A/N If you have not read my oneshot, The Legend of the Ice Princess, you can read it here. This is the prequel to that story. ___________________________________________________________________________________

     The small village was bustling with civilians getting ready for the annual Winter Festival.  Older women were bent over sewing the flags that young men were then hanging on the lamp posts. Children darted in and out of the crowd going from shop to shop, gathering up last minute ingredients for the big feast at the end of the night. Two rather muscular men were attaching a large sign on either side of the street, while three young women fixed each other’s hair through the window of the tailor shop.

Fall had ended on a good note and the village people wanted to celebrate the beginning of the end of the year. Every year, once all of the orange and yellow leaves had fallen from the trees surrounding the quaint village, the townspeople have one last large feast before the brutal winter set in. The hint of snow teased the villagers, but had not yet made landfall.

The cool breeze lifted the short, young woman’s soft brown, slightly curled hair as she made her way through the market. She weaved through the people, a wicker basket full of fresh vegetables slightly swinging on the crook of the arm. Her simple pastel rose gown brushed along the ground as she made her way down the worn street. She had just passed by the last of the crowd, when a hand grabbed her wrist, forcing her into the alley between the last two shops. Startled, she opened to scream but a large hand covered before any noise was made. She looked at the man who removed his hand from and placed his finger to his lips. She smiled fondly at the man, playfully hitting him in the arm.

“Aiden Lee! What are you doing? You scared me!” she whispered.  He gave her his signature toothy smile, his chestnut hair falling slightly in front of his left eye.

“I missed you,” he pouted. “And you looked especially beautiful today, my love. How could I resist?” His fingers traced her exposed collarbone before caressing her cheek. He stared into her eyes for a moment and pressed his lips to hers. She pulled away slightly, her cheeks rosy as her eyes dazzled with excitement.

“Not here,” she whispered, her forehead resting on his, “someone might see.”

“Tonight? It’ll be crowded enough. No one will notice during the festival,” Aiden murmured.

“Jessica! Jessica! Now where did that girl run off to?” A woman’s voice shouted from the busy streets. Jessica turned her head towards the voice and looked back at Aiden. She pecked him on the lips and nodded before racing off.

     Jessica sat on a bench in front of a large mirror, as her mother stood behind her, helping her get ready for the Winter Festival.

 “You need to stop running off on your own,” Mrs. Jung stated, placing a pearl necklace on Jessica’s neck, “especially in the market. You never know who is out there, waiting in the shadows for a young lady to wander off. Your father is an important man; some people may try to use you to get to him. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Yes, Mother,” Jessica replied, a small smile creeping on her face as she thought of what had happened earlier.

“Now,” her mother said as she looked at Jessica in the mirror, “what are we going to do with your hair?” She grabbed the messy curls and began untangling the bits that had matted from the wind. She grabbed the comb off the table in front of them and gently went to work. A few minutes later, Jessica’s hair was woven into a low, loose bun, the crown braided.

“You look beautiful, princess” the older squealed. “Any man would be lucky to have you for a wife. Now, I’ve laid the dress you will be wearing on your bed. I’ll call for Tiffany to help you into your corset. You’re going to be the prettiest lady at the festival!” Mrs. Jung gave Jessica a quick squeeze and walked out of the room.

Jessica stared at her reflection, imaging what Aiden would say when he saw her. She giggled to herself, and pulled a strand of hair out of her perfectly placed bun, twirling it with her finger.

“What are you giggling about, miss?” Jessica jumped as a slender woman with long, dark brown hair appeared behind her.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to frighten you.” The woman bowed deeply to Jessica.

“It’s fine, Tiffany. There’s no need to apologize.” Jessica gave her an apologetic smile. Jessica stood up and walked towards her bed. Both girls gasped as the dress came into view. A long, strapless evening gown was spread out on the sheets; it’s color a pure white.

“That is the finest dress I have ever seen! You are going to look so striking in it, miss,” Tiffany exclaimed as she grabbed the corset from the closet.  Jessica took off her pink dress and Tiffany helped her lace up the corset.

“There are rumors that Lord Siwon from the next village over is going to be attending the Winter Festival. I heard that he is looking for the most beautiful lady in town to become his bride,” Tiffany exclaimed as she tightened the lace, causing Jessica to gasp. Mistaking her gasp of pain for one of excitement, she continued, “When he sees you, he is going to fall in love at first sight, I just know it!”

Jessica poised herself, before calmly responding. “There are plenty of beautiful woman in our village. I doubt he will even notice me.”

Tiffany grabbed the dress from the bed, careful to not crease it and placed it over Jessica’s head. “Now, miss. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” She let the dress trail out, fluffing out the parts that had gotten caught. Once she was done, she stood and admired the woman that stood before her. Jessica walked towards the mirror and gasped. She looked mystical, her pale skin blending with her dress, which clung to her body before flowing out and trailing behind her.

“I look…” she marveled.

“Like a princess,” Tiffany beamed. “You look like an ice princess. You're going to be the talk of the Winter Festival.”

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Sorry the first chapter is a little slow. It's just setting everything up. I actually have a pretty good outline of what is going to happen in this story so I hope you enjoyed it and will continue reading! Thank you for subscribing! I always appreciate feedback!