Jessica

‘Curse you. Curse you for the rest of your life. You and your wretched heart. Your cold, solid heart. I swear by the gods of the heavens that I will do everything in my power to make the rest of your life suffer. I swear, through my bloodline, I will cause you to pay for what you did.’

Pay for what I did? Haven’t I paid enough? A hundred and twenty five lonely years by myself. I’m not allowed to even die and free myself from this curse? Truly, this is evil beyond words. Everyone has the right to take their own life, yet I cannot take mine. And for what reason am I being punished? From my memory, he should have been the one punished.

No one knows the real story. They all believed him. His lies, all of it. As if I, the daughter of the Jung family and heir of the crown, would be head over heels for a mere baker like him. No one has proof of what I did and yet I am condemned to an eternity of misery.

I was the ‘Demon Ice Princess’ who slaughtered and killed hundreds of women, the first one apparently being the baker’s fiancé. Amusing. I admit that the term ‘Demon Ice Princess’ is attractive, but the meaning behind it is far from the truth. For one, I did not kill those hundreds of women.

I was on my way to the neighbouring kingdom to discuss our peace agreement. On the way there, the guards and I thought it would be best to stay at the village for a few days to rest and restock up on supplies before we continued on the road. That would have probably been the biggest mistake of my life. It was the starting point of all my problems. The fire to the fuel which would eventually burn everything.

As soon as I had entered the inn, I noticed the baker from across the street. I was disgusted at him. He had that mischievous smile that could not be trusted. I hated him from the very beginning. Whilst my guards were out, I would sit by my window sill and stare out into the peaceful village. It was on the second day that I noticed something about the baker. At around the time when the sun was up high, he would always be standing out on the streets minding his own business. The day before he had done this too, but I always walked back into my room with hopes that he would be gone when I came out again. This time, I did not see any use of walking back in so I watched.

It was then that I saw his true colours. He was a pig. Calling him a pig would have been a compliment to him and an offence to all pigs everywhere. A beast that preyed on all they could.
I watched in horror as he grabbed the woman that walked past him and into his home. I noticed that no one was around to watch so I continued to watch it unfold. There was a faint scream before it died down. I saw his shadow drag the body deeper into the house before he disappeared behind the protection of his house.

At first I did not think much of it, but I noticed that once it was nightfall, he would the woman he had taken in outside again. By , I mean forcibly take her out of his house with a knife against her neck. I saw the knife dig into the poor girl’s throat, causing a threatening cut. He would then whisper something into the girl’s ear and push her out onto the roads. The girl was petrified, her clothes ripped beyond repair and a neck with a deep cut.
She was scarred emotionally and physically. Never to be the same again.

I for one could not stand it. I am a princess of a noble family who cherishes the people who we govern. To see such a beast prey on women so easily made my blood boil. So I decided to stay a little longer in order to get enough evidence to prosecute him once I return to my family. I continued to watch him carefully and make note of each and every one of his victims. After the third one, I sent my guards to guard the streets in front of his house. I did not tell them why but it worked. He never took anyone else in if there were others on the streets.

He was agitated. Every day he would step out onto the streets and hiss with annoyance when he saw my men. I then decided that I would confront him. Maybe get him to confess.

That was a horrible idea. He looked at me with those greedy and beady eyes. I knew he wanted to take me victim too, but with guards around me, he could not risk it. I always asked if I could talk to him privately but he refused. I started to doubt whether he was a baker or not.

I then decided that I have postponed my journey too long and told my men that we would set off again the day after. That night, I noticed him walk onto the streets by himself. It was nightfall and women would not be on the streets during that time so I disregarded it. A while later, I went to close my window to get some rest before the journey. When I saw him again. This time, he had a body in his arms and a bag over the body’s head. He dragged it into his home and closed the door behind him.

I could not allow anyone else to fall victim, so I hurried awoke my men, but being the useless men they are, had fallen into a deep slumber from the drinks they had earlier. So, I decided to do it myself.

