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So-yi/ Nia's POV

" Does it still hurt?" Mother asked, as she stood over me silently, she softly pressed my wrist in order to provide a tighter hold, while she wrapped the white cloth around my hands and onto my fingers. I looked towards her then towards the ground.

" don't say it or I'll leave angry." I reminded her after a moment of reading her face's concern.

My mother corrected her face back to its emotionless self, she just shook her head. "There is so much more I should be doing as a mother." She mumbled saddened.

" mother... please don't do anymore than what you've done these past two days, if you continue then you're fated to get caught. " I warned her after a quick scan on the room.

My mother raised her brow and simply said: " I don't know what you're talking about?" She lies, while she placed everything back into its original place. Her hair was styled up, counterbalancing her choice of a over-worn hanbok. " I am sure they give better outfits to be a Gungnyeo " I mumbled mocking her position attire. My mother didn't look towards me after I spoke rather she ignored my input so I returned to my prior topic.

" The Queen has been sick for a night and two days, I heard that the doctor told her it was a common cold, but I also heard it was really because of something she ate." I corrected while looking at my hands and tracing along the cloth.

My mother shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. She pretended to think as she looked at me after putting things  away " no idea how that happened." My mother answered.

She paused and stared at the wall for a short moment before turning back around to speak to me. She held onto my shoulders and locked my eyes with hers. Her gaze called me, as well as softly calmed me, but her tone of voice said different.

" If this happens one more time you're leaving, I swear to the heavens if you don't leave I will drag you I will not be having my child harmed in this place while I can't do anything." She spoke through her teeth.

" But mo—." I wanted to say but she gripped onto my shoulder tighter.

" You hear me?!" She asked me once more.

" I will not be seeing you in a state of lifelessness like that again. These people don't care, about anyone but themselves." She mumbled to herself.

I smiled a bit and looked back down away from her eyes. She cared so easily it made me feel guilty for her hurting.

She was quiet as she peered onto my face, the mesh colored veil made her almost look like she was outside of a cage, while I was locked in.

" this stupid veil! take it off."    She randomly said as she reached over and tried to take it off for me.

I grabbed her hand and for a reason beyond my own, I almost cried. " eomma  please don't." I begged. She closed her eyes in annoyance and sighed.

" I didn't raise you to be an insecure woman, how many times do I have o tell you how beautiful you are before you get it!" My mother then almost yelled.

" I know... you didn't raise me to be insecure, society did and mother I am sorry forgive me, I know it makes no sense but I'm best secured with this veil, they look at me funny but it's easier to go about unbothered.

" then at least pull it down, how'd you manage to get it to cover your eyes when it's only for your nose and lips. " my mother asked as she fixed it for me. Leaving a small space of my eyes until my nose to could be free.

" Second to your heart, Your eyes are your strongest weapon. Anyone  can speak, but with sight you don't need to hear it to believe it. " my mother finished.

I nodded my head and stood up to leave the medicine room with my mother. I bowed towards my her as she walked away and then began on my stroll around the palace.

In the silence like always I took in everything I passed, the maidens glided their eyes over me in distaste occasionally some would nod an approval. 

" Nia— er I mean So-yi." I heard a voice called out. I turned around and my eyes watched and followed Mi-ra from afar then right before me.

" you look like a gypsy with that thing on everyday." She mumbled.

I raised a brow then looked down onto my hand. " I'd wack you but I'm hurt." I sarcastically answered.

Mi-ra twitched her upper lip as she rolled her eyes at me.

" Some thankful friend." She mumbled referring to the fact that it was She that called my mother being the other maidens just stepped outside to talk about the event rather than help me.

" you're getting too comfortable, I feel attacked." I responded to her lack of fright at my obscure method of speaking.

" your sarcasm is too clear for me to continue being fearful. " she then responded as she placed her arm over my shoulder.

I couldn't help but smirk alittle. " you're a nuisance." I responded. We continued our walk about the palace when the queen was spotted with the prince following her in.

She was being helped on her walk by the prince on one side and the princess on another. Before she even looked towards me I bowed my head down, pulling Mi-ra to do the same.

" Ah, So-yi" the princess started as she stuck out her hand.

I slowly looked up to meet her attention avoiding the queen's gaze. " About before."

Before she could continue I shook my head in disagreement to her apology. " All is well princess I was corrected for a mistake no apology is needed."

" let's get out of here! Yi-ae is visiting the prince." The queen barked after the princess as she walked Foward.

" I don't understand why you're entertaining this servants emotions. You were always so soft. " The queen said.

Before she could continue a woman dressed in a red outing hanbok approached with  servants lined into two lines beside her. " queen mother." She called out.

The woman was fair in beauty, it wasn't too unrealistic but it was still pleasing to the eye. Her skin was fair, proving she rarely worked outside.

