𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇. enhypen

one

WANG JIHYE KNEW A LOT OF THINGS.

Whether it be a long poem she was told to recite or a random spell she accidentally stumbled upon in a book.

Being born a Princess, Jihye had an infinite amount of resources at the tips of her polished fingertips. Including the multitude of books that resided in the castle's grand library. Her favorites being the tales that centered around the concept of adventure or the many spells created by past magic users. It was quite ironic in Jihye's opinion, due to the fact that she had never had a taste of freedom or ever properly taught by a Magian how to cast a proper spell.

Her father was rather protective of her since she was his only child and the link needed to continue his royal bloodline. And because of that fact, her Father preferred having her stay in their castle then travel anywhere outside the safety of their home and was told to stray from magic as best as she could.

Unlike her Father, Jihye had never once visited nor stepped foot onto any other Kingdom besides her own. For all her life, Jihye wondered what the different Kingdoms were like.

If the oceans in the West Kingdom were as blue as many say they were. Or if the snow was truly enchanting in the North. Or if the South Kingdom grew bright and colorful flowers for miles as she once read in a book.

She couldn't help but crave to know what existed outside the East Kingdom, beyond the borders of the forests.

However, there were times she was allowed to visit the town with the supervision of maids and guards, but those visits were as rare as the purple crocus flowers that grew only at high mountain peaks where snowfall was a constant occurrence.

So once in a while, Jihye took liberty in wandering around the near woods that separated the castle and the rest of the East Kingdom. The woodlands were beautiful and thickly wooded with tall oak trees and wild bushes, home to many nocturnal mythical creatures. Because of the lack of glades but high density of trees, a cleared path was created to connect the two points.

Jihye always avoided that path as it was heavily guarded by knights, meaning she would be spotted immediately and escorted back to the castle. She didn't need another reason for her father to baby her further.

Jihye allowed a puff of air to leave her mouth, hiking her dress above her ankles as she stepped over the roots of a particularly large tree. A cool breeze dances past her clothed body, rustling the leaves and many bushes on the ground.

At times like these, Jihye's mind could drift away from the shackles of responsibility that weighed her down. She could forget the title that was said before her name, forget the destiny that was shackled to her life.

Jihye's eyes flickered to the trunk of a tree she had marked in one of her past excursions in the woods which she used as a means to know how far from the castle she was.

If she walked for fifteen more minutes she could possibly make it to the nearest town without a single guard catching her.

"There you are!" A voice slices through the quiet air causing Jihye to jolt.

Jihye turns with a light swish of her cloak to face a rather annoyed looking boy as he leans over a tree, trying to regain his breath. It was painfully obvious from the cold sweat on his forehead that he had ran from the castle and through the woods that surrounded them.

She huffed, disappointed that she was found before she could make it to town. By none other than Sunoo on top of it all.

Sunoo was the son of the Royal Advisor, a very kind man who was also her father's dearest friend and companion. Since Sunoo lived within the castle as well, Jihye became close with the boy to the point she could consider him her brother by blood.