1. THE BEGINNING

The King enters briskly, shoulders set and straight. His uniform is black, with badges and medals glittering on his . The crown twisted with red and gold spikes shimmered on his head, with a slight tint of grey in his hair as his eyes flashed an authoritative glint. The queen follows him gracefully, with almond brown orbs that held a steady gaze. She had an royal purple silk gown that clung tightly around her tall and slender body, with a diamond crown slightly smaller and simpler than her husbands on her neatly tied hair.

They stood in front of the thrones, embroided and sculptured in gold, with two younger, tall and well-proportioned men in royal military uniforms, standing at their sides. 

The King spoke, with a boisterous voice that echoed across the towering, gilded great hall.  

“Today, we honour this ritual, to bring forth the most talented daughter to wed the most noble son. The time has come, and the royal family will honor our custom.” 

He held up his hands slightly, and the two figures stepped forward.

“The Prince and General Lee Jinki, son of my deceased sister, the royal princess.” The figure to the King’s left raised his hand and sent out a warm smile, contrary to his ruthless kills on the battle field. Loud cheers echoed across the room, appreciating his leadership for the recent victory.

“And the crown prince, son of my royal wife, Queen Kyungsoon, heir to the Kingdom of South Korea and its crown, Lee Taemin. ” The man that Naeun saw two weeks ago, who got showered with blessings at the borders of the capitol, now stood upright. His black hair glossed, with paler skin than normal soldiers and long legs. Unlike his cousin, he raised his hand and flattened his lips into a polite, distant smile that was enough to blush the cheeks of the ladies around her. 

"All of you have come to honour my son and the kingdom, and so I honour you.” He raises his glass to the crowd beneath him. Naeun, along with the contestants and royal figures followed suit. She wet her lips slightly, by tilting the glass into . She glanced at the crown prince to the King’s right. Unlike the broad grin with the commoners at the borders, his smile does not reach his eyes. 

“Let us welcome the 78th Queen’s contest —

May honor fall upon you.”

The King’s voice buzzed through her ears, shattering her fragile heart and dreams.

…….

Each ‘lady’ that entered are all based on prestige and family honor. In the later rounds, they will be marked, then individuals with lowered scores will be eliminated in each round. At the opening ceremony today, the 20 ladies that have entered, are introduced to the throne one at a time. 

“Lady Bae.” “Lady Park.” “Lady Kwon.” Names uttered by the chamberlain echoed across the hall, as each lady, worn in dresses ranging from cobalt blue and emerald green to rose pink and honey, stepped out to the center and curtsied in front of the royal family. Some stepped out with a shy blush, while some landed their gaze on the crown prince, trying to entice him with the doe eyes or occasional flip of silky brown hair. The Prince merely claps politely, with no warmth in his eyes. Naeun sighed inwardly. She was hoping the Prince to be attracted to one of them. Watching all this from behind, the lady in front of her stifled a laugh. Naeun stole a glance at the lady, who was now called to the front.

“Lady Krystal Jung.” The lady stepped forward, with an icy cold smile that sent sparks into hearts. She curtised with an ash grey dress, then stood tall and saluted to the throne. Naeun tried not to widen her eyes as murmurs echoed in the hall. However, the King chuckled, straightened his back and returned the gesture, while the Queen shook her head with knowing smile. The general raised his thumbs, even the crown prince, who kept his expression calm and polite, had his lips widened into a larger smile. 

In contrast, some ladies shot daggers lowly, while some gazed coldly at Lady Jung. Clearly, they viewed her as their competition. However, Naeun tried to hide the curl in her lips. Finally, someone who was likely to be queen appeared. She heard the rumours — Lady Krystal Jung was a childhood friend of the crown Prince, and they had feelings for each other. Despite being a lady, she was interested in the military and even joined the war troops for one year. Naeun released a sigh in relief inwardly. With Krystal Jung earning the likes of the royal family, Naeun will be safe. 

Now with a light heart, she stepped out to the front at the announcement of her name. 

“Lady Naeun Son.” 

Contrary to the colourful dresses, she chose a beige silk gown. It hugged her curves and swept the floor, but had no decorations except for the small peony on her right . She courtised, then kept her lips curled slightly, at the angle of best etiquette, with no warmth in her eyes.

The King nodded respectfully, recognising her family, while the queen sent out a warm smile. “It’s a pleasure to see the Sons participating in the contest again.”

She courtised again. “Thank you, your royal highness. It’s my honour to represent my family.” Naeun spoke robotically, hiding the dread in her voice. Before she turned away, she stole a glance at the crown Prince, whom had a twinkle in his eye, but his lips reverted to the distant curl. As Naeun moved towards the side, she noticed a lady dressed in honey, standing opposite them, who kept her icy gaze at Lady Jung. 

Pretending that she didn’t notice, Naeun blinked and