Chapter Text
V.
Mie's eyes fluttered open, her eyebrows furrowing as she sat up, dazedly glancing around the room.
It was still dark out, with the moonlight softly filtering in through the open drapes. She didn't understand why she was awake. Why would her body wake up so early for no —
Oh.
Today was The Day.
With the knowledge that she would be scolded later on by Suki, Mie didn't go back to sleep. She instead got out of bed, tucking and fixing the sheets behind her. Once that was complete, she clumsily lit the candle on the bedside table, took it and the book sitting next to it, and made her way to the chair by the large window.
Glancing outside, she noticed that the moon was still at its highest point, round on one side and waning on the other. Somehow, it looked lonely, all alone in the starless night sky.
She stared at it for a moment, her mind empty. She lost interest soon enough, her attention shifting to the book in front of her. She sat back on the chair, ready to get comfortable, and flipped to the last page she had been reading.
It would be a good while until the world woke.
So, she tucked herself in the chair, held the romance novella close, and prepared to spend the remaining time till morning in fantasy land.
❅☀❅
"Your Highness," Suki sighed, foregoing a proper morning greeting when she saw Mie sitting in the same spot she had been in long before the sun had risen. Mie's personal maid had entered moments after sunrise, followed by a group of servants who were entrusted to help Mie prepare for a very busy day.
"Not a word, Suki," Mie replied, closing the book and placing it on the table. Despite not getting much sleep, Mie was energized. She had finished the novella and had started another, eager to see the unique happy endings each Princess got in their story. She was curious to see if there was one like hers. But there was no time for that.
Now, it was time to prepare for her wedding day.
It felt like a dream. "Is this a dream?" Mie asked, needing the reassurance that it wasn't.
Suki smiled at her affectionately. She checked to make sure no other servant was around and reached to run her hand through Mie's hair once. "Not at all, my lady. It's your big day."
"Good." Mie nodded. "Now, make me pretty, Suki. Make sure the Prince won't have his eyes on any other person but for me."
"Will do, my lady. After we’re done, Prince Jungkook won’t be able to take his eyes off of you."
Suki made good on her promise.
The preparation for the ceremony took hours to reach completion. It began with a milk and flower bath, followed by so many creams, lotions, and oils that Mie couldn’t keep a track of. Suki focused on her face, while the rest of the servants worked on her body and hair.
Mie had hoped, as she endured/maybe a more pleasant verb every step, that their hard work would pay off and make her beauty last until nighttime, when it was just her and the Prince, and their marriage bed.
Staring at herself now, Mie couldn’t quite take her eyes off her reflection. The room was so silent she could hear her heartbeat.
“How is it, Your Highness?”
Mie gulped. Her white ceremonial dress fitted her body nicely, with the corset highlighting her tiny waist and ample bosom. The skirt flared out just enough to make the dress look a tad more special compared to her other dresses.
Her hair was braided and pinned to the top of her head for the ceremony, with her tiara tucked into the dark locks. Large stones adorned her ears and neck, purple stones glinting under the light.
“Suki,” Mie sighed contentedly. “Suki, you’re a witch, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?” Suki replied playfully. She stood behind Mie, slightly to the side so she wouldn’t appear in the mirror. “But in all honesty, my lady, I’m not magic and I don’t perform witchcraft. I merely highlighted the beauty that you already have.”
“ Stop ,” Mie giggled. The sound tapered off into silence, and she said, “Do you think it’s enough?” That I’m enough?
Suki seemed to have heard her unspoken question because the woman stepped into frame, a soft smile on her face. “My lady, you’re more than enough. The Prince should consider himself lucky you chose him of all people.”
❅☀❅
Mie had been ushered out of the room and toward the great hall after her quiet moment with Suki. Several servants had shadowed her steps, making sure that she remained looking immaculate the entire way.
Currently, Mie was in a small waiting room, sitting in front of a vanity as she hummed under her breath. In her hands was a purple ribbon that Suki had given her before the woman had left.
"It may feel like a long wait," the woman had explained at Mie's quizzical look. "It's better to play with this instead of touching anything else, Your Highness."