I came into his home forcibly and searched around. I should have left earlier. I should have just left the things where they were. Because as soon as I opened the door inside his house, my life would be forever cursed.

I was faced with the most disturbing scene that any human would have to experience. A lifeless body, in a pool of blood. Just a body. Nothing else. Not even a head.

I then noticed that inside the hand was what seemed to be a necklace that had been forcibly ripped off. I walked warily up to the body and took a closer look at the body. Inside the hand was most definitely a necklace that had snapped off in two. It could not have been a woman’s as there was a pig pendant on it. Funny how it suited his persona so well. The pig.

I was going to take the pendant as evidence when the door opened behind me again. In came a group of three men, including the pig. They all looked at me in horror. I then realised that I looked like a murderer. I had my hands covered in blood and a corpse in front of me.

“What have you done?!” the pig asked me in what I thought was rage. I gave him a smirk. I had his pendant. I could prove that it wasn’t me. But the two men behind him mistook my remark. They immediately braced themselves into their defensive positions.

I was then donned as the crazy princess. Over obsessed and messed up in the mind. They did not punish me for they knew I was a princess who could easily over turn their proclamations. However, I could not leave the village. The carriage and horses had gone missing and the guards were bribed to stay. I was then seen as crazy. That I stayed so that I could eventually end up with the all so handsome baker. Disgusting.

I stayed in my room now. The inn keeper was still greedy for gold so he allowed me to stay. A week has passed and I suddenly hear some yelling on the streets. I look out to see half the village in front of my window yelling in anger and pointing at me. They were accusing me of the missing women of their village and assumed that I had done something to them. Their accusation had no base. Just because no one saw me, it does not mean that I was doing suspicious things.

I was then eventually forced up the mountain into this lonely cave. Cursed by every family of the village. Forced to live in this cold cave. I do not know why. But the gods would not allow me to die. I hated the villagers. I hated them to the core of my own soul. It was probably the hate that consumed me and transformed me into a true Demon Ice Princess. The cold did not bother me. Instead, they comforted me. It was nice to know that there was something colder than my soul. I was just a lifeless shell. No longer a human.

As the years passed on, the village experienced harsh weather. Many died from starvation or from just the cold. And of course, I was to blame. The pig had passed the word on and proclaimed himself as the legend, the hero of the village who saved all the women. He deserved what came to him. Died alone in the cold winter snow.

But after fifteen years of unbearable weather, the village suddenly brought up a woman to my cave. They proclaimed and begged that I take the life of the woman to cool off my anger and hate for the village. If they had brought the pig I would have gladly accepted, but this was an innocent woman. One who was freezing in the cold and abandoned by her own family.

After they had left the poor girl in front of the cave, I walked out and freed her. She was terrified of me. So I just walked back into my cave again, what she did after that did not concern me.

Five years later, another woman was brought up to my cave. It was like déjà vu all over again. They left the poor woman there to die. I would come out after they had left and free her, not uttering a single word before walking back to my lonesome cave.

This continued. It never ceased. I began to wonder what happened to the women I freed. It was obvious they do not return to the village as the women keep coming. One day, I freed another young girl. She was still for a while before she started to run. I decided to follow her. I followed her until she reached a split in the road, one leading to the village and the other leading to an unknown area that I did not know of.

She hesitated. I waited.

What happened next was not expected. She chose the other route instead of the one to the village. I could probably understand the thoughts she would have. The women who were brought up to me had a duty to serve their village. They were scared if they went back that the village would sacrifice her themselves. Either that or the girl felt betrayed and didn’t want to return. Both were reasonable answered.

I followed every woman from then on and they all did the same. They took the other road. Never to face their village again. What happened to them, I do not know.

I started to realised that I had to stay in that cave. If I did not, the women would be left, tied up in the snow to die. That pig’s personality has spread throughout the village. Women are nothing more than a mere object to them. Something that could be disposed of easily. Beasts.

