Park Dara

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  A long time ago the King of Dal lived in the Palace with his five sons. None of the young princes shared the same mothers, but they played together behind the palace wall in harmony as children nonetheless.

  The eldest Prince was Seunghyun, a tall and extremely good looking prince who took care of all his brothers. His mother was the rightful queen, but he never discriminated on his other brothers. The eldest prince was skilled in swords and martial arts, but he doted heavily on the rest of his young brothers, and is often seen carrying them around on his back in turns.

  The second prince was Taeil, the son of a royal concubine. Taeil was the meekest of them all, and he couldn't even shoot whenever the princes had to go on hunting trips. Taeil spoke little and liked to follow his brothers around instead. 

  The third prince was born by another royal consort. He is very bright but chooses solitude, and rarely mingle with his siblings. After he grew up, the third prince was sent to the wealthiest city of Dal after the capital, and became a governor there.

  The fourth prince was an illegitimate son. His mother was a peasant who the king fell in love with but could never be brought back to the palace for her lowly status. Jiyong grew up in the palace and only gets to see his mother twice a month. The fourth prince is cold and remote, trusting no one except for the kind Seunghyun, who took pity on the child's background and taught him combat skills so that he could one day finally protect himself. The fourth prince learned extremely well and quickly, and his skills were slowly starting to surpass the eldest prince, and that made the older prince very proud. 

  The youngest prince was born almost 3 years after the fourth prince. As his mother was a courtesan, the youngest prince, Seungri, who did not had extraordinary skills like Prince Jiyong or the intelligence of his other brothers, was often shunned in the palace. However, the youngest prince was the bubbliest and the cheeriest, often trying (without success) to mix with the other princes. The fourth prince eventually started to take care of the youngest as a responsibility of being older. He felt bad for the young one, who shared similar background as he did, and admired Seungri for remaining pure and optimistic.The youngest is deeply attached to the fourth and the oldest prince. 

  Their life were mundane and almost idle in the palace until the day that the King announced that the oldest Seunghyun would be crowned the heir apparent to the throne, which, to the young Seungri, was blatantly obvious. There was almost no surprise because it was so predictable.

  But one day, suddenly, news arrived that the eldest prince was killed on his station while guarding the boarder fire city. 

  Taeil, the second prince, succeeded the throne as the Crown Prince. 

  They said that Prince Seunghyun was shot by the enemies, but Jiyong wouldn't buy it. How could it be? His brother was stronger than that, it wouldn't be this easy for anyone to take him down at all. 

  It must've been someone he trusted. 

  Instantly the princes fell apart. Everyone suspected each other to be behind the death of the oldest, although no words were exchanged, as no one was in the palace that day. Only Seungri trusted Jiyong. He knew that Jiyong loved and respected his brother wholeheartedly. He would never hurt him. Jiyong on the other hand, never suspected Seungri as well. He is well aware of that the youngest, while mischievous, was the purest of them all.

  The fifth prince was extremely worried for Jiyong during the period of their brother's death. He had seen the cold side of Jiyong, but had never seen him this shut down. He saw how that teen Jiyong had cried his eyes out when the body of Seunghyun was transported back into the palace for burial. He saw how Jiyong had almost drank himself dead in the weeks that followed, refusing to talk to anyone. Not to the king, not even to him. And then one day, suddenly, he was back to his old self, except much quieter, much colder. In fact, Seungri was scared by the almost glassy look of boredom in his eyes.

  Prince Jiyong went straight to the king and asked to be transferred to guard the Fire City.The king, happy that his son had finally walked out of grief, granted his request without hesitation. The youngest prince,shocked by his brother's wish to be at the place where their hyung had fallen, followed Jiyong along.

  Under Prince Jiyong, the Fire City prospered. Tyranny landlords and criminals were dealt harshly and coldly, corruption was eradicated and the constant foreign threat from the neighbouring land of Taeyang was surpressed. The people were both respectful and fearful of the young, cold prince who can be ruthless to his foes. Hence from then on, Prince Jiyong was known as the Ice Lord.

