Days and night passed by. It was finally the moment when our protagonist, Salish Kim will be carrying out her first duty as the princess of the Kingdom. Today, she is supposed to visit another state which is under control of her father to wish the citizens her good deeds.
Like promised, the General took her to the area where the preparations were being done. On their way, "Princess, the godmother and other officials will be present at the spot too. Kindly be careful with your actions and words." whispered the General.
"Why did not you tell me about this before?!" Exclaimed the princess in panic. "Do not worry, just be natural in royalty." Advised the wise guy. "Okay then, act along." Said she.
"General, I understand that you have been making preparations for a long journey that my father and I will be taking. Please, tell me more about it." Said Salish while walking in an elegant posture with both of her steadily held Infront of her.
"Yes, Your Highness. It is an honor to be entrusted with such an important mission. We have been making preparations for several weeks now to ensure that everything is in place for the journey." Said the General.
"I see. What kind of preparations have you made?" Asked she.
"We have been gathering supplies, including food, water, and medical provisions, to ensure that we have everything we need for the journey. We have also been training our soldiers to ensure that they are prepared to defend against any potential threats along the way." Answered he while pointing out the things which were being loaded on the carts.
"That is reassuring to hear. How many soldiers will be accompanying us on the journey?" Asked she with hesitancy in her eyes.
Though this was not something she thought she would ask him, but she somehow felt safe around him. Her mind was not able to process the words she spoke and immediately felt the air getting thick between them as the General finally decided to break their eye contact which they had held for some time.
"We will be traveling with a force of five hundred soldiers, Your Highness. They are some of our finest and most loyal men, and I have every confidence in their abilities." Said the General while looking into the purplish sky.
"Five hundred soldiers? That is quite a number. Why do we need so many?" She asked being surprised.
"Your Highness, with all due respect, the journey ahead of us is long and dangerous. We will be passing through territories that are known to be hostile to outsiders. With five hundred soldiers, we can ensure your safety and the safety of your father." Answered him.
"I understand. It is better to be safe than sorry. Thank you for your efforts, General. I appreciate all that you and your men are doing to protect us." said she with her unknowingly heavy heart.
"It is our honor and duty, Your Highness. We will do everything in our power to ensure a safe and successful journey." Said the General.
"I have every confidence in you, General. Please keep me informed of any developments along the way. There might be something I can suggest you to make our journey a bit easier." Said the princess.
"Of course, Your Highness. We will be in constant communication throughout the journey. You have my word. I have to take my leave now. Also, it is getting darker so, it would be better if you could go back to your room and rest. It will be a long day tomorrow." Said the General and left.
"Sure, I will." Said the princess.
With the departure of the General, Salish was approached by her grandmother. Grandmother was often approached by people with the name of godmother which made up a conclusion in her mind causing her to think that the citizens think of her as someone equal to the old deity or the god.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my little granddaughter. What are you doing running around like a wild animal? Don't you know how to behave like a girl?" Said the grandmother in a sarcastic tone.
"What do you mean, grandma?" Asked Salish, being confused.
"I mean, can't you see how boys are supposed to act and how girls are supposed to act? You're not acting like a proper young lady." Said grandmother while rolling her eyes.
"I don't understand what you mean, grandma. What am I doing wrong?" Asked Salish feeling her frustration grow every minute.
"Oh, nothing dear. Just running around and playing like a boy and causing troubles in the royal preparations instead of sitting quietly and playing with your dolls like a good little girl." Said she with a dirty smirk on her lips.
"Why should I have to sit quietly and play with dolls? It is my duty to advice the workers on whichever task they are doing. I think you forgot that, I, am supposed to be the queen after my father." Said Salish.
"You just don't understand, do you? It's not proper for a young lady to behave like that. You should be more ladylike and demurer." Said the old lady while trying to shut the younger one up.
"I don't care what you think, grandma. I'm going to be who I am and not what you want me to be." Said the princess, standing up for herself.
"Well, I never! You should show some respect to your elders, young lady." Slightly yelled the grandmother feeling taken aback.
"I will show respect when it's earned, grandma. And you haven't earned it by trying to make me be someone I'm not." Said the young girl firmly.
"Fine, be that way. But just remember, a young lady should always be proper and well-behaved." Said the grandmother feeling lost to the younger one.
"I'll remember that grandma. But I'll also remember to be true to myself and not let anyone else tell me how to act or who to be." Said Salish while sarcastically smiling.
"Well, according to me, instead of doing all this, you should just get married and start your family. What is a Queen with a King anyways?" Said the grandmother.
"What is a Queen with a King? Let me answer that question for you, godmother." Salish said and took two steps forward. "A Queen without a King, still remains the queen." She whispered near her ear and went away taking her grandmother away with a storm.
The day went by like that. After the King got to know about his mother's behavior towards his daughter, he was very upset. They had long talked about how to raise Salish into a polite girl. Her father wanted her to be independent by herself while the godmother just wanted to marry her off to someone with the same social status as theirs's.
Well, neither her's nor his. Salish would only do what she felt is the right thing to do. Many events will take place in the future and the thoughts in Salish's head were making it harder for her to think straight.
As Salish stood on the roof, her heart racing, she wondered if she had made a mistake. She had always been determined to prove her independence, but now she realized that maybe her grandmother had been right. Maybe this world was too dangerous for girls to be truly independent.
But then, as she looked out at the night sky, she saw a figure approaching. It was her father, and he was running towards her as fast as he could. When he reached her, he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Are you okay? We have been searching for you." he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Salish nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have argued with Grandma. She was just trying to protect me."
Her father smiled, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "I know," he said. "But you have to understand that she just wants what's best for you. We all do."
Salish nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She had always known that her father loved her, but she had never expected him to support her in this way. It was a moment she would never forget.
Together, they went back into the palace, where Salish's grandmother was waiting for them. Her face was still lined with worry, but when she saw Salish and her father together, she smiled.
"I'm glad you're both okay," she said, her voice soft. "I'm sorry I got so upset earlier. I just worry about you, Salish."
Salish hugged her grandmother tightly, feeling a sense of gratitude that she had never felt before. She knew that her grandmother loved her, and that she only wanted what was best for her.
As the episode came to an end, viewers saw Salish, her father, and her grandmother sitting together, talking and laughing. It was a happy ending, one that showed that family was more important than anything else. And as the screen faded to black, viewers were left with a sense of hope, knowing that even in the midst of conflict, love and understanding could prevail.