Fluid. Flowing, like the gentle waters of the lake in a painting in the great hall, she danced in the water with pristine precision. All grace and supple, nimble in the gentle ease of the waves, putters from the wind, blown from the mountain tops from the back drop, she danced for him. Slowed-motion, feet treading beneath the water languidly, she danced and danced for him alone.

    He jerked from a hail and a loud calling of his name. Once more and he finally shuts up to attention. Unknowingly where he was or what is going on, only that he need be alert and awake for the moment. Same dream mostly on the days he felt lost and weary, Sehun daydreamed about a maiden dancing for him under water. Yet, to him although his mind tells him it’s not possible for any one person to stay under water that long, he concludes she might actually be dancing on air, blowing with the wind. But that was even more fantastical. Nevertheless, nothing made sense. Disoriented from the stupor, he just shakes his head willing it to go away for the mean time.

    He doesn’t dislike the dream. If he was to be honest with himself, on the days that his mother and father made him weary with talks of the future, the crown, the throne, the heir-to-be… or his best friend drowning him with work straight from the king himself, irrefutable so to speak, the dream almost always sweeps every stress, relieving him of a heavy heart and clouded mind.

“Prince Sehun, you lucky man! Thirty of the most eligible maiden awaits your bidding.” Lu Han snorts raising his brows playfully at the jest. The Crowned Prince of Ardea and he grew up training side by side when they were young. Lu Han’s only job to keep his highness company, he was fortunate that Sehun showed him great affection treating him like a brother he’s never had. Lu Han has never left his side ever since, sworned loyalty until his last hour.

“Awaits my bidding? They await the crown, the jewels, the dresses, the balls, the pampering til’ their heart’s desire. None are after me, Lu. I assure you. They are here for what I can give them.” He lowers his head his voice dragging him along back to the sofa he was just taking a nap on. 

“I’ve met a couple of them and I have to say, you are right about some.” He stopped a second collecting his surrounding the darken room with the heavy curtains blocking the windows barely letting the light in, and his friend’s facade in the midst of it all, the serious sunken eyes like he hadn’t slept a wink. “You look like you haven’t slept at all…”

“I haven’t. Funny. I only sleep on this chair, on the mid of the day when the sun is at its peak… That’s the only time she comes.” Breathless he’d spoken the last bit. He continued however, wanting to cover up his slip.  "And you come barging in waking me up." He tries to make a play at the mere slip.

“She’s still dancing?” Lu says playfully, but really he had been worried for some time now. Sehun looks up at him seeming to want to speak but instead holding Lu Han’s gaze in equal worry.

    Sehun finally find his voice after his failed attempt to defend a phantom. “I went today,  wanting so much… hoping that one of them was her. What do you say, have I lost my mind?”

    Lu Han leans back on the chair and lets out an exasperated air. He too had gone to pick up the participants. He had no knowledge of Sehun coming out to pick them up. In truth, he had the same idea perusing every participant's face matching it to Sehun's very vague but also very specific description of the dancing maiden and yet he just knew none of them was she. So he couldn't blame his best friend for sneaking away and sneaking a peek of his would be queen. He knew far too well that although his friend knew his responsibilities, he still yearned like a child for the same love his father have for his mother and his mother to the king. He always said how fortunate he was to be born from love not responsibility. It had always made him feel complete as a child, as boy, as a man, and now as a Crowned Prince. He only wants the same for his future children. Sehun must've noticed his unease because then Sehun blurts out, "Nobody saw me." then somehow as if he suddenly found something amusing, he was smiling. No, smirking in amusement. And this made Lu Han more weary than he was of the Prince's escape.

Except for one. Sehun thought.

“One, two, three, four. One, two, three don’t slouch ladies. You are the price for the night and when you dance, you just glide with the guidance of your partner, in this case the Crowned Prince. You shall not embarrass the Crowned Prince. He's quite the dancer. ” The governess sang in her freely voice, with her too high-pitched “One”.

“I heard he’s not only a good dancer in the great halls, but also in the bedroom.” Minah whispered when she was whisked next to Hei-Ran. And it could’ve been discreet and swallowed by the loud music and the dancing shoes if not for Hei-ran’s loud gasp making the governess stop and turn their way. The two girls both looked her way and slowly maneuvered their stances to look as if it they were just dancing along not hiding their laughing faces. 

It had been Minah who came to her way right as soon as she came out of the bedroom and introduced herself in an instant. Hei-Ran had this sick feeling like she was being thrown into the wolves with nothing but her very pretty, heavy gown and high heels that would surely disable her speed and agility. She cursed it to the underworld and back.

“Hi, I’m Minah. Glad I’m not the only one who hates the shoes.” She giggled. Holding out a hand to Hei-Ran. Hei-ran could only mutter her name still holding her one ankle and now steadying herself against Minah. 

“Thank you.” She had slipped a quiet smile, still guarded remembering the warnings of her headmistress. 

“You are not here to make friends, Lady Hei-Ran. You are here to learn. Outside that door, there are fine ladies all equally if not more beautiful than you are right now. Outside this room is a game and the crown is the prize.” 

“The crown?” She tilted her head at Sunmi.

“Yes, my lady. The crown. Surely you didn’t think you were here for love?”

    Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Hei-Ran had no idea what she thought of the whole thing. If she was to be honest with herself, the past couple of days had been more like minutes, seconds, nano-seconds because not once was she able to grasp anything and clearly absorb.

