The Last Princess

by Marissa Craig

  “Well we will all see when you take your tour if you agree with the treatment of the conspirators. It’s been a real hot button issue. Your opinion will mean a lot.”

  “I support Kyoya-sama. If he feels it’s necessary then it is.”

  How are they treating these people? Are they just being watched or are they being beaten too. How could he keep this from me? He knows he caught the wrong man. As soon as I told him he should have let those people go. I have to say I support him but I don’t.

  “Quite a shock for you, it seems,” Lisa-san says to me.

  “It is.”

  With all the prepping we were going through, why didn’t this come up?

  “We’ll take our first break. More coming up with our returning princess, Setsuna Asahina-sama.”

  With the cameras cut Kyoya-sama takes his hand away and drinks his water. He has nothing to say to me. I look over at him and his face is calm.

  “We’ll talk later,” he says to me.

  “Why would you keep this-”

  “We’ll talk later,” he repeats. “Now isn’t the time.”

  “May I escort you to the restroom?” the captain comes forward.

  I think that’s best. Kyoya-sama looks like he’ll snap at me if I keep asking.

  “We’ll be back in four minutes,” I hear.

  I take one look at Kyoya-sama; he doesn’t stop me from taking the captain’s hand. He leads me down the hall until it turns vacant.

  “You know about all this?” I ask him.

  He nods.

  “What’s going on? There are people being punished for the murder?”

  “The convicted killer, Yee, was from the poor area called Highland Row. The story goes that he was encouraged to do it from this small community of people. They all supported him so they all get punished for it. They’re labeled terrorists.”

  “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “They’re quarantined to keep their ideals in one place. There’s a tall fence to keep people in and out. Nothing cruel is being done to them; they’re just being contained.”

  “Show me.”

  He takes out his phone and within seconds shows me pictures. I hold my hand to my mouth. They’re being starved out. There are children there, and elderly. There are families being punished for no reason.

  “Like the woman said, if you support this, it means you support Kyoya-sama’s way of doing things. It means he can keep doing this. You have the power to validate every cruel thing he does. He expects your support.”

  “He kept this from me cause he knew I wouldn’t agree.”

  “You have to. If your country is to be stable, you cannot doubt him with this.”

  “This is your advice to me?”

  “I would never steer you wrong. I’m telling you how to keep these people from rebelling. He doesn’t want to trap these people. It’s a test to see how far he can go. It’s an important test.”

  I can’t support this. The captain grabs my shoulder and leads me back to the interview room. It’s so strange; we talk like normal when there are so many blurry feelings between us. When I’m confused, I’m so use to asking the captain for help. He knew to come right away.

  He puts me back in my seat and goes back to his corner. The captain’s always been honest. Kyoya-sama is turning into quite a snake.

  “So what’s the relationship like between you two?” she asks next.

  “I…I love Kyoya-sama.”

  “What do you love about him?”

  “He’s um….he’s very smart and a good judge of others. He’s kinda closed off with his emotions but that makes the moments when he smiles and laughs really special.”

  “That’s very sweet.”

  “He um…grew up kind of similar to me. Studied a lot and um…”

  “No need to be nervous.”

  “Sorry.”

  What I really want to say is how much of a liar he is. I don’t want to sit next to him right now.

  “But truthfully I feel like I don’t know him very well,” I admit to her. “He’s reserved and won’t show all his sides to me.”

  “That’s something every woman struggles with. Your relationship with the prince seems similar to what I go through with my husband.”

  “You’re married?”

  “Yes. Speaking of which, when do you two plan on marrying?”

  “I don’t-”

  “In about a month,” he cuts in.

  I look at him sharply. A month! That’s so soon. I had no idea. We only just got back together. I was thinking there would be years before we decided on that.

  So much I don’t know about.

  “You believe in getting married so young?” she asks me.

  I have to agree with him but I don’t want to encourage other girls.

  “My situation is different than the average teenage girl. Kyoya-sama will be my husband. That was decided a long time ago. It makes no difference if we marry now or later.”

  “But now is fine with you?”

  “Yes.”

  Now is definitely not fine with me. I’m marrying a man and I know nothing about him. It’s so scary. The interview carries on with basic questions. He answers them and I smile. I feel out of it. I need to be alone again. I need to figure all this out.

  He grabs my hand and smiles to the camera. He laughs and comes off very charming. I’m starting not to trust him. My life with him will be about validating his cruelty. Nodding and saying “I love my husband.”

  “Have you two thought about kids?” she asks.

  I snap back to the present.

  “In time,” he answers. “I’d like to have five kids. Three girls and two boys. But she’s entirely too young to have children.”

  Marriage then kids…I can’t do it. I look over at the captain and he mouths something to me. I can choose. I’m certain that’s what he said. I’m considering. I regain my composure and finish up the interview.

  We all leave the hotel and head back to the palace. Yumi-chan squeezes in next to me as I sit next to Kyoya-sama. There’s plenty of room on the other side of the limo. She’s staying away from Captain Saki.

