#cwnfollow

Growing up, Eunae had always admired the fairytales she read in books. She admired the princesses who carried themselves with beauty and grace, striving to be just like them when it was time to take on the royal duties of her family lineage. Her heart was pure and her love for the Kingdom of Hearts was true. Eunae longed for the day where she would sit upon the throne and rule the citizens of her home country with joy. Despite her ranking amongst other contenders, there was never such a thing as rests or breaks. Day in and day out, the young princess studied politics, languages, etiquette, war strategies, and more. She’d even taken up the sword despite the danger and disapproving stares from those in the court. But none of that had mattered back then. All she wanted was to be the best she could be and prove herself to be the one most fit to rule the kingdom that she adored so much.

However, Eunae would come to learn that her efforts would not be enough, no matter how hard she tried. She loved her sister; having been twins, they had been almost inseparable since birth. They laughed together, learned together, and experienced many royal events together. Despite receiving the same training and access to resources, overtime, it had become impossible to ignore the gap between Eunae and her beloved sister. The realization was painful and lonely— where did she go wrong? What did she miss? Why was she miles ahead and Eunae only a few steps in?

The shock and confusion only led Eunae to push herself harder, increasing her lessons and self-study, practically turning the castle’s library into her home. She still strived to be the best; her hard work would shine through to the Queen, the citizens of the kingdom, her sister— to everyone. It was no longer just a dream to Eunae, but her purpose.

The princess  keeps busy to avoid the whispers that rush through the halls like a wildfire. Despite her efforts, why do the citizens believe her to be cuel? She’s just trying to maintain order and righteousness throughout the kingdom. Why do they see her as a power hungry princess who only cares for the glory of the throne? Can’t they see how much she cares for them? In the presence of her sister, the people smile and cheer. But as Eunae approaches, they turn away and jeer. She continues to look onto the citizens of the kingdom with a bright smile, yet these thoughts tear her mind apart when she’s alone. Despite some insisting that she move away to the Kingdom of Clovers, where her hard work may be recognized and rewarded, Eunae refuses. She doesn’t want to go anywhere. She would not want to rule anywhere outside of her home.

Jiae has always wanted to be the Queen. At first, it’s a given; she’s one of two twins born to the current Queen of Hearts. It’s every little girl’s dream to be a princess with pretty dresses and a charming prince, but she has a better chance at achieving it than most. Might as well go for it, right? So she does, albeit dragging her feet because of how boring the reality is. Propriety, graciousness, blah blah blah. It’s only when she learns about what it really means to be a Queen, to rule a kingdom and have everyone bow to your will, that Jiae’s interest and drive finally manifests. She decides, right then and there at the ripe age of 12, that she wants that ridiculous amount of control over the masses, and she’ll do anything to get it.

She learns things quickly. The concepts taught to her, the etiquette she must commit to muscle memory, the politics within and between each country—it comes easily to her. Jiae’s been studying from books and private tutors for as long as she can remember. What's expected of her, what the people want to see, how to appeal to the people of her kingdom and others who are much closer—the pretenses come even easier to her. Though she’s spent significantly less time practicing them than her official lessons, she’s been observing this fraudulence in her mother and other royalty for just as long. Maybe even longer.

It's humorous, the façade she's learned to project since a young age: the relatable and respectable daughter of the queen, so charitable and humble despite all the power at her fingertips. How could anyone think poorly of her? She’s the perfect princess, born to rule the kingdom with the same kindness and grace as her mother and father. To the Kingdom of Hearts, Jiae is a stark contrast to her cruel and power-hungry twin sister, and they absolutely adore her for it.

And oh, how it should tug at her heartstrings, at any bit of familial love Jiae might hold for her twin. I feel for you, sister. I really do. They'll come around. Maybe that’s what she should say, but the truth is harsh and cruel—like the hypocritical people who frown upon her sister for ill-informed reasons, like Jiae herself under the layers upon layers of a carefully crafted persona. She doesn't pity her twin, and the people will never come around, because Jiae needs this. She needs her sister to make her look better; she needs her sister to take the fall for the rumours more befitting of Jiae's character.

The Kingdom of Hearts is stupid in that way. It's pathetic how easily manipulated people are even when all the answers are right in front of them. They have all the right ideas, but they have the wrong person. If only they were more clever and perceptive, like Jiae, they might be able to live a life worth more than grovelling and gossip. Instead, they're content with being soft-hearted and ass kissers, toyed with like puppets on a string. Jiae might enjoy being their puppeteer now, but there's only so much she can do without the throne.

