Days passed by since their first meeting. Byulyi had begun to grow restless as she had not gotten another chance to meet Yongsun once again. She did not know what she would say when they finally did meet each other again, but Byul thought she would get a few ideas after seeing her.

Time flew by, days seem to be quickly leading up to the royal wedding. Yongsun was always busy preparing, giving her scarcely any free time to meet Byul, let alone take some time to herself to organize her thoughts. She too was eagerly awaiting an invitation to meet Byulyi once again, but the last few days had been uneventful so far.

The latter part of the summer days had been drenched with thunder showers, filling up the lake and halting any chance that Byulyi would have taken to step outside the borders of the palace gardens. She could not visit the lake as she usually did each summer, but kept training with the soldiers who always offered her help in honing her skills of fighting with swords.

Byulyi had always been somewhat grateful that even though her parents did not mind whatever she did, they had given her the freedom to do whatever, and it was something she could use to her advantage. A plan brewed in her mind for days. The time was right for her to stand up for herself, but even at that, she did not want to cause a scene and bring disgrace upon the name of the royal family.

Gray skies greeted Byulyi as she finished her training one morning. It had been a week since meeting Yongsun and the princess was in dire need of seeing her again.

While Byulyi walked to her room to clean up after her training session, she ran into Yongsun and her maids, finally getting a chance to speak to her again.

“Ah Yongsun, How have you been doing?” Byulyi inquired, visibly elated as she finally had the chance of exchanging a few words with the older girl.

“I’ve been doing very well Byulyi. I’m heading to my room after meeting with prince Jin-hee” Yongsun replied.

All that was running through Yongsun’s head at the time was how attractive Byulyi looked, handsome even, as she stood in the dark hallway, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead after what the lady thought must have been an exhausting morning at practice.

“That’s wonderful! However, if you’re free afterwards would you join me just to talk?” Byulyi looked towards the sky and hoped that the lady would not mind the drizzle raining down from the heavens.

“Yes indeed Byulyi. We can meet at the library after you are done with your routine” Yongsun replied sensing that the younger was having doubts about what she might reply with.

“I will meet you there Yongsun!” Byulyi replied cheerily, flashed the lady a smile, and headed up to change as soon as she could.

Yongsun felt heavier after her meeting with the prince but after agreeing to meet again with Byulyi, her spirits were lifted and the girl was in a better mood. The lady asked her maids to stay outside as she settled in the library, and Hyejin along with the others, obeyed.

It took a while for Byulyi to arrive as she had to clean herself after the exhausting session from before. As Byulyi entered the library, she looked around to find the lady neatly seated with a book in hand. Yongsun looked up from it when she felt a presence close by, and did a double take after seeing Byulyi.

Byulyi.

For a second she felt nervous, for what reason though however, Yongsun did not know.

The younger smiled gently and walked closer to where Yongsun was seated and proceeded to sit down on the floor.

No it was not because there wasn’t a chair next to Yongsun. Byulyi could have easily pulled one closer, but the rainy weather called for a cozy time at the library instead of a formal one and the princess was only trying to make the lady feel at ease.

Yongsun was smiling. A bright almost goofy smile and Byulyi felt butterflies.

 “Yongsun! Why are you smiling like that?” Byulyi playfully teased the older, slightly smacking Yongsun’s knees which were covered in a stunning silk cloth, staring Byulyi in her face.

“You’re adorable Byulyi. That’s why!” Yongsun laughed and took Byulyi’s hand as she almost slapped her again.

The empty library made it easy for the two to converse. Thick walls and one entrance which they had their eyes on solidified their privacy and both knew that they could talk to each other about whatever they pleased.

“How are the preparations for the wedding going?” asked Byulyi, looking up at Yongsun. She noticed the older girl’s cheeks. They accentuated her smile and it was a sight that melted her lonely heart. Byulyi was quite glad that she could make the older girl smile. Not a smile that was tinged with grief, but one which was genuine and filled with happiness.

