The Princess' Handmaiden

Chapter 10

Mina couldn't describe her anger. Because of their parents, her sister wouldn't be able to live peacefully without thinking of the stupid arrangement. She was still holding Sana's trembling body, and her older sister's sobs had reduced to hiccups.

The younger princess pulled away slightly, and she saw Sana's face. It was stained with tears, and her eyes were red again.

"I'm so sorry, Satang..." Mina whispered.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry for not noticing sooner. I'm sorry for not being there for you." Mina repeated, embracing her older sister again.

"It's not your fault..." Sana mumbled. "I didn't want you to find out."

"But why not?"

Sana buried her face into Mina's chest.

"Because I didn't want you to worry."

🐧👑🐧

Nayeon could practically feel the fury seething from Mina. When she was in her nightgown, the princess made her handmaiden sit beside her on the bed.

"I'm not angry at you for not telling me, by the way." She huffed, and Nayeon had trouble believing her.

"Everything will be alright, Mina. For your sister, I mean. She didn't do anything wrong, did she?" The handmaiden asked, and the princess shook her head, looking down. "Then there's no reason for her to be punished. I'm sure it'll be fine." She smiled.

"But I hate seeing Sana sad. I hate seeing her scared."

Nayeon sighed. 

"I know, Mina. But all we can do - for now - is wait for fate to play out." She started to rub the princess' back as Mina's lip began quivering. 

"Why does it have to be like this?" The princess stammered, her breathing unsteady. "Sana can't handle something like this. Not alone."

"So don't let her be alone. Help her when she needs it." Nayeon said, and Mina nodded.

"Alright, thank you..."

🐧👑🐧

"Nayeon? Can you tell me a story?" Mina asked, and her handmaiden stood up.

"Alright. Which one do you want to hear?"

"No, no, not one of them." The princess shook her head, looking away from the bookshelf. "One that you've made up."

"I'm really not good at storytelling without an actual story-" Nayeon began to refuse, but the princess looked at her with determined eyes.

"No. This is an order."

Nayeon sighed in defeat, and sat down on the bed that Mina was getting into. She stared at the princess for a while, before beginning the story.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl. She really needed money as her family were struggling in the small village they lived in. She became a maid for a princess, and was very disheartened by what everyone said. 

Soon, however, she realised that there was another reason why she wanted to stay. Aside from the money. This was frowned upon, so she tried her hardest to label this as an intrusive thought. Overtime, however, she thought that maybe this wasn't what she thought. Every time she saw the princess, she seemed more beautiful than the last time.

The maid wondered if, maybe, she really was in love with the princess. The End." Nayeon finished the story with an abrupt ending, and Mina, in a sleepy voice, spoke.

"Is that how it ends?" She asked, and Nayeon nodded. "That sounds a little like us..."

The handmaiden was sure she heard that. She turned over to the princess, but she was already asleep. She smiled to herself as she watched the calm rising and falling of Mina's chest, before realising it was probably extremely strange to watch someone sleep.

The truth was, she couldn't end the story because she didn't know how it ended. She was still waiting for the answer.

🐧👑🐧

"Mitang hugged me!" Sana squealed, jumping up and down with Momo. Mina just rolled her eyes playfully. When she visited her sister's bedroom, she expected her to be depressed in her bed, but she was just bragging to her handmaiden. Momo turned to the younger princess and smiled warmly.

"I'm really proud of you, Mitang."

Mina looked away in embarrassment.

"Thanks, Momoring..."

Mina wished it would be like that forever. All she wanted was for Sana and Momo to be happy, but even while they were talking, something felt odd. Like she was missing something. Maybe it was more someone than something, she thought.

🐧👑🐧

"Sana."

Just when it seemed like the room couldn't get any more silent, it dropped lower. The two princess stopped eating, but Mina was the only one who looked up.

"Yes, Mother?" Sana answered, although she was already dreading what was going to come.

"We have a reply from the prince." 

Just like that, Sana dropped everything. The loud clattering sound resonated throughout the room. Mina could tell that her sister was feeling for her hand under the table, so she held onto it tightly like she was never going to let go.

"He's agreed to the marriage." Their father said, and Sana was clearly holding back her tears. "I hope you know what this means."

"Of course I do, Father." Sana smiled, her voice shaky. "It means that I'm trapped." She thought, biting her lip so hard that she may have drawn blood. Mina, to everyone's surprise, spoke.

"Who is this prince anyway?" She asked, and their mother rolled her eyes.

"Prince Hyunjin." She replied, and Mina grimaced.

"He's not even attractive..." She muttered, making Sana (despite the situation) giggle.

"Mina Myōi, watch your words." Their father demanded, his voice stern.

"I'm sure you'll live."

"Get out." Their mother ordered, and the princess shrugged.

"Can I at least take Sana with me?"

"GET OUT!"