Through the Looking Glass (TXT x Itzy)

twenty three

They returned to Ryujin's room, everything untouched the way it was the last time she left it, as if she didn't leave for five days. She surveyed the room, how the traces of her living in the room barely looked like hers anymore.

"What happened to the King?" Ryujin asked after a while. The health of the King had been a sensitive topic, everyone afraid of accidentally "cursing" the King by mentioning illnesses before him. After all, they wished for him to live a long and healthy life. Or else they would be executed for wishing harm upon the King.

Yeji had a helpless look on her face, "His health...has suddenly deteriorated. The royal physicians can't figure out why, we've tried a solid blend of Fae healing and traditional medication but he'd improve one day then worsen the next."

It took a while for Ryujin to collect her thoughts. While she never had an excellent relationship with her father, she never wanted anything bad to happen to him. She just really wanted to be someone worthy of praise and love.

Sucking in a short breath, yeji released it as a long sigh as she said, "Well, at least you had the thought to return before the next test. If you had missed it, you can kiss your throne goodbye."

"You're funny, Yeji."

"But seriously, please Ryujin, you're not a child anymore. Where did you go? People had been whispering rumours, it took everything to handle them."

Avoiding the question smoothly,

Ryujin twisted a glass pendant on a simple chain around her neck, sighing. "My parents wouldn't find the other dimension," She told Yeji as she strolled over to the window, appearing to be studying the stained glass, "Well, firstly, they don't believe me and secondly, they don't have something that allows them to go from one world to another."

Yeji flicked an eyebrow up, "Well, forgive me for my bluntness, Your Highness, but telling your parents you ran away to a village would be much more believable. "

"You don't believe me. Which is why, I suppose, there are ten guards outside the window and five outside the door."

Yeji shifted her weight to her left foot, "You checked. That's new."
Ryujin shrugged, "I learnt a few new things."

A pause. "Where's Beomgyu?" Ryujin asked. The captain licked her lips, "He's fine, in a guest room but under guard and there are security cameras and he's not allowed to leave without-" She stopped as the other girl clucked her tongue, "Wow, you guys are mean. " Yeji sniffed, "Precautions."

"Can I see him?"
"No."

"Bah, he's probably really confused. He didn't even believe this was a Kingdom. I really need to show him-"

"Ryujin, how can he not know? Is he a foreigner? But he speaks really well, which is kinda strange, and he acts just like-"

The princess shrugged lightly, "Well, you could say he's a foreigner. He grew up in Korea, so he speaks our language well-"
"Korea?" Yeji asked, sounding amused and in absolute disbelief, "Did you make that term up?"

"I didn't. Gosh, I should take you there. They have this amazing thing called pizza."

"No thank you," Yeji said dryly, shaking her head, "I don't have time to entertain your childish imagination."

That did hurt Ryujin, including her (kind of big) ego, so she replied, "Well, that's too bad then." And before Yeji could follow her, she sprinted out of the room in search of Beomgyu.

That left Yeji exhaling in exhaustion, having to chase after this grown-up princess who acted like she was five.