K.TH || PRINCE CHARMING

ᑕᕼᗩᑭTEᖇ TᗯEᑎTY-OᑎE

I stand in the middle of my room, hands on my hips and blind as a bat in the dark as I try to gather my thoughts.

First off, fuck Yeji for not coming back to wake me up.

For attendants who nag me at every opportunity they do a pretty shitty job themselves when it counts.

What am I going to do now that the Prince thinks I ran away? I was supposed to make an appearance at dinner and redeem myself.

I was hoping that we might get a moment and l could a̶p̶o̶l̶o̶g̶i̶ze talk about what took place earlier.

More importantly, how late exactly even is it anyways?

I move towards the sliver of moonlight peaking through the curtains and draw them back to look at the sky.

The moon is full, and the stars are out. I push the window open and shudder at the cold bite of the wind that rushes in immediately.

The cold air stings my nose, reminding me of the stark contrast between my life at home and my life now.

The air is warm at home, close to the ground, and smelling of dry wood and tall grass—natural due to our proximity to the dead forest.

Up here, the air is devoid of scent, starkly contrasting home's warm, earthy aroma. It's not just cold; it's freezing, and the dryness is so intense that I find myself swallowing hard, a futile attempt to moisten my throat.

For a moment, I'm overwhelmed at the prospect of elongating. How could cone stay in these conditions? How does anyone breathe comfortably up here when the air is so dry?

But I know staying is only right, Jisoo's right, though I'd probably never admit that to her face.

I look towards the capital and lean my weight on my arms against the ledge.

From this height, you can see the span of the capital, and it begrudges me to admit that it's pretty beautiful.

Little dots litter the ground like embers dropped from a burning log and are soothing to stare at. Yet, those feelings disappear when I remember exactly where the glittering lights stop.

At the entrance to the lower levels, starting at rank five.

The realization sours my mood and leaves me with a sick feeling in my stomach.

Mere paces away from the gates, and you're immediately greeted with shabby houses that are worn down and have little electricity.

The further you go, you eventually come across those that have none at all.

I lean forward and draw the windows back in, locking it once it's returned to its original place.

A shamelessly lazy part of me wonders if I can ignore the hunger gnawing at my stomach and force myself to sleep through the night. But my body betrays me, growling loudly in protest.

With a groan, I go to the drawers to look for socks I could layer. I made a mental note to let Yeji know that I needed slippers because these cold marble and stone floors threatened my health, and I stood on them barefoot every passing second.

Pulling the third knee-high wool sock over my kneecap, I approach the door.

I vaguely recall where the dining room was and how the servants carried food from a door hidden off to the side. Either that's the kitchen, a pantry, or a passage near a kitchen.

Once layered perfectly to protect my feet from the ground, I move to the heavy door and draw it back.

Using my body as a wedge between the door and the post, I stick my upper out, freezing for a moment to listen to anyone approaching or nearby.