When overpopulation and natural disasters hit The Quadlan Kingdom, and with it, the space became less, the kingdom was divided into different lands and they were given names related to the change they suffered. Seungwan lives in The Sprout Land because even with all the surface occupied with something, nature found a way to break out, attaching itself to buildings, destroying others, and growing so high, strong, and wide that you could build upon them. Jongdae’s house is above one of the medium-height trees—a middle-high class neighborhood of The Sprout Land called Ginger Gully— and there’s a nine-meter fall to the next treetop. Only rich people could pay for that view, so different compared to the walls of The Ruins—the worst part of the Land. However, The Ruins were a gift compared to other parts of the kingdom, where they lived submerged in the ocean, or complete darkness.

“Where am I supposed to take her?” Seungwan’s breathing pattern becomes irregular. Joohyun is semi-asleep on the couch with only a blanket covering her. There is a knock on the door again, much louder this time.

“Just…” Jongdae hesitates, looking at the window.

“No way. I barely could carry her here. I am sure I can’t jump nine meters with her in my arms,” There’s another knock. “I… may have an idea. Can you see who it is?”

Jongdae nods, looking through the peephole.

“It’s one of the novices,” he murmurs, so the boy will not hear him.

“Open the door.”

“What? No.”

“Just a little. I will shape-shift into The Commander and send him away.”

“As if nothing can go wrong,” he says, moving the curtain between the living room and the main hall. He opens the front door and the light reflects in the multiple mirrors hanging on the walls.

A boy younger than Seungwan appears on the door frame, ready to knock again. He lowers his hand, hesitant. “Commander? I’m... sorry, my tutor sent me to assess suspicious activity here. Is everything alright?”

The boy dips his head, afraid of having made a mistake. Seungwan tries her best impression of the Commander’s voice.

“Yes, everything is fine. It was a misunderstanding with our brother Jongdae. You can go now.” Her voice cracks over the edges and a lighter tone escapes from . The boy squints his eyes but doesn’t say anything.

Jongdae closes the door, and they breathe.

“We need to get you out of here before they realize we had something to do with it,” he insists, moving the curtains again.

There’s a confused pause and Seungwan looks everywhere, but she can’t see the princess. The TV is still on as background noise, and they enter Jongdae’s room to check for the princess. She’s pushed against the wall, looking at the news while covering herself with Jongdae’s pink blanket.

“...The Queen’s life in exchange for the heiress, The Princess Joohyun. That’s all we ask.”

In the frame appears a group of rebels dressed in suits of multiple colors (typical of The Festival’s dress code) but this time they are showing their emblem—a blue, deformed stone.

Joohyun is barely holding herself up, slowly sliding from the wall. Her marble gray eyes seem filled with tears, some escaping and sliding through her cheeks as well. She seems like she’s going to pass out soon, so Seungwan is fast to catch her.

“What are you doing up?” Seungwan’s tone is light compared to what she feels for the girl. She doesn’t know how to address the princess, since she never thought she would meet her in person. Deep inside, she feels talking to a royal like that is wrong.

The princess whimpers when Seungwan catches her by her injured shoulder. She quickly changes her hold.

“I don’t want to cause you any more problems.” Seungwan thinks Joohyun’s voice is like a siren melody, so beautiful yet dangerous, dominant, commanding.

Seungwan gives Jongdae a confused look.

“Shouldn’t you be… threatening us?”

Seungwan doesn’t think the princess is listening, her eyes still glued to the tiny holographic-like screen.

“You saved me,” Joohyun says. “Twice. It’s just fair that I return the favor by saving yours.”

She’s talking as normal as she can, but even Seungwan, as uneducated as she is, can hear the inflection in her words only royalty have.

Jongdae speaks before Seungwan can utter a word.

“Do you know that if you go, you will die, right?” He doesn’t care if she dies or not, but curiosity is what has always driven him. To know the mind of his enemies, he needs to know what motivates them.

Joohyun takes her time to answer, feeling awkward in Seungwan’s arms. She puts some distance between them, looking at Jongdae.

“I… know. But I need to try anyway. I can’t let my mother die,” Jongdae nods, shrugging. “Do you know where my dress is? I will go now.”

Jongdae laughs, not sure if it is a joke.

“Why are you laughing?” her tone becomes harsh, but it maintains the elegance and softness that Seungwan heard before.

“We… kind of burnt it. Besides, you can’t be serious to think you can go around here like The Princess, right?” Jongdae replies, still laughing.

Joohyun seems clueless.

“Why not?” The question gets out muffled by Seungwan’s chest.

“You are not at the palace, Your Royal Highness,” he mocks her, imprinting disdain in his words. “Rich people live in Ginger Gully, yes, but the quantity of people that hate you is bigger. Once you get your feet out that door, you will have a bounty on your head… including me.”

The princess tenses, gripping the blanket. “Why do they hate me?”

The question itself seems absurd coming from her. It is so weird for Seungwan to hear a storm in her voice that, for a moment, it puzzles her to realize that the princess is serious about not knowing why they hate her.

Jongdae doesn’t respond, neither Seungwan. Joohyun insists, but she’s shushed by Seungwan. Jongdae searches for something in his wardrobe, and Seungwan makes the princess sit on Jongdae’s