"Umma! Appa! I'm home!" I called as I entered my home, a small cabin on the outskirts of the village. This had been my family's home for several generations. It was small but well kept with the woods as our backyard. We had a small farm with a milk cow and two beef cows that we would slaughter this fall for winter, a two year old pinto work horse that we affectionately called Buskier, and a handful of chickens with an accompanying rooster. My father grew crops as well and we had had a good enough harvest the past few years to make our lives comfortable.

   My family consisted of my parents, my two older brothers and myself. There were rough spots with so many of us but we prevailed.

   "Ren sweetie? Did you get what I needed for curing the meat?" my mother called softly from the kitchen slash living room area.

   "deeh~" I hummed heading that way and smiling as i set the basket down.

   "What's that?" she questioned and paused in unloading what I had bought from the market as she caught sight of the letter in my hand.

   "This? A palace guard gave it to me...told me to read it but I didn't want to open it till I returned home." I explained softly and lifted the paper up.

   My mothers eyes widened and she began wiping her hands frantically on her apron before reaching out to take hold of it, touch delicate as if a wrong move could make it shatter.

   "A palace guard? Must be important. Go gather your father and brothers from the field. Go! Go!" She exclaimed and shooed me out the back door. I sighed and hurried to round up my father and my other brothers and led them inside where mother sat impatiently at our hand carved dinner table.

"What's all the ruckus dear?" my father inquired moving to stand behind her. Lovingly placing a hand on her shoulder.

"While Rennie was in town today a palace guard gave this to him." she beamed.

My father looked up at me with wide eyes. "What did you do boy?"

"Nothing! I swear Appa!" I cried in defense, hands moving up to deny the accusation by gesture.

"Ren is a good boy honey and you know it." my mother chuckled as she carefully opened the letter, careful to not break the official seal. My mother liked collecting such things just in case we or the ones after us needed it or had interest in it. She always planned ahead.

My two brothers and I held our breath as she drew out the neatly folded paper. My mother glanced up at me before focusing on the letter to read it out loud.

"Dear Mr and Mrs. of the house,

I apologize in advance for the awkwardness of this letter. I do not even know how to properly address you.

Anyway, to simply put it, I have taken interest in your daughter. Though we have never spoken I know she is a very special and unique woman that I would love to learn more about.

I am too shy to speak to her and invite her myself, that is why I am sending this letter.

I wish to invite your daughter, and whomever she requests to attend with her, to my family's royal ball in two days time.

I apologize for the lack of notice. As I have stated, I am shy to her and I wrote and delivered this letter on a whim.

Please do attend. I look forward to meeting the woman who has stolen my heart by a glance.

Sincerely,

Prince Kang Baehko"

My eyes were wide. A letter. From the  prince! THE Prince!

My father seemed to be calmer than I was because he proposed a question I or anyone else had thought of in our joy.

"But....we do not have a daughter..." he murmured eyes wide. "Where did he get the idea that we parented a daughter?"

"Um father, I think he means Ren." one of my brothers, Myung-Dae, chuckled. All eyes me.

"Me? But that doesn't make sense!"

"Actually dear, it does." my mother hummed. "Why look at your face, it doesn't display the roughness that most boys have. And you help me around the house more than you help your father and brothers in the field."

"And you always wash well and keep your hair back." Myung-Dae chipped in.

"And because of the unnatural color and the length it does highlight the softness of your face now that I look at it." my other brother Jung-Hwa chipped in.

"B-b-b-b-ut I am a MAN!!" I stumbled, hands caressing my soft skin. "So what if I'm a little girly! I have the body of a man!" 

I cried pressing my hands to my bare, flat chest.

"But Ren, it's the royal ball. You've always dreamed of going." my mother murmured.

"Not as a woman!" I huffed, cheeks flushing a bit as tat idea had been a secret betwen mother and I. My father slammed his hand on the table silencing us all.

"Do you have any idea what this means! The prince is infatuated with Ren! Think of all the opportunities our family could have if the prince decides to court him!"

My eyes widened. No...this was not happening... But the bicker continued. All of a sudden they were excited about my gender miscommunication.

Don't get me wrong, my parents are sweet people. But after years of working hard and breaking your back, it's normal to dream for a little bit of wealth or social status or even recognition. Our farm could be expanded by buying the land next to us and we can start a real business in the market. We could provide for ourselves if we were given a real start. But still, their sudden raise in hope startled me.

"And think! If Ren is accepted into the princes life the poorer people will finally have a real say in what happens in this village!" my father chuckled.

Things seemed to cool down after a few minuets and eyes once again set on me.

"Ren deary, what do you think? Will you at least go?"  my mother asked softly, voice full of hope.

Gnawing on my bottom lip I stared into the faces of my family. This could really help us...give us a great chance at getting ahead. And who knows, maybe the prince and I would get along. From the few public affairs I had seen him at he seemed handsome and nice...

"Alright..." I whispered. My brothers and my fathers jumped and hugged me in joy before running back out to the fields saying something about gifts for the royal family.

I simply sat there, arms crossed and m thoughts jumbled. I jumped when my mother touched my arm. "I know you hate lying Ren, I'm sorry we put such pressure on you. I'm sure things will work out. You're a special kind of boy Ren, it's hard not to love you." she chuckled. "Now come with me. We're going to the market to buy some high quality fabric for your ball gown my little princess" she teased before taking my hand.

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This took so long! Sorry! I'm a bit distracted lol. Hope it was ok! Sorry if it's a bit rushed!

*EDIT*

Okay so I relized that I had written in that Ren had a sister when he was listing his family. I wrote this chapter in two different days and had changed my mind. So I went back and fixed it.

REN DOES NOT HAVE A SISTER

I'm sorry for the confusion. Thank you dear loyal and beautiful reader DanceaLittleMore who brouight this to my attention! Hehe again, sorry.