Destiny

Chapter 1

*MiYoung's POV*

Darkness. That was all I could see. Darkness so thick that you could reach out and touch it. Unfortunately this was an all too familiar scene for us; my sisters and I. We were on our way to our newest "employers" home. We had already been traveling for some time in silence. The only sound that could be heard was the wheels of our vehicle on the pavement outside of the cargo hold where we sat close together and the soft sobs of my oldest sister KyungMi. I glanced at HeeYoung, our youngest sister. She was twiddling her thumbs and looking out of a small hole in the side of the carriage. I smiled at her. Such innocence should be celebrated. She was born into this and ignorant to the circumstances that put us here. I looked over at my older sister, the middle child JinHee. She sat with her head against KyungMi's shoulder. This scene was all too familiar. Painfully familiar.

After about an hour the carriage rolled to a stop. We sat up straight and waited. We heard voices outside as our mistress was greeted by a man. He'd said his name was Mr.Chung and he was here to greet her on behalf of the staff there. I didn't hear our Lady say anything back and I rightfully didn't expect it. She would never speak to someone "below her standard", at least thats what she always told us.

We waited for a while longer then our head mistress came to the back and opened the door. "Hurry up!" She scolded. We moved out of our places and rushed out of the carriage. My legs ached. It felt so strange to be standing after we had been sitting for so long. I turned to face the palace. It was grand and full of splendor just as every other palace we had ever been to. Nothing would be different about this place. Nothing.

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*KyungMi's POV*

We had finally arrived at the palace. It was beautiful even in the moonlight. Glowing with all its magnificence. Anyone normal would be overjoyed at the sight of it. Anyone but us. My sisters and I weren't normal people at all. We were forced into a life of servitude mistakenly by the hands of our mother. As we were ushered inside a side door of the palace and entered through the kitchen I finally stopped crying. I don't know why I cried but I always did. Maybe I just felt sorry for my self. After all, here we were once again being moved into a new palace and being taunted by all the riches and privilege the people that live here are so fortunate to indulge in and I am a house maid. Or at least that is what they call me. I know that I am a slave.

We were brought here to wait on our Lady as she was to be betrothed to a prince of this kingdom. I walked with my sisters through the kitchen with my eyes cast down. We were led to our quarters, A small room not far from where the kitchen was. Inside were 4 small beds and a small dresser. We didn't have many clothes anyway so it would do. "All of you! Get to bed! We appear before the king in the morning." Our mistress said to us. I watched as MiYoung and JinHee rolled their eyes in unison. Both headstrong and defiant. I loved that about them. I have no doubt that they would have thrived in our old life.

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*HeeYoung's POV*

"C'mon guys~ lets get to bed" KyungMi said. I glanced around the room and sat on the bed closest to me. I brought my legs up on the bed and sat against the wall. "Guys?" I asked. My sisters all turned to me while sitting on their beds. "Tell me about mom again" I asked. I watched as the color drained from their faces. I knew it hurt for them to talk about her but since I didn't know her and we have no other family. I have to ask them. KyungMi spoke up first. "Mom was great~ a really beautiful woman~ she loved us. All of us." she said. MiYoung rolled her eyes. "Yeah~ she was awesome" she said. JinHee nudged her. "Mimi don't say it like that, she said, she really did love us. You were too little to know anything really and HeeYoung was only a baby. Don't spoil her view of our mother just because you're bitter." "Bitter?!, MiYoung nearly shouted, Bitter?! As if that could only describe the surface of what I am. You can keep lying to her but I know what I am! I know what we are!" "MiYoung!,KyungMi said, that is ENOUGH! Go to bed!" MiYoung glared at her and got under her blanket. She pulled it over her head in a huff. KyungMi and JinHee looked at each other and JinHee did the same. "Go to bed HeeYoung~,KyungMi said, Everything will be alright." She smiled at me reassuringly. I gave her a cautious grin and laid back in my bed. I guess this would be another sleepless night.

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*JinHee's POV*

Sunlight came in through a tiny window and splashed across my face. I squinted and covered my eyes. My sisters must also have received the same rude awakening because they all let out a groan. I sat up in my bed and looked over at them. They looked back at me and waved their good mornings. "Guys~,MiYoung said sleepily, I'm sorry about last night." She jumped onto my bed and hugged me. I hugged her back. She was a bit emotional sometimes but she's my little sister. HeeYoung and KyungMi came over and we found ourselves wrapped in a tight group hug. We were each other's strength.

The door burst open and head mistress Lucy walked in. "What are you guys doing!" She yelled. We broke apart and stared at her. She stormed into the room and hit each of us with the wooden stick she kept tucked into her waist band. MiYoung snarled at her and she hit her again across the face. MiYoung raised her hands in front of her and opened and closed her fingers. She sighed and put her hands down. I felt sorry for her, it was as if she expected something to happen when she knew it wouldn't. It was our family secret and poor HeeYoung didn't even know it. Mistress left and we rushed to get dressed. She would be back in an hour and we would have to follow our Lady to meet the king.

In an hour we had all cleaned ourselves and donned cheap red and black robes. We all pulled our hair up into buns and walked behind our Lady into the throne room. I looked around at the glorious room filled with tapestries of silk. The marble floor felt cold on my bare feet as we flanked our Lady at both sides and bowed before the king. He waved us away and we walked into the corner of the room while our Lady stayed kneeled before him. He asked her to rise and they spoke quietly. Head mistress stood behind us breathing heavily. I could feel her breath trailing down my neck. It was disgusting. I despised head mistress. After all she had taken us away from our mother on the night she died. I fought back tears and did my best to be composed. We slaves were to be seen not heard. Suddenly there was a loud noise as the two guards at the door raised their swords and yelled to the entire room "Presenting their royal majesties Prince YiXing and Prince ZiTao!" Our Lady stood again and bowed deeply. The princes were both tall although one was taller than the other. They were both dark haired and handsome. One of them turned and nodded his head in our direction with a slight smile before making his way to sit in a chair next to the king. I heard one of my sisters catch their breath. The other prince glanced at us and kept walking. "Figures~" I said under my breath.