It was another lovely morning.

 

Princess Dabin opened her eyes, and stretched. She reached beside her bedside table for her daily cup of tea, but disappointed herself. 

 

Standing beside her were two cowering maids.

 

"What exactly did I say yesterday?" Dabin sighed.

 

"Y- You told us to prepare citron tea." A maid stammered. "But the palace is currently lacking citron."

 

"How can I think without citron?" Dabin rubbed her head. "Fine. Prepare yourselves."

 

"For what?" Another maid had the decency to ask.

 

"Must I explain myself to you all the time?"

 

"No..."

 

"We are going outside the palace to collect what we need. I absolutely long to take a walk outside the palace." Dabin smiled her wolfish smile.

 

"Princess, you can't go outside the palace!" A maid stuttered. "The Emperor forbids it!"

 

"Oh, pooh to the Emperor." Dabin waved the comment away. "Just a quick walk to the nearest village."

 

"Princess, the nearest village is three hours away..." A maid tittered. But Dabin was already changing into more casual clothes. 

 

"Wake Jooe and Ahin." Dabin instructed. "They love these walks."

 

"Shall I fetch food from the kitchens?" A maid said. Ahin's appetite was famous throughout the palace.

 

"No, that would arouse suspicion." Dabin shook her head. "We meet at the gate."

 

"As you wish." The maid ran off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some time later, Sejong awoke to panicked shouts and screams.

 

"What is all this commotion?" He thundered. The noise died down instantly.

 

"Your Majesty, we..." A rather scared looking maid uttered.

 

"Speak up, for heaven's sake!" Sejong said. "What is the matter?"

 

"The princesses are gone!" The maid wailed. "All of them!"

 

"All the princesses!" Sejong roared. "What do I hire the f---ing royal guard with?"

 

It was not unusual to hear Sejong swear, especially if the reason was his difficult daughters.

 

"Well?" Sejong thundered. "What are you doing here? Search the nation!"

 

"Your Majesty, you have enemies." A guard pointed out. "Maybe we should wait for the ransom letter."

 

"Then we shall wait for the ransom letter."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Why is Hyebin unnie here?" Jooe asked.

 

"She wants to buy marble for her... toys." Ahin grumbled. 

 

"Actually, she is here to chaperone us." Dabin said.

 

The four were currently on horseback, which wasn't unusual since they had excellent riding skills.

 

"We're nearly there." A maid said.

 

"Great." Dabin nodded. "I want my citron."

 

"I want oranges." Jooe whispered, thinking of all the juice she could sell at the capital.

 

"I just want food." Ahin announced, though she had been saying this ever since they left the palace.

 

"Whatever." Hyebin muttered. She had been looking forward to playing with her... Lego.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The village is there." A maid pointed out unhelpfully later, though the princesses were already speeding towards the cluster of houses.

 

"Hmm." Dabin examined the village. "The people here seem okay. At least they have beautiful clothes and happy faces, both of which I despise."

 

She headed over to a booth in the market. "Excuse me, do you have citron here?" 

 

The man nodded. "Here." He pointed towards a melon-sized citron. 

 

"How on earth can it be that big?" Dabin stared at the citron. 

 

"Our musicians sing and dance to the field." The man explained. "But enough of that. Do you want to look around our village? I see you and your companions are new here."

 

"Of course." Dabin nodded. "Just watch out for the one over there. Her appetite is ferocious."

 

"I understand." The man sized her up. "Why have you come?"

 

Dabin thought of an excuse. "We... travel."

 

"A person with a face like yours can rival the princesses." The man praised. Dabin hid a smile.

 

"Princesses?" She asked. "What do you know of the princesses?"

 

"Oh, we have gossip here and there." The man smiled. "Though you shouldn't tell the princesses what I say here now!"

 

"Of course." Dabin agreed with a straight face. 

 

"Legend has it that the eldest princess specializes in handcraft." The man said, walking across the smith's workshop. "Her talents are unique, and she is the daughter whom Sejong finds the least difficult to handle."

 

"What about the second princess?" Dabin asked, wanting to know what the nation thought of her.

 

"Ah, the one named Dabin." The man chuckled. "Some people say that she is very... smart."

 

"Smart?" Dabin asked.

 

"She foresaw the victory of the Gihae Eastern Expedition against the Japanese in 1419. And she helped edit the 농사직설, the agricultural handbook, in order to help farmers nationwide."

 

Dabin nodded. All true.

 

"But I say that she is too smart. It is normal to be intelligent, but to be too intelligent, it is a problem." The man shook his head. "She won't marry a husband at this rate."

 

Jooe and Ahin were doubling over in laughter.

 

"How about the third princess?" Dabin asked. The nerve of some people.

 

"Ah, the Wind." The man clapped. "We call her the wind because the folks at the palace grumble. About the peacocks losing their feathers, the monkeys losing their fur, the snakes losing their skin. Rumour has it that she brewed a juice by the name of Tropicana."

 

Dabin shuddered. She had experienced it, after Jooe had forced her father to try it.

 

"Legend has it that her juice is more lethal than cyanide and arsenic poisoning combined."

 

Now only Ahin was smiling.

 

"And we have the fourth princess." The man nodded. "She is the cause of Sejong's sad wallet. She is a financial storm by herself."

 

"Why is that?" A bemused Jooe asked.

 

"She eats. Like, a lot." The man smiled. "Legend has it that she has the a