One day, soon, she’s going to be crowned the rightful queen. She’ll change this wretched kingdom to her liking, so the people will be toughened and they will know their place once and for all. The nation will flourish more than it ever has, all because of her.

among all the words and ways ever used to describe the foreign princess living inside the walls of the palace of hearts, the best one would be: a survivor. but that’s the part of her story very few ever cared to know. the part of it they have always ignored in favour of tales of a ghostly lady dressed in white, roaming around the halls and appearing only for those who were unfortunate enough to catch a phantom’s glimpse—so pale, so beautiful and, yet, nothing but an illusion wrapped in the thin veil between what is real and what is not.

for those who bother to dive deeper and beyond, the lady ghost has a name: tsuki, spelled exactly how one would spell ‘moon’ in her mother tongue. and, much like the moon is forced to stray far away from the sun, tsuki had lived a life of restrictions, of don’ts and no's, despite the deepest wishes of her heart. and how many wishes did it have.. for not a single moment ever since the faithful spring of her birth was spent without hoping for better. hoping for more.

her story begins on the day tsuki comes to be; two months earlier than she should and barely holding onto life within her wee hands. the doctors, nurses and whoever else gazed at her claimed she had a slim chance of survival, but little did they know the girl had been born with an insatiable thirst for life, and that very thirst would be the fuel to keep her thriving. as she still does to this day.

you see, not only was she premature but, as her family and herself would learn the following years, the child was prone to sickness, as if death had its constant grip on her ankles and kept on trying to pull her six-feet-under. thus, with a body so fragile and parents who worried so for their only-child, tsuki was home schooled, forced to live within the confines of a large home with little to no contact with anyone but the servants and few nobles who were allowed visits quite rarely. it’s then that the stories about her were created; about the lady ghost. after all, those who didn’t know of her were solely granted sightings of a pale beauty looking longingly out the window of the kamiya’s estate. but despite such a gloomy existence, tsuki found solace in the fact she remained alive, that she had yet another day to live. and, so, her smile never faltered.

tsuki is merely 16 when she decides, however, that she’s had enough of living in solitude simply because her health could not withstand as much as other’s and, after applying herself diligently with the wish to be more than people thought she could be, the girl passed the selection and became a potential candidate for the kingdom of heart’s throne, surprising everyone ( and even herself, although she would never admit to it ) when three years later she was given the title of princess. but the title couldn’t have been more correct, for what tsuki lacked in health, she had in character, wit, intelligence and the desire to make her country an even better place for those less fortunate than she had been.

— when you're born into a family of honour and tradition , there's very little choice left. your path is set.. along with pretty much everything else.

the kwon family churned out knights for the kingdoms ever since it's genesis , loyal and trustworthy soldiers who were willing to dedicate their lives for the people sitting on their thrones.

and little jiah could hardly question it , at least not vocalise her concerns-- not after being silenced by her mother a little too often thanks to the rebellious streak that sure was a concern to the parent. jiah was after all the older in the family and her duty to lead by example was highly awaited.

eventually she grew out of it , again.. there wasn't much of a choice and while training ever since the age of thirteen , anytime her maverick personality cracked through.. she was reprimanded for it. but as time went on , the little out-of-hand jiah turned into one of the finest knights of the kingdom -- it's when she realised it would've been better to put all the energy to good use and actually do something her family would be proud of. so it was head down and train train.. and then train some more.

the greed for being the best had set in early.

with a clear goal , jiah felt like she found a path -- while ignoring her underlying personality of questioning everything , of course --- she forced herself this goal and did everything to maintain it. as much as she didn't care for the respect of people higher above , the pat on her back for a job well done admittedly felt good. she was still barely an adult and approval was a nice feeling --- however minimal.

why is it that when things go wrong , it's always during the time of when things are at the brink of going right?

it was when she'd finished her knight in training years , all that effort was starting to surmount to something and she'd take what felt like the first breath in years... that's when it happened. that's when the person she was doing all of this for was taken away from her. her father , a role model she kept telling herself to be like no longer existed.

and no one knows what happened.

because why would anyone bother unravelling the unfortunates events that could only defame the kingdom.. and all for a lower-class nobody? no , they wouldn't do that. it's cold , harsh reality she found out about too soon and a world full of possibilities now only seemed like a means to an end.

a world in which everything you worked so hard in believing starts crumbling , is a world you don't want to live in. and it was that one moment that had opened the floodgates of every wrongdoing, every mis-treatment and every injustice the kingdoms where so conveniently sheltered from -- how could she swear a life of allegiance to.. to these people? no.. not anymore.

