June 1999

Aiden crossed his arms over his chest as he looked out through the window of the car, seeing the familiar sights of the city he had once avoided to go. The streets have all been paved, the houses lining in perfect alignment with each second his car passed by. The trees have increased immeasurably as they provide shelter to the kids playing under the sun. So much had changed in just a little time.

11 months. Approximately 11 months that has passed but the sights of HyunSuk City brought him too much memories that can only be described as short and brief. He thought he’s already over whatever emotions he had spent in this City given with everything that happened in his life. Every changes that happened in such a short time.

His father, King Dong An II, had passed him the crown 5 weeks after he got married and dying on the 7th week. The country grieved his passing and the north had sent their commiseration. His brother with his wife attended the funeral and Andrew had hugged him tight. Aiden found himself crying, only finding comfort in the arms of the son of the woman his father had ever loved. Now his father is reuinited with her leaving him and his mother.

Princess JiHyun, now Queen of the imperial palace, had been beside him through it all and he was thankful for her presence. She was indeed the Queen that befit the title. The mass people had loved her. She does charity works, visitng the poor, helping the needy, and building foundations for abused women and children. Whenever Aiden looks at her, watches her, he felt so undeserving of such beauty that he tried to make it a point to always give her something to show his appreciation. Be it diamonds, priceless treasures, glittering jewelries, anything that he thinks will please her. She would always thank him with a shy smile and he would kiss her forehead. It has been a daily routine in their everyday life.

Sometimes, he stopped and think if he had managed to feel something else rather than duty and obligation to his wife. To the Queen. It was true that he had indeed gotten quite fond of her and her blushes had become so endearing to him that he always look forward of getting her slighty embarrassed.

After five months of inherting the crown, Aiden had been addressing all points of issue sorrounding the South, mostly of poverty. He had never forgotten to confer with the council, like his father had told him. A lot of projects has been set up under his name and one of them are setting up Orphanage Houses in each city for homeless children. Though he had never actually gotten to starting it, the council had made a note of it when he had proposed the idea back then and they had never forgotten it.

He had been visiting orphanages and even flying abroad to extend help towards the less fortunate cities. But one city he has been avoiding is the one in YG Town. His intendant has been advising him of the numerous Thank Yous that had come from the orphanage which he mostly just nodded his head, not wanting to hear anything about YG Town, or about HyunSuk City, or anything that will remind him of her. He knows he already moved on from that brief insanity with her but he avoids anything that triggers the memory to surface in his mind.

But his advisor had urged him to visit the orphanage in YG Town who had now named itself after him. He told the intendant to send one of the Royal Representative but the Intendant insisted.

“Your Highness, it will be imprudent to decline the offer of invitation from the sisters in the YG Town orphanage. They are most grateful for everything that you did for the children and it will seem like you don’t want to go there after visiting every orphanage in adjacent areas.”

Which is true but Aiden didn’t say so. He just nodded with his jaw clenched.

So here he is, bound to the orphanage in YG Town, with his suit impeccably in place. Spencer was beside him looking at his phone and citing the next schedule after YG Town. He would only be staying for at least an hour with the orphanage before flying to China to meet the Prime Minister.

Aiden tilted his head as he looked out through the glass window when the building came close. It too looked different. A construction for another wing is still in place and the broken fence that used to be there before has now changed to iron gates. Flowers are now blooming on the sidewalk and the tall grasses already cut. The trees are now teeming with leaves and the children already playing with the swings and the seesaws where a playground had been built at the side. The small orphange he had once slept in looked like it multiplied in size. It has been by far the most developed orphanage he had been. Just how much has the Chancellor provided them? But he felt satisfied when he saw the smiles on the children’s faces and hearing their laughter.

The nuns greeted him looking so honored as they bowed their heads in which Aiden reciprocated. One of the older nuns guided him on the construction that is being built and advised that it was the new wing for a classroom. A nun he recognized greeted him on their way in. It was Sister Laura. Her face was red in exhiliration as she bowed down to him and he gave her a genuine smile.

“Your Highness,” she breathed. “I just want to apologize for not recognizing you when you visited that time with Sandy. I am so sorry!”

Aiden put his hand up as he shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for Sister.”

