Chapter 3

Chunhei quietly sat on her throne, her fingers tapping like a clock on the armrest as her golden eyes stared at the subjects kneeling in front of her.

"Narae…"

"Y-yes, your Majesty." The court lady tensed at the call of her name.

"Is he telling the truth?" The Empress asked, her voice cold enough to keep everyone in the room on their toes.

One of the knights had just finished his report about the tour, including the reason why the crown princess was brought back to the palace unconscious.

"Yes, your Majesty," Narae replied, eyes locked on the floor.

"Did anyone see?"

"T-three students."

"Three?"

"Y-yes" Narae's heart raced, she could feel the Empress' eyes piercing through her.

"The two were heirs of Barons and one was the son of a Count, but the Headmaster had taken care of them already. I-I'm sure they've forgotten what they've seen by now."

"..And Namjoon?" Chunhei uttered, "Are you sure he doesn't have any idea?"

Narae bowed swiftly her head touching the floor in fright "I-I am sure. The princess wasn't facing him, it would be impossible for him to see the princess' eyes were re-"

"NARAE!"

The court lady gasped, tears welling up in her eyes as she bit her lower lip. "I-I am sorry, your Majesty." She uttered shivering.

"Send an invitation to Namjoon tonight, I am inviting him for tea tomorrow afternoon."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Chunhei stood from her seat, her forehead creased as she tightly grabbed the skirt of her gown. She must make sure the boy saw nothing.

"You three may go." She uttered waving her hand.

"Y-your Majesty," Narae called.

The court lady shuddered in fright as Chunhei glare her way. The Empress sighed calming herself, a ruler must not let any kind of event get to her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"About the princess, w-what should we do a-about her eyes?" Narae asked, uttering the last word almost in a whisper.

The hallway towards Sol's room was grim as the maids moved to and fro as swiftly and quietly as they could. The experienced servants could easily manage their emotions following whatever the princess told them. The new ones, however, were having trouble with their employer's change, most of them running out of the room in tears asking themselves where their cheery princess had go.

"Are you having a hard time?" Sol asked, her eyes locked on one of her maid's shaking hands. "Would you like some help?"

"No, princess." The maid replied, finally holding the spoon in her hand with composure. Her quivering lips curving up into a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes."

Sol grinned "Okay, but you must be careful. The orbs must be in perfect condition when taken out, I don't want any scratches or it won't shine like it used to."

"Y-yes, princess."

Dalhee eyed the maid curiously as she worked "Why are you crying?"

The girl stopped petrified at the question. She swiftly wiped the tears off her eyes, watching the other maids around her silently shake their heads.

'You must not tell.' One of them mouthed.

"I'm just happy to be working for you, princess." She said locking her eyes on the glassy orbs in her spoon.

"Really?" Sol chuckled as she held a jar for the maid to place the orb.

"Y-yes."

"I'm happy to have you too." The princess uttered as she admired her collection through the glass.

Sol's red eyes glistened, a smile curved up her lips "Ah, mother's here." She said, swiftly turning towards the door just as the maids outside opened it for the Empress to enter.

"Mother, look!" She called, running to her with a grin. "Aren't they pretty?" She asked handing the jar for her to see.

Chunhei's expression paled as she accepted the glass container, barely giving it a peek before passing it to the maid next to her.

"Yes, they are." She replied.

A bitter smile crossed her lips as she met her daughter's crimson eyes. She wiped the splattered red liquid off the girl's cheeks and fixed the strands of her hair on the back of her ear.

"It is late." Chunhei said softly "Go wash yourself, I'll wait for you here."

"But I'm not finished yet, the jar is barely full." Sol pouted.

"You'll continue tomorrow, dear. You must sleep."

The princess stared at her jar of orbs, biting her lower lip in disappointment before a smile appeared on her face.

"Okay." She grinned "But tomorrow I want bigger ones."

"Of course." Chunhei said smiling back. She silently watched her daughter leave with her maids before facing the remaining servants in the room.

"Your Majesty." They uttered, their voices quivering.

"How many?" she asked, eyeing the batch of lifeless, eyeless birds stacked near the table before shifting her eyes to the trembling maids that held a spoon in their hands.

"T-twenty." One of them answered before covering her mouth to stifle her sobs.

Chunhei's forehead creased at the answer, the firm look in her eyes now gone as she softly glanced at the framed painting of her daughter on the wall.

