37

Contd

Princess Yeri.

The day has come.

I step out of the carriage at the castle’s entrance, the path is lined with palace lanterns. I am wearing a white gown. It has thin sleeves and it clings lightly to my naked shoulders. Over it, I am wearing a matching robe which saves my shoulders from the cold of the night.

The attendants of the dowager, older women with years of experience and a solemn demeanor, help me out and straighten the dress before I head in. Unlike the looks on their faces, their hands are gentle but fir, and they reek of tradition. As my feet touches the ground, I am able to feel the cobblestones through my delicate slippers. Hours before I entered into the carriage, the white dress was sent to me by the dowager and Teresa explained to me that it was for purity and it is what I should have worn before I lost my virginity to the king.

Other than Teresa, no one knows that I didn’t actually sleep with the king that day. However, the king knows that nothing has happened be