Joseon Period

            There was no other thing that Han Yeonhae wanted to do more, then be outside and enjoy the warmth of the sun on her pale skin.

            But no.

            She had to be cooped up inside the red Palace walls, serving her duties as the youngest princess. She was different from the rest of her beautiful 5 sisters. Instead of spending her time taking care of her makeup, hair, and beauty, Han Yeonhae would go to the Queen Dowager, to listen closely about news of the outside world. However, that didn’t mean that her looks were foul. Her cheeks were as pink as a rose in full bloom, and her eyes were as blue as the sky-that is if she were able to see the sky. Any little thing about the outside world could spark Yeonhae’s curiosity. But as they say, curiosity can kill the cat.

            Her father was the nation’s King, proudly upholding the pride of the Han household. He was greatly respected and admired by all of his people because of his hard work he put into the nation. Her mother, had died before she was born, so the King was widowed. He had been asked to find concubines to fill in her duties, but he refused- as his heart had always belonged to that woman. Also, he had 6 daughters who could fulfill the job easily. The Queen Dowager, his mother, had also managed to try her hardest to make sure that the sisters had the right education, etiquette, and morals in order to live up to their household name.

            Each of their sisters had their own room, and another ‘sun room’ that they could put their special belongings in. The oldest sister, Han Haechan, had her room filled with an enormous amount of books. Even if girls of the palace weren’t allowed to read from the scholar’s books, Haechan would always find a way to persuade her father. The second sister, Han Eunchae, was the most beautiful. Heck, she could pass for a gisaeng! Many many boys from other places would ask for her hand in marriage, in which she rejected. Her room was filled with powder, and make up supplies that she would spend hours on pampering her face. The third sister Han Kyungmi, was the artist of the family. Her room was filled with paper, brushes and ink. She would sometimes draw a family portrait, to impress her father of her skill. She could spend days and days in her room, drawing with graceful of her brush what comes into her mind. The fourth sister, Han Aeri, was in love with music. Music was her passion and way of expressing her feelings. Therefore, she owned 2 gayageums and a haegum. She would play music while her sisters danced and giggled as they tripped over the sturdy fabric of their expensive hanbok. The fifth princess, Han Jaegeum, was a green person. Her care for animals and plants would be everlasting. Her sunroom was like her very own garden, providing her every ounce of delight.

            The last sister, the youngest, was no other than Han Yeonhae. What a queer girl she was. Yeonhae was stubborn, curious, and boyish. The trouble maker of the family. Yeonhae would often attempt to sneak out of the palace, but with that hanbok of hers, she would get caught. Every. Single. Time. She enjoyed time in her sunroom, as its clear windows let in the slightest amount of sunshine. In her sunroom, was nothing but a porcelain sculpture of a man. A very handsome man indeed. His features were carefully shaped, with a sharp jawline, and a broad chest. Yeonhae had found him at the time when she almost escaped. He was missing an arm, and had lots of damage done to his body. But after lots of pleading and whining, her father allowed a crafter to fix the statue. Yeonhae, was, you could say, obsessed. She would spend hours sitting in her room, observing every inch of the sculpture, and think about where it came from. The outside world, perhaps? Yeonhae would sigh, and snuggle back into her bed, hoping that that night she would have a dream about it.

            However, the King somehow changed his mind on the eldest sister’s 18^th birthday. He announced to the sisters that on their 18^th birthday, they would be allowed to see and explore the outside world. It seemed unfair to little Yeonhae that she was only the young age of 13 at that time, but she decided to keep persisting. This was only because the Queen Dowager had once told her, “good things come to those who wait,”

            One by one, the sisters set out to see the new world out there. They came back explaining how wonderful it was to finally be free, to finally breath the same air as everyone else. They brought back many clips and treasures from the ‘market’, but Yeonhae didn’t know what that was. Oh how she longed to know what it felt like to see the sun without glass being in the way. She longed to feel the sun; she longed to hear the loud, noisy chattering of people, as her sisters described to her. Her sisters would go out almost every other night, with their arms interlocked into each others, and come home laughing and giggling about the sights they saw.

Yeonhae, who stayed home, would look at her porcelain statue and sigh, “I wish my 18^th year would come faster!”

And so it did. After what seemed like a decade, she too, had finally turned the ripe age of 18.

Leaving her with the opportunity to cure her curiosity.