She King

By: money127

Hello, anyone who still has the patience to wait for this update (or anyone who put this under "alert" and is now getting an email). To say that I have not been busy with being a junior would be a lie. To say that I could not write because I was busy would be an excuse. I think I have procrastinated too much for an apology to be enough. So here is a chapter.

This is the last chapter of She King. I am not cutting it short because I am lazy, just in case you were wondering. This is exactly how I envisioned it ending. Also, there will be an epilogue (posted on the same day). I'll talk more about it when you get there.

So please enjoy the finale!

Previous:

A ray of light hit the room from a window and a golden lock of hair shone from the infants head.

A sudden surge of adrenaline hit the King as he stormed out of the room and reappeared with what seemed to be dark paint.

And with slow step, the dark King approached the smiling child.

You have went too far, Mikan...

A bucket of black paint in his hand, King Kan crept closer to the smilling child. The young prince turned his eyes to see a demon looming above, dark with feelings that a newborn could not comprehend. And so he smiled; his golden locks like a halo. King Kan's eyes widened in realization. This child was not born to live in the cold walls of this castle under the scrutiny of the royal world. This was no prince. This was an angel. And with its purple eyes, golden hair and glowing smile, it warmed the heart of the demon above.

Kan's broad shoulders slimmed. His deep voice became higher. And the tunic suddenly grew tight at the chest. Mikan's face became wet with tears before she could realize it and she broke next to the crib, sobbing.

"His Majesty, King Kan of Alice!"

Princess Mikan came to visit her father at his death bed.

One look at his daughter's eyes and the older man knew: something has changed.

"I have decided to abdicate." Mikan said as she sat down.

The two people stayed quiet for a very long time, only interrupted by the former ruler's coughing, no matter what power was bestowed to him by God, he was, in the end, a mortal.

"Your mother was a woman of no noble blood, a peasant girl I saw as I rode horse back into a village in the North." Her father ended the silence. Mikan looked at her father, ready to defend her mother but stopped when she saw the man's soft eyes, "Yuka hated this place, she wanted to roam free in the forest, by the lake. She wanted to be the peasant girl that she was. She wanted to fly like a bird and like a bird, I caged her here."

"My mother knew that you loved her, she always knew that you thought most fondly of her." Mikan reassured her father. Perhaps if he loved her mother any less, Mikan would not have dared to break all the conventions of society to pursue her ambitions the way she did.

"I gave her everything but what she truly wanted, I was ready to make her my Queen. I could worship her if she let me. After years of loving women, I finally loved one." At this, the man coughed again, "She tried to forgive me for marrying her, she tried to look at me and not hate what I did to her, but she couldn't. So when she became pregnant, I was rather surprised, since she never let me love her the way I wanted to." At this, Mikan's face regained its look of alarm, "Don't look so worried, you were not born of hatred, I must assure you. You were the product of love, though not mine. You see, a music teacher by the name of Izume Yukihira followed into court with your mother."

The old man extended a hand to Mikan's face, "Upon your mother's begging you were allowed to stay. Yet she never let me into her chamber, not even on the days when her position in court was wavering. So I wanted you to suffer, to want something yet never be able to have it, like I did with your mother, like you did with the throne, and with Natsume." Mikan, feeling exposed, flinched away from her father and stood up.

"I think we are done here, I will publish a decree tonight, revealing my identity. I will be taken into prison for accounts of treason against you and the royal family as well as sin of marriage to a woman" And with that, Mikan made her way to the door.

"Tomorrow, it will be announced that both King Kan and Princess Mikan were not of royal blood and such, Prince Natsume is to step in as King and the search for the lost princess will be stopped officially. King Kan will be sent to live under God's guidance in his mother's homeland." Mikan stopped at the door, not ready to open it just yet, "You should know that I could never hate you, not when you look so much like your mother. In my own way, I was just trying to love you." Mikan's lips raised slightly at the ends as she remembered that it was he who first suggested she impersonate Kan.

"You will always be my father." Mikan said, just loudly enough for the man to hear her.

That night, the soul of an old man escaped with every slow cough into the finally peaceful air.

Early in the morning, all members of the royal family, were invited into the throne room. None knew the reason for the summon until a young woman with short brown hair stepped into the room.

"Mikan!" Prince Natsume was first to shout out, ready to run to her but stopped by the pleading look on Princess Luna's face. Everyone else was too stunned to make a move.

"Good morning, family and friends." Mikan started, "Although, after what I am about to say, I am afraid I might never call you that again."

"Mikan, what are you…" Queen Hotaru started, with a child in hand, but was interrupted by Mikan's hand

"Please let me finish speaking, before any of you decide to leave this room in anger." Everyone stood in attention.

