italic = thoughts

Prologue:

Once upon a time, there was a girl. Lips red as blood, hair dark as night, skin white as snow. Her parents named her Yuri. Unfortunately, her mother died in her young age. As a child, her father and the people loved her. Everyday was filled with joy and fun, songs and dance every now and then.

Her father realized he couldn't teach a few thing to her, like sword-fighting, battles, etc. So he set out to search a new queen, her stepmother. She proclaimed herself as the most beautiful woman in the world.

Dark magic invaded the land, the kingdom was filled with snow. In order to save the people, the King left Yuri with her stepmother, leaving her his favourite golden dagger. He rode into the forest, and just like that, disappeared. Yuri searched and searched for her father. When she found out he was gone, she was devastated.

Years later, Yuri was a teenage now. She grew even more beautiful, but the Queen always keep her in her bedroom. The people grew more poor and sad.

Yuri's POV:

God. My 18th birthday and that Queen still keeps me here.

I rested my head on my hand, leaning at my balcony. I stared at the snowy view and sighed. A bird came into my view and flew inside my room, landing on my bed. I smiled at it.

"Hey, there," I greeted it, it chirped. I walked inside and sat beside it, it flew onto my lap. I grabbed the apple on my table, cut it, and took the seed, feeding the bird.

"Here," I handed it, it fed happily. I smiled in response. Just then, I heard some music downstairs.

Guess the party's started.

The bird flew outside, I stood up and walked outside my room.

"Your Majesty, I heard some rumors..." I heard someone say from the main hall. I walked towards it, I saw Chen standing in the corner.

"Jongdae-ah!" I whispered. Chen turned and widened his eyes.

"Yuri, what are you doing here!? Your mom is gonna kill you!" he whispered back to me, cautious of the Queen. I rolled my eyes and kept walking. Chen closed his eyes in worry.

"Yuri? What are you doing outside your room?" my stepmom called. I sighed.

"Well, I just thought maybe I could join in the gala. Cause, you know, today's my eighteenth birthday," I told her and walked closer, trying to smile. She faked a smile at me, trying to be surprised.

"Is it now? Oh my!" she said, amused. I kneeled and sat beside her. I saw Chen stepping back a little.

"I don't know, but I feel like there's something irritating about you," she told me. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Maybe your face, or your hair," she mumbled. "I think it's your hair. I don't like it," she said, pulling my hair. I winced in pain, Chen gasped and stepped back.

"Don't ever sneak into parties like this again, alright? It's good to know when you've been beaten, yes?" she told me. I nodded, stood up and walked out of the room. Chen looked down in disappointment.

- - -

I scrolled in the corridor, walking into the kitchen.

"Psst," someone whispered. I turnd, seeing the servants holding a small cake in their hands.

"Happy birthday, Yuri!" they shouted. I smiled. "You remebered," I smiled. Jessica walked forward and took my hand. "Of course, Yuri. A girl's eighteenth birthday is the most important of her life," she told me, I giggled in response. I mad a wish and blew out the candle.

"You know what I'd wish for you, girl?" Jessica asked me. I furrowed my eyebrows. "You can't make a wish of me," I protested. She smirked. "I wish that someday you'd overtake that greedy queen. You are, by the way, the real heir to the throne," she told me. I widened my eyes.

"Sica, the kingdom's not mine," I protested. She smiled and took out something in a box. "Open it," she ordered me. I slowly unwrapped the box, revealing a golden dagger inside.

"That is your father's dagger. I think it will help you," she told me. I examined it. "The people don't sing and dance anymore, Yuri. They need to know who you really are," she reminded me. I stood up, went to my bedroom and changed. I wore my cape to cover me.

"I'm going out," I told the guards. Surprisingly, they let me, even though they knew I disobeyed the Queen. I smiled sheepishly and continued my walk.