what would yurye do if his title was suddenly stripped and he was banished from the palace?
it’s a simple question, yet… it evokes such an old and sad feeling within yurye. a longing. it’s almost alarming how unphased he is at the thought of what if that happened tomorrow? of course, yurye can’t remember much of his time from before entering the palace. a time when his mother and he were just simple nobodies somewhere in korea. but through the years when he suddenly finds himself a little too exhausted over what it means to be a prince, and what it means to maintain that title and the image he’s built thus far… part of him tries to think back to what his life had been before everything had been dropped into the palm of his hands.
if yurye were to suddenly lose his title… he’d want leave the country. the entire land in fact, to start over where he could leave behind all the stress and politics behind. but there’s a small part of him that holds back on considering leaving everything behind to start new. yurye can’t help but think about who would be there for @cwnkijung? he wasn’t a child anymore but… he was the only family that yurye had left. and as much as he would want to start new given the chance, he wouldn’t be able to do it alone. so if yurye were to be banished from the palace, he would do whatever he could to go back. whether he gained his title back or not, all that mattered was that he would be able to take care of kijung.
yurye’s deepest desire?
hell…. he really wants to take @cwneunae out on a date. like officially court her. all the fancy pizazz and stuff. bring her all her favorite bouquets of flowers, go out on horse rides to see the nearby lakes or rivers. maybe even have a picnic with her if that’s what she wants. most important of all, be able to openly visit her in the kingdom of hearts whenever he pleased.
he wishes he could just out with it and tell her how he feels about her, but yurye has never been the type to boldly confess his feelings. he knows how quick word spreads around even when you think you’re alone together to do something that secretive - that intimate. after all, eunae wasn’t just some girl that the king willed him to meet. she had humbly caught his attention and since then he couldn’t get her out of his head. but he would never do anything to risk her reputation and image being damaged by petty rumors such as him and his feelings for her.
yurye’s biggest fear?
there are definitely more scary things in the world that yurye probably couldn’t even fathom or bother thinking about. the only things that kind of strikes fear in his heart recently is how much longer his friends are going to be able to stand him and his mischievousness. despite being a prince of his standing, when it comes to his closest friends, they all know just how rowdy he can get when he’s not under the eyes of any scrutinizing royal advisors or other nobles.
he’s pretty sure that one of these days chul, hyunsu or seoho might snap at him and give him a beating for his incessant bugging nature. in hindsight, @cwnseoho would probably be less likely to do anything that would actually physically harm the prince. maybe a reprimanding word or two. as for @cwnhyunsu… well… chances were if there was anything physical happening it would probably be because yurye was helping the former out of an escalated situation, getting himself involved. which left @cwnchul… which… well - yurye was sure chul would definitely hands down give it a go if given the chance. chul was a moody one after all and you would never be able to tell until the male was on you for something.
all these thoughts are settled in yurye’s mind as he really considers these questions one after another. but once he begins to write his report, the answers that a prince like he should have, flow effortlessly as his title and reputation is everything he is.
should yurye be stripped of his title and be banished from the palace, “i would take on the role of a political envoy to assist from outside the palace…”
one of yurye’s biggest desires, “i desire that the people of the kingdom should live in long peace and prosperity....”
one of yurye’s biggest fears, “is that one day i may fail to carry out my duties not only as a prince of the country, but as a leader to my people…”
who is this clover fourth tier royal? what is she about? what is she hiding? and who is she paying attention to?
though she is not one to abide by orders and do what she is instructed to do to make her be ranked up to higher tiers, she didn’t think that filling out a report would be much of a big deal. a part of her wonders as to why the queen would want her to do this in the first place, considering she expected to do something more… verbal rather than something written. but she’d rather be writing about her experience so far as a “princess in training” in her room rather than going out and making sure she’s drinking tea the right way at a garden party.
as she reads the prompts of which she should answer in her report, her brows furrowed. why was there so many questions? surely, she isn’t expected to answer all of them, is she? no. she is only expected to answer three at least… but perhaps she could get on their royal highnesses nerves as a way to continue with being at the fourth tier. she was comfortable here, even if she could be possibly be kicked out of this life if she continued with her fooling around any longer. she’ll give them what they want… she’ll give them way more than what they want from her.
what would you say is your biggest fears? how would you cope if you were to face them in your life as a princess?
what a loaded question! she already knew the answer to this question, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to let it be known to them of all people what it was. then again… perhaps if she went on about her answer, they’ll grow tired and end up not reading it all. perhaps she should do that with all of her answers from here on out! that wouldn’t be much of an issue, would it?
she decides to save that particular question for later because obviously, she wants the least vulnerable answer to be the one the royals will be less likely to read.
in fact, she finds herself looking through past a lot of the prompts. of course, she plans on answering all of them, but she wants to make sure she doesn’t immediately make the queen think she’s putting her heart on her sleeve. she’d rather die than let anyone be aware of that.
