The princess ran around the side of the barn as fast as her muscled legs could take her. As she predicted, Mirin chased after her, going into full throttle. Making sure not to attract the attention of neither General Park nor Assistant Jeon, she faced her aunt in the soft, fragile grasses that waved in the wind against her. The woman smiled, holding out both her hands in a victorious pose.

"How dare you skip your punishment? You are to be praying with the monks in the temple!" she sneered, shaking her head.

"I am right where I am supposed to be, Aunt Mirin. I am where I was ordained to be by the stars of this world. The planets have aligned for me and against your favor."

Mirin made a rush at her suddenly -- which Rinji evaded with ease.

"You foolish brat!" Mirin insulted. "It is unwise to go against me."

"I am no fool," Rinji panted, placing both hands on her chest. "I am Princess Rinji of Kim Dynasty, the Kind, the Clever, the Chosen. I am not defined by you! I have gates in this palace named after me! The only gates that will open for you in this life are the gates of hell!"

With that, Mirin lunged for the girl, grabbing her by the throat. Rinji struggled, taking hold of Mirin's wrists and doing what she could to pull them away. She took a deep breath, smiled, and readied herself for the moment she'd been waiting for since she began investigating Hancheol's death.

She thought of the little boy's last few weeks on Earth, and how excited he had to have been for his upcoming bitthday. She thought of the dagger Uncle Min was going to give him, and how he'd given it to her instead. Hancheol would've wanted her to have it, and it was one of the only things spurring her on in the midst of the trauma Mirin put her through. She thought of his smiles, his tears, the laughter and the hardships she faced with him and Chindeok.

She felt his loving, happy gaze on her, as well as the blessing of the Rinji before her.

With that deep breath she took, she squeezed her ab muscles and used them to propel the loudest, most piercing scream any teenage girl could fathom or create in the history of the palace.

Mirin stepped back, knowing that Rinji had alerted the entire palace to her plight. She suddenly felt the angry,  unsettling eyes of Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Kim Namjoon and Kim Seokjin on her back. She was suddenly surrounded by those who loved Rinji, and those who were willing to spill blood for her if the time came for it.

Rinji placed her hand over her throat, rubbing the place Mirin's hand was gently. Seonbi ran over to her, pulling the princess into her arms. She was joined by her husband, who gave both his wife and his daughter a small kiss on the forehead.

"Guard," Taehyung sighed, pointing to Mirin. "This woman put her hands on my daughter. Get her out of my sight."

"With pleasure," Yoongi growled, taking Mirin by her wrists and pushing her towards the palace hall.

"Princess Kim? Are you alright?" Namjoon asked, kneeling before Rinji.

"How bad is it, Princess?" Seokjin continued, preceding many others questioning her wellbeing, her safety and her state of health.

She answered them all reassuringly, all while looking out towards the rim of the forest -- because there, hiding behind a tree far from the crowd, was a smiling, approving Sooyoung.

"Where is she now?"

"In the palace dungeons. She's being watched closely by Guard Min."

Rinji nodded, waiting patiently for evening to fall for the trial to begin. Everyone saw Mirin's hands on her throat, and that was enough to put her to death in any case; however, Namjoon had made a promise to Yoongi and Hoseok to find the killer within three days. She intended to carry it out that night, already wording her speech to the two kings in her mind. She was too antsy to relax; her body still shook with the feeling of Mirin's cold hands and hot breath on her body, and the fear of everything crashing down on her acted as the trembling in her heart.

"My child," Taehyung said, standing from his position at the table. He went over to Rinji, who immediately immersed herself in her father's comfort.

"Papa," she panted, allowing tears to fall down her face. "W-What am I doing?"

"A great job, that's what you're doing. Stay strong, my daughter. You are almost there."

"Your father is right, Rinji-ah. We're proud of the little dexterous girl you've become," Seonbi smiled, pouring more tea into her family's cups. "We will be right by your side when you bring that demon to justice."

Feeling more assured of her plans, the princess settled down between her parents, nodding while drinking her tea.

Soon after Rinji settled down, Sooyoung opened the door to the Kim residence. She held a small bag in her hands, and she had finally changed back into the uniform of a maidservant. Her eyes were lit with alertness, and her movements were still frantic with concentrated fright.

"Y-Your Highness," she said, bowing before Rinji. Rinji stood, ready to leap over the table to greet her.

"My Lord, my Lady," she bowed once more, acknowledging her parents.

"No need to stand on ceremony," Taehyung said, prompting Sooyoung to relax her pose.

"I bring you the final piece of the puzzle, Your Highness," Sooyoung smiled, handing the bag over to Rinji.

Rinji motioned for Sooyoung to follow her to the table, where she pulled out a black lacquered box from the bag and opened it to reveal just less than a dozen letters addressed to Mirin from two dungeon prisoners. Their contents were the key to incriminating Mirin for Hancheol's death and fulfilling Namjoon's promise. She smiled, pulling Sooyoung suddenly into her arms and letting all the floodgates open.

"Sooyoung, dear girl, sweet angel," Rinji smiled, praising her lover through her tears. "Thank you, my helper. My darling helper."

Seonbi and Taehyung gasped, reading each letter fully while trying to comprehend the depth of Mirin's conspiracy plot. They trusted their daughter to the fullest, and believed her every word -- but seeing the evidence was like a concrete boulder crushing every doubt they had about Mirin's character.

Nothing could ever redeem her in their eyes.

Namjoon and Seokjin sat on their golden, shimmering thrones illuminated by the surrounding lights of the grand hall. Guards permeated the room, taking their places along the walls of the hall. Soon, the palace elite began to fill the room, bowing as they entered. Among them, Hancheol's adoptive parents Hoseok and Yoongi stood, bowing before the two kings before taking their place near the thrones.

Soon, Chindeok joined them -- holding a small bouquet of daisies in her left hand, just like the one Hancheol gave to her when he rode his horse with her. Her black dress said she was in mourning, and her face said she was in a funeral. She stood with her head held high and her posture straight, glimmering like a raindrop falling through a ray of white light.

Rinji and Sooyoung stood together, looking at each other before staring out into the vast space filles with people. Adrenaline filled their hearts and pumped into their blood each passing second. It seemed that time had broken and trudged slowly through the tense air that hung over them.

"Your Highness, we are ready," Sooyoung whispered, nodding her head solemnly.

"Yes, Sooyoung," Rinji replied, exhaling deeply. "Yes we are."