As always, Mie was thankful for her personal maid's forward-thinking. She continued humming under her breath as she unfurled the ribbon again and again. Without it, she may have touched her hair, or her jewelry, or even her dress at this point. It was a long wait.
Fortunately, it was one that she didn't have to spend alone. Without knocking, Mie's Mother opened the door to the small room, breathing out, " Oh , my darling daughter, you're a sight to behold." She was crossing the room before Mie could blink, her hand reaching up to fix the tiara that didn't need any fixing.
"Mother, don't touch anything," Akira's voice rang through the small room. He and Mie's mother were dressed in their kingdom colors, their attire predominantly black. Akira looked dapper, his red ruffled top providing a nice contrast to his black and gold jacket. Her Mother was the same, with her red dress, the gold stones embellishing the design shining under the light.
"Mother, please," Mie laughed, stopping her Mother before her Mother could touch her hair. "Everything is as it should be. Don't undo Suki's hard work."
"I'm not, I'm not." Her Mother shook her head. "As always, that woman's touch is magical. No one will be able to take their eyes off you, darling. Least of all Prince Jungkook."
"You really think so?"
"We know so," Akira chimed in. He leaned against the wall next to the desk, his expression thoughtful as he followed with. "Either that or the Prince is blind.”
Mie and her Mother gave identical head shakes. "You're just saying anything now," Mie chided.
"Leave him be. He's as anxious as you are, forgive him," said Mie's Mother. Her hands tightened and untightened their hold on Mie's shoulder.
That would make three of us , Mie thought. "I don't think anyone's as anxious as me." She gave a tight smile as she stretched the ribbon, holding it from end to end. "I feel like a ball that would explode at this moment."
"You better not, lest you want Prince Jungkook to marry the tattered pieces of yourself," Akira teased.
"You're not funny."
"I like to think I am, but I'm open to criticism."
"Well, here's one. You're not funny," Mie deadpanned.
"Darlings." Mie's mother reached out a hand for Akira, who held it gently. She then squeezed Mie's shoulder again. "Sometimes, you two remind me of when you were as children. Squabbling one moment and playing the next. Why must we always go through the first part when you two can play nice all the time?"
"But that would be a bore, Mother," Akira told her. "Teasing Mie keeps her on her toes. It also provides me with entertainment. Why would I stop doing it?"
"Because it's tiresome? Or maybe because I'll do this?"
"Do what?"
Mie swung her leg out, aiming for Akira's leg. She managed to make contact, resulting in Akira cursing up a storm. He made to grab her arm, but their Mother swatted his hand away.
"Don't touch the bride, remember?"
"But, Mother , she hit me."
Their Mother sighed out loud, her expression exasperated. Mie and Akira shared a look, before they burst out laughing after.
"It's because of you two that I'm growing gray." Their Mother shook her head. Then, she squeezed Mie's shoulder one more time before she stepped away. "We'll take our leave, darling. Let you calm down while waiting. Your Father will be waiting for you at the entrance later on. I love you."
"Wait, Mother, before you go... I wanted to thank you."
"For what, darling?"
"For making this happen. For going out of your way to help me acquire Prince of my dreams. Thank you."
Her Mother's eyes glistened. Her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Mie could feel herself getting soft at the display of vulnerability, tears building up.
"Now, let's not ruin your faces on such an important day," Akira cut in, effectively ruining the moment.
Their Mother cleared her throat. She smiled. "Anything for you. Your happiness, as well as your brother's, will always be my top priority."
"So, that means I can choose whoever I want to marry?"
"Let's not be testy today," was the immediate deadpan response. To Mie, their Mother said, "You look beautiful, and I'm happy that Prince Jungkook makes you happy. I can't believe my little girl is getting married."
"Not yet, Mother. We're still waiting for her Prince. Save the tears for later, please, or else her personal maid will come for us."
"Speaking of, Prince Jungkook sure is taking his time preparing. He must want to look handsome for you."
Mie giggled. "Mother, he always looks handsome. He doesn't need to put in the extra effort."