“Oh god you were---“

“No!” Hei-Ran quickly defended almost shouting her response. “No. That wasn’t what I thought. I only meant… Well, I haven’t had a chance to really take in anything, with me getting whisked to this whole thing, you know. I’m truly just here until I can save enough…” And then she stopped thinking she might’ve said too much or said the wrong thing. But the ladies in front of her had not reacted. Sunmi especially just smiled gently and reached in for a fray on the hem of her dress.

“We know, Lady Hei-Ran.”

“Ren! Please call me Ren. I don’t know what to do with all these pleasantries and well, just look at me. I’m no lady.” She scoffed now turning towards the door with anxiety in her every unsteady step.

“We are looking, my lady. And Lady Hei-Ran…” She places her hands gently on the girl’s shoulder finally calming her erratic breathing turning her towards the mirror. “You are a Lady. Don’t ever forget that. We are only here to clean you and change your clothes. But we are not here to change who you are.” There was something motherly to her tone and suddenly Hei-Ran had started to miss home. She'd never had a mother and she thought maybe that it was how it felt like.

    The niceties between her and Minah were quickly set aside as a voice started to call them to the dining hall. Sitting next to Minah, now her sole source of support, as much as she didn’t want to get attached, she felt the need to succumb just this once. With her long Raven hair flowing perfectly against her shoulder, Minah is everything grace and poise. Her eyes darts down to the girl’s hand and she knew, Minah couldn’t have been from the working class. Soft, tiny hands folded on her lap, not a crack, or a wrinkle, or even spot of dryness and callous. It seems as if Minah might’ve come from a noble family, with butlers that open your doors and cater to your every needs. Where cooks stayed cooking in the kitchen and maids forever cleaning every corner of the house, things she’s been used to doing by herself along with her multiple jobs. Minah looks to be privileged and fortunate enough to be born never worrying about money, jobs, even chores.  She suddenly felt a pang of envy until Minah slightly touched her forearm and offered her a sweet innocent and bright smile. She nods to the man who stands ready to open the door just across from them. Hei-Ran knew right there and then that she truly must’ve come from a noble house, enough to know many things.  And it was then when the gears in her mind had started whirring, granted rusted and blunted in the edges from years of disuse,  Hei-Ran got herself an idea. With the words of her headmistress still ringing in her ears. 

“You are not here to make friends, Lady Hei-Ran. You are here to learn. Outside, there are fine ladies all equally if not more beautiful than you are right now. Outside this room is a game and the crown is the prize.” 

    And there it was, as she looked up again at Minah, she found her survival. Her bottle of water in the desert, no better yet, her clear oasis. With Minah, she figured, she’d be able to survive as long as she stuck by her and learned from the girl. Then she'd be able to survive a bit longer. She'd be able to save enough money for her and her father and maybe, freely be Ren alongside Kai. Taking in the appearance of Minah, Hei-Ran straightened herself and placed her folded hands on her lap just as the latter. 

    Minutes later, the door creaked open and a firm and astute looking woman hovered by the table until she bowed slightly taking in every face in the room. 

“Chairs number 4, 12, 17, 18, 23 and 27. Please stand up and take your leave.” Abrupt. Her voice undeterred. She caused a sudden confusion in the room in mere seconds of her arrival. 

    There was slight murmuring and Hei-Ran and Minah couldn’t help but look to each other in confusion. Then at their table, a card folded and tucked next to the napkin hid a handwritten card with a number.

“30” She let the sound play in her lips sofly under her breath, relief flooding all over her that she hadn't been called. Out of 30 girls, she was number 30. She looked to her side chancing a peek at Minah’s card and with no surprise, it said “5”.

Is it ranking? Order of getting picked up maybe? Captain Lu did say I was the last one to be picked up.

    Hei-Ran shook the thoughts in her head. What warranted their departure? What have they done wrong already that in mere seconds of the governess's entrance, they were deemed unsatisfactory. It dawned on Hei-Ran that this, every moment of this is a game. There are specific rules that are sure to divide and separate the girls through rankings. Because who else would know these specifics but those who are of noble birth?

Copy her. Just for god sakes, Ren. Copy Minah. For your future, just until you can come back and settle with your father. Ren looks to Minah who simply smiles at her and relief floods over her in an instant. She will survive this. If she has to mirror Minah and everything that she is for the mean time, she will do anything for her father.  She poised her hand over the other, straigthens her back and lifts her chin regally returning the smile just like Minah.

I will survive this much.

    The woman finally introduced her self but Hei-Ran was too conscious that she could barely hear form the blaring of her pounding heart against her ribs and the thrumming in her ears. She didn’t even know where it came from.

    Once she was seated, a girl had reached for her glass of water and suddenly without looking up the governess had uttered, “15 please stand up and take your leave.”

    The girl froze, hand in mid reach and shaking now from fright. It might even look like she was about to burst out crying. When she hadn’t moved, a lady from behind had cupped her elbow and raised her with just one touch escorting her outside. The girl slumped to herself and finally sniffled before the door closed shut.

   There were a couple more numbers called after that until there were only eighteen girls in the room and the highest number left is Hei-Ran then 21.

Ranking. It has to be ranking. She thought to herself And pretty much, I'm in the very bottom.

a/n: short update for you awesome readers.
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