[Me]
"Jan! Why is everybody saying that we broke off the engagement!?"
Jan looked at me with a troubled expression.
[Jan]
"I don't know the details either..."
[Me]
"You don't? Then where did those reporters come from?"
[Jan]
"They were already there when I woke up this morning...and Prince Joshua was summoned by the king. He's still in there...
For now, all we can do is for them to finish"
(...but...)
And with that, he bowed politely and rushed off somewhere.
All I could do was stand there.
The king yelled at Joshua, slamming his fist on the table.
[King]
"Just what in the hell were you thinking?!"
[Joshua]
"....."
[King]
"You broke off the engagement? Without even consulting me!? And what could have possibly possessed you to alert the media?!"
[Joshua]
"You'll understand one day"
[King]
"You...damn you! First you get involved in a scandal...engaged to a commoner! Then, that little temptress wraps you around her little finger, makes a puppet out of you...and you break off the engagement anyway! This whole thing has been the most inappropriate, inexcusable thing to happen in the history of Dres Van!"
[Joshua]
"..."
Joshua's silence wasn't giving anything away, so the king calmed himself slightly and decided to try to figure out his true intentions.
[King]
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
Prince Joshua paused, and then opened his mouth, speaking as though each word cost him dearly.
[Joshua]
"I...couldn't... I couldn't continue the false engagement with her any longer"
[King]
"You couldn't do it anymore? You've never had a problem with anything of the sort before. You're always determined to finish everything.
Joshua remembered Yumi's face.
He thought of her smile, of how earnest she was in her design work, and he thought of her eyes, which always seemed to be trying to tell him something...
Eventually, he started to speak, but it was if every word was a nail in his coffin.
[Joshua]
"She...taught me about the world that is not in books...the world that is out there for us to touch...to bring us warmth"
The next word spilled out of him before he could stop them.
[Joshua]
"...I want to set her free again..."
He clenched his fists tightly.
The queen, who had been silent until then, spoke up.
[Queen]
"Joshua...you haven't fallen for Yumi...have you...?"
[Joshua]
"..."
Joshua ignored the question, and said quietly:
[Joshua]
"I'll hold a press conference tomorrow... I'll explain everything then"
Joshua turned on his heel, and silently left the throne room.
~~~
The sunset, and night fell.
The hours kept ticking by, and I still hadn't seen Prince Joshua.
I hadn't been able to concentrate on anything since learning about the dissolution of our engagement.
I paced around my bedroom aimlessly.
And then, for the umpteenth time that day, I opened my door and looked out at the living room.
(...He still hasn't come back)
I'd called his cell over and over, but it had been on voicemail since that morning.
(...Maybe the news knows something)
I turned the TV on with the remote.
And the excited voice of the announcer attacked my eardrums.
[Announcer]
"We still don't know the details, but the sudden end to Prince Joshua's engagement is causing serious discord here! Is it real, and if it is, why!? The entire nation is waiting for answers!"
I sighed deeply.
(...so am I)
I switched the TV off and was suddenly overcome with helplessness.
(...it's a mistake, right? He'll come home any minute now... He'll probably say something like 'who the hell let them decide?')
All of a sudden, I realized that I didn't want to leave him.
I didn't care that he was a Prince, just that he was him...
(How long have I felt this way about him...?)
As I thought to myself, I heard the sound of the door opening.
[Me]
"Prince Joshua...!"
I ran out of the room.
But, it wasn't Joshua behind that door...it was Jan.
[Me]
"Jan...where's Prince Joshua?"
I glanced around the living room, but he wasn't there.
Jan took a deep breath, stood up straight, and looked me in the eyes.
[Jan]
"Prince Joshua will not be returning here"
(...He's not coming back?)
[Me]
"Is he really...that busy?"
I tried to mask the worry gnawing at me.
[Jan]
"No..."
His expression hardened.
[Jan]
"He will no longer be coming to this house"
His eyes didn't match his expression, and his gaze wavered.
[Me]
"He's not coming..."
(...why...)
[Me]
"...Do you mean... He won't be coming here today?"
I knew I was being intentionally dense, but I didn't want it to be true.
