── THE WORLD IS TOO CRUEL, FOR YOU TOO BE SO PURE. ──

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【 LIFE IS ONLY A PATH FILLED WITH SUFFERING 】

According to legend, the peoples of the great continent are descended from the fairy ¹queen of the north and dragon king of the south.

This queen was a young, beautiful fairy who lived high in the misty mountains. She travelled to heal those who suffered because she was blessed with the gift of medicine and had a sympathetic heart. One day, a monster frightened her, so she turned into a phoenix to fly away.

The dragon king from the sea, seeing her in danger, grabbed a rock and killed the monster. When the fairy queen stopped to see who helped her, she turned back into a fairy and fell instantly in love with her benefactor.

They would marry and it would be the children of this union who would become the peoples of the Great Continent.

However, despite their love, she desired to be in the mountains again and he yearned for the sea. They separated, each taking half their children. The fairy queen and her children settled in mountainous highlands and the dragon king and his children lived in the south flatlands by the sea.

Thousands of years later, there were many countries coexisting, the two most important being the southern Kingdom of Lóng and the northern Kingdom of Tiên, whose royal lines were direct scions of the Dragon King and Fairy Queen.

The Lóng Kingdom was the largest of the many nations, powerful and expansionist, taking in many of the newer, smaller countries. While Tiên, though a smaller Kingdom in comparison had just as much influence, though not power, as it's counterpart.

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【 Phụng ─ royal capital of the tiên kingdom 】

"Still having back pains, grandmother?" A soft, feminine voice asked kindly to an elderly woman who had to sit down on the side of a shop stall in pain.

"Ah, if it isn't the Young Miss." The senior looked up to see a young girl, no elder than sixteen, wearing a wide, brimmed hat with a white gauze veil falling loosely behind, covering her hair. ²  Though her hair was covered, faint wisps of white could be seen peaking out as blue eyes looked worried.

"My back is fine, thanks to your medicine. It's only the amount of walking required to reach the market reminds me of how old I've gotten. In my youth, I didn't even break a sweat."

The girl's blue eyes changed from worried to laughter as she smiled. "Well, the capital is situated on the highest mountainous region of the continent. Even our air is thinner so you ought to be having some trouble catching your breath as quick."

"Hoho. I've been breathing in this useless air my entire life. I'll be fine there."

"Elder Sister!" Came a group of small children, running to greet her. The youngest one, a boy of four years, tugged on the end of her four-panel dress. "Can you play with us today at the festival?"

The girl gave them a doting smile. "I really am sorry, little ones. We're having a lunar new year banquet at home, so I have to hurry back."

"Young Miss!"

Came an exasperated sigh, making the girl laugh sheepishly at the children. "You, see? Someone's already been sent to collect me."

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"Honestly, princess." The tired personal maid took the veiled hat the girl passed to her, long, white hair falling down her shoulders.

"I know you love being in the capital and talking to people, but did you have to go out today of all days? Everyone is running around preparing for the lunar new year celebrations."

"I know, I'm sorry." The girl smiled apologetically, slipping out of her plain robes. "Thankfully, I can always rely on my tired Tuyến to keep me out of trouble." She teased.

The maid only shook her head knowingly, taking a comb to brush the princess's white hair and pin it up.

As the girl patiently watched her hair be braided and pinned with ornaments, she looked into the mirror to see her face. In a few days, she would be turning sixteen, though she pouted at her still younger looking face.

As a princess of the Tiên Kingdom, and being descended from the Pheonix Queen, the royal bloodline had an unworldly ethereal beauty, with near-glowing blue eyes and being born with pure white hair.

It was a bit of a pain as one would always be recognized immediately, so her going out was honestly an open secret amongst the townspeople, being called 'Young Miss,' instead of 'Princess.'

Donning a golden embroidered cross-collared gown³, the princess stood up with a finalised smile. "Now, then. Shall we present ourselves before our guests?"

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Gentle music floated from the main palace hall as a dancer performed a fan dance. The smell of peach and yellow apricot blossoms brightened the atmosphere as the Princess quietly took her place, sitting at the low table and folding her robes under her.

Beside her, a rather handsome man, a few years elder, with long, black hair turned and smiled at her, making the girl in turn blush happily.

"Did you run off again, Liên'er?"⁴ He teased her, laughing quietly under the music.

