war-ridden | 최연준

1 | princess of chihu.

[ 💍 ]

the ice cold season of winter was approaching-evident from the dying trees outside and the wind blowing their withered branches. but for some odd reason, the window of the girl's bedroom enchanted her. she would spend minutes to hours looking outside of it-feeling time tick away.

"Your Highness, have you chosen yet?" an older woman in her near fifties walked into the room after a light knock.

it was as if the woman had been speaking to air. the girl was too occupied staring outside of her bedroom window as she stayed still on her bed in perfect posture. her eyes couldn't be pried off of the opposing kingdom just across from her castle-to her luck, the window in the girl's room was the perfect view of the kingdom.

she played with the ring on her finger.

"Your Highness." the woman sternly said again, this time as a warning, before stepping closer to the girl and facing her from the front.

"hmm?" Princess Akari peeled her eyes away from the glass. "oh, i'm sorry, Sophia."

"you should consider yourself lucky that it was just me who was accompanying you." she set the clothing rack up. "who knows what the king would have done if he had seen you dazed at castle Haeyong?"

"i know, my apologies." she shook her head. "what was it that you needed?"

"i had just brought a couple of garments for you to fit. they were all crafted by Fiona herself."

Akari half-smiled at Sophia who spoke softly about the other maid. the three had grown close when Sophia accepted the job of becoming Akari's maid months ago, but Akari had always thought of her as a companion-a friend.

"all of the gowns are absolutely breathtaking." she stared at the rack of gowns displayed in front of her eye. "what's the occasion? the coronation has been long over."

"you must choose one for the ball, Princess Akari. the king will not let you miss another ball again."

Akari plopped right back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. "it's not like Prince Yeonjun will be there to accompany me." she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"don't be that way, Your Highness. you know our two kingdoms cannot collide." Sophia said. "besides, you can always enjoy the ball without your lover in the room."

"it's horribly unfair." she sat up, crossing her arms and pouting. her black hair falling over her pale, delicate skin. "how can we even consider ourselves a couple when my father keeps stirring up bad blood between our kingdoms?" a scoff escaped her mouth. "how audacious of him to celebrate after it."

"he's said to make an important announcement today."

their conversation was interrupted as another knock sounded from the door. Akari held onto the bottoms of her nightgown so she wouldn't trip and answered the door. "it's almost time for-oh my! Your Highness, the ball will be starting soon and you still have yet to change into your gown for the evening?" Fiona walked in, holding a bag of things to pamper Akari with prior to the ball.

"my apologies, Fiona." she told her other maid as she welcomed her into her bedroom. "your gowns were all too lovely for me to choose from."