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The last thing that the young maid, who was supposed to serve her princess that morning, expected to see, was to see said princess on the floor of her chamber. She was crying hysterically while holding a small dagger in her hand. For a second maid's heart stopped, when she thought that the princess was attacked by someone, but then she realized. SeokJin wasn't holding the knife to defend herself. She had cut her hair short. The young servant looked around the chamber and saw all of the princess's dresses in the fireplace, slowly disappearing into the flames.
"My princess?" the maid approach her "Is everything alright? Princess?"
"Don't call me that! Don't call me princess anymore!" SeokJin screamed, scaring the poor servant.
Not knowing what to do, she had left the chamber to find any help.
That day everything started to change.
***
"Where have you been!?" NamJoon screamed at his cousin, who was nonchalantly standing in front of him.
"Out" he answered casually like he didn't do anything wrong. Well, actually, he didn't.
"This isn't an answer."
"You didn't ask specifically. I was out, that's all you have to know. I'm back now, are you happy?"
"Please, just this once, don't get on your parents nerves." NamJoon sighed quietly "It's your birthday today. Don't you want it to go smoothly? Without arguing?"
"How can you expect this from me, Joon? It's all about my free will. You won't understand. You don't know how to be forced to be someone you're not. So don't tell me how my birthday should go like. I won't allow my parents to decide my future. I won't repeat myself anymore. I did it enough of times during past years. And what it have to do with me going out? The dinner party won't start until the evening. I don't see anything against going out on the early hours. And, if you may excuse me, but I'm going to wash myself." Saying that, SeokJin walked past his cousin, and went to his chamber.
With havy sigh, he undressed himself, removing his stained by dirt clothes and lastly taking the thight bandage off his chest. Avoiding staring at the big mirror, which was standing across the door, he went into the washtub filled with warm water. He was glad that the old maid, who was more like a kind aunt to him than a servant, remembered to prepare his bath. She knew him well and he knew that he can tell her everything.
SeokJin smiled a little, hiding under the surface for as long as he could hold his breath, just to do the same thing after a short while. This was his favorite way of relaxing. He could calm down his mind and just let the warm of the water to take away all of his worries.
The prince has spend like this around half of an hour, enjoying the moment of isolation. But, unfortunately, the time has passed to quickly for his liking. The knock on the door reminded him, that it's time to prepare for the dinner.
With a low groan, SeokJin rised up from the tub. After drying his body and dressing up, he finally leaved the bathroom, attached to the chamber.
"How much time do I still have, until I have to prepare?" He asked the servant, who waited for him inside of the room.
"About an hour, my prince." Was the answer.
"Good. So, I'll be back in an hour." And with that, SeokJin quickly left the room.
He didn't has any plans, so he just wandered around the castle, sometimes talking to servants or royalties that he met. Nothing interesting happened during that time and Kim only wanted that day to finally end even more than he wanted it before.
He was about to go back to the chamber to spend the rest of the remaining time there, when he suddenly heard few voices that catched his ears.
"Maybe that day won't be that bad after all?" SeokJin thought while approaching three people that he met not so long ago...
