The Princess' Handmaiden

Epilogue

~ Four years later ~

Mina was busy trying to calm her sister, who was hyperventilating.

"What if I don't do well? What if I trip over?" 

"Satang, you've gone over how you would walk about a million times." Mina giggled, rubbing Sana's back.

"I have prayed to literally every single god." Her sister said, and Mina rose her eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Yeah, I know. I was there when you did it. Out loud. Two minutes ago. For the seventh time."

"What if it doesn't work? What if this'll make me disloyal and I'll be punished instead?" Sana fell down to a sitting position, hugging her knees. Her sister's eyes softened and she joined her on the floor.

"Everything's going to go so well, Satang. There is nobody in this world who is more prepared to take this position, I mean, this is it! This is what you've been waiting for your entire life!" She smiled, lifting up Sana's chin so they were facing each other. "Remember when you used to go on and on to me about how your coronation would be one of the best days of your life?"

Sana nodded, her eyes glassy. In truth, the day their father died was the best day of Mina's life. After he passed away young, their mother was unable to rule, completely grief stricken. She knew it was wrong, but the princess felt nothing but utter relief, and she had never felt safer than how she was feeling then.

"So, what'll be your first order as Queen?"

"You know this isn't when I become Queen, right? I've been Queen for a few months now."

"Yeah, but this makes it official!" Mina retaliated.

Sana stopped for a little to think. "I know! I'll march through these palace halls and fire that bastard in full glamour!"

Ever since Mina built up the courage to tell her sister about everything, they figured that the only way the man was able to find out she told Hana was through Ms Red Lips' intelligence. They also found how to prevent the princess from panicking so much to the point where she was destroying things. Mina didn't have the time to reply before there were loud bangs on the door.

It quickly burst open to reveal Nayeon and Tzuyu wrestling each other, Momo shaking her head at them.

"LET ME SEE SANA!" 

"I'M HERE TO SEE MINA, YOU DELUSIONAL BITCH!"

Momo just walked around them to get to the others.

"What on Earth..." Sana muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Nayeon wanted to see Mina and Tzuyu wanted to see you, so they went with me as I was already coming here, and then there was some misunderstanding, and they've been fighting for the rest of the way." Momo explained in one breath.

"Uh-huh." Mina nodded, pretending to understand. However, as soon as the girls looked back, the two had already made up. The princess would never understand their friendship.

🐧👑🐧

"Come on, it'll be fine. You get crowned, say your speech, then come back and do whatever you do with Tzuyu." Mina sighed, trying to drag Sana out of her bedroom. When her sister finally stood up, the princess supported her with her arm.

When they finally made it to the carriage, Mina was about to stand back, until she felt a hand grip onto her own. Sana was looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Come with me."

"I really shouldn't-"

"Please."

Mina had never seen so many eyes on her. Such curious, confused eyes. Neither had she ever been in a carriage before; especially not such a lavish one. To say that the princess felt uncomfortable was a severe understatement, but she had to stay strong for Sana. She didn't have a choice.

🐧👑🐧

The ceremony flew by, and everything was going smoothly - that was until Sana stood up without warning. An audible gasp rippled through everyone watching.

"I sincerely apologise, but I have something to say." The Queen smiled, and Mina knew her sister well enough to tell that Sana was extremely nervous. "I am sure everyone is confused about the girl who came with me, as none of you would have seen her. Now, I will put everyone's speculating minds to rest."

Mina's heart stopped. This was it. Everybody would know who she was, she wouldn't be hidden anymore. The princess didn't know how to feel about that.

"That girl is named Mina. She is my sister, the princess." As soon as Sana spoke her final sentence, people forgot about their professionalism and just began whispering to each other. "Mina has been locked up inside the palace grounds for her entire life, not being allowed to leave, not even for one minute. She has been hurt, punished and all because she was born. Now, I want all of that to change. No longer will my sister be known as the 'Forgotten Princess', or the 'Mistake'. I may even go so far as to put in place the death penalty if anybody is caught saying that."

Mina couldn't help but smirk at how proud Sana sounded when she said that. Sometimes she wondered if her sister was a little too keen to discuss the death penalty.

"She will be granted the rights to leave the palace grounds, the rights to have a say in anything that concerns her, and the rights to proper medical treatment." Those were the words that Mina was especially thankful for. Proper medical treatment. This meant that she wouldn't be in agonising pain everyday. This meant that she could finally live in peace.

"From now on, Mina will be known as my little sister, or otherwise: 'Princess Mina'."

🐧👑🐧

A few days had passed, and soon, Mina's birthday came around. The princess had lost count of how long she'd spent in Nayeon's arms, but she couldn't say she hated it. She was sitting on her handmaiden's lap, and Nayeon was hugging her from behind.

"Happy birthday, Minari!" Her handmaiden cooed for the hundredth time. Ever since the pair confessed their feelings, they became each other's birthday gifts. Mina liked to think that she started the tradition, although it was she who forgot Nayeon's birthday in the first place. "Why are you sad?"

"What do you mean? I'm not sad at all."

"You are...You've been so silent since the coronation." Nayeon whined, brushing her lips against the princess' neck. "And you haven't been outside. You don't need to hide anymore."

Mina sighed, curling up on Nayeon's lap and resting her head on her handmaiden's shoulder.

"I'm scared. What if people try to kill me?" She admitted, her voice trembling.

"Why would they do that? How about we go out later, just you and me. We can pay that thieving bitch a visit." 

After a while together, the couple figured out that the woman who fired Nayeon was actually Ms Red Lips. Turns out the girls were more connected than they initially thought. The handmaiden paused before speaking again.

"If Sana hasn't already executed her."

Nayeon's words made Mina giggle, pecking her handmaiden's cheek.

"You somehow always cheer me up."

"That's because you're easy to cheer up." Nayeon chuckled, kissing Mina's lips softly. It still amazed the princess how anyone could be so gentle with her. Just a few years ago, she would have never imagined such a thing.

Fingers intertwining.

Lips touching.

While this was the end of her father's life and the end of her mother's reign, Mina knew that this was the very beginning of her own life.

~ The Real End ~

(I wanted to say that this story is on AO3, so if anyone prefers using that platform, you can! 🩷)