“Sir, the Crown Prince is not ready---“

“Silence!” The King snaps at his Left Counselors who had made a private appointment to discuess about the Crown Prince’s abilities to become the next King of Joseon.

“Choosing a Crown Princess means he will be ready to be King but Jeonha (Your Majesty) .” Park YoungSil the highest Left Counsels official. He is a rich official that has been once the closet friend of the former King. Old and wise, the Left Counselors would call him, but most commoners calls him the devil; the devil who steals and cheat the poor. “He is not ready.” He says without even looking up at the King.

“Jeonha, Please take back your royal order.” The Left Counselors shouts in unison behind Park YoungSil. The King digs his fingers angrily into his gold robe, the King knew WangEun was not the Prince everyone wanted but he would not give it to any other Prince.

“ABA MAMA! (Royal child calls his father) Aba mama!” Wang Eun barges into the meeting hall with Eunuch Kim trying to pull him back and bowing his head to the crowd and King. “What do you mean Crown Princess!?” WangEun marches in front of the Left Counselors. “Aba—“

“WangEun Seja (Crown Prince)!” The King stands up slamming his hand on the armrest of his golden throne.

“Aba....Jeonha, I am not—“

“Eunuch Kim!” The King shouts making Eunuch Kim jump in fear and races to stand next to WangEun. “Will you not do you job.” The King says glaring down at him.

“JEONHA! Please forgive! I am not good enough.” Eunuch cries slapping himself in the cheeks. “Please forgive me!”

“K-Kim.” WangEun turns to Eunuch Kim.

“Take him to his residence.... Everyone leave!” The King demands. “This meeting is over! I will have notice posted all over Joseon to look for the Crown Princess. That is final!” The King roars making everyone shrink down in fear. He takes one last look at everyone before existing himself.

“Jeoha, why must you always get me in trouble.” Eunuch Kim cries leading WangEun back to his chamber.

“I hate this.” WangEun frowns upon arriving in front of his chamber. “I’m going to run away.”

“Jeoha.” Eunuch Kim shakes his head.

“I just want to be alone. I’m tired, I will sleep early tonight.” WangEun sighs softly and his maid closes his chamber’s doors. Once the door closes WangEun wrinkle his nose at the door. “Sleep early my .” He smirks. WangEun pulls out a gold and red silk cloth setting in on the floor. He pulls out two silk hanbok folding it neatly in the middle of the cloth. WangEun also places two books and a bag full of money. Before he ties it up he changes into upper class men clothes and put some money into his sleeves. WangEun lays out his bedding and covers his pillows as if it was he sleeping. Leaning down he blows the candles and waits silently for a good time to escape through his back window.

WangEun did not realize he had fallen asleep sitting when he suddenly jerk up from his sleep. He hits himself in the head and gets up quietly. He sees the silhouette of his maids outside his door and smiles. He tips his black gat ( hat ) at the two silhouette and turns to his back window. He lets out a childish chuckle when he opens the window. Climbing out slowly and quietly he has a hard time as his belt gets stuff on something.

“Need a hand?” Someone ask making WangEun scream and falls off the ledge of the window landing on his bottom. Hansung chuckles covering his mouth and kneels next to WangEun. “Where are you going this late Jeoha?”

“I hate you know that?” WangEun gets up with Hansung’s help. “Anyways I’m leaving.” He dusts his clothes and fixes his gat.

“Jeoha, again?” Hansung rubs his temple. “You’ll be back tomorrow morning when you run out of money.” Hansung tries to reason with the Crown Prince.

“I will not this time.” WangEun says sneaking away to the high wall behind his chamber.

“Do you want to see Eunuch Kim and I dead?” Hansung says but follows WangEun.

“Give me a hand.” WangEun says pointing up for Hansung to give him a boost. Hansung shakes his head but puts out his hand.

“Yah, I’m such a great friend.” Hansung grunts as WangEun steps on his hands and tries to get over the wall.

Once the duo made it over the wall they travel through the woods, making a longer cut to avoid guards around the palace to enter the city. The moon was out but because it was the Lunar New Year the street was lit up with lanterns and crowded with people. Peddlers from all over were selling many things at the market. WangEun was always amazed and loved going on without worrying about anything.

“Hansung!” He excitedly points at some white candy being sold by a man with long beard holding a tray and shouting.

“Jeoha, you get to eat anything in the Palace and you’re here losing it over some sweets taffy?” Hansung laughs.

“yah.” WangEun looks around. “Don’t call me that here. Just call me hyung.” He smiles and walks to the taffy seller. “Three please.”

“Yes Nari (Lord, name commoner address higher class)” The man bags wraps the three taffy with a white thin paper.

“Why did you get three?” Hansung asks catching up to WangEun.

