(Wang Eun’s point of view)

For me, to belong to a royal family was a gift at the same time a curse. Why? Simple, you get the privilege’s others don’t have, that’s the gift. While you have no freedom to do the things you want like others can, and that’s the cruellest curse to have. I’m Wang Eun the eldest of the two, Wang Jung is my little brother. I’m the heir to my father’s throne. But, I don’t want it for myself. I’m care free, I admit that. Happy-Go-Lucky, that’s me as well. All I want is to be free from this invisible palace chains. I don’t want any relation to the throne or to be king. My only dream is to open novelty shops in the city. To be able to talk to people, have friends which I rarely have. As I can recall, I had only one friend except my brother before, the only person I considered as a friend though we just met overnight, but after that dreadful day she suddenly vanished and all I can remember was her name, Soon Deok. Up until today, I don’t really have a clue where she was from? Or where she went? I have been to the city often but there was no single trace of her, not even a single foot step on the ground of Goryeo. Through the course of time, I have given up finding that person I ones considered as a friend. I’ve lost all hopes in finding a friend like her though I just met her for a very short time.

(Flashback...)

I can still recall that day, meeting someone who would be leaving an impact to my childhood. It was one spring afternoon, I sneaked out of the palace and went to a small valley at the end of the vast woods not far from home, it was a clearing as what most people would call it, I often go there to do some bird watching. I sat on one of the large stones in the place where I’d usually sit and wait for the birds to do their afternoon rounds. I often do this whenever I feel bored in the palace. And just before the sun set’s I would walk back home and do whatever I do in the night. It was a daily routine for me, but at that time, I somehow lost my way inside the forest and was stuck inside the dark and damp place alone. I felt helpless sitting under one of the tall trees, who wouldn’t feel such thing when you’re just a mere nine year old lost inside the vast woodland. It was already getting darker as time passes by that made me really nervous to the point where I had no other choice but to cry on his knees while thinking about his current situation. Maybe he’s father had already noticed his disappearance, maybe he’s father already deployed a search party to find him, after all he’s the Prince for crying out loud. All sorts of things flooded my mind, Just then, I heard cracking sounds of twigs on the ground and screeches of dry leaves. I felt really nervous at the moment, who knows what may be lurking in the dark, wolves? Bears? Bandits? Or worst...Ghosts! They are every kid’s nightmare and mine as well. I stood up shivering with the cold wind and the cold sweats forming in my forehead while trying to calm myself and stuck my body in the tree’s trying to blend in and hide. The screeching and cracking grew louder as it was getting nearer and nearer.  It made me more terrified with the passing time. Then the cracking sound stopped, a bright orange light immerged from the side of the tree that he was hiding at, then I saw a girl maybe around my age wearing a pink Hanbok while holding up a torch as her light source in the dark searching for something. I heaved a heavy sigh, my mind is conflicted whether to reveal myself or not, then I heard her speak.

(Author’s Point Of View)

 “Myeonnie-ah, where are you?” he heard her call out a name while looking to every directions of the vast forest. “aish, jjinja...that dog will really get it from me!” she exclaimed under her breathe then started to walk again. It was now or never for me, she maybe my last chance to be able to go back to the palace and escape this scary place. I immediately went out of his hiding place, “Wait!” I shouted at the girl. The girl, hearing my voice behind her turned to me with a confused look on her face, she drew the torch towards my direction and observed me from head to toe. “Who are you? And why are you here in the forest at night?” the girl asked looking at the boy. “I’m Wang Eun, I was about to come back from the clearing but I lost my way out.” The boy answered back “can you help me?” she heard the boy asked, she looked at him intently again, “I can help you, but I have to find my Cheonnie first.” She answered back, now it was Wang Eun’s turn to look at her confused. “Myeonnie? Who’s Myeonnie?” the boy asked while walking up on her. “He’s my dog?” the girl answered, then started to walk again to search for Cheonnie with Wang Eun walking beside her. “He ran to this direction after we came from the clearing.” The girl answered back. “You were there as well? How come I didn’t see you guys there earlier?” the boy asked, The girl just shook her shoulders. Just then, they heard a distant barking. The girl, recognizing the familiar bark the girl ran to where she heard it, Wang Eun ran following her as well. “Hey wait up...” Wang Eun shouted.

He stopped running when she saw the girl standing still looking straight forward with her supposedly lighted torch now on the ground. He followed her line of sight and was startled to see a campfire burning not far from them. Five men were camping, three were sharpening their blades, and one was cooking for their meal on the fire while the other who appears to be their leader was petting a black medium husky dog. The girl turne