TRIGGER WARNING FOR DEATH, DEPRESSION, EMOTIONAL ABUSE
in the case you were not in your position in your kingdom right now, what else would you be doing in this moment?
an easy question, really. she feels like she’s made it obvious to everyone about how she really didn’t want to be here. she did not wish to be living this life of luxury and power like her mother forced her to. she’s pretty sure she made some people question why she was here in the first place. even now, her heart still yearns for a certain path that grows distant from her every second she spends in the clover kingdom—or any of the kingdoms, for that matter. the most she can do is daydream… that, or have this whole competition for the throne to be over so she can go back to her normal life like she wanted to.
she writes the following:
“i wish to be a performer like my father. it has been my dream since i was merely a child. i have grown up loving music ever since the day i was born. had it not been for certain circumstances, i would try to pursue my music journey in another country far away from where the kingdoms are. perhaps, even farther away than where my family are. i’d like to believe my father would be happy for now, had i gone for that path rather than the current one i’m in now. as of now, his opinion doesn’t really affect my future anymore… unfortunately.”
what would you do if your title was suddenly stripped and you were banished from the palace?
an interesting question to consider and most definitely something the girl wouldn’t really seem to mind that much. though she’s found some company that’s made her stay at the clover kingdom, let alone the other kingdoms that surround the center of diamonds, she still would rather be anywhere else but in the position she was in right now. royal life was simply not ahyoung’s calling, no matter who or what tries to convince her otherwise. so, even though many people would consider banishment to be an awful punishment, she mainly saw it as an escape. a ticket to freedom provided by whatever action she has done. of course, she doesn’t have the balls to actually do something scandalous enough to get her banished, but if the opportunity was easier than it sounded… who was she to reject it?
she writes down:
“perhaps, i’d continue to live my life as it was before i arrived at the palace. even if my father is not here with me, meaning my journey to having a music career will be more difficult than it was before, i will continue to try and pursue that career path, as i believe it is my destiny. will it be even more complicated, as i’ll be known for my banishment? perhaps, but i could also use that as an opportunity to gain attention for what i wish to do in the future. the more people who will pay attention to me, the more likely i am to be successful in the music industry… right? that’s how it works, nowadays!”
onto the next question that wasn’t anything too uncomfortable for her.
if you could do something that would normally cost you your title but without receiving those repercussions, what would it be?
an interesting question, as ahyoung couldn’t really see herself really breaking any rules just because she felt like it. if she wouldn’t have to get a bunch of scary punishments for it, she might’ve considered. but with how over-the-top the kingdoms were, especially the queen of clovers herself, ahyoung wouldn’t risk to do anything… however, if she were to not receive any kind of repercussions, her mind begins to delve into thoughts of what she could do. when she thinks of some ideas, she immediately writes them down on the paper so that she doesn’t forget.
“i’d slap the queen of clovers in the face. i know that sounds very bold of me and i would never do that intentionally to hurt her majesty. but i feel like if i did that, i’d prove a point to let everyone know how much this entire process means so little to me. not only that, but if i took the opportunity to disrespect her majesty while also getting away with it, i can already imagine how my beloved mother would behave. and i love nothing more than to see her be embarrassed because it’s what she deserves for being so kind and lovely to me.”
which other royal do you think is your biggest competition and why? would you eliminate them if given the chance? why why not?
she wasn’t really sure if she had an answer for this. because if she had to be truthfully honest, she really didn’t care much about the throne. she was only here because her mother forced her to and she was willing to not try at all until the day she eventually finds herself kicked out of the palace for wasting the queen’s time. but of course, stubborn to make sure that the queen plans to not read through all of her answers, she decides to come up with a random answer to this question, based on how she interacts with others.
