Na Eun was in a wide spreading meadow. The grassy fields filled with her favorite flower. She was in her nightgown and her hair was decorated with gold rings that clasped her hair into three sections.
 She started to giggle as she ran to a small pond with quacking ducks swimming in it. She waved her hand. “Hello.” she cooed. The baby ducks quacked at her and she giggled again. She grabbed one of the ducks and gently held it in his hands. “Your so cute.” Na Eun muttered, as she petted it’s head with her finger. All of a sudden, it’s started to get a little cloudy. The sun was hidden behind the gray clouds. The duck in Na Eun’s hands started to quack and fluttered from her hands, landing back in the water. Na Eun lifted her hands and the water started to drizzle on to her. Why would it be raining? It’s never raining in her dreams. That’s too sad for dreams.
 How ever, it isn’t rain that she had imagined, but the feeling of water being dropped on her face. She started to walk away from the pond and walked along the meadow in the cooling rain. It actually felt quite good. After all; summer rains, you can never predict them. She started to do some of her favorite dance moves, no at all able to slip on the wet grass. But then everything stopped as her real life self felt something at her hip. She heard a scrap, then a thud, then a yelp. Her dream dispersed and she awoke with a start. She looked around her room but there was no one in here, but her eyes darted right to the floor where she had heard the yelp and thud the closes. This is so weird. She slumped back into her bed and starred up at the ceiling. What could that have possibly been? There was no one in here. Nothing has been moved. Na Eun started to shake, as the thought of a cutpurse or thief had broken into her room.

 She nervously started to braid her pony tail. She would do that when she’s scared or nervous. This little habit have hers had grown into her when she was seven and heard of a close maid who often did her hair over and over again when she was nervous. Na Eun had taken that habit. One time being so scared of guests coming to the castle, she did her hair in a large bun and decorated it with feathers, beads, and flowers. As crazy as it sounded, it actually got many compliments.
 As Na Eun continued braiding her hair, she suddenly felt wet again. She felt tears emerge from her eyes and her lips. It may have felt strange, but that was the last she remembered before falling back to sleep.




 Na Eun’s eyes fluttered from the stream of sunlight and the kiss of the wispy wind from the window. Na Eun sat up and stretched from a very good sleep. She still remembered the strange occurrences from last night, but since she was fine and nothing was actually broken, it wasn’t so serious anymore.

 Na Eun moved to get out of bed but then, something flew from outside her window and on to her bed. It was a small box. Then another box flew in, this one large and rectangular. Then the next box was what made Na Eun yelp and jump out of her bed. This box was much large and landed on her bed with a heavy thud. Na Eun ran to her window and looked down to see three boys waving near the gates and one holding a string to a catapult. They all looked to be at least thirteen. They all happily waved her as she looked down directly at them. Na Eun nervously waved back at them and called as quietly as she could. “How did you get pass the guards?”
 One the boys, the smallest and has dirt all over his face called back, “We have our ways princess. Please do not tell we were here.” Another one of the boys called, “Yes. We just wanted to give you our presents personally.”
 Na Eun nodded. “Thank you. Now please hurry home before someone sees.”

 “Goodbye princess.” the called. The boys turned and quickly ran off to the street with their contraption.

 Na Eun closed her window and walked back to her bed. She wanted to see what a couple of kids could have bought to have been possibly delivered personally. She wanted to open the first one, the smallest. There were exactly three small rings inside. One with ruby, one with sapphire, and the last with emerald. How could they get their hands on these presents. One of the boys were covered in dirt, but they were dressed quite finely. Maybe their family were potentially wealthy.
 She opened the second box and inside was a long pearl necklace. Na Eun loved these kinds of necklaces. Not only were they lovely jewelry, but the long ones doubled up as hair accessories.
 Na Eun moved to the last and biggest box. On the top of the lid was hand drawn rose upon it. Na Eun opened the lid and what she found inside were largely folded pieces of paper. She unfolded the first one and it revealed her in her long white dress from last night at her birthday party. It was the party dress she wore for her oboe performance. She pulled the second one out and it was of her happily smiling as she was dancing with her father. Then third was her in her finishing pose of her dance solo. Na Eun grinned.

 She wished one of the boys had signed their names on the portraits. She was happy enough to go down into the kingdom and personally thank them for the presents.

                                                                    *

 Leeteuk and Sora were reported to the oracle of Pheobus later that day. Leeteuk had complained all the way to the alter, that he had better things to attend to beside dealing with another report on this oracle. But the news he found out had both hurt him and his wife.

 They had arrived in the oval room and had sat with a couple of the oracle men dressed in robes. They had revealed news for them involving their youngest daughter. They told them the worst they could ever hear: their daughter had to move away from them. Somewhere on the outskirts on the kingdom far, far away. Not only that, but the king is to expect no human son-in-law, but a dragon-like creature who harasses the world with fire and iron and is feared by even Jupiter and the inhabitants of the underworld. The parents were horrified. Sora stuttered, “W-why?” The oracle answered to them that the girl has angered the gods, which is what the parents were afraid of. That is what Sora was thinking about the whole ride here.

 “The is destined for the bride of no mortal lover.” they said. “Her future husband awaits her on the top of the mountain, where the servants will help her to the place. He is a monster whom neither gods nor men can resist.”