  There’s so much on my mind. I can’t hold it in.

  “You’re a liar,” I say out loud.

  Each one of them looks over at me.

  “You’re such a liar!”

  I turn to Kyoya-sama.

  “I said we’ll talk later,” he says calmly.

  “No, you’ll talk now. How could you keep so much from me? How could you not tell me we’re getting married until you announce it to the world? You didn’t even ask if I was ready.”

  “Setsuna-chan,” Yumi-chan takes hold of my arm.

  “I agreed with everything you’ve done, everything you said only because we were on camera.”

  “That’s good-”

  “No! I don’t have to marry you if I don’t want to. And if you keep treating me like I’m just some character in your journal, something you can predict the outcome of, you will be sorry.”

  He finally looks over at me. He stares into my eyes challenging me.

  “I keep things from you just like you keep things from me. I’m only trying to protect you,” he says to me.

  “I have no idea who you are. I refuse to marry a stranger.”

  “Stop the car,” he calls forward.

  The car pulls to the side and he opens the door. He’s kicking me out. I get up and he holds his hand stopping me.

  “You two, find another way back.”

  Yumi-chan looks over at me. He’s kicking her and the captain out. He wants to be alone. He’s going to yell at me. I don’t mind getting out too. His rage will be harsh.

  “And try to keep your hands off each other.”

  The two crawl over him and he shuts the door when they’re outside. I move further from him to the other side of the car.

  “I refuse to marry a stranger too,” he says to me.

  He lights up a cigarette and I push fur
ther away from him. The car takes off. I look over at him cautiously. What will his next words be?

  “Seems we have a lot to discover about each other.”

  Chapter 67: Ayato

  It’s good she’s standing up to him. The princess has a strong spirit; she doesn’t like being told how to act anymore. He hasn’t seen that evolution in her like I have.

  “What now?” Yumiko-san asks. “Is there not a backup car?

  “There isn’t. You’re from here. You should know how to get back.”

  I can’t wait to hear what they talked about.

  “Give me your phone. I’ll call a cab,” she says.

  “What happened to your phone?”

  “I dropped it.”

  “Let’s just take a bus. It’ll be good to sightsee.”

  “Not with you dressed like that.”

  What’s wrong with how I’m dressed? It’s normal to see a man dressed in military uniform. She’s dressed as some costume character. Now that I look at her, I’m getting turned on. Setsuna-san told me to stop that. She’s jealous that I would bed her cousin. I’ll happily bed her when she’s ready. Getting really close.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” she says to me. “I refuse to sleep with you anymore.”

  “I was about to say the same thing. I’m ending it.”

  “I ended it first!” she screams.

  “Why did you tell Setsuna-san about it? You said it would be a secret.”

  “Why did you tell Kyoya-sama about it?”

  She stares back at me with her hand on her hip. She was the one shamed, not me. I have no problem telling him.

  “He asked,” I admit. “He told me to stop before you get yourself hurt.”

  “He did? So….he cares?”

  “Of course he does. You’re a commodity now. So why did you tell Setsuna-san? That had to make you look bad.”

  “Well….she asked too.”

  She did!

  “I told her what a pervert you are. And that she should stay away from you.”

  “It didn’t work.”

  “Whatever. Just call a cab. People are starting to stare.”

  He dropped us off at a pretty secluded place. There’s an elderly man pushing a cart with his groceries down the road. She’s just looking for attention; no one is paying us any mind.

  Setsuna-san needs time to let out all her frustrations.

  “Hurry up and call. I wanna get out of this outfit.”

  “Follow me.”

  He wouldn’t be walking home groceries if the store was far away. We start walking in the opposite direction. She whines for a bit saying her feet hurt.

  “So….did you see my interview?” she asks me.

  “Of course.”

  “How was it? Good? Interesting?”

  “Hm….you did okay. Trying to best the commander’s fiancée I could tell.”

  “Huh?”

  “Why else would you say you love him without admitting that he loves you back? You’re trying to get the people to be sympathetic to you. When his engagement goes public, they’ll hate her.”

  “I...didn’t think of that. Really I just wanted to say how I feel. It all feels like some big crush on an older man.”

  “He’d be lucky to have you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, you’re squishy in the right places.”

  “Shut up about that. Where is this stupid town? My feet hurt.”

  “Up ahead.”

  Just need to get her somewhere safe until this fight blows over. We left a pretty major city to do the interview but this place is like a ghost town.

  “This looks like Seran. It’s a dingy old town.”

  “You know of it?”

  “At my high school kids from here were bussed in. Such a poor town.”

  Perfect place to hide out. Even here they don’t pay any attention to us. If she mentions her feet hurting one more time I swear I’ll start dragging her.

  “I heard of this place,” she says. “Some kids would take the bus here just to eat. It’s supposed to be a pretty good diner.”

  “Fine we’ll eat here.”

  I open the door to the diner. The bell brings all eyes on us. She steps in behind me and they start to gasp.

  “Yumiko-sama!”

  They’re harmless. I back away and they flood over her.

