The trap!
492 Words
Shuan lived every day of her life dreaming of freedom from Jun's grasp.
One day, while talking to her brother Sid, Jun approached them. "Your Highness," Shuan and Sid bowed in unison.
Jun, soon to be married to the king, addressed Shuan.
"I need you to go to Gwanju to retrieve some decorations for me." Shuan's eyes widened in alarm. "Right now?" she asked hesitantly.
Jun's expression turned cold. "Yes, is there a problem?" Shuan hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
"Your Highness, it's almost dark. Why not let me go tomorrow?"
Jun's voice was firm. "I need you to go now." Shuan stuttered, "B-but, Your Highness..."
Jun's patience wore thin.
"Get going now!" she ordered, turning to leave.
Sid called out, "Your Highness!" Jun stopped and turned to face him.
Shuan watched as her brother dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
Jun's anger flared. "What's this, slave boy? Am I not allowed to send my personal slave on an errand?"
Sid pleaded, "No, Your Highness, it's not that. She won't survive out there. At least let me go with her."
Jun's response was icy. "Step a foot out of this gate, and it will be the last thing you'll see in this life."
Shuan's heart ached as she watched her brother beg on her behalf.
The siblings exchanged a desperate glance. "I'm sorry, I'm an incompetent brother," Sid whispered, breaking down in tears.
Jun's voice cut through the air. "What are you still doing here?" Shuan knew she had to leave.
With a heavy heart, she turned and made her way to the gate, departing for Gwanju.
As Shuan departed from the gate, she could feel the weight of her brother's worried gaze upon her.
Sid had attempted to persuade Jun to allow him to undertake the task on Shuan's behalf, but Jun had callously refused, insisting that Shuan embark on the perilous journey to Gwanju.
The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the landscape, but Shuan's heart was filled with trepidation.
She was well aware of the ominous reputation of Gwanju, a place where the worst crimes were said to occur, and where traitors and fugitives sought refuge.
The thought of venturing into such a perilous environment, especially at night, filled her with dread.
As she walked, the silence seemed to grow thicker, like a fog that clung to her skin.
She could sense the presence of unseen eyes watching her, and the air was heavy with an aura of menace.
Shuan quickened her pace, her heart pounding in her chest.
She was determined to complete her task and return to the home before nightfall, when the guards would retire and the city would become even more treacherous.
But as the darkness deepened, Shuan couldn't shake off the feeling that she was walking into a trap.
The shadows seemed to be closing in around her, and she wondered if she would ever make it back alive.
- Writer