“Thank you,” sister Laura said. “The orphanage is in deep gratitude to your generosity.” They started to walk towards the newly painted hall with sister Laura expressing the extent of Aiden’s generosity had done to the orphanage, Spencer and four other securities just behind them. “As you can see, the children already had enough school supplies, their education are all well provided for. We can never thank you enough for choosing this orphanage.”

Aiden just nodded smiling as they passed by a wall with framed names attached to it. Aiden looked at it as he passed remembering Sandy telling him that it was the names of the children who grew up in the home and died, leaving their memory forever behind. A name caught his eye and he did a double take before he halted. His eyes grew wide as his heart suddenly lurched. The nun stopped talking when he realized Aiden is longer following them.

Aiden took one slow step, his eyes not leaving the framed name until his face is directly in front of it.

Sandra Park

November 1970-August 1998

The nun looked at the framed name that Aiden is staring at, not noticing the look on Aiden’s face. “Ah… yes, Sandra Park,”  she said silently. “Such a loss for all of us. Such a bright, cheerful child.”

Aiden just can’t keep staring at the name, his  breathing becoming rapid.

“I know that you consider Sandy as your friend,”  the nun continued. “Everybody considers Sandy as their friend. Even if she’s someone who shoplifts and pick pockets, she is one of the most trust worthy people I have ever known. Which I’m sure you do because you entrusted her with five million dollars.”

His heart stopped painfully and slowly looked at the nun who was still looking at the framed name. “She just came in here one day with the bag of money and told us it came from Prince Aiden who will be the next King. Of course I didn’t know who she was talking about until she told me it was the Duke I know.” She chuckled. “She said to give the children everything that they need and told me we would have the chance to thank you someday when you already become King because she is not allowed to be near you anymore what with your title. So of course, we became rather persistent in our invitation just so we could show you what greatness you have done to the children here.”

The nun turned her attention back to him and the smile on her face faded when she finally noticed the look on his face. He didn’t know what expression he’s wearing but he felt like shouting his denial, his eyes looking at the nun in wide open shock and grief that he didn’t know he still had.

“Your Highness? You… you didn’t know?” The nun asked.

Aiden swallowed hard, unable to find his voice before bowing down to the nun. “I’m sorry… i… I need to leave.” His voice practically came out in a whisper before he turned, passing Spencer who looked surprised at the news, passed the securities. He could himself shaking as he walked, practically running, at the car. Telling the driver to get off, he slid into the driver’s seat and drove off.

He doesn’t know how he had managed to get in the Gong restaurant in such a short time but he parked on the curb and went inside the restaurant, as usual, the people falling silent at his entry. Mrs. Gong was at the cash register and she seemed to be shocked to find him.

“Your highness!”  She exclaimed bowing 360 deegrees.

The people who were eating stood up reluctantly one by one and bowed down as well but Aiden didn’t even paid any attention to them as he neared the cash register.

“Sandra Park.” His voice was a little shaky, sure that this is just a misunderstanding. That she would be there with that laughter in her face. “I need to speak to Sandra Park.”

Mrs Gong opened but no words came out. She blinked rapidly and looked around as if waiting for someone to rescue him from a King that looked a little demented.

“I’ll take you to her.” A voice answered and Aiden turned to find Minzy standing by the door with a grim expression on her face.

Sandra Park

November 2, 1970 – August 26, 1998.

You will surely be missed and your memories, forever cherished.

Rest In peace.

Aiden couldn’t move as his eyes read the text on the gravestone over and over again unable to believe it was true. Minzy knelt down, placing a fresh white flower beside the stone.. She stood up as she stared at Sandy’s smiling picture in the middle of the stone above the text.

“She had lymphocytic leukemia,” Minzy said silently. “She only had 2 months to live when you met her.” She let out a shaky breath. “My mother and I offered to pay for her chemo but she refused. Said we are just going to waste money on her. You see, she doesn’t have any family left. And she probably consider us as the closest family she have but… she said she’s looking forward to meeting her mom and dad again.” Minzy sniffed. “That’s why she’s taking the most out of each day  because she doesn’t know how long she can keep doing that. You know, having fun.” Minzy looked at Aiden whose hands are fisted as they slightly shook and she returned her attention back at Sandy’s picture again. “You know… when I told you she left the country after getting some cash… she was just at the kitchen. She asked me to tell you that.”

Sandy could see the disappointment reflecting in Spencer’s eyes as he handed her the suitcase that has been filled with the money she had asked for.

