“Because you kissed her,” Kira says.
“Yes. I incited a terrible group of people. I’m sorry, Yumiko-san.”
“No, it’s not your fault. You would have kissed her eventually. It’s not up to other people to decide if two people can be together,” she says to me.
I keep looking at my phone waiting for him to call me. I’m anxious for his report too.
“You’re terrible at chess,” Kira says to her. “No one here is a challenge.”
“Setsuna-chan is good a chess. I bet she could beat you,” she says to him.
“I doubt it.”
“She is.”
“Too bad she’s dead.”
“Kira!” I say to him.
He’s just as insensitive as Kan-nii. Her eyes start to water again. There are guards posted at the door watching us. If not for them I would slap him right now.
“I mean, she’s probably dead. Of course the killer would kill the heiress.”
“Can you please stop,” she says sobbing. “I don’t wanna think about that.”
She puts her head down throwing the chess pieces to the floor. I go to her side and put my arm around her.
“I’ll call my brother and see what’s happening.”
I’ll do a video call. Seeing him might calm her down.
“Talk to him. You’ll feel better.”
His grumpy figure shows on the screen. He’s distracted at first then looks surprised to see her.
“Commander,” she cries. “Please tell me they’re okay.”
“Why are you calling me? Where’s Kyoya?”
“I’m here,” I say behind her.
“Take the phone away from her. I don’t want to see her.”
I think she needs to see him. He avoids her face.
“Well…” he trails off. “One survivor.”
She starts wailing even louder. Kira looks stricken. He’s been sheltered too much. He’s never experienced heartache himself or seen anyone else go through it.
He turns the camera around to a figure flattened on a bed. I grab the phone from her and pull it closer. She’s okay but she’s hurt.
“Setsuna-san,” I call out.
“She might not make it. She has a strong fever. I found her in a creek. She was probably there since last night.”
“She has a cut on her face.”
Yumiko-san peeks to see her.
“It’s pretty deep but I don’t think it’s infected.”
I told him not to harm her and he cut her face. She’ll always remember it.
“And also she can’t talk. She lost her voice somehow.”
“Who knows about all this?”
“Press already got word. They’ll be constructing a sole survivor story.”
“Bring her back immediately.”
She still hasn’t moved. I know she’s in a lot of pain but she’s got to make it. Just make it to me and I’ll do all the rest.
“I have to get back to work,” he says to me.
“Wait, can I see her again?”
“I won’t let her die, okay. If I can’t be near her then I’ll have Captain Saki be my backup.”
So he knows. I can tell by his voice. He holds the phone up so I can see Setsuna-san. She looks like she’s in a lot of pain. She looks so alone.
“Setsuna-chan,” Yumiko-san calls behind me. “Please be okay.”
He hangs up. I should have known Kan-nii would be smart enough to figure it out. I spoke about my engagement with Ayato-san, or Captain Saki as he’s now known, when we were in school together. I went through the same captain training that he did. Back then I saw my engagement as a pain but he saw it as a perk.
“It doesn’t matter who she is. It’s about what she is. She’s your way of becoming a king. You don’t have that here,” he said to me.
I never cared about having the throne or being well known in my country. I figured I would live a quiet life in Morinaga with my child wife and several mistresses.
The more I hung out with Ayato-san, the more I saw the world like he did. The world is just something to manipulate. The sooner I do, the sooner I can do things my way. Setsuna-san’s letter’s encouraged me too. Even before I met her I wanted to save her.
I convinced myself that killing her family would be a good thing despite how bad it seems when I say it. I feel so guilty seeing Yumiko-san crying and seeing Setsuna-san crippled. I know I did the right thing but these images are making me think otherwise.
“I’ll be in my office,” I tell them.
“I’m gonna go too,” Kira says.
“No, you stay with her and don’t say anything stupid.”
Even if Setsuna-san is alive, she’s still lost everyone.
The guards part for me and I go back to my office and settle in at my desk. I keep the lights dim and pull out her letters. I wasn’t mistaken. She was in pain. But in this one she speaks about how her father smiled at her and how her mother said she reminded her of one of the earlier queens.
How can I stare at her knowing I caused her and her cousin so much agony? I’m thinking too much of myself to think I can take it away.
There’s a knock at the door. A court lady stands there sliding her finger down her neck. I’ve been abstaining since I met Setsuna-san. I want a distraction but…I don’t know if I deserve it. I close the letters inside the drawer.
“Prince Kyoya?”
“You’re not good enough anymore. I already have a woman.”
The sooner she gets here the sooner I can start making this right. I get up and go to the door but she doesn’t move.
“What if the little girl finds out about us?”
I have some loose ends to clean up. Getting rid of a senseless maid is nothing to me. With all the attention coming my way, I can’t afford to play around.
“That little girl is amazing and she’s half your age.”
“Everyone’s calling you a pervert, you know.”
“She excited me way more than you ever could with just a kiss. If you don’t keep your mouth closed, I’ll close it for you.”
Call me what they want. I’m going to make all of this work my way.