Jan finally broke, his calm expression turning to one of sadness.
[Jan]
"No..."
He didn't have the words to tell me.
[Jan]
"And also...Yumi, your fine has been paid...
So you are free to do as you please now"
[Me]
"Why..."
Jan pressed on, with a look that said what he had come to tell me was hurting him too.
[Jan]
"Your ticket home has already been paid for, as well. You leave on the first flight in the morning"
[Me]
"Wait... I haven't paid anything!
Is this...Prince Joshua's orders? Or did the King..."
I held on to my one, faint, hope.
Jan looked down at the ground, and shook his head miserably.
[Jan]
"...Everything is Prince Joshua's doing"
[Me]
"!"
It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.
[Jan]
"He said...that he would pay the fine. He said...it was because you gave him much more than anything money can buy..."
[Me]
"..."
[Jan]
"I'll come and pick you up in the morning"
Jan left the living room.
I couldn't bring myself to see him out, and was left standing in the same position, unable to move.
I dropped onto the floor.
(...I'm a failure of a Princess. I just dragged him down...)
[Me]
"This was never going to work out, was it?"
After all, Prince Joshua was going to become the next king, and was already starting on a new path with the Kingdom of Nervan.
Someone like me had no place being involved.
[Me]
"It was never real from the start, anyway..."
As I spoke, tears ran down my face.
[Me]
"I'm finally free..."
But I couldn't convince myself, and my tears kept falling, one after another.
[Me]
"But...I'm not free to love him..."
I pictured his face.
[Me]
"Prince Joshua..."
His name on my lips was like a curse, shattering my resolve and reducing me to a sobbing mass on the floor.
~~~
For the first time in a long time, Prince Joshua stood on the balcony of his room in the manor, looking down at the house they had lived in together.
From up here, it looked very small.
But all he could see in his mind's eye was Yumi.
[Joshua]
"So...this is what they mean when they say Love hurts..."
He breathed out quietly.
[Joshua]
"Yumi..."
Her name came out as a sigh, and he pushed his bangs back sadly.
~~~
The next day...
[Me]
"Jan, thank you for everything"
I stood at the manor gate, smiling at Jan.
My eyes were still puffy and bloodshot, but I was determined to at least leave with a smile on my face.
Jan looked straight at me, holding back tears.
[Jan]
"Yumi...there is nobody better suited to being a Princess"
[Me]
"Jan..."
My tears threatened to fall at his words.
(...No, I decided yesterday that I wouldn't cry anymore)
I bowed deeply to him, and turned towards the waiting car.
I turned back to look at the manor before climbing in.
Prince Joshua wasn't there.
I turned back around and got in.
~~~
Upon arrival at the airport, I thanked the driver and started check-in procedures.
(...This is probably the last time I'll be in Dres Van)
I picked up my carry bag.
But then...
[???]
"Yumi!"
Somebody called my name so loudly it echoed throughout the departures area.
Turning around, I saw Prince Leonardo huffing, puffing and completely out of breath.
[Me]
"Prince Leonardo!"
(...Why is he here?)
He ran over to me.
[Leonardo]
"I heard from Jan. What are you doing?"
[Me]
"...Our fake engagement ended. So I'm going home..."
He cut me off angrily.
[Leonardo]
"It ended!? You two obviously love each other, what the hell did you end it for!?"
[Me]
"...Well, you've got it wrong"
(...I'm not even a very good Princess)
Prince Leonardo grabbed my arm.
[Leonardo]
"Just come on!"
[Me]
"Wha-"
[Leonardo]
"If you know how you feel, follow me"
(...How I feel...)
I asked myself how I felt.
(...Even if I'm not a very good princess...my feelings for Prince Joshua are still...)
I pressed my hand to my heart, and nodded.
Prince Leonardo smiled, turning and running out of the airport...with me close behind.
We got in a car outside the airport.
Prince Leonardo started explaining as the car got on its way.
[Leonardo]
"The press conference is starting soon"
[Me]
"...press conference?"
[Leonardo]
"Prince Joshua is holding an emergency press conference. It's a domestic broadcast, so you won't see it on the plane"
He turned the TV in the car on.
Prince Joshua appeared on the screen.