sure , one of the thoughts was storm into the kingdom and rip apart every single person until they started talking.. but after a lot of thinking , it felt obvious that nothing would've hurt them more than cracking the walls of this oh so magnificent place from the inside. take every little useful information gathered over the years and when the time comes , use it against them --- make them feel just as expendable as her family and all those other families did.

and what if she was using someone to get to the top a little sooner?

being second born, there’s always a sense of competition. sunwoo knows this, he sees it everywhere in a realm of royalty. then again, there’s not much else that drives the crown and all their little pawns. those who would argue love and duty are kidding themselves and that’s just what he believes. even as much as he loves his sister, he’d do anything to prove himself, not just to her or to their family, but to everyone.

of course, that means that every action, every step he takes is watched diligently, and there must be some care to how others see him. they will notice that he is polite, regal, and poise. his mysterious side, the side that quips when frustrated, quietly broods when faced with a decision that may impact the well being of others, or slips away at the last moment before he can show any sense of vulnerability, shows its face in the darkest of hallways.

some may call him two-faced but those would just not have what it takes to be king.

threatening is not below him, nor is sabotage or betrayal, even to those he seems to love. it’s all a game to him, people’s feelings and loyalties, it’s all a carefully thought out path to the throne and one he will never abandon no matter how much someone tugs at his weaknesses ( if he’d ever even let them know what those are ).

he joins the royals on a bet between siblings, though it’s also promise wrapped in one. both he and sunhwa have a desire to do better than what their parents have, to be royal. it’s not so much as the money that prompted them, but rather the mutual need for accomplishment, to no longer hide behind the title of noble. for some, it’s enough but for sunwoo, it’s not enough to be rich with old money or somewhat reputable. he’s fallen in love with the competition, the sibling rivalry to one up each other and someday own a thrown of their own. once it’s won, it’ll be all his own, not blood or tired handed down titles. it’ll be because he willed himself there.

kwak ahyoung never wanted to be a princess.

her mother’s side of the family was known for wanting to please the queen at all costs, doing the absolute most to try and get close to her and gain her approval. but even as a child, ahyoung didn’t see the appeal of it all. rather than growing up like any other child, she was forced into a lifestyle of manners and etiquette.

“how could you not want to be a princess, ahyoung-ah?” her mother asked her stubbornly during one of their many quarrels. out of everyone in this family, it was this woman who always pushed the royalty agenda against her. she couldn’t get along with her for one second.

“i want to be a musician!” the little child would scream back. “i want to sing to travel the world and sing to people!

"don’t be foolish, girl! you must be accustomed to this life or else!” she’d lecture. “now get dressed or else you won’t be able to have dinner tonight!"

thank god ahyoung’s father at the time was always there to defend her to calm down their arguments. not only that, but she’d always see him as a shield of some sort, always protecting her from her mother’s harsh words. she knows that the woman loved her… it was just the fact that she’d never give her the chance of seeing things in her light.

her father however did. before he had married her mother, he was a musician once, too. he always had a guitar in hand and would play songs for the little one to sing along to, always letting her live her dream of being a singer seem possible to her. he even taught her piano, with approval from her mother as it would come in handy with impressing the royal highness.

"why do i have to be a princess, papa?” ahyoung asked her father one day as they played a piano piece together.

he was silent for a while, trying to think of an answer that would convince his little sunshine. “don’t you want to live a nice life, ahyoungie?” he asked her, tugging on her cheek to get her to smile. “princesses and princes get to live in a palace and lots of attention and food. they also get lots of gifts and always look pretty. it’s essentially our life, but with more benefits!"

and that sounded convincing. ahyoung’s family was not poor by any means. because of her mother’s side, they were very much well off and it’d be nice to gain even more. but at the time, the little girl didn’t think about power or reputation. she didn’t think about how popular she’d be, should she follow the path her mother wanted her to. to her, there was nothing special about being in a beautiful gown full of riches in a large, extravagant palace. if she wasn’t able to explore the world and see what more it had to offer while also doing what she loved most, then that was the life she certainly didn’t want to live.

"mmm. i don’t care,” she answered. “i just want to sing and travel the world while singing. i think i’ll be happy that way."

her father gives her a smile. "you really are my girl,” he says, adoration practically dripping from his voice. “if in a few more years you don’t change your mind, i’ll convince your mother to let me take you around the world and we can sing together."

