Chapter Text
The vast kingdom of Polaris was considered the strongest and most powerful in the world, the land where anyone could live peacefully, in the largest villages or in the countryside, and enjoy the fabulous views that art and nature had to offer. Renowned for its culture and customs, the cities swarmed every day with tourists and travelers who came from the most distant and remote places just to be able to see that famous monument near the walls, visit the workshop of that famous artist to study their paintings, or go to that country village and participate in the traditional festival that is held every year only in that area; in short, it was considered by everyone as one of those places that should be visited at least once in a lifetime. One of its most used names was the Emerald Kingdom– This due, as well as its immense wealth, to its lush forests and vast vegetation. The flora was in fact unique in its kind, so much so that, every year, hundreds of doctors and scientists went to those lands to study very rare plants present only in certain areas of the kingdom. Thanks to this large quantity of varied herbs, the kingdom was highly developed from both a health and economic point of view: the presence of so many types of healing plants allowed the production of more effective drugs and medicines, and obviously other countries would have done anything to get their hands on those products. In addition to being the paradise of well-being and nature, Polaris was a peaceful kingdom that excelled in every sector, and whose principles were based on brotherhood and mutual help. Despite having a violent and bloody past behind, Polaris, over time, had become the most peaceful and tame kingdom of all; a kingdom that always helped the poorest and least well-off, a kingdom that always lent a hand to surrounding kingdoms and smaller independent states when they found themselves in difficulty, and above all that avoided war or any form of violence in every possible way, in the same ways as one avoids being infected by a viral disease during an epidemic. Obviously the wealth and power of the country are due to the rulers who until then had managed the territory with magnanimity and made good choices for the kingdom and its inhabitants: a long dynasty whose skills, some more and some less, flowed in the blood since birth and were passed down from generation to generation. All until the present day in which, in the largest region of the kingdom, in a spacious castle surrounded by imposing walls, sitting on an elegant and sumptuous throne, a young girl with long golden hair listened disinterestedly to an exhausting speech about the current economy of the kingdom.
"...And although this year we had a bit too much rain in the spring and a lot of humidity, the production of barley and wheat produced much more than usual. Compared to previous years we have increased the harvest three times, so we will have enormous stocks for the winter; the ideal would be to keep part of these stocks and sell the remainder, so that with the proceeds we can buy from neighboring realms what is in short supply here - and I’ll specify from neighboring realms, because if we bought from places that are too far away we would have to pay the costs of transport including taxes, tolls and customs, so the revenues would go negative and we would not have any profits. As for foreign trade, however, the exchanges are going wonderfully, and there will be no significant changes for a few more months; we can talk about it again later. Now let's discuss livestock farming, which this year has brought slightly fewer results than agriculture..."
The young ruler, Kim Minji, was trying hard to keep her expression as serious and attentive as she could, even though her eyelids were extremely heavy. She wondered, for the umpteenth time, why any man had to be paid to tell her what to do and how to run her kingdom; numbers, increases, taxes, profits, exchanges, trade, foreign, domestic, proceeds, products... It was quite difficult not to lose concentration during such a long and boring speech. Why was it always necessary to think about money and wealth? Why couldn't people be satisfied with the joy of helping someone else? Human beings are truly selfish creatures, the girl thought. Minji was tired of hearing the same idle speeches every day, of receiving obtuse advice on what she should do, what she should decide, and of having to listen to foolish suggestions made by wealthy nobles whose only goal was to get even richer. Unfortunately, however, the poor girl with the heart of gold has had to live with these insolent behaviors since the day of her coronation: no one believed in her when five years earlier, at the early age of nineteen, the young adult was suddenly made queen – no one considered her mature enough to govern, no one thought that she would be capable of managing the largest and most powerful kingdom ever, due to her lack of experience and her young age. But it would have been offensive to say it openly, so the adults continued to fill her with lots of small, repetitive advice, hoping to make at least a small seed of common sense germinate in the brain of a girl who until recently was considered an immature teenager. But the girl had to admit, one of the best things about being queen at that young age was proving to people that she was up to such a task and upsetting their low expectations; in fact, after having demonstrated her governing skills, the citizens had begun to blindly trust Minji – now, after five years, she and her kingdom had built a very close relationship. Polaris loved its ruler as she loved its residents, and nothing would be able to break the bond of mutual trust that had formed over time between the two.
That doesn't take away the fact that, at this moment, the flawless queen of Polaris was sleepy. A heavy sleep, probably because of the soporific speech she had been listening to for far too long and also because she had had a sleepless night. She thought about how nice it would be to be able to go back to her own room and get back under the sheets, sleep all morning, and then wake up at noon to have lunch – how nice it would have been, even for just another couple of hours, to forget about all her queenly duties and rest until she had refreshed her own energies. Like every morning, she wondered why the queen of Polaris was forced to wake up at six in the morning (goodness, the laughter she had when she heard someone say that sovereigns never do anything!) Like every morning, however, she found no answer to this question. Or rather, she knew the answer very well, but she refused to believe that there was a valid reason not to sleep until noon. Unfortunately, however, she could not escape her obligations, and she could not escape the long and monotonous speech about the economy that seemed to have been going on for hours.
It could also be boring, she told herself, but we must remember that it’s necessary. Even if it was tiring, Queen Minji of Polaris put her best effort into each of her hundreds of duties, even those that she considered most useless, because in her opinion a good governess should not neglect even the most insignificant and superfluous of tasks. Waking up early in the morning and having long inconclusive conversations was just one of the long list of hassles that came with being queen, and if she wanted to be a good example of a ruler she would have to put up with that too. Although she sometimes wondered why it was necessary to argue with the matchmaker, when she knew very well how to manage her own assets and territory, Minji listened motionless on her throne, showing incredibly meticulous attention even though sleepiness and tiredness were killing her.