The years continued. Every five years another woman would be brought to me and would be freed by me. I remained by myself in the lonely cave. I would collect fruits and berries every season before I returned to my cave. It was lonesome but what else was I to do? I had thought about going to the unknown road, but I don’t think I would last long.

My body was now accustomed to the snow that surrounded my cave all year. It was already a hard task to walk out during the spring to get my food. Truly, I am now the ice princess of this cave.

I am now staring out onto the village again. I could see that there were no women on the streets. It was that year again. Five years pass fast. Or maybe I cannot tell the difference between each day anymore. I feel like I'm reliving each day over and over.

I take a deep sigh. My bare feet were planted in the snow. The cold snow started comforting me again. It would be time to meet the next girl soon. I wonder what it would take to stop this tradition. If there was a village on the unknown road, it was probably getting suspicious as to why new women enter every five years.

I looked up to the sky and saw the clouds rolling in, blocking out the sun. Some may find it as a depressing sign, but I liked it. No more heat burning my cold skin.

The days continued to pass and it was finally here. The first day of the winter, the day where the ‘celebration’ was to be held. I sit on the side of the cliff head and stare at the village, watching them all cower in fear of being picked. I picked up the snow in my hands and sifted it through my fingers as I continued to blankly watch.

I noticed that no one was moving. And then from the side, I saw a door open. This was rather interesting. I thought all people attended the ceremony. I could not hear what was happening but the girl walked out of the door and towards the guard. That was a first. They would usually fall to their knees. I continued to watch and the girl was still calm. She was then taken to the white carriage. Well she wasn’t taken. She just walked to it with no one holding onto her.

She would be here soon. Another innocent soul to be broken and betrayed.

I walked back into my cave and went to the back of it and waited. I did not want to see what the villagers did after the girl left. I was too scared to find out. I didn’t want to escalate my already high hate for them.

I waited and waited. That was all I ever did. Wait for every five years so that something out of the usual days would happen. Was I really to live like this for all of eternity? Why aren’t I taken from this place yet? What have I done wrong? All I did was merely try to bring justice to that village yet I end up being banished here, accused of hundreds of murders and being an over obsessed love sick princess. Is it because I hated people for it? What’s wrong with hating people who have condemned me to the deepest parts of hell? Not only that but they sacrifice innocent women just because they believe that I could control the season. Stupid people. Naïve. Idiotic. Pigs.

“Princess. Where are you? I’m here to relieve your anger and spare the village.” A voice echoed through the walls of the cave. The voice was mocking. Wait, why was there a voice in the first place? Shouldn’t the girl be tied up and covered with an old bag over their head? I looked over the boulder behind me to see the girl walking into the cave and putting down what looked like a bag.

This girl really is different from the others. She did not seem as though she was forced to come here. Yet she still was. She hasn’t bolted for the road that leads to what I presume to be a better place and seemed rather comfortable here. Before I could walk up to her though, she moved outside the cave again and towards the cliff. I watched from behind as she stared out onto the village.

I stood up and walked over to her bag and opened it to see some extra clothes and two and a half pieces of bread. Bread… Most presumably from a baker. I despise bakers.

I looked back up at the girl to see her rocking on her heels and still staring out through the cliff. I decided to confront her, ask her why she was still staying here. As I walked out I heard her whisper something into the cold wind.

“Nice view.” She mused.

Who was she? Why did she not seem frightened or scared?

“Who are you?” My voice asked harshly. The girl then turned around with surprise and slipped on the slippery snow floor. My eyes opened wide as she started falling backwards towards the edge. I quickly then rushed back into the cave and pulled out her extra clothing.

I looked back to see her fingers on the edge and hurried myself. I quickly tied the clothes together as quickly as I could. I kept looking back at the edge to see if the fingers were still visible. As I was typing the line of clothes to the tree, I looked back to see only one hand on the cliff edge.

I had to work faster.

I didn’t bother tying the clothes to my body as I ran quickly to the edge. The hand was slipping fast. What happened if I didn’t make it in time?

