Jessica opens her eyes and looks around. The sun shines through the gap between the curtains on the window. She lay motionless on her bed as her mind goes back to yesterday's events. Dreams. She wished for everything to be just a dream, a nightmare and by this time, she is awake, that everything is back to before yesterday. Her father alive and strong, her beautiful mother smiling and hugging her.

She touched her arm and feels the pain in her wound. A bandage is already wrapped on it. No, nothing is a dream. When reality sinks in and there's nothing that could be done but to accept it.

She rose her tired body and got up from the bed.

"Princess Jessica", Irene said as she noticed that Jessica is already awake.

"I want to be alone", Jessica said without glancing at her and walk straight out of the room.

Irene can only watch the princess closing the door behind.

"Be strong your Highness", Irene whispered.

Jessica's feet feels heavy as she walks towards the King's chamber.

She slowly opened the door to her parents' room. The silence is defeaning and she can hear her own breath sound. She steps inside and closed the door behind her. Everything is the same. She smells the familiar sweet and clean aroma of the room. The difference is that there's no more fresh flowers infront of the mirror where her mother always used to arranged. Also, the curtains are drawn together. Jessica parted the curtains to allow the light of the sun to enter through the window.

Mom would want the room to be bright, Jessica said to herself.

She sits infront of the mirror and sees herself. She got a comb and run it through her hair.

"My beautiful daughter", Queen Jane would always say that to her while brushing Jessica's hair.

"My Soo Yeon-ah. Do you know that you are mine and your father's happiness?", her mother would ask her lovingly and kiss her cheeks.

"Be the person you are. You are the King and Queen's daughter. You are my Jessica", then her mother would hug her.

Queen Jane and her family was not originally from Seoul. Her family rules the country of California, a country located Northwest. But invaders attacked their kingdom and they had to flee their country. They sought refuge in Seoul where she and her family lived ordinary lives as commoners.

During the Royal Ball, where everyone in the kingdom was invited, the King was smitten by her beauty, simple yet elegant and graceful. They got married but it wasn't an easy road for Jane. Nobles and royal blood did not accept her and are looking down on her behind her back. She had to be a mother for the young prince Heechul but she was never accepted by the boy who had been influenced by the previous Queen's relatives, who are of royal blood. She had to find a way to fit in without losing who she is. She had to adjust to her new role while keeping herself.

The Queen's heart is pure and full of kindness. She had known hardships and failures as a commoner and had shown caring and sympathizing attitude to the people when she became the Queen. Little by little she had won the hearts of the public and gain the support of the nobles and royalties later on. King John admires her inner strength and love her dearly each day that they have been together. She is the gem that glows inside the palace. When the King has to make important and difficult decisions, he confides to her and she would listen and her probing questions would lead the King to a better decision. The King is the head and she is the heart of their kingdom.

The Queen inculcated in Jessica, her value and worth not as a princess but as a person. Her faith, she passed on to Jessica. Queen Jane is the embodiment of an empowered woman and for Jessica, she is her role model.

Jessica stood up and walks to the other side of the wall where a huge painting of the King together with the Queen is being placed. Contrary to usual portraits where the subjects are looking serious and forlorn, the king and queen are smiling on the painting and happiness is clearly seen on their faces.

Jessica looks at the happy faces of her parents.

"Why do you have to leave?", Jessica ask and tears are streaming down her cheeks.

"Eomma, it's my fault", Jessica broke down in tears and falls on her knees to the floor.

"Forgive me, mom, dad", Jessica said in between tears. If she had just decided to leave the palace together with her mom and sister, her mother could still be alive by now.

"It's my fault!", Jessica repeats to herself while tears are continuosly streaming. Her heart is like being crushed and torn to pieces.

The door opens and Krystal peeks through. The kid is scared. Their parents are dead and there's only the two of them left, her and Jessica.

"Eonnie", Krystal walks cautiously towards her sister.

"Eonnie", Krystal stops infront of Jessica while Jessica is still on her knees and crying. Jessica looks up at Krystal and her eyes are filled with tears and sadness.

"Soo jung-ah", Jessica hugs her younger sister and they broke into tears.

"Mianhe", Jessica said.

"Neomu mianhe", she said while hugging her sister tightly.

"Eonnie", Krystal hugs her back. The two sisters cried their hearts out. Filled with anguish and despair over the loss of their parents, fear of the uncertain future for the two of them; and for Jessica, she's blaming herself for her mother's demise.

Two days after the King's death and the attempted coup in the palace, the King and Queen are lain to their final rest. The province of Gangnam where King John was born is where he asked to be buried as written in his will.

Jessica and Krystal are staying together. Heechul is with his wife, Anna, a daughter of a noble and they got married through an arranged marriage. They stayed together but there is no caring relationship between them.

Everyone is wearing black, a color for mourning. Jessica's friends from the royal school came, the famous SNSD, composed of nine girls from royal families and daughters of nobles in Seoul and neighboring Kingdom. The 25 districts with the nobles and their families are also there. Those who staged the coup have been replaced and have been jailed. But lord Chi escaped and pledged alliance to an enemy of Seoul, North Korea. That country is also the country who overthrew Queen Jane's family in California and grabbed their land.

