TW
Mina couldn't remember what her life was like before 'She' arrived. One thing that she could never forget, however, was when 'She' arrived.
The princess excitedly hurried to the guest, before dipping her head politely. The woman immediately greeted her with a slap.
"You walk wrong. Straighten up." She ordered sternly, her red lips shaped (ironically) like a heart. Mina, being young, didn't properly understand. What she did know, was that her life would change forever.
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"Kiss your prince!" A nine year-old Sana giggled, holding up her sister's cat. Mina pecked the fluffy animal on the cheek, before realising a key issue.
"Mimi's not a prince. She's a girl." Mina looked up. "Does it matter?" She sniffled, and her pupils dilated as tears brimmed her eyes. "D-does that mean I'll never have a prince?"
"Of course it doesn't mean that! I guess you can kiss the princess too, right?"
"No, she can't." Ms Red Lips appeared behind Mina, firmly grabbing hold of the child's shoulder. As soon as she touched the young girl, Mina tensed up, fear building. "Mina, don't you think it's time for a little maths lesson? We can focus on counting."
Despite her small age, Mina already knew than the only things she would be counting were her bruises.
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"Circum...Um..." The eight year-old's tears were running down her face, and her hand was shaking violently.
"How many times have we been over this!?" Ms Red Lips shouted, tightening her grip on her small whip. "Circumference!"
Mina cried out when the tool was brought down on her already blistered and bleeding knuckles.
"It hurts..." The child sobbed, but not once did the handmaiden show any signs of compassion.
"This isn't working. Let's move onto writing." The woman sighed, putting a brush in Mina's hand. The poor girl's hands were trembling so much that she almost dropped it, which only earned her another sharp hit.
As the princess looked at the text, she found it hard to understand what it was saying. She kept messing up, and she kept getting punished for it.
"Are you stupid? Do you even know how to spell stupid? God, I pity that whore mother of yours."
Finally, after quite a while (and a lot of apologies) Mina grew exhausted.
"Can we please stop, Mistress?" That was what Ms Red Lips had ordered for Mina to call her. If she said anything even slightly different, she would receive more punishment.
"You want a break?" She scoffed, and Mina nodded hopefully. "Fine." The princess was about to release a string of thank yous, before she spoke again. "But that'll guarantee you a trip to the basement."
Mina pursed her lips together, frozen.
"N-no..." She murmured, looking down at her paper. "Please don't..."
"It's your choice, Mina. Is the break really worth it?"
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The next morning, Mina sleepily stumbled to the room where her ballet lessons took place. She didn't want to do it at all. By the end of her speaking and writing class, her knuckles were all smashed up. Even though Momo did what she could to treat her hand, she was still in excruciating pain.
"Mina! Are you alright? You seem tired." Hana greeted her student, smiling kindly.
"Oh, yes. I'm fine."
The princess wasn't fine. She didn't get any sleep the night before. She stayed up until late for her lesson, and her nightmares made everything worse. Recently, Mina had been getting nightmares every night, and would be woken up by her handmaiden, right before getting beaten by the psychotic woman for disturbing her rest.
Her nightmares were terrifying. She would have to relive her beatings, her lessons, and the basement. The basement was something that always stayed.
After only a little while, the princess collapsed on the floor, and Hana rushed to her side.
"Mina? Oh, I knew you looked tired." The girl picked up the young child and gently placed her on a bench. "What happened? You can tell me."
The princess leaned away from Hana, shaking her head frantically.
"No! No, please don't make me tell you!" She pleaded, and her teacher only grew more suspicious. However, like every other time, she let it go, because she hated seeing Mina so scared.
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Mina was woken up in the middle of the night. She knew it wasn't because of her nightmares, it was the 31st of October. Ms Red Lips grabbed her arm tightly, dragging her out of her room and through the halls.
No matter how much the princess begged, how she cried, it was like talking to a brick wall. The woman ended up covering her mouth.
The handmaiden opened the trap-door to the basement, the basement that nobody except from the King, Queen, Ms Red Lips and any corrupt worker who wanted to join in on the 'fun' knew about.
The 'fun' was just doing whatever they wanted to the princess. Absolutely no restrictions. There would be a monthly evaluation, when Mina would find out if she'd been good enough to stay away from the wretched room. If it wasn't already easy to guess, the princess would find herself trapped there every single month. She would be forced to stay from midnight, and only be let out when it struck midnight on the first day of the next month.
The princess let out a tearful shout as she was thrown down the cold steps.
"Mistress, please!" She sobbed, pressing her back up against the wall. "I'll be good, I promise!"
Despite this, the princess knew that none of her words would ever move Ms Red Lips.
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"You can't catch me!" Sana laughed, looking back to see her ten year-old sister running after her. She stopped paying attention to her surroundings, and tripped over a rock, grazing her knee.
"Satang!" Mina crouched down, and began to help her up.
"Don't worry, it's just a scratch-" She was interrupted by a woman running over.
"Are you okay, Princess? Should we seek medical attention?" Ms Red Lips asked, and Sana was at a loss for words.
