IZ*ONEshots

Kingdom-ish, Cinderella-ish AU - Kangbi

Kang Hyewon, famed beauty of the moonlight kingdom, hated being a princess.

No, no one would have thought she could hate it. But she did. She knew how intimidating she was. She knew how she scared people, her cool stare, her cold vibe. She didn't pretend not to notice the way servants shrunk away in her presence. She could see how they flinched when she said something as simple as "Hi." And it hurt, how they avoided her. No one really knew.

Hyewon was the image. She was the skin, the shell of what Kwangbae was. 'Hyewon' was the alias she hid behind when she had to act as the princess. No one knew Kwangbae. Because even if she wanted to, a princess couldn't be friends with a servant. No way. Not even if she had her eyes set on one particular one.

Kwon. That's all she knew about her. Kwon was her last name. Hyewon had passed her in the halls so many times. But Kwon was evasive. Hyewon had never caught her full name, and although she'd tried to stop Kwon many times, whenever Kwon saw her coming, she ran the other direction. And it hurt Hyewon. It hurt her a lot.

If only Kwon knew who Kwangbae was.

No, not "Princess Hyewon of the Moonlight Kingdom".

No, it would be much better if Kwon knew Kwangbae.

Kwangbae wasn't cold. On the contrary, she was the warmest, cuddliest, most koala-like human you'd ever seen. She even liked wearing warm colored clothes. She was cute, and she blushed easily. She liked having someone to listen to her. She loved hugs. And by all means, she was not the princess of the Moonlight Kingdom.

But see, that's why Kwangbae hated who she was so much.

Toe snagging on a loose thread of the carpet, Hyewon snapped out of her daze. The floor flew toward her face, or rather, her face fell right into the floor. All the servants stopped dead to stare, dismay flitting across their features, hoping the wouldn't be blamed. After a few seconds of silence, Hyewon started laughing. She rolled over on the floor laughing. Suddenly, she didn't look quite as cold. A few servants started laughing with her. And within the span of a few seconds, the whole hall was giggling, Hyewon still lying on her back on the floor. Someone offered her a hand and she pulled herself up. Brushing off her dark purple, chiffon skirt, she wiped away tears, still chuckling and continued on her way to the gardens.

Her father had heard of the mishap. When she received his note to meet him later, she hadn't been scared. She had rolled her eyes and thought nothing of it.

But when she met up with him, she did not expect him to tell her that she was going to be put through three balls to find a husband.

Kang Hyewon never cried. But Kwangbae did. And that's what she did. She cried and begged him to leave her be, to let her live her life the way she wanted to. But he could not be swayed. Partially wanting it and partially just needed an escape to her situation, Hyewon left him on one condition - that instead of male suitors, they would be female.

He obviously did not think much of the idea, muttering a string of unsavory words as he stormed out of his office, probably to go to the very garden Hyewon had just been walking in. Hyewon thought she was safe - her father would NEVER let her be in a room with more than ten pretty girls. Naturally, she expected him to put this off for the next few years.

She did not expect to open the newspaper the next morning and find a royal statement.

"Hello and good morning, citizens of Aylinia. I am here to inform you of the upcoming royal balls. The celebration will last for two days and three nights. Any female, be she a lady or a mere girl, is allowed to attend. Please arrive by 7:45 pm on the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth of this month. We hope to see you there!" Signed King Eunwoo.