Hello Darlings,

I am not officially back, but this is a start to get my gears going.

I was going through some of my older documents awhile back, and I found this. I had always been a low-key fan of Akatsuki no Yona but no one really knew about because I was so low-key about it. I had always been a fan of those historical dramas where the royal family isn't as dignified and regal as they ought to be. I'm guessing that I just like all things dramatic. I have another file in the series so I may be posting it up soon.

Meanwhile, please R & R and support me like you lovely bunch had always have!

Love,

BlissfullI llusions~

...

Prologue

The maid effortlessly made her way across the palace corridors despite all of the activities about. It was to be the young princess's sixteenth birthday soon; needless to say, the king spared no expenses as per usual. Nobilities gathered from all corners of the kingdom in order to partake in these upcoming three days of joyous festivities. The palace had never been more heaving than it was now; all of this for the sake of one rather spoiled princess.

The Kouka Kingdom was one of an enriched history, with countless generations of kings who had once ruled over the land. Well located within the capital of Kuuto, Hiryuu Palace, was home to the current royal family. The current King Il's reign differed immensely from that of his father and predecessor, the King Joo-Nam, in that he valued peace more than anything. As soon as King Il came into possession of the throne, he had ordered an immediate termination on all acts of warfare of the kingdom. Opinions may vary as some may choose to describe this time as that of peace, but everyone could agree upon the notion that this was certainly not a time of prosperity. This kingdom had never been through as much of a crisis as it was experiencing now. The commoners outside the capital walls suffered from a seemingly never ending source of famine and plagues. The distribution of wealth was in ruins by the injustice of those who had thought to make a living off of the chaos. Illegal activities such as the possession and distribution of drugs and human trafficking had never thrived so greatly. However, the royal family chose to turn a blind eye on all of this destruction whilst the once great kingdom decayed on. Things will continue to be as it is now; for as long as the king's belly grew rounder and the princess's sense of entitlement grew more outrageous, then there were no "real" casualties.

This maid knew all too well of the cruelties which took place beyond these decorative walls. The plague had taken her mother from her since a young age. The exhaustion from the starvation led her father to his grave. With no loved ones left or relatives to take her in, she had no path to take except to offer her services to the local inn. Little did the naive younger version of her realize then that not all inns were the same; the partitions outside never gave away to what atrocities took place on the inside. But…it was all a tale of the past, for she was one of the lucky ones.

With every step, the maid paced closer to her destination, the surroundings grew more tranquil than the halls before it. All of the commotion and noise were drowned out by the silence of certain serenity. A soft instrumental melody could be faintly heard about as she approached the final passageway.

It was common knowledge that the King Il fathered only one offspring. His wife, the late queen, had managed to give birth to his only heir. The king never remarried nor did he take any concubines despite the allowing traditional practices. That royal heir was the Princess Yona, she and her wild crimson locks is to be the future of this kingdom. Despite being princess in title, not many within these palace walls had truly thought her to be personally worthy…as there is another lady of noble blood and meticulous breeding who resides within one of the deepest chambers of Hiryuu Palace.

The maid had arrived. She knelt down before the doors before her.

Unlike the princess, the other noble lady was never one to overstep her boundaries. She had always remained a shadow behind the Princess Yona, a great glorious shadow. She was perfect; the true embodiment of what any princess should be; gifted in her natural beauty and charming in her allure. Her excellence in poetry came was a product of her grandmother while her brilliance in dance resulted from her mother; she was the arts themselves.

"My lady, may I come in? It is I, Chan-Mi."

The strings halted their tune.

"Please do."

Everyone was well accustomed to the personality of the princess. The Princess Yona had never taken well to being outshone. Much like her untameable fiery mane, her temper was alike to fire itself. The permissiveness of her father, King Il, did little to soothe the princess when her tantrums arose. Despite all of her right of being destined for eminence, she will always be second place…the one who will always have to give way to the Princess Yona.

The doors opened to reveal…

"My lady."

The sight of a gentle beauty dressed in a soft muted lilac hue appeared before Chan-Mi. Her seamless alabaster skin graced with a dim rosy complexion accompanied by a great length of silken mahogany tresses. Long slender fingers graced over the stringed instrument to resume the same melody.

"My lady, I come baring a message." The maid announced after closing the doors.

A pair of bright mesmerizing grey eyes focused their attention upon her.

"He has arrived."

Soft petal-like lips curved upwards instantly into a radiant smile. It was a rare sight to witness. Her mistress had always been the epitome of sophistication with a tender smile attended with a courteous demeanor, however seeing her to truly bare a genuine gleam was a rare sight.

"I am sure the princess must be overwhelmed with joy." Her mistress commented with a playful grin.

"My apologies my lady, but his arrival is still kept in secrecy."

"He must be resting then. His journey to the palace had never been one of ease."

"My lady, he never went near his prepared chambers."

An elegant brow of her mistress's rose.

"Then where could he be? Fooling about with General Hak?" She teased.

"He followed me here. He is right outside your doo-"

Before Chan-Mi could even finish her sentence, the young noble helped himself and opened the doors behind her.

"Soo-Won!" Her mistress looked wide eyes at the young blue-eyed nobleman before her.

He smiled back with his eyes shining alive with the pleasantness of nostalgia.

"A-Reum."