"No, seriously, it's just a scratch..."
"Mina. Come with me, now." The woman demanded, tugging at the young girl's wrist.
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"What is wrong with you!?" Ms Red Lips yelled, exaggerating every word as she kicked Mina's back. The princess was laying on the floor, unable to move or cry. The tears had stopped falling, and all she could think about was how ugly her back would look after that. It would undoubtedly be covered in many bruises, and probably other wounds.
"This'll teach you to never try to hurt your sister again." The woman spat, before leaving the room. Mina wondered how long it would take her to gather up the strength to even get up. She was angry, she was angry because of Sana.
It wasn't because she hated Sana, far from, actually. She was angry because she couldn't hate her sister. Mina wanted to stop loving her, but it was impossible. Sana was just too pure, too delicate.
Mina did hate one person for sure, though. She hated Ms Red Lips. She had only recently become aware of the fact that they weren't helping her become a better royal, they were punishing her. Punishing her for being alive.
Her mind took her back to the day when she was forced to walk on glass until she walked properly. That was like a living nightmare. Mina knew that Sana was upset that she never told her anything about what happened, but she just couldn't. Not when Ms Red Lips was threatening her with the basement. Because if Mina told anyone, that would be classed as breaking the rules, and she would be punished accordingly. Mina didn't want that. So she kept silent, and endured the pain alone.
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It was the 31st of May. The princess was twelve years-old, and it was arguably one of the worst days of her life. It was silent, and Mina could still feel the rope burns on her wrists from where she was tied up. That was until a door opened to reveal a man. She'd seen him around before, but this time he looked scary. Sinister.
"Let's keep this private, alright? Nobody has to know..."
The princess froze. As she tried to scream, her mouth was immediately covered, and her wrists were tightly held by her sides.
"No no no no no no no no no no..."
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Mina couldn't take it anymore. She despised herself, her life, and almost everyone in it. She liked Sana, Momo and Hana. They were the only ones on her side.
Despite this, she didn't see three people as enough, and one tireless night, about a week after the incident, she got up. She walked to a shelf and opened a box. Inside it was a rope. The rope that was usually used to tie her up. She wasn't sure why Ms Red Lips kept it in such a presentable box, maybe it was to mock the princess.
She tucked the box under her arm, and quietly hurried through the palace. Mina wasn't sure how she managed to avoid all the staff. The princess stopped abruptly when she made it to a door. It was grand, and the design was intricate and impressive. She knew it was Sana's room, the aroma of peaches was so strong that she could smell it faintly from outside.
At least, maybe it was that, or her body was just making it up as she knew that she would miss it.
Mina hurried through the halls and found a window. She'd been eyeing it for a while, making up a plan in her mind that she was finally executing.
The princess threw down the box, before climbing down the vines, slowly and carefully. She wasn't even sure why she was being careful, seeing what she was about to do to herself.
As Mina ran, tears finally began running down her cheeks. She made it to a large cherry blossom tree, and the flowers had beautifully bloomed. She opened the box again, took out the rope, and began climbing.
As she tied the rope, memories flooded through into her mind. Memories of who she loved, and who she didn't want to leave. She furiously wiped away tears, before realising that she would probably be reborn into a terrible life. Mina wondered if it was just her destiny to be hurt and miserable in every life she lived. The princess began to feel dizzy, and her balance on the branch faltered.
She could hear footsteps. She didn't know who's they were, but she didn't have time to figure it out anyway, as she fell to the ground, unconscious from the impact. The last thing she heard was a female voice.
"Mina!"
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The princess woke up, and immediately realised she wasn't dead yet. She somehow managed to fail at everything. She sat up to look at her saviour.
"Hana."
"You're awake." Hana smiled, sitting beside Mina.
"Unfortunately." The princess rolled her eyes, wincing from the pain. "Why did you do that?"
"I didn't do anything. You fell from the tree alone." Hana's eyes softened. "Why would you try to kill yourself? You know you can talk to us..."
"I can't." Mina said firmly.
"Fine. But whether you believe it or not, Sana needs you." The girl said, and Mina sighed.
"No she doesn't. If I died, I'm sure she could ask Mother and Father for a new sister." The princess's eyebrows furrowed. "A real sister."
"You are Sana's real sister. I don't think you understand. Your sister is so spoiled, and the only reason why she hasn't become a brat who the kingdom will fear to have as a queen is you. You're sort of like her grounding."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that even if you don't want to, please stay alive for the people who love you." Hana's eyes were glassy. "I could never forgive myself if you died."
Mina looked down, biting her cheek.
"How did you know I was outside?" She questioned, and Hana smiled sadly.
"I figured you would try something like this. So every night, until I'm satisfied that you won't do it, I stay up and look out of the window. You always liked that cherry blossom tree, so I figured if you did do...that...you would do it there."
The princess suddenly felt terrible. She didn't know her teacher sacrificed her sleep to make sure she was alright. Hana took Mina's hands in hers.
"Which is why I urge you to tell me what they do to you. What she does to you."
