The Last Princess

by Marissa Craig

  “Oh! I didn’t think about that.”

  That was selfish of me.

  “It’s alright,” he says. “It’s just the two of us so it does seem excessive to have so many guards and maids. But royal houses have to employ a lot of people. We can afford to and they feel pride in working here.”

  “You’re so smart about these things.”

  “There’s this one girl….Her father was the one that tried to carry you out that night. She begged me to let her be a servant. She wants to continue where her father left off. Although she just does laundry here, she’s extremely happy doing it.”

  I shouldn’t be so quick to turn the servants away. I remember that guard. He found me and tried to save me. “You have to survive,” he told me.

  “You are a figure that keeps them strong. There were a lot of people that lost their parents that night, their sisters, brothers, and friends.”

  “But I survived-”

  “And they look to you for strength.”

  “But they called me a traitor.”

  “Some people don’t want Han influence here, that’s true. But that’s not going to stop us.”

  He puts his arm around me. It would be selfish of me to leave it all behind. I lean closer to him as he rubs my head.

  “How are you liking our bedroom?” he asks me.

  “Our bedroom?”

  “Yes, this whole house is ours. There’s never been anything that’s belonged to both of us.”

  “I…I like it.”

  “I’m glad I got this time with you. It’ll be a lot of commotion soon. Everyone will be looking at us.”

  “I know.”

  “This may not be the most romantic place but I wanted to rush home and give you this. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little nervous.”

  He reaches in his pocket and shows me a small red box.

  “We’ve been through a lot,” he says turning to me. “And we’ll continue to….but we’ll do it all together.”

  He grabs my hand and pulls it to his face. I wince when he kisses it.

  “I love hearing your answer so I’ll ask you once again.”

  He opens the box and I gasp. It’s a ring with the Han gem from the story. The gem that led the trapped princess out the cave. I cover my mouth in disbelief. It’s a stone ring but so pretty.

  “Will you marry me, Setsuna?”

  “I-”

  “I promise to make you happy. I know you want to be free and wander the world. I can’t permit that just yet. It’s not what you want to hear but I want to be honest with you.”

  So it will be a life of being trapped. He slips the ring on my finger and smiles. It feels like he’s asking me as man and woman. I look into his eyes and I see he’s scared. He thinks I’ll say “no.” I could never deny such a sweet man.

  “Thank you for being honest. I should be honest too.”

  I take a big breath.

  “It’s daunting to think of what lies ahead. But I want to go through it, only because I’m with you.”

  He crashes into me kissing me fiercely. I put my arms around his neck and embrace my own hands. The stone feels so cold on my finger. He’s promising that one day he’ll lead me out.

  “I love you,” he whispers to me under the moonlight. “I’m so lucky to have you as my first and last love.”

  “I’m lucky too.”

  Chapter 65: Yumiko

  Okay, I can do this. I’ve drilled enough; there’s nothing left to practice. I didn’t think I would be doing this alone. Kyoya-sama and Setsuna-chan are having their interview in a separate area.

  I wish I could talk to him. He’s so cool about all this. Last night he stayed with me until I was settled with it all. We went over Morinaga’s history and how to be charming.

  “You’re gonna sweat the makeup off. Calm down, sweetie.”

  “Sorry.”

  I take a deep breath. I need to talk to someone to calm my nerves.

  “Is my cousin close?” I ask the makeup lady.

  “No, the princess and prince are upstairs.”

  I was expecting an outdoor interview. The breeze would put me at ease. Instead we’re stuck inside this hotel. They say it’s safer. No one is after my life. I’m not worried about an assassination. I’m worried about looking like an idiot on live television.

  “We’re ready for you,” someone pops in.

  I grip my phone in my hand. His number is the one I want to call. If Kantarou-sama was here he would call me a fool for caring what these commoners think. Maybe I need to hear that.

  “I’ll be out shortly. Can I have some privacy?”

  I’m left alone in the makeup room. Can’t seem to dial his number. We’re not supposed to be communicating. Right now I just need some encouraging words. He’ll be able to give me that much.

  “H-hello, Kantarou-sama.”

  I wait on the line. Please say something to me. We should still be friends after all this. He knows what I’m dealing with here.

  “Disgraced princess, is that you?”

  That woman! Chiyo-san is answering his phone. I wasn’t even close enough to answer his phone. They’re close now. When did that happen? I hold my mouth to keep from screaming.

  “Your interview is about to come on. Feeling nervous?” she asks me.

  “W-where is he?”

  “Busy.”

  “Put him on the phone, please.”

  “I said he’s busy,” she repeats.

  “He’ll make an exception for me.”

  “You’re right and there lies the problem.”

  I hold my fist tighter. Who does she think she is? Kantarou-sama would never like someone like this. She must be hiding it from him.

  “He’s forgotten about you,” she continues. “It wasn’t hard for him to forget. A little touching goes a long way. I touched places you never knew existed.”

  “Just put him on the phone!”

  “You had so much time with him. He’d be yours if you would have put out-”

  I hang up and slam the phone to the floor. Damn her!

  “Yumiko-san.”

