"Not All Smiles"

"Not All Smiles"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Yejin was looking at the would be Queens. Jisun, Kayz , Solhyun , Minhee and the human girl YuuA. Of all the names on the list it was the last one that she began to hate the most. While V had taken one of these She-dragons as would be brides in his long life , it was the human that had always gotten a strong hold on him. The last 60 years of his life was spent trying to find her and despite the best efforts of the Yuu and the Tiger clan Yejin had failed in securing V. 

"That human female will pay dearly." Yejin whispered to herself as she prepared for todays stage.

"Which human?" someone said behind Yejin and there was that unmistakable melodic tone that she had learned through her surveillance. It was YuuA.

"Ah... I am studying for a play. Mr. Park has gotten us all sorts of work lately."

"Good for you. Mr. Kim had such trouble getting us work in the beginning. At least with Mr. Park you can be sure that there won't be a let up of work."

Yejin was dumbfounded at the human girls attitude toward work. "Are you a workaholic YuuA-shi?"

"I guess you could say that. V once said that it was one of those things that he liked about me. I never let up." YuuA looked at the small cue cards she was holding. Practicing lines in her head as she talked to Yejin.

"The V I knew was lazy but always came up with creative ways to kill his...I mean solve his problems."

"I am pretty sure you know that V doesn't kill anymore."

Yeejin was surprised at this. If this human knows the vow V had taken then she would know about her identity. 

"I don't know what you mean."

YuuA smiled and stepped a little bit closer to Yejin. And even if she was a dragon she could not help but draw back from the smaller woman. She could not understand it but her body was retracting from what it perceived to be dangerous.

"Listen to me Yejin. I have managed to survive all the other would be Queens these past 4 years and I know it when someone wants to move on V again. Now that all the other houses have failed it is only logical to deduce that the only major house left are the Tigers.  I have met your brothers. They are as beautiful and as charming as you. I understand that my V had lived among you in his earlier years and that your brothers all want you to be ready for him. However they were not counting on me to appear.And reappear. I hope you understand that when it comes to him I am not all smiles and this human frame is not as weak as you assume."

Yejin swallowed involuntarily at the threat.

"Don't test me young one. All the other Queens have seen what I can do.And while it might be tempting for you to use all of those deadly spikes that you have well kept hidden in your body , I would suggest that you think of the consequences of those actions for you and your members. I am still the Princess of the Yuu. And you are a Yuu collaborator. Imagine what would happen to that alliance should you mistakenly injure the princess of the clan you have desperately wanted to make a deal with."

Yejin looked away.

"There. I am so glad we settled that. And for the record V isn't much of a loss. He snores and is ill-tempered when he does not have sleep."

"Who is ill-tempered?" V said as he joined the two women back stage.

"You." YuuA said without batting an eyelash. "You want to contradict that?"

"I am ill tempered when I have had no sleep."

"That is what I said to our Yejin here."

Yejin bowed deeply to V and excused herself.

"Will you stop bullying your hoobaes?"

"You know my policy on delusional she-dragons trying to take you from me right?"

V chuckled. "All too well. But Yejin is a child. You are not even in the same power level."

"Well as long as she knows her place with you she won't get to experience that difference in power level."

"Aren't we a little possessive?"

"You don't want me to?"

V laughed a little bit more. "I just want you to be a little less threatening." V kissed YuuA on the cheeks. "Now go out there and wow them with your hosting."

"Thanks for waiting for me."

"I had no choice."

YuuA glared but smiled a couple of seconds later. V watched from the shadows as the show went on.