"Father!" Sulli screeched. She glared at him. "Why-do-I-have-to-marry-him?!" Leeteuk looked at his daughter as he put down a scroll. He replied calmly, "It's the best for our two countries. I'm sure you know that, dear." Sulli spat, "Yes I know! Isn't that what da-ge's supposed to do? Not me!" She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. Yuri stood at the side, shuffling her feet uncomfortably. She wanted to help, but she didn't know what to say.

Leeteuk stood up and said as he walked to the window, "You're the princess, Sulli." "Sojung can do it." Sulli said simply. "You're the older one, Sulli." Leeteuk replied, his patience running short. "So?! What has it got to do with me, Father?" Sulli yelled as she ran to Leeteuk's side. He shot her a cross look and said sternly, "Sulli! Please wake up! This life is not like your Butterfly Lovers!"

Sulli opened to say something but Leeteuk cut her off. "That's enough, Sulli!" She stamped her feet on the ground. "Victoria, bring her back to her room." Leeteuk said as he left the window and went back to his study table. He picked up the scroll again and continued reading.

Victoria took a nervous at her sulking daughter and said, "Your highness, can you really not change anything?" "I said, bring her back to her room." Leeteuk repeated without looking up. Sulli growled and stormed away. Victoria quickly followed after her. "Sullli! Don't get angry!" her voice rang out from the corridor outside the Emperor's room.

Leeteuk peeked out from his scroll and sighed as he put it down. "That girl is getting more bold each day." Yuri stood awkwardly at the side of his study table. She fiddled with the handle of her knife. She opened to say something, but no voice came out. She was scared that the Emperor would be angry, and yeah. Let's just say that the consequences would be really bad.

Leeteuk looked at her and said after a while, "Yuri, I sense that you have something to tell me." She gulped and tried again. This time, her voice worked. "Umm, your highness... Does Princess Sulli really have to marry Prince Ryeowook?" Leeteuk looked at her and she swore that she almost had a heart attack during that pause. "Yes." he said finally. "Why? What if... Sulli is in love with another person?" Yuri asked, very aware that she was refering to Luhan. "It would cause her to be so sad."

"Then that's too bad." he said as he looked back at the scroll. Yuri made a little gasp in her mind. How could he do this to his own daughter? She must have looked very shocked because he said, "I know it's a terrible thing, but Yuri, the members of the royal family have no power over whom they marry. It is very different from what you commoners do in the country." He sounded very bitter, as if he was remembering a bad memory.

"Oh." Yuri replied in a small voice.

"Ah yes, Yuri?"

"Yes your majesty?"

"Have you gotten news of Luhan?"

Yuri froze at that question. She didn't expect the Emperor to ask that kind of question. Maybe he had more feelings than she thought. "No news of him, your majesty." she said and she wanted to add: And Sulli is going crazy. He nodded his head and muttered to himself, "Something is wrong with Heechul too..." "What?" Yuri instantly asked. "No nothing, Yuri." he quickly said.

Yuri still didn't believe him, but she didn't want to question further. However, there was a question that had been nagging in her mind for a while. "Your majesty may I ask you a question?" "Yes, of course." "Do you know who attacked the palace?" she asked nervously. Leeteuk shook his head and said, "I have been wondering too."

"Is it possible that... Korea attacked us, your highness?" Yuri asked, in a quiet tone. Leeteuk stopped reading. He heard the question that Yuri had asked, but the message on the scroll was starting to be disturbing. He held the scroll closer to his face and looked closely at the words, then he replied, "You question their integrity too, Yuri? So am I." He put the scroll down and smiled at Yuri. She looked like she had swallowed a tablespoon of salt.

"Yuri, don't be worried about it yet. What I need you to do now, is to guide Sulli." Leeteuk said. Yuri gulped and nodded, but she was thinking, "What was there to guide? Princess Sulli is still going to be upset."  "I will do it, your highness. I'll take my leave now." she said, trying to be respectful, but she realised that there was a little bitterness in it. Leeteuk nodded. She bowed curtly and left the room.

