"You honor us, Your Majesty! Your Divine Grace!" Taehyung said, bowing once more towards the royals. Seonbi followed suit, unable to speak because of the joyous tears soaking her words and anchoring them down in her stomach.

Rinji bowed deeply towards the two kings, touching her head to the floor before slowly getting back up. As she stood up from the floor, she kept her head lowered in a sign of the greatest respect.

"I would be honored to accept this position, Your Majesty, Your Divine Grace," she smiled, happier than any lark out in the forest singing its cheery morning tune.

"Step up, dear girl," Seokjin commanded firmly, holding out his hand towards Rinji, who shyly took it and stepped up the stairs to their level. Turning towards the crowd, she saw her overjoyed parents; her mother refused to cease her running tears, and her father could barely keep his estatic self composed -- and who could blame them? Their daughter, who might've inherited her father's lordship over the north at most, would become queen one day and preside over an abundant, flourishing nation.

Namjoon had gone off to one side while Seokjin was speaking unnoticed by the crowd, and came back with a small version of the crown he wore on his head; points in the shape of deer antlers protruded from the base of the crown, and small beads of gold dangled from it at the sides and back, intended to further decorate the sides of her face and hair. When Rinji saw the crown in his hands, she bowed once more towards Namjoon, allowing him to delicately place the crown on her head.

"I present to you Princess Kim Rinji," Seokjin proclaimed, contently beaming at the half shocked young girl as she faced her family and friends.

"Long live Her Highness!" everyone chanted, bowing towards the new addition to the royal family.

"Ji-Ji!"

A call from a familiar voice prompted Rinji to look behind her at her friend trying to catch up with her. She smiled as she held out her arms to welcome her childhood pal, who cried gaily out of happiness for Rinji.

"I'm so happy for you, Ji-Ji!" she wept, holding the girl close to her.

"Thank you, Chindeok! I'm still half sure this is all a dream," she giggled, touching her crown lightly to fix it on her head.

"I hope this doesn't mean we won't be friends anymore"--

"Chindeok! Of course we're still friends. Nothing has changed! Sure, I might be a princess now, but that doesn't mean I'll forget you. Or Hancheol."

"You really do deserve to be princess," Chindeok smiled, bowing towards Rinji. "Long may you live, Your Highness."

"Live long with me, friend," Rinji smiled, placing a supportive hand on Chindeok's shoulder. "Come on. Hancheol is waiting for us!"

Rinji took her best friend's hand and ran with her down the stone path through the gardens towards the courtyard, going towards the kitchens where their friend waited for them.

Chindeok was one of Rinji's best childhood friends, being born just a few months after she was. She was the noble daughter of the lord of the west, and had lots of contact with Rinji as both their fathers ruled over different regions and often worked together. Their friendship began when Chindeok complimented Rinji's long, shadowy hair, and Rinji admired her cute, chubby face -- and continued ever since. They were inseparable as a bee from a nectar-filled flower, and saw each other every day.

Before getting to the kitchens, they came upon a harem lady walking with a maidservant. Upon seeing her, Rinji instinctively bowed slightly towards the lady, acknowledging her maid as well. An even deeper bow was given from the lady to the princess, unsettling her at first.

"Greetings to you, Princess," she said, smiling sweetly at the crowned girl and her friend.

"Greetings, my lady," Rinji smiled, almost forgetting that she was a princess.

This is going to take some getting used to...

The two girls reluctantly walked away, giggling nervously to themselves and trying to shake the awkward encounter from their thoughts.

"Do you know what has happened?" the harem woman whispered, motioning for her maid to come closer.

"She was crowned this morning, my lady."

"Lihwa, what does it mean?"

"It means she will be revered throughout the palace," she muttered, "and her mother will be elevated as well. That Seonbi bitch will have easy access to the royals and their riches."

"She will be showered in fine jewels and beautiful clothes," the woman grumbled, shaking her head. "Everything she's ever wanted."

"How do we stop this, my lady?"

"What do you think, Lihwa?"

Lihwa paused for a moment, appearing to think about the answer to that question for a while.

"If we get rid of the princess, her mother will be miserable."

"Everyone will be miserable, Lihwa. Then the investigation will be too thorough. We'll be the first ones suspected."

"Then...we target the princess, but blame her mother. Then she'll be demoted, and the princess will be discriminated. Corruption of blood, is it?"

The harem lady smiled, a sinister twitch arising in a corner of her mouth. It was as if darkness fell on a bright morning, and the entrance to hell burst open with the demons of greed and desire crawling out and taking the forms of humans such as the harem woman and Lihwa.

"How bold of you, Lihwa. Come, we have planning to do."