"My name is Mikan Yukihira, although all of you call me Mikan Sakura or… Kan Sakura." There were a few gasps heard but no one said a word, "For the last year, I have lied to all of you about being a man. I was so obsessed with becoming a king that I hurt my best friends," Mikan looked apologetically at Hotaru, Misaki, Anna and Nonoko, "my brothers" she looked at Ruka, Tsubasa, Kokoro and Kitsuneme "and the man I loved the most." She looked at Prince Natsume. The man stared back at her, still as in love as ever. "I am not male and, as I have found out yesterday, carry no royal blood. For this, I have abdicated."

"Queen Hotaru, King Kan has divorced you. I hope that Prince Ruka will be willing to take you as his wife and your child as his." Hotaru looked at Ruka and they smiled in understanding as their child laughed in its sleep.

"King Kan's concubines, your fate is as his Queen's. If any suitors are willing to step in and offer a hand in marriage, you are all free to do as you please."

"Prince Natsume, as the runner up in the competition for the throne, you will become King. With this, you have won the bet against Father and are no longer obligated to be married to Princess Luna. You are free to divorce her," Mikan glanced at the married couple, "only if you choose to do so."

"As a commoner, I will leave the castle today. I hope you can make suitable arrangements for Father's funeral without me. I will be praying for him." Mikan slowly walked towards the door.

Before leaving, she made a last glance at the family she was leaving, "I do not expect you to forgive me. I have done so much evil, created so much unhappiness in your lives that there is no salvation. I only hope you let me live in peace for the rest of my existence."

Finally, Mikan left.

And so did Kan.

And so did the darkness that loomed above the castle.

A black skirt swept over the floor of the dark convent. Mikan kneeled down, a cross in her hand, eyes closed, her brown hair barely seen under a shoal. This was how she spent her days now, praying for forgiveness, for everyone's wellbeing and for her parents in heaven. For years, she has lived with no news of the outside, secluded in a Northern forest, under the guidance of the nuns. She has finally found peace.

Far far away, she heard the sound of galloping horses and reveled at how much that sound still excited her.

There were moments when she missed all that she has left. She still yearned for the thrill of politics, the noise of the castle,… the love of a man.

She took some time to calm her beating heart and continued to pray. Yet the sound of the running horses did not relent. Mikan prayed harder, concentrated more but the horses kept running, louder and louder. Just as Mikan thought she was at her limit, the sounds disappeared. Through the primary relief, Mikan noticed that she was feeling regret that she didn't go outside to see the excitement.

But she did not have much time to ponder for the doors of the church burst open and light flooded the dark room. In came a man with dark hair and darker eyes, dressed nobly yet out of breath. King Natsume of Alice.

"Mikan…" He said as he walked towards the now standing woman.

"Natsume…" Mikan answered, flooded with every emotion in the spectrum yet unable to express any.

"I have found you." King Natsume was ready to embrace her but Mikan pushed away.

"I… It's been so long… Queen Luna…" Mikan was not able to form sentences anymore.

"I sent her back to Souls shortly after you left." Mikan gasped, to think that she was capable to ruining a marriage even when she was in the convent, "It took years for Alice to regain control of that area. We had to resolve to military action. I knew that you would not forgive me if I abandoned the country in search of you." King Natsume extended a hand towards Mikan's cheek and Mikan let him slowly stroke it, "No one knew where you went, Father was very good at concealing your tracks even in his death. But I am finally here."

Mikan shook her head repeatedly, "We… I… I am awful. I am dark and greedy and…" She just kept shaking her head.

"I think the only person who has yet to forgive you is yourself. As much bad as you did to me and the family, your political skills are superb and during your short reign, you did not fail the people of Alice." King Natsume answered, "But I cannot change your mind about yourself, not in a morning. So I have a proposition."

King Natsume kneeled down and took Mikan's hand in his, "Mikan Yukihira, I would like to take you back to the castle to serve the country for the rest of your life. Luna is still a Queen, that's a part of the final peace treaty. A concubine will not have any political power. I think you, of all people, knew that you could be more than just a King's wife. So will you be my wife and Alice's first She King."

Mikan, despite her inability to forgive herself, decided to agree and pursue salvation by serving the country to the best of her ability. With that she nodded quietly and kneeled in front of Natsume, raising his hand to her lips.

"Yes."

The Capital was immersed in deep sleep as a shadow slowly lurked past the main hall, past the portraits hung in a neat line: King Kuonji, Queen Kaoru and four concubines; King Kan, Queen Hotaru and three concubines; King Natsume and Queen Luna and the latest addition to the collection:

King Natsume and, next to him on a two-seat throne, She King Mikan.

The shadow stopped at this portrait and slowly faded away.

You, unlike your father, have gained what you desired. But how long will you be able to keep it, my daughter… Mikan?