“My lady, sorry we’re late. We thought you’d want to mingle with the other participants so we looked for you in the crowd.” They were both bowing down and sounded really distressed but was very shocked as they examined my appearance. They bowed lower when a hand from the first lady in charge had stopped them.

“Don’t be sorry. My name is Kim Hei-Ran. Please take care of me.” Slowly they looked up at me shocked some more if that was even possible.

“Stop.” Sunmi finally spoke. “You are never to acknowledge them in this matter unless you need them for something and even then you should never be this.... nice.”  I stiffened at her side. 

“What do you mean?”

   Sunmi walks and tugs on my hair gently pulling out pins and barrettes. 

“You are a guest of this house, a lady at that. When you become queen you must know your place and exude the same for others.”

“When I become queen...”

“Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“Yes... No.” And the tone had said it all. I wasn’t sure. 

“I know you're position, my lady. We all do. But you need to try, to finally step up and put yourself in this current position. You have an opportunity here. Grab hold of it." She turns me taking more pins from my temple this time.

“I understand my position completely. But frankly I still would like to acknowledge other people not by their rankings but because they're human beings. I’ve been in the other end and it sure is demoralizing to have someone look down on me right away as if my ranking is tattooed on my forehead.”

    Sunmi finally smiles, a motherly smile, I’ve only seen on other mothers with their children in church, or in the market.

“This is why you must try your hardest. So that positions can be retained stilling acceptance and respect for others. Or there will be mutiny. Everyone claiming position as king or queen. Lines will be blurred and respect swept under the rug.” She brushes my hair gently now and the two girls earlier had taken their leave I barely noticed. 

"But shouldn't we just respect people just because they are human beings?"I glanced up at her reflection in the mirror.  I think about the times my father and I traveled around the known land. We were accepted, weren't we? We were not noble or anything, nor does our presentation or anything physical display begged respect. Why then must things change just because we're in the castle ground?

   She sighs, eyes sparkling with the light from the candle on the side table. Smiling gently at me but speaking with great lesson in her voice, she began once again. "Acknowledgment, acceptance, it is very different from respect. The monarchy holds great responsibility that which is authority and power. They are a model of which that represents our kingdom. Not everyone is entitled or deserves that kind of position. A position that high and important must be retained and its only through respect must it be instilled to keep that position. So rankings are unconsciously important in a society. Not everyone can be leaders, not everyone can be governing authorities. Think about this tonight. Because you may soon take part to this magnanimous responsibility."

  The way she stood behind me as I sat on a chair in front of my vanity watching her take careful care of me, I somehow missed my mother or would've been if I’ve known my her. Her words, her gentle touches, I began to think how different I would've been if my mother was still alive. My father had been there for me all this time but nothing exuded this kind of parenting over me. It warmed my chest and I almost didn’t want her to stop brushing my hair. 

Try. Everyone I’ve met had reminded me to try except for one. Kai. 

“I know you have to go but you must know, I will wait for you. So, please come back soon.”

    I awoke in a cold sweat panic in my chest. It's as if the room had been swallowed by darkness and the air had been dry. I was drowning, couldn't catch my breath nor find my bearing. I shut up clutching hard to my sheets. Trying to grab hold of something to bring me back to save me. Reaching in the cold night air for someone to retrieve me. "Save me!" I remember uttering the words to someone in the dead of the night as I was pulled in by the deep blue sea. But there were nothing now but sheets. Sheets. I am on a bed with sheets. Not drowning in water, not crying for someone to save me. I am alive and I am still here. It took a minute for me to gather my thoughts and myself before I had the inkling for fresh air.

"You are not to leave your room pass lights-out. Or you will forfeit your participation in this grand opportunity. Do not forget you are a guess here and breaking the rules is a clear sign of your disrespect of the crown." She remembers the governess telling them on their very first day in the Daughter's Mansion as she proudly called it. 

     But I had to. It's as if I haven't fully breathed in a while, like my chest was still filled with water and I am soon to drown in my own anxiety and panic. So I searched the room until an idea had come to me. The window, the crawling vines on the outside wall. I ran as fast as I could to the window prying it open, letting the cold night air in. But still it wasn't enough. I frowned on the sight in front of me. The full moon overlooking a beautiful garden lush as I expected, I would like to see it up-close. Back home I've been acquainted to nightly walks down by the creek, meeting Kai or star gazing by the high ridge. I had been free. Free to go anywhere I want, be anything I want to be. And this so-called opportunity had stolen all that away from me. I wasn't like any of the other girl here who wanted to better themselves and their lifestyles. I was already in love with my life. Suddenly a thought had come to me. With the years of practice and training I know for sure I am able to scale this wall down and escape if only for the night, just for the night.  And so I did. I grabbed a robe from the closet and tied the bottom of the dress tight so it wouldn't snag and drag. I found a shawl hanging inside as well and took it with me wrapping it around my neck for warmth. 

