"What do you mean I will be marrying the Crown Prince!" Sooyeon bursts the door open, rushing in to meet her father. Refusing to falter, the General continues to read the book in his hand.  

"Father! Listen to your daughter for once!"' 

General Jung closes the book and meets eyes with his aggravated daughter.  Sooyeon was never one to shout at her father.  She respected the General who had sacrificed his life and has put his life on the line for the sake of the country. She's proud of him, but to say she doesn't harbor any hatred for her father would be a lie.

She hated the way her father would always be beckoned to lead wars. She hated the way her father wouldn't falter at any sword pointing at him.  And she hated the way her father would do anything for her sake, even if that meant giving off his only daughter for a Royal who was responsible for killing her very own brother.   

Ignoring his daughter's cries, General Jung simply states, "you must be present at all necessary engagement prepations and arrangements with the Crown Prince.  There musn't be any speck of imperfection in you." 

Lady Sooyeon curls her fist into a ball.  Enraged.  Disappointed.  Confused. 

"The Royal family was the one who killed Wang Jung! I do not approve of this marriage!" 

General Jung turns around to face his daughter.  "Get a hold of yourself!  You will marry the Crown Prince no matter what.  Your brother was killed in battle as the frontline warrior and not because of the Royal Family!" 

"You know he was positioned there by the King himself because he posed as a threat to the Royal line!" Tears now start to trail down Sooyeon's cheeks, staining her fine rose garment.  

The General approaches the younger one and takes her in his bossom, rocking his daughter the way he used to calm her when she was young.  "I know you're hurt Sooyeon but there are things that you have yet to know.  Right now is not the right time to reveal the truth, but I promise you I will tell you all of them when the time comes." 

Sooyeon doesn't understand.  What truth?  

"I know this marrige is against your will, but this is all for the good.  For your own good.  So please... accept this marriage." 

Sooyeon hears the desperation in her father's voice. And above all, she loves her father.  So she says in a whisper, "for your sake, Father, will I only accept this ill-fated marriage." 

- - - 

Sooyeon was never one to believe in groundless rumors, but she can't help but put trust in the ones she has frequently heard circulate regarding the Crown Prince. 

"My Lady, did you hear the rumor about the Crown Prince?" Her servant, Sunkyu, says as she fixes her hair with ornaments. Sooyeon silently sighs. Now that she has a direct connection with the Crown Prince all she hears people talk about is her betrothed and she's getting tired of it. 

"What is it this time? If this is about the Crown Prince being a sore anti-social loser or him being a stuck up Crown Prince who finds enjoyment in making Royal maids' lives miserable by uselessly ordering them around, then save it, I've already heard them all." 

"No, no, this one's different. People say the Crown Prince has never touched a female before." 

Sooyeon's ears perks, very much intrigued by what the latter had said. She smiles not long after. "Then all for the better don't you think, Sunkyu? I won't have to worry about his dirty hands touching me." 

"Well I think the Crown Prince will have to worry about your little ert hands, my Lady. I swear they have a mind of their own and end up landing on my whenever you have a good laugh." Sunkyu receives a 'yah!' with a strong slap on her arm.  

Sooyeon's cheeks redden but not forgetting to send a frown at the younger one. She rolls her eyes and states, "please remind me why we're friends again." 

"Now that will be a pretty long list as there are plenty of reasons why you chose my beautiful and kind soul over all the other girls, my Lady." Sunkyu receives another slap."But I will remind you that your beloved Crown Prince is waiting for you and you must leave at any moment now." 

Right I need to meet the Crown Prince. God, how I wish I can just run away. 

And as if reading her thoughts, Sunkyu says, "and no you cannot run away, my Lady." 

Sooyeon lets out a sigh, "I know, let's go Sunkyu." The older one grunts and stands up. She fixes herself and stares at her reflection once more before heading out of her chamber. 

The Royal Palace was not an unfamiliar place to Sooyeon. Despite not being a Royal, she had visited the Palace quite a few times for her to know where important halls were located, and being the daughter of the nation's General, it meant frequent trips to the Palace to pay tributes to the Royal family during festivities. Sooyeon finds such trips to be vain and ridiculous. She hated all the fake smiles that hid all the wicked ulteriors of gaining more power. Nothing was genuine. 

Yet, she's here once more doing exactly what other nobles do. Sooyeon stares at her father's back who walks a couple feet away from her. You're here for your Father, nothing else nothing more. 

Sooyeon continues that matra like a broken record as they head for the Inner Court. She looks out through the window and sees the courtyard. Vast yet so empty. She gives a look at the guards at the gate. I'll be stuck in this disgusting place once I marry the Crown Prince huh? 

Her thoughts are interrupted as the Eunuch knocks on the Throne Hall's door. 

"Your Majesty, General Jung and Lady Sooyeon has arrived." 

A couple seconds pass and the door creaks open. Sooyeon is faced with His Majesty's figure. She quickly scans the two other figures beside the King. Her Majesty sits to the left of the King, then her eyes land on the Crown Prince. Crown Prince Yeon. She doesn't stare for long for His Masjesty promptly invites them in. 

"Bring them in." 

General Jung leads the way, Sooyeon following suit. Heads modestly angled to the ground. Sooyeon sees in her peripheral the few assembly.

They stop at the center of the Hall, all eyes and ears tuned in at the two visitors. 

"Greetings, Your Majesty. We humbly ask for our visit to be in your pleasure." General Jung deeply bows. Short silence engulfs the Hall before His Majesty releases a quiet satisfied laugh. 

"Most definitely General Jung, now lift your heads up for this marriage arrangement must be discussed shortly." 

Sooyeon lifts her head and she immediately locks eyes with the Crown Prince's doe umber eyes. She notices the subtle frown forming on the latter's face before His Highness diverts his eyes elsewhere. I guess I'm not the only one opposed to this marriage. The Lady gives herself a couple more seconds to anayze the Crown Prince. She notices his fair complexion, the way his high cheekbones chisels his face to a perfect teardrop faceshape, and then her eyes trail down his lip rosy lips. 

Sooyeon what in the world–

Sooyeon's th