𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 || 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞

Prologue

Valoria was a kingdom known for its beauty and luxuries, delegations from all across the world would arrive, in order to join hands with the royal family.
Their legacy was carried on through generations by the admirable Kings and Queens of the royal bloodline. Only the best of people could ever make it into the kingdom.

Early 16th Century

Lee Minho, the present king of Valoria, had everything under his control. Even while ruling over such a huge empire, he never faced any problems. That was until, he met at terrible accident when he fell down the Palace stairs, due to which he lost the ability to walk.
He injured his head which caused severe nerve damaged,lucky his second wife, Chungha was near and called for help immediately.

His first wife had died due to illness and the king was stuck in her memory for a long time, until a year back when he married Kim Chungha,the princess of a small kingdom as he sympathized with her for losing their partners. He thought she'd be a good partner and a loving mother to Jake.

Jake was the only son of Minho,whom he loved and cherished. But ever since the late queen passed away, he couldn't face Jake anymore as memories flashed back to him. Thus, Jake grew all by him self, under the servants care, without anybody to love the lonely 14 year old.

That was before.. before he met her, the girl who changed his life. The person who comforted him and loved him. The sole reason for his existence. The reason he was alive, when he could've died that day,  when he decided to end his suffering..

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It was early morning,it had been 3 years since his mother's death and after that he just grew more and more distanced from his father. He had so much to share with nobody to hear him out.

The pain had become too much for him to take and he went to the river bank around the back of the Palace. He assured himself everything would be okay and closed his eyes

Three.. two... one!

Jake let go of his weight to drop into the river but he was pulled back suddenly. He hit the ground and opened his eyes

Why did y-

Jake was stunned by the beauty of the girl standing infront of him, he didn't complete his sentence. He sat there and just kept staring up at her.

That's dangerous you know! You've gotten seriously hurt. What were you even thinking before jumping into the river, especially when it's this cold?

The girl said in a scolding tone.

Jake broke down in tears right as he heard this. Not because he couldn't take a scolding. Not because he didn't succeed in drowning. But because this was the first time someone showed care for him in 3 years.

H-hey I didn't mean to make you cry! Don't be a cry baby now.

Jake made her stay with him for a while as he let out all he had on his mind. They started meeting at the same place from time to time.

The girl; Bang Sieun, lived in the village which came after crossing the forest surrounding the Palace. She was the daughter of a baker there. Jake didn't care about any of this. They became the best of friends over time and as they grew older, they fell in love.

Nobody knew about Jake's relation and that was how it should be.

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When the king decided to marry again, Jake didn't give any response. It's not like he was asked for an opinion. His bond with his father was never restored, infact it only grew worse.

The Queen was nice to him, unlike what he expected from a step mother after listening to fairytales from the people of the village. However, they only interacted during official events and ceremonies.

Leehan, the son of the new Queen, was only 2 years younger than Jake. He was quiet and mischievous but Jake became fond of him pretty soon. He had always wanted a brother and tagged along with Jake most of the time.

They were almost like real brothers after spending just a few months together.