The Princess' Handmaiden

Chapter 3

"She asked you to read Snow White?" One of the maids, Kim Dahyun, asked incredulously. They were eating, and Nayeon was recounting her day. She had no idea that the servants in the palace would be so friendly.

"What, will she make you read Cinderella next?" Another maid, Yoo Jeongyeon joked, and to her surprise, Nayeon nodded.

"Probably." She sighed. "She doesn't seem to have many duties. Mina's usually just locked up in the palace, from what I can see."

"I wish I had all that free time." A worker named Chaeyoung commented. 

"Oh come on, your job is practically free time! You get to teach Princess Sana how to draw and paint! She's wonderful, I'd love to work directly beside her..." Her best friend Tzuyu scoffed, basically swooning over the princess.

"I still don't like Mina. Something's up about her, it creeps me out..." Jihyo shuddered.

"She's really not that bad. Sure, I have barely slept this past week but it isn't torture like everyone makes it sound." Nayeon shrugged, before standing up. "Mina must have finished dinner by now, I have to go."

"Nayeon!" Dahyun called. Her usually joyful face became a stern face. "Remember. Tomorrow is the 30th of June. The final day of the month."

Nayeon nodded in acknowledgement, said goodbye to her friends before rushing to the dining hall. Mina was finally allowing her handmaiden to walk her to places, contrary to the first few days on the job. She waited outside the door, and soon enough, the princess stepped out. Her sister was holding her hand, and Nayeon wondered why she was only doing that. She figured the rule of no physical affection only applied to the maids, but perhaps there was more to it than that.

Mina took a deep breath before walking with Nayeon. The handmaiden felt her heart clench, as the princess was so accustomed to this routine that she helped Nayeon find the tools to barricade her door. As Nayeon was about to close the door, she caught sight of Mina's expression once more.

She was used to it being serious, but that night there seemed to be a slight touch of despair in her eyes.

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Nayeon had never felt more powerless in her life. Suddenly she was grateful for the screaming she heard during Mina's nightmares, because this was ten times worse. She had to leave to go for a small walk around the section of the palace to gather her thoughts, as Nayeon simply couldn't stand the sound of glass smashing and the princess' desperate begging.

When she walked back to the room, she saw Sana sitting against the door, looking absolutely miserable. Momo was rubbing her shoulder, and the princess was clearly about to cry. Nayeon made her way closer to them and bowed out of respect, before leaving to her own room.

Nayeon, having a terrible habit of eavesdropping, decided to listen through the door. Luckily Mina's cries were loud enough for her to hear anyway.

"Satang...Where are you?" Mina was sobbing, yelling for her sister, and it broke Nayeon's heart. "It hurts!" Suddenly, there was a loud thud, and a cry of pain. "They won't let me out..." 

The handmaiden could hear Sana's quiet sobs, and she knew that even though she loved her little sister, she wouldn't go against her own parents' orders. Nayeon, once again, decided that she couldn't take the noise anymore, so she left her room to find a medical kit for Mina.

She found Sana and Momo already planning to leave, but before they did, the princess rushed over to Nayeon.

"Please, you have to believe me, don't listen to what the others tell you! My sister isn't a monster, I promise!" She pleaded, and Nayeon nodded.

"I don't think Princess Mina is a monster. Don't worry."

And as Sana walked away, she looked back and smiled at Nayeon. That was right before she burst into more tears.

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"Oh my..." Nayeon gasped when she entered the princess' room as soon as the clock struck midnight. The room was messed up, Mina was curled up on the floor, unconscious and dangerously close to a pile of broken glass. "Princess!" The handmaiden rushed over to Mina, who was covered in cuts and bruises. Her head was bleeding, and that explained why she'd passed out.

As Nayeon began treating Mina's head, the princess' eyes slowly fluttered open. Her eyes drifted around the room, and for the first time, her mind didn't go straight to what she'd destroyed. She looked at Nayeon, who'd placed her head on her lap so she could wake up in a more comfortable position. None of her handmaidens went straight to her as soon as midnight came, they usually just slept until their day of work began. For the first time, Mina didn't have to spend hours in the dark, unable to move from pain.

The princess opened her mouth to speak, to thank Nayeon, but her throat was far too dry. She was suddenly brought back to reality when she remembered she hadn't eaten or drank anything for a day. Nayeon seemed to understand, as she nodded, before picking Mina up bridal style. She gently placed the princess down onto her bed, so delicately one may think Mina weighed the same as a feather. The handmaiden then walked to the princess' dresser, picked up a glass of water, before coming back.

Mina could only watch. The water seemed like it was already prepared for her, and just like the day before, she felt an unexplainable heat on her cheeks. Nayeon climbed up in front of her, putting the glass to her lips. The princess felt relieved. The coolness washed over the soreness of her throat, presumably from screaming, and she let out a deep breath.

"Thank you..." She finally managed to murmur, leaning back against her headboard. Nayeon smiled.

"It's nothing. Are you in a lot of pain? You should rest, I've finished with the parts that were bleeding..." She replied, but Mina shook her head. She didn't want to say this, she didn't want it to happen but she knew she had to.

"Did you check my back?"

Nayeon hesitated. She was brought back to her first day on the job, when she saw all those scars. Some of them looked newer than others, so there was a good chance that there might have been some fresh cuts from the night before.

The handmaiden sighed when she realised she was correct. She really wanted to ask what happened, how she got so many cuts and bruises, but she knew that Mina wouldn't remember.

When she was finished, Nayeon let out a fake sigh of exhaustion. She glanced towards the princess, who was shaking.

"What's the matter, Princess? Are you cold?" She asked, and Mina just shook her head. The princess began taking deep breaths to calm herself, and she'd already anticipated that this would happen, but it was still hard to manage. Nayeon, being observant, realised that this was somewhat the same time of reaction she gave the last time she touched her back. This time it just seemed restrained. "I can assure you that I'm only caring to your wounds, nothing else."

Mina nodded, her breathing returning to normal.

"You should really rest now though, Princess." Nayeon laughed lightly, and once again, Mina nodded, sinking underneath her quilt. Just as Nayeon was about to leave, she suddenly held onto her hand, taking the handmaiden by surprise.

"Can you please stay? In case my nightmares come back..."

And that was how Nayeon found herself sleeping with a princess.