"I don't 'run off,' Lóng Qi." She blushed further. "I promised to bring by some medicine for an elder today so I went as quickly as possible."

Liên looked at the head of the room, where her father and mother were sitting atop the Pheonix Throne, overlooking the banquet ceremonies. The hall took on a rather minimalist elegance, which was the general aesthetic of the people of the Tiên Kingdom, being made of wood and carved stone and coloured with natural greens and browns, reflecting the mountains and forests of the Kingdom's landscapes.

Maids went about quietly serving drinks in delicate ceramic cups as Liên looked around the hall, noting all the faces of nobles, maids and entertainers.

Her younger brother, the Crown Prince Ahn, looked adorably bored sitting across the room next to her parents, puffing up his cheeks when the maid served him tea instead of wine, making Liên tried to hold back her smile in order to maintain decorum.

As one of the lower-ranked maids tried to pour Liên wine, Tuyến, who had been standing behind her lady dutifully, shook her head and poured it instead for both Liên and Prince Lóng Qi.

"Liên'er..." Lóng Qi started, making her turn, blue eyes looking up at him.

A quick troubled look passed over his face before he shook his head and smiled, returning to his usual gentle look. "Never mind."

Clapping filled the hall along with voices of "Good!" "Great dance!" coming from the guests as the dancers smiled, having finished their fan dance. Her father stood, raising his cup as everyone else did similarly, giving cheers to the new year.

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Conversating voices filled the hall, mixing merrily and ringing in the new lunar year. Having risen from their seats and mingling, the Crown Prince of Tiên took the opportunity to escape the sides of his parents.

"Let me sit with you Elder Sister!" The small boy popped in right between Liên and Lóng. Qi He was dressed in his formal, heavy robes that seemed to tire him to move about in. Nine years younger than his sister, being eight years, he was still rather young looking, a trait both siblings shared.

"Ahn! Please don't bother Lóng Qi." Liên protested embarrassedly.

The small prince looked between his white-haired sister and dark-haired seatmate back and forth. "You know, Elder Brother. I think Elder Sister is jealous." His childish, blue eyes lit up mischievously.

Lóng Qi only chuckled, ruffling his white hair as Liên turned a deep red.

Being engaged to the Prince of Lóng, the southern Kingdom, Lóng Qi had similar ethereal traits which the two royal siblings had, albeit slightly different. His hair was still black, though he had bright golden eyes, which always had a warm flame in them.

The melodic sound of the zither played in the background and the three teased and laughed with one another. Ahn's blue eyes turned slightly to see a sharp-eyed girl looking over at them.

"Sister...why has General Trach's daughter been staring at us this whole time?" Ahn whispered to Liên as Lóng Qi turned to greet one of the nobles.

Liên noted the presence of the voluptuous woman but paid her no heed. "Lady Nhung Trach? She does seem terribly pleased today for some reason."

Lóng Qi turned back around and the general's daughter was forgotten. Liên watched as he downed another cup of wine, which made her frown, resting her hand gently on his arm. "Lóng Qi...are you not drinking a bit too much? It's hardly like you."

"I'm simply happy today." He smiled but then winced, pressing a hand to his head.

"Eh? Elder Brother has a headache?" Ahn asked worriedly, tilting his head.

"Shall I fetch you some medicine?" Liên offered, concerned as well. She stood up, Tuyến following obediently behind.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Liên'er." Lóng Qi apologized, still holding his head as she passed behind him, her hair ornaments chiming pleasantly as she moved.

Before she took three steps, Lóng Qi grabbed onto her hand, stopping her, making her confused blue eyes met his troubled gold. "...Thank you." He spoke with emotions she couldn't name.

Liên smiled bashfully at the sudden strong emotion but nodded happily. "I'll be back soon."

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【 GLOSSARY ─ 字典 】

¹ A term used to describe a woman of otherworldly beauty. Not to be confused with the western concept of fairies.

² Liên's wide-brimmed hat with veil was something that ancient far-eastern women wore for protection against the elements, as well as for modesty.

³ Called a "Áo Giao Lĩnh," this was a traditional cross-collared robe worn by Vietnamese before the Ao Dai was introduced.

⁴ "-'Er," or "-Er, " is a diminutive Chinese suffix used for younger people to express smallness. It's similar to the Japanese, "-chan."