While it's in character, the level of fluffiness may be a little of the order of the timeline of events. But the level of fluff recently in the manga has inspired this installment. Part one of two. So I hope you enjoy!

It was the festival of the Maehwa- the first of the month the plum blossoms' first blooms of the year, the harbinger of spring and the sowing of the crops. In the wind clan's territory, they would wait a few more weeks, but then the rice planters would be out in the fields. At the Palace, the heart of the Sky Clan, the king held a festival for four days' time, to celebrate the end of winter and coming of spring. Which also meant...

"Suitors," Yona grumbled. "Four days of prattling, borish suitors." Although he arrived to keep clear of the subject for his own reasons, Hak privately agreed with her assessment- he would have thought the king-who adored his daughter and treasured her above all else- would be more selective in the caliper of these men who sought the princess's hand. But it wasn't his place to encourage her current line of thinking...

Besides, there were a few that had not been soooo bad. Those were the ones he disliked the most.

"Any returning ones?" He asked, trying to flatten any emotion out of his voice. Bored. I should try to sound bored. Yona scowled.

"The lord's son from Xing. And that nobleman twenty years our senior. And…." She slumped. "Tae-Jun." Hak couldn't help it. He laughed. None of the guests that evening were remotely interesting, or stood any hope of winning the slightest of her affections away from Soo-won. Now assuaged that none of the festival guests were within wooing distance of her, he could tease...

"Ahhhh you never know. Maehwa is one of the most romantic times on the year. Maybe among all the fluttering petals, one of them will prevail-" Yona's nose wrinkled.

"Ya! Never!"

"Never? Even standing in the moonlight-"

"Ugh! Hak!" she squawked, covering her face.

"And Lord Fen-yi has the distinct advantages of both wisdom and experience at his age-"

"He could be our father, Hak."

"-both of which might recommend him to the ladies-"

"HAK!" she groaned, burying her head in his arm. A loose tangle of her red hair brushed up against his fingertips. "Enough."

"If you insist, Hime," he replied, allowing himself to curl the loose lock of hair gently around his finger. It was the closest they would ever get- he didn't really see any harm in it.

"I'm almost sixteen, Hak." She was serious now. "And Father keeps insisting I at least make a point to engage with Tae Jun, since he's the son of a clan leader..." Suddenly she perked up. Hak let her lock of hair tumble out of his fingertips as she looked up at him. "Nee, Hak, you're the son of a clan leader." As much as the implication made his heart race, the gleam in Yona's eye -the calculating, gloating gleam- made him more wary than hopeful.

"Adopted," he reminded her. "Adopted-"

"So if I spend all my time with you tonight, Father can't say I didn't make an effort!" She concluded triumphantly.

"Gods above, Hime." He glowered.

"And I don't have to make any empty promises, or encourage some odious man to follow me around day after day!" she added.

"Yes, because I would never be encouraged to follow you around all day, every day," her bodyguard retorted, voice thick with sarcasm.

"What, Hak? It's not like you are committed to anyone!" There was a long pause. She turned to him quizzically. "Are you?" Her eyes widened when Hak, still struggling with a myriad of emotions, failed to respond immediately. "Really? Who?" He sighed.

"No, no one." Her eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure?" He snorted.

"Of course I am. I was just astounded that you assumed I'd be at your beck and call all evening." She peered over at him.

"Aren't you?"

"Yes, but shouldn't you ask-"

"Hak." She waited, serenely, until Hak raised an eyebrow in question. "Will you spend the night with me?" Gods. Above.

"You don't have to say it like that!" he sputtered. She huffed.

"You wanted me to ask, so I did!" Yona grabbed his hand. "And you do that all the time, so this isn't really all that different. Now come on!"