"Furthermore, yesterday evening a messenger arrived from the kingdom of Demian, which borders us. They propose an exchange of goods: two thousand bushels of our wheat in exchange for three cattle and a couple of their best soldiers. You heard correctly, Your Majesty, two thousand bushels; an unfair exchange! In short, it’s like trying to buy the strongest and fastest horse in the kingdom with a few ears of wheat! But don't worry, I have already warned the court messenger to prepare for the trip and decline the offer, I told him that he will leave as soon as Her Majesty had given her approval. I believe such bartering is an insult to the kingdom of Polaris and all its inhabitants – do they really think they can take our goods without paying what they're worth?"
Minji looked at the young man trying not to roll her eyes (it would have been quite rude, even for the queen of the kingdom) but without hiding the disapproval in her gaze. No matter how respectful she was towards her court, she hated having to talk to such haughty people: the fundamental principles of Polaris were based on helping each other, on joining forces to improve yourself more and more, regardless of your social status or how many golden coins you are willing to donate – but obviously a person who works in the economic field certainly couldn't understand such a concept. For them everything has a price, you always have to earn and obtain more and more riches, while the sovereign believed that money was worth absolutely nothing. It would be much wiser to use money to help a needy or person in difficulty, rather than spend it on futile personal pleasures.
After a short pause of silence to indicate that the matchmaker had finished his speech, Minji took a breath to respond and reorganize the ideas.
"Tell the messenger to take a day off, and instead have a caravan ready as soon as possible with four thousand bushels of grain on board – we will ask for nothing in return. Demian is currently at war with the kingdom of Scar, its population has been decimated and they have no one to work the fields; the little that the farmers manage to store is looted, the inhabitants need food but do not have the resources to buy from neighboring countries. Along with the caravan you will also send a letter, which I will personally write as soon as we have finished discussing. As for the supplies we have accumulated, I have decided to divide them among the beggars and the have-nots; we could set up a couple of tents in each village, so that everyone could easily reach them, and give the poorest all the things that we don't need."
She spoke in a serious and authoritative voice, without leaving any trace of her annoyance and without being rude, but still making it clear that the man's misinformation and haughtiness had not been received kindly. Throughout her life she had spent hours and hours listening to the opinions of people like him, analyzing their way of thinking and thinking long and hard in the hope of understanding what caused such dishonest behavior, but despite her efforts she never managed to give hierself an answer. How was it possible to be so narrow-minded and selfish? Minji couldn't even vaguely conceive of such a concept.
"But- Your Majesty, we won't be able to earn anything like this! We have to use part of the assets we possess to be able to obtain others in greater quantities, otherwise we will never be able to set aside enough money for the castle, the statues, the fountains..."
“And what do we do with saving money for things that aren't necessary?”
Minji violently interrupted the matchmaker's speech, feeling increasingly frustrated by the man's words. At this point the sleepiness and tiredness were long gone.
“The money of the kingdom must be used for the kingdom. Citizens pay taxes for their country, not for the wealth of the person who heads it; things have never worked this way until now, so it's time to put an end to this endless chain of greed on the part of those who govern – this is what a good ruler should do to be called such. I appreciate your teachings regarding economics and trade, sir, but I believe that the riches obtained from our land must be used fairly and for the benefit of all."
At this, the matchmaker removed his sumptuous hat for a low bow.
"Your Majesty, I apologize to you; it was not my intention to insult your choices in any way, you must forgive me. If you think that this is the right choice to make, an insignificant member of the court like me has no right to say a word. I will immediately go to the messenger to relay your instructions, and I will arrange with the officials here at the castle to set up the tents you requested. I once again offer you my most humble apologies."
Minji looked doubtfully at the man bent over in front of her. He could hear a note of bitterness in his words, as if he wasn't thrilled about having to agree with opinions that differed from his own. Despite suspicions regarding the sincerity in the matchmaker's words, however, the young woman focused first of all on her own mistakes – judging others is easy when you are not willing to look at yourself in the mirror. Thinking about it better, interrupting the conversation so violently must not have been very polite of her; maybe she had been too harsh? Maybe the matchmaker wasn't a bad person, maybe Minji had just misinterpreted his words, so she had no right to behave in such an annoyed and immature manner in front of him. In reality she hadn't made any mistakes, but, being such a humble and self-critical girl, she still took all the blame. Just as Minji was lost in reflection on her own behavior, the matchmaker spoke again: he got up again slowly, hat still in his hands, while a strange look of concern made its way onto his face.
"But, Your Majesty, speaking of external conflicts... You certainly know that soon we too will find ourselves forced to fight against the kingdom of Scar," he continued hesitantly, staring as if petrified at the carpet at his feet. "For a few days now people have been wondering how things will go. May I ask what your intentions are in this regard?"
