PALACE | FREENBECKY

02

They reached the stream at the other end of the Gingko forest. Freen put her hand in the water then she looked at the princess over her shoulder.

"It is too cold. We might get sick if we swim."

"But I want to."

"No." Freen shook her head. "How about we pick some rocks from the stream? Let's see who can select more beautiful rocks."

The younger nodded. They both took off their dresses, avoided getting them wet, si they were processed to the stream. The maidservants who watched them from afar walked a little closer and reminded then to be careful.

When Freen was focusing on choosing rocks, she heard a loud thud sounds followed by a small groan behind her back. She turned her head to find the younger was standing by the bank, biting in her lower lips and her eyes were watery. Throwing the rocks, she strode the girl.

"What happened?" Asked the older
Her voice couldn't hide the worry for the younger.

"I dropped the rock to my toe." She suppressed her crying. Freen looked at her toe and found it bleeding.

"Oh god!" Freen was in her knees when she quickly grabbed the dress nearby to cover the bleeding toe. "Does it hurt?" She asked when she felt the younger snickered at the touch of the fabric. She tried to be more gentle.

"No." The younger girl shook her head.

"We have to go back to your room." Freen stood up and then she called for the maidservant. "Hey, you! We need your help."

Once they saw the princess's toe, one of the maid quickly took her back while the other picked their clothes. Freen followed them to the princess's room. Now they placed her on her bed while one of the maids ran out to call for a royal doctor.

"It's nothing." She chuckled, talking to Freen who sat at the end of her bed. "it stopped bleeding now, can you see?"

But Freen didn't answer her, she just stared at the younger.

"Promise me, that you have to take care of yourself when I'm not around."

"I-"

"Promise me " she said sternly. Her eyes still fixated in the younger. There was a silent moment before the response.

"I promise."

"Good."

"But you will always be with me, won't you? Promise me, you will never leave my side?"

"I can't." Freen shook her head.

"Why?" The other girl's voice went hoarse.

"You are the princess, if someone with authority like your parents tell me to stop hanging out with you when I can't di anything about it. If my father loses his job, then I can't go to the palace anymore. There are so many reasons that I can't promise you."

That was when the doctor came in and Freen had to leave the bed to make room for him. It was just a small cut in her toe, but she was a royal, so it was a big matter. It took him a while to clean the cut and put some powder in it to make it heal faster, then he left the room.

Freen still sat on the chair while the younger girl turned her body to lie in her side, avoiding Freen's gaze.

"Miss Freen, your father comes and picks you up. He is waiting for you outside." Said the maidservant.

"Tell him I will be right there " she nodded then turned to the younger who still avoided her. "I have to go now." Freen stood up. "Remember you promised me to take care of yourself." The younger still didn't respond, so with a silent sign, Freen bid her goodbye and left the room.

When she reached her father's side, she heard a third sound of the door slamming hard, followed by a familiar voice. "Freen!"

The princess was having a hard time walking because of her toe. One of the maidservants quickly held her back. She started to cry out loud, her big blue eyes were filled with water.

"I want to come with Freen" she fought back the maidservant, but she  was too small at that time.

"You just go, miss Freen. I will take her to the lunchroom to meet her bothers, she will stop crying soon."

"Nooooo! I don't want to eat with my brothers. I want to eat with Freen. I want to come with her. Let me go!"

Freen ran back to the younger and she signaled the maidservant to let go of the princess, then she cupped the girls red cheeks with both of her hands.

"Hey! You don't want to eat with me, because the food my mother cooks are terrible. She is the worst cook that I have ever known " Freen made a frown in her face, but then she smiled as she added. "But I promise I will learn to cook so that I can cook for you delicious meals in the future."

"Really?"

"Yes. But it will take me some time to learn. And you have to be a good girl while waiting for me. Don't cry, okay?

Freen wiped a tear in the younger's cheek with her small thumbs while the latter nodded.

"I will wait for you."

The princess saw Freen's father take her away. With one last glance, Freen gave the younger a parting smile. It was a combination of sadness and happiness, but mostly sadness.

"Freen, did you tell her?" Ask. Mr. Chankimha.

Freen shook her head. "She will forget me someday, father."

______________

THE PRESENT TIME

"You have to take off your clothes, Miss." The maidservant said while lowering her head.

Freen did as she was told. She was totally naked. Her face was facing the giant bath while the girl started to shave her body, even in her private parts. After that, she was told to go to the bath. Another maidservant came in, they started to scrub her body, wash her hair, and cut her nails.

After the cleaning was done, one of them stayed to help her dress up and guide her to her room. It was a little bit dark and still snowing outside. Her wet hair made her head feel frozen when she walked out of the bathroom.

Her room was not very big one, but big enough for her alone. The maidservant guided her to sit next to the heater while she used towels to dry her hair.

"I will be your personal maid from now on, miss freen" the girl spoke up while still lowering her head.

"What is your name?"

"Nam, miss."

"Nam? What a strange name!"

"I'm not from jeon. I'm a Zavier."

"How did you make it here?"

"I lost my parents during the war and the. I was sold to the palace when I was ten."

Freen didn't ask more. When her hair became dry, Nam brushed her hair with some fragrant then told her to sit in front of a make-up table. Looking at herself in the mirror, Freen saw her cheeks were red from the cold and then from the sudden warmness from the heater. Her eyes were no longer puffy.

"After I help you to make up and dress up, you will have dinner with the whole royal family, Miss."

"The whole royal family?"

"Yes. Including the emperor, the empress, the prices, and the princesses.

The princesses.

"The princesses?"

"Yes miss. The princesses..."