Korea has fallen victim to rule of 1800s England and the wealthy Park family has been entrusted by Queen Victoria to Rule over South Korea.
In a time flooded with the social flaws of old England, Thai orphan Lalisa Manoban struggles to survive in t...
Ten small feet clad in slippers scurried between the rows of beds, guided by silver moonlight streaming in from the window. The bedsprings squeaked as the girls' settled on the far bed, one of the girls spoke up.
"Quiet Nayeon," she hissed, her breath fogging the air, "you'll wake the headmistress!"
"Sorry Jiho" Nayeon murmured, shrinking back into the shadows.
Jiho pulled a crumpled square of paper from her pillowcase and whispered to the other girls huddled around her, "It's alright, listen close. I got a letter from Somi. She says the secret village in the forest is real!"
Sana's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really?" she breathed.
"Shh! She says if we go behind the church and follow the white lilies, one of the kind ladies will come take us there. There are four of them, apparently, they look after all the kids that run away looking for safety," Jiho continued.
Momo timidly asked "Can we go?" and all the other girls nodded eagerly in agreement.
"Okay then, let's sneak out through the window in the storage closet tomorrow night—just make sure no one finds out," Jiho said.
The girls shivered as the icy gusts ripped through them, making them hug their coats with desperate intensity. With Jiho leading them, they trudged through the frigid forest, aided only by the pale light of the waxing moon that shone like a beacon in the night sky.
Behind them, the city bells tolled, their sounds echoed by the desperate calls of knights hunting for a witch that snatched away the innocence of sleeping children.
The girls were tired and frightened, but Jiho's words kept them going—they must follow the white lilies, for they would lead to the secret village.
Just when their spirits began to flag, a soft voice called out from the shadows.
A figure stepped out of the darkness in front of them. It was a woman with long, black hair. Her skin is pale white, almost translucent under the moon's shine. Her eyes are a deep chocolate, almost like that of a doe. She was wrapped in a long dark dress that shimmered in the light of the waning moon.
"What brings young children like you out into these woods?" she asked with an amused smile.
"We're looking for the secret village," Nayeon replied meekly.
The woman nodded knowingly and said, "Follow me then, I will take you there." She smiled warmly and beckoned them forward with her hands.
The woman led them forward, through the dark and cold forest. The girls followed her without hesitation through a narrow tunnel - hidden by long strings of ivory so well that one would not know it was even there - until they emerged in a small meadow with a large cottage.
The woman gestured to the village and said "Welcome to Sunflower Meadow; home to those who seek a loving home."
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A woman with long blonde hair falling carelessly around her shoulders emerged from the home. Her light green summer dress fluttered in the breeze, ending just above her knees - a length the girls had never seen a lady wear before. She strode over to the woman in black, embracing her warmly and planting a light kiss on her lips.
"Thank God you're back," she said, her voice still full of concern. "We could hear the city bells calling out murder earlier this evening. I was worried."
Her companion smiled, "It wasn't me, but it was a good thing I was out there or I wouldn't have come across these poor girls" she gestured to the girls huddling behind her.
The blonde woman smiled kindly and said, "Come now, you must be tired and hungry. Let me invite you in for a warm meal and some rest."
Sana's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in disbelief as she pointed to the blonde woman. She stammered, "It can't be...you're Princess Chaeyoung! But I heard you were kidnapped by the witch!"
The princess smiled warmly. "I wasn't kidnapped really," she said softly. "Please come in and meet the others. I'll tell you everything."
The girls were hesitant at first, but the kindness of the blonde woman's smile washed away their fears. Grateful for her hospitality, they followed her inside the warm home. Inside, smelled of a feast - something that made the girls' mouths water with excitement.
The Princess gestured to the grand mahogany dining table, asking the girls to sit. The girls quickly shuffled around each other to find their chairs, their eyes wide with anticipation of what was to come. The Princess settled in the chair at the head of the table as the woman in black walked over to the kitchen and started preparing the bread.
The princess smiled warmly. "Hi there, I was Princess Chaeyoung, but now I'm just Rose," she said. "The lady who brought you here is my wife, Lisa, and this is Jisoo and Jennie." Lisa smiled warmly and placed the bread on the counter. And Jisoo didn't look up from her workbench in the corner, her fingers were stained ink-black from tinkering with wires and soldering tools.
Jennie stirred something fragrant simmering on the stovetop before turning off the heat and glancing up to greet them, her expression gentle and inviting. "Welcome to our home," she said with a smile. "We hope you like it"
A baby's cry shrilled out through the room and Jennie quickly dropped the wooden spoon and rushed to quiet the child in the bassinet. She placed her hands on either side of the baby's head and turned his face toward hers. His blue eyes held her cat ones for a moment, and then he opened his mouth in an angry wail. The note escaped from between his lips, loud and piercing. Jennie leaned down and whispered in his ear, 'Hush now,' but he continued to whine. Dinner would be done soon and the girls would want to sleep, so Jennie scooped up the babe and sat in a comfy chair by the fire, feeding her baby with nature's gift.
Lisa delivered the food from the kitchen and to the table, "Let's eat." Finally Jisoo abandoned her work for this evening and came to the table, She served up to two bowls of soup before joining Jennie in front of the fire, caring for her own wife as she cared for their child. The gift Sehun unknowingly delivered to them.
As they ate, Rosé regaled them with stories of Sunflower Meadow's past and its struggle for survival in a world fraught with danger. Fortunately, Jisoo had put in hours of tireless work into developing all sorts of mechanisms to keep their little haven safe. All four woman were a survivors, having escaped from an a world who didn't care for them many years ago. They had built the cottage with there bare hand and promised to welcome others who find themselves in similar situations as they once were. The home was almost entirely self sufficient, but there was a small village near by that would offer its services for the write price, no questions asked. Fortunately, they had quite the bounty from Lisa's bargaining.
Once the girls bellies were full, Lisa led them upstairs. "The other children are already asleep so try and be quiet, you can meet them all properly in the morning"
Lisa opened the door to a large bedroom, blankets and pillows were scattered across the floor as 20 or so children sleept in a hodgepodge around the room. It was unorganised but it already felt like home.
