⚠️TW⚠️: Mentions of Suicidal behaviour

Author's note: If you are currently reading this, I hope you enjoy :) I feel like the story is really getting up to speed now, don't you? Comment below what you think, and don't forget to vote! 

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He spoke each word slowly, like you wouldn't be able to understand him, before turning on his heels and leaving the same way the healer did.

Peasants stirring up trouble? You mulled over the seemingly lame excuse the ostentatious Prince had given you, in order to take your leave. Without that feather- stuffed pillow the Healer had given you, the bamboo bed frame dug into your back uncomfortably. Sighing in annoyance, you stood up and placed your empty bowl and spoon in the sturdy wicker basket that was placed below you. It looked rather like an eco-friendly laundry bag, but you were sure someone would put it away eventually. You looked down at yourself, noticing the dirt streaks on your Hwarot that Prince Namjoon's aunt had mentioned, and grimaced at the thought of soiling such expensive fabric.

As the salt-scented wind from the sea blew across your face, you tried to think about your Mum, and what she would be doing. Despite yourself, you prayed that she was safe. You instinctively reached for your pockets, completely forgetting you were wrapped in a silky dress. I forgot my pen knife. It had become a habit of yours to touch the tip of that knife every time you thought about your mother. A punishment of sorts, to bring you back to reality. However, the voice that led you to those tendencies seemed to have gone quiet after you landed in the Hanyang Kingdom. Instead, it was replaced by...your grandmother's voice? Like that flashback you had had earlier. You couldn't help but be relieved. For once, you could appreciate the beauty around you without degrading yourself.

But surely, it was only temporary. You inched up your sleeves and stared at the now fading purple-red lines on your forearms, engraved by none other than yourself.

Reaching for comfort, you instinctively grasped the necklace around your neck. You had completely forgotten you were wearing it. You enclosed it in your palm, squeezing it so tightly it must have left its imprints on you. Thank you, Grandma. You may not be here, but you are still looking out for me. You smiled softly, realising you had smiled more in three days here, than you had the whole of last year in New York.

You looked to the horizon to soak in the beautiful view once more, but the sun had been completely blocked out by villainous looking grey clouds, in turn transforming the blue sea into a light gainsboro. The calm waves were becoming more and more turbulent, and the wind roared fiercely in your ears. You couldn't help but think it sounded like spirits screaming, while flying through the air. You looked up at the pavilion roof that was thatched with straw, and the brick floor below you. You could either stay here, in the shade, or...

Giggling childishly to yourself, you kicked off your leather slippers, eyeing the red brick stairs that connected the pavilion to the beach. Without hesitation, you ran down them, feet slapping against the bricks rhythmically. Your feet sunk into the grainy white sand, but you still ran, and ran, skirts bunched in your hands.

Miniscule drops of water began to fall on your head, but you still ran, occasionally tripping on the odd pebble. The wind howled angrily, grasping tendrils of your hair and making them fly behind you.

The diadem still on top of your head fell off, but you didn't realise, too indulged in the heady freedom you were experiencing. The drops of water suddenly transformed into a full fledged fountain, drenching your hair, dress, and whole body. You closed your eyes, opening your mouth with your tongue outstretched. You caught a few beads of water on it, cold to the taste. The rain was really pouring now, drowning out all other sounds.

You ran in line with the waves , the freezing water hitting your legs in turn with the raindrops from the sky. You stopped when you were struggling to breathe, panting like a dog, with your hands on your knees. You screamed, and screamed, happily. But it was muted by the heavy rain. You spun around, skirts billowing around you, until you were dizzy.

"PRINCESS!" You thought you heard a voice call out, pausing your foolish antics to listen. You ran away from the tide, towards the palace again. You kept running, as the pavilion structure was as small as a toy house from where you were standing. "PRINCESS!" You shielded your eyes from the rainstorm, and spotted the poor guard assigned to you, yelling out your name, the rain making it difficult to hear him. You kept running towards him, as he ran to you with unexpected agility. His hanbok was drenched in rain, and flapped around him most unflatteringly. His hands covered his head, beard flattened to his face. His face! He wasn't wearing that straw hat!

