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Author's POV

The wind from the mice's tail swayed side to side before knocking down the lit candle onto the ground, the fire grew soft due to the icy concrete then it grew lights of sparks and orange flames all around the home sparks flew as if the fire became to consume the blankets.

The cough that Banafrit started to release was the savior to the family in a whole, she coughed and coughed and as Alba woke to complain, she saw the horror running about the house to wake up the family not yet awake until Aban started to pull everyone out one by one, Aban woke to pick up Banafrit over his shoulder and set her outside and did the same for Alba, and his mother whom was half asleep still as if she was intoxicated by something other than the smoke, but as soon as her feet stepped outside with the pulling of her son, she raced in screaming: " NIA, NIA " she Ruffles through the maze of smokey air her dress covered with soot. She looked for what seemed like eternity until some of the officers came about and pulled her out of the home and still she attempted to stay and crawl back in: like a mother hen " my baby, my baby is in there"

" I'm sorry but there is no one in there AI " the officer responded and she coughed then cried as she fell onto the ground before she bawled even louder.

Those that walked by either took a pail to water down the home aflame or walked away in fear of the mad woman that laid out crying about a child in the fire that soldiers constantly said were not there.

After trailing about and wailing for help, Mrs.wook appeared and rushed the family to her dwelling place, she looked about the streets, before she faced Ai, and in a small blanket she revealed a surprise. " if the guards found her before me, they would have killed her."

Mrs.wook said as she handed Ai the sleeping child. Ai, placed her pointer finger in her child's face and softly caressed her nose. " you had me worry there for a second,little one" Ai said with tears still carried deep in her voice.

" I think we should just find her parents and give her back" Alba began to say.

Ai glared at her daughter, it was well understood when she turned her face towards the eldest girl. " if I thought that way with you or with your brother and sister, would you agree to it?. " Ai began to rant.

" No, but she's just going to cause more trouble for us, something we don't need. " Alba pointed out.

" From now on this is your sister. "

Ai, finished her words and so it became truth, the young girl, grew up with the family, and soon became one of their own. Like her older siblings she had an addiction to adventure which caused her trouble, from year's age of six, and her adventures to sneaking out into the world only to be brought back in by Mrs.wook, to when she grew older, became to get infatuated with dressing up and used veils to hide her face.

By the use of different names and adventures she would read about, and act out she survived, all while covering her body, in clothing and in using a veil to hide her face, only to be caught by one of her siblings, and returned home to the " imprisonment " she would call it.

*13 years later*

The carriage swayed side to side, by the fault of the rocky road, as the mysteriously darkened girl took her gaze, towards the window, breathing in the calming sight of fancy homes, placed in the midst of acres and acres of land. She then sighed in her own silence, facing away from the two women of nobility, of whose presence, she now sat in.

She was dressed in a grey hanbok, that covered her from her shoulders to her toes, only to have a soft rose veil that only displayed her eyes.

The dark skin was still obvious, for it showed around her eyes, the unnaturally large eyes in comparison to the people of joseon.

As a small bird flew about, it gave a call, causing her dark lips, to give a soft smile. While her focus was towards the outside world beyond the carriage, a voice called out to her in intention to start a conversation.

" What is your name? " She asked the young woman, The young woman looked up at her and looked back down, pretending to not be sure, what it was that the woman sitting before her in a majestical crafted hanbok of gold and red asked.

After a long wait of a response that was not going to be received, The other woman interjected.

" Ah, she doesn't speak this tongue, I knew she wasn't of this last just look at her, we really need to secure these walls bringing in so many vermins." The older woman responded.

The elder women with twilight sky eyes, squinted longer at the darkened skin girl, causing her own wrinkles to enhance themselves, as she curiously stared.

" Why did you have to get one, so dark?" The older woman later asked the younger woman beside her. The blackened and odd young woman in their presence kept her gaze towards the outside world, as she continued to be deaf to their, uneducated slander. There was not much she could say. If she could, she wouldn't be such a fool to stay silent.

"How can a queen have so many wrinkles?" The darkened girl scoffed, she asked herself as she gave a small smile after the older woman gave her insults.

The old woman, laughed out loud as she shared her harsh words freely to the princess beside her. " It must be easy to insult people, in another tongue, when you think they don't understand you." The strange woman's thoughts rang as she scoffed.