 Sora shook her head. “No, this can’t be. She is only a child, our child who we are not ready to give up.”

 Leeteuk haughtily crossed his arms. “We shall not submit.”

 One of the hooded figures leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at the king. “You can and you must. You must obey the command of the oracle, led by Phoebus. Not only would you be refusing requests from us, but you would be refusing Venus who your daughter has made so ireful.”
 Sora gasped. “We have made her angry?”

 “Yes.” they said. “Claiming she is Venus and abandoning her alters to praise and pray for her. Venus does not approve of her peoples treachery.”

 So they have angered the goddess, and now they have to pay the price. To submit their daughter into marrying a hideous beast.

 Sora shuddered and sobbed into her husband’s bosom. Leeteuk held her tightly against his chest. “How we ever going to tell her?” Sora cried.
 “You must tell her very soon,” the hooded man said, “for her transition will be happening tomorrow morning.”



 Na Eun had bid goodbye to her sisters five minutes ago. They had taken a carriage back to their kingdom and away to their husbands.

 Na Eun now had taken upon doing a servants hair just for fun. There was nothing else to do inside this isolated castle. Her servant was a young, sixteen year old girl. Her hair was long and shiny blonde. The girl had no other duties to attend so Na Eun had offered to do her hair into a wrath. She had gathered beads, feathers, and her pearl necklace for the girl. The girl was actually very nervous but also glad that out of everyone the princess had offered to do her hair.
 “You know, you didn’t need to do this, princess.” she said.
 Na Eun chuckled. “Oh please. I’ve always loved doing hair like this. It actually keeps me relaxed. Besides, who says you can never look too pretty?” You have no idea, the girl thought.

 “I’m going to make you look pretty.” Na Eun said as she started to string beads in her hair. “Is there someone you are taken with? A knight, a suitor?” The girl slightly shook her head. “No madam.” The girl slightly shuffled her position on the couch.
 “But, mind me asking milady.” Na Eun shook her head. “Please, you can ask me anything. Go ahead.”

 “You have many suitors, admires, secret lovers.” Na Eun slowed her hands down as she heard her words.
 “Is there anyone you are taken with?”

 Na Eun already knew how to answer this question, as it grieved her to answer every time. “No, I’m afraid.” Na Eun started to knot a peacock feather into her hair. “There is no one who has caught my eye.”

 “You know, with the many men that give you attention princess, it won’t be too hard to find at least one that you could fall for.” I’m not counting on it, Na Eun thought. She continued to silently strewn in more beads into the girls hair and apply another feather in her hair.
 Then behind them, the king and queen had silently entered through the doors. Na Eun stopped and bother her and the servant looked back to them. The servant stood up and gave a long and low bow. Though the king and queen didn’t acknowledge her. Na Eun waved at them. “Hello, mother, father.” Na Eun waved to the servant to sit back down and continued with her hair.

 Leeteuk looked at her. “Na Eun, we would like to talk to you.”
 Na Eun nodded but did not look up from her handy work. “You may speak. I will listen.”

 Leeteuk grabbed her wrists and turned her to him. “In private.”

 The servant stood up and bowed. Then she scurried off to the direction of the kitchens. Na Eun frowned. She really wanted to finish her hair.
 She looked up at her father. “Yes father?”

 Leeteuk and Sora sat down on both sides of her. Sora took her hand in hers. Na Eun suddenly noticed how sorrowful they looked. She was suddenly worried. “Daughter, we have just arrived back with news from the oracle of Phoebus.”
 Na Eun nodded. “Has something happened? Has someone been sent away or gone missing?”
 Sora shook her head. “No.” she said. “But, you’ll be the one going away.” Leeteuk said. Na Eun’s eyes widened. “What?”

 Sora took in a breath. “Na Eun, it has come to attention that your fame has gone widespread to the gods. The oracle has said that you have angered our goddess Venus, that you are the reason of her alters empty and praises turned to you.”

 “So now they have come with a solution; that you are to move to the mountains and be wed to someone else.” Leeteuk said.

 Na Eun hook her head. She gripped to her mother’s hand. “But I am not ready for marriage.”

 “We know.” Sora said.
 “We shall find a loophole in this decision and make sure you stay with us.” Leeteuk said.

 Na Eun stood up, not being able to face her parents.
 It was rather disappointing to have to leave. To go away, and live without her sisters, mother and father. To live without the hardships of palace life and to get away from the cheers and presents from the commoners. . . wait . . . Isn’t that what she wanted? Her dream constantly consist of her being alone and out there in the beautiful side of the world. A place where she had so barely had got to see. This was her chance to escape and see what it is like out there, out there in the real world.

 Na Eun turned to face her parents and kept her calm persona intact. As she looked to them though, they had completely abandoned themselves to grief. But Na Eun said, “Why, my dear parents, do you now lament me? You should rather have grieved when the people showered upon me underserved honors, and with one voice called me a Venus. I now perceive that I am a victim to that name. I submit.” Sora gasped and Leeteuk’s face contorted into a deep frown.

 “When shall I be leaving?” Na Eun asked.

 “Tomorrow morning.” Sora squeaked.

 “Then tomorrow morning you shall lead me to that rock to which my unhappy fate has destined me.”