Princess (manhwa)

Princess is a Korean manhwa series by Han Seung-Won. It is a historical, tragic yet fictional saga of the royal families of primarily three fictional kingdoms - Ramira, Anatoria and Skador. The first release/chapter was published in 1995 by Daiwon and is still ongoing with 31 volumes released. The English version is published by Central Park Media.

Plot
It begins with a future glimpse of a young mother awaking her 7 year old daughter - Pry (Freya) in the middle of the night to meet her father for the first time. The reunion goes on to the real story of how it all began with three children - Biyon Kakan Pyordova -who is the prince of Ramira, his dear friends, Biancasta Rodyt - who is the daughter of a servant and Ryan Vaida (Leo) who is a trusted friend from a noble family loyal to the royalty of Ramira.

This manhwa series has no single main protagonist but numerous characters whose lives and loves are often mixed with politics and sometimes even war. The series follows the connections between them and also go on for three generations of both Ramira, Anatoria and Skador. However, the plot usually does go back to the couple Biyon and Biancasta aka Bii and their daughter who is the future princess of Ramira.

Biancasta Rodyt Pyordova ( Bii ) :
Daughter of Prince Biyon's nursemaid. Bii was raised with him as sibling and the two fell in love. But when Bii was 11th years old, Biyon's father, the king of Ramira, started looking for a princess for his son. Soon after, Eirene, Bii's mother, forbids her daughter to see Biyon again, in order to weaken their love. But after several days, the children meet again and Biyon declares to Bii that he will make her his princess. But later Bii has a disagreement with Eshilde Balder, the only daughter of the Prime Minister of Ramira and the most serious candidate to become the princess. This first encounter will have terribles consequences for Bii. Indeed, worried about her daughter's future, Eshilde's mother makes her husband promise to kill Bii if their daughter is to be the princess. A few days later, Biyon takes Bii on a horseback ride and after giving her a crown of flowers, the prince promises the little girl that not only he will marry her, but he will also give her the crown of the Queen of Ramira, someday. But during the following night, Eirene asks Vasa, a servant girl who is friend with the mother and the daughter, to take Bii away from the palace, in order to protect her from a plot to kill the little girl. Vasa takes Bii in a place named the Pink Mountain and the two live in house surrounded by flowers. But Bii, not knowing that she's in danger, cries believing that her mother abandoned her to separate her from Biyon and begs Vasa to bring her back to her mother, but the young woman refuses knowing that Bii's safe in the mountain. Some time later, while Bii and Vasa take care of the flowers, they discover two young girls unconscious in each other's arms.

Five years later, we find Bii aged 16 and being the target of a prank by a little boy named Sibel. We discover that Sibel is the son of Lilin, the oldest of the two girls found by Bii and Vasa. The youngest is Lilin's little sister, Lala. A flashback reveals that Vasa was against the idea of welcoming two strangers. But Bii insisted, pointing out that the girls seemed to have nowhere to go and that their house was too big for just two people. Lilin was already pregnant at the time and several months later the delivery was difficult. Bii saddened by the thought that the baby and the mother could die, started to cry declaring that she intended to take good care of the baby and that she had even found a name for him, Sibel. Lilin approving the name, regains strength and gives birth to Sibel and the two recover from childbirth. Although Bii and Vasa don't know anything about Lilin and Lala, not even the name of Sibel's father, and the sisters don't know Bii and Vasa's true identities, no one ever asked. All five have simply lived happily together as a family for five years.

This quiet life comes to an end when Bii learns that Biyon, who has become king, will surely choose his wife during his eighteenth birthday. The very night she hears this news, Bii confides in Vasa her fear that the king has forgotten her. Although she understands that her dream of living with Biyon is impossible, Bii still loves the king and lives only in the hope of being able to see him again one day. The young girl also declares to Vasa that she would even be ready to sacrifice her life just to see him again at least once. A few days later, Bii meets by chance a strange man with a scar across his face, in the forest surrounding the house. This last accompanies her to go to the nearest town. There Bii finds a piece of fabric that she likes very much, but has problems with the saleswoman when she tries to buy it with her hair ornament. Because the saleswoman does not believe that a girl who seems to come from a modest background can own a real jewel and accuses her of being a thief. Luckily for Bii, the man she came to town with claims she's a noble pretending to be a commoner and he's her bodyguard. Which convinces the seller that the jewel really belongs to Bii and therefore returns it to the young girl at the insistence of her "bodyguard". Once back in the forest, Bianca thanks him for his help and he reveals his name, "Sei".