A dead silence fell in the room: the girl's answer would have played an important role in the future of the kingdom, one misstep and her subjects could have lost all trust they placed in her. All the members of the court present were now hanging on their queen's lips, waiting to know what measures she would take in what seemed like a certain scenario. But for the first time in her entire life, Minji didn't have an answer for them. It's been a long time since the war against Scar worried the citizens of Polaris, and the young ruler knew could not escape for long from the moment when she would have to say something about it: that moment had finally arrived. Normally she would have stayed away from any type of conflict, helping the parties involved as much as possible and trying to halve the number of lives that would have been lost in any way possible, but in this case she knew that helping other countries economically would not be enough. Minji mentally summarized the situation to clarify her ideas and make a final decision: first of all, despite it being the only kingdom they had not yet declared war to, it was clear that Scar's intent was to take control of Polaris. On the other hand, by dominating the strongest territory you can easily dominate the rest too. Polaris was the country that connected the entire continent, it was the center of the economy and of all types of resources; without it, the other kingdoms would probably have gone to ruins pretty quickly. But how can you take control of a kingdom that adamantly refuses to go to war? With threats, of course. And the only weakness of the Emerald Kingdom was its kindness and desire for peace, so Scar could have attracted their attention if he had threatened to bring death and destruction to the rest of their beloved world – at which point, Polaris would have been forced to declare war and directly defend itself and the other kingdoms. The only problem was that Minji didn't feel ready to face such a scenario at all; despite being queen, she didn't think she was capable of leading her kingdom during the battle. Would she have been up to such a task? Would she have been able to make the best decisions even when the fate of an entire nation depended solely and entirely on her? What if she couldn't protect the people she loved so much? What if thousands of innocent people had been killed because of her inexperience? Just the thought made her skin crawl.
"I- Uh..."
Minji was pervaded by a sense of terror, which in a few seconds spread and froze every part of her body: her voice didn't seem to be able to leave her lungs, her head could only think of the worst scenarios and her fingers began to tremble nervously, in panic. She swallowed, trying to maintain the confident bearing she had always carried and not show signs of hesitation – everyone depended on her words, she couldn't afford to lose her temper and scare the entire city. She couldn't just say, "I'm terribly afraid of failing and killing half the population because of my poor ruling skills," or it would throw the entire country into a panic. While the girl tried to calm down, the members of the court waited anxiously for the ruler to say something: more silence in the castle's huge hall. But Minji couldn't get the bad thoughts out of her head – one misstep and she could ruin the whole world! She would have thousands of innocent deaths on her conscience, the pain and the guilt would have consumed her until she went mad, and at that point there would no longer be any trace of the sweet Minji that everyone knew. How would she have overcome such an enormous trauma? How could she have supported all the expectations and burdensome choices on her own? Just as she took a breath to speak, however, she was saved by the sudden and violent noise of the doors opening. Everyone turned towards the entrance to see the source of that interruption, only to be surprised by who they found themselves in front of – a group of four or five soldiers solemnly entered, attracting all the attention that until recently had been on their queen. At the head of the troop was a girl with short blonde hair, almost white, sharp facial features and a sharp gaze: it was Lee Siyeon, captain of the royal guard and bravest fighter in the entire army, as well as a trusted friend of Queen Minji for ten years now. The girl was born into a noble dynasty of knights who had long protected the royal family; Ever since she was little she trained hard so she could realize her dream of working at the castle to protect the kingdom and its queen. For years she played with Minji in that immense fortress, going on adventures together and imagining what their lives would be like once they both became adults – on two paths so different and yet so similar, the days of playing queen and soldier together would soon become reality. From an early age the relationship between the two did not change at all, so much so that they still saw each other often and spoke animatedly when they had free time; they spent hours and hours together during the late evening, whether to joke and talk about their busy days or to make long and sad speeches, supporting each other and sharing anxieties and worries. It didn't seem long since they chased each other in the wide stone corridors and hid in the most remote corners of the castle – after all, as they were both still young adults, it could be said that they hadn't stopped playing queen and soldier yet. So mature but so young at the same time, every time they looked into each other's eyes they realized how much they had grown and how time had passed between them. As Minji was crowned the new queen of Polaris following the death of her parents, Siyeon she was appointed royal guard after long and tiring training – her excellent fighting skills allowed her to make her way through simple infantrymen and soldiers, reaching the top of the military hierarchy. Now, however, she made her way to arrive with her troop in front of the throne, with a rather hasty and casual pace, and then pointed her sword at the ground while the other guards knelt in front of the queen.
"Captain Siyeon, What brings you and your soldiers here?" Minji asked, eyeing her curiously, remembering to thank her later for the perfectly timed interruption.
"Your Majesty, there has been a fight between a young bard and a merchant in the center of the village," the young soldier began in a progressively more disconcerted tone, "Uh... Nothing that the order of the royal guard can't fix, obviously, but one of the two subjects is behaving in an inhumanly unrestrained manner – you have to believe me, not even five of my best soldiers managed to tame her. Suddenly the merchant began to scream, insisting on calling the queen and leaving the situation in your hands, repeating that you knew each other personally; she said that she would stop shouting only with your presence, so..."
Minji shivered from her throne, a vague idea of who the anonymus merchant might be in her head: she wasn't ready to put up with all that energy, but unfortunately she had no choice but to go down to the city and go and calm her down somehow. She sighed, resigning herself to her fate and regretting once again that she couldn't go back to sleep.
"I understand... In that case, give me a few minutes to make some preparations, and I'll be with you right away. In the meantime, go back to keep the disturbance at bay and, Captain Siyeon, deal with the merchant yourself: if she really is who I think she is, things could get out of hand very quickly..."
The girl in armor cast a worried look at the queen, as if frightened by the last statement, but with a shake of her head she ignored the perplexity and returned to her usual professionalism.
"It will be done, Your Majesty; now if you’ll excuse me..."
Siyeon bowed deeply and took her leave, taking the group of soldiers with her; meanwhile the members of the court each returned to their own affairs, and the rhythm of the castle resumed as usual. Minji sank into her lavish throne as soon as everyone was gone, letting the elegant floral crown slide down her face and her dress wrinkle a little, abandoning for a moment the image of the perfect and composed sovereign that everyone was used to seeing. She let out a liberating sigh from his chest, thinking about how things would go fifteen minutes from now: did she have the strength to get up and go do her job in a humanly acceptable way? Definitely not. Would she be able to fix the situation with the bard and the merchant? Maybe, if the stars had been on her side. Would all the confusion cause her one of her usual, very annoying headaches? Most likely, yes. But at least it was better than getting a headache and sitting for two hours listening to a rant about useless information. A little fresh air would have done her more than good.
