“I thought I'd find you here."

The voice startled the cloaked and hooded figure standing by a well tended grave, which almost led to the trampling of the fresh laid wild blossoms atop said grave.

"Stop doing that."

The taller newcomer, a fresh-faced youth dressed in well worn tunics, grinned at the low but still evidently feminine (if irritated) voice from his best friend.

"Oh come on Yuju, you just scare too easily."

"Very funny Eunki, now what are you doing here?"

Dressed in the browns and greys of a hunter, Yuju was tall for a girl, and the cloak she habitually wore into town hid her figure and disguised her gender from a cursory glance. If she lowered her voice, she could easily pass for a slender young man, but only if she kept her hood up. Eunki often pestered her to drop the hood, but Yuju rarely acceded, at least not until they were far from town away from prying eyes. Mother had warned her to always keep her face hidden when near the castle and the surrounding hold, and it was the last thing Yuju could do for her, after the plague.

"Seokmin has the day off from training, and Chaeyeon saw you by the west gate earlier, so I figured I'd come grab you and go run some rabbits down or something with the rest."

Eunki took a step up to stand shoulder to shoulder with Yuju, also taking a quick moment to pay his respects to the grave. Everyone had lost family during the brief outbreak of plague three years ago. No one spoke of it anymore, but they remembered.

"You do realize I'm not actually supposed to let you do that right?" Yuju replied archly, moving her hand up to rest on her hip as she turned to face him, conveniently revealing the heavy dagger and shortsword on her belt. A bow lay unstrung across her back, completing her forester gear.

Eunki grinned impishly. "A bunny or two won't go amiss, Lady Forester. His Majesty only cares about the deer and the foxes."

"And the wolves." Yuju added dramatically. She paused. "I'm pretty sure there might have been bear sign the other day too..."

Eunki shook his head. "Honestly, how do you know your way around the forest but always get lost in town?"

Yuju shrugged, letting her cloak fall back in place. "Didn't grow up there."

"Most girls don't do their old man's job either." Eunki observed, watching Yuju closely. She didn't flinch...too much. The young man scowled.

"Did he hurt you again?"

"Father was drunk, he didn't mean it." Yuju's voice was subdued. Her voice took on a forced cheer as she eked out a smile.

"Seokmin rarely gets a day off, what's the occasion? No festivals that I recall!"

Eunki still looked worried, but bit back his concern. If Yuju didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't press her. He would always remember how the girl had brought wild game out of the King's Forest for them during lean years, despite it being against the law. She had always been kind and generous, and he could do no less for her.

"You didn't hear? The prince is coming back!"

"He is? Oh right, they found him at that temple after his ship sank. Thought they would have brought him back then."

Eunki spread his hands. "Rumor is that the prince needed time to recover from his injuries, and they didn't want to move him in midwinter, so early spring it is I guess."

Yuju shook her head. "Nobles. Well, a day off is a day off. Let's go meet up with the rest!" She headed confidently off.

"Yuju, town is the other way."

"Not a word, Eunki."

"Pffft....HAHAHAHA!"

"Hong Eunki!"

"Wow there's so many people..."

"Yeah, think we can make it to the North Gate before sundown?"

"It's not that bad guys..."

The mixed group of young men and women chattered amongst themselves amiably, Yuju flanked by the girls while the boys hovered around them. Seokmin often joked that Yuju was more popular with the girls in their circle than they were, to the laughing agreement of the other boys in the group. To which Chaeyeon, self-proclaimed number one admirer of Yuju, had saucily replied:

"Maybe because she's cooler than you guys!"

That particular comment had sparked off a play-fight, but the boys decided to graciously give in to the girls in the end (Yoobin was a terror with a quarterstaff and no one wanted to fight Yuju). The boys consoled themselves with the fact that other girls liked them just fine, and that their immediate circle was just weird.

"Why are there so many people though?" Chaeyeon grumbled, dodging a stray elbow from the crowd. "We're wasting time here and we don't get to spend time together often!"

"Probably the Prince's retinue, they have to keep the main streets clear for that." Seokmin, aspiring squire, noted with a knowing air. Eunki craned his neck to scope the area.