Sei also helps Bii to return home because the girl does not know the way back. Bii tells Sei that Vasa will be truly grateful to him. We also learn that Vasa scolded Bii and that it was out of spite that she made the decision to go to town. But the truth is that Bii wanted to go to the castle. Once back home, it's already dark and the young girl is reprimanded by the sisters and Vasa who also want to know why she has been away for so long. Sei having warned her that they would not be happy to learn that she was with a stranger, he advises her to pretend that she fell asleep. He also gives her an explanation for the fact that she could have slept so long. Bii recounts, as Sei suggested to her, that she fell asleep after eating a berry and when she woke up it was getting dark. They accept the explanation although Vasa seems to have doubts. This last orders Bii never to fall asleep outside again. Lilin then reveals to Bii that Vasa found a corpse in the forest and that the man had been killed with a sword blow.

On the morning of Bii's 17th birthday, a package is found outside the front door of the house. When they open it, Vasa, Lilin, and Bii discovered a piece of fabric inside. The same one that caught Bii's eye. Bii is certain that it was Sei who brought the fabric. But unable to reveal her thoughts to others, she makes up a story that God brought the cloth for her birthday. Vasa doesn't believe it at all but, for lack of a better explanation, she agrees to keep the gift. Lilin then offers to make it into a dress for Bii and the young girl finds it so beautiful that she walks everywhere in the forest with it. In the hope that Sei can see her, as a token of her gratitude. Sei and Bii eventually meet again, but the two are caught in the rain and must take shelter in a cave. Some time later, Bii wants to go to the forest but Vasa forbids her as a punishment for having disappeared again. The girl wishes to find Sei who gave her instructions if she wanted to meet him again. However, he forbade her to speak about him to the other inhabitants of the house. Bii is very fond of Sei and isn't afraid of him despite his scar because she knows that appearances don't always reflect a person's soul. She also tells him that from the moment she saw him for the first time, she knew he was a good person.

On Biyon's 18th birthday, she disappears from home again. Bii is with Sei who doesn't understand why she is silent and sad. So Bii asks him if, living in a place like the mountain, there isn't someone he would like to see. But Sei replies that he is an orphan and that he does not know what his parents look like. While apologizing, Bianca then asks him if he has any friends or a home he would like to see again. But Sei replies that he has none of that and has lived most of his life alone. Bii then tells him that she doesn't like the mountains and that she would like to go back, thinking of the castle. She also tells him that this place is too lonely for her. She sadly remembers that every time she wakes up in the middle of the night, she feels so alone. But even if she returned to the castle, she probably wouldn't be welcome there. It could even be that the prince she knew would no longer want her. And the fact that she shouldn't go back there is just too much for her to bear. Faced with the young girl's silence, Sei offers to drive her to town. But Bianca refuses on the pretext that it is getting late and that she has to go otherwise Vasa will worry. Sei then tells her that if there was anything he could do for her, she should let him know. Bii comforted, thanks him.

Some time later, while looking for Sei, Bii is bitten by a snake. Luckily for her, Sei quickly finds her and heals her. The next day, Sei brings her home while she is still unconscious, letting the other residents find out about his existence. Vasa frightened by Sei, by all the incidents that have happened and worried that Bii will die before she can see her mother and the man she loves her again, makes the decision to bring the young girl back at the castle. The young woman announces to Bii that after the healing of her leg, they will leave for Lana, the capital of Ramira where the castle is. The young girl, delighted, then asks her if her mother would have asked them to return. But Vasa replies that her mother doesn't know where they are. Confused at first, Bii doesn't understand this sudden decision, but eventually decides she doesn't need an explanation. The girl additionally tries to convince Vasa to leave immediately but quickly realizes that she is not yet in a condition to travel.

Once cured, Bii looks for Sei again to tell her that she will be leaving the next day. She finds him calling an eagle and as soon as he sees her, he rushes towards her. Bii thanks him for taking care of her and when Sei points out that she seems in a good mood. Bii replies that she is leaving the mountain forever the next day. When Sei asks her where she is going, the young girl replies that she is going back where she came from. Although Vasa asked Bianca not to let Sei know they were leaving she still wanted to say goodbye. When Sei asked her if everyone was leaving, Bii replied that only Vasa and she were leaving. She also tells him that if he needs anything, he can ask Lilin. Bii also reveals to him that when she arrived, it was just her and Vasa. But that they, the sisters and Sibel have lived as a real family, although it is not the same blood that runs in their veins. Then when Sei points out to her that the reason for her leaving must really be important for her to agree to part with them. Bii nods and reveals to him that there is someone she is dying to see and that she has only lived with the sole purpose of seeing him again.

On the day of departure, Lilin helps the young girl to dress in a man's outfit that she made herself for her. With sadness, the eldest sister asks Bii to take care and be happy.