The festival was vibrant and beautiful. Shops were bursting with joyous smiles and people crowding around the town with laughter and happiness. This was the day where the townsfolk got to enjoy life and were able to relax for a little bit. The parties would last all night, with fireworks and pretty lights hanging around the city. There was music in the center of the city where people got to dance and drink to their heart's content. I was able to go once when I was thirteen with Aeji when we had sneaked out of the castle to see the holiday. When we came back everyone was panicking that I was gone. I didn't think that anyone would go into my room, but that one day Chanyeol decided to come into my room to see it empty. He told everyone where they had tried to search for me, once they saw me coming back they had punished Aeji. Chen swore at me saying that if I did something like that again, Aeji would...

It was my first time sneaking out, it was also my last.

I sighed, I shouldn't be thinking about something so sad when there's so many good things to look at in front of me. We were all wearing plain clothes, wishing for the best that no one would really recognize that the royal family is walking around like commoners. All the boys were here, even Suho who was able to make time for this event. He was talking to Minseok, someone who was the same age as him. Minseok could've been chosen as the crowned prince. He had the intelligence and the capacity to be one. Then the king had chosen Suho, Velstia cursed at him once saying the one reason was because of his mother. Queen Eunji, the woman who was the most liked by the king. I remember Minseok was sad for a couple of days, Minseok didn't want to be crowned prince. Yet his mother said something like that, both could only think that she is trying to tear them apart as brothers.

They are very close as brothers, both being the same age, they had many things they could relate to. It was nice seeing them talking together, Minseok could be nice if he wanted to. I've seen him with warm eyes, for everyone besides me. I don't really mind now, he could hate me for all I care.

Suho turned his eyes toward me, I flinched. Did he see me staring at him? He gave me a small smile, I replied to him with a nervous smile instead. Minseok followed Suho's line of sight to mine, he blinked before narrowing his eyes towards me. Minseok had really pretty eyes, they were the same silver as Velstia's but they were less cold. I gave him a small wave that made him part his lips in disbelief. I turned away holding in the laughter that was ready to break out.

I quickly realized my main goal for this trip. Protect Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. I looked around, finding them with the others. I sighed in relief, as long as we're all together nothing bad is going to happen.

"Why do you look like a mother worrying about everything?" I heard a voice beside me, I spun to see Jongin. I let out a breathless chuckle, you shouldn't randomly stand next to me like that.

"Do I really look like that? Maybe I am." I replied. I didn't even notice that Jongin had walked towards me. I wasn't walking close to the boys, I was watching in the shadows, a meter away from them. One of the issues of having these family gatherings is that if someone does recognize us I couldn't be near them. It would only be suspicious to have a random girl so close to the royal family.

"Why?" He gave me an odd look, I tilted my head to stare back. He shouldn't have grown, I have to tip my head up now.

"I don't know, I feel like something's going to happen. I could just be paranoid."

"What was that word you just used?" Jongin tilted his head in confusion, I blinked.

"Paranoid?" I asked. He nodded, my lips thinned when I realized that I'm only seven years old. I shouldn't be saying such big words.

"I'm...Scared." I whispered. Jongin watched me, his eyes never leaving my face. How could I explain what I'm scared about? It wouldn't make sense. He didn't ask anything else. He looked away staring at his brothers while he stayed by my side. I followed Chanyeol and Kyungsoo closely, never letting them out of my sight. If something does happen I need to be there. We walked around town for some time, looking at clothes and buying commoner food that was really delicious. Jongin left my side to walk with his brothers. I ate leftover food when I was living in the streets, managing with what I could find in trash cans. Some days they were spoiled, other times they were the best leftovers from restaurants. I smiled bitterly at myself, what would happen to me if mother didn't find me? I could've died. Not that it matters, I would die sooner or later.

"Are those the princes? Where are the guards?" I turned to look at the group of men that stood near us. They had prickly beards and disgusting smiles. Eyes that seemed to watch the boys with a predatory stare. I frowned, the guards were hiding in the shadows. They're probably around fifteen of them, some disguising themselves as commoners, others merely in the alley and darkness. I don't get how they could still not catch the kidnappers. "They said the more princes we get the more money they'll give us."

They? Who could 'they' be? So it was a kidnapping, and they were only able to catch two princes. Mother wasn't able to come with us because of her busy schedule so it was just us, but she should’ve come. I couldn't watch all of them at once.

These men, were they bribed to kidnap them? It would mean that this could be a deeper case than I thought. But who could it be? There were more like this, there were so many assassination attempts that I don't remember some of them. They were mostly on Suho, though they had tried to kill the others for the sake of money. Could it be the people who had become nothing because of the land that the king had taken over?

There were three countries that he had taken over. All of which surrounded our own. Fenyos, Zaeros, and Vroelinia. The fourth war that would happen in a few years, we would be taking over Ellstin. The royal families of those kingdoms were killed, though we don't know for sure. They could've easily hidden one of their children and now they are trying to take revenge. I didn't think of this before, I was so concerned about my life that I didn't expect that the boys could be threatened to be killed so many times.

"I heard prince Kyungsoo is ill, we should get him." I listened to them speak. They're really talking about a kidnapping publically as if no one is going to hear them. Are they really this stupid? I looked around at the crowd, but they didn't seem to care. How could they?

"Do we get the crown prince?"

"No, he must be the one that's the most guarded."

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