Chapter 25: Setsuna
It’s been hard to stay awake. I think the nurse lady likes it that way. They’re moving me to Han. I should be excited but…every time I think about it I start crying.
Kantarou-sama puts his hand over mine and I look up at him. I can hardly see him with this veil on. I think my scar makes people uncomfortable. It’s my first time on a plane and I can’t enjoy it. The sunlight hurts my eyes so I can’t look out the window.
“I can’t wait till we land so Kyoya can look after you.”
He’s waiting for me. Somehow I hope he can take all the pain away. Maybe he can bring back my parents, my teachers, the cooks that make my food and the court ladies that put on my clothes. Why did they have to die?
The other men are here too, the captains. They all seem to talk around me as if I’m not here. Without a voice I’m nothing. They talk about palace security and if I’m a target. If that man wanted me dead he could have done it. He wanted me to be found so I don’t really get what his motive for all this is.
The only surviving royals are me, Yumi-chan and her mother and father. But then again, they’ve all been disgraced so it just leaves me. That man wanted to leave just me.
I’m boxed in by all the men. I feel safer like this. Kantarou-sama sits near the aisle and Captain Saki sits by the window. He seems friendly but weird. I look pass him to try to get a glance out the window.
“Don’t strain yourself, princess. You still have a high fever,” Captain Saki says.
I feel my head instinctively. It is pretty warm.
“We should have waited for transport,” another captain says.
“That country is unstable. She’s better off in Han,” Kantarou-sama says to them.
“If that’s the case, we should have stayed.”
“Their leaders are stubborn.
They won’t accept Han presence until they see Kyoya as their king.”
“We know how to protect them. Perhaps when the princess gets her voice back she can persuade them,” Captain Saki says. “Or Kyoya-sama can speak for her.”
I don’t know how to lead; it will have to be him. It’s too much to ask him to speak for me. Even though I am sad and traumatized, I have to think of the stability of my country. Father didn’t like the prime minister making all the decisions and if I don’t step up he’ll run with my power.
Father said that no matter what, I must keep the Asahina family in power. He entrusted his wishes to me and I can’t let him down. I know why mother and father trained me so much.
I open my mouth to test myself but nothing comes out. Captain Saki looks down at me while I practice talking and I see him laugh. I move my veil to see him clearly.
His face looks stricken and he touches my cheek. I push him away.
“Sorry,” he says to me. “It looks like you’re bleeding through your bandages. You shouldn’t move your mouth so much.”
Kantarou-sama quickly turns me to him.
“Where’s that damn nurse?”
When Captain Saki touched my face I was alarmed. I remembered the killer cutting me. I touch my cheek and feel the blood on my finger.
Kantarou-sama holds my hand and escorts me to the next room. I’m shocked at the first thing I see. It’s their guns. Assault weapons, knifes and armor. He pulls me along to the corner cot.
The nurse preps herself. I hold on to Kantarou-sama’s sleeve to keep him from leaving. Somehow I feel safe around him. He’s Kyoya-sama’s brother so I trust him.
“Stop holding on to me so much,” he says to me.
He sits down beside me annoyed.
“They were all crying over you. Especially your cousin.”
Yumi-chan is probably devastated. I take his arm and hold it close to me. She’d be dead too if it wasn’t for him.
“You know she’s fallen for me. Can’t say I’m surprised.”
That can’t be right. She told me she can’t stand him.
“I kinda like her. Keep that to yourself.”
I look up at him at him and he turns his head away from me.
“And Kyoya….he can’t stop talking about you.”
The nurse comes and peels my bandage off. Kyoya-sama has been thinking of me. I want to ask him more. I pull on his arm to get his attention and put my fingers to my mouth.
“The kiss?” he guesses. “Hmph…he wasn’t embarrassed at all. He was like, “so what, I kissed her.” No one could shame him.”
He wasn’t embarrassed by it.
“But he feels guilty now cause that kiss is probably what incited whoever did this.”
The killer didn’t even speak of his hatred. He was emotionless about it.
“For now on, I will be in charge of your security. If you know something about the one responsible, tell me or Kyoya only.”
I nod to him. I wince with pain as she continues to disinfect. He looks on and shakes his head. I haven’t looked at it but it feels like he cut me from my eye to the middle of my cheek.
We go back and sit among the captains. I feel weak from moving around. I hold onto Kantarou-sama and rest.
Chapter 26: Kyoya
I’m told she’s here but I don’t want to see her. It’s going on ten; she’s probably asleep anyway. I’ve been smoking heavily trying to distract myself. I should have just taken the sex.
The door opens quietly while I’m at my desk.
“Ayato-san.”
He steps in still in uniform and sits across from me. I don’t want to talk about the plot. I don’t want to speak of it anymore.
“She’s a sweet girl; I see why you like her so much.”
“Why is she cut?”
“Too into it, I guess. And it will get her more sympathy.”
“You scared her.”
“I didn’t really go like I planned. She had a blade on her forearm. She stabbed me in my chest. I had to clear my blood off her.”
“So you rinsed her in a stream?”