He grabbed your shoulder gingerly. "PRINCESS! THERE YOU ARE! I thought you had..." He yelled over the thundering rain. "Escaped?" You whispered questioningly. He nodded.

You took in his face for the first time. It was wrinkled with age, sallow. But his eyes, bordered by eyebags and monolids, were a warm, deep brown. You thought they emitted a tremendous amount of kindness and wisdom, very similar to Jina's. Which was a surprise, as his demeanour was...more than a little unfriendly. "WE HAVE TO GET YOU BACK TO THE PALACE. YOU'RE GOING TO FALL SEVERELY ILL IF YOU SPEND ANOTHER SECOND OUT HERE!"You nodded, still deep in your own thoughts, and waddled next to him. Your feet were more than sore. The wound that the stupid spiked engraving on your window had given you, was bleeding again, reducing you to a well-spirited limp. "DID YOU NOT HEAR ME, YOUR HIGHNESS? WE HAVE TO RUN !" The guard hollered, the rain getting progressively heavier- both your clothes were so plastered on, they seemed like a second skin.

He looked down and noticed your bare feet. "WHERE ARE YOUR SLIPPERS?" His loud voice was reduced to a mere mumble by the watery onslaught. Your cranberry juice-like blood dropped onto the white sand, turning the transparent water to a translucent pink. "You're bleeding..." He murmured. Without delay, he crouched down. "GET ON MY BACK!" He called out. "WHAT???" You exclaimed, horrified. "JUST DO IT, OR THE KIN-I MEAN PRINCE- WILL KILL ME!" With no other choice, you jumped onto his back, your dirty legs wrapped around his waist to stop you from falling off. Instantly, you were in the air, and he started to run. "HOW ARE YOU RUNNING SO FAST?" you shrieked, bewildered by his almost superhuman strength. He looked like a literal senior citizen. How was he doing this? "GUARD...TRAINING...DOES THAT...TO YOU..." He gasped after each word, like he was running a marathon. Which he was, with an added weight on his back, and the rain hammering down on him. Damn, Grandpa is fit as hell. Teach me your ways. You thought to yourself.

You realised you weren't as far away from the pavilion as you thought you were, because in a few minutes, the old guard was running up the red brick stairs, and dumping you on the same bamboo bed frame. You looked at the poor man, tons of water dropping down from him, to the floor, every second. You couldn't tell if it was sweat or rain water. Probably a mix of the both. He shivered uncontrollably, and then glanced at you and stopped. "So, you saw my face." You smirked despite the situation. "Yep." "No one can know about this." He said stoically. "Sure." You replied back, strangely unbothered. "Please, Your Highness, pass me my hat. It is inside that basket." He pointed to the wicker basket below you.

You snickered to yourself. The bowl and spoon you had placed in there earlier were gone. You reached for the black bamboo/straw hat, and handed it to him. "Thank you." He gave you a small smile, his eyes wrinkling- they were smile lines! They betrayed the hints of warmth you saw at the beach. He smoothed down his completely white, yet thick hair, before placing the hat back on top. "I must take your leave now, Princess, but your maid will take you back to the palace." He turned away from you, his long hair dripping, like he had just taken a shower. You observed his retreating figure carefully, noticing he had a slight hunch. That impromptu piggy-back ride was not a good idea. As if he had heard you, he brought his hand to his back, stopping for a second to relieve the pain, and then he was on his way again.

He walked through a long, shaded pathway that was enclosed with an even longer roof, each side curved upwards. The sides of the walkway were lined with wildflowers that grew freely, unlike the exotic ones in the garden. The walkway ended with that intricate teak door engraved with flowers, and leaves, the same one you must have come through when entering the gardens earlier today. So that's where the prince went.

Weirdly, someone opened the door and began running towards the guard, arms bundled in blankets, towels, and more blankets. You squinted, trying to make out who it was. Pale blue hanbok, straight black hair, terrifyingly similar to General Park? Jina!

