The King of Daegu is the last person she would want to marry. And yet, he is the one chosen to be her husband. The clash between the Princess and the King will open old wounds, unveil hidden secrets and force them both to face their inner demons.
D...
A/N: As it will take a while to finish the next chapter, I decided to share that first part now. In this way the wait won't be too long. I will post another part soon. I hope you enjoy it.
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"The King is not in his room, Your Highness. Apparently, he left the Palace..." the guard says, shifting in place like a man standing barefoot on a pile of needles.
Nori's heart sinks but her voice remains calm."Where did he go?"
"They told me he headed for the mountain path..." The guard swallows slowly as if having something stuck in his throat. "Probably to visit his mistress."
"I see." Nori forces a smile. "Thank you, you can leave now."
The door slides shut.
Nori spins on her heels and marches towards the raven - a huge black mass perched on the edge of the table and staring at her with its cold eyes. As if mocking her.
"What?" She snaps at it. "What do you want? You ate a whole biscuit already. Why don't you go to your wonderful mistress, the great witch, the one and only Yona."
The bird tilts its head, its eyes resembling dark, endless wells. Cold and demanding. Without any hint of sympathy. What does a dumb bird know anyway... A raven's only concern is to fill its, apparently huge, stomach.
Nori grabs the box of biscuits she left on the shelf. Earlier, when the raven flew into her room, she was eager to convince it to stay for longer. She held the box for a few minutes, trying to sense its magic, and she wished for the biscuits inside of it to bring happiness and comfort for those who eat them. Then she offered one to the bird. She did that while waiting for the King to respond to her note.
Nori really wanted the raven to stay. As if convincing the bird to remain by her side would somehow prove to her that Nori could, potentially, make the King stay with her as well. What nonsense...
The moment he sent her "I might come later" Nori knew he was not planning to come at all. The fact that he left the Palace was not surprising; and yet... hearing the news felt like a kick in the guts.
"Do you think Yona won't feed you tonight? Is that why you are stuffing yourself with all the food you can get?" she says, eyeing the bird. "Do you think she would be too busy with her guest - the great King of Daegu? That annoying, overbearing, foolish buffoon."
Nori collapses on the cushions. She shifts a few times in her seat but can't find a position that puts her at ease. The cushions seem to be filled with stones and not feathers.
The raven's attention is fixed on the biscuit box in her hands - it follows her every gesture, inpatient to taste more of her sweet biscuits. Such a voracious bird, this raven is. It croaks loudly as the box is finally placed on the table in front of it.
"Have some patience, my feathered friend." Nori says, grabbing on her upper garment and pulling the fabric to stretch it. It feels too tight. But it shouldn't be. Nori changed into an olive-green hanbok that is a million times more comfortable than the dress she wore for dinner. She felt great in it when she first put it on, but now the fabric seems to have shrunk, getting too tight and thick. Irritating.
