AN: I don't think I explicitly spoiled anything, but I'm attempting to be canon-compliant up until chapter 121.

Did I hear her correctly?

"You need help, don't you?"

"Are you and your friends okay with helping me?"

"Not really, but we'll manage. It's for Kouka's sake, after all."

The fire in her eyes seems to burn stronger every time we meet.

Yona, I admire your new strength.

"Your Majesty!"

"Soo-won!"

"The wound isn't too deep. He'll be fine, but he needs to rest or else those bandages won't do any good."

"That's good to hear." "Thank you, boy!" "If you say so."

How many people…?

"Now shoo. He won't get any better if you're crowding around him."

"How rude, to speak so—"

No matter how many times I tell them… "It's fine."

"Y-Your Majesty, you're awake!"

"Yes, I am. I'm quite tired, so could you—"

"O-of course, Your Majesty! Please excuse us for our insolence!"

Yoon turned back to Soo-won. "Will you, at least, rest when I tell you to rest?"

Soo-won offered a reassuring smile. "I will."

"Good. Now rest. I'm gonna go take care of those stupid rare beasts."

"I'm okay!"

"Zeno, don't scare me like that!"

"Hehe. I can stand on guard if you want me to, kid!"

"Huh. I was wondering about that—" Yoon lowered his voice, but Soo-won could still hear Yoon— "since after that battle, his guards are really better off watching over all of the other injured soldiers and making sure they don't do anything stupid, but I'm not entirely comfortable leaving him alone."

"Because of the mister, right?"

The mister?

"Yeah, him. He's better at restraining himself now, but…"

Ah, Hak.

"I understand, kid! I can stand on guard!"

Yoon gave a relieved smile to Zeno. "Thanks."

When did I fall asleep? Soo-won raised his good arm and rubbed the crust out of his eyes.

"Good morning, mister!"

Soo-won turned his head, startled. "Good morning… Zeno, right?"

"Yep yep, that's me!"

His smile is so bright. I feel relaxed in his presence. It's as if the sun has risen in this tent. It looks like it still hasn't risen outside, though. It must be very early morning. "Are you still standing guard over me?"

"Yep yep! Well, I guess I'm sitting, but same thing!"

Soo-won smiled, amused. "I see. How is everyone else?"

"The kid patched them all up!"

Soo-won's smile was 100% real this time. "That's good to hear." He turned his head so that he was looking at the other side of the tent—the side with no opening, which conveniently meant that if anyone walked in, then he would have a moment to collect himself before showing them his face.

The Yellow Dragon…

Soo-won loved to read Kouka's founding legend and knew by heart everything about the legend that he could find, but he had thought that the story was just that: a story. He figured that King Hiryuu really did exist and that he really did have a group of warriors who were loyal to him until the day they died, but Soo-won never thought that the dragon powers existed.

Until he met the White Dragon and the Blue Dragon at one of Kushibi's forts in Sei.

The White Dragon, Kija, has the power of a dragon in his right hand. The Green Dragon, Jae-ha, has the power of a dragon in his right leg. The Blue Dragon, Shin-ah, has the power of a dragon in his eyes, but he chooses to use a sword instead.

The Yellow Dragon, Zeno, has the power of a dragon in… his body…? I don't remember reading anything else about his power… Is Zeno just very strong? But he doesn't look particularly tough. But surely he must be strong in some way, because it's clear that everyone in his group trusts him with their lives and Yona's life.

"Haha, mister, are you thinking about me?" Zeno suddenly asked. Soo-won turned and found Zeno with an embarrassed grin.

He's also scarily perceptive. Just the other day, Hak bitterly joked that Zeno would have to serve as a lie detector whenever they're talking with me, because Hak is no longer sure of himself when he tries to read me.

Just who is Zeno? How can he read me so easily when we barely know each other?

Soo-won offered a sheepish smile. "How could you tell?"

"I can tell a lot of things about you, mister!"

Seems like you can.

I do prefer for people to not bother with titles when they talk to me, but… there's something about the way you call me "mister" that makes me want to drop my guard. I've never felt this way before.

You seem to have the same effect on your groupmates. You call the other dragon warriors by their titles, but you call the young man Yoon "kid," Hak "mister," and Yona "miss."

Yona…

Zeno's bright, disarming smile turned sad. "Mister, when was the last time you cried?"

Soo-won flinched. He felt something tighten around his throat. "Why do you ask?"

"Mister, if you don't let yourself cry once in a while, then you'll be forced to cry eventually at a time that isn't of your choosing."

Soo-won hastily turned his head away, trying to blink back the unexpected tears. Zeno…? "But I cannot cry here or now. If someone walks in—"

"I can deal with that for you, mister!" Zeno chirped, suddenly cheerful. Soo-won frowned.

"How could you tell, anyway?"

"I can tell a lot of things." Zeno's voice was soft. "I've seen a lot of things. Mister, you should let yourself cry at least a little. I know what can happen if you hold back your emotions for too long. Especially considering everything that you've done and all the pain that you feel."

Why do I get the feeling that he knows more about what I've done than everyone else?

"Mister, if anyone comes in, I can shoo them away. So you should let yourself cry a little."

Soo-won began to cry quietly, his face turned away from Zeno.

Zeno stood up and moved to the entrance, not only to make good on his word but also to give Kouka's current king some privacy.

When was the last time I cried? I don't know. But I don't think I've cried for… for…

Soo-won cried for how he hurt his friends—effectively his family. He cried for his lost family: his parents (had he cried for them? He wasn't sure) and King Il. He cried for how he chose to become a cold, borderline emotionless man. He cried for how he used deceit and manipulation to achieve his goals—and how he was so damn good at it and how it was almost natural for him to do so. He cried for hiding everything from Yona and Hak, for fooling them into believing that he was fine for so many years.

"Soo-won? Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah, I'm fine! Don't worry about me, Yona."

"Okay, if you say so. Oh! The servants just brought in a bunch of fruit! I bet those can cheer you up!"

They watched Yona's unruly red hair bounce out of sight. "You were spacing out again, Lord Soo-won."

"Haha, Hak, drop the formalities already, would you?"

Hak snorted, a fond grin on his face. "I know my place, my lord. It's right beside you and Yona once you marry her and become king. Seriously, I'm just waiting for the day that King Il announces you as her betrothed."

Hak, Yona, I'm sorry…

He wasn't sure how much time had passed. It felt like a long time, but he didn't see any more light shining through the tent cloth.

Someone lightly swiped a cloth over his left eye, then his right eye. The cloth went to one cheek, then the other. "Do you feel better, mister?"

Zeno's drying my face. "I suppose I do." Soo-won turned to the Yellow Dragon and smiled a genuine smile, one that Zeno reflected. "Thank you."

Zeno's soft smile turned into a beam. "No problem, mister!"

AN: Explanation for any inaccuracies in facts: I was going off of my memory when I wrote this. :P

Name and nickname translations are from the Titania scanlations group.

Flashback is made up.

"Why do I get the feeling that he knows more about what I've done than everyone else?" This is speculation that stems from Zeno's reaction when he first saw Soo-won in the Water Tribe's territory.

Why didn't Zeno go and stand guard next to Yona instead, as the strongest of the four dragons? I have no idea. I just wanted interaction between Zeno and Soo-won in a canon-compliant universe and I was grasping at straws. lol

I also suck at writing, sorry xD