The Crown Prince's Maiden

In any civilization, there were those underneath the king, and his people.

In the same likeminded way, there were ones above all, ones that even the incompetence of the wind was not even worthy to go near: such as the 1st Prince and the crown prince, any of the king's Children for the matter.

Yet, it seemed though as if the authority he held was no match of fate itself, for it seemed life was provided for a lowly child, with the ability to provide such a change.

The sun cried over her and did so diligently until it was the chance for the moonlight to look at her. She was as mysterious in tone as the night, like the shadows from the distance she was undefined and unappreciated, even the chilly wind called her hopeless. As it became, like her existence majority won, hopeless became her name by the voice of the invisible presence that surrounded her. She was dropped off at a graveyard meant for the lowly, even before she started her life she was titled dead. An odd place for a child to be left one might say. But then again a child of her skin tone and texture no one wanted to call her their own. No one: especially her mother.

A wailing sound the young child gave. For about three days the child cried, no one would dare visit the graves, to many of them it was a theory of the dead, crying in agony. The story goes, that when those in poverty pass along, occasionally they will cry out in pain, feeling sorrow for those they left with their debts.

In a city nearby, the city of chosōn a mother of three was cooking a rather petty breakfast for her children, but petty as it may have been she tried her best, she knew and her children acknowledged it as well by luck of situation awareness.

"That wailing hasn't stopped, mother" said the youngest daughter as she braided her hair to the the side. At the age of 4 the youngest daughter was one of the most talkative.

"And I suppose you want me to put an end to it how? " she mother responded, as she mixed the food that she was preparing.

"Can we check it out? can we?..can we. "The youngest daughter Banafrit insisted.

"For a daughter you act like a son" her mother replied with a soft snark, entertained with her daughter's sense of adventure.

After the snarky response to her daughter the conversation they held, came to an end. "

Good morning mother" said Aban walking into the kitchen childishly as he ruffled his hair with one hand, and rubbed his eyes with the other.

"Well, a good morning my son where is your sister?" asked his mother. "Which one, the one that is owner to the big head over here, or loud mouth. " Now Aban don't say that about your sisters... anyways speaking on about your sisters, let's get back to the original question, where is Alba?". His mother scolded.

"She is taking a walk...no a run" Aban replied as if a forgotten, yet recited answer. "Abbbbaaaaan!" his mother scolded with her hands on her hips. "She...Went... out to look for the noise" he finally replied. Alban placed his head down to avoid the disapproving gaze of his mother. "WHAT IN HEAVENS. AND YOU LET HER GO ALONE?" his mother replied.

"No, well, yes but I was supposed to stay here and prevent you from knowing...I am not doing a good job of that am I? "Aban said with his hand over his eyes trying to avoid the glare his mother gave once more.

"UGH" Hid mother growled, she turned to Banafrit and pointed to her. " Banafrit, come with me, as for you Aban...." She shook her head and sighed " you are also coming with me " his mother said pulling on his ear. The young boy at the age of seven was as reluctant to listen to his mother as his eldest sister. At the age of eight she was a leader among the children, as well as the one that currently angered her.

The family of three at the moment, followed the wailing as they went outside the city walls, the wailing seemed to get closer and closer, the shadows of the woods that has now surrounded them outside the city were forming images all around. As a mother would, AI; was her name, gathered her children close and in hope that the one child that was not near, was also safe outside her arms of safety.

Now only a few miles away from her mother Alba was strolling...Well rather shaking and slowly walking around the graveyard fearing the sound she herself was after. The young girl then realized a change in volume of the noise. "A baby, can it be?" not waiting for an answer in the hope no one else was out here Alba walked closer to place her hands on what she saw to look like a lump of mud in on the ground.

A weak child it seemed all near skin and bones. "I can barely see you. The woods are dark, but it seems you look darker?" Alba asked. "Let's head back before mother comes looking for me." She finished.

Shortly after her statement, an angry response was heard. "Well, I would too but, too bad mother is here! Alba how could you go off wandering off as if you have never been taught well. These woods are dangerous. You know the rule of the city, what is outside of the city is meant to stay outside the city. " Shouted Ai.

Ignoring her mother's rant Alba shook her head and gestured towards her arms: "Mother look it's a child, we can't leave her out here she will starve to death. You can almost see her bones" Alba responded. Ai walked towards the child that her daughter had in her hand, and moved the blanket slowly. "why is she so dark" asked Banafrit. "Why... her lips are so big, it's almost the size of her head," said Aban.

"Aban! I'm going to have to teach you a lesson on that mouth of yours, and Banafrit why does it matter the color her skin gives, does she not have eyes just like you, a mouth, and two small feet too? Oh, I see a little nose, and two little ears." Ai chanted as if a melody as her reached for the baby girl from Alba's arms and held her close.

"She needs food and water. Who could have left a baby out here, help me hide her." Ai placed the little baby on her belly and placed a coat over it. "Now children, I need not explain the story.

If we run into soldiers outside the city walls it's getting late and sad to say because she's weak I don't expect her to cry. "

As the family walked home quietly only seconds into the city, Banafrit's small feet stepped onto a few leaves, which in the painful silence was louder than a bomb.