“if i had to be honest, i think that baek dabin would be my biggest competition, considering we are both on the fourth tier in the clover kingdom. she likes to think of me as her main rival and while i don’t really see much point in the throne, i like poking fun into the rival concept every now and then because i think it’s entertaining how she thinks i’m actually trying when it comes to this whole entire ‘royalty turns to princess’ thing. and though i wouldn’t really consider him my biggest competition, i do want to be able to see if i can try and take choi jaejin down. i’m not particular fond of him. i feel like he patronizes me because of my low tier, but not in the way that han hyunsu does. while hyunsu is vocally arrogant and likes being upfront about his dislike for me, jaejin does it in a way that makes me feel uneasy rather than annoyed. really, i feel like i want the hearts prince to actually leave me alone rather than the other… who i don’t really mind much. that being said, though those are the people who i’d see as competition, i don’t think i’d try to eliminate them. i think that’s reaching a little too far, not to mention i think they have a better chance at getting the throne than me anyways. at least they want it.”
if had had the choice to either a) gain the crown but your best friend is killed, or b) save your best friend but lose the crown, what would you do?
when she reads the word “best friend”, her mind automatically jumps to the thought of him: son junyoung. she’s known the prince since he was practically a baby and the two have been through a lot together, even spending a few years away from each other before rekindling their friendship when ahyoung arrived at the clover kingdom. he’s the person that made her feel comfortable in this new life of hers, considering he’s had more experience with it and he, being the kind hearted gentleman that he is, was willing to help her along the way. to think of a reality in which she was able to get the crown rather than him… that sounded unreal, especially given the fact that she feels he deserves it more than she does. it’s not only the fact that she saw no purpose in being official royalty, but it’s more on the fact that jun needed that crown. he needed it for the most selfless reasons, meanwhile ahyoung’s mother wanted her to get it for selfish reasons.
besides… if she had to witness another death of a loved one that she could be able to prevent from happening, she could never forgive herself. she’s already lost her father. with the fact that she just got jjuni back in her life, she didn’t want to lose her precious friend yet again… but forever, this time.
“i’d easily choose option b, in which i save my best friend but lose the crown. to me, the crown is not that much of a big deal. it is not the reason why i’ve decided to stay a little longer in the kingdom rather than up and quit. my friendships with everyone here is what keeps me going and what makes me try even a little at staying in the palace for longer than i want to. not to mention, i had just reunited with my best friend. to lose him all because i’ve decided to be selfish… that’d be a grave sin that i’d never ever be able to recover from.”
what is your biggest desire?
easily a question ahyoung could answer. she feels as if most of her answers from before were already indicating it. at the end of the day, what else could she want in life? her true dream life was answered in the first question she answered and though her path to getting to that dream career seems more impossible than it did before, kwak ahyoung still found herself holding onto a little bit of hope.
even now, as a royal, she finds herself trying her best to surround herself with whatever she can get of that desire. she’d play the piano in one of the rooms in the palace and sing to random songs by herself so that she could be able to relieve her stress or anger or whatever upset emotion she felt in that present moment. no matter where she is, that desire always finds a way to reach out to her in the times she needs it, whether it be as solace or even as a friend.
“music is my desire. it always has been and probably always will be. i still wish to be a musician, but i get enough joy playing the piano and singing songs to myself. i also enjoy going to opera shows in the hearts kingdom whenever i can, even if that’s not the style of singing i’m totally experienced in. in general, music is my remedy. it is my comfort. it is my love. i would die without it.”
and it’s after this question that she returns to the question that threw her off in the first place.
what is your biggest fear?
“disappointing my father.”
she wonders if it’s appropriate for her to write more. after all, she wants to ramble as much as she can so that no one would have the energy to read it… but at the same time, it’s hard to talk about. after all, it’s the reason why she’s here to begin with. her mother told her that the least she could do in honor of her dad is do the one thing he’s worked so hard to keep her from being, making it sound as if ahyoung’s wish to not be a princess was a burden to the whole family. and even if she hasn’t said it, a part of her wonders if her mom thinks the same as her. that if it hadn’t been for her, he’d still be here right now.
it’s all ahyoung’s fault as to why she’s here. she just refuses to admit it because she wants to still find herself likeable.
she doesn’t want to believe her mother’s words, no matter how much they apply to her.
what is your biggest secret? (when answering this question, know that this answer is confidential and only the highness of your kingdom will read it.)
