Bella
Dawn broke in soft pinks over the palace, but the air inside the Jade Courtyard was sharp, ceremonial, expectant.
The palace maids whisked across the cold stones like hummingbirds, adjusting silk screens, aligning lanterns, lighting incense that curled upward like pale ghosts.
Kitchen maids rushed back and forth to serve the Royal House, chaos disguised as duty, moving with a strange rhythmic grace.
The Selection Ceremony was about to begin.
And everyone was rooting for the maiden to win, not the heart but the crown.
And fifty noble girls stood in trembling rows, adorned in pastel hanbok, jeweled hairpins, and expressions ranging from excitement to dread.
And among all the choas, I stood there with my heads low, spine straight, face calm, though my heart rattled like a trapped bird, as the song Yellow by Coldplay replayed dramatically in the back of my mind.
I could feel all sought of lingering eyes on me, the judgmental, predatory, but I kept my expression blank, one I was taught to master like a well molded craft.
At the far end, the Queen Dowager entered, robes sweeping like thunderclouds. Behind her trailed the Senior Court Lady and three ministers.
Everyone dropped to their knees.
"Rise," the Queen Dowager commanded, voice cool, older, carved from experience. "Today begins the Opening Ceremony of the Selection. Conduct yourselves with grace-your future, your family's honor, and the dignity of the Crown depend on it."
I kept her head bowed.
Some girls already trembled.
Some were already pretending not to cry.
Others, like Lady Han Yura, stood confident and statuesque, chin tilted, already imagining the crown upon her head.
THE OPENING CEREMONY
The ceremony began with a traditional blessing.
A low table of rice, incense, and lotus petals was placed before the Queen Dowager.
She lifted the incense stick.
"May the chosen bride bring harmony to Joseon and loyalty to the Crown Prince."
The courtiers murmured blessings.
The girls bowed again.
A few whispers slithered through the lines as I made my way to the Prince's quarters, with everything attempt to avoid the noble brides to-be failed:
"Where is she from?"
"Her skin is so different …"
"I heard she saved the Crown Prince from an assassination attempt."
I ignored every word.
But I could feel someone watching.
From the shadows beyond the red pillars…
From behind a pavilion beam…
From somewhere I couldn't quite place.
A faint rustle.
A shift in air.
Not dangerous.
But vigilant.
Watching her.
I didn't turn. But deep down my spine, I knew:
Yeon was shadowing her.
A ghost in the palace halls.
Unseen but always there.
THE FIRST EVALUATION
The Senior Court Lady stepped forward.
"Ladies, you will now undergo your first assessment. Each test is designed to measure your suitability as Crown Princess."
The tension snapped tight.
1. Etiquette Test
"How to bow to royalty."
"How to pour tea without spilling a single drop."
"How to receive a command."
Lady Yun Seon-Hwa movements were flawless, almost theatrical. The flawless nature that comes from the Yun Clan was present and had demeanor(The Queen Dowager is from The Yun Clan).
Lady Jung Soo-Yeon was so much in a hurry to show herself, which made her look desperate in the Queen Dowager eyes.
Lady Min Arin, hands trembling, poured tea that splashed loudly across the mat.
Gasps.
One court lady clenched her jaw.
Another girl whispered, "She's done for."
Arin froze, cheeks blazing red.
Lady Han Yura's stepped forward next. Calm. Steady. Her bow soft but dignified, her hands precise. She served tea as if her body had measured each motion since birth.
The ministers exchanged a look, surprised.
One leaned to whisper, "Graceful."
Another murmured, "To be expected of The left State Council Daughter."
Yura' smirked slightly as she heard their remarks.
2. Literacy Test
Scrolls were passed out.
Poems were read aloud.
Calligraphy brushes waited like sleeping serpents.
Lady Seo Da-on, quiet, unassuming, suddenly transformed.
Her handwriting was elegant, fluid.
Her reading voice soft but perfectly controlled.
The court buzzed with impressed murmurs.
