If Princess Jihyo was surprised, the Commander wouldn’t be able to tell at first glance. This would be their first meeting after all. He had expected she would look a bit younger, likely donned in a brightly-colored hanbok. He knew she was the older sister of the King, but he surmised that the lack of any official responsibilities other than securing a political alliance through marriage meant that a princess like her would be easygoing, angered only by the most mundane things.

Instead, he was faced by a woman whose maturity and independence was apparent in her eyes. She looked at the commander with a pointed gaze. Instead of light colors, the princess wore a muted hue of yellow and red, with embroidered cranes grazing the design of her skirt. The only thing Jongkook accurately expected was that she was furious.

Note: This story is a work of fiction, loosely based on Korean history. While the events are inspired by accounts from different timelines in the history of Silla and the Gaya Confederacy, none of these are proven to be historically accurate. The characters are also not based on any specific individuals from the time.