'She will be fine.' She thought to herself 'The curse is just acting up. It will be gone.'

"Clean the room thoroughly before she comes back." She said turning towards the door with an icy gaze "I don't want to see a hint of red after you're finished."

_______

Asria's royal family and its nobles were known to give gardens as gifts to their loved ones. This tradition made the inner palace a home for a variety of flowers and the corners of each residence were adorned with them.

The marigold garden in the east was Empress Chunhei's favorite, it was given to her by the late Empress who had it made because the golden flowers reminded her of her daughter's eyes.

"We are here, my lord."

Namjoon smiled, nodding in gratitude at the maid who escorted her before entering the arch entrance of the garden.

His steps came to a halt as soon as he reached the center, his eyes landing on the Empress who sat alone in a circular table drinking her tea. The maids serving her politely bowed at the sight of him.

"Your Majesty." He greeted.

Chunhei's lips curved up at the child, offering him the empty seat in front of her. "How's your stay at the Academy's dorm so far?" She asked.

"It's been great, your Majesty." Namjoon replied as he stared at the cup of tea poured for him.

That answer, they both know it was a lie but had to be taken for formalities sake. There was no way the Empress didn't know he was being bullied after yesterday's events.

To be pushed over and still treated like a commoner even after she had given his father the title of Baron and deemed him worthy of entering the inner palace as he pleased, it was a weakness he did not want her or the princess to find out.

"May I ask?" Namjoon uttered as he nervously met her eyes.

The Empress smiled "You may leave us alone." She said to the maids before urging the boy in front of her to speak.

"Are you… going to ask me to stop being friends with the princess?" he said, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn't think of any other reason why the Empress would suddenly invite him for tea.

The Empress chuckled at the question, her eyes were now glistening with amusement. It seems she didn't have to keep him for long to see whether he knew about Dalhee's eyes or not.

"If I was, what will your answer be?" She uttered.

"I.." Namjoon clasped his hands under the table, the sad expression on his face turning serious "I cannot, your Majesty."

"Even if I forbid you to enter the inner palace again?" she challenged.

"I'll send her letters instead."

"I can intercept them."

"I'll climb the palace walls, your Highness."

"Even if it causes your father's title to be stripped away?"

"You can't do that!" Namjoon said, his eyes never leaving hers.

Chunhei laughed at the incredulity of the situation. A Baron's son was telling her what she can't do. Has he forgotten she was the ruler of the Empire they're in?

"I mean…" Namjoon caught himself. How could he just raise his voice at the Empress? She could have had him thrown away if she wanted to.

"Of course you can. You gave him the title after all." He uttered almost quietly "But it's not fair. I should be punished for it instead."

"No, when you want hurt someone you punish the people dear to them." Chunhei's words stunned the boy in front of him "Is it not what evil people do?"

"But you're not evil, your Majesty." Namjoon replied in bafflement. "You are kind and just."

"Perhaps." Chunhei uttered smiling "But people who have someone dear to protect often find their evil actions to be just."

"Tell me, Namjoon." She asked "Why do you still want to be friends with my daughter despite some of the nobles' disapproval."

"She is kind, your Majesty" Namjoon's ears flushed as he answered the question "She's a princess, people would forgive her if she prefers not to talk to a commoner. Yet, unlike most nobles I've met, she doesn't care what class I'm in or from."

Chunhei smiled both with gratitude and pity. What luck her daughter has for finding a friend like him. However, their friendship isn't as strong as he thinks it is, not with how her daughter is right now.

Their friendship could still shatter like glass and the pieces will hurt them both excruciatingly.

"I see, you may go now." The Empress said before taking a sip of her tea "Dalhee is sick and she will be delighted of your visit."

The boy's eyes lit up at her words "Thank you, your Majesty." He uttered standing up.

"Namjoon, dear." The Empress called before he could walk farther. "The Asrian Griffins are in need of Blades to complete the Order," she said surprising him.

Namjoon's face turned serious as he kneeled on one knee "It would be an honor, your Majesty. However, I am not sure if I'm worthy to take one of the seats." He uttered placing his right hand on his chest.

"Why don't you let my daughter decide?" Chunhei smiled "I have already seen your worth, she will invite you to that seat once she does."