When she crossed paths with the guard, she came to a halt. She handed him a couple of the towels and blankets, and he nodded gratefully, and wrapped them around himself. He said something to her, and she shook her head, visibly worried. He signalled for her to continue running, so she did. Like the guard, she seemed very fit, her legs pumping hurriedly as she rushed towards you. She got closer and closer, and now you could definitely recognise her, beautiful aura and all.

She stopped when she was next to you, and wasn't even out of breath. "PRINCESS! WHAT WERE YOU DOING OUT THERE?" She yelled, the rain making pitter-patter sounds all around you as they hit the thatched roof, though quieter than before. The sky was so dark now, it could be mistaken for night-time. However, you were sure it was barely afternoon. Before you could answer her, she was wrapping the same thick, crisp white towels you had used for your dream-like rose bath, around your body. Making sure she covered your head, she also wrapped several hefty knitted blankets around you. You were sure you looked like a body that was mummified.

"I wanted to go to the beach...because the Prince said I was free to go anywhere? So I just...ran onto the beach? T-then it started t-to rain, and the guard-" You paused, teeth chattering, as the cold started to catch up with you. Jina, with her observant eyes, noticed immediately. "We have to get you back to the palace. Now." She ordered, throwing her arm across your shoulders to help you warm up. She began walking, dragging her with you. Your eyes widened at her gentle touch, and your heart began to pound nervously. She looked at you with innocent eyes and a warm smile, teeth perfectly white. Your faces were so close to each other, you noticed she had a small mole above her lip. It looked like a miniscule heart. Your own heart skipped a beat, and you blushed, looking down at the brick floor nervously, cursing at how stupid you looked.

When you reached the start of the walkway, she stopped, and you almost tripped over your own feet. She smiled at you again, without her teeth, one side of her mouth slightly higher than the other, so it looked like she was smirking. "You look so cute right now, like a little Aegi." She said, while chuckling. Oh. My. Ducking. Gosh. She called you baby? Well, technically she called you A baby, but it made your heart flutter nevertheless. You were actually going to faint. She clapped her hand to her mouth, eyes opening in horror. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness! I'm not supposed to speak informally. I've just committed treason. Treason!" She gasped, almost theatrically. You eyed her, sceptically. "I already told you not to use stupid formalities. We can talk like friends."You reassured her.

She smirked for real now. "My Dad always told me I would be a horrible maid. I talk to everyone like I've known them for ages." You laughed at her statement. "I really don't care. Just talk to me however you want." You said brightly. "Are you sure you're a princess?" She teased you playfully. "No." You said to her, completely serious. She burst into an adorable laugh, and you felt your cheeks heat up again.

"Anyways, I stopped you here because I wanted to let you know about the history of this walkway. It's very romantic. The current King of Joseon, King Kim-Taeyon, constructed this walkway so that when it rained during the late summer and fall, he could take his Queen on moonlit walks next to the sea. If I remember correctly, they were on a walk while the Queen was heavily pregnant, and her water broke, right here!

The King insisted the palace workers should bring over the birthing bed he had prepared. A whopping king sized one, lined with red-coloured velvet, with blankets and pillows made of pure silk! But the Queen, being the simple woman she was, told her husband she didn't want to cause the workers any trouble, lugging over that enormous thing. So, the King himself ran back into the palace, and brought out the first bed he saw, which was...a bamboo bed made for the guards of the palace! He carried it by himself, and ran to this walkway, placing the bed on the ground. The Queen got onto it, and rumour is, gave birth to the baby boy with the help of the King!

No one else! No palace maids, or healers, just the King himself! Prince Namjoon was born during the full moon, so his nickname is Dal-Dal...so endearing, am I right? The walkway is now called Dal-ui Tansaeng, Birth of The Moon, after what happened that day." She explained, eyes bright with wonder. "Wow, that's a beautiful story. Wait. Bamboo bed? The bed she gave birth on...was the one I was sitting down on just now? In the pavilion?" You blurted, as you stared at her in disbelief. "Yup, that's the one. But don't worry, it's been washed many times over the last eighteen years, if that's what you're worried about." She replied back cheerfully. You let out a sigh of relief. She began walking again, your feet reluctantly matching her fast pace.