The queen looked, and pointed at the young darkened woman's innocent actions and began to speak. " why is she mesmerized at nothing?" she asked her daughter once more. The strange woman sighed and as the ride continued, it took all that was within the odd young woman to stay silent.

While the breath of refreshing wind ran through the carriage the princess began to speak: " We have to call her something. " The princess stated, as the carriage came to a stop, at the entrance of a glorious building, guarded by warriors, who bowed instantly when the feet of the noble touched the road. " How about So-yi?" She asked her mother.

The young stranger, in her charcoal, colored tint just smiled. " First time you've smiled so far so I'd assume you like the name." The princess stated so the woman's name became So-yi.

" You could have gotten help from everywhere, but still you insist on this...this...-" The queen began to ramble.

" accurate mother, a helper, a being, I am asking you to not give her a difficult time, If you did not consistently scare the others away, we would have found others willing to work, within our own country, but the moment they come to see that it is the royal mother, and daughter that requests their assistance, they change their mind, we are lucky, she agreed to work with us when she brought this maid request notice with her." The princess ranted, while she avoided her mother's glare.

" They should be grateful to be called on by a woman of the palace." The queen scoffed to her daughter, As the woman now named, So-yi, followed closely behind.

So-yi looked about the palace, as her eyes glanced at the workers, who simply looked back at her, unsure how to take in the sight of one so different than themselves, though so much of her was hidden.

" Don't mind the stares " The princess called out, as she softly turned around and looked at So-yi. So-yi didn't respond, rather she just pretended to be deaf to her words as she already had upon arrival.

While she followed behind, she used her eyes to study her setting, sighing and the following of direction and route by rule of princess, all at once, a young man appeared, his eyes dark, but a light friendly gaze of hello, was given to her, as she watched him give the same smile to the princess.

" ah kyung you're here." The princess smiled the man named kyung gave a generous smile as another man showed up; A handsome man he was, just as the first, their faces so majestically sculpted and framed.

The one named kyung had more of a faded shade of brown, almost like dried tree sap, the same silky look without the shine. The other whom was referenced by the princess as the crown prince just nodded his head, nodded at his sister, stared at So-yi for a bit then walked along.

As So-yi stared, she suddenly got a soft pat on her neck, she turned to see a head lady of the court, she turned to her, then after her strong glance, So-yi looked back down.

" My lady, I will take the help, to inform her on the ways of the palace. " The older woman said. the young princess smiled, and nodded her head as she gestured So-yi away. So-yi, implanted herself in the spot she resided though the head lady of the court tried pulling her along with her.

" You've been dismissed." The court woman whispered in her ear.

The princess nodded in agreement to the statement said and eventually So-yi followed along.

When the court woman and So-yi were far enough, the court woman glared at the young woman and shook her head. " Nia... child what are you doing here. " Ai asked speaking her words, between her teeth, as she kept looking about making sure there were no lingering eyes.

" I missed you mother, and the others, they get to do wha-"

" Nonsense, you go tell them right now you are not qualified for this job, I will let them know you do not understand my words, because of a disconnect in language, you need to return and stay hidden. "

" Mom..." So-yi called out. The court woman turned and stared at her daughter as she softly smiled: " Nia... child go home," Ai instructed.

So-yi shook her head and sighed, " I can't honestly go back now, I am tired of hiding in the closet when the soldiers come looking in the house, I am tired of being imprisoned in the house, because you say that those in the outside world, are out to get me, Whether they are or aren't, frankly mother, I know you say it to keep me fearing. At least when I work here, you can keep an eye on me, they don't even think I speak the language, I can stay silent, do my work and live with you since the others are all married off. "

" They come visit you...nia" Ai started to say.

" That isn't the point eomma, I even get a new name now, so now I am So-yi and So-yi wants to work here, at least if I get paid we can save up and move closer to the palace, I was looking at the homes, along the road ride as we road here and they are so beautiful. " So-yi continued to rant.

Ai, shook her head and bit her tongue, trying to not yell at her overly curious daughter.

" Nia, why don't we address this another time. You could be worrying about other things, such as marriage, for instance, that would help greatly. "

The young woman wrinkled her nose and moved her gaze away from her mother. " How do you expect me to find a husband with my condition?" She said just as easily as she took a breath.

Ai slapped her daughter's hands and placed her own hands on her hips as she got ready to rant to her daughter about her words, of self-discouragement. " If you look down on yourself before me again I'll -"

" Court lady, Ai! The king calls for you again. a wash maiden called out as she rushed towards, Ai. Ai sighed as her daughter grinned, in the break of a lecture from her worrisome mother.