—
Changed of dress and mentally prepared for what would soon have to endure, Minji walked out of the confines of the castle. In theory, according to the rules for the protection and safety of the sovereign, the queen should always be accompanied by an escort outside the castle, but Minji usually preferred to let the guards rest and go alone. There would be no danger in going to the center of the city in broad daylight, so she found it excessive to bring soldiers with her; the queen required an escort only when she thought it was necessary, such as if she had to go out alone during the night, if she had to go to dangerous neighborhoods, or if in general she knew she might be in danger.
Walking through the streets she was greeted with joy by all the inhabitants of the village: some wished her a good morning, others sang her a song to say hello, still others stopped to ask for a couple of quick opinions or advice. The citizens of Polaris – especially those of the capital, who spoke with Minji almost every day – loved and revered their ruler; it was as if she too was a simple village girl, sweet and kind, so no block was felt between the two parties and no detachment was perceived between two extremely different social classes. This could only please Minji, since personally helping her people and being able to make the citizens smile made herself happy. That's why she enjoyed going down to the city so much, hearing the bells ringing and watching the sun high in the sky; breathing in the scent of freshly baked bread, helping passers-by, having her hair braided by the youngest girls in the village and laughing in the company of the people she loved so much. When she chatted with the others she forgot for a moment the anxieties and worries that torment a queen, she felt lighter, calmer and more relaxed, as if interacting with the inhabitants of the city gave her more hope and energy with which to continue the day and with which to get through the hardest moments. She just felt…alive. The precious interactions of every day were what made her feel alive, happy, joyful. Because although life is difficult and there are countless anxieties and problems, Minji knew she was not alone; she would always have her beloved Polaris committed to helping and supporting her.
"Your Majesty, good morning!"
A couple of young students on their way to the village library greeted the girl, who couldn't help but return the good morning with a broad smile.
"Yuqi, Soyeon, good morning to you too! I'm pleased to see you in such a good mood; why are you together already in the early morning? Are you going to study?" The queen asked curiously. The taller of the two girls, whose long pink hair was neatly braided, responded to the sovereign with equal enthusiasm.
"Yes, we live in the same area, so I often stop at Soyeon's in the morning and wait patiently for her to make the rest of the journey together. And luckily, because most of the time she doesn't get out of bed and barely risks being late – I always have to go and wake her up by force, otherwise she would sleep every day until late afternoon!"
The shorter girl, who instead had short, hazel hair, nudged her friend silently, giving her a dirty look. Minji couldn't help but burst into a sweet laugh observing that somewhat strange, but also extremely close bond; she had seen them born and grow up together, with two completely opposite personalities, and she found it very cute that they had always remained such friends.
"Really? Soyeon, I have to say that I didn't think you were a sleepyhead! You know, between us, it's actually very difficult to wake me up, too; if it were up to me, I would have a law enacted according to which every human being has the right to sleep as much as they want. But, alas, if we didn't wake up in the morning there would be no one to run this world... What do you think?"
"Well, I think everyone would like to be able to sleep a little more – if you really want to enact such a law I would be more than fine with that, Your Majesty... But unfortunately it's true, if we all slept until noon no one would do anything,” Soyeon began, interrupting herself with a half-laugh to look into the eyes of her friend next to her. “For that I should thank Yuqi, who gets up early every morning just to come and push me out of bed and make sure I'm not late... Although maybe she could try to wake me up with a little more grace-"
"Soyeon, you’re a sweetheart, but there is no need to thank me for my superb skills and my infinite goodness," interrupted the other, taking a step forward and placing a hand on her partner's shoulder. "We are all aware of the fact that I am a perfect friend, and that if it were not for me you would come to school in your pajamas..."
Soyeon rolled her eyes, and the three girls laughed happily; Minji in particular found it funny that Yuqi was so full of herself, and that Soyeon was so quiet and taciturn. She had to admit, they were a rather bizarre pairing.
“Speaking of clothes, Your Majesty,” Yuqi continued, “your attire today is so stylish! The ceremonial dress is certainly gorgeous, but even when you have the freedom to personally choose your clothes, in informal contexts, you demonstrate an impeccable sense of fashion. The combination of a halter top and wide trousers is both elegant and extremely comfortable, it adapts perfectly to your figure... Furthermore, having chosen only white clothing, it still manages to be simple and sober – you have chosen an impeccable combination, Your Majesty!”
Yuqi looked the queen's clothing up and down, studying the stylistic choice and analyzing its every little detail. Minji immediately noticed how the young woman's eyes lit up as she spoke with so much passion about fashion and clothes. Obviously the sovereign was keen to take care of her appearance but, to be honest, she had not taken into account all those small details when choosing her clothing.
"Yes, it's actually very comfortable! I chose it for this very reason; of course high heels will always remain uncomfortable but, at least apart from those, I can feel comfortable in these clothes. I see that you know about fashion, Yuqi – you seem very passionate. Are you by any chance interested in the topic?"
"Actually, yes, fashion is one of my greatest passions – Soyeon knows this all too well, because I use her as a personal guinea pig to try out all my creations..." The short-haired girl rolled her eyes again, this time with an exaggerated pained expression on her face.