But Lady Han Yura was perfect in all, did well, clean strokes, sharp articulation, The mirror of what a future queen is meant to be.
Lady Park Hyesung, however, stumbled over half the poem, then blamed the lighting, then blamed the scroll, then tried to correct a minister's pronunciation.
The Court Lady nearly fainted in horror.
3. Virtue Test
A minister asked:
"What is the greatest virtue a Crown Princess must possess?"
The girls gave predictable, rehearsed answers.
"Obedience."
"Dignity."
"Purity."
Lady Han Yura bowed slightly. "Wisdom."
The Left State Councillor lifted his head in agreement, with a bigger smirk behind his beards.
The hall paused.
"Explain," The Right State Councilor asked, voice deceptively warm.
Lady Han Yura met his gaze, steady but respectful.
"If the Crown Princess is wise, she will know when to yield and when to advise. She will uphold the throne by guiding, not merely obeying."
Her cheeks warmed. Had she said too much?
But the minister smiled faintly.
And across the room, the Left State Counselor tipped his head, knowing.
He was proud of her boldness and he could see that all the Royal courts were too.
But the Queen wasn't too happy.
She saw a flaw in her future plans already.
And this made her label Lady Han Yura.
An ally.
Or worse…
A potential threat.
The Queens eyes gleamed like a blade hidden under silk.
4. The Walking Test
The girls crossed the hall carrying small bowls of water on their heads.
A classic court tradition.
Lady Park Hyesung swaggered too confidently.
Her water bowl slipped.
A loud splash echoed.
Ministers flinched.
Someone stifled a laugh.
She was immediately marked for elimination.
Lady Han Yura moved like drifting wind, silent, smooth, controlled.
The Left State Councillor proudly watched his daughter with eyes of content at her performance.
THE PRINCE
He was not allowed to sit among the girls.
He stood behind the lattice screen, unseen, but able to see everything.
And with every girl who stepped forward, with every bow, every answer, every display…
His stomach twisted.
Is this how he would choose a wife?
By tests?
By politics?
By clan ambition?
His gaze drifted, again and again, wondering back to one thought.
Not Yura.
Not Da-on.
Not any noble lady glowing with expectation.
But…
Ha-neul, or Bella he would call her when he couldn't help but get lost in her eyes.
He thought about every time she moved and how she would stair something up in his heart, something and spoken of, something mystic.
Every time she bowed, he felt guilt.
Every time she lifted her eyes, he forgot to breathe.
He shouldn't look.
He shouldn't want.
He shouldn't feel.
But he did.
And that day, the day the ventured out the palace wall. Outside all the burdens. How free he was and how seen, for the first time he felt.
He thought to himself that he couldn't wait for this selection to be over. For him to see her more, and feel The slightest touch of her skin on his.
His fingers clenched behind the screen.
His heartbeat betrayed him.
THE LEFT STATE COUNCILLOR
Down in the hall, the Councillor watched everything with a smile too gentle to be genuine.
His daughter, Lady Han Yura, performed flawlessly.
Polished.
Perfect.
Dangerously confident.
But his gaze kept sliding to the Queen and her father.
Assessing.
Weighing.
Judging her every reactions with scientific precision.
"The Queen doesn't seem too impressed," he murmured to his right hand minister. "She seems uneasy."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Let's see how long this Royal games last and who comes out victorious at the other end."
ELIMINATIONS
The Senior Court Lady announced ten names:
"Lady Park Hyesung."
Etiquette disaster.
Tears.
"Lady Cho Miran."
Improper speech to a minister.
She fainted.
"Lady Min Arin."
Too emotional, too shaky, too overwhelmed.
She stumbled forward, apologizing.
As many other ladies followed as names flowed for their errors obvious during the selection.
The hall shifted.
As now standing are five out of the thirty ladies representing themselves.
Fear spreading among those who remained.
This was not a ceremony.
It was a battlefield.
And the now standing Ladies were aware of it.
As the hall emptied, Prince Lee Ji-ho made his way to the guard quarters.