In a kingdom torn by power struggles and political intrigue, Jieun, the rightful heir to the throne of the East, finds herself sidelined as her brother, Jungwon, takes control. Determined to reclaim her birthright, Jieun seeks alliances and forms a...
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AS DAYS PASSED, JIEUN COULD NOTICE SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT HER MOTHER. She found herself in Jungwon's chambers, the two seated on the floor after Jieun had forced him to play chess with her. Her head was on his lap as he braided her hair, gentle fingers making sure the braid would look as good as possible. Now, he was not good at it, but Jieun appreciated the effort.
'You should really practise on that, you know,' Jieun said, feeling him pulling her hair.
'I know it looks terrible,' Jungwon said, chuckling while continuing to fumble with the strands. 'I cannot say I have a lot of experience. . . How do you do it so well?'
'I do not know. . .' Jieun admitted with a shrug. 'During my lectures that old oaf teaches me how to sew and be soft with my fingers. But I wish to train like you and the other knights.'
Jungwon hummed, 'so that is your secret.' He smiled, a proud smile as he looked at his finished work. Jungwon leaned back to examine his work, realising that it would look terrible once she actually lifted her head from his lap. 'So you wish to bear a sword? I must admit, sister. It is incredibly boring. What is a sword when you are a prince? I shall spend my days in the castle, no one will be able to reach me here.'
'Do not be so naive, Jungwon,' Jieun said.
'Fine, I am sure you would be great at it. Although, you would look prettier in a gown than in heavy armour,' Jungwon said with a light shrug.
Jieun scoffed before changing the subject. 'Brother, have you noticed something strange about mother and father lately?'
'Well, they are working harder, I think. Father's always in the council chamber these days, and mother doesn't leave her room nearly as much as she used to. What do you think is going on?'
'You're not worried, are you?' He looked down at her to smile at her, for a moment, the shadows over her face were broken by a small smile that crept there.
'Our family is too good to break, and our parents are too smart to be tricked. So long as we are united, we can get through anything life throws at us. No matter what, we're always there for each other ━ I promise.'
