Fifty Two

975 35 1
                                    

"Miss Ppalgan! Miss Ppalgan!"

{Authors note: Ppalgan (빨간) means red, rubious. So when referring to her as Miss Ppalgan, they're calling her Miss Red, like the color.}

I turned to see the little girls run up to me. 

"Miss Ppalgan, look at what we found for you!"

I smiled at the little girls who were holding up bunches of wildflowers.

"Brother Kim helped us pick them for you."

"Brother Park helped too."

I looked up to see two of the village warriors standing not too far off, pretending not to watch me interact with the girls. I sighed, staring at the flowers in their hands. I shook my head at them, inviting the girls into my little yard.

I took the flowers from them and sat them down, making little crowns from the flowers for them.

"Miss Ppalgan, these flowers were meant for you..."

I held one of the flowers for them to see, showing the bruised stems and bent petals.

"Oh, the poor flower."

I nodded to them, showing them the way to pick a flower correctly, placing a flower in each of their plaids.

"Miss Ppalgan, will we ever hear your voice?"

"Miss Ppalgan, do you remember anything yet?"

I smiled at them, shaking my head simply. I did not know and I had been told that my vocal chords were severely damaged at a young age. Speaking would never be possible.

Patting them on their heads I turned away and continued to care for the herbs I'd been raising.

"Miss Ppalgan is so pretty. It's a shame she does not like my brother Kim."

"She does not like my brother Park either. She does not like any of the brothers in the village."

"Perhaps she likes our sisters instead?" Both turned back towards me.

"Do you like sister Yu?"

"Do you like sister Hyung?"

They both asked at the same time.

The people as well as the two young warriors seemed shocked beyond comprehension.

I merely shook my head at them and turned away, continuing what I had been doing before.

*******

Unknown/third party POV:

In the deepest recesses of the Pheonix Valley, one army lays in wait as their generals gathered.

"You're sure that this valley holds the medicine that his highness needs?"

"Yes. There is a maiden in the valley that grows the most saught after herbs, but they refuse to let anyone near."

"We'll seize the valley then. Kill any who stand in our way."

"But the innocent..."

"DO YOU WISH FOR OUR KING TO DIE INSTEAD?"

"No, sir."

"Good. We'll take the high ground, circle here and split so that we may attack from all sides."

"So what do we stand to do? Do we kidnap the herbs maiden?"

"Take her at all costs."

"I've overheard the children speak of her. They call her Miss Ppalgan."

The King's Gamma (#Wattys2024)Where stories live. Discover now