“One for me.” He smiles and sticks the taffy into his mouth. “Hmmm.” He hums in satisfaction. “One for you.” he pushes one into Hansung’s mouth. “One for later.” He giggles sticking in into his sleeve. “Shall we go see what they’re selling over there.” WangEun wiggles his eyebrows. Hansung nods and grabs WangEun’s bag of clothes and hooks it over his shoulder.

~

YeonYi sat alone in her dim candle lit room like many nights, no nearly all her life. When YeonYi was six years old she was playing with her maids near the river during a picnic outing with her family and she had accidently fell into the cold icy November weather river. She was told that she was washed away down the river and disappeared for six hours. During those hours her father had many men searching for her along the riverbank. After that during the night one of their slave found her body washed up on a flat boulder, she was scratched all over and beat up from the river. Everyone for sure thought she would not survive the night as doctors tried to warm her body back up and keep her alive. A miracle happen as her father prayed all night to the Gods and her deceased mother to protect his angel. YeonYi woke up the next morning but that miracle came with a price, she was forever stuck with a bad immune system. She would get sick from just a slight cold breeze, dust, run short on breath when she tried to play tag with all the other kids, and food had to always be preparing freshly or else her stomach would not hold anything down.

YeonYi was confined into her bedroom and study room with her maids only. Her father would often play with her in doors and read her stories but when she turned fourteen her father remarried a young woman. She seems nice at first but soon she became an evil stepmother like in the western storybooks YeonYi has read. She pretends to be nice in front of her father and when it was they alone her stepmother wrinkle her nose and glare at YeonYi.

She was starting to get sick of her life inside her small bedroom. She has not step foot outside of their home for over five years. Before that she snuck out once or twice but fainted outside because of the cold. She believed she has gotten better and is stronger now but no one was willing to risk taking her out and getting lashes if she got sick. YeonYi opens her bedroom window and she can hear the laughter and chatters coming from the market nearby. It was the New Year celebration and once again she was stuck in her room to just see the fireworks from her window.

“I’m better.” She whispers to herself. “I am better.” She smiles. “YeonYi, you can do this.” She gets up slipping her nambawi and a fur cloak over her. It was easy for YeonYi to sneak out, being confined in her home she knew exactly where every maid and worker would be during this time. No one would be in the front yard because it was dinnertime for the workers and the maids were not back from laundry duties until another fifth teen minutes. YeonYi took a deep breath as she unhooks the large panel doors. Once outside her home she took her breathe and smile. She made it.

She made her way into the market happily even if people stared at her in her thick clothing and masked face. It was late mid February, just light snow a bit cold but warm enough to just go out and play. YeonYi looks at the food stall selling warm bean porridge, grilled fish, grills pork, steam buns, and sweets.

“Agasshi, try a warm red bean bun.” An older seller pulled her towards her stall. “They were made freshly just now.” She insists.

“Maybe later.” YeonYi makes her way towards the peddlers selling jewels and hair ties.

“Agasshi! This rose pin is perfect for you.” A man with thick mustache and round belly stuck the gold and red pin out. YeonYi shakes her head and continues down the market.

YeonYi walks along the brick bridge above a small stream in the middle of their town. She smiles as she sees a group of kids chasing after each other laughing. Suddenly she starts coughing. She feels a sharp pain in her chest and it made it hard for her to breath. She clutches her chest trying to breath steadily.

“A-are you okay?” A female ask her touching her shoulder. “Asshi(shorten for Agasshi? Here have some water.” The stranger hands her a brown pouch. YeonYi looks up to see a girl dress in commoner clothes with her hair tie up into a bun. The girl gives YeonYi a worry but assuring smile. YeonYi accepts the pouch and sips from it, clearing her dry throat. The water inside was cool and tasted almost sweet.

“Thank you.” YeonYi says handing the pouch back. “Was that just water?” YeonYi ask the girl who giggles and ties the pouch to her waistband.

“Not just any ordinary water.” She smiles widely. “Most natural spring water from the highest mountain in Joseon, untouched by man and drips from bamboo leaves.”

“Ahh.” YeonYi nods. “Thank you.” She says once again.

“No problem.” The girl lifts up her hands and waves. “Well then.” She gives her a light bow and walks away. YeonYi watches the girl walk to a much older man who seems to scold her but the girl only smiles and laughs back playfully at the man.

The sun has completely set now and lanterns were all light up; soon the firework show would start. YeonYi looks up at the sky and suddenly notices something in the tree just a little outside the market. It was the butterfly kite she seen earlier. YeonYi made her way out of the market into the dark wooded area. There the sound coming from the market was faint and it was much colder. The kite was stuck in the branches not too high into the tree. Reaching on her tiptoes she thought she could get it but she could not. YeonYi blew hot air into her cold hand and tried again.

