This morning, Seungwan was summoned to her brother’s quarters. The disgruntled princess was about to perform her morning martial arts routine when she was interrupted by the palace guards who came for her. Once she was in her brother’s room, Seungwan had lifted her legs and rested them on her brother’s desk rudely. Ignoring her brother’s disapproving glare, Seungwan put on a look of boredom and nonchalance for she knew what her brother had called her in for.

The princess did not care because she knew she would be getting the truth from her brother and besides, she would eventually find out the answer using her own means.

The prince, giving in to his sister’s wilful ways, finally spoke, “Seungwan, you have asked me what my business is here, as well as Chanyeol’s.”

Seungwan nodded, a wry grin worn on her face. “And you are ready to tell me now?”

Sehun put on a severe look as he continued. “Of course, it was never truly a secret. It is just that our father Khan does not wish to have you meddle in any way.”

“Meddle?” Seungwan’s brows shot up as she asked in disbelief but decided to not say anything more.

After all, she was to maintain her image as an idle princess who plays with her companion by day and occasionally slips out at night to seek for treasures or adventures.

“Yes. Our father Khan and I know of your playful and unpredictable nature all too well so we could not risk an important task as such.”

Seungwan smiled thinly. Then perhaps she has been away for too long and they do not know her.

“So what is this important task?”

“We are to maintain diplomatic ties with the country of Bae. I am to learn of their culture and please them whenever possible. If possible, I should convince the Emperor of Bae to join in our war against the Jin.”

“Really?” Seungwan asked sceptically.

Sehun nodded, his expression was of faint amusement.

“Let me see what has father been writing to you then,” Seungwan said with outstretched hands and tried to sound wilful. “Surely, you have been exchanging letters, like he has always done with Taeyeon and I.”

As Seungwan left the room. Sehun sipped his tea carefully, glad that he had burnt every single letter exchange with Chanyeol and their father Khan about politics and military tactics. Sehun had even asked for their father to write a separate letter as a guise because he knew full well that Seungwan would demand for them.

Seungwan had a clever mind but was still a child at heart and it was only expected that he had outsmarted his sister. Even if Seungwan was mature both mentally and emotionally, Sehun could not risk sharing their plots with Seungwan who has grown too close to Princess Joohyun, a Bae royalty. That thought left a bitter taste in Sehun’s mouth. His sister has been marred by her relationship with the Baes and he was furious how they had let it happened. Whatever it was, Sehun would make sure to crush this detestful country and make sure Seungwan cleanses of all her connections with the Baes.     

**

Two years later…

The past two years have been nothing short of eventful.

Talks of suitors and marriages were especially abundant. Joohyun had deflected countless of marriages, always claiming to feel unwell at opportune timings whilst Seungwan herself had plainly rejected all the potential suitors the Khan has suggested in his letters.

Perhaps one thing to be thankful for was that Princess Taeyeon’s marriage to Prince Baekhyun had been rather peaceful.

Over the past two years, Joohyun has established herself as a most competent female politician. Earning a reputation of the civilian’s Princess, Joohyun was perhaps the most well-loved royalty. The princes too, have also gained much recognition in court for their political ideals. Yet, the court was fraught with ever more challenges since the Jin empire had grown in strength and even encroached upon the Bae territory using unscrupulous means by winning greedy ministers of the Bae court to advance their cause.

The Jin’s attempt to defeat or form an alliance with the country of Bae must have been anticipated by the Great Khan and Seungwan finally believed in Sehun and Prince Chanyeol’s business in the Bae court. Despite not attending official court sessions with the Bae ministers, Sehun was often invited to discuss diplomatic ties with the chief strategist of Bae. Meanwhile, Prince Chanyeol was stationed with General Zhao, one of the best generals in Bae. This, Seungwan was glad of. The princes could contribute to the prosperity of both countries in the light while she would do it in the dark.  

Occupying most of the princes and Seungwan’s time were matters at the secret organisation. It was also through this secret organisation that they had uncovered so many secrets, including that of the Jin empire’s intentions and Bae minister’s betrayal. The members of the secret organisation acted as vigilantes and have put many corrupt small officials behind bars, yet the powerful officials still remained elusive to them.

Seungwan’s ear perked up upon the sounds of dagger thrown at her from either sides and she dodged it with ease by slanting her body at an angle. The blunted weapons hit the pillars with a dull thud and fell to the ground.