"Here goes nothing." And before I could change my mind my feet stepped over the window sill and I had began to scale to my escape.

x

     I was glad for the moon, bright and full lighting my way. The wind blew gently thankfully not as cold as the frigid night air in the north where not a soul would even dare step out of the house in fear of hypothermia. I remembered my father calling it. I tiptoed away from the wall when I was sure that there was no one around. No shoes, no stockings. I walked barefoot on the grass letting my feet sink into the lush of the green. It was as perfectly perfect just as everything was.  I walked silently into the night without a soul to hear my chuckles of excitement and joy. I was outside my room. I broke the rules and I'm getting away with it. What feeling it is to do something above the law and in the castle walls at that. But alas, I could feel the night tethering away. The help would be waking up soon and I would have to leave or else be caught and  hanged for disrespecting the king and queen's laws. 

    I went back the same way I came and this time dragging my feet not wanting to go back. When I've reached the wall, I began scaling it once again when my foot slipped and I found myself with no vines to reach and my whole body mid-air about to hit the ground. I groaned awaiting the impact of the ground and the pain and injury I'd be sporting the next day. It wouldn't be the first time I hurt myself from climbing and falling but still didn't make the injury less painful. 

THUG! 

"Oww!!!"

    Instead of my own voice, I was surprised to hear a deeper unknown voice. My eyes shut open in an instant. I hadn't known I closed it tight on the way down. 

"Oh dear g--" I jumped off of the body I had unfortunately landed on instead of the cold hard ground I expected. But I wasn't shocked wordless at the sight of another human being. I feared instead sure now that I've been caught and my head will be rolling down the town square whence the sun is at its peak. But then I was breathless still when I've realized that the body under me, that I now am holding too close and too tight against me, not knowing I had unconsciously stooped over, head cradled, is none other than Captain Lu Han. I was even more shocked now but there was a relief that flooded my core. The brief time with him made me trust him. And just like then, I couldn't help but be relieved that it was him who caught me, who found me. 

   He gasped. I winced. 

"I wasn't trying to escape." I said quickly, defending myself.

    And then there was silence as I had his body now on my arms, an unconscious decision as it may seem, and I am a breath away from his face.

"Ms. Kim.. Hei-Ran..You're knee." He said muffled under his grimace. Confused at first until I peered down on my knee and was crazed to see it on top of his groin. No wonder he was grimacing. I was slowly killing his future sons and daughters.

"Oh gosh. Sorry." I jumped away forgetting I had his whole body cradled once, now forcefully dropped to the ground. He grimaced again. I  took a step towards him but he stopped me with a hand. 

"Don't. You might..." He shakes his head and sighs. Instead he said, "Just pull me up if you don't mi-." He barely finished under the obvious pain he displayed in his face.

    I pulled him up with one hand and his eyes widened in surprise at how easily I had picked him up. 

“You are a strong lady, Ms. Kim Hei-Ran.” He said wide eyed then suddenly grimacing when he took a full step and probably feeling the results of my falling on him. 

“Hei-Ran. Call me Hei-Ran, Captain Lu Han.” I settled his arm on my shoulder and hoisted up some more maneuvering him towards the wall where he sat unable to stand it seems.

    He smiled after I settled him perched against the wall. 

“I have never seen a more… surprising assailant in my life.” He grinned making me smile and relax finally. I sat next to him, back pressed against the wall. I began to look back where I came from and I couldn’t even ask for a night such as this. 

“Actually I’ve never heard of an escapist trying to come back. You could’ve ran away.”

“Not before I take an arrow on my back or find my head rolling down in the town square.”

   Captain Lu Han laughed. 

“I just needed to breathe. I felt so cooped up these past couple of weeks and the garden was so inviting outside my window. I just had to try. I wasn’t trying to leave. I just wanted some time for myself.” When I finally looked down, I catch Captain Lu Han’s head cocked towards me looking intently as I spoke. 

   He peered up and down at me until I was sure he was checking my appearance. It took him a while to look away but it was only when he figured I've caught on. He cleared his throat and fixed his clothes. Slowly softening his gaze as he looked away from whence I came. His voice low but back to the Captain he was in the carriage, I was too glad for my own sake. I didn't know I was even hoping for it. 

“I know the feeling.” He said under a sigh. Casually like we’ve been friends for forever.

    I look back at him and his eyes trailed longer to the lone path.

“Did you enjoy your walk?” He started casually then chuckling when he peered to my shoe-less feet.

I reddened. Then it dawned on him.

“You scaled the wall.” He said shockingly and matter-of-factly.

“Yes.” Shying away I spoke once again. “I know I promised to try but there are some habits I can’t throw away.”