Leeteuk leaned back onto his seat and sighed. He picked up the scroll again and looked through it. The letter looked like it had been washed over with water and the ink was blotchy. The formal writing stopped in mid-sentence and the ink was splattered, as if the person writing was interrupted, very suddenly. Following that, a different handwriting followed: I will get my revenge, dearest Emperor. I hope you will remember me as lasting as the scar you left me with.

He jumped up slightly in his seat and the scroll dropped out of his hands. His mind switched back to the past and he felt as if he couldn't breathe. Sungmin instantly went to his side and propped him up. "Your majesty! Are you alright?" he asked, freaking out. When Leeteuk did not answer, he instantly asked, "Do you need me to get the imperial physician?" He turned around and prepared to walk out but Leeteuk grabbed his wrist.

"Sungmin, no." Leeteuk said, trying to regain his balance. Sungmin looked at him, eyes wide with concern. He took a deep breaths and said, "Sungmin, add extra security to all my children's chambers. Especially Sulli's. Make sure that Sulli does not escape until we move off to Korea." Sungmin nodded and bowed, "I will make the changes immediately, your majesty." He then left the room hastily.

Leeteuk stood up and smoothened his robes. Then he made his way to the window. He looked out and saw Yuri playing with Sulli and Sojung a game of ball. Kibum was standing at a side, leaning on a pillar, smiling as he watched his sisters play. It really hurt to make this decision, but if he wanted them to have a safe life...

"They cannot fall in love with anyone."

Gyuri walked around the room and asked, "Tell me, what is your duty?" Her eyes fixed on her daughter. "Make the crown prince fall in love with me, then take control of him." her daughter replied. Gyuri asked again fiercely, "What else?" "Kill the Emperor, then his family." the young girl replied. "Why?" Gyuri asked, testing her daughter. "For revenge. For eliminating our clan." she replied.

Gyuri looked at her daughter and said with a smirk, "Nicole, you're ready."

"Your highness! The selection of the palace maids is coming up soon!" Kibum's righthand man, Siwon fretted as he chased him around the study. "You must start the planning now!" Kibum just gave him a wide grin and walked towards the door, but two spears crossed in front of him, nearly slicing his face. The guards scowled at him. Darn. He forgot that his father added some extra guards, to have some 'security'. He wondered why he needed the guards all of the sudden, everything was fine. He scowled at the guards but they refused to budge and turned their backs to him. He gave and muttered, "Crown Prince and this is the type of treatment I get..."

He turned around and saw Siwon glaring at him. "Your highness, stop trying to escape." he said frustratedly. "Since you can't leave the study, you might as well complete the preparations." Then he waved the bundle of scrolls he had been carrying since just now in front of Kibum's face. Kibum looked back nervously and saw that the guards were still standing at the door. He groaned and smacked himself in the face. He opened and eye and looked at the bundle of scrolls. He could imagine the amount of writing he had to do. It was going to be a long day...

~~~

"Siwon! Can I rest now?" Kibum complained. Siwon looked up from reading one of the reports Kibum had written and shot him a cross look. "No." he said stiffly and turned back to the scroll. Kibum flexed his sore fingers and cursed silently. Siwon was a great chaperone, but he was just too serious when it came to work. Since he knew he could not outspeak Siwon, he sighed and asked, "What to do next?"

Siwon grabbed a book from the table and handed it to Kibum. He looked at the cover, but there was no title. "What's this book about?" he asked as he tossed the book from hand to hand. "The potraits and names of the girls that are going to be selected." Siwon replied.

Kibum shrugged and flipped open the book. He looked at the first potrait and he thought: Ugly. The second one: Blah... So he was like that for the next few potraits. He got bored, until he saw a good one. "Eh? She's not bad looking." he thought. She had short hair, trimmed aong her hairline. Her face was a confident smile. He the page and saw the name at the corner: Nicole Jung.