Exactly one week before the ball.

The three girls were starting to have second thoughts about if their princes who they thought were meant for them. The boys just seemed to ignore them, they never looked their way, during the last days they rarely talked and if they saw each other the boys were always busy with something else... mostly they were busy in the company of other girls. If that wasn't enough to ring a bell for the girls then they had no idea what was the valid reason to feel jealous. Though the boys had never told them they had a liking for the girls they had sent some signals clear enough to at least make an assumption that the boys liked them.

Lay had noticed the gloomy mood. He thought he was just imagining things but by now he was more than sure about his hunch. The girls didn't really pay much attention in the lesson yesterday. The three were active enough to call it participation, but they were clearly lacking inerest and enthusiasm. So now he found that it was a good time to ask girls about their change of mood.

„Oh, it's nothing. We're just really nervous about the ball, that's all.“ HyunAe tried to avoid the real reason.

„...Right,“ Lay eyed the girl suspiciously, „Even if I was blind and deaf I could still figure out that there are boys involved. By the way I don't even have to guess who the lucky guys are.“

The girls sighed for the hundredth time today. Lay chuckled - his hunch had proved him right. „Yes... Love is complicated.“ he said leaning back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head, and looking up at the ceiling.

„Lay, have you been in love?“ Haeran asked looking at the young man.

Lay's eyes widened. He almost lost his balance and fell over with the chair but he still managed not to do so. He was taken aback, but quickly collected his thoughts. He had to admit that he wasn't expecting that. He was supposed to tease them not the other way around.

„Have I been in love? Yes. I'm still in love actually but...“ Lay swallowed, „but there is a slim chance that I'd ever see her again. You know how things are in this kingdom.“ But Taeil said Xander had some connections. Just maybe... just maybe one day...

Silence. The girls nodded. Haeran mentally scolded herself that she had, once again, brought back Lay's sad memories. „I'm sorry...“ Haeran muttered.

„Seriously. What are you apologizing for?“ Lay laughed.

Haeran looked up, surprised. „I thought I brought back your sad memories. You can't see your love and all.“

„Nah. It's OK. - Have you heard something about Xander?“

Girls nodded eagerly and HyunAe said: „Kai went to his place when we were at Tao's place and Soohyun told us about him.“

Lay nodded in response. „Very good. So as you probably know he has connections throughout the countries along with the East. Lucras has banished many of our relatives and friends there and I'm pretty sure that my Yulyn is there, too.“

The girls melted away when they heard the name 'Yulyn'. „Aa-aah... Yulyn is such a pretty name!“ the three said at the same time all together.

Lay smiled. „I know, right. Anyway, in the East there is this group called Beast of the East or Beast for short. As much as we've heard from Xander those guys have collected the people who are brought to East. They are currently working on the lists of the names and addresses so soon we'll find out where our loved ones are.“

Chinsun wiggled in her seat because of excitement. „This is like some kind of episode from a book or something. It feels like we are living in a story right now!“

„It does feel that way, doesn't it? But the thing is that we can't let them to come back not just yet because as long as Lucras and his Council are pretty much ruling this kingdom they'll just send them back anyway.“

***

Sunhi knocked on the doctor's room's door. „Excuse me... Ah! Here you are. Girls, hurry up. It's time for your dress-fitting...“ the girl sang.

„OK, then, Lay. See you.“ the three said their goodbyes.

„See ya and good luck.“ the man waived.

We need more than just luck here... all three thought as they stepped behind Sunhi.

At the tailors the girls' had put on the dresses and Sunhi was really extatic about it. „Look at you, you're so pretty.“ Sunhi oo'd and aa'd at the three girls. „To me... you're all princesses.“

HyunAe smiled to herself – it was the same thing she was thinking. Haeran and Chinsun blushed and bowed – it was funny to hear those words from someone else than HyunAe.

„Don't make up stories.“ Haeran pushed the nice comment back as she admired her in the mirror.

At the same time she had a certain question banging at the back of her mind, the same thing all three wanted to know: what did the boys do and say in the company of the maids? As Sunhi was one of the maids, and the one seen most often with the three boys, she must have had an answer for this one.

Chinsun found the courage to ask this. „Hey...Sunhi. That's your name, right?“ the girl asked.

„Yes, ma'am.“ Sunhi answered as she adjusted Chinsun's train.

HyunAe giggled. „Don't be so formal. You're older than us anyway.“

Sunhi's face brightened up and it felt like the whole room lit up at that moment. „OK.“

„Anyway, Sunhi. There's this little teeny-tiny question I'd like to ask you...“ Chinsun tried to set the word in a way to sound like the words that follow now won't have much of a feeling, like the question will be something like: what is your favorite color or something.

„Shoot.“ the oldest girl got curious. You want to know about your boyfriends of course... too bad I can't tell you anything. I promised.

HyunAe couldn't handle the holdup. „What exactly are Ren, Baekho, and Minhyun talking with you all the time?“ That came out a bit too harsh... Think! Reverse it... or soften it somehow... got it! „ I mean, every time we see you guys you're always having a good time, laughing. Not that we... I'm sorry. It came out this way... a bit harsh.“

„It's OK. I know what you mean but I'm sorry I can't tell you. It's top secret.“ Sunhi got serious with the last sentence.

The tailor, named Onew, walked into the room. „Sunhi, you're needed.“

„OK.“ Sunhi nodded and then turned to the three: „You have to find out yourself. - Gotta go! Bye!“

The three girls looked at each other. That didn't go as expected.

„Earth calling the pretty ladies in my dresses. Hello~!“ Onew tried to get the trio's attention. Lucky, after some time, he did.

„Huh? What's going on?“ the girls mumbled, waking from their thoughts.

„Great. You're not dead,“ Onew smiled, „Now tell me: are your dresses fit enough? Nothing's too tight or too loose?“

„Actually, I think, I'm not that slim for my dress... it's too tight at the waist?“ HyunAe spoke up.

„Oh my! Who's the father?“ Onew clasped his hands together.

„What?“ all three blurted out.

„Of your child.“ the tailor added.

„Child?“ HyunAe raised a brow. My child? What the-... Ren could be a nice father one day... What are you thinking?!! Ren and you? Stupid!

Awkward silence.

„Nahh. I'm just messing with you.“ Onew laughed. „Let's see what we can do about the dress.“

„Is it just me or is this guy weird?“ Chinsun whispered to Haeran.

„Your Baekho is way weirder than him.“ Haeran whispered back and made Chinsun's face heat up with this comment.

Just to help you to imagine the dresses.... It just happened that they all are quite light coloured. You can imagine the girls wearing whatever dresses.