_______

It was pitch black. Sol couldn't see anything through her blindfold. They said it would help her headache go away. Sometimes she would hear her maids knock and enter, a few of them who weren't busy would talk to her but most of the time she was alone in her room, lying on her bed as she waited for time to pass.

It was boring. Having nothing to do was annoying her but she can't do anything about it. Her mother strictly told her not to take it off.

"I wonder what happened yesterday?" She muttered to herself.

She couldn't remember anything at all. She only remembers up to when she was saving Namjoon from the bullies and then she saw blood and… Sol's forehead creased. Nothing. She remembered nothing after that.

They said she fainted just in time as Narae entered the receiving area with the guards. She was then brought to the palace and got a very bad headache that night. That was the reason she had her blindfold.

Sol wasn't afraid of blood, Dalhee was. Her body must have reacted to it when she saw it, which means she and the original princess now share the same phobia.

Doubtful as she was with everything, Sol was never familiar with how medicine works in Ethar. Doctors in this world have healing powers but they insisted on the blindfold.

The sound knocking on the door entered Dalhee's ears, she sat up from her bed hearing it open.

"Princess?" she heard her court lady call. "Sir Namjoon is here to visit."

Sol winced as a slight headache shot through her head before it slowly calmed down.

"Namjoon…" she smiled uttering her friend's name and shifting her head towards the sound of the footsteps. 

 "How are you feeling?"

The princess tilted her head up, guessing that the boy was already standing in front of her from his voice.

"Fine." She grinned feeling him sit beside her.

"You are blindfolded," Namjoon uttered.

He didn't need to state the obvious, Narae had already filled him up with the reason why her eyes had to be covered.

The court lady had told him that Dalhee's fear of blood gives her headaches and covering her eyes keeps her calm.

"Yes, mother said it will keep my headache away but it's bothering me." The princess replied, "I think I'm fine now will you untie it for me, the knot is complicated."

Namjoon watched as the princess pulled at the knot from the back of her head, there were red lines on her cheeks and forehead where the cloth rested suggesting that she had tried to pull it off from her head before but failed.

"They've enchanted the cloth so I can't pull it up or downward." Sol pouted. "Help me, will you?"

'No matter what she says, do not help her take the blindfold off. She needs a few days at least to heal.' Namjoon remembered Narae's warning.

The boy held the princess's hand. "Stop doing that." He uttered, "You need your headache to heal."

"But I can't see you," Sol complained, shoving her hands forwards almost hitting him.

"Hey, You almost punched me." 

 She stood still gasping in surprise "I'm sorry." She uttered worriedly.

"Here." Namjoon laughed grabbing her hand and bringing it close to touch his face. "Are you satisfied?" He asked.

Sol giggled at the question "Yeah, I'm convinced it's you now."

"I'm glad. I wouldn't know what to do if you think I'm a fraud."

They both laughed at the joke before the air around them started to get serious.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." He began "I didn't know about your phobia."

"Why would you be sorry for that?" Sol tilted her head in puzzlement "Naturally, you didn't know about it because I haven't told you."

Namjoon stared at the girl in front of him, his eyes traveling from her silky brown hair and reddish cheeks to her pointed nose and pursed lips.

He imagined her blindfold gone. She would be staring at him right now with her wide innocent, crystal blue eyes that resembles sapphires. He sighed.

"You shouldn't be so kind, princess." He uttered.

"The world you know is different from the world outside. You should learn to be selfish once in a while."

Sol smiled at the thought. She was from 21st century Earth, she knew very well how selfish and evil people can be but…Namjoon didn't know that.

"I'll be fine." She said, "When things get tough for me, I have you."

Namjoon's face flushed as she leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You won't stop being my friend, right?" she asked surprising him.

"What kind of question is that?" he laughed.

"Promise me?" she uttered locking her arms around him.

"Of course," Namjoon said letting his hand brush the strands of her hair. "I promise."

"Even when I become unreasonably cold?"

"I promise."

"Or when I stop talking to you?"

"Yeah."

"And stop seeing you."

Namjoon laughed uneasily "Where is this coming from?"

"Nothing." Sol uttered, "I just had a dream where it all happened."

"What a bad dream." Namjoon's forehead creased hugging the girl in front of him tightly.

"It was," Sol uttered, hiding an impish smile on her lips.

'Stay... You will kill for me someday,' Her thoughts seemed to not be hers for a while.