Mina felt tears well up in her eyes as heart-breaking sobs wracked her chest. She shook her head frantically, reminders of the threats piling up.
"I-I can't...No, no, please-"
"Mina. I promise I won't tell anyone else about this. No matter what you say to me tonight, I will keep it a secret." Hana said, practically begging for the princess to speak. Her pleading expression must have worked, because Mina nodded, and she didn't know where she found the courage, but she told Hana everything.
She told her about her beatings, her nightmares, and the basement. When she explained about what happened in the basement, Hana's face became one of worse worry.
"They can do anything they want to you?" Hana checked, and Mina nodded. "Nobody...how do I put this? Did anybody...touch you?"
The princess bit her quivering lip as new tears fell down her cheeks.
"He-he almost...He told me that if I told anyone...He would return, and...finish the job..." Mina's chest was heaving as she cried loudly, Hana touching her shoulder. "I'm s-scared..."
The pair sat there for hours, neither knew exactly how long. By the end, Hana had managed to at least temporarily make Mina feel a bit better. Neither of them knew that something terrible was about to befall them.
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"But why did Hana leave? That doesn't make any sense!" Sana exclaimed, sitting on the grass in their secluded hideout.
"I don't know. I thought she loved teaching ballet, so I don't understand why she's saying that she doesn't now." Momo replied, occasionally sneaking worried glances at Mina. The younger girl seemed to be in her own world, her eyes swollen (presumably from crying) and hugging her knees.
Mina was in her own world, her own world of rage and betrayal. She hated Hana for leaving just a day after the princess confessed everything that was going on to her. She trusted her. Mina didn't expect the truth to be revealed so soon...
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The princess was in the basement again. She could feel herself slowly being driven to the brink of her sanity, realising just how jumpy she'd become.
If anything creaked or moved even in the slightest, she immediately protected herself with her arms. It was so dark Mina couldn't even see how much she was bleeding, and she couldn't tell if that was for the better or worse.
At some point the door did open, and as the princess slowly looked up to glance at the owner of the heavy and angry footsteps, she wished she hadn't.
Why was he back? Why couldn't he leave her alone?
"I told you to keep this a secret." He muttered, his voice low and menacing. Mina leaned backwards, which didn't do much as she was already against the wall.
"I-I did! I didn't tell anyone, I promise!"
"It isn't very ladylike to lie, Princess." He smiled, leaning forward. "You want to know what really happened to Hana?" It was all too familiar. His hands, once again, creeping too close. "We have our ways of finding out about snitches."
Mina couldn't breathe. She felt submerged in this panicked state, and she had to close her eyes.
"You must have felt so betrayed...You see, we gave Hana a little nudge. Forced her to leave, and now the poor girl is probably begging for money, because who in their right mind would hire somebody fired from the palace?"
He sneered at the terrified princess.
"Now shut up, and enjoy it. There's nothing a young woman loves more than to have her virginity taken."
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Mina found herself flicking through a thousand books in the library. Unfortunately for her, she ran into her sister.
"Mitang!" The girl grinned, and Mina just looked down. Sana's smile faded. She had no idea what was going on, all that she knew was that her sister had began to flinch more, and she didn't smile often. She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but when she saw the book Mina was holding, her concerns got worse.
"So, remind me why you want to learn about prostitutes?" Sana asked nervously. They were sitting on a sofa together, but Mina was keeping a small distance between them.
"Just curious." Mina looked into her eyes. "Is it shameful to lose your virginity before marriage?"
Sana was taken aback by her sister's question. She hesitated.
"Well, I suppose it isn't well recognised if you aren't a prostitute. Why?"
"No reason. I just...want to get to know about the world a little more." Mina claimed, but Sana could tell that that was a lie.
"Mina, are you alright?" She asked, and her sister sighed, sounding a little irritated.
"Yes, Sana."
"I know you don't want to right now, but you can tell me what happened. Anytime." Sana smiled reassuringly, but Mina just stood up, ready to take her leave.
"Mhm, bye." She said, walking away. "But I can't tell you." She thought, fear gripping onto her. Every passing day was like the princess was walking on eggshells, and she hated it. Mina didn't want to be so scared, and she hated to admit it but she tried again multiple times. Every time she tried, however, Hana's words came back to her. All she needed to do was remember why she was alive. Couldn't be too difficult.
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It was terribly difficult. But, then, 'She' appeared. It was like God knew she was struggling, and sent her a girl.
Mina was so grateful for Nayeon, and every second with her was amazing. She was happy that Nayeon didn't quit, which was why she failed to understand why she slapped the handmaiden.
Mina didn't want to hurt her, and for the first time since Nayeon arrived, she was reconsidering her decision. The princess took out the box, and opened it.
"Sana needs you."
That always happened when Mina was going to attempt. She remembered Hana, and how kind she was to her.
"Stay for the people who love you."
"Fuck you, Hana." Mina muttered, closing the box and re-placing it back to where it was. So she sat down and cried. Despite being terrified of midnight, she had a feeling that something would be different. She had no idea what.
(This one was a long chapter...I love writing traumatic backstories!)