“A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.” 
― William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

“Kim Yerim, you are late again! How many times do I have to remind you-”

 Yerim flinches at the scolding from Septa Jihyo, feeling her face turning red as she grips her fingers nervously and feels her back pressed against the cold of the marble door that slammed behind her.

     As one of the lowest ranking ladies in the Grand Princess’ entourage, her reputation was already close to nothing as it was, but to never be prompt and show up in time for any of the Princess’ scheduled activities would be the closest thing to ruining your reputation forever.

    The Princess flashes her a sympathetic smile, the glistening emeralds in her hair framing her elegant face and highlighting her celestial beauty, and Yeri feels a flood of relief as she is comforted by being given a seat right next to the Princess over all of the other handmaidens. She ignores the envious glares from the other nobles already seated around the Princess as she makes her way beside her.

    “Don’t worry about it, Yeri-ah.” Seungwan winks mischievously at her, as the two burst into giggles before being reprimanded by the furious Septa.

The two immediately shifted their attention to the unfinished embroidery in their midst, with a clear contrast between the Princess’ and Yerim’s - with the Princess’ fingerwork pristine, clean and immaculate while Yerim’s was clearly unfinished, sloppy, cluttered and a giant mess.

   Yerim feels the heat building up around her face, her usually pale skin turning crimson as she is again reminded of her failures and imperfections- she isn’t as beautiful as the Princess or embroider as well as she does, isn’t as intelligent as Lady Jennie, sing as well as Lady Chaeyoung or as proficient as a rider as Lady Seulgi.

     The bile form in as she can feel pearl-shaped tears fall down from her emerald eyes, and she clutches her slender fingers against the stitchwork of her dress as she feels her walls inside break down.

    “Are you alright, Lady Yerim?” Lady Jennie unsympathetically looks up from her embroidery, her rose tinted lips curled into a scowl and her eyebrows raised in judgement, faking pity with her cold, distant tone.

The rest of the handmaidens sit there speechless, their fingers tightly gripping the needles that pierce through the delicate silk material in their elegant palms, and exchange looks of condolence and compassion as one would not cross Lady Jennie easily without leaving any marks or trace.

     Lady Jennie is the youngest daughter of the Hand of the King Kim Jaejoong, who was also the head of the Haeyang faction, who was proud to add a rose among his thorns as he only had sons and no daughters. Unlike her older brothers who were born in the midst of a war in the chilling winter, she was born in the warmest of springs, with the sun shining down on her as the roses bloomed and the azure sky was clear of clouds or overcast.

     The biggest surprise over the years was how Jennie’s platinum blonde hair faded and darkened to light brown by the time she had reached four years of age, and the sunken faces of disappointment from her parents as a non-Velaryon trait from a distant ancestor had reappeared in their only daughter and what this would mean to their Velaryon pride.

Although only a child when it occurred, Yerim still remembers the look of shame and jealousy Jennie threw at her nearly ten summers ago when the lower ranked Yerim was chosen to be one of the Princess’ chose handmaidens over the Hand of the King’s only daughter.

     To Kim Jaejoong, it was a slap on the face not only to his family, but also to the kingdom and the position he held, and for the future reputation of his daughter. A handmaiden to a royal lady was more than her companion or closest circle of noble ladies, but a courtesy, a symbol of prestige, a purposeful connection for benefits to be reaped later, and a connection that will stay bound and change the royal lady’s life forever.

     The only solution left to heal the Kim family’s wounded pride and notoriety was to send the seven year old Jennie across the Narrow Sea to the foreign courts of Qing and Nippon Dynasty for a sophisticated education with the most prestigious tutors, and Lord Jaejoong was sure that once his daughter makes her way back, her education and distinctiveness will make her stick out from the rest.

Lady Jennie returned last month, cladded in traditional Eastern clothing coloured in deep cobalt and sapphire stones falling like raindrops from her dark locks and revealing the mysterious beauty that had been the idea of gossip for years even if she has not stepped on local grounds for ages.

Revenge comes in different forms, and Yerim for sure knows that one that comes in the package of Kim Jennie is not a force to be reckoned with. The past is not forgotten and sides aren’t considered when Kim Jaejoong what is his is taken from him, and even his own brother Heechul is an exception to this.

Yerim is not surprised at all at how Jennie completely ignored and refused to acknowledge her cousin the first time they saw each other after years apart.

    “I think it would be best if I could accompany Lady Yerim for a short walk around the palace gardens, Your Highness-” Yerim feels the tense grip on her forearm as Lady Bae Joohyun leaped across the paneled room, peering over towards the Princess who gave a look of approval before Joohyun ushered out Yerim past the wooden sliding door to the manicured gardens of the palace.

Lady Bae Joohyun is only a few years older than Yerim’s age of sixteen summers, yet she has seen four folds of what Yerim’s sheltered life had seen. She is twenty three, but by the graces of her good looks she barely looks past twenty years of age.

     By the time Lady Joohyun had reached the age of fourteen, she had been married off by her aristocratic yet penniless alcoholic father to a fellow Hanyang general as the result of a devastating bet and the only way to pay off their tremendous debt.

     She has heard nothing but gratitude and praises from Lady Bae about her good husband, especially as the two were from opposite factions among the Princess’ bipartisan company of handmaidens so they rarely spoke, yet the splotchy black and blue bruises that lined up the Lady’s collar and stained her pale skin did say otherwise.

Joohyun was a lady of few words, rarely exchanged conversation and only spoke out of ceremony and proper manners with her bright smile, but when she did speak - you would remember it.

    “Lady Yerim, if I may give you a few words of advice-”

    “Go ahead, Lady Bae.” Yerim looked up teary eyed from the marble stoned bench, she was sitting on under the lavender vined pavilion, its complex, knotted carving haunting them from above as Lady Bae’s back faced her as the older refused to look at the younger.

Joohyun turns around, her ebony dark hair tucked in with mauve flowers and pins just above her ears flowing with her movements and her gaunt, tired expression suddenly makes the lady’s normally youthful face seemingly years and years older.

“You are very young - and also very beautiful - but that combination is extremely dangerous in a world like ours. In King’s Landing, especially. They will use that against you. I just wanted you to make sure to protect yourself, no matter how much you think your family can protect you from the enemies beyond these city gates. I am sure many of your greatest enemies will be within these walls.” She gravely advises the blonde, with a softer, more sympathetic expression at the younger as her hidden, scarred fingers fumbled repeatedly.

Yerim looks at her curiously, with her wide, innocent eyes that made Lady Bae feel a pang of understanding, tenderness and longing as she saw her younger self in Lady Kim and it pained her to see what they would do to someone like her. So young. So beautiful. So vulnerable. So delicate. So weak.

    “Thank you, Lady Bae. I will keep that in mind.” Yerim stands up briskly, wiping the tears from her eyes as she raises her chin and straightens her posture in feigned confidence before she bows respectfully and makes her way back to the Princess’ room.

Joohyun sighs sorrowfully, yet she knows her fate is inevitable. As was hers.

...

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you guys are glad we're finally in the present narrative rather than the flashbacks/backgrounds!! Hahah I am! I'm glad I got to churn this out sooner than possible (didn't reveal something yet but realized it was better for the next chapter and we got to flesh out the characters better so that's a win-win!) and hope you guys enjoy this update. (My chapters aren't as long as my usual 7k chapters like my other fics haha so I feel more obligated to update more hehe) Please please comment, subscribe and upvote!! Thank you!! <3 

Song: "Reflection" by Lea Salonga