How horrible would it be that an innocent girl died the painful death of falling off a cliff face?

I wasn’t going to allow that.

The hand then slipped off the cliff and I quickly dived for the hand.

My heart pounced with relief when I felt the warmth of the girl’s arm in my hand.

“Got you” I yelled unconsciously. I was really relieved that I had caught her, but now I had to pull her up. She seemed rather stunned. She wasn’t moving at all. That wasn’t helping at all. She remained hanging with a blank expression.

“A little help would be nice” I groaned as I pulled her up. She was actually pretty light. I was expecting something a lot heavier. She then snapped out of her daze and started climbing back onto the safe area. With one last tug, I pulled her forward.

I fell far back as she just barely made it a safe distance away from the drop. She was lying flat against the snow floor. She didn’t faint did she?

“You’re not light I can tell you that.” I gasped as I stood up, hoping that she would respond to the insult. She responded quite quickly as she lifted her head off the snow and looked at me. Her eyes were confused and her expression was puzzling. Maybe it was because of the attire I’m wearing. Not just anyone wears thing sleeveless clothing in the snow.

“Th-Thank you” she thanked me hesitantly. I narrowed my eyes at her. She didn’t seem like the others. If the others saw me they would have ran off or cowered before me already.

“I’ll ask again. Who are you?” I waited for a response. She didn’t respond.

“You are not tied up like the rest of the people who are sent here. You even have clothes and food. I presume you are from the village?” Of course she was. I saw her depart.

“Kim Taeyeon.” She finally answered. Interesting.

“Shouldn’t you be running for your village now?” I asked accusingly. Maybe she would be the first to go back to her village.

“Why would I be?” she answered with a sly smile. What is with this girl? Has she not heard of the legend of her village? If she didn’t then why is she up here?

“Well… I’m a girl, inside this cave. Shouldn’t you get that hint?” I told her sarcastically. She narrowed her eyes at me as though she was examining something. She then tilted her head to the side and jutted her lower lip out slightly.

“I would just like to ask… are you the so called ‘ice princess’ that overlooks my village from this cave?” Ah so she does know about me. Why was she not sure?

“Because I don’t have a crown you don’t think I’m the princess?” I mocked. Maybe she was more naïve than the others of that cursed village. She just responded with a small nod, which I think was meant for her as she began to gain confidence. She was not here to rid of me was she? If she was, than she would be going back disappointed.

“Should you not be cowering in fear? Or are you here to plead for the safety of your people?” I seemed to have interrupted her thoughts as she snapped her head back at me. What was going through that mind of hers? Oh no, they sent me the village idiot this time.

“I should not be cowering in fear as I have nothing to cower from. I am not here to plead as there is nothing to plead for.” She answered back proudly. Impressive I must say. Then again, idiots don’t know what they are talking about most of the time.

“Well you’re a new one. How should I deal with you? Bring the spirits of my kingdom’s guards to deal with you? Freeze your body with the icy winds? Or just simply slit your throat with an ice shard?” I’ll try testing her. She’ll snap eventually. Realise who she’s dealing with and run for that unknown road again. At least this time round it was different from the other twenty five.

“None… all those are rumours that the superstitious people of my village think of.” She stood up confidently and crossed her arms. Was she being serious? Did she just say that all of the village’s beliefs were stupid superstitions?

“Go back to wherever you came from and leave me alone, peasant. Leave me to my peace.” She shouldn’t be here then. She knew what was going on and should be going to the next village. Leave the village to its own beliefs. I waved my arm off at her and stormed back into the cave.

There was actually someone who did not believe in the lies of the pig. The lies of the village. The lies of the past a hundred and twenty five years. This was too surreal. It can’t be true. Why would a single girl from a village who all believe in one thing think against them? Had they not brainwashed her properly with their elders passing down the legend?

Or was she a girl from a neighbouring village coming to visit and happened to be persuaded to come here? Wretched beings. Stupid villagers.