[Dara]
 

  RAGRETS.

  Ever since that day that the Crown Prince visited, Kwon-fakking-Ice-Lord or whoever that git thinks he is had been constantly reminding me with that "this-is-how-we-say-cheer up" hug. 

  "Want a cheer up, foreigner?" He teased obnoxiously again this morning before heading out with his gang of thugs guards.

    
 
  Just yesterday, Jisoo, (a young maiden serving in this household that I've grown attached to) had opened my ears to the existence of 'bath houses' which sounded a lot like Hot Springs or saunas back at home. The bathrooms here are almost always invaded by at least a rat and I don't think I've been taking proper showers since I "got here". 

  There's NO way I'm going to miss that bathhouse.

  Because Kwon Jiyong had meticulously warned me about how I am banned from exiting the house without his knowledge (why, because I'm ugly?? Am I a pet???) since apparently to his royal soul I'm an accident prone geek and, in his words, "a walking death trap", I had carefully planned my 'escape'. 

  I acted normal in front of the Jiyong, giving him the usual grunt and hisses when he teased yet again about my unspeakable act of embarrassment. (HAH, I'll out smart you today, I will, ice lord.) I waited till the guards had left with Jiyong and the maidens had went off to their daily chores patiently before I pulled my (reluctant) accomplice Jisoo out and away from the manor.

  "Guess who just made another episode of prison break, ice lord." I laughed darkly to myself, rubbing my hands in evil mischief and excitement for the refreshing (rats-free) bath. Jisoo flashed me a hesitant glance. 

  The bath house really resembled a hot spring, which is separated into the private and the public sections. The public sections had the females and males separated while people who uses the private ones are able to enjoy their own shower rooms. 

  Yeehoo!!! I can see the inviting warm steam from the water from here!!

  "Let's go to the public one, I'm out of silver." I said, counting the money I have in the small pouch that I had earned by scrubbing the floors of the manor (the maidens almost screamed in horror as they tried to rip the rag out of my hand when they saw it, but I got the job in the end) 

  Jisoo shook her head, smiling wryly as she paid some silver. "The Ice Lord had instructed me to bring you to the private rooms." 

  I spun around on the spot, my mouth hanging open. "He knew we're sneaking out?!" 

  Jisoo gave another apologetic smile. 

  "Aish, you must've betrayed me." I grumbled. 

  This is embarrassing, he was acting along with me the whole time this morning when he actually knew? GAHHHHHHH

  I looked outside the bathhouse, sighing. For a split second, I thought I saw a pair of wrinkled eyes. When I blinked, they disappeared. Am I hallucinating now?

  Shrugging off the feeling of being constantly watched, I loitered around the interior of the entrance. There's a pretty little garden behind the entrance marked "Private". Little orientated wooden sheds stood neatly and spaced out, lining the small koi garden with little ponds and everything, resembling heavily like a Japanese hot spring resort.

  Hmm, finally one good thing here in the future that we don't have back in 21st century Seoul.

  I pushed open one of the doors and there is a huge tub filled with warm steaming water, and guess what, there are no rats! Yeehoo!

  The next shed was just as clean, and so was the next shed, and the next after that. I went from door to door, look around curiously. 

  I pushed opened the sixth door, the one on the extreme right. That shed is great too, there's even someone already bathing in the tub-

  Wait.

  I stood mortified at MY own intrusion. Sensing that there's someone behind, the guy in the tub turned around in confusion and AND

  he stood up. 

 "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" I screamed, my hands flying to my eyes. 

  The stranger looked down at his body that is in it's most original form, and started screaming too.

  "ARENT YOU GETTING OUT?!" He yelled, grabbing whatever he could find to cover himself.

  I took a peek from my fingers but no he isn't done covering up yet. "CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR MEMBER? I CANT SEE ANYTHING!" I shrieked in hysteria.

