The Princess' Freedom | s.mg

Chapter 1

I apologize for the cliche main character name, but it plays a role in the story😊

Areum POV

I walked lazily into class, aware that I was extremely late.

When I walked inside the entire class stood up as they always did, bowing to me, chanting some insane allegiance phrase to me.

"I've told you all to quit doing that," I groaned.

Rolling my eyes, I walked to the back of the class flopping down into my seat. The one thing I enjoyed about the extra treatment was that I got out of things like detention. But honestly, I would rather take detention.

I was Princess Areum, and next in line for the throne. But that was just the title. Behind that title, I was a nightmare of a person with a nightmare of a life.

For as long as I remember, it was always about appealing to the public. And every action apparently had a consequence.

For instance, if it was sunny, and I put my hand up to block the sun, my mother, the Queen, would swat my hand and force me to keep my hands folded beneath my waist. In another instance, I was taught to always enforce respect to me, but never have to give it to others. So like what they did in class, anyone who was 'graced' by my presence was required to bow to me and recite that horrid chant.

But I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand seeing people loathe me the way that everyone does. To them, I'm some stuck up Princess who gets everything she wants and doesn't deal with the struggles they do.

I hated that that was who I was. And because of that fact, I learned to rebel early on. Ever since I was ten, and my father left the country to go explore, I learned to act out. Just to spite my mother. Considering everything I ever did was for her anyway.

She was barely ever around anyway. My entire childhood was spent with servants taking care of me and aiding me in my life. Luckily, these servants had sense and when I decided that I wasn't going to be treated like royalty when my mother was around, they did just that. They treated me like any other child and to be honest, it was great.

I focused back on my teacher who was going over some formula for calculus.

I forgot to mention that I'm also eighteen and about to graduate high school. Because of this, my mother was planning a social season to end all social seasons to pick out my husband. For living in the twenty-first century, she never missed an opportunity to bring it back four-hundred years.

I zoned out as my teacher kept talking. Continuing to reflect on my life. I'm not trying to complain or say that I had it hard because I know there are people who would give up everything to be in my place, but at the same time, the pressure of always being in the public eye wasn't as fun as it sounded.

Glancing around the room, everyone was focused on the lesson, but every so often I hear someone make a snarky comment about me and giggle with their friend about it.

That kind of stuff didn't bug me and to be honest, I totally deserved it. But what I envied about them, was the simple fact that they had someone to gossip to. I never had a friend. Anyone who was a 'friend' was someone who was trying to get in good with the royals.

The clock ticked by slowly, but surely enough the bell rang signaling that it was time for the next class, which lucky for me was my free period.

I shuffled out of the room keeping my head down until I reached the front door where my security detail was waiting.

I rolled my eyes, "How long are you all gonna keep shielding me from nothing?"

"As long as you live your highness," they responded.

"Well could you at least not enter the bathroom with me?" I sarcastically mentioned, pointing to the bathroom they were about to enter.

The backed down immediately, "Ah we are sorry your highness. Take your time."

Besides the literally royalty that I was, our school of course had the 'campus royalty.' And that just so happened to be the girls I ran into in the bathroom.

I kept my eyes down, going about my business, but when I went to wash my hands, they started snickering, clearly trying to egg me on.

I sighed, "Spit it out I don't have all day."

They frowned, clicking their tongues.

"You're a no one Areum. For a princess, you're ugly, have no elegance or class. Basically you don't deserve to be who you are. And why do you insist on coming to a normal people school anyway?" The most catty one droned on.

I sighed, "If you must know, my father didn't believe in royal school, so he did away with it."

There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Your highness, her Grace is here to see you," one of my detail announced.

My eyes widened, as I looked around for a place to escape. But the damn bathroom had no windows or anything.

I groaned brushing pass the campus royalty out into the lions's den.

"Hello darling," my mother chirped.

"Mother," I said.

She smiled, taking in all of me.

"Honey you know I've told you that if you're going to dress like a ruffian you should at least act like a lady," she sighed, smoothing out my clothes, unfolding my arms, pushing my back up and angling my chin straight.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Watch your tone young lady. I came because we have important matters to discuss such as finalizing your birthday for this weekend, discussing the announcement of the social season, and planning your graduation party."

I sighed, "And you had to come to my school to tell me this?"

She smiled, "Walk with me darling. Don't you feel powerful walking these hallways, your classmates bowing in respect to you and your mother?"

I looked around at my peers, wide-eyed at the powerful duo walking throughout their hallway.

To them, I was never their classmate, or their peer, or even someone who existed at this school. To them, I was the crown princess of South Korea whom they were forced to respect and deal with.

"Sorry mother, I don't take pleasure in the activities that you do," I retorted.

She sighed, "You've got a sharp tongue and that's not very becoming of a Queen. I'll just have to set you straight. Anyway, the meeting will take place on Friday, so come home immediately after school."

And with that she turned, the royal guard following her obediently.

My own security detail appeared behind me, placing a tentative hand on my back.

"Come your highness."