“I feel like I have prepared as much as I could. Jin-hee doesn’t have much to do since he knows what he should do, but…”

“Yongsun?”

“Byulyi…I’m scared. I don’t want to be queen. I’ve always been doing whatever was asked of me but I really wish I could escape. I want to run away, but I can’t…” sad eyes stared back at Byulyi as she looked up to see that Yongsun was silently crying. A lone tear running down her face, the older girl covered her face with her hands trying to hide herself from the princess. She genuinely felt helpless, Byul could tell.

“Yongsun, I’m sorry…” Byulyi stood up, wiped her hands on her robes and took Yongsun’s hands off her face as she knelt back down.

Now face to face with Yongsun, Byulyi lovingly looked at the older girl’s eyes.

She could easily see through me if she wanted

Yongsun knew.

Gently cupping Yongsun’s face with her hands, Byulyi wiped tears off of the face of the girl who had suddenly opened up to her, leaving Byulyi heartbroken at what the older had said.

“Yongsun, I think I can help you” she took a cloth from one of her pockets and wiped Yongsun’s face, delicately, making sure that Yongsun felt safe after having opened up to her.

“I’m sorry Byulyi, I didn’t have any one else I could talk to” Yongsun started crying again, whimpering and leaning closer to Byulyi.

The princess took the lady into her arms, comforting her and holding her close. She muttered in her ear, words that soothed Yongsun. Words that made her feel comfortable, words that made them both feel less lonely. Words that made them feel complete in the otherwise empty lives they were leading.

As they pulled back from the warm embrace, hands brushing against each other, closer than they’ve ever been, Byulyi half whispered;

“Yongsun, I will get you out of here. I promise”

The older girl was overcome for words. She stared at the younger, speechless.

Byulyi took Yongsun’s hand, taking her pinky and gently intertwining their fingers together.

“Ah Yongsun, don’t worry I will take care of you alright? I have a plan”

“Byulyi…thank you…” Yongsun managed to say in a small shaky voice, looking at their fingers which felt like they were home in each other’s hands.

After Byulyi could ease Yongsun into feeling better, she herself led the older girl to her room, with the maids following closely behind. Both were disappointed at having to constantly stay away from each other because of their schedules but they settled with the promise of meeting soon once again.

Finally before Byulyi left she asked;

“Say Yongsun, I would love it if you could accompany me on my trip to the lodge on the outskirts of the palace! I’ll be off in a day”

“Oh yes, I have no tasks to attend to. I would gladly accompany you Byulyi!”

Plans were made and they went their separate ways. Byulyi finally had a reason to finalize the plan which had been brewing in her head for the last few months. Of course a few tweaks had to be made since she now had to fit Yongsun into it. Wheein and Hyejin were to be an essential part of it too and the girls were called the next day to be briefed about the plan.

“Wheein, Hyejin, you made sure no one was outside?”

“Yes unnie” they both replied in unison.

“I have a plan to escape the palace”

The younger girls were shocked at hearing the princess of the kingdom sitting in front of them and uttering the words she had just spoken.

“unnie?” the shock on their faces were only a funny sight to Byul who knew they would be thrilled in leaving the palace. None of them liked the royals who resided there. They were vicious and cruel and it was a surprise that other kingdoms hadn’t yet attacked Chuseon to pay them back for the wars and violence caused years ago, when Byulyi was merely a child.

“Yes, Wheein you heard me right”

And they were briefed with a slight sketch of what the plan looked like.

“Wouldn’t bringing Yongsun unnie be too much of a hassle unnie? It worries me” Hyejin had said.

“There’s no way I’m leaving her to suffer in this cruel place” Byulyi replied with rage fueling her statement.

Wheein and Hyejin could understand that Byulyi had taken a liking to the woman who was betrothed to her own half-brother but however, it took time for the princess to convince the younger ones that Yongsun needed the freedom as much as the three of them did.

In a few days it would finally be time to leave this hell, once and for all.

They left Byulyi’s room feeling empowered and with purpose growing within them to complete the plan that had been laid out by the princess.