"Designing new clothes and sewing them to measure is my favorite pastime; my big dream is to be able to open my own tailor shop, sell my clothes and make beautiful clothes just and exclusively for Her Majesty! Who knows, maybe one day you will wear an item of clothing designed by me!" Concluded Yuqi with a laugh and sparkles still in her eyes.
"I would be honoured, I can't wait to try one of your models! I wish you good luck in reaching the end of the journey and realizing this wonderful dream of yours; but now it's better for me to leave you, I don't want to delay you any longer. Without study and a little effort you can't achieve your goals, right?"
Minji smiled kindly at the two girls, and lowered herself a little to pet their hair and greet them happily.
“Always give your best effort – but don't get stressed too much, okay? See you later!”
"You too, Your Majesty! Don't get stressed with your work; I wish you a good day,” Soyeon greeted with a slight bow.
"Yeah, Soyeon's right; thanks for your time, and keep up the good work!"
And with a final farewell, the trio parted ways, leaving Minji to return on her way to the central square – that was where the turmoil was taking place, according to what the soldiers she encountered wandering the streets said. It would have been nice to stop and talk to Yuqi and Soyeon longer, so as to pass the time so that things could calm down on their own, but unfortunately a small distraction, as such, could not have exempted the poor queen from her duties and responsibilities. Not that it bothered her to be called into the city or to resolve the problems that sometimes arose, obviously, but it would certainly have been easier to do all of this with the right energy and the necessary rest – luckily going out of the castle and breathing the spring air, feeling the heat of the sun on her skin, had been able to wake her up and give her some extra strength. With a deep breath she set off again, and after a short time she finally reached her destination. The square was lively and bustling, the morning comings and goings of the inhabitants filled the otherwise still and silent air; it was teeming with workers each sorting out their own chores, passing tourists asking for directions, artists trying to immortalise daily scenes on canvas, travellers, busy merchants and sellers, while some of them took a short break to regain their energy or go and collect some water from the majestic fountain which was located in the center of the square. Despite the comings and goings and the general noise, however, one could easily distinguish a crowd larger than the others, in which around thirty or forty concerned citizens were attracted by an unusual disturbance that had occurred shortly before. From the center of that crowd you could hear a powerful, ringing voice, capable of overcoming the murmur of passers-by, shouting protests and complaints in an angry tone towards what could be assumed to be a royal guard. Minji made her way through the messy crowd, and once she reached the center she approached the trio of girls in front of her; she greeted with a wide smile as everyone turned towards her, calming down slowly as the queen advanced with a composed and elegant gait, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Minji! You're finally here, how long did it take you? They're killing me here, no one has any respect for my business!" An irritated-looking girl growled, turning with the last sentence towards the young bard next to her.
"Hey! It's Your Majesty for you, you insolent bastard! And try to calm down, or I swear I'll tie you to a stake and sew your damned mouth shut! For heaven's sake..."
With equal anger, Siyeon replied to the impulsive woman; she was holding her arm, with an exasperated expression on her face, trying to keep her at bay and prevent her from hurting anyone. Meanwhile, the merchant was struggling like a caged animal, trying to free herself from the strong and firm grip of the soldier who seemed to have lost all patience. In the meantime, the bard observed the scene without moving any muscles; she didn't seem upset at all, she held her transverse flute in her hand with extreme calm and kept an impassive expression, only moving her blue eyes quickly to observe who was speaking and what was happening around her.
"Don't worry Captain Siyeon, she's a trusted friend of mine – just let her go,” Minji explained, lowering her voice a bit. Siyeon did as she was told, albeit with a displeased expression, and with very little kindness she let go of the woman's arm. She straightened out her wrinkled shirt and huffed, finally free to move; with a gesture of her head she pulled back her long dark hair, whose reflections had the color of copper, and gave a withering look at the impatient soldier. Her name was Kim Bora, also known as Kim Sua in the business world, and she had long been a close friend of Minji. The two initially met through work, when five or six years earlier they spoke for the first time to discuss a charity event: after that day they decided to organize others, every month, and from there they further strengthened their bond; they went beyond being workmates, and without even realizing it they became great friends. The merchant was known throughout the city not only for having the largest shop ever or for having a wide variety of items, but also for being the loudest and most fervent person on the planet. She had a strong personality, and her powerful voice could be heard for miles; a marvel at improvisation, her behavior was unpredictable and she always knew how to entertain her friends; she was nice and a good person, kind and above all generous, but when she gets angry she becomes uncontrollable. Just like that moment, when her chaotic presence alone had attracted the attention of half the village. And of course it was up to Minji to calm her down and clarify the situation, as she was the only person in the entire kingdom who had the knowledge to do so. For this reason the blonde stepped forward, and with a calm and calm voice began the conversation.
"Ladies, forgive the wait; I have heard that a small... Dispute has arisen between you here, hasn’t it? Could someone please explain what exactly happened?"
"A mess!! – Sua shouted – A mess has happened! And it's all because of this greedy bard who wants to take all my customers! How the hell am I supposed to run my business if you start playing in front of my shop, attracting all the people who should come to buy my goods? Now that Minji is here I will teach you a good lesson, and finally you will be forced to leave, you damned customer-stealing leech!"
Siyeon was visibly annoyed that the merchant was calling Minji by name in front of everyone, but she tried not to say anything by crossing her arms and angrily looking away. Meanwhile, the bard had not yet moved from where she was and, still as a statue, did not react in the slightest to any of the provocations launched by Sua.
"Bora, try to calm down and avoid attacking another civilian; you should know that violence, whether physical or verbal, never leads to anything good," the queen began, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"And then, returning to our burdensome problem, I have a clarification I would like to make..."