  I don’t need this right now. I go to the mirror and stare into my eyes. I can’t show a tear. It can’t get to me. This is my second chance. My chance to be called Princess Yumiko again. I don’t need him. I know I don’t need him. I’m good enough on my own.

  Who am I kidding…I’m a loser. Last night, he tried so hard to make me feel better. I wondered why he cared so much. Setsuna-chan should be his concern not me.

  “You’re getting in your own way,” Kyoya-sama told me last night. “Just let people get to know you. There’s nothing wrong with how you are.”

  “They think I’m just like her.”

  “You’re nothing like your mother,” he told me. “You’re a much more beautiful woman.”

  “Why are you trying so hard?” I asked him. “You’re trying harder than me.”

  “You are a part of my house and my family, so I care.”

  “But-”

  “You need to stop all this self-sabotage. I’m trying to give you a chance to erase all the shame she’s done. Don’t play the victim.”

  He’s so straightforward. I look into my eyes again and…I see a Morinaga woman. Cheeks rosy, hair held up and adorned. A pure woman. Or….pure at heart.

  I go into the interview as poised as possible. The lights don’t bother me and the chatter is fine. Whatever they’re saying about me isn’t my concern. The interviewer sits down in front of me.

  “Nice to meet you,” he says. “I’m Jay Yuki.”

  “You’re from New News Now.”

  “You watch me?”

  “All the time. I love your commentary.”

  This must be Kyoya-sama’s influence. I didn’t know I would be getting such a young reporter. He does the pop culture section. Could he be making me into a pop icon?

  “I was nervous about meeting you,” he says to me. “I guess it’s the getup. My grandma dresses li
ke that.”

  That’s why I hate dressing like this. We sit across from each other and the makeup artist touches me up again. Kyoya-sama warned me that they might make up their own story based on my words. I have to be genuine.

  “We’re starting in three minutes,” I hear.

  I can still hear Chiyo-san’s voice. Probably lying in bed with him right now. I was with another so I should be okay but…

  “So how are you liking Han?” he asks first.

  Did the interview start? I see the camera’s blinking and it’s really quiet on set. I smile and look to the camera. Easy question.

  “It’s a lovely country. I’m thankful for the acceptance of the Niwa family, my university and all the citizens.”

  We practiced that one. I smile at him and he continues on.

  “But it’s radically different from Morinaga, don’t you think.”

  “Different but similar. There’s nothing keeping the two countries from getting along.”

  “You’ve even spent some time serving in their military-”

  “Not directly,” I say to him.

  He’s trying to trap me. Kyoya-sama said they would imply something treacherous as often as possible. So far this is going exactly like he said it would.

  “I was Kantarou Niwa-sama’s assistant. I served him, not the military.”

  I smile reluctantly. Sounds like he’s my boss; that’s all they need to know.

  “We’re getting into this a lot sooner than I thought. No need to beat around the bush then,” he says. “Everyone wants to know your relationship status with the crown prince.”

  “He….he’s a lovely man. He taught me a lot. He’s going to be a great king.”

  “You didn’t answer the question. What’s your relationship?”

  “We’re just friends.”

  I’m not a fan of Jay Yuki anymore. He’s not taking me seriously as a figure of my country. He’s trying to make me into some tabloid title.

  I know what I’m supposed to say but it’s not like me at all. It’s best to dodge it.

  “Just friends? Really?”

  “If all you want to do is gossip, we should end this right now.”

  “I’ll back off. Forgive me.”

  I wonder if he’s watching me. He’s probably laughing at me. I bite my lip but quickly correct myself. Body language experts will be dissecting all this.

  “Wait,” I interrupt him. “Stop asking questions and let me talk. I have something to say.”

  “Uh, go right ahead.”

  “I only wanted to introduce myself. I’m Yumiko Yamamoto, age twenty. I study fashion design. I like pop music and sci-fi movies. My mother was exiled years ago for having an affair with an unnamed man and I lost my status as princess. She was labeled a whore and I believe that is wrong and unfair. She never got a chance to explain herself to anyone, not even her brother. So I’ll explain it now.”

  I take a deep breath. All I can say is the truth. If I’m like her, it’s not in the way they think.

  “She married the general because she was supposed to. She loved him because he was kind and had a strong sense of duty. But….her love was a man she met prior to all that. She was with him in secret because she was not allowed to be with him in public. They had their moments in the dark. I’m a product of their love and I’m not ashamed of that.”

  “Oh…so what’s his name?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  I don’t know his name, I never will. I take another breath. Time to confess. Time to let them know who I am.

  “I understand why royals have their relationships in secret. It’s flattering to be chosen; I get it now.”

  “What are you saying?” he asks. “Is this about you and the prince?”

  I pause thinking if I should say it. I keep picturing him with Chiyo-san. I desperately want to ruin it all. I wanna say that I was his first choice. I wanna prove I was something to him. But would that really satisfy me. It would just make him hate me.

  “This isn’t about your feelings or mine. It’s about the future of my country. That’s something you’ll never understand,” he said to me.

