Noon sets the sun upright, its eyes glared brightly at the head of the castle. The little rain dried up quickly as if time has forgotten its existence. The flowy white curtains dances with the blowing wind, and a contemplating Bora was looking out the window.

Arms folded against her chest, her thumbnail nitpicked the skin of her index finger. A habit she wanted to stop whenever she's anxious or staring in open space. The city were not as lively as before since the passing of the King, the same silence as the Queen's. She wished for time to pass quickly so that she would not have to bear the empty feeling for too long.

The sisters knew the type of person Bora is. She will always get her work done, even if it involves short sleep hours. Her father would ask for her help sometimes, asking for her opinion on the matters needed for her counsel, although his advisor was by his side at all times. If the sisters would choose who is the most rational one among the siblings, it would be Bora.

However, Bora was not herself today. After receiving letters from various kingdoms, from condolences to marriage proposals, she knew she could not take it from there. The duke who was with her to lend a hand to tend the letters said nothing as she abruptly walked out of her study. Minji asked every single sisters to sort theirs out before the council meeting, and Bora doubt any of them could do so except for Minji, Yoohyeon and Siyeon.

It was always the four sisters, including Bora. But for now, she made herself an exception.

She could hear the scuffles from the throne room. Nobles started conversing from their respective tables. Bora unintentionally arrived earlier; all she need was a time off from the letters. She thought she could go back and maybe done a little, but it seems to be in vain.

Footsteps approached her with a familiar demeanor. Bora recognized immediately from the reflection of the window and she rolled her eyes at the sight of him. A young man with a neat appearance cleared his throat, don in his royal blue outfit with golden accessories. He cleared his throat as he reached her side and bowed respectfully for the princess.

"My lady Bora," he addressed her. For a noble representative, the man looks too young to be a part of the council meeting. Bora acknowledged his father has fallen ill and unable to attend. However, meeting him face to face irks her after reading his insensitive marriage proposal.

Just like any other proposals in the letters.

"My deepest condolences for your loss. The King of Insomnia is the greatest man alive. You and your sisters must have been very proud to be his daughters, and him to you all."

Bora's red lips formed a small smile, avoiding the man's eyes on her. He was about to say something more when Bora turned to look outside once again, signaling him to end the conversation. He refuse to be left hanging, his gestures awkward and stiff.

"I-I believe you received my letters-"

"I think it's best you be on your seat, Lord Park. The meeting is about to begin," Bora quickly cut him from mentioning a matter she saw it coming and walk away to the circle, where desks and chairs are set in a hemispheric arrangement. She could feel the man glaring daggers behind her back. She lift her chin high, just as Minji always told her to.

"We must not let mere men put our head down. Remember, the moons are watching us highly. Whatever it is these nobles are offering, well, I trust each and every one of you know which to say no."

***

Half an hour has passed. The princesses are getting weary over the loud voices of the nobles. Their boasts and howls about the good of the kingdom are hiding their true intentions of it all. The sisters can read the men's bombastic actions - like Minji had advised them before the meeting, they must not fall to the hands of these men.

Gahyeon may be young, but she learn all too well about mankind's hunger, especially when it comes from the noble blood. The book her Father used to read for her did say about politics masked under innocent language. It all began with love, followed by envy, then greed, power, and lastly, war. Her naive mind when she was a child has grown into the adult she is now, and dare she say she loathes being the one to listen and witness the foolishness in her eyes.

"The Prince of Hym Kingdom has proposed to you, my lady Yoobin. At urgent times like this, I suggest you take consideration over his effort to make you his lovely wife."

"Your grandson has the guts to do so when he has more hanging around his belt!"

"Watch your mouth, bastard! I saw you hoarding around the other nobles for your own son to make advances!"

"What do you know about my son? He respects and regard the princesses more highly than you!"

"Silence, everyone! Have you no shame over this council meeting?" Minji has never felt her blood boil so much in her entire life. She never saw such disrespect the whole time she engaged secretly in a council meeting her Father allowed her to watch when she was just a lady. When the King was alive, he was regarded as the one with mighty power, and these men are nothing but sand under his shoes.

To be the only seven daughters left in a lonesome castle, their power over the kingdom was seen as less for the eyes of the nobles. For them, it's an effortless ticket to hop on the train to the throne. Women are too fun and easy to fool around.

A man who approached Bora before stood up from his seat, grasping his hands politely. Bora looked at him warily as he spoke.

"I, son of Lord Park, have attend to send my father's message. He ask me to tell you, for the sake of Insomnia, a King must sit on this very throne, especially in these kinds of times where we lose both of our beloved rulers. Our people are living in fear, aimless and lost on what to do when no King is present."

A faint scoff pierced the noises into oblivion. "Our people," Bora muttered with a snide and a smirk, mocking the man who shamelessly proposed to her. "What do you know about our people, son of Park? Have you tend to them, listen to their pleas?" His face was getting red at Bora's remarks. Minji hushed her sister with a finger to her lips. Bora thought it would just end there, but surprised as Minji back her up.

"For an old man, his mouth is so loose yet bold enough to teach us how to rule a kingdom."

"I mean no disrespect, my lady. Besides-"

"There are always a solution for this problem, so why must a King rule a kingdom?" Minji's words shook the entire council. Such statement made about the King is sensitive, but the people in the room was appalled as if their King is here, listening to his eldest daughter with a hint of anger. But there is no such King. The throne is but a grave unless it is dug up to be made a land, like Insomnia.

Another noble hastily rose. "Why not, my lady? It's a common tradition-"

"You tell me, gentlemen. You purposely turn a blind eye on something that was rarely mentioned or practiced in the law of royal inheritance." Her chin was held high, her Mother's eyes are looking down on every men with disgust, an exact resemblance of the Queen when she was defied by a noble who talked down on her as the Queen of Insomnia. Minji's younger self watched as the noble's head was decapitated at the courtyard.

She was only six, Gahyeon was still in their Mother's womb.

With an aura so dominating like her Father, even successful at curling the spines of every nobles, Minji spoke with integrity. "For the kingdom of Insomnia, I dare say that no prince or noble, here or far from our land, will ever take either of our hands!"

"What about the King?" The man in blue asked frantically. Bora was about to throw more comments against him, instead, her other sister intervenes Minji so suddenly, she made her swallow her words.

"There will be no King." Yoohyeon announced firmly, voicing out the words Minji meant to say next. She stood up from her royal seat, burning but surely, her fiery gaze shook the very core of every council members. The sisters, especially Handong, Gahyeon and Siyeon, watched as history that has been abandoned since the curse of Two Moons rise up from its tomb. A knot tied tightly inside their stomachs as if an evil corpse had rise from the dead, its determination are ready to take over the darkness of the world.

And Yoohyeon's conclusion proved the upcoming chaos the sisters had feared.

"From now on and henceforth, there will only be a Queen that will rule Insomnia!"