"Go ahead," Sua replied nervously with a small wave of her hand. Minji cleared her throat and, trying to maintain the most serious and authoritative tone possible (even if she barely managed it), asked a vitally important question.
"Bora... How can this young bard's music bother you, if your shop is – the queen looked out over the crowd, squinting a little to see into the distance –Just a little far from where we are now?"
Suddenly there was a dead silence. Everyone turned angrily to look at the merchant, waiting for a response from her.
"It doesn't matter where she is! When people enter the square the first thing they hear is her music, so they go to her instead of me! I mean, it's not possible that-"
"Sua – interrupted the queen, with a smile on her face – Come on, let the matter go; no one is stealing your customers, and no one ever intended to do so. Besides, I would hate to see two of my dearest friends arguing over something so small and insignificant..."
Sua looked at her friend with wide eyes and a frowning brow: this time it was her turn to interrupt.
"Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute – she said looking first at Minji, and then at the bard – Are you two friends?"
Again there was a sudden silence, which unexpectedly was not interrupted by an affirmative response from the sovereign. The bard's impassive expression and curious eyes transformed into an extremely amused face, which soon resulted in a small but liberating laugh; when she unbalanced slightly forward to clutch her abdomen, her tiny figure looked like it was about to break, she looked so thin and fragile. Now her short light brown locks covered her face almost entirely, hiding the smile that managed to leave Sua even more confused and perplexed than she already was.
"By the stars, I just witnessed the most hilarious scene ever! Thank you for giving me this most precious gift, kind merchant; I will treasure it. Who knows, maybe one day I will sing about how your stunned expression almost managed to kill me laughing," the young woman replied as soon as she was able to catch her breath. “It was amazing to see you scream, call for the queen, call for her! We've been best friends for years, she'll know how to fix this silly bard! As if the queen wasn't also my friend... Believe me, I wanted to tell you earlier, but hearing you bark at something so stupid made me laugh too much. Goodness, you sure have plenty of energy! Have you ever thought about selling that too, in addition to your usual items? You would make a fortune from it!"
The bard, whose name was Yubin (also known as Dami, the most talented musician in Polaris), was in fact part of the queen's small group of dear friends. It was incredible how three members of that ensemble had just met, at the same time, in the strangest and most chaotic context that could ever happen.
“First you make me angry, and now you even have the nerve to humiliate me with your stupid sarcastic comments?” Sua asked, with a half laugh and bloodshot eyes. After a deafening scream she launched herself at Yubin, using all the strength she had in her body; Unfortunately, however, she had forgotten that the strongest soldier in the kingdom was right next to her at that moment, so she was promptly stopped and immobilized by Siyeon, who with extreme tranquility and without any effort managed to lock both her wrists behind her back using only one hand.
"You sure get pretty violent when you get angry, huh? Have you ever considered taking an anger management course?" The blonde asked, in an amused tone. Sua looked her straight in the eyes with a fiery gaze, without saying anything, and violently bit the index finger of the hand the guard had free. Not because she wanted to free herself. Just because she felt like it.
"OUCH! That hurt! A stab in the stomach would have been sweeter, really!" Complained Siyeon, squinting in pain. At that sight Yubin started laughing again, bending double and trying to breathe somehow.
"Ah, for heaven's sake... Now will you kindly let the matter go and apologize to the poor bard? I can't let you go until you will represent more of a threat to the public, and I honestly don't want to stay here much longer."
The energetic merchant stopped resisting, surrendering to the strength of Siyeon with a strange smile on her face. After a long time she had managed to calm down, and no longer felt the need to attack anyone – although, to be honest, seeing that insolent bard continue to laugh at everything still made her nervous.
"Okay, okay, I won't hurt anyone... But only because you're asking me to, let's be clear. I can't resist your pretty soldier face!"
"Oh, hallelujah! You're finally..." Siyeon released her again, but froze as soon as the brunette was free. "Wait- what did you say?" She asked for confirmation, slowly turning to her with a confused look. The answer she received, however, was not from Sua, but from Yubin, who with a sigh of disappointment whispered to the soldier how things actually were.
"She's hitting on you, dude! Come on, I thought the royal guards were smarter than this..."
Siyeon this time turned towards the bard, with an uncertain look: her face slowly became redder and redder, embarrassed as she was. Unfortunately for her however, Sua had not yet tired of annoying the poor soldier; she approached her, trying to bring their faces as close as possible, and began speaking tenderly again.
"Aww, look how red she's turned. Did I embarrass you, darling?"
"Darl-"
The confusion of Siyeon returned to anger in a few seconds: she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, annoyed by the sudden change of behavior towards herself. The blush didn't go away, however, signaling that she was still deeply embarrassed.
"Consistent til the end, huh? We only met a couple of hours ago, and not a single minute has gone by without me wanting to sew you that mouth! I see you're trying really hard not to make this desire go away!" She growled, grabbing her by the collar, without moving away from her face. Not feeling at all threatened by the soldier's actions, Sua smiled with extreme genuineness, elbowing the bard next to her.
"Look at her, she's even cuter when she gets angry!"
Siyeon stood there gasping for a moment, no longer knowing how to respond; It didn't take long for her to give up and seek refuge elsewhere, so she ran to hide behind the queen.
"Minji, do something!" She whimpered, grabbing her arm, and pointing to the source of her threat. If Lee Siyeon, best soldier of Polaris and captain of the royal guard, was speaking informally to the queen in front of everyone, it meant that the blonde was truly at her last strength. Minji sighed, closing her eyes and resting dramatically a hand on the forehead; meanwhile, Yubin and Sua had to hold each other to breathe through the laughter, suddenly acting like best friends as they looked at the poor soldier's cute, frustrated (and still terribly red) face. The queen observed the scene in amazement: she too, like everyone else, found it adorable when the bravest and most valiant soldier ever panicked out of embarrassment, showing the delicate and sensitive side of herself that she always tried to hide with such confidence.
