"Nabi!" Subin's voice sounded from behind me. At once, I interrupted my walk around the woods and turned around to watch my friend run up to me. Her bun of seemingly endless silky hair, dreading to fall to her shoulder and her porcelain skin glowing with sweat on this hot summer's day. Eventually stopping in front of me, she caught her breath for a second. "Nabi, the mistress wants a word with you" she explained, subtly wiping her forehead.

"What for?" I wondered, clasping my hands behind my back. "This time I'm sure, I haven't done anything wrong.

"She didn't seem angry" Subin explained with a laugh, "but it must be an important matter, because she stopped my dance practice in the garden in order to run and find you"

Together we returned to the school, wading through the humid summer's air, which hung heavy in our lungs and caused us to huff with every step. The silk of our light-weight summer hanboks, was still too much fabric for a day like this.

I found our mistress waiting in the cool shadow of the teaching room, already awaiting me. Respectfully, I bowed to her and approached her upon a wave of her hand. Snatching curious glances at her expression, to analyze my destiny, I stepped closer to her desk. She was focused writing into her book, but put down her brush as soon as I arrived in front of her.

"Sit down" she said, watching closely as I did so. I could almost feel her eye adjusting my posture, and wondered why she hadn't called me out on it, as she usually would. But she just gave me a small smile. Pride hidden in its corners.

"I have excellent news for you" she began, which had me curious at once. "We will receive a visit from the palace tomorrow"

"The palace?" I gasped with excitement, to which the mistress immediately threw me a reprimanding glance.

"The prince is coming to pick a gisaeng for his upcoming birthday" she explained further, to which I could barely hide my excitement. I watched as the mistress seized a wooden box from under her desk, which held a silken red ribbon. "If he happens to choose you and I hope that he will, I want you to do your best to represent our school"

My eyes widened to which she answered with a humble nod and a smile.

"Mistress, are you saying that... are you... you mean" I stuttered. Without another word she seized the ribbon from the box and handed it to me. I received it with a small bow, yet had a hard time accepting it. How could she have chosen me? The girl who always get's herself in trouble, never listens and at times even uses bad language she heard at the market place? Our mistress who must have read my expression, placed her hand upon mine.

"You have something most girls in this school will never possess, because they weren't born with it" she said with a soothing voice.

"What is that?" I wondered.

"Passion, Nabi. You have passion. A fire that will cause men to fall in love with you just at second glance even more. It is the element you were given at birth. But in order to survive at court and rise in rank, you will need to combine it with the other elements. You will need the lightness of air in your smile, the flow of water in your stride and the patience of earth. Remember, the higher your rank, the higher your chances to be recognized by your father"

"Do you think I will find him?" I wondered, feeling an uncomfortable burden all at once. As if I was about to take on a challenge that was too much for me to handle. But my wish to meet my father was stronger than my fear.

"I don't know, but I know that you are clever. I remember when you were only seven and hid dried persimmons in your hair" she mused, to which I laughed slightly. "Just make sure that this time your persimmons don't land on the floor for everyone to see"

"I understood. Thannk you our mistress" I payed my respect.

"Don't act so correctly, it's unsettling when yyou do it" she said to which I smiled, trying to hide a laugh.

"I will not let you down tomorrow" I assured her.

"Do it for yourself and not for me. Keep your interest in mind. Now go to bed early today and make sure to rise earlly tomorrow. The prince won't have you with bags under your eyes" she said. With a last bow and a grateful smile I left the teaching room, to find Subin outisd, who awaited me with a worried expression on her face.

"What was it?" she wondered and held my hands, as I couldn't barely utter a word. Instead of speaking, I retrieved the red silken ribbon from my sleeve to which her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"You are chosen for the court position?" she gasped.

"Interesting" Daeun who was approaching with her two hounds, as we like to call her friends who never seem to leave her side, nor seem to have their own will, croaked. Clenched in her fist, another red ribbon. "What on earth did the mistress think by choosing you?"

I squinted my eyes at her when all three of them stopped in front of us. "Daeun, looks like there will finally be a conclusion between us tomorrow" I replied, to which she let out a haughty laugh.

"As if I would ever compare myself to you" she chirped. "As if you were palace material. How humorous to even consider you for the position"

"At least Nabi has personality and a good heart!" Subin defended me, to which I just placed my hand on her shoulder to gratefully stop her.

"I'm sure our mistress will be happy to hear you call her decisions hilarious" I muttered with a smirk. Daeun's face dropped for a moment, before returning to its usual smug expression. She gave me a slight push before walking past me.

"Forget it Nabi, the prince will never show interest in you. You are too ordinary" she said. "Come on girls"

As they walked off I rubbed my chest and decided to ignore her words. But a little spec of doubt caused me to save them from my ignorance. What if she was chosen for the position instead of me? What if I missed my chance to find my father to her?

"Forget her, come, let's tell your mother the news"