It was the year A.D 1210. A century ago, the first Emperor of the Bae Dynasty had unified the several countries in conflict, marking the beginnings of the Bae dynasty and of its Han people. This ushered in an era of great innovations and political progression. The Han people under the rule of Bae seemed to finally be enjoying a period of little wars and greater peace.

Yet, as with all political peace, it was fragile, akin to hanging dangerously on a fine thread or traversing over a thin sheet of ice. The Bae still came into frequent conflicts with the Mongolians, of the Mighty Son Dynasty, which were resolved by peace treaties, concessions and emissary trips. The Great Son, was led by none other than the much-feared Khun’in Khan and his fierce Mongolian warriors. Also, with progression, many civilians were left behind leading to much dissatisfaction amongst a handful of the Han people.

This story begins from a match-making of the two families of the Bae and Son, of their elder children, Prince Baekhyun from the Bae and Princess Taeyeon of the Son which inadvertently led to the impossible intertwining of fates of the other members of the family.

Of which most implicated were Princess Seungwan, a free-spirited Mongolian princess and Princess Joohyun, the courtly princess of the Bae. A fate that was most extraordinary, gut-wrenching, and loving awaits them…

**

Seungwan paid no heed to the shouts that came for her as she raced on her horseback through the vast plains. Her eyes were trained on her target and she would not allow herself to be distracted. Drawing her bow and lifting her hips from her saddle, Seungwan could hear her blood roaring in her ears as she loosed her arrow. Her lips curved into a smile as her arrow found its mark with a sharp shriek from the beast. She had finally managed to down a condor, all by herself. In her eagerness, Seungwan had pulled on her horse’s reigns too tightly. Her stead reared and the little girl fell off the horse’s back.

“Seungwan!” A chorus of cries went up.

The girl rolled in a poor attempt to break her fall. Seungwan would not let that fall hinder her. Ignoring her bruises, she ran to where the condor must have been downed at but was met with resistance. Her brothers have finally caught up. Scowling, she turned to face her elder brother, Prince Yixing.

Turning her around hastily, the prince asked in a panicked voice, “where are you hurt?!”

“I am not hurt!” Seungwan said wilfully and tried to tug free of her brother’s firm hold on her.

The eldest among them was joined by two other princes, Jongin and Sehun. They were equally fretful as well.

“Is she hurt?!” They asked in tandem.

Blowing out a gust of air, the young princess repeated in a louder voice, “I am not hurt!”

The princes winced and upon seeing their expression, Seungwan could not help but let out a cheeky grin. Her brothers finally could relax and laughed.

“Brothers, I want my condor,” Seungwan whined.

Sighing in exasperation at their sister’s wilfulness, they yielded. The princes just had a soft spot for the adorable ten-year old princess.

Once they were back in the large yurt, akin to a tent, which served as a throne room, Seungwan had zipped around the compound, showing off her kill to her other siblings who showered their beloved youngest with praises. At the same time, they threw looks of fierce disapproval to the three princes, Yixing, Jongin and Sehun for bringing the princess out on a hunt. Her elder and only sister Taeyeon was the most vocal about their hunting arrangements and gasped so loudly in shock when she had learnt about Seungwan tumbling from her horse.

“Brother! That was simply too dangerous for our Seungwan! She is still so young!”

Prince Yixing merely puffed out his chest as he defended his decision against the rest of his disconcerted siblings. “Seungwan is old enough to come with us. Jongin and Sehun started hunting even younger, when they were six.”

Prince Jongin and Sehun nodded their head eagerly in support of their elder brother.

“That is different! Seungwan is a princess, she shouldn’t be riding out so much…”

Prince Yixing pressed his lips together as he contemplated his sister’s words

“Sister, I am not just a princess. We are all children of this vast field, aren’t we allowed to run freely?”

“That is right, Taeyeon, we are Mongolians, we have it in our blood to roam over this expansive field, hunt and gather as we please,” Jongin said and gave a wink to Seungwan.

Some of the elder siblings however still voiced out their concerns for their younger sister and they debated fiercely.

Their father, the Great Khan had just entered the yurt then, wrinkling his huge beard at the commotion amongst his children. The princes and princess had quietened immediately in their father’s presence. As the Khan took his seat at the throne stitched together with various animal skins, his children formed a bow before him, arranging themselves from the oldest to the youngest. The Great Khan acknowledged each of them with a slight shift of his eyes, his expression still severe. Yet, that severe expression immediately softened when he turned his eyes to the little princess.

It did not take the wisest minister to realise which child was the Khan’s favourite. The reasons for his favouritism could also be easily perceived. Not to mention that Princess Seungwan was the most adorable, she was also the cheeriest, hardiest and brightest child amongst them all. Besides, the Khan had always felt pity for her youngest who had witnessed the cruel death of her mother when she had only been six and had experienced little maternal love. What she had lost however, was made up with the love from all of her siblings as well as from her father.  

“So what trouble has our Seungwan gotten into this time round?” the Khan asked in a rough voice.

However, the Khan could not keep the gruffness out of his voice as soon as the young princess had leapt into her father’s embrace. Laughter from both the Khan and his children al