Sunrise at Night | K.TH

Marked

LEAH SIN

Ever since I've moved from Master Jungkook's Palace to stupid Kim Taehyung's, I've hated it.

And that's ironic, because most people would kill to go from a servant to the Marked of one of the Three Heads in one day.

At least back at my old home everyone minded their own business, and at least didn't whisper and whatever everywhere they went.

Flipping the dark hood over my head, I shove my hands deep into my pockets and chew on my lip at the sight of the dark silver pair of wings forever carved into my collarbone.

The person who'd put this on my skin hadn't even said a single word ever since the stiff confirmation at our pretend marriage, locked up tight in his room for whatever reason.

Was he that determined not to talk to me?

As I'm furiously pacing the halls because I have nothing to do, someone bumps into me from the back. A startled squeal echoes in surprise, and I look behind to see a girl.

She looks barely five, holding an empty basket with her eyes wide.

"I-I'm so sorry." She exclaims, pushing her head down and trying to get past me in a hurry when I gently tap her shoulder.

"Where are you going with that?"

The hooded cloak she has over her shoulders nearly comes down to her ankles as she clutches the basket to her chest.

"T-The lady told me to go pick berries for her."

My lips purse in anger.

"How old are you?"

When she holds up five fingers, I struggle to keep myself in check. What kind of idiot would tell a kid to go out in this snow to pick berries? That would've been nothing short of suicide.

"Go to your room." I say, taking the basket from her. "I'll get some berries real quick and give them to you."

She fidgets.

"I, um— share my room with another kid. She'll tell her if I come in without the berries, and then she won't give me any food for the rest of the day."

"Don't worry about that." I say with a forced smile, making a mental note to deal with whoever this person was. No doubt she was doing this to the other kids as well. "Go to my room. It's the one upstairs, first one to the right. It should be open."

After she leaves, I hold the woven basket to my chest and head outside, feeling a bit back at home with something to do. I'd almost gone crazy sitting around and staring at the ceiling.

As soon as the fresh winter air hits my face, I take a deep breath and make my way towards the Iliad Forests. That was the only place berries would grow at this time of the year, and I knew the forest like the back of my hand with all the times I'd gone.

Maybe I could visit Lyr real quick if I moved fast enough.

Tightening the cloak around my neck, I feel snow give way under my feet as I enter the forest. My eyes flicker over the snow-covered bushes, searching for a tint of red, a flash of blue.

I go deeper.

There's nothing but trees around me now as I stop in front of one of the bushes, raising my eyebrow in disappointment when I find that the blue I thought I saw was nothing but a wilted flower.

Then I look over, and spy a flicker of deep red.

Rowan.

Plopping down next to the bush with a relieved smile, I start picking the berries by the handful.