" We will talk about this later, So-yi." Ai scoffed, as she focused her glare on her daughter.

" Mi-ra, take So-yi to the back gardens and have her help you clean and vase the flowers." Ai instructed. The young girl named Mira nodded her head and bowed, then began informing So-yi, by her Ai's request.

Ai watched the bothered young girl drag herself to follow the young maiden.

" When you came in today, you weren't speaking..." Mi-ra addressed. So-yi looked down, then looked back up, at Mira and said nothing.

" I guess you really can't understand the tongue we speak. you are lucky, a lot of the things they say, aren't worth listening to anyway, they live in lavish as those outside the walls die, in the process." Mi-ra finished.

So-yi sighed and lifted her brows " This girl, is very depressing." she thought to herself as she looked to the left.

While she grew uncomfortable with the feeling of sympathy that overwhelmed her as the maiden spoke, So-yi, distanced her interaction.

Mira walked towards the flowers and began to gesture for So-yi what to do. So-yi followed as she continued to stay silent.

The work was done, slowly though, the day passed them by swiftly. when all was done, both of the young women, sat in the green fields as they looked out, towards the land ahead, as the world around them began to grow larger, while the sun itself grew dimmer leaving a ray of gorgeous colors depicted of golden orange, and apple red streaks in the sky.

There was a silence, and so So-yi looked over and then as much as she fought herself against it, she began to speak.

" How long have you worked here?" So-yi asked as both she and Mi-ra faced the clouds, enjoying the progress of the sun as it slowly started to fall, causing a glamorous sight of color to appearing before them.

" A short while, no longer than a-" Mi-ra quickly turned around, tilted her head and pointed to So-yi, " you you..."

So-yi rolled her eyes, patted herself off and stood up, walking towards the palace unentertianed by Mi-ra's surprised reaction.

" no, no wait, sorry I was just shocked," Mi-ra began to apologize: " wait...why am I apologizing I should be shocked, everyone else thinks, you can't speak or understand our tongue. "

" And I suggest you keep it that way. " So-yi finished as she pointed to Mi-ra, with a glare.

Mi-ra shivered, glanced at So-yi and took in her simple gray hanbok, and recaptured the strange girl before her. " Is your real name So-yi?" Mi-ra asked after a moment, while she leaned in. " no, It's nia."

Mi-ra, stared longer at the girl and smiled. There was a small period of confusion as So-yi wrinkled her brows and questioned the girl. all at once, Mi-ra spoke: " You are the most interesting thing to happen to me, all my time spent here has been a bore. thank you, friend." she ended, with the exclamation of a child on her face.

" It is true, the palace staff is truly strange. " So-yi said to herself, as she gave half a smile and shook her head. Mi-ra, guided So-yi the remainder of the day, as she pointed out the places, and locations she would be allowed and wouldn't be. Frankly, So-yi didn't care, she was already satisfied with the gift of being out of the stuffy house, where day in and day out she was instructed to stay hidden.

" I have Night duty, So I have to go, see you tomorrow," Mi-ra instructed after a short moment of strolling. So-yi nodded her head. After some time So-yi waved off the chatty maiden. with a kick of her heels at the grass, and a smile on her face So-yi spun in a circle as her hands were held up to the skies.

A short time passed, and softly her smile faded when she stopped at the sight, of a starring princess, with whom she assumed to be the crown prince.

The princess, smiled and waved So-yi over. the young girl kept her head down, as she avoided the eyes of the princess. " This is So-yi ' the princess said, as she introduced So-yi to the crown prince. The man was just as uptight in his facial expressions as he was earlier that day when he stopped to speak to the princess.

The prince, wrinkled his brows and shook his head. " Is that the new help?" He asked the princess as he pointed in confusion. " Her?" he bluntly asked as he glared at So-yi.

Even the help says a lot about the king why is you do charity work and bring in such an eyesore, fire her will you?" The Crown prince stated.

So-yi tilted her head slightly, and blinked her eyes for a moment. " You, don't control those I place in my staff of help. If you are going to just be rude, I suggest you go back to sleep. Your greatness." The princess said.

The Prince, clenched his jaw, and looked at So-yi while he rolled his eyes childishly"

" It was more a statement your choice if you want to take in such a case...Deal well with it." The Crown prince finished he took one more annoyed glance at So-Yi then left.