"WONYOUNG!"

 

A scream surges through the kingdom of Alfensiad, piercing harshly through the ears of those nearby.

 

The scream belonged to a woman with her wrists tied with a rope behind her back, on her knees with tears streaming down her face, desperation dripping from her voice.

 

Her pupils were dilated and her eyes were widened, her entire face sweating– It was obvious. She was scared.

 

That's not a sentence a lot can say, considering that it's not everyday you see the crown princess of Alfensiad scared.

 

Well, ex-crown princess.

 

"Spare my–" The sentence was never finished. All anyone heard after that was the sound of blood spilling on the ground, and a head rolling away simply with one swing of a sword.

 

The headless body soon falls on the ground with a thud.

 

The head comes to a stop in front of a girl behind the body, also tied up and on her knees in a similar fashion, much like her now-dead sibling.

 

Both she and her other sister burst into tears, as the knights and maids present in the room watch.

 

It's rather confusing whether they're actually crying for their sister, or crying after thinking that this is the same fate they will suffer in a few minutes.

 

"Chaeyoung– My sister Chaeyoung!" Yuna screams, her voice cracking, "How could anyone do such a thing!–"

 

Those screams of her are merely dismissed by the ears of the culprit, who boredly turns to look at the knight behind her and says, "Hang that filthy head in front of the castle gates."

 

Besides Yuna, tied up and kneeled down in a similar way, Ryujin screams at her, "Chaeyoung held a banquet to welcome you back from the battlefield, you barbaric wench!"

 

The person who the insult was directed to keeps her eyes on the girl, not feeling guilty in the slightest.

 

Ryujin continues without hesitation, "You dare kill the crown princess after you have distinguished yourself in the war, Wonyoung?!

 

And that's when Ryujin finally feels the cold edge of a sword under her jaw.

 

Wonyoung grits her teeth as she says, "Do not refer to me as Wonyoung. It's crown princess Victoria to you and your pathetic sister."

 

Before Ryujin can scream, "just kill me!" Wonyoung has already turned away from her, looking at the knight that was beside her.

 

"Dispose of them as planned."

 

Kim Gaeul, Marchioness of the kingdom of Alfensiad and the captain of the noble knights bows her head with her right hand over her heart, showing respect to the now-crown princess, and also as a signal for the knights under her to take the two fugitives away.

 

Yuna stops her pathetic crying when they pull her up and make her stand, roughly pushing her around to take her away. Confused on what's going on, she yells, "Wh-what are you planning?!"

 

Chaeyoung's blood drips from the sword Wonyoung was holding as she replies, "I am simply giving you the treatment you deserve," She swings the heavy sword and yells, "Take them away!"

 

Gaeul nods at a nearby knight, who takes it as a sign to slowly walk forward while holding a platter– What's on it is covered by a red cloth.

 

"Your majesty," Gaeul calls for her attention when the knight arrives, and pulls off the red cloth with a swish.

 

"I believe this belongs to you."

 

Wonyoung stares at the shiny object resting on the platter, adorned with many jewels and a white cross standing at the top.

 

Her eyes glimmer and she reaches out for the majestic crown, sighing contently. It truly was a long journey.

 

Yuna's high-pitched voice from their childhood echoes in her head– "So what if you're the direct line of descent? Your mother lost her majesty's favor a long time ago– If you've learned your lesson, give me that piece of jewelry now!"

 

When she caresses the crown, a rather deeper and more arrogant voice interrupts her moment. Memories of Chaeyoung looking at her condescendingly with a smirk as she said, "I'm the crown princess anyway. You're nothing but a normal princess that will eventually be sold off to a foreign nation."

 

Of course, if her brain has to make her remember both Chaeyoung and Yuna's real natures, it can't forget Ryujin either.

 

Ryujin, with her nasty gaze and dirty tongue always said, "My poor Wonyoung– You should learn to start using your hips soon. With that skill, maybe you'd actually be able to earn your future wife's affection!" And a nasty chuckle that followed after.

 

Wonyoung grits her teeth as she places the crown above her head. The illegitimate children that bullied her constantly, and the concubine that murdered her mother– they were all able to do it because she was powerless.

 

Flashes of a brown-haired girl turning to look at her with her hair flowing in the air passes by her eyes– And suddenly Wonyoung's hands are forming into fists.

 

A distant voice from the memory says, "Oh, Yujin left the abbey with a noble lady of her own accord. She must be trying to become the concubine of an old, rich noble in search of a better life.."

 

Even the one Wonyoung loved left her, all because she was powerless.

 

All the voices yell in unison when Wonyoung makes the throne her seat, "All hail her Majesty, Queen Victoria Jang Wonyoung!"

 

Everyone roars once again, "All hail her majesty!"

 

Wonyoung places her jaw over the back of her lifted hand, smiling. 

 

The time to reclaim what's hers has come.

 

"Just you wait.." She mutters under her breath, ".. An Yujin!"

 

 

The streets of Panroem City's markets are bustling with busybodies once again, with people passing by in a hurry to buy groceries and what not, some stopping to chat with familiar faces.

 

Somewhere in the market, in an empty alley away from the people, stand two disguised figures with hoods covering their faces.

 

Their voices are pulled down to the minimum volume as they speak with each other, trying to avoid peering ears.

 

The shorter one leans against the wall of a building, arms crossed as she says, "We even extended our search radius to adjacent nations– but there was not a single girl named Vicky or even Victoria that matched the description you gave us. Is it possible that you have gotten the name wrong?"

 

The taller one replies fast and confidently, "No, the name is correct as far as I remember. Can I ask you to go over the descriptions of the girl with your people once more and search again? In case they accidentally overlooked the person we're looking for in the midst of the search."

 

The other one sighs, feeling pity as she replies, "Cost aside, I don't think that would increase the chances of finding the girl more than there already is. I don't think there will be much hope.."

 

"Still," The taller one intertwines the fingers of her two hands together, "I beg you to do as asked, don't worry about the payment."

 

The two hooded figures chatting fall under the gaze of two ladies holding grocery bags near a stall that sold fruits, intently staring at the empty alley despite the bustling ene