  No, I understand but I thought I was more. I feel my eyes tearing up. I get what he was trying to do but I can’t do it. My birth father, whoever he was, had it hard. He had to watch the woman he loved parade around with someone else. He had to be strong to do it; I’m not.

  “I love Kantarou-sama,” I admit to him. “But there’s no future between us. He set me straight years ago. He told me to get over my stupid crush but it’s hard. I answered the question everyone wants to know. Now…I hope you find me interesting enough to ask something else. What’s your next question?”

  “Um….well…we have to go to a commercial break. We’ll be right back with our special on the returning royal family.”

  Chapter 66: Setsuna

  Yumi-chan did amazing during her interview. I can’t tell what Kyoya-sama is thinking. Since it ended he’s had his hand to his chin and hasn’t said a thing. She wasn’t supposed to say she had feelings for Kantarou-sama. That will take away from his engagement to Chiyo-san. But I’m glad she did it.

  “I guess we’ll be next,” I say to him.

  He still doesn’t break his concentration. The woman touches up his hair and he still doesn’t move.

  “This could work,” he finally says. “She can be seen as a normal girl. Everyone has had a crush, right?”

  I nod to him. There’s a lot of people running around preparing the set. We sit secluded in the makeup room.

  “Who was your first crush?” I ask him.

  He chuckles.

  “I don’t think I had one.”

  “Really?”

  “People have had crushes on me but I was too focused to like someone else. I like the feeling though.”

  He reaches over and touches my cheek. Kyoya-sama was my first crush. I liked him before I even knew what he looked like. He’s handsome but even if he wasn’t I would still like him. He’s getting so much attention from all the girls around here. I’ve watched news reports while he was away where the women would drool over him.

  I’m lucky he would show feelings for me. I do think about his affairs; it creeps into my mind a lot. But I find myself forgiving him because I’ve enjoyed all my time with Captain Saki; it’s like I had an affair too.

  “You are Ayato-san’s first crush?”

  “Why do you still permit him to guard me?”

  “Cause he’s motivated to protect you. I feel it’s all harmless. You make me feel very secure in our love.”

  The captain is right outside the door. He’s the only security we have during this interview. Kyoya-sama likes it that way. It’s good I make him feel secure. I must not be showing my doubt.

  “You’re very beautiful, you know. When the public sees the older version of you, boys will want to be with you and girls will want to be like you,” he tells me.

  “That’s not true.”

  “It is. You’ll see soon enough.”

  The door opens and it’s our turn to start. I’m excited about it. Kyoya-sama takes my hand and leads me to the set. He whispers some words to the captain and then walks on.

  “Princess, wonderful to meet you.”

  “Um, hello.”

  “I’m Lisa, I’ll be interviewing you. I hear this will be your first time. I’ll make it easy, okay?”

  She’s nice. I’m glad she’s nice. I sit down closest to her and Kyoya-sama keeps his hand on mine.

  “Are you okay?” he asks me.

  The spotlight turns on.

  “I’m okay,” I tell him.

  “We begin in two minutes,” I hear.

  I glance around the room and my eyes spot the captain. He smiles at me with his hand on his sword. I’m the first girl he’s liked. That means he’s given this a lot of thought. When he sees me with Kyoya-sama his eyes don’t show any hurt or jealousy. Is he so certain that I like him? Everyone thinks they know me and w
here my heart lies.

  “You look great,” Lisa-san says to me. “I really love your hair. I hear you do it yourself.”

  “Yes.”

  Everyone stops moving and it gets really quiet.

  “I’m here with our returning princess, Setsuna Asahina-sama. I’m so happy you’ve allowed us this brief time with you.”

  “Oh, are we on?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh….um….I’m happy to be back.”

  “We’re happy to have you. You’ll be here permanently?”

  I look over at Kyoya-sama and he nods to me.

  “Yes,” I say to her. “There’s a new palace being made.”

  “And the other palace will be a monument.”

  “I have no problem staying there but…I do understand if others aren’t that comfortable.”

  “You have no problem?”

  “No. It was my home. I still see it as my home. The palace did nothing wrong. It still stands. I don’t sense any spirits in it.”

  “Oh well, you’re a really strong girl.”

  “Thank you. I visited the crypt a few days ago. No bad feelings there. Everyone is happy.”

  “How do you feel when you think about that day?”

  “Curious,” I tell her.

  “Is everything settled in your mind since the killer was captured and killed?”

  He’s still out there. Kyoya-sama squeezes my hand. I can’t speak about it.

  “I…I don’t know.”

  “Well I’m told you’ll be going on a visit to Highland Row, the lair of the killer.”

  “I am?”

  “Yes, the district is in quarantine, a way to punish all the conspirators. It’s a pretty controversial issue. Most people are for it but some are against it.”

  How come I wasn’t told about this? Those people in that district aren’t conspirators. They have nothing to do with it. There was only one man and he did it all by himself. There’s people still being punished for it.

  “You had no idea?” she guesses.

  “I…I um-”

  “While she was in Han part of her recovery relied a lot on making her forget,” Kyoya-sama says. “I purposefully wanted to keep anything related to that case away from her. She’s much better now because of it.”