“It’s five million dollars, Miss Park,” Spencer had said coldly.

Sandy wanted to defend herself but seeing that there’s no point anymore, she took the suitcase and nodded at Spencer. He didn’t say anything else but just bobbed his head once before turning around and leaving her standing at the empty sidewalk, the wind blowing her hair as she clutched the handle of the suitcase. She could feel the tears gathering in her eyes and she blinked them away before starting to walk to YG town. To the Orphanage. She knew she shouldn’t have done this. Aiden would never forgive  her. He would think she was a gold digging orphan who hit the jackpot when she met him. And she probably is. She accepted the money. Even asked for the amount. There’s no reason to justify her actions. That even if she did continue this crazy stolen moments with him, it would only hurt both of them. There’s no use trying to continue something which is only momentary. Especially when she can see in his eyes that he would be hurt in the end. She just hoped Aiden will forgive her one day.

The nun were shocked to see the money Sandy had delivered to them and she assured them that she didn’t stole it.

“It was from Prince Aiden,” Sandy said with a smile. “But you might’ve known him as Duke.”

Sister Laura looked at her, uncomprehending until she put her hand on in shock. “That… that Duke is the Prince?”

Sandy nodded and laughed at the look of horror on the nun’s face.

“I didn’t even greeted him properly!”  The nun complained.

“He understands,” Sandy assured her. “Prince Aiden only wanted to know the condition of the orphanage and… probably see how much it needed that he gave five million.”

“Oh my,” Sister Laura said breathlessly looking at all the bills on the suitcase. “Please… please thank the Prince in behalf of the orphanage.”

“Uh…,” Sandy hedged. “Sister, you know he’s the Prince. I might not be able to tell him that because I’m no longer allowed to be around him but… you can thank him someday when he becomes the King.”

“The King? He will be next King?”

Sandy nodded then put a finger in . “Please don’t tell anybody. It was a secret that he shared.”

Sister Laura shook her head. “The prince must’ve really trusted you.”

Sandy’s smile fell off a little. “He trusted me too much,” she said quietly.

“Where is she? Where’s Sandra Park?”

Sandy was sitting by the floor, her back resting on the wall as she stared into nothingness hearing the Prince’s voice outside. She knew this time would come and it was fortunate that she saw the car coming while she was taking out the trash before darting inside and telling Minzy to do exactly what she had told her to do last night.

“She left, Your Grace,” Minzy had answered. “We… we didn’t know where. She just… came to us last night and told us she’s leaving.” Pause. “She said she was able to… get some cash and that… she’s starting a new life somewhere far.”

Silence.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace,” she heard Minzy say quietly.

Tears fell down from her eyes and she hastily wiped it away not knowing why she suddenly feel like going out and throwing her arms around him. But she doesn’t have the right. She no longer have the right. From the moment she had met him, she had no right to be involved in any way with him.

The door slowly opened and Minzy knelt down in front of her with a look that disapproves of whatever she’s doing. “He already left.”

Sandy nodded and a tear escaped from her eyes. She looked at Minzy. “I’m doing the right thing,” she said trying to reassure herself more. She’s dying. She doesn’t know how long she had. But she’d rather leave the Prince thinking she was an ambitious money-monger than letting him pity her.

“If doing the right thing is hurting you this much, then maybe it wasn’t the right thing for you,” Minzy gently rebuked her.

Sandy lifted her knees up as tears fell relentlessly from her eyes and she buried her face between her knees, crying at the loss of something she never had.

“She went to your wedding,”  Minzy said not really knowing if the King is listening to her. But she wanted to let him know the extent of what Sandy had tried to go through for him. “My mom and I and the staff chipped in for the fare  because we spent all the money we had bailing her out.”

The Royal Wedding. Prince Aiden to marry the Northern Princess, Princess JiHyun, today. Like a story straight out of a Fairy Tale. Sandy looked down from the newspaper she had come across to as she walked by the sidewalk towards the Gong Restaurant. Her chest ached. Her chest hurt. She turned from the opposite direction of where the restaurant is at and directed herself towards the mall. What she needed to alleviate this gnawing feeling is adrenaline. Yes. She only needs to run. To be chased.

She must’ve been so out of it that she got arrested immediately after pocketing some candles out for everyone to see. She was brought immediately to the familiar office of manager Kim who sighed in defeat when he saw her