Her nose pointed and her lips seemed deflated. In all her double lidded eyes was her best feature, along with her long raven feather hued hair.

Out of a sudden surprise the queen seemed to smile this action was something I could never associate with the reality of the queen therefore I was a bit taken aback by the action that was portrayed.

The woman I'd assume was Yi-ae looked in Mi-ra and I's direction, once more we bowed. She opened her mouth the speak the only things I could hear was

" took you lo-." The prince interrupted her from speaking and said: " now that you've arrived let's leave I have much to attend to."

She hesitated but she nodded her head, and followed the royal family out.

Once they were far enough Mi-ra spoke. " That's his wife to be?" She asked as she puckered her lip as an insult. " they deserve one another, she doesn't even look that great why would she be so direct to say something earlier?" She wanted on.

" Ah Mi-ra you've really gotten comfortable enough to say such things weren't you the one originally telling me to be careful or I'd get caught and thrown out?" I asked she shrugged her shoulders and walked along.

Eventually she left me, in order to aid one of the maidens in cooking for the evening. They often complained about my lack of contribution as they gave me nothing to do, due to their theory of me contaminating the food.

•••

A week passed and all seemed to have calmed down occasionally when I would see the prince I'd give him greeting, but after failed trials I slowly strayed from communication with him, being that he found it appalling. According to one of the wash maidens, he complained of my disturbance to him therefore he then began to request my removal. To hear such a thing would be my mother's dream so I strayed from the terror of being placed out with no home or even worst staying with one of my siblings.

Early morning Mi-ra and I gathered together with the other maidens as we went out for a wash. The trees seemed rather more welcoming than the palace they were apart of, the sunlight perched through the wholes of some of the leaves leaving a path to be walked, while facing the morning sky.

The maiden bathhouse was deep into the garden, away from public view. Mi-ra and I walked towards a corner where we changed, I wrapped plastic around my hand, in order to limit the intake of water the cloth mother wrapped around it would take, then got into the water, I purposefully stayed a bit submerged, and slowly came to sight when the others finally left.

" you act like they don't see you every time we come bathe I'm sure they all can see you're a bit darker at this point isn't it about time to stop troubling yourself, it only makes you look insecure and them right, if they laugh." Mi-ra lectured. I stared at her for a moment then, slowly kicked my legs behind my thighs so that I could sink deeper into the water.

The new found friend of mine lectured a bit louder, knowing my plan was to suppress her voice. " you don't want to hear it because you know it's true." She added. " I probably would be too if I stuck out in a crowd of people." She finished.

I stood back up in the water and pointed towards the entrance door. " Keep talking and we are leaving through those doors." I protested childishly before resting my hands on the edge of the pool where I set my head so that I could relax a bit.

"If only you going see yourself, how beautiful your face suits the goddess you contain within when that silk if off your face." She lectured, as she stared shaking her head in disappointment.

I shrugged and turned to return to the water when she continued onto her rant of some subject or another.

" Did you hear about the Prince? He's planning on taking in some of the maidens for his own personal service." Mi-at said as I closed my eyes away from her.

" Good for him." I responded unamused. " I wonder what he looks like up close and personal like that." She continued on.

" uglier than you don't worry." I added in order to accelerate the conversation. Mi-ra sucked her teeth and made a noise if disapproval at my sarcasm as she seemed to do often.

At last we departed from one another and returned to work. I to the duty towards the prince's breakfast issues, and Mi-at towards the kitchen staff.

I delivered the crown prince's tea, as soon as it came to an end I took on the courage to bow, and get ready to leave in dismissal as I mentioned it was starting to settle as a good week.

I raced toward the door, ready for freedom when I heard a call a cough towards my direction. " what's your name?" He asked. I wish he hadn't asked I wish he would've sat in his self adoration and left me to escape.

" So-yi, crown prince." I answered as I slowly backed towards the door to leave.

" So If I call for So-yi to come to my assistance you would be the one sent?" He asked comfortably. " Yes Sir." I responded once more.

He nodded his head then fanned me away like a bird.

I wrinkled my nose once I got outside wishing and hoping he wouldn't do a crazy thing such as to call me to be his personal maiden with a personality like his that led to my aggravation I would only wish he gave me the same hate I gave him. Rather than be his personal servant I would have rather requested to serve the queen in her disgust.

The following morning to my nightmare's wish it was exactly what had occurred I was moved towards the Prince's chambers along with three other women in order to be the ones to serve at his feet.

As I overheard, it was something that took place as the year came and gone, he'd exchange maidens in his staff once he found them too worthless for his likening whether it was awful cooking or the worst that I had heard all day.

" sometimes he sleeps with them." The maiden next to me giggled.

The words were exactly what I would only hope to never hear, ever again, as I sighed. Truthfully once more it didn't seem so awful to go live with my siblings any longer.