“Habits like scaling a wall? Or manhandling the personal guard of the Crowned Prince?” He said accusingly but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

“I’m sorry again. And no. Just being able to do anything. I know it scares the likes of you to find a girl like me in the castle ground with this kind of thinking. But I assure you the freedom I seek is not illegal or treacherous. I mean look at this place. It is beautiful. Perfect. I’ve been here for two and a half weeks and I’ve only seen the solarium and still I felt caged in.”

   He didn’t respond. He simply pressed his lips seemingly in thought. 

“You sound like you crave adventure.”

“Don’t we all? Don’t you?” Suddenly my spirits brightened for the first time in almost three weeks and I began telling him my adventures from back home. Including Kai in everything and anything I’ve done thus far. I didn’t hold back. I couldn’t hold back. It was nice to talk about my life before this contest. And he smiled and nodded and listened intently. 

“Kai sounds like a lucky guy.” He finally says after I told him about our recent fight about him calling me a lady.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean the friendship and the regard you have for him-“

“He’s like a brother to me.” I suddenly cut him off. I don’t know why I had said it but somehow it felt freeing to say it out aloud. Had I always thought of him as just a brother? I remember distinctly the times I admired him. But come to think of it. It had only been admiration, if I was to be honest to herself. 

“I’ve grown up without a mother or any other siblings. My father worked everyday almost for the most part of the day. So instead, call me lucky. I have been lucky enough to have someone to accompany me, to put up with me.” I paused. I started to think about our day to day routines. Training, school work, jobs, his adventures with women where I was involved in gods know too many stupid things to make them all possible. The women.

“Plus, I’ve been his right hand man all this time. I’ve been in more dates with women than I can imagine.” I joked and he laughed wholeheartedly.

“So you like women?” He playfully responded with his eyebrows dancing menacingly.

“No!" I chuckled. "I just. I’m not the type of girl people associated with the word ‘beautiful’, ‘pretty’, lady-like…” I couldn’t go on suddenly frowning to myself.

   He looks to me and paused, eyeing me once again just like he did earlier. This time with a smile on his face. “I suppose scaling a wall is not ‘lady-like’.” He joked. “But you truly are amazing at other things. Like planning, hiding, peering in the shadows… you’re like—“

“A what? A thief of the night?” I said with ease and casual intonation. I am enjoying my escape thus far and this conversation. Captain Lu Han had made it all the better. 

    He was laughing at my retort. “Yes, Hei-Ran the princess thief of the night!.” He said with grand-announcer introducing a fighter before a fight.

   Chuckling, more laughing. Captain Lu Han’s eyes is pressed in tight crescent slits as he laughed and laughed and Hei-Ran couldn’t help but gaze into his bright handsome but contorted face. 

“Ahh! I have never laughed this much in my life.” It was depressing, the words, to hear them said so honest.

“Well, I’ll be available until I’m deemed unsuitable. You are welcome to come talk to me anytime you’d like.” 

   Suddenly he stopped and he looked at me, eyes gazing at me with excitement. 

“What about the Crowned Prince?” There was something indifferent in his tone.

“What about the Prince? Let’s be honest, Captain Lu Han. I will never pass for the future queen with what my thief-like abilities and my good-natured jokes. The Crowned Prince might as well hire a jester or watch a circus in my stead.”

“You talk so highly of yourself.”

   The words made me jolt in surprise. He laughs again and this time at my reaction and pure dismay.

“I only meant, I don’t think you’d be a good thief. I mean...You’re charming and easy to open up to. I have the slightest bit of trust in you and that is worth more than any ranking, throne, or wealth. In my line of work...” He softened.

“I barely trust anyone. Everyone is out to get the crown and well-“

“It’s your job to protect the Prince. You are a very good friend and honorable right hand of the future king. I’m glad to know that Prince Sehun was not deprived of such affections.”

   Captain Lu Han smiles to me once more again gazing at me capturing my eyes.  When we heard a shuffling in the distance and realized we have been talking for most of the night. We scrambled at our spot. The dawn is approaching and I needed to return quickly before my mistresses realized I’ve left. He realized it as well and this time, he stood quickly offering me his hand helping me to my feet. 

“I’ve enjoyed my night, Lady Hei-Ran. I hope to see you soon again. And.." This time I'm hyper-aware that he's not let go of my hands and this gesture is very intimate although I've had my hands held before, by Kai at that. I am surprised.

"Thank you for coming back.” He added.

   I just smiled at him and nodded not even a bit bothered that he called me Lady. It sounded nice coming from him. I looked around before beginning to scale the wall once again. This time he stood on the bottom waiting until I’ve reached the top. 

I mouthed a “goodnight” and waved as soon as I’ve reached the top. 

   Then he was off running into the lush rows of trees and I hurriedly closed the window and put away my outer garments, fixing cleaning myself off carefully. Then I tucked myself into bed finally not dreading being drowned by all the luscious blankets.

a/n: I have the slightest
crush on Captain Lu Han. <3
Thanks for reading! :)