A few minutes later, you had reached the nature themed teak door, and Jina pushed it open with one hand, the other one wrapped around your waist now, instead of your shoulders. Your heart started thumping again, and you felt your palms get all clammy. Her elegant, small hands were placed near your stomach. You were sure she could feel the butterflies in there jumping up and down in nervousness, and possibly even happiness. Your own hand was so close to hers, you could have slipped it into hers in a mere second, but that was definitely what your heart was telling you to do. Your brain reminded you your hands were stuck firmly, in the many layers of towels and blankets.

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You were in the palace again, trudging along Jina like an oversized newborn baby. You glared at the floor, which was almost as ridiculously beautiful as Jina and her twin brother. You were currently walking on the magnificent tangerine phoenix with it's golden feathers, with your dirty bare feet. Still limping. Another young girl, in the same plain hanbok as Jina was crouched on the floor, wiping away your dirty footprints as you walked. You glanced at her apologetically, but her eyes seemed almost robotic. There was nothing in there, no emotion, no anger, no annoyance. Nothing. You continued to walk beside Jina, but kept glancing at the girl, who could have been barely fourteen, maybe thirteen. Her dark hair was braided in a tight plait, not a single strand out of place. You wanted to stop, to shout at Jina, yell at her and ask why such a young girl was a maid in the palace. But you didn't. Because you were a coward, you were scared, and you weren't sure you were supposed to care at all. Jina had released you from her grip now, to your disappointment. You kept staring down, as the red floor went from a bright yellow to a dark green, where the enormous dragon lay, its red tipped scales menacing. Jina stopped when you were halfway up the dragon's body, right at its mouth filled with sharp teeth. "Here is the back entrance to your room, Your Majesty." She enunciated the last part of her sentence as a group of pink-clothed ladies, with purple satin bows tied around their waist, walked in a group, their heads held up high. They were whispering among themselves about the state you were in. She opened the carved wooden door, with a lion knocker on it, and led you into your room.

A perfectly made queen sized bed greeted you. Yes, you had left it in a very messy state, but now, the white silk pillows were perfectly fluffed, sitting orderly next to each other. The jade-green blanket with the golden embroidered lions was placed on top, without a single wrinkle. In fact, it looked like it had been washed. Jina glanced at where you were looking at. "Ah, yes, I made the bed. Is it not to your liking?" She asked with genuine concern in her voice. "Jina. How?" You spoke in awe. "This is my job, Princess." She grinned, clearly satisfied with her work. You shook your head in amazement. "Anyways, ignore those mean court ladies, the ones in the ugly pink dresses? They think they're so great, but they are only one rank above maids!" She complained distractedly. Your feet sank into the golden persian carpet as you walked reverently towards the vanity table where Jina had done your makeup. The cushioned seat was primped, and perfect, the marble table completely bare except for a delicate wooden box, bare of any design. It was open, and you could see that same mysterious jade roller poking out of it. The mirror decorated with the clay dragons was so spotless, it seemed to be sparkling. "How on earth, Jina?" You mumbled under your breath. I guess cleaning is an art.

Pretending not to hear you, she walked towards the huge windows where the earlier fiasco had happened. Next to them, there was another door! Another one, that you had failed to notice! It was smaller, but more complicatedly designed than the main oak doors. It was decorated with the same vine and flower designs as the door that led out of the palace. You walked towards Jina, and she opened the door with a key she brandished out of nowhere. "Woah..." You exclaimed as you walked into the low ceilinged...walk-in closet? On a gold coloured metal pole hung old fashioned hangers, rows and rows of endless dresses were crowded next to each other. Jina eyed the dresses to the right side of the room. "Ah, there! A nightgown!" You stared at her in horror. She looked back at you sympathetically. "It's comfy!" She said back. She brought out a long sleeved dress, with puffed white sleeves. It was long, and many layered, the chest area embroidered with white lace. It looked startlingly comfy, and didn't even have any lions on it. She handed it to you. "I measured your Hwarot before giving it to you. It looks like the tailor already had a whole stock of clothes in the same size!" She informed you matter-of-factly. I'm not even going to ask anymore.