"Of course, of course. Now, your brother and I will be taking our leave. Relax, darling. Deep breaths. The end is in sight now."
"I will, Mother. Thank you for coming to see me."
"No need for thanks, darling. Akira, come. I need to see if your Father is fretting or not."
"Father doesn't seem like the type, Mother," Akira replied, offering his arm for their Mother to take. Mie turned and watched as they exited the room, the door closing behind them with a soft thud.
Mie shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable in her dress. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, did the same a few more times to calm her beating heart. She waited for someone to come for her, telling her Jungkook was waiting.
She waited.
And waited.
And then waited some more.
It took a while, but someone finally came around.
It was her Mother. She wasn’t smiling nor was she as upbeat as she had been earlier. No, unlike before, her face was now grim, her lips sealed in a tight line as she approached Mie at the vanity.
“May I?” Her mother gestured to the long bench Mie was sitting on. Mie shifted, careful of her dress, and her Mother sat beside her.
Her Mother took her hand in both of her own, squeezing it, and sighing. When she looked Mie in the eye, Mie knew that her Mother’s words would hurt.
“My darling, my beautiful daughter, I’m so sorry.”
“Mother? What is it?”
Mie’s Mother pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “I’m so sorry, darling. I didn’t know. If I had known, I would have prevented this from happening.”
“Mother… Mother, you’re scaring me.”
“Mie. The wedding can’t go on.”
Mie stilled. “Pardon?”
“There isn’t going to be a wedding… because…” Mie’s mother inhaled deeply and said, slowly, carefully, “He’s gone, darling. Prince Jungkook is gone.”
And just like that, everything fell apart around Mie. There was no wedding to be had, no Prince to promise herself to. All she had was the impending chaos, one that was caused by the same person who had promised to protect her.
Just like that, Jungkook had left her.
Mie’s worst fears had come to life.
❅☀❅
The castle at large was in chaos, with Apricity’s King and his men rushing to look for the missing Prince. Servants were rushing to prevent any ruin from happening to the wedding venue, while Mie's parents were deep in discussion with the King.
In the midst of the chaos, Mie stood at the center of the great hall, feeling as if time had stopped. Her eyes took in the hall, her feet slowly bringing her to the altar. Some part of her, the one that was not in despair, felt satisfied at the fact that her hard work had come to fruition.
A long red carpet lined the aisle, with stands of flowers punctuating each row of seats. Mie’s fingers brushed across the petals of some arrangements, her eyes taking in the violets, whites, yellows, and greens that made up the arrangements. She wondered, now, if they had special meanings behind them. If Taehyung had recommended the sunflower because of what it stood for.
Behind her, he could hear Suki assisting with her dress, careful not to let it brush or catch onto anything.
"Mie." She heard her brother call out to her. She didn't turn. Instead, she merely hummed, still making her way to the altar. "Mie, do you hear me?"
"I can hear you loud and clear, Akira," Mie replied. She was finally at the front of the hall, standing in front of the steps that led to the altar. The ceremonial table was covered in violet cloth, its ends lined with sparkling silver. Mie approached it and blankly stared at the items sitting on the table.
The ceremony book sat at the center of the flat surface, with the unity candles resting on either side of it. What Mie was most drawn to, however, was the small pillow showcasing a lone ring. Mie's eyebrows furrowed. She carefully picked up the pillow, pressing on its soft surface, but no other ring came out.
She felt like laughing.
So, she did.
"Mie..." From somewhere behind her, Akira called out again. Mie was laughing so hard the pillow fell from her hold, the ring landing with a ding on the ceremonial table. The entire situation felt so absurd. A runaway groom taking what was supposed to be his matrimonial ring.
Jungkook had taken everything with him, even Mie's heart.
“What did I do to deserve this?”
“Nothing. You did nothing.”
“And yet, it’s happening. I’m standing in front of my wedding altar, with no Prince beside me. This never happened in my favorite stories, so why is it happening? Why did it happen to me out of all people?”
“Mie, please,” Akira pleaded. For what, Mie didn’t care to know. She laughed at the absurdity of the situation.
