A day had passed and we were still walking. The soldiers were tired, the horses of our cavalry were hungry and thirsty. Ethan and Aiden were leading the force. The sun was almost down and we could see a river in front of us. The river showed we had covered half the route. "We will stay here for the night. Put up the tents.", one of the ministers said. The soldiers were now a little enthusiastic as they could have rest now. I wanted to know how Ethan and Aiden are holding up, but I was just a mere court official to everyone here. Once all the tents were put up, some soldiers were called to help in preparing the food while others were given guarding duty. I was sitting by the river watching out for any suspicious sign. The river reminded me of the river in our village. I remembered that stranger I met by the river that day, the stranger who completed my poem with his verses. The stranger who helped me prove my innocence. The ripples in the water reminded me of Lee, the young prince who used to think with his heart. Lee was still somewhere there, locked deep inside Aiden's heart but the cage is a little too tough to break. I looked to the side and Aiden was there helping the guards in carrying the raw material to the cooking area. He was laughing at something the guard said while picking up the basket full of vegetables. And after a long time, I felt he was not Aiden, but Lee. He must have felt my eyes on him. Before I could look away, he looked in my direction and our eyes met. I turned around ignoring his gaze and started looking at the moon's reflection in the river.
"The moon looks even more beautiful today.", I heard a familiar voice. I turned around. "Your majesty!", saying this I bowed. Ethan nodded. I stood still. "You can relax Hyun. No one can hear us.", he said. I looked around. He was right. We were all standing at enough distance. He came and stood by me. "Your majesty, please go inside. This place is not safe for you.", I was concerned. There was a dense forest on the other side and it was already late. He just smiled and ignored my request. "The moon is a little too pretty. Don't you think?", he asked admiring the moon's reflection. "That it is.", I said smiling. "What were you thinking before I came here?", he asked. "I was just missing the river by our village.", I replied with utmost honesty. "You were missing the river or the memories by the riverside.", he said mocking me unknowingly. I just smiled. "When people change, memories are the only thing we can hold on to.", I replied with a dry laugh. "People take time to change. And people change because of circumstances. But it doesn't mean they can't be brought back. If time gives you scars, it heals them too.", he said and turned around to leave. "Where are you going?", I stopped him, afraid of being left alone with my memories of Lee. "Someone else belongs here with you by the riverside.", he said and left. I looked at his departing figure confused. Once his figure disappeared, I turned towards the river again and sat on the stone nearby.
It was almost midnight and in an hour my duty was going to get over. I was tired and hungry, but the duty towards our people was above everything. The moon was my only companion through this hard journey. "Did you eat anything?", I heard a voice. Without even looking at him, I knew it was Aiden. "Not yet.", I replied. I heard his feet move. He came and stood by my side. "Go and eat something. I will stand here for a while.", he said. "No! I am on official duty. I can't let you take my place.", I said ignoring his worried gaze. He just stood there silently watching the water flow in the river with me. My heart was beating fast now. It felt like a déjà vu. I sneakily looked at him. He was nervous. His face showed it all, he was scared. "What happened?", I asked. He didn't look at me but he spoke, "We will be in a battlefield tomorrow. I don't know what surprise fate has planned for us, but I do know the surprise won't be nice. I am afraid what if we lose?". I couldn't believe my ears. I never thought I would be hearing these words from a god, a god who is fearless. But maybe we are all scared of one thing or the other, even the gods. "We will not lose. We would have lost if we didn't take action. And you are a god, you have powers, how can we lose?", I said. "I am not afraid of losing in this battle, but if I die tomorrow, I will have to go to heaven as a defeated prince.", he said facing me now. I could see that his eyes were full of fear. He was afraid to let down himself. I stepped forward and took his hands in mine. I was expecting him to pull his hands away, but he didn't. He was now looking at me. "You are afraid to let down your father but you are terrified to let down yourself?", I asked. He nodded. "Then I won't let you die tomorrow. I promise.", I said and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. He smiled and looked at the river. I turned to the river as well. Our hands were still together, holding up a promise of never letting go. And in that moment, we both knew no matter what happens, the two of us will always have each other's back.