“N-n-n-n-ne-neh. Queen Hyuna.” Yuri bowed her head and curtsied low as respect for the queen, but Chen could see that she was trembling. 

 

Hyuna looked at the pathetic girl and smirked. “Rise.” 

 

Yuri returned back to standing up straight, keeping her eyes on her feet. Her hands clenched the back of her dress. *Please don’t do anything to me today.*

 

Hyuna narrowed her eyes at her stepdaughter avoiding her eyes. “Yah!” She yelled sharply, causing everyone to jump. She strode over towards Yuri and slapped Yuri’s chin, making her look at the queen. “Look into my eyes, darling. You don’t want to be rude now, do we?” Yuri quickly nodded and quivered under Hyuna’s strong gaze. Hyuna smirked. *She’s so weak.* She turned and stared at Chen as if he was a piece of meat. “Who is this?” *He’s cute. He can be my new boy toy*

 

“T-th-that’s Chen, my queen.” Yuri glanced at Chen, and they made eye contact. She became flustered and looked down at her feet again. 

 

“Chen...” His name rolled off of Hyuna’s tongue. She flirtingly smiled at him. “Well, Chen. How would you like to have lunch with the queen?”

 

Yuri’s head snapped at her stepmother, and her jaw dropped in disbelief. *No... Don’t try and take Chen away from me too.*

 

Chen shifted uncomfortably under Hyuna’s stare. “Uhh...” He looked at Yuri’s crestfallen face and bit his lip. “I’m sorry, but I already made plans with Yuri.” 

 

Yuri’s eyes widened to the size of plates. *He rejected her!*

 

Hyuna stepped backward in shock. “What?” 

 

“I said I’ve already made plans with Yuri. And I’m not going to go back on my words.” 

 

Hyuna smiled sweetly at Chen, and her flirtatious eyes suddenly turned poisonous as she turned her gaze back to Yuri, who seemed to cower away from her. “Oh? How do you plan on having lunch without food?” Her voice came out sugar coated, but it had a hint of malice in it. *You little .*

 

“We-we were about to go out t-to the marketp-place and buy some food.” Yuri felt like crying. She knew that once Chen leaves, she’ll have to deal with Hyuna’s wrath. 

 

“Oh.” Her smile stayed plastered on her face. “Well, I hope you have fun.” She brushed her finger on Yuri’s chin. “Just make sure you be careful. There’s a lot of dangerous people out there.” She made eye contact with Yuri, sending her a hidden message that the girl immediately understood. 

 

Yuri nodded furiously, waiting for the moment Hyuna leaves. “I-I will. Don’t worry.” 

 

Hyuna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She her heels and sauntered her way towards the door. But before she exited the cottage, she turned her head back to Chen. “If you change your mind and want to eat with a woman,” Yuri winced at Hyuna’s indirect insult of calling her a girl, “you may find me in the castle.”

 

Chen was starting to get irritated by Hyuna. *I don’t know why you’re acting like this, but no one treats my friend like that.* “Thanks, but I think I’ll be fine with Yuri.”

 

Yuri couldn’t help letting a small smile creep on her face. *No one’s ever stood up for me like that before...*

 

Hyuna looked at Chen with mysterious eyes before turning and leaving the cottage. 

 

Chen turned to Yuri. “Thank God she’s gone, right?” He smiled at her brightly.

 

Yuri looked at him, surprised, and smiled gratefully. 

 

They both gathered all of their items that they needed and walked to the market.

 

Hyuna watched the two from her chambers. A deep scowl etched onto her face as she turned around and stomped over to a broken, tattered mirror that heavily clashed with the new and clean furniture that surrounded it. 

 

“Mirror, mirror

 

On the wall,

 

Who’s the fairest of them all?”

 

In the mirror, smoke began to form, and a floating head slowly made its appearance. 

 

Its booming voice shook the room. “Snow White is the fairest of them all.” 

 

Her eyes turned into daggers, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream. 

 

 

 

Yuri and Chen were merrily walking around the market and looking for food to buy. Everyone greeted her with respect. They knew that she was the princess, but they also knew that Hyuna was the queen. They did anything to get on the royals’ good sides. 

 

Yuri laughed out loud at what Chen had said and set down the apple she was looking at. “Chen, you’re so funny!”

 

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I try...” 

 

They continued to walk around when a certain issue kept pricking Chen. He opened his mouth and carefully tapped Yuri’s shoulder. “Yeah?” She said while keeping her gaze on the cart of vegetables. 

 

“What was with you and Hyuna back at the cottage?” Yuri’s hand stilled as she was picking up a red pepper, and her jaw clenched. “Oh, no! If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to! I was just curious.” Yuri set down the pepper and looked into his eyes with indistinguishable eyes. Chen waved his hands around. “You know what, forget what I said. It was a stupid question, and it wasn’t my right to ask about it.”

 

Yuri tiredly sighed. “No, it’s okay...” She slowly moved onto the next cart with Chen trailing behind her.

 

He curiously looked at her. “She’s the one...making you live in that rundown cottage, isn’t she?” Yuri stayed quiet, but from the look on her face, Chen knew the answer. “Why don’t you just leave?”

 

She bitterly laughed at the thought and turned her sad eyes towards him. “It’s not that simple.” *She’ll always find me.*

 

Chen was about to open his mouth when a trumpet rang through the air. All the heads in the market turned to the source of the sound and saw men placing glue on paper and placing them on the walls of the buildings. 

 

Immediately, everyone started gossiping. “A new criminal to be caught?”

 

“Oh, how scandalous!”

 

“I wonder who the poor fool is.”

 

Yuri and Chen merely shrugged their shoulders and continued with their shopping while the others all gathered around the pictures. 

 

Yuri felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw the whole market looking at them. The girl who tapped Yuri’s shoulder bit her lip ashamedly and rose the poster up for them to read.

 

Yuri and Chen both leaned in and read the content. Yuri’s face drained of all of its color, and she looked as if she could faint while Chen just gaped at it. 

 

The criminal was Yuri.

 

“Y-y-you can’t be s-serious! You guys wouldn’t turn me i-in, would you?” Yuri pleaded with the girl, who looked away in shame. 

 

“I-I’m sorry, Yuri. But the reward money is enough to feed my family for years. I have to try.” The rest of the people began to close in on them. 

 

“No! I never did anything wrong to you! HOW COULD YOU ALL BETRAY ME?!” Yuri began to choke and was surprised to see that she had already begun crying. 

 

“We’re sorry.” The people gave her the most apologetic looks. They didn’t want to betray their very own princess that had done everything for the people. But they didn’t want to go against the queen, who could mercilessly persecute everyone. 

 

Yuri began to break down, and Chen just stood there, dumbfounded at the situation. He looked down at the fragile girl and felt a surge of protectiveness. *I’ll protect you, Yuri.*

 

Chen’s hands reached into the nearest cart and pulled out a couple of tomatoes. Before they grabbed Yuri, Chen threw the fruit into their faces. 

 

Shrieks broke the air, and it was chaos. 

 

Chen grabbed anything his hands could grab and threw it at the crowd. Some tried shielding themselves from getting soiled while others tried grabbing the “free” food. 

 

Using this as a distraction, Chen quickly grabbed the weeping princess’s hand and pulled her towards the woods. 

 

They ran

 

And ran

 

And ran

 

Farther away from the kingdom

 

And deeper into the heart of the forest. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was gonna update this chapter next weekend, but since I haven't updated in MONTHS, I decided to give you guys a break :P

 

SO DOUBLE UPDATE. AS A GIFT FOR ME BEING SUCH A AND NOT UPDATING. Hehe

 

SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT, AND MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL~! <3