"deal!” she cheered happily.

kwak ahyoung can’t be a princess.

ahyoung and her father get into an accident that ruins her life forever. while she is left with only a few wounds and a broken leg from the collision, her father was the one that was most affected. she is knocked out as soon as the impact braces them, not aware of how her father was losing so much blood right beside her. she was unconscious while her father was rapidly losing whatever leftover strength he had left.

the only time she became aware of the fact that he was dying was when she woke up from the hospital bed, looking over at her mother with her little sister holding her hand.

“where’s dad?” she asked with a worried tone. as soon as she sees her mother’s red eyes begin to water again, she finds herself crumbling apart as well.

the night after his memorial service, ahyoung is called to her mother’s bedroom. “there is something important i must discuss with you. please be sure to get there as soon as we get home,” she told her as they made their way out of the funeral home.

“i’m sure you know why you’re in here,” she starts off. “we must discuss your future. specifically, we must discuss your future. specifically, your future as a princess."

the girl grimaces. this was a fate she had wanted to avoid for all of her life. even now at her young age, she wanted to not listen to her. "why does it have to be me?” she asks. “why can’t it be ahri?"

"your sister is much too young to be a princess. she is only twelve years old!" her mother explains to her, her tone sounding as if she was mocking her oldest daughter. "and even if it's much later than we intended it to be, you can be a princess at your age... how old are you?"

"twenty-one. you were at my birthday party."

"oh! right! my, what an incredibly late age to be a princess," the woman sighs and shakes her head. "no matter. becoming a princess late is better than never. you should be grateful that your father has kept you from being one for this long. otherwise, you'd have been a princess... six or seven years ago!" she laughs to herself.

she's the only one laughing. when she stops, she continues her speech.

"no matter. as you are under my roof, you will do as i say until the moment you are bethrothed... if that ever happens." ahyoung wants to smack her face at this point, but she restrains herself from doing so. there was no point in showing her anger now. after all, she is still grieving. her father wouldn't want her to do anything rash to her mother, anyway. "i expect to see you prepared tomorrow. i know your father has passed away, but the sooner you become a princess, the sooner you will repay him for the burdens that you've rested upon him. understood?"

"understood."

"good. you may leave."

and so she leaves, her jaw clenched as she finds herself pinching her own skin as a way to hold herself back from absolutely losing it.

kwak ahyoung must be a princess.

she does not want to be, but she also wants that wretched lady off her back.

perhaps when she finally achieves the goal that her mother's family has been yearning for, she'll finally be treated like a daughter from her mother. maybe her mother will treat her the way she treats ahri. she won't lie that she always envied her little sister for receiving all the love and attention she wish she had growing up from that woman.

despite the unfortunate events in her life, a part of ahyoung still has hope. upon clearing his belongings as instructed by her mother, she had kept her father's guitar pick and attached a string to it, wearing it as a necklace around her to symbolize some sort of hope. someday, she will travel the world and sing with a band. she will inspire people and have them sing along with her too, if not clapping along to her voice. because though her father is gone and she still has to find a way to get used to the palace full of riches, she still has hope for her humble dream. even if she has to be more aware of her power and reputation, she could care less about all of the expectations put onto her.

she does not want to be here.

Yoo Haejun was born to a large family in the kingdom of Spades. Born as the second of six children, Haejun and his siblings were raised with the goal of becoming a royal and their parents weren’t going to rest until at least one of their children achieved this. The oldest Yoo child failed in their pursuit of the crown and so the pressure was then to fall on his shoulders as the second oldest.

Growing up being pressured into following a path he wasn’t interested in, by the time he turned 15, Haejun had had enough. No longer able to handle his overbearing and controlling parents, he ran away. It was a last minute, spur of the moment decision that would change his life forever.

Now on his own and not ready to return home, Haejun wasn’t sure what to do. He had run away from home, from his family, with no plan and now he was essentially stuck with no where to go. He fled his kingdom in the hopes of escaping his life and starting again. Haejun fled the kingdom of spades and found himself in the kingdom of clovers. Feeling desperate and perhaps hoping that his family couldn’t find him, Haejun turned to the knights and, at the young age of 15, became a knight-in-training.

Training was hard at first and there were times when he wondered if this was the right choice, but his parents pushing him all through his life helped him build resilience and determination, and it’s these that helped him complete his training. He worked his ass off to prove himself as a capable and noble knight. He fought through until it was finally his time to go through his rite of passage, and, at the age of 17, Haejun became an official knight.

He worked hard to move up the ranks and to prove himself as a talented and competent knight until he was finally able to become an elite knight. And then that’s when his life would change once again.