________

A month after… 

The crown princess' twelfth birthday was one of the most important events of the Asria Empire, serving as an official introduction of the throne's successor to the public.

The palace hallways were littered with servants carrying tableware and food as they prepare the Central Hall with decorations. The imperial knights, on the other hand, were on high alert and were scattered around the inner palace, guarding every corner and entrance of the place.

The gates opened at seven and hundreds of carriages owned by nobles, officials, merchants, and emissaries entered, taking the paved path decorated with lanterns of different colors. Soon the hall was buzzing with guests, some of them forming groups and others preferring to be alone in corners.

Sol bit her lower lip nervously as she watched the carriages from the window of the waiting room. Her purple ball gown embellished with diamonds swaying with her in her fidgety state.

"You look beautiful, your Highness." 

 Sol turned towards the voice, a pout appearing on her lips at the sight of her silver-haired friend dressed in a royal blue suit. There is something wrong with him right now and that is the smile on his face despite the cast on his right arm.

The princess crossed her arms, returning her attention towards the window "Don't talk to me." She uttered coldly.

"How long are you going to be sulky about it?" Namjoon sighed "It was an accident."

"An accident?!" Sol repeated facing him.

Namjoon nervously stepped back as the princess fumed in front of him with her hands on her hips "You were supposed to be my first dance, we've practiced it for several weeks for my birthday!" She said pointing at him "and you decided it was a great idea to join a sparring match with your friends and get injured the day before it!"

"I said I'm sorry already." He replied not knowing what to do. It was his first time seeing her this cross.

"If I had known you were going to get injured I wouldn't have been so supportive of you changing departments."

Sol wasn't really mad about Namjoon not being her partner for the dance, though it was disappointing, she was more worried about his injury. The boy had been getting bruises lately, some of them he would cover up whenever they meet just so she would not fret over it.

More importantly, she was anxious. Namjoon, in the novel she read never changed departments. He graduated from the academy and joined the Empire's Defense Ministry before joining Griffin's Order. The story was changing and she was now unsure of what will happen in the future.

"Are you sure you didn't make the wrong choice?" She asked him, this time her voice serious "Those who want to be knights have practiced with their weapons since childhood."

Namjoon was calm and collected. He loved his books and preferred to talk his way out of trouble than fight, he even once told her that he was hoping to be an official of the empire in the future. It was his dream.

Imagine the girl's surprise when he suddenly said he had transferred to the Military Department, all despite excelling in his class for Politics.

"Hey." His eyebrow arched, a bit offended at her words "I'm still young, you know? I can still practice holding the sword, why do you think I've been doing that every day?"

Namjoon honestly felt uneasy with the topic, he would like to run away from it every time Dalhee asks if he was sure he wanted to be a knight.

After the Empress' hint of him possibly joining the order and the princess implying that she was depending on him a month ago, he had decided to forget his goals to be an official and picked up the sword instead.

It was a very illogical and very sudden decision on his part, and he knew Dalhee would get mad if she found out so he never spoke to her about it.

"You're fifteen." Sol pointed out "You just started becoming a Squire, you're a year behind."

"There is nothing wrong with being late." Namjoon smiled "You shouldn't be worried, I'll get the hang of it and soon you'll be boasting that your friend is a knight!" He uttered proudly.

Sol sighed in surrender giving in to her friend's persuasion. However bad it was that he was getting injured and that the future was now getting hard for her to predict at least Namjoon gained something from changing departments, he now has people around him he can call friends.

"You better work harder then." She said finally smiling "You'll have to be a Knight Commander for me to boast."

"Huh." Namjoon's forehead creased as if he was taking what she had said into consideration.

He sat on the couch counting with his fingers before giving her a serious look "That'll take me thirty years in service so you'll be a wrinkled old woman by then."

Sol gasped at her friend's words, hitting him playfully at his uninjured arm "Shut up!" she said.

A knock on the door disrupted their laughter, shifting their heads towards the person who entered.

"Your Highness." Narae uttered, "The ceremony will be starting shortly, the Empress has called for your presence."

Namjoom watched as Dalhee's curved lips turn into a thin line, her face now expressionless.

"I'll see you there." She smiled slightly at him before leaving the room swiftly. His eyes then turned to the court lady who gave him a bow before following her employer.

Namjoon sighed as he stood up from the couch. "Is it time to see her be a princess now?" he whispered to himself before leaving the room as well.

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