"I have no words..." She muttered to herself, joining the laughter of the other two girls. Until recently it seemed that a fight might break out in the middle of the square, such was the tension, and now instead it seemed like they had put on a comedy. At least the three strangers could be said to have made friends – or at least they could be said to no longer hate each other. Meanwhile the crowd had dispersed, seeing that the waters had calmed down and the initial problem had been solved; only one person remained to observe the scene, a tall and slender figure, with long silver hair, who was holding a basket of fresh fruit in front of her chest in both hands. The girl approached the group with a shy smile, while a gust of wind gently caressed her wavy hair: it fell on her shoulders like sparkling waterfalls, reminiscent of the waves of a splendid sea; they contrasted with the pale color of her skin and the deep pink of her soft lips. Her sweet dark eyes conveyed love and delicacy as she casually approached the four girls, attracting the attention of one of them in particular. Minji, who until recently had been quietly laughing with her friends, turned in the girl's direction: for a moment it seemed as if time was no longer flowing, as if the sand in every hourglass in the world had suddenly stopped falling, and the only thing in the world she could see was her. Kim Yoohyeon, a very normal and sweet villager who, in all her simplicity, was able to make Minji's heart beat faster. When she was in front of her the sovereign felt helpless, it was as if all her authority vanished into thin air; the only thing she could do was stand there and observe her in wonder as her cheeks turned bright pink, just like she was doing right now. With dreamy eyes she watched her arrive, lost in the beauty of her movements: even the simplest and most spontaneous gestures, such as pulling an annoying lock of hair behind her ear, managed to make her heart pound.
"Your Majesty, good morning!" Greeted the girl, offering a beaming smile to Minji; the latter delayed a little in answering, enchanted as she was by the sweet and gentle voice of the girl. Whatever she said, it seemed to the sovereign that her words resonated in the air like a harmonious melody – she could never do without that voice. Her heartbeat accelerated, her cheeks became redder, and her chest burned like fire: it was quite difficult to hide all these impediments and maintain a regular tone of voice.
“Good morning to you too, dear Yoohyeon!” Minji responded lovingly, attempting to give the girl a smile as bright as the one she had just received. Unfortunately it would have been impossible for her to reach the same level as Yoohyeon, but she still worked hard to try to succeed – that girl deserved only the best. For too long now the queen had tried to hide the feelings she had for Yoohyeon; Minji had met her years ago, thanks to Bora, but only recently had she started to feel those unusual sensations in her presence. Red cheeks, rapid heartbeat, sudden embarrassment, but at the same time immense joy... Every time she thought of her, her heart went crazy, and all this time she had been unable to do anything but incessantly ask herself a single, mysterious, and extremely annoying question. That is, why was only she able to make her feel that way? What was she feeling, and why was Yoohyeon the only person who could bring out those strange feelings in her heart? These questions tormented her day and night, from the moment she first experienced that state of mind, and yet she still couldn't find any answers. Precisely for this reason poor Minji felt confused, frustrated and helpless; she was tired of not knowing what was happening, tired of not knowing what to do with that ardor. She was starting to think that maybe telling someone about the situation wouldn't be such a bad idea. She could have discussed it with Sua, or maybe with Siyeon – yes, she would have discussed it with Siyeon that very evening. Minji was completely certain that her childhood friend would have the answer she was looking for: they were born and raised together, only she could have known her well enough to know what was happening to the sovereign's unaware heart. The fearless soldier was extremely sensitive and altruistic, so she would certainly have offered her help and would have given her a hand in making her understand her feelings. Until they discussed it, though, there wasn't much Minji could do other than stare at Yoohyeon with her big blue eyes.
“Sua-unnie, I brought you the fruit you asked me to get!” Said Yoohyeon, handing the merchant the wicker basket she was holding in her hand. Seeing a young knight wearing the symbol of the royal family, it didn't take the girl long to understand what had happened: it wasn't the first time such incidents had happened, after all - she was by now accustomed.
“Don't tell me you got arrested again for public nuisance! I was literally only gone for ten minutes... You're amazing, really. Siyeon, I hope it didn't bother you too much," she continued. Sua and Siyeon looked at each other in amazement, pointing first at the sweet girl and then pointing to one another.
"Do you know the cute soldier?" "Do you know this brat?"
The two gave each other a withering look.
“Stop calling me that immediately!” The blonde growled with clenched fists.
"Sorry, darling. Rather, what do you mean, this brat? Come on, a little kindness!" Replied the brunette with serenity.
It was fun to see Siyeon trying in every way to silence Sua, but to no avail: the more she tried to scare her, the more the merchant was attracted to her; somewhat ironic, Minji thought. She would have to thank them later, because thanks to them the sovereign was able to enjoy time together with four of her closest friends – plus, she was having a good laugh at their little romantic comedy.
"Anyway, no, Yooh, They didn't arrest me."
"No, but I really wanted to! Yoohyeon, may I know why you know this brat?!"
"Rude. One day you will apologize to me for what you are saying..."
"One day I will regret not killing you the second I met you, this will be the only thing I will have to apologize for!"
While the two continued to argue, Yoohyeon burst into a sweet, melodious laugh: music to Minji's ears. The shy gesture of putting a hand to her lips when she laughed made the queen's heart go crazy; she could do nothing but stand there, staring blankly at her as she answered the soldier's previous question.