“fuck off.”
they did not need to know about her guilt over the accident. no one needed to know that she was the one who was driving the car. that had she been more careful, this whole entire situation could’ve been avoided. sure she didn’t mean to do it. the accident was simply an accident! but even then, the girl wakes up in the middle of some nights drenched in sweat, haunted by the nightmares in which she sees the car crashing right into them, the car flipping over on its side and how she screams for her dad’s name before she sees black.
she doesn’t trust herself to get behind the wheel. hell, she can’t even trust herself to be at the front seats. she knows it’s not her fault. she knows that it’s not her fault that the car came at her. their light was green, after all. it was the other driver’s fault. but even so, she remembers waking up in that hospital room and crying when she heard of the news. because at the end of the day, she was the one near him. she could’ve saved him at that moment.
but she didn’t.
what is your biggest regret?
kwak ahyoung is a flawed human being.
regardless if it was against her wishes, she could have complied with her mother’s pleas of getting her into the royal life earlier on. that way, she wouldn’t be as much of a burden in the family.
she wouldn’t have burdened her father with a wish that he’d have to fight with the hopes of it coming true and seeing her smile. so that way, on the day after his funeral, she wouldn’t have been told by her mother about how she had to make it up to him for burdening him so long until the day that he died.
that way, she wouldn’t have yelled at jun for leaving her for the royal life, seeing him doing it for his family as an “act of betrayal” because he told her a completely different reason. she wouldn’t have cursed at him and told him that she hope she’d never see him again.
she wouldn’t be here in this palace, despite her wishes against it, because of the accident that was caused by her. because of her father’s sacrifice for her.
with a sigh, she writes down her last answer before completing her report.
being of little patience, sunwoo finds himself wanting to give up. the bet between boys has grown rather intense in the last few minutes, especially since sunwoo spends more of his time reading and attending to studies than he does things like this, like archery. in the modern world, there is no use for it, so he usually pays it no mind. he finds more interest and use in education and intelligence. but a bet is a bet, and he can never say no to a challenge.
“why’d you convince me to take these stupid lessons?” sunwoo says annoyed. truthfully, he’s pretty sure he was the one who brought it up and between the two of them, competition comes easy. it was one small challenge after another before a bet is being made and now he’s stuck bruising the inside of his arm with the tight flex of a bow string. he places an arrow on the end of his bow, lining it up on the tip of his finger as he pulls back and lets go, completely missing the target.
“i guess, i am paying for lunch,” he says miserably. “i think you played me.” it’s like a child’s game, a deez nuts joke, the simple push of a button beginning when talking about one’s mother. “hustling isn’t very royal like, is it, hyung?”
sneaking out had become increasingly easy over the years. she had some experience already butt this, this was a different level. it was if she had managed to really bloom in the scheming side of her. and tonight was one of those nights, she couldn’t help but let out a giggle that turned into full blown laughter, which turned into coughs once everything caught up with her. still. that pushed the high and siwoo took a moment to collect herself.
a moment to remember that hyunsu was sitting next to her.
and she had zoned out in the middle of what he was saying, something about him being the hottest. “look, i’m not saying you’re the best looking guy, i’d sleep with or have slept with but...” she trailed off and raised her pipe to her lips, lighting it and taking a pull that wasn’t as harsh. she could simply, enjoy it, breathing in slowly and letting the smoke out just the same. “you’d do in a pinch.”
as expected, there weren’t many things that ahyoung would like about living as a royal. maybe if she tried more to go up the ranks, she’d have a more enjoyable experience compared to the one she has now. but if she improved, that’d simply be going against her own wishes and abiding by her mother’s. she may want her life to get better, but she also is stubborn and can’t let her mother win.
however, she will admit that one of the benefits of this life compared to the one she’s lived before (not that there was much difference, her mother being a noble and all) is the fashion. she’d be lying if she said she didn’t find any of the gowns she’s seen other princesses wear enchanting and she honestly has seen herself in some dresses that she’s come across. of course, she’ll need to shape up her act before she can wear the most extravagant. but even the most plainest dress looked beautiful in her eyes.
however, there came a con in everything and with fashion, it was shoes. of course ahyoung’s worn heels before, but she doesn’t wear them as much. before she arrived at the palace, she only wore them for special events that her mother forced her to attend to. on any other day, she’d go in comfy flats or even boots or sneakers. but she has to wear them every day in this new life of hers... no matter how painful they looked, she had to get used to wearing them.
with no plans for the day, she takes the opportunity to walk through the halls in a pair of red stiletto pumps. they weren’t outrageously tall (because she’d already be on the floor if they were more than eight inches), but they weren’t as short as she’d like it either. so though it’s a challenge ahyoung can try to push through, she still finds herself holding onto the wall next to her whenever she can. if she can reach the library with these on, that’s a goal for her! she just has to get to the stairs at the end of the hall and then walk more from there!
she just hopes that no one else in sight to see her. she probably looks like a baby deer learning how to walk for the first time. even if she doesn’t care about the fact that the entire kingdom knows she is not the most grateful, she still doesn’t want to have someone watch her accidentally trip because of her shoes. that’d be humiliating.
