17

Joohanna frowned but chose not to push the matter any further. She would deal with it eventually anyway, she told herself. Besides, there was nothing to be afraid of. Everything was going to be okay..right? Right...?

After a minute passed, Joohanna's eyes shot open and she bolted straight up in bed. For the first time in a long time, it was the princess' turn to awaken in the middle of the night screaming.

Chapter 5

"Are you quite done yet?" Joohanna exclaimed impatiently as she slammed the book shut. It was now the second day that she had been looking through countless books on her search for answers and nothing new was revealed. There was nothing in the library about demons, magic, or the royal family. Not even in the history books. All Joohanna could do was to sit here and read. And as much as she hated being stuck inside this castle, she knew there wasn't anything left for her to do. So she decided to stay here and do nothing but read. It was starting to become annoying at this point. If only she could have stayed in her bedroom. At least there, she was able to run around freely. At least then she wouldn't have been forced to wear dresses all the time.

"Well, that'll be all for today, Princess. Go prepare yourself for dinner,"the maid suggested and stood up, making sure her shoes were properly laced before grabbing the candle and lighting it before exiting the room.

Joohanna rolled her eyes at the comment as if her mother was incapable of doing so herself. Then she sighed heavily and got up from the chair she had sat in for so many hours that the wood almost cracked under her weight. "I should get dressed now. You know, like normal people,"she muttered under her breath as she picked up her bookbag and left the study.

"Good morning, Your Highness!" the servants greeted as soon as she entered the hallways.

"Good morning," Joohanna responded, returning the greeting. "Did anyone have any news about the wedding?" she asked while taking her place behind the grand dining table. It had been just a few minutes after dinner when the messenger arrived and handed her a letter and asked if she could read it immediately. Joohanna opened it with trembling fingers. What would King Joohho - Joohanna's father - write to her? She wondered as she scanned the letter carefully. Joohanna had heard enough rumors surrounding the kingdom of Seoul, which was located in the southern part of China and which had been conquered by the Mongols 10 years ago. And although she didn't understand the reasons why it was called South Korea... she knew that she was supposed to respect its customs. So, when King Joohho wrote her a letter in the language of that kingdom, she was more than eager to comply with it.

The moment she finished reading the letter, a strange sensation washed over her. It was a feeling unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It almost felt like the ground beneath her feet had disappeared. But at the same time, she felt as though someone was touching her.

Slowly but surely, a bright light filled her vision. It gradually dimmed and disappeared before she could catch a glimpse of what exactly was happening, but she somehow knew that it hadn't really been real anyway. Even though everything had seemed so real, it had merely been a memory of what had actually transpired. She had forgotten about the incident during the war years. After all, what would she remember if it had actually happened?

She didn't have time to ponder the matter further. Soon, she received another letter from the king.

This time, however, there was no mention of their marriage. Instead, the king simply sent her a detailed account of their battle against the demons, telling her that their victory had resulted in the deaths of almost 30000 people and their capture by the army. They then talked about the coronation ceremony, which took place two days later.