"Yumin, dear." A sickingly velvet voice purred, making me freeze in my seat. I've never even heard this voice before, yet I already knew who it belonged to. Even the nobles sitting close to us quieted down in conversation, anticipating what would happen next- including my own prince. I could practically feel him gulp next to me.

"Yes, your royal majesty?" I asked with an equally sweet voice, raising my head to meet the eyes of the Queen. At my answer, she gave a delighted smile. It almost blinded me, how beautiful she was; there was not a single flaw on her ageless face.

"How are you enjoying life at the palace?" She kindly asked, tilting her head attractively to the side.

Beside me, Jungwon offered neither help nor comfort, and I didn't blame him. After all, the slightest action might taint each noble's already low image of me. So all he could do for now, as he was painfully aware, was silently watch everything unfold.

I replied to the Queen with a smile. "It is lovely, truly. As you must know already, I originate from rather humble backgrounds. Arriving at a palace so beautifully orchestrated by our nation's leaders and being granted the permission to stand with pride next to the Crown Prince is an opportunity I would never take for granted."

I couldn't tell if the Queen was satisfied with my answer or not, as she hid her emotions quite well. However, she answered almost immediately. "That's wonderful to here. You fit the court well, surprisingly."

Strengthening my forced smile, I tilted my head forward in a gesture of respect while ignoring the slight jab. "Thank you, my Queen."

"I was wondering," she continued, sucking in a breathe. "Perhaps you should come visit me some time. It would benefit the both of us to learn a little bit about each other's lives. After all, I know close to nothing about shabby low-lives like humans." Her smile turned pointed at her own words. "Do come meet me tomorrow after Lunch in my quarters."

Again, it was like I was frozen in my seat. No, not out of fear. Out of rage.

Why must these creatures living in their extravagant settings always belittle humans? This I could not comprehend. I was barely able to conceal the anger emitting off of me, and by the way the Queen's pointed smile only grew, I knew she could tell.

"Your majesty-" Jungwon started.

"Don't invite such a filthy animal into your bedroom, honey." The Kong's harsh voice cut him off, slightly slurred, indicating he was drunk. "Who knows what type of dirt she might bring."

The Queen turned and pouted at him, though joy was evident in her eyes. "Oh, but Your Majesty! I just wanted to help a mere human your son has taken as his Prime Mistress adjust."

I clenched my fist under the table.

"Don't bother." The King slurred, lazily pointing a finger at me. "There's no saving things like her."

"Father-" Jungwon seethed, looking down at his plate angrily.

"Don't interrupt me, boy." The King raises his voice. Around us, the conversations slowly died down as all the focus turned to us.

"You've already embarrassed me enough by being this- this thing into our palace and treating it like it's worth something." He angrily said.

Jungwon narrowed his eyes, hands tightening on his silverware. "Don't talk about Yumin like that."

"And don't talk to your King like that." The Queen seethed back, hatred clearly bubbling in her eyes.

"I can have you cowering on your knees right this instant, you half-blooded feist." The King spay.

At the nickname, I could feel Jungwon tense.

It was silent, before he spoke up again. "Right now, Yumin means more to me than both of you."

Rage burned in the King's eyes at Jungwon's words. He stood up, raising and shaking a fist at his son. "You-"

Suddenly, I felt a thick, hot liquid land on me cheek as the King got cut off with a gurgling noise. Around me, silence.

Then the frightened gasps came.

Then the screaming.

The Queen was the first one to let out a frantic, shrill scream, abruptly standing up from her seat. The nobles followed suit, jumping up and running in fear, equally loud and panicked screams tearing from their throats. The gurgling noise continued.

I lifted a shaking hand up to my face, touching the liquid that had landed there. When I peered at the liquid staining my fingers, numbness swallowed me as I recognized the liquid to be blood.

I finally brought myself to look at the source of the gurgling noise, feeling bile rise in my throat at the sight that met me.

The King was choking on his own blood, an arrow painting a bright red that matched the color of blood protruding from his throat. A small flag was attached to the end of the arrow. I could barely make out the bright yellow sun hastily drawn on it.

Breaking out of his daze, Jungwon leaned forward the second his father's body started tumbling to catch him. He had a horrified expression on his face as he desperately tried to stop the bleeding.

"A healer!" He shouted, desperation laced in his voice. "Someone call a damn healer right this instant!"

As the pearl white uniforms of the healers, contrasting against the sea of red blood in front of me, started running in, loud thuds of tens of people concealed in navy cloaks sounded as they landed on the windows. Bows and Arrows were armed in each pair of hands. Jungwon's mouth fell agape. "Wait-"

The arrows flew, lodging themselves in the healers and a few unlucky nobles.

The screaming got louder, the lights around us flickering.

"Guards, ESCORT THE NOBLES OUT!" Jungwon roared, not letting go of his father even as the light sputtered out of his father's eyes.

Jungwon's eyes met my frozen ones, a feeling of protection and love pouring into his expression as he comprehended my blank figure as if he knew what I was going to do. I, too, knew what he was going to do. He was going to stay in this suicide room to find the murderers.

Before I could protest, he raised his voice to shout again. "GEONU! GET MY MISTRESS OUT OF HERE! DONT LET YUMIN STAY IN THE FACE OF DANGER!"

No, no, no. There was no way I was going to let him stay in here alone.

However, Geonu's strong arms had already found their way around my waist, picking my struggling figure up. "No-" I whispered, pushing against his arms.

It was to no use.

I could only watch in panic as I was carried out of the room, my last sight being Jungwon with a single phrase on his tongue directed toward me.

"Trust me."