Soon enough, her laughter morphed into deep sobs. Akira caught her in his arms, and slowly lowered them onto the floor.
Jungkook had promised to try his best in making her happy, but he did the worst possible thing anyone could have done to Mie.
He had ruined her happy ending.
❅☀❅
Mie still felt as if she had been cut open.
Nothing of her remained, not her heart nor her soul. She was nothing but an empty carcass whose entire being had been desecrated by the man she had thought was her Happy Ending.
Sniffling, Mie wiped away the tears threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes. Jungkook did not deserve any more of her tears. He did not deserve her to begin with.
"My lady?" Suki called from the door, where she had been standing for quite a while now. Had it been any other time, Mie would have invited the woman to sit, maybe have tea with her, but now was not like any other time. She wasn't the same Mie from the past.
"Suki, please, I implore you, leave me alone."
"I'm afraid I can't do that, my lady."
Mie grunted, so tempted to tug at her hair in frustration. That would do her no good, so she opted to ignore Suki instead. Perhaps that would drive the woman away.
It did not.
Mie shook her head, deciding to ignore her still. She turned her gaze from the window to the fairy tale collection in front of her, her fingers reaching out to trace the cover.
Flipping it open, Mie felt as if a shock had run through her body. The last page she had been reading was the ending of Lagniappe , and the sight of the illustration, of the two seasons parting ways, almost drew tears from her.
She turned the page, wanting to escape from the pain, and was met with a thin white envelope.
On it was her name, written in a familiar messy scrawl.
With trembling hands, Mie picked up the letter, clumsily opening it and pulling out the paper from within. Just as expected, the letter was from Jungkook.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, the thuds so loud and strong she could hear it in her ears and feel it in her throat. Mie could not bear any reminder of the man, and yet she still read the letter.
Princess Mie,
By the time that you find this letter, I shall be long gone. I know that I'm not in the position to ask you anything, but if I may, do not attempt to look for me since your search will only come up short.
I do not want to be found. And no one shall find me if I do not want them to. Such is the way this disappearance has been planned. Spare yourself the heartache, please, and do take care.
Before I say my final goodbyes, I do believe you deserve an explanation.
Hurting you was never part of the plan. In fact, I planned to go through the wedding. After all, doing so would make my father happy. It would have made you happy as well. However, I reached some realizations during the two short weeks leading up to the wedding.
My first realization was that people were bound to get hurt by our union. You were not one of them, but I was, and so was another person I have sworn to keep safe. He wasn't in grave danger, but his heart was, and I did not want him to endure such hurt when I could have prevented it.
You may be confused why I would go to such lengths for one person. Why I would risk the kingdom and my father's approval for one man. See, it's because he is most precious to me.
The other half of my soul, the keeper of my heart.
So, I decided to save him, and in turn, myself. I’m only sorry that you are left to deal with the aftermath of my actions.
Words cannot describe how apologetic I am even while writing this. I am sorry for all the pain and hurt I will cause. For the same that I will bring you by not showing up on our wedding day. I am not deserving of it, but I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. I hope that you can someday be free like I will be.
There are many more realizations that I do not want to bore you with. But the second, I think, is worth mentioning, and it's that true love shall always prevail.
You asked me if I was in love and I didn't give you a proper answer back then. As you may have gathered, I am. I have been in love for so long, I don't think I can find it in me to stop myself from loving that person. Maybe I could have cared for you deeply in a few years, but it would have been a great disservice to you, for I don't think I can love you how I love him now and always.
If it's any consolation, you deserve a person who will love you the way I love him. You're a good person, and I do believe they're out there. Perhaps they'll come soon. Hopefully, they can rid away any memory of me and the hurt I have brought upon you.
It's getting late now, and there is still much to do. My beloved is calling me, and I have nothing else to say, so I shall end the letter at this point.
Princess Mie, thank you for offering me your heart. I regret not being able to give back my own.
Please, take care. Don’t despair too much. Live your life like you had done before you had met me. Don't let my despicable actions ruin your life.
Your friend,
Jeon Jungkook