The royal family is in grief for the sudden loss of their pillar. Even the sky is grey and is sympathizing with the loved ones who are left behind. Not just them but the people who the King and Queen had served.

People gave their sympathy and condolences and Jessica would just nod at them without showing any expression. Krystal is clinging to her like a life saver.

"Sica", Donghae said and approached Jessica. Jessica meets Donghae's eyes. Hae extends his hand and waits for Jessica to accept it.

Donghae's eyes is full of tenderness. While the others who gave them their condolences, Jessica actually feels Donghae's sincerity.

"Kamsahamnida", Jessica said and accepts Donghae's hand.

"Be strong, Princess", Hae pats her shoulder and lingers his hand for a few seconds.

Jessica feels her eyes crying. She bites the inside of her cheeks to prevent herself from crying. After she cried in her father's room with Krystal, she did not shed her tears anymore. During the burial and final ceremony, she emptied her mind, that she would not cry infront of everyone. But feeling Donghae's sympathy, made her feel the loss of her parents.

Keep it in, Jessica. The whole kingdom is watching and you shouldn't show your weakness, she reminded herself.

If I could lend you my strength for now, kid, I would, Hae said to himself and removed his hand and pat her head, the way he always does.

"Princess Jessica", Hangeng who is behind Donghae bowed to her.

"We give our condolences", Kibum said and bowed also. Donghae moved aside and they extend their hands and Jessica extends both of her hands.

When she was at the dungeon, she was going in and out of consciousness but she saw Donghae's face when he removed his mask. She knows she was not hallucinating. She also heard Hangeng and Kibum's voice.

I owe you three my life. Thank you so much, Jessica said to herself as she takes their hands.

After she was taken to safety, she did not remember anything after. The next thing Jessica knew is she's back in her room when she woke up. When she was able to accept her parents's death, she asked Irene what had happened. Lord Chi left the castle when the coup attempt failed. Heechul had safely arrived at the palace and lord Chi fled to their enemy's territory, North Korea. However the damage has been done and her mother's life cannot be brought back.

The burial ceremony ended and the everyone left except for Jessica who opted to stay for a while. The gray clouds starts to tear, and mild rain falls down. Jessica continues to stand under the rain.

"Princess Jessica", Angela said while opening up an umbrella for Jessica. She is Jessica's second mother, a nanny from Jessica's infancy.

Jessica looks at her and tears are spilling on her eyes. Angela hugs the princess.

"It's alright to cry", Angela said while patting her back.

"The King and Queen have left a beautiful legacy behind, you and your sister. We will miss them. But think of this, Princess", Angela looks at Jessica.

"You may not be able to see them anymore and talk with them anymore. But as long as you have them here, in your heart, they will stays stay with you and they will never be gone", she said. Jessica nods and wipes her tears.

As long as I think of them and keep them in my heart, they will always be alive, Jessica said to herself.

Life on earth is indeed, just passing. Death is one thing we can never escape from. While our soul may leave our body, and the earth, the memories we created with our loved ones will stay stay with them. That's a wonderful legacy to leave behind.

It continues to drizzle and Jessica turned her back from her parents' grave and walk away. Written on the grave is a passage from the Bible as the King instructed in his last will.

"Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return".

That night, after the sun set to the horizon, it rained heavily and thunders can be heard and lightnings flash the sky. Krystal stayed beside Jessica in her bed.

"Eonnie. Don't leave me", Krystal said.

Jessica nods and kissed Krystal's forehead. She place the quilt over Krystal and sang her a song.

"Sun goes down and we are here together.

Fireflies glow like a thousand charms.

Stay with me and we can be together

right here in my arms tonight". *

It's a song their mother used to sing to them. Jessica's soft and angelic voice echoed through the room. Thunders are muted and Krystal close her eyes to sleep.

"Neh, Soo Jungah. We'll always stay beside each other", Jessica said as she her sister's hair.

Eomma, Appa, please watch over us, Jessica said to herself.

The following days is a turn of events for the lives of the two princesses. Heechul had been proclaimed King. He proudly wears the crown for himself and his wife, Anna couldn't be any happier to be the new Queen. It's the first time she did not regret marrying then the Prince Heechul who is now the King.

King John instructed in his will that his daughters be well provided and well taken cared of. However, King Heechul feels that Jessica is a threat to his rule. He had been brainwashed by his relatives. And from being a protective and caring older brother to both Jessica and Krystal, he became indifferent to them. He ordered for them to stay at Cheongdam, a province far from the palace.

As the carriage left the palace, Jessica and Krystal catch a glimpse at the place where it had been their home from birth. Seoul palace is a happy home for them while growing up. A home filled with love and a lot of wonderful memories have been created together with their family, and with the royal servants.

"Soo Jungah. It will be a new start for us", Jessica hold Krystal's hand.

"I will always be beside you, eonnie", Krystal said and smiled.

They have to be strong for each other. They have no one else to rely on to but themselves.

As long as we still have each other, we will surpass everything in our way.

We will make it through because we are Jung sisters.

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

* - Barbie song