“Come on.” She leans on the tree and reach higher. YeonYi steps on the small boulder then tries to pull herself up higher onto a lower branch. “Just a little more.” She stretch her arms out and finally... “ Got you.” She grabs the butterfly’s wing and jumps off the rock. Happily she rushes back into the market making sure she doesn’t miss the fireworks.

“YAH!” Someone shouts at her and tugs at the butterfly making YeonYi stumble back. “This is my kite.” The boy says pulling it completely out of YeonYi’s hand.

“Excuse me?” YeonYi turns to him. “No its not.” YeonYi grabs the kite again.

“Let go.” It was the Crown Prince WangEun. He had found his favorite kite and he was not going to let some strange girl take it away from him. Eunuch Kim would scold him again for losing another kite.

“How can this be yours?” YeonYi holds onto the kite tightly.

“It was made for me.” WangEun tugs the kite back. Hansung was far behind and finally caught up to WangEun when he notice them fighting.

“How can I believe that?” YeonYi glares at the young man.

“Because I am—“

“Yah yah yah!” Hansung grabs WangEun and pushes him to the side. “How can you say what you’re about to say?” He whispers to WangEun. HanSung turns around to YeonYi who only reaches his shoulder. “The kite does indeed belong to Nari.”

YeonYi looks at Hansung and the suspiciously at WangEun who had his arms cross.

“He lost it to the wind earlier today.” Hansung tells her and opens his hand to her to receive the kite.

“Okay.” YeonYi hands it to Hansung. “It was stuck on a tree and I had just gotten it. Please take care of it.” She leans to the side to speak to WangEun.

“Thank you. Take Care.” Hansung bows and grabs WangEun’s arm dragging him away.

“Tsk tsk...that girl tried to fight me.” WangEun shakes his head.

“Jeoha, we should go back now.” Hansung says walking towards the direction of the palace.

“What? No I said I was running away.” WangEun stops following Hansung into the dark wooded area.

“How?” Hansung smirks turning to his friend. “Look.” He lifts up the bags of treats and random toys and gifts WangEun had bought. “You don’t even have enough change now to get a room let alone a bowl of soup.”

“I...” WangEun searches his sleeves. “What about my bag?” WangEun suggest while they both starts walking again.

“We’ve already gone through that.” Hansung laughs. “What would you do without me?”

“I can do everything.” WangEun confidently stuck his nose in the air. “Do you really think I am that dense?” he says walking ahead of Hansung. “I was only asking if you were aware.” He laughs. “I’m telling you Seo Hansung I—“

“shhh.” Hansung suddenly hushes WangEun.

“Pft. Please stop.” WangEun steps away from Hansung who has drop all WangEun’s bags and got in a defensive stance in front of WangEun.

“Jeoha.” Hansung calls WangEun.

“I’m—“ Just as WangEun smiles moving in front of Hansung someone in black jumps out from the bushes raising a sword above them. Hansung shoves WangEun to the side and blocks the attack with the case of his sword.

“Ow.” WangEun sits up rubbing his elbow before he realizes what was going on in front of his eyes. Hansung was sighting with someone. Hansung block the person’s every attack and the person blocked every attack Hansung did as well. so far they only fought with the case of their swords making loud clinks through the dark and quiet forest.

Just then the attacker glances at WangEun and Hansung runs in front of WangEun but not fast enough as the attack jumps over Hansung kicking him on his shoulder making Hansung fall to the ground.

“HANSUNG!” WangEun shouts about to run but the attack stops him holding their hand up in the air. The attack walks over to Hansung and pushes Hansung’s shoulder with her cased sword.

“Still can’t beat me.” The person says and WangEun looks totally confuse as to why it was a female’s voice.

“Ji Hyeran!” Hansung shouts and pushes the case away. The girl pulls down her black mask and laughs giving Hansung a hand. WangEun was frozen in place, just a moment ago his heart was racing, he felt like vomiting, crying, and thought he was really going to die. “Orabi (shorten for oribeoni /brother), you’re reckless. You need to practice more.” She stuck out her tongue when Hansung gets up and acts like he is about to hit her head. “But who is your friend here?” She turns around. “He almost peed his pants.” She laughs.

“Hyeran...” Hansung tries to hold his laugh.

“Who are you?” Hyeran ask looking at the man with his tilted gat.

“Jeoha, please forgive my friend.” Hansung manages to hold in his laughter and helps dust WangEun’s pants.

“J-Jeoha?” Hyeran looks at Hansung. “S-Seja?” Hyeran then turns to WangEun who was glaring at her with a dirt spear on his cheek. She bites her fingers and looks completely pale when Hansung nods. “oh god.....P-Please forgive S-SSeja.” She bows down to the ground.