“i can do this. i can do this,” she mumbles to herself over and over as she takes more steps, hand slightly touching the wall on her right. heel to toe. heel to toe. heel to toe.
with @cwnhyunsu
location: the secret costume party in the spades palace
jiae finds herself standing behind one of refreshments table not too long after the secret costume party begins, and it's not just because there is an array of sweet treats that are calling to her for a taste. it’s this stupid costume’s fault. there isn't much she can do to cover herself up, but at least the table keeps the lower half of her body hidden out of sight.
but, okay, maybe the food is the main reason she decided to stay here for a while instead of mingling with the other secret party-goers. after a couple bites of a few different snacks, jiae has begrudgingly realized that the spades palace chefs are better than the ones in the hearts palace. they know how to combine flavours and various textures to create a perfect harmony in a way that the hearts chefs could only dream of achieving.
(they're still not better than jiae herself).
it is getting a little lonely, though—hovering around the food all by herself. she feels too uncomfortable in this costume to drift into the middle of the room like she always does at parties, but jiae is literally itching to talk to someone right now. she all but pounces on the next guest who approaches the table, hoping to squeeze in at least some social interaction tonight.
"the prosciutto tastes really good with the brie," jiae offers her advice to the stranger eyeing the charcuterie board beside her, before taking a bite of a particularly delectable red velvet cupcake. he doesn’t need to know that her recommendation is only to keep him (and others) away from her personal favourites. “the chorizo with the goat cheese is also a good combination, if you’re into that. don’t ask how i know. it’s kind of embarrassing.”
a simple envelope arrives at your room, so nondescript you may wonder if it’s actually meant for you — until you notice your name written on the front in black, cursive letters. there is no sender but the envelope has been closed shut with a wax seal you know to be from THE SEER. it seems you have a message of upmost importance… but will you open it?
“you’ve been invited to a wedding of a princess you are fond of who will be leaving the country to join her husband. as the ceremony is coming to an end though, another royal steps up to object in their matrimony. do you do anything to interfere?”
————— @thecrownseer
strange. eunae had always thought of what she would do in the face of a message from the seer. prior to the actual moment, she’d always said that she would respond without hesitation, just as she would any other message addressed to her. however, now that it was actually happening, she could not avoid the ominous feeling of dread running through her bones.
she knew there was no wrong answer…but what if there was? eunae knew not what the consequences of her response could lead to. in fact, was the seer even real or just a mere person wanting to pull a trick? perhaps one day she would discover the answer. but until then,— she resigned to her desk to muster up a reply, only hoping that it wasn’t a ploy to somehow be used against her.
to have been invited to the wedding of a princess whom i am fond of would be a true honor of mine. witnessing the matrimony between two countries, even more so. one would say that it is common knowledge to know that it is a custom that holds much importance in maintaining good relations throughout our three kingdoms.
however, it would be hypocritical to say that to follow through with the marriage at all cost is a duty that outweighs that of your own heart. i, myself, had chosen not to move further with my engagement to a prince of another kingdom. although it was a difficult decision that could have had great consequences on my kingdom, i was not happy— nor did i believe that i ever could be. the thought of potentially sharing a throne with one i held such disdain for— and whose deep contempt towards me felt suffocating— pained me. in the end, i felt like a mere pawn on a chessboard— helpless. there were no contributions i could make to my kingdom in that state. i could not follow through, nor do i believe i was ready.
if the princess felt the same as i did, there would be no way i could bring myself to interfere. whether or not they choose to act on the objection of the ceremony or not is a decision that must ultimately be left to them. such a difficult situation could provide the strength to help them persevere, regardless of which outcome they decide to pursue.
eunae pauses her writing as she stops to think of how she would react were she to be in the princess’ shoes. if she had gone through with her engagement to hyunsu, standing before him at their ceremony, would she have wanted an objection of the matrimony to be interjected? a quick yes crossed her mind at the fear of having to face the confrontation so late into the process. the backlash that the outburst would receive— mumbles of an affair, the pride of her fiancé (regardless of her personal feelings towards him)— would be disastrous. but had it been the one she truly loved, her heart would be swayed, and there was really only one option: to be with that person. eunae knew that if she were given that push, she would want to be able to pursue her true desires.
every royal knows the weight and consequences of objecting a matrimony. to do so is an act of foolishness and could place you in a dangerous predicament. however, it is also brave to be able to confront your feelings in the face of that danger, and that should be commended, not punished.