"Who goes there?" A voice called out. "Soldiers, Children run! I will meet up with you shortly. " Ai quickly said to her kids and she directed them with her hands behind her back, gesturing them to walk past the guard "Miss Ai is that you?" A voice came about to ask. "Yes, soldiers, um what brings you guys out on this lovely evening. " Ai responded "We could ask the same about you miss." The soldiers Asked sternly. "I was just taking an evening stroll, soldiers." Ai replied as you can see I am expecting, expecting women need to let their legs stretch..." To avoid the awkward topic of child birth or being with child the soldiers just softly exclaimed "Go about your day be careful beyond these walls Madame" one of the guards quickly said.

"Yes officers, thank you." Ai replied with her gaze to the ground, as she hid her hands of her "bump". The moment that Ai saw her escape she took it and started to pace quickly away holding tightly onto the baby. It wasn't long after her dash begun did the last officer turn and said to himself. "For a woman expecting she races faster than me." Both soldiers chuckled and laughed.

Ai got home to three kids hidden under a blanket, three pairs of eyes looking at her in the dark. "It is alright my loves. Mother is home. Banafrit put something on the stove to be ready to be eaten. Alba clean Banafrit's old pap boat ( bottle ) for the baby girl." Ai wrapped the baby in the coat that once hid her in and walked over to the fireplace to warm up the little girl. Ai played with the baby girls hands and took them to her lips to kiss. As all this took place a little piece of paper fell out the baby girl's hands that instructed the baby be left to die. " how can someone left another human to be left to die? " Ai mumbled.

"Oh, no it just won't do. A beautiful girl like you, needs a name, what shall we call you little one, Let's see maybe "Nia " Ai looked off into the distance as she looked about at the small darkened room and began to narrate a soft memory " I remember my own mother singing songs to me and Nia being something I wish I would be "purposeful" and that you are my dear that you are. "

Nia's golden brown eyes looks up at her new found mother. Banafrit brought a big plate of baked beans, Alba brought the bottle for Nia, Aban brought plates and the family sat in front of the fireplace and just looked into the fire, as Ai fed her new baby girl.

"She is kind of cute I guess," Banafrit said. "I still don't understand why her lips are so big but look good on her I guess," Aban added. They was a small pause and then a following sigh from Alba "I feel sorry for her, they barley accept us here. What will they do to her?" she asked. "Nothing, if I have anything to do with it" Ai said looking into Nia's eyes.

"Knock knock knock... a sound was made. Everyone turned to the door and the room was suddenly silent waiting to see if perhaps there would be a 4 or 5th knock and when there wasn't Aban slowly went and opened the door. "Oh dear...oh dear...Ai my apologies for not bringing bread and sugar earlier today. So I brought it tonight and even brought cake as to show how honestly sorry I am. "

"Mrs. Wook !" the kids exclaimed as they ran to the elderly woman of brunette hair and a softly arched posture. Placing the food on the ground Mrs. Wook began to say "so what is this I hear of you finally having one of your own, not that I do not love these kids of yours but finally having one of your own maybe they will stop forcing you to work for food that everyone else simply is granted. You need to be fed and so do these kids." As these words were being spoken a cry came from Ai's arms.

And Ai's face got red. Here already? The old lady started to reach for Ai's bundle of joy. Ai flinched before handing off Nia. Mrs. Wook unraveled the coat around the baby and was silent for a while, and the old women snickered, hiding her already thin eyes lost in the happiness of seeing the child. "I should have guessed you wouldn't, I know how picky these men of ours can be. Ahhh, but she, She is gorgeous, she has the skin of night I have heard pharaohs only have." The old women said with a soft grin as she pets the girl's fingers.

"What are pharaohs?" Banafrit's asked. From what the hidden books say they are royalty. They are beautiful, at least that is what the hidden books say, and you never know what if her skin is so dark because she has a little bit of night in it. What if it is a way for the night to experience the daylight the sun gives. Hm? Think about it, the Night selects few people, to make their skin home so it can experience the sunlight's sweat warmth? "

"That is cute, all these nice sayings." Alba replied as she closed her book. "Too bad the world doesn't always see it that way". She sighed.

"why do you always have to be so negative, Alba, wasn't it you who went and saved her? "asked Banafrit.

"You won't understand this crazy world Banafrit. You just don't understand, the royals, live in luxury as we sit here, do all the work and get nothing. " replied Alba, she departed and went to lay down in her corner while wrapping herself with a small piece of the cloth, she uses to dry the dishes, which like always she laid out the night before to dry so that tonight it could be her blanket.

She shivered as she lay closer to the fire with her eyes closed listening to Mrs.Wook sing one of the church hymns to baby Nia. Only to hear the little girl coo and yawn. Banafrit and Aban ate the red velvet cake that was brought leaving some for their mother and sister. "Alba do you want some?" Banafrit asked patting her sister. Alba just turned around not facing her little sister. "No" she let out softly, her sister made a disappointed face all to herself and crawled back to her mother and Mrs. Wook as they ran their hands on the baby's face and stared.

"The poor child has been cursed from birth " Alba sighed and with that, she closed her eyes and laid herself to a much-needed rest.

The house was quiet, later that evening as things calmed down, Mrs. Wook departed, and even the mice could be heard rushing around to play and what seemed to be dancing in the shadow of the small candle light that stood over the table top staring down at the family sleeping below, around early morning wailing came again and footsteps were heard, but after a short moment all throughout the house was still and silence.