"Side streets are packed too. Everyone wants to see the Prince, he was sent to another kingdom to study years ago and it's his first time back since. Figures why we're stuck here now, we can't even take a shortcut."

"Have any of you ever seen the Prince? Seokmin, your dad works at the castle, did he ever mention anything?" Yoobin piped up curiously, tiptoeing to try and check out the main pathway.

"No idea, but the King and Queen are both good-looking, so that apple can't fall that far from the tree." The squire-in-training grinned, his boyish face lighting up. He was tall and lean, but starting to slowly bulk up around the shoulders thanks to his training.

"That explains all the girls in the crowd." Eunki laughed. Seokmin scoffed.

"Not like any of them stand a chance, even if the Prince were single he'll have to marry for alliance, that's how royalty works."

A distant cheer rang from down the street, heralding the imminent arrival. The crowd pressed forward, held back by the neat lines of attendants in shining livery. The clatter of hooves rapped sharply against cobblestone as the knight escorts led the way, with the royal carriage proudly displaying its fluttering pennants, curtains drawn back to show the Prince waving at the crowd.

"I can't seeeee~" Chaeyeon whined, tugging at Yuju's sleeve. The taller girl laughed, bending down slightly for her shorter friend to hop onto her back. Chaeyeon squealed and pounced, making Yuju oof from impact as the younger girl scrambled for a better position.

"Did you get heavier?" Yuju teased. Chaeyeon swatted at her head, almost making her hood fall, but both girls quickly compensated for it by tugging the material back into position. A wisp of copper escaped from the confines of the hood, but it was barely noticeable in the furor all around them.

"I can't see either oi." Yoobin grumbled. Chaeyeon stuck her tongue out at the older girl.

"I got here first~"

Yoobin raised an eyebrow at Yuju. "You should seriously consider dumping her."

A smirk peeked out from beneath the shadow of the hood. "Good idea."

"Unnie!" Chaeyeon pouted and tightened her death grip around Yuju's neck. Yuju's chuckle came out slightly strangled, while Yoobin just laughed at them. Chaeyeon perked up as the carriage drew closer, perching herself higher to see above the crowd.

"There he is! Oh...! Oh...?"

Chaeyeon fell uncharacteristically silent as the crowd went wild around her at the sight of the handsome Prince. Sensing her confusion, Yuju braced herself and also craned her neck for a look. To her other side, the much taller Eunki and Seokmin had an easier time of it as they stared at the royal countenance in growing disbelief.

"What's going on, guys???" Yoobin, the shortest in their group, hopped around impatiently, trying to figure out why all her friends suddenly went quiet. Eunki was looking between the procession and a suddenly very still Yuju, whose eyes were fixed on a smaller figure hidden behind the Prince in the carriage.

"That's not...I don't...Eunki, you see it right?" Seokmin, his usual cheer absent, seemed shaken. Eunki, his face drawn into a worried scrunch, nodded tensely. Yoobin threw her hands up in frustration.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Chaeyeon slid off Yuju's back nervously, her head swivelling back towards the direction of the carriage almost unconsciously as she bit her lip. She moved to tug at Yuju's sleeve out of habit, but hesitated at the sight of the clenched fists beneath the cloak. Yoobin cleared impatiently, trying to get someone to respond to her.

"Anyone?"

"We need to go." Yuju said quietly, turning abruptly and beginning to shove her way through the clamouring crowd. The boys followed immediately, scooping the two remaining girls along with them. They were almost through the main morass when Yuju collided with a beefy-looking man in a butcher's apron, knocking her off balance as she swerved to stay upright. The butcher reached out to steady her, but she ducked instinctively, and his arm knocked her hood off instead.

Deep, rich red spilled out like a rushing tide, tamed only by a simple leather band keeping it from cascading into wavy curls. The sunlight lent it a coppery tint not unlike blood, and Yuju quickly hid her face as she tugged her cloak back up. She now understood why Mother had made her stay away from town whenever possible.

The Prince, long away and now returned. It had been like looking into a mirror. Yuju reached for the locket that hung at ; there since birth and never opened, your true name hidden - Mother's dying whisper.

Who am I?