“For you, Princess” a voice interrupted my thought from in front of me. I looked up and was faced with a large piece of bread. Although it was cold, it still smelt welcoming. I glared at her, avoiding the tempting bread in her hands.

“I thought I told you to leave” I said as coldly as I could. She seemed unaffected by my speech as she put the bread into my hands and sat next to me.

“I heard you. But I have nowhere to go. If I were to go back to my village, they would bring someone else up here.” 

So she wasn’t a visiting peasant. I looked at her weirdly as I replayed her sentence in my head. She was here so that no one else would be in the danger of coming up here? I was starting to get confused with this girl. I decided to focus my attention elsewhere with the bread in my hands.

“What do you plan to do?” I asked her after a while of silence. She wasn’t going to last long with what she had now, especially after she had given me a whole loaf.

“Don’t know yet. I guess I’ll do whatever I feel like.” She shrugged. This girl was starting to annoy me. She was so carefree yet she seemed reasonable at the same time. Calm and collected unlike the broken girls I freed before. I took another piece from the bread in annoyance and furrowed my eyebrows at the thoughts.

“What do you feel like now?” For some reason I continued to talk. I wanted to know why she was here. Why she was so calm and collected. All I wanted to ask right now was ‘Why?’

“What I feel like now? Well first off… I’d like to know your name, Princess” I stopped eating on the bread and stared at her. Was this girl dropped as a child? Did she hit her head many times when she was young?

“Why would you want to know that?” I asked her back and moved slightly away from her.

“So that I can thank you properly for saving me back then. Or would you rather me call you Princess all the time?”

This girl was humble. At least she had her manners. I saved many people before her yet none even bothered to even whisper a word of thanks. Selfish beings humans are.

This girl was really annoying me. She was making me confused about my views on humans. I couldn’t stand it anymore. So I stood up quickly and walked to the other side of the cave by myself. As I was about to sit down I could feel her eyes bore holes onto my back, waiting for me to reply to her. I didn’t want eyes focused on me for the rest of her life.

“Jung Jessica.” Those two words I haven’t uttered ever since I was condemned here. There was no point. No one asked. It had been so long that I began to wonder whether that was my name. I was slowly starting to forget who I was. I even started calling myself the ‘Ice Princess’ instead of my name.

I sat down grudgingly and took a huge bite out of the bread. This girl was making me realise things I haven’t realised before. Things that were making me feel as though I was forgetting who I really was. I was Jung Jessica. The princess of the Jung’s kingdom. I shouldn’t be scavenging for berries and food and eating bread that a peasant gave me. Although judging by the clothes tied to the tree outside, she was more than a mere peasant.

Because of that cursed village, I had lost all of my status as a princess. I was now donned a demon. How humiliating.

I looked back up and glared at the girl who was making feel all these things. She was smiling warmly to herself as she took another small bite of her bread. Kim Taeyeon… who are you?

You were not in the crowd during the ceremony, you came from the building instead. You willingly walked to the carriage which would bring you up here. You mocked the legend of the village and called it superstitious. You knew I was the ice princess yet you do not cower.

I looked back down at the half loaf of bread still left in my hand and then back at the bag that she had brought with her. There was only one full loaf left and she didn’t look like she was planning on leaving soon. I stared at the bread in my hands and bit onto my lower lip. I had eaten probably two days’ worth of food for her due to the agitated feelings I got.

I stood up again and walked over to her remaining stuff and put the bread down. It wasn’t right to take food from her.

“I suggest you go back to your village, or find someplace else.” I muttered under my breath towards her. She just responded by hugging her knees and rocking back and forth whilst shaking her head.

“I didn’t exist to the people back there. Best that I remain inexistent.” She smiled a sad smile. I looked outside to see that it was beginning to get dark. I then looked back at Taeyeon and saw that she was getting slightly pale.

“You will not last long out here.” I told her bluntly. She just chuckled slightly at my remark and nodded.

“I had accepted that fact as soon as my name was pulled out. I always believed that I had more chances of a stray bear ripping me into shreds than die by the hands of the ice princess.” She mumbled. What a strange child.

