~ a lily among thorns~

"i think i saw the king"

"Here are the vegetables Miss," the elderly man at the store said. "Enjoy your week."

Nari's mother smiled and gave a short bow, before placing the food in her basket.

"Thank you," she beamed. "Oh...and by the way...could I have an extra bag of rice? It's my daughter's birthday soon and it's her favourite."

The man let off an amused chuckle and filled a sack with the tiny white grains.

"Don't spoil her too much," he warned with laughter, before handing her the bag.

"I won't," she replied, placing the bag at the bottom of the basket and hauling it onto her hip. "Goodbye!"

The sun had already disappeared behind the hills by the time Nari's mother had begun walking home. Every so often, she heaved on the basket, adjusting it so it sat comfortably on her side. As she trekked along the soil pathway towards her home, she began to reach the edge of town. The street lamps grew dimmer and dimmer and her feet began to ache.

'Only a few more minutes,' she thought to herself.

She grinned as she made plans in her head on how she would celebrate Nari's birthday. There would definitely have to be lots of food; Nari loves food. And of course, she'd invite all her friends over for a surprise party. Ah-Ro could come and tell stories to keep the mood at ease, and at the end, everyone could give her gifts. The decorations would all have to be pink, since that was Nari's favourite-

"Your Majesty."

Nari's mother stopped in her tracks, shaking herself from the birthday daze. She looked up. A few metres in front of her, three men sat on horses, staring into the opposite direction. She furrowed her eyebrows at the sight before hesitantly taking a step further.

"As the king, you must be careful being out in public. No one can know who you are," the man on the left spoke again.

A knot formed in Mother's stomach as she realised who was before her. In total shock, her hands gave way, her basket falling to the ground. Vegetables rolled across the dirt, slightly spooking the horses. Immediately, the three men turned their heads towards her. She took a step back. The man in the middle was young and handsome, clothed in noble robes. His jaw was clenched shut and his eyes were locked with distress as he looked at her. He didn't move as the man to his right pulled out his sword and began galloping in her direction. Mother began to step back at a faster pace, her throat dry from dread. The man drew closer. She stumbled a few more paces, before turning around and running.

"Help me!" she screamed, but her cry was only an echo in the misty evening.

She turned down an alleyway, passing a towering stack of wooden crates. She pushed them over onto the path, blocking the man's trail. Mother continued to run until she saw the familiar wooden fence surrounding her home. She burst through the gate, up the stairs and into the house.

"Poong-yeon! Nari!" she wailed.

Her children appeared before her in a panic. Before they could ask any questions, she dragged them to the side of the room where a large basket sat. She hustled them inside of it and turned to look behind her to make sure no one was there.

"Mother, what's going on?!" Nari whimpered, shaking from the intensity of the situation.

Poong-yeon was lying in a ball beneath her. Mother turned to face Nari again and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I think...I saw the king," she said wearily.

"Mother! What do you-?"

"Shhh," Mother held a finger to her lips. "Don't make a single sound."

Mother looked at the face of her daughter one last time, stroking her cheek.

"I love you," she smiled through tears, before closing the lid.

Nari watched in horror through the holes in the basket as a man entered the house carrying a large silver blade. Mother backed into the corner of the room, sobbing and pleading for her life.

"Mercy! Mercy"!" she begged.

The man didn't hesitate, but instead, strode towards her. Within the second, he scowled and thrusted the sword into her body. Nari quickly covered her mouth to contain her scream. Tears raced down her cheeks, dripping onto Poong-yeon's trembling figure. Mother froze as she realised what he had done. Her frail hands brushed against the blade as she struggled to take it out. The man beat her to it, pulling the deadly weapon from her stomach. She gasped for air, and then fell to the ground as the life began to drain from her small figure. Nari pushed against her mouth harder, balling her hand into a fist. The man disappeared back through the door.

"Mother!" she screamed and jumped from the basket, falling to the ground beside her. "Wake up! Please!"

Nari cupped her Mother's face in her hands, lightly tapping her cheeks with a wish to revive her.

"You have to wake up!"

Mother remained motionless, her skin a shade lighter than usual. Nari's frantic actions began to slow as she realised her mother was not responding. She looked down to Mother's stomach. Blood was seeping through her clothes. Nari placed her hand over the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Nari..."

She felt a tug on her clothes and looked up behind her. Poong-yeon stood there, his face damp with sticky tears.

"Why isn't Mother getting up?"

Nari couldn't contain her emotions any longer. She pulled Poon-yeon into her and began sobbing. The pain in her heart felt like a crushing boulder, slowly weighing down her body. Her mind flicked to the morning where she had embraced her mother after telling the story. Her mother's eyes were always warm and friendly...but now, they were shut...forever.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nari stood staring, heavy rain pouring down around her. Thunder rumbled above her and the dark, misty afternoon sent chilling vibes through the town. Her hair stuck to her neck in a wet mess and she could feel the cold raindrops sliding down her sleeves. However, she remained unbothered as her focus was on the poster in front of her.

Hwarang

2 days ago, her life had changed forever. She still remembered her mother running into the room in a panic, forcing her and her brother into the basket.

"I think...I saw the king."

Nari's eyes hardened.

'The king is the reason my mother is dead.'

Lightning flickered in the distance, bringing Nari back to the present moment. She focused on the poster again, examining every detail.

If there was one way she could get to the king, it would be through Hwarang. Right then and there, she made it her life mission to find the king and make him pay for the horrific act he had brought upon herself and Poong-yeon. Even if it meant dressing as a boy and training herself til she had nothing left inside of her, she was going to join.

With that conclusion made in her mind, Nari turned around and walked off into the foggy darkness.