us", I asked him again. 

"No, they know we will come and attack us on the road, we are defenseless and tired that time", he explained again. 

Seo Hwa fell back, I supported her before she fell. 

"follow the path the soldier came through to get to the village and see if he is being followed", I said to Kang Yun. And he moved out immediately so we won't be stacked surprisingly. 

"so, they leave only you alive?", I asked the injured soldier. 

"No your Highness, Gu Won caused a distraction and told me to escape during the distraction so I can get back up, they are waiting for someone from the capital before they kill us", he explains again. 

"We must rescue them at once", Seo Hwa said as she barged out of the room. 

"leave it to me and Kang Yun, we will bring them back alive", I promised her. 

"I can't leave them alone again, I will go with you or I will go alone", she said furiously. I can not convince her at this moment so I agree we go together, she is very skilled too and I will make sure she is safe too.

She rushed into her room to wear her armor and I rushed to get Kang Yun. 

"what's wrong", I asked as I met him at the village entrance. 

"We are safe Your Highness, he is right, soldiers are waiting along the way to the city", he explained. 

"Go and get prepared, we are moving in on them tonight, only three of us with Seo Hwa", I said to him frankly. 

"It's not safe for her to come with her, you must convince her not to come with us", he replied. 

"I already talked with her but she insisted on coming with us", I explained to him. 

"We can go with her not knowing, maybe we can lock her up or something", he fights back. 

"she will command her servants to let her go and follow us unaware and by that we won't be able to keep her safe", I explained to him. 

His face is not settled, I am supposed to be this worried, not him, I am sure there is something wrong. 

"Did you know anything I am unaware of?", I asked him closely. 

"No, your highness", he said and looked away. He does that any time he is keeping something from me. 

"If you of all people won't tell me, I wonder who will do", I said and returned to Seo Hwa's room. He followed me closely without speaking. 

"Did she have a deadly disease or something? I wondered as I walked. She is already standing at her door. 

"It's not yet nightfall, we cannot move now", I said to her immediately. 

"yes, but we have to discuss what will do and how we will do it, or are we attacking them without a plan?", she asked. 

I only discussed my plan with Kang Yun, this is the first time there will be a third party on my plan. 

"I am thinking about what we should do", I replied silently. 

"let's find somewhere safe, where we can discuss, I already have a plan", Kang Yun cut in. 

"they are already on the road we take every time we go into the city, we have to find a way and attack them from behind", Kang Yun said again. 

"I know another road we can use to sneak on them", Seo Hwa replied as we walked into the safe house she chose for the plan discussion. 

"There is an opening through the bush near the soldier's barrack, where we create to escape in case we are attacked, if we pass through that opening we will get to the main road after half an hour, and then we can take out the soldiers by the road and enter their hideout", she said as we settled down in the room. 

"But how are we going to know the hideout they are keeping our soldiers", Kang Yun asked 

We look at ourselves and no one speaks up or comes up with an idea. 

"we will have to wait till the wounded soldier wakes up then, so he can take us to the video after we get to the main road", I finally came up with something. 

"That's good, we will do that", Seo Hwa agreed. 

"but he is too weak to do that now, how can we take a dead man back to battle", Kang Yun replied. 

"he will not fight with us, he just needs to show us their hideout", Seo Hwa replied again. 

"he can't walk for a minute, his wound is just being treated, we can't afford it to open back", Kang Yun rejected her words yet again. The tension in the room keeps rising. 

"Are you saying I can't do as I wish here, have you forgotten who is the leader here", Seo Hwa said as he approached Kang Yun 

"I thought you cared for your people but I guess I am wrong", Kang Yun replied as he got close to her too. 

"stop this Kang Yun, we have people depending on us to rescue them and here we are fighting?", I screamed at them. 

"we will take him along at nightfall", Seo Hwa said and walked out of the room. 

Kang Yun wanted to speak but I commanded him with my face to stop and he stormed out too leaving me alone in the room.