— INFERNO.
It's traditional.
Once the queen dies, the court will choose a girl from each class, ages ranging from 18 to 25. Once chosen, they will be princesses. Once they're princesses, they will fight for the throne.
The girls from that age group were gathered at the quadrangle. They were separated according to their class. Everyone was scared about getting selected. They said that once you're inside the castle, you can never get out. You are trapped inside forever.
But there was this particular young woman who was eager to become a princess; Jennie Kim. And it's not because of a childhood dream, god no. Her parents died because of a fire—how ironic—and Jennie wanted her parents to be proud of her, even if it means dying inside the castle as a princess.
So when her name was mentioned, she immediately stood up and followed the guard in front of her. As she was walking, the sight of her dearest friend tearing up broke her heart. "I love you, Nayeon. I'm sorry," she whispered before turning around and continued walking.
The man standing before the mic gave her a red card with her name on it. He gave her a small smile and a nod, letting Jennie join a girl who was holding a white card with a name. Kim Jisoo from Caeli, she read. She stood next to her and held her head high, watching as another girl from a different class gets chosen.