"Don't worry, Siyeon, she is a great friend! For quite some time now I help her with the shop; every now and then he asks me to buy her a couple of things, or to run various errands on her part – it didn't take long for us to become friends. Did she happen to do any damage? Forgive her for her behavior; sure she has an indomitable character and is often a bit annoying, but believe me, she's a really good person. Although to be honest, I see you guys are already friends,” Yoohyeon concluded with a chuckle.
“Oh, yes, in just a few hours my little soldier and I have made huge progress in our relationship…”
Siyeon, now tired of trying to silence the energetic merchant, finally gave up. Now on the verge of hiding behind Minji and starting to cry in frustration, our soldier crossed her arms and looked at her new acquaintance with exhausted eyes, but still full of deep contempt.
"I swear I'll report you for harassment."
The whole group burst into uproarious laughter except for Siyeon, who instead was silently looking at the others while still red with anger. Or was she red with embarrassment? It couldn't be deduced.
"Really, you've been bothering me and this skilled bard for two hours! You sure really enjoy being a nuisance, huh? All this commotion just because someone dared to play within thirty meters of your inane shop... It's unbelievable!"
"Oh, so you heard Yubin playing? It's amazing!" Yoohyeon commented excitedly, suddenly brightening – it seemed that that topic aroused particular interest in her. Unfortunately, however, Sua and the soldier started arguing again, completely disconnecting from the rest of the world and stopping listening once again; they let the other girls continue the conversation by keeping their voices low, although before long their discussion became heated and noisy again.
"No one plays the flute as skillfully as she does, there's something unique about her music – I bet she took the words out of your mouth! Your Majesty, have you ever heard one of her ballads?" The girl asked, this time turning to Minji with another of her beautiful smiles.
"A-Ah, to be honest I don't think I've ever had the opportunity until now..." The sovereign nodded in response, trying to look away with a shy smile. Yoohyeon then took her hands, ecstatic, thus allowing their bodies to be just slightly closer than before; she looked at her friend with her big puppy dog eyes, widening even further the smile she had already painted on her face.
"Really? It's a real shame! One day you will absolutely have to hear her play; you will be impressed, I promise! Even if, rightly, you don't have the time because you are always busy looking after your kingdom... Maybe one evening I can take you to the Full Moon inn to see one of her best performances! That's usually where she goes to play, at sunset; you have to hear her, at least once in your life!"
Minji instantly turned red in the face, surprised by the sudden contact with the girl and even more surprised by her words; her gentle touch somehow managed to give her a very strong shock. Plus, come to think of it, spending an evening alone with Yoohyeon wouldn't have been so bad... They could have eaten together, talked for a long time about everything and nothing, maybe they would have even taken a walk under the moonlight – Minji would have been able to enjoy her voice and her smile for hours on end, alone with her; it would have been a dream.
"You're right, we could do it! We could spend some time together and I would finally have the opportunity to see Yubin's skills, it seems like a great idea!"
Yoohyeon smiled at her happily, tightening her grip and then releasing the queen's hands. Meanwhile Yubin – who, as she used to do, had silently observed the conversation from the outside – finally made an intervention in that long conversation, and bowed jokingly in front of the two girls.
"It would be an honor to play for Your Majesty," she commented with a mocking smile, making them both laugh. Sua and Siyeon, who in the meantime had not yet stopped arguing, suddenly interrupted their senseless bickering to look at Yoohyeon with amazement; for the second time they spoke in unison, with a coordination that even the most talented dancers in the world would envy.
“Wait, you know the silent bard?” The two exchanged a charged look of aversion. Meanwhile, Yubin approached the tall girl, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder and starting to explain how they had met.
"Yes, we are childhood friends," she began, looking amused at the identical expressions of the two enemies.
"When we were little, we were neighbors, so we often played together. Even when we grew up, however, we never stopped seeing each other; every day Yoohyeon came to interrupt my flute sessions, because she said I was training too much and not resting enough... And she was right, if she hadn't been there to put a stop to me, I would probably have paralyzed hands right now and I wouldn't even be playing!"
"Yeah! I saw her pick up a flute for the first time, and from there I watched her progress day by day – She's a natural talent! I can't believe it's been so long since then..." Added Yoohyeon with nostalgia. Sua took a step towards Yubin, arms crossed and a stern look, which soon turned into an unexpected smile.
"Well, if you're friends with Yoohyeon, it means that we'll have to get along too... Nice to meet you, noble bard! Sorry if I came to bother you earlier, I had no right to pick a fight with you. And anyway, let me tell you, you play really well! How about we start over again?" Sua held out an apologetic hand, being gladly accepted by Yubin; she shook the merchant's hand with a smile, forgiving her for her previous actions.
"Of course, thanks to your intervention I had fun! And if Yoohyeon is your friend, it means you must be a really good person; the fact that you apologized is proof of this. The pleasure is all mine, noble merchant!"
"What a touching scene," commented Siyeon with a half smile, "all's well that ends well!"
"Yeah, a really nice ending to this story; I'm happy that my best friends can get along so well! Except for... A few exceptions," Minji added, glancing at the knight and the merchant. The group began to laugh, finally at the epilogue of that long morning; It's incredible how the fate of five different people can intertwine, giving rise to a single ending for everyone, Minji thought. Of course her day hadn't started in the best way, but at least now she was enjoying some good time with her trusted friends. Knowing that the people she loved most had made new friends could only make her incredibly happy and, deep in her heart, she felt that together they would build an unbreakable bond. Undoubtedly their friendship would be put to the test, but they would not give up in front of any obstacle. Minji knew their adventures wouldn't end there. What difficulties would they face in the future?