I turned my head towards the entrance of the cave again and saw the clothes that I had tied together still tied to the tree. Taeyeon didn’t seem in any shape to be walking out so I walked out on my own and untied the clothes. The cold winds were blowing against me and I felt at home. The ice cold wind would always be colder than me. I wasn’t the coldest being out there. I wasn’t.

I looked back at the cave once I finished untying the clothes and noticed that the girl was moving around the cave and blowing on her hands. I looked up at the sky to see the snow clouds coming. Change the thought of her dying from hunger. She was definitely going to die from the cold.

I gave a long sigh and walked back to the cave with the clothes in my hand. She was now huddled in the corner of the cave, trying to warm herself up. I walked up behind her and dropped her clothes down behind her. She turned around and gave me a questioning look.

“It’s too late to go back now. Once morning arrives, go home. For now, I suggest you wear every piece of clothing there.” I nodded my head towards the stack. She just smiled at me and nodded. She really is annoying.

She was facing death in the eye and yet she’s still smiling. I rolled my eyes at her and walked to the front of the cave where the wind was blowing through. I turned my head to the side to see her put on her overcoat.

Why are you doing this to me? If she were to not make it through the night, I would have to witness a second lifeless body. One lifeless body is more than enough for anybody. What do the heavens have in plan for me? Start sending armies after me and not allowing me to be affected by their attacks?

Time cannot help lower my hate for humans.

Was I to learn how to let my hate go before I can move on peacefully?

What use is it?

Every other human has hates. Why did I have to be converted?

Humans.

They are the core of all evil.

Despicable beasts.

“Are you not cold?” I felt something flop over my head and that annoying girl’s voice behind me. I raised my hand up to my head and felt the fur of an overcoat on top of my head. I took it off and looked at the figure behind me who was smiling widely.

“The princess must be treated with all respect. Have the best of the best. Although it’s not gold plated, it will keep you warm.” Taeyeon beamed at me before she walked back inside the cave. I pulled the over coat down to my hands and stared at it.

My hand gripped around the fur of the material. It was indeed warm. I looked back Taeyeon who was inside the cave huddle into a small ball.

“Just who are you?” I muttered to myself. What type of human puts a demon before themselves?

I walked back into the cave where she was and dropped the coat back on top of her head. She pulled the coat down and looked at me with confusion.

“I do not need such things.” I told her. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and pushed the over coat back into my hands.

“The cold isn’t good for your body.” She said stubbornly. I smirked at her remark.

“The cold isn’t good for YOUR body. Mine has adapted.” I told her bluntly. She refused to listen and threw the coat at me.

“Wear it” she demanded. I gave a huff of annoyance and lowered myself to a crouch. I then held the sides of the coat and threw it around her shoulders. She used her hands to open it up again but I pulled it back and swatted her hand away.

“You have to stay alive until the morning so you can safely make it back home. I’m the legendary Ice Princess aren’t I? I do not need these things.” I stared at her straight in the eyes. She stared back intently and remained silent. I’m pretty sure I made my point as she held onto the coat in place of my hands and turned her head away from me with an annoyed expression.

I smiled triumphantly and stood up again before I was stopped by her arm. I turned around to see her staring back up at me.

“Your arm is cold.” She frowned. I took my arm away and rubbed the area that was warmer than the rest.

“I don’t care what you say.” She said confidently. She then pulled me back next to her and sat me down forcibly. She then used the over coat to cover her shoulder and mine. She pulled me closer and put her arm around my bare shoulders.

“I have more chances of surviving with body heat.” She whispered into my ear. The warmth of her arm began seeping through my skin and into my insides. I looked to the side to see her resting her head in the crook of my neck. Wherever my skin made contact with hers, it was warm. Not just the skin, but my nerves. Everything inside.

“Kim Taeyeon…” I repeated her name.

“Mmmm?” she responded slightly. I smiled slightly.

She really is a nuisance. Annoying beyond compare.