Seungwan gave a slanted smile before she flicked out two metal balls towards where the daggers flew from. The two young female assassins-in-training let out yelps and scrambled up hastily, their faces red with embarrassment.

A haughty smile smothered over Seungwan’s face once more and she got into a combat stance. Her palms opened skyward as she beckoned the two young assassins with a flick of her fingers. Falling for Seungwan’s taunts, the young assassins, charged forwards unthinkingly.

Seungwan’s launched a palm forward, meeting one of the girl’s shoulders. The girl fell back with a cry. The other girl, Yeri, whom Seungwan knew as being far smarter than the other children, lunged forwards. Seungwan sighed at the child’s predictability. Seungwan whipped around quickly and was about to subdue her with a light punch to her ribs when the girl slipped past her hands, quite literally. The teacher’s eyes bulged out in surprise.

From her peripheral vision, she saw Yeri unsheath a blade from within her sleeve. Together with the other child who had recovered herself, they came at Seungwan, both at the same time, with their concealed blades.

Grinning fiercely, Seungwan decided to end this combat quickly and stop humiliating the two young girls. A punch and a kick packed with sufficient power sent the two children skittering across the ground. 

They clambered up, trying to suppress groans and bowed before Seungwan. “T-Teacher Seungwan…”

It warmed Seungwan’s heart. To the people at the palace, she may be a princess, respected only because of her birth however right at this organisation, she was a leader, respected for her skills and commitment to better the Han people’s lives.

These two girls were just two of the many children that they had brought up in this organisation. Yeri, especially, was the closest to her.

Besides Yeri, Seungwan and the princes had grown closer to other members, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and another man who wanted to only be known as Ten.

Taeyong was one of their best spies in the organisation. Like Seulgi, he was once a child rebel before and worked on numerous missions. In fact, he was one of the child prodigies and his martial skills was almost on par with Seungwan and the princes.

Jaehyun was one of their key strategist and would be in charge of logistics planning in the organisation whilst Seungwan and princes were stuck in the palace.

Ten has the widest network of connections and they found out that he was the son of one of the wealthiest merchants in the country. Since the members of the organisation comprised mainly of men with embittered tales like Yeri, Taeyong and Jeehyun, with a common motivation to improve the life of the people in the country, Jongdae and Kyungsoo had initially raised a brow at the Ten’s background. The boy had led a rosy life and there should be little to no motivations for him to submit himself to the organisation’s cause, yet he still did. It was then that Jongdae and Kyungsoo realised just how similar Ten was to them; they had not experienced the citizen’s sufferings nor lived through much hardships, yet they all wanted a change to better the lives of others.

Each and every day, they executed smaller plots like nightly raids to distribute grains to the poor stolen from corrupt officials home to more grandiose plans such as stopping entire fleet of salt merchant ships who smuggled the precious good illegally and seeing that these merchants were put behind bars.

These men have been through thick and thin and were the most loyal men to the organisation’s cause.

That night, they would convene for another one of their ambitious plans.

“Have we truly found a way to charge Minister Song?” Prince Jongdae asked brusquely, unable to contain his excitement.

“No, Jongdae, we might just have an opportunity to nab him but we do not already have a charge against him,” Seungwan said.

Once they were outside of the palace walls, they have decided to shed off their princely and princessy titles. One of the greatest feats the three leaders have managed to achieve was to dig a secret path that connected the inside of the palace to the outside.

“Okay, so what is this opportunity?” Jongdae asked, slightly annoyed now.

They have been spending too much effort on Minister Song and yet they still could not do anything about that slippery fox.

Kyungsoo then took over, “Seulgi and Taeyong found out that Minister Song has been hosting private meetings with the Jin emissionary.”

“Then we will just have to catch him while they are having their meeting,” Jongdae said simply.

Seungwan performed a full roll of her eyes. “Easier said than done, Jongdae. Minister Song’s house is heavily guarded as well. Have you forgotten that your father has bestowed him with one of the finest living quarters and he is paid chestfuls of gold every year? This is not including the bribes he received.”

Kyungsoo agreed. “It would not be such a simple matter, by the time we have successfully stormed into his house, the emissionary might have already gotten away or Minister Song could cook up more excuses for