  “We just saw your interview,” they say to her.

  “Oh, we were just hungry so-”

  “Have a seat.”

  I sit at the counter away from her and keep an eye on things. She’s smiling as they fawn over her. She’s getting the attention she wants.

  “And what will you have?” the woman asks me.

  “Something heavy.”

  “I know the perfect thing. You um…are with the Han military?”

  Curious old woman. I nod to her.

  “I’m a captain in the palace guard. Just watching after her at the moment.”

  “I respect what you do. If only Morinaga had a stronger palace guard.”

  “There wasn’t one to begin with.”

  “Very true. But I hear Prince Kyoya is changing that. He’s a good man.”

  “You’re a supporter?” I guess.

  She nods and goes back into the kitchen. If there’s going to be a palace guard in Morinaga, I’ll probably be the commander. But then again, I rather guard the princess personally.

  Hearing her stand up to him made me so happy. She’s doubting him so much now. She’s learning that he hides things from her and does things without her consideration. She’ll make the choice soon enough. So far, being with me is looking pretty good. Once she sees the devastation going on in Highland Row, she’ll see he’s not the man for her. I’m even crueler than him but I’m better at hiding it.

  I’m better than him in that regard. I’m use to the shadows; I know how to keep my bad deeds secret. She hasn’t brought up a single thing I’ve done.

  Tempted to tell her. I’m really curious if she would accept me….all of me. Perhaps I should find that out before we run away together.

  “Here you go,” the old woman returns. “Something heavy.”

  A hamburger and a milkshake.

  “You just made my day,” I tell her.

  “Just keep guarding our princesses well.”

  I eat keeping my eye on Yumiko-san. That guy’s getting a bit too close. She should have picked up on some tips while being the commander’s assistant. Looks like she’s too distracted. I get my plate and clear a path to sit next to her.

  When I sit down the crowd disperses. I always have that effect on people.

  “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” she says.

  “Can’t be too careful. Even around hicks.”

  “They’re not hicks. They’re my fans.”

  My phone rings. I forgot about the check-ins. I can handle this while finishing my milkshake.

  “Yes, commander,” I answer.

  She jumps in her seat and pushes closer to me. I switch the phone to the ear away from her. It’ll be the normal “everything is fine” routine.

  “You’re the only contact I have. I expect you to call me before I have to reach out to you.”

  “Sorry, sir.”

  I still haven’t gotten use to him being my boss. I knew him before he became the commander. He’s always been Kyoya-sama’s tall older brother to me. He teased us about being so close. Use to walk into our sleepovers and throw cold milk on my face. Figured he was jealous cause he didn’t have a best friend but before we went to the academy he said, “You better take care of my brother.”

  “Where are you now?” he asks.

  I can only tell the truth.

  “We were headed back from the interview when Kyoya-sama and Setsuna-san got in a fight. He kicked me out the car with Yumiko-san.”

  “Kicked you out?”

  “It’s all under control. I’m watching her. She’s right next to me.”

  “Let me talk to her.
”

  I hold the phone out to her and she looks at it like it’s him. She stares hard and bites her lip. I push the phone to her again and she turns away.

  “She doesn’t want to speak,” I tell him.

  “Put me on speaker. I don’t care who’s around.”

  I do as he says.

  “Yumiko-san,” he speaks.

  She turns back to the phone still looking at it like it’s him.

  “I wanted to congratulate you. You did very well. I’m proud of how you conducted yourself. I….thought you would need encouragement but….you were fine on your own.”

  She holds her mouth.

  “You’re stronger than you think. But like I told you before you left….you can call me if you need me. I’ll always make time for you.”

  She takes her hand away and snarls like she’s about to say something. She turns away again.

  “Check in when you’re back in the palace,” he says to me.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I hang up and go back to my burger. This place is pretty good; they know how to make a heavy burger. Should have asked for rare.

  “You’re not gonna ask me what’s wrong?” she shoots back at me.

  “Since when have I cared.”

  “Hurry up and finish that. We need to talk.”

  I was the one that had sex with her to clear her head. Now she wants to talk. The old woman gives me a burger to take home. I drink my second milkshake while I walk with the newly spoiled princess. She wants to take a long way back so she can tell me her feelings. She’s babbling about something as we walk through the town.

  “Wait what was that last part,” I interrupt her.

  “Chiyo-san answered his phone. Weren’t you listening?”

  “Which number did you call?”

  “T-the zero zero zero number.”

  That’s a secured line. That’s how he contacts me. The commander wouldn’t lose sight of that phone. If his fiancée got her hands on it then she’s sneaky. I don’t know if he’s sharp enough to notice that.

  “This happens to coincide with my job so I’ll help you,” I tell her.

  “Help me?”

  “I’ll research her a bit.”

  “But she’s all the way in Han. How can you?”

  “I command a unit, you know. They’re watching the palace.”

  “You command people? I’ve never seen you do it.”

  I’m more of a hands off captain. They’re fine teaching themselves. I can have that woman tailed as soon as I make a phone call.