Joseon Dynasty, late 18th century.
Nestled within a kingdom rich in tradition and cloaked in secrecy, a rebellious noblewoman flees her home the night before her wedding, donning the humble guise of a palace maid. Little does she know, within the pa...
Author's Note: As a first-time fanfic writer and an avid fan of both "Queen of Tears" and "The Moon that Embraces the Sun," I've often daydreamed about a historical drama featuring Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won. Since such a collaboration seems unlikely for now, I've taken it upon myself to bring my silly little fanciful dream into a reality of my own through this.
I really hope you all enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it :))) constructive comments would be much appreciated.
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(Lee Hyun's POV)
"Eunuch Bang will be beside himself when he finds out we've slipped away. AGAIN!" Prince Lee Hyun giggled as he crouched under the bushes below the brick walls surrounding his enormous pavilion.
The moon was covered in shadows tonight—such perfect timing for this escape. He ditched his usual royal robes and used a more common Qing silk robe of powder blue and white.
Prince Lee Hyun, the younger brother of Crown Prince Lee Hweon and the second child of the reigning King Lee Soo and Queen Kim Eun Ae of Joseon, was always known as the mischievous prince with his unpredictable antics and stunts.
From the day he was born and taken from his mother's side, he knew he had a role to play.
As the brother of the crown prince, he was expected to learn all the teachings and obey the rules required of and imposed upon royals; yet as the brother of the crown prince, he was also expected to not serve as a threat to his brother's throne.
He loved his brother, and his brother was very fond of him as well. He was glad they never experienced sibling rivalry and was determined to keep things that way.
Thus, he decided that the role he had to play was this: the mischievous brother of the crown prince, unworthy of the crown. He hated politics and never coveted his brother's position anyway.
He always felt the palace walls were suffocating, and even though it was forbidden for any royal to leave the palace without the permission of the king or the other elders, he couldn't help himself.
He loved the thrill of sneaking out. He wanted freedom.
So every chance he got, he managed to escape from the palace walls with his best friend, Baek Soo Jin.
"Lee Hyun-gun, you should keep your voice down. Eunuch Bang will definitely hear us!" Baek Soo Jin said while feeling the crevices of the brick wall trying to avoid the light cast by the surrounding lanterns.
He and Lee Hyun had been friends since they were toddlers. Soo Jin's mother was a distant relative of the queen and her most trusted friend. Lee Hyun found a father figure in Soo Jin's abeoji, as his own father was busy with state affairs 24/7.
Soo Jin's father was a rich and respected nobleman in the capital and served in the Office of Military Affairs. So whenever they sneaked out of the palace, the duo would go straight to the Baek estate and occupy one of the buildings separate from the main one where Soo Jin's family resided.