  Oh my god, this is the first time I have ever seen a grown- *gulps*

  
  I don't know anymore  T T

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  Dara, who didn't have quite a bath as relaxing as she imagined (due to her mortal shock), stood outside the entrance waiting for her friend to check out of the bathhouse. There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned around. To her utmost horror, it was the same face that was screaming at her just a moment ago.

  "I've seen you before-" Dara blurted, suddenly reminded of when she had encountered this (unfortunate) man. "You're the guy working at the historian's house! Soo- soo.."
 
  "Soo Hyuk. Yes." He grunted, slinging his dry towel around his shoulders. 

  Soo Hyuk studied this strange girl again. Yet today she seemed almost as stunningly pretty as their first encounter. He wonders in what way she is related to the Ice Lord. She really doesn't seem local. Is she the Ice Lord's muse? He had observed them and the Ice Lord seemed to be overly concerned over this girl. Is he attracted to her beauty or does she have something on him that mustn't be leaked out? I'll have to keep a closer look out, Soo Hyuk thought in silence.

  "Why are you staring at me like that?" Dara asked indignantly. 

  So feisty is Kwon Jiyong's type now? SooHyuk raised an amused brow.

  "How are you going to compensate me?" He asked, slotting his hands into the pockets of his loose fitting pants. (the kind of weird pants that people wear a lot here)

  "You stood up yourself!" Dara protested defiantly. Aish, I should be the one asking for compensation for mental trauma, she thought.

  "Who on earth barges into rooms without knocking? Is this what people do in which ever foreign land you came from?" Soo Hyuk retorted.  Dara almost felt guilty instantly. He's right, who on earth does that? What were you thinking, Dara? She groaned silently.

  Soo Hyuk's lips twisted in amusement watching how she is avoiding his eyes, biting her lips apologetically. 

  "Or you can buy me the noodles down the street." He offered, and Dara's head snapped up.

  "That's it?" She asked enthusiastically. Soo Hyuk almost laughed out at the gleam in her eyes. She's interesting.

  "It's that good." He smirked.

  
  Dara watched as the strange boy, whose face was grease-smeared the last time they met, slurped down his noodles. He really eats well doesn't he? Dara thought as her stomach let's out a grumble. She only has enough silver to get that one bowl and this guy had shamelessly accepted it.

  Psh, gentlemen in the 24th century, Dara puckered her lips without him noticing.

  Just as Dara's stomach rumbled again, Soo Hyuk slid the half bowl of noodle across the wooden table, placing the chopsticks on top. 

  "Here. I'm done." He announced, flashing Dara a sleepy grin.

  "Are you sureeee?" Dara asked, while her hands are already gleefully pulling the bowl towards herself. 

  Soo Hyuk laughed.

  "So where did you get that tattoo from?" Dara said with full of food. 

  Soo Hyuk almost choked on the glass of water he's drinking. "What-what tattoo?"

  "That one on your chest! The one that's inked in red, shaped like a sun or something." Dara described, her mind focused on the food. Soo Hyuk isn't wrong about this noodle being that good, it's tear-movingly-delicious.

  "That's a birth mark." Soo Hyuk said. Dara thought that it's amazing for someone's birthmark to look this precise.

  "Where're you exactly from?" Soo Hyuk asked after a while. Dara glanced up from her food.

  "You wouldn't know even if I told you the place." She answered, her voice muffled as she swallowed the last bit of food. Her stomach churned in satisfaction. "I just... Lost my way and I don't know how to get back."

  "Have you tried going back the way you came?" Soo Hyuk suggested, frowning.

  Dara halted in the middle of wiping . 

  Going back the way I came from? Why haven't I considered that? Dara thought, almost inspired. It sounds like it'll work, but what if it doesn't, wouldn't I-

  She didn't have time to finished thinking when someone knocked rudely on the wooden table. Dara looks up, only to see a figure cladded totally in black, with his mask hiding his mouth and nose, and a hood that's pulled up over his head. 

  Everything seems inrecognisable except for those pair of burning, chocolate brown eyes.

  Dara gulped.

I am really so surprised by the soar in subscribers and upvotes.

Really guys T T

(sends love)

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