"I'm sure you don't have the energy to walk to the bathing room again, so just change here. I'll give you some privacy." She turned around, her back facing you. Reluctantly, you removed the warm blankets and towels covering you, placing them on the floor. "Jina, I need some help getting out of this." You muttered, embarrassed, begging she wouldn't notice the calculated cuts on your arms . Your drenched Hwarot, with all its layers, was stuck to your long, wavy hair. She walked behind you, removing the knotted hair.

"You have beautiful hair." She said, wrapping a finger around it, in the same motion as her brother had done a few days ago. When you didn't reply, she hastily removed it from her hand, and yanked all the layers of the Hwarot above your head at once, with her eyes closed. You pulled the rest of it off your head, and placed the skirts, top, and lining in her waiting hands. You pulled on the nightgown, satisfied at its comfiness, running your hands over your exquisite silk embroidery. "You can open your eyes now." You told her, hoping your soaking hair didn't ruin the dress. "Wrap one of the towels around your hair, so that they don't soak your clothes and make you feel cold, Princess." She suggested. You took one of the towels from the floor and wrapped your hair in it. She walked towards the door, opening it again. "Ladies first. I mean, Princesses first." She giggled, as you walked through the opening. You walked towards the delightfully comfortable bed, and threw yourself on it. Jina pulled up a stool from under the bed, and sat on it after pulling the blankets over you. Your heart fluttered again, at her caring gesture.

"So, how was your meeting with the prince? I've been dying to know!" She admitted to you. You faced your back towards her. "It was ok." You retorted. "Aww...come on! That's all?" She groaned. "Fine. He was nice, at first. I mean, he literally took me to see bunnies. Then he became all cold, and mean. But his aunt is really nice. Hey, shouldn't his aunt be a member of the court? Why is she, like, a farmer?" You wondered out loud. "Don't worry, Princess, the Prince is certainly not known for being nice. He is known for being cold, but effective and smart. It must have been nice to see the future ruler's sweet side. You might even be his future wife!" She declared happily. Now you groaned, and hid yourself further under the blankets.

The Queen claiming.

"As for his Aunt, that's his mother's sister. I'm not sure if you have heard, but his mother was a simple peasant, before becoming the Queen! Apparently, when the King was young, he'd gone on a hunting trip. He had gone with only a few of his loyal subjects, and after hours, they still had caught nothing, and were feeling famished. They made their way to the nearest village, where Queen Suwon lived at the time, may she rest in peace. The whole village, delighted with the King's appearance, cooked up a celebratory feast for him. Queen Suwon, who was from a poor family in the village, served him everything, from rice-wine to his favourite pickled vegetables. And the rest is history.

When Queen Su-won was crowned, she announced that her widowed sister would be able to live in the palace freely, and gave her land, and even a title. Duchess See-won. Her sister forsake the title, but took the land to build some sort of farm on, petting zoo, whatever you called it. Queen Su-won was one of the only Queens in our history to have any authority over royal orders. Her husband believed they should share equal responsibilities of ruling. A lot of people tried to seize the kingdom from him because they believed a woman should never have any sort of authoritative rule over anything or anyone, especially not a man, and definitely not a whole country. But anyways, that's the story behind it!" She told you the whole thing like it was an epic saga, which it kind of was. "Anyways, you should rest for a while. I'll go get your lunch ready." She rushed out of the room again, before you could ask any questions. You looked out of the colossal palladian windows again, the rain still pouring down with all its might, and thought about the mysterious Crown Prince Namjoon, once again.

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