Sana walked in silence down to the docks, her mind wandering to what her life would be like if she hadn’t been born into royalty. How different her life would have been. Would she still be happy? Would she be upset with her life? Would she still have met Jeongyeon? 

She let out a sigh as she got closer, seeing a few guards and her father stood by himself at the edge. As grateful as she was with the life she was born into, she desperately just wanted an out. An out of being a princess just for a week… To love who she wanted, to do what she pleased… But she couldn’t. Being next in line meant everything was sacrificed so she could rule the country just like her father. 

“You finally made it.” Her father spoke calmly. 

“I.. Lost track of time while I was exercising Moonie..” Sana muttered. She wasn’t going to say that she had gone off to visit Jeongyeon before all of this. She wanted some form of comfort and knew she would give it to her. 

“It is alright. I would’ve been concerned if you were on time.” He chuckled. 

Sana watched as he began to talk about the light festival, working with everything and anything he could to make sure it was always beyond perfect for this kingdom. It was always the perfect way to start off the summer, but this time, the light festival would introduce official suitors to Sana, all of them working to obtain her hand in marriage by winter. 

“Do you know why the light festival is important to us?” He asked her. 

“Because it shows when there was a time without light. And how we are very grateful for it.” Sana muttered the basic explanation she had learned from school to her father. 

“Correct. But for us.” He asked while looking at her. “Our immediate family.” He smiled. 

“Because… The official suitors show up? I don’t know.” Sana huffed, not understanding what he was asking. 

“It means a lot to our family, because that was when I first met your mother.” He chuckled. “I was younger, a little crazy. My father ignored everything I had been doing since I was young.” He smiled. “I was maybe around Jihyo’s age, maybe younger. I didn’t know she would be my wife at the time.” He sighed. 

Sana looked up at her fat