“Like I said, it didn’t go exactly like we planned. Anyway, you can trust me with anything. I just wanted to see how you were holding up. You’re pretty sensitive on the inside.”
“I’ve never killed a man so I guess I’m not as hardened as you.”
“You’d feel a lot better if you saw her. She’s just sleeping in the visitor wing.”
I don’t know if that’s true but I need to force myself. He leaves out and I take one last drink. He has no problem getting back to normal despite what he did.
I leave the office and walk slowly to the visitor wing. It’s not hard to figure out which room she’s in. The door opens and I back up to around the corner. Yumiko-san is leaving.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?” she calls back inside.
So she’s still awake. There’s a guard at the door. With Yumiko-san gone I step out. The guard takes notice and moves aside.
“You can leave. I’d like some private time.”
“Yes, sir.”
I have to face her now. I open the door. I can hardly see her among all the pillows on the bed. I step in and close the door behind me. I step closer and she’s still.
At her bedside I look over her. She has a bandage on her face. I reach out and touch it. She still remains.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper to her.
I move my finger up to her hair and slide a strand through my fingers. Everyone’s been forcing her to grow up so fast. Even I’m wishing for it. My hands are shaking. Good thing there’s a balcony in here. I open the door and get some air. I’m breathing so fast. I want to be hardened like Ayato-san and Kan-nii but I feel so guilty.
I’ve never had to do the hard work, I only had to think and strategize. I’ve helped my brother win battles and brought the country money through trade but this is the first time I’ve felt so burdened by my own mind.
I pull out a cigarette and finish it quickly then take another. I get so frustrated with my dependence that I squash it against the ground.
I respected her father, and I killed him to take his position; I destroyed his whole world.
I turn around quickly feeling someone touch my shoulder. She stares at me with big eyes. I turn my head away. Can’t look at her.
She sits down on the concrete beside me. I cringe when her fingers take hold of my hand. Her hand is so small and cold.
“You should get back inside. You’re not well.”
She holds my hand tightly and leans on my shoulder. I can’t hold back anymore. Despite being ashamed of myself, I still missed her. I hug her and she falls back to the ground. I cradle her head in my hand and hold her tightly.
“I’m so sorry,” I say to her. “I don’t know how to fix this.”
I feel her arms hug me and I realize how much I love her. Her face is warm. I better get her back inside. I sit up and reach my hand out to her. She struggles to get to her feet. When she stands her knees buckle. I scoop her up in my arms.
“I don’t want you to worry,” I say to her. “I want you to get better. I don’t want to lose you.”
I wonder what she’s thinking. I wish she could talk to me. I sit her back on the bed and kneel against it with my head on her legs. I want her to forgive me but she doesn’t even know what I’ve done.
She holds paper out to me. I look up.
“Be a good husband and a good king. I need you more than ever and so do my people,” I read out loud.
I look into her eyes and feel myself finally get the strength. If that’s all she wants then I’ll do it. I’ll be a great king for her people and for her. It’s what I planned on.
“I want to marry you soon.”
I wait while she writes again. She holds the paper out.
“I’m not ready to marry but I give you permission to lead in my place. Please make Morinaga a place my family can be proud of,” she writes.
“Really? You’
re not ready to marry?”
She shakes her head.
“I thought I won you over. Especially with that kiss.”
She starts to blush and I chuckle. I’ll be strong for her. I’m not worried anymore. I stand up and she takes my hand.
“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you.”
She starts to write again and hands it back to me.
“I missed you,” she writes.
“I missed you too, Setsuna-san,” I say to her.
I put my hand on her head.
“I know what happened to your family is terrible but…I’m really happy that you would come to me. I was going crazy wanting to see you. Damn, I’m sorry. I don’t want you to misunderstand.”
She shakes her head. So she understands. She’s still feverish. I lay her down and bring the blanket over her. She still holds on to my shirt.
“I’m gonna sleep beside you, okay,” I say to her softly.
She lets go of me and I take my jacket off. With the lights off I get in beside her. I lay flat looking at the ceiling. I’m king now; I have to start acting like it.
I reach my arm over and she cuddles into my chest. I tilt her head up. That bandage annoys me.
“Goodnight.”
Chapter 27: Kira
Everyone’s making such a big fuss about the princess being here. I’m just curious about what she looks like now. I don’t want to be seen visiting her. I look around the corner. There’s no guard. It must be too early. I go closer and listen at the door.
Right, she can’t talk. There wouldn’t be any noise. I open the door and step in. I’m about to call out to her but stop myself.
“Kyoya?”
Just how far is he willing to go with her? They’re sleeping together. It’s not fair that Kyo-nii gets everything. He’s a king now. Being the second born was supposed to be useless and he’s surpassed Kan-nii and become king first.
I walk over to the bed. Great…and she’s fawning over him. What could she possibly like about him? He should be like a brother to her too.
“Stupid Kyo-nii.”
“Why are you here, Kira?”
I jump hearing his voice. So he’s awake. He sits up in the bed with her still at his side. I can’t stand to watch them.
“It’s sweet that you came to visit the princess but we’re a little busy.”
The Last Princess Page 8