[Me]
"Ah..."
(...Prince Joshua!)
Prince Joshua was seated behind a row of microphones.
It looked as though a sea of reporters were in front of him, the flashes of cameras bleaching out his face.
(...what's he doing?)
I stared at the screen intently.
The conference started, and the questions from the reporters started coming.
[Reporter]
"Is it true that you broke off the engagement!?"
Prince Joshua leveled his gaze at the camera and answered.
[Joshua]
"It is true"
My heart clenched.
[Reporter]
"Why did you decide to end it?"
I clenched my hands, nervously waiting for his answer.
Prince Joshua's gaze never left the camera as he answered.
[Joshua]
"I was never truly engaged to Yumi"
(What...!)
The conference hall went into an uproar.
[Reporter]
"What do you mean by that? Does that mean your engagement was false!?"
Prince Joshua started speaking in a measured tone.
[Joshua]
"A simple accident turned into a scandal..."
He explained everything behind the kiss incident, without missing a single detail.
[Joshua]
"...we did not wish to break the laws of the kingdom"
As he finished speaking, the conference seemed to go into a panic.
The reporters angrily jostled and clamored to be heard, and difficult questions rang out, yelled from all sides.
(...Prince Joshua! Why...!)
Unable to guess his reasons, I watched the screen desperately.
A reporter finally asked my question...
[Reporter]
"...If that's the case, why did you break off the engagement? You could have easily continued on to a fake marriage, and no one would have been the wiser for it"
Prince Joshua leaned forward towards the microphones.
He looked straight at the cameras again.
[Joshua]
"...Because I fell in love with her"
(...Huh?)
[Joshua]
"I never meant to...but I truly, honestly fell in love with her"
[Me]
"Wha-"
(...why did you wait until now to...)
Silence fell over the conference room. My eyes were wide in surprise.
[Joshua]
"Certainly...when all this started, it was my intention to carry on to a false marriage, if we must. But, as we spent more and more time together, I found that she taught me so much about the world"
[Me]
"...."
[Joshua]
"And...some time, somewhere, I started to wish that she could find her own happiness. And also...I decided to end the engagement"
A single question floated up out of the silence.
[Reporter]
"...what do you think happiness is to her?"
Suddenly, Prince Joshua looked as if he was trying to protect something...or someone.
[Joshua]
"She has dreams...dreams that fill her with passion. I want to give her the chance for those to come true. And...I want to give her the love she desires with her own heart, without obligations, or contracts"
(...Prince...Joshua!)
Tears flowed down my cheeks.
They blurred my view of the screen, until I could no longer make out his face.
Prince Leonardo patted my shoulder comfortingly.
[Leonardo]
"See?"
[Me]
"Prince...Leonardo..."
[Leonardo]
"Prince Joshua's good at a lot of things, but he's completely missing the whole point here. Since the person you truly love is...well..."
The car drew to a halt.
Somebody opened the door for me.
[Leonardo]
"Go"
I looked out the door, and saw that we were at Dres Van Manor.
I flung the doors to the conference room open.
The surprised cries of the reporters spread in front of me, and the now-familiar snapping of flashbulbs.
Prince Joshua looked over to see what the commotion was.
[Joshua]
"Yumi!?"
He stood up in shock.
[Joshua]
"Why are you...You're supposed to be on the plane..."
I ran towards him.
I pushed my way through the reporters, shoving my feet into any gap I could find, nearly tripping over cameras and wires.
Finally, I stood in front of him...
But, I couldn't think of what to say, so I just leapt into his arms.
And Prince Joshua caught me, returning my embrace with all his might.
[Me]
"Prince Joshua! That was unfair!"
[Joshua]
"Huh...?"
[Me]
"I told you to tell me everything you felt or thought...!"
He winced.
[Joshua]
"Ah, well...I'm sorry. But..."
[Me]
"But...I guess I never really told you, either..."
[Joshua]
"Yumi...?"
[Me]
"Prince Joshua...I....I don't know when, but before I knew it, I knew I loved..."
Prince Joshua cut me off, suddenly flustered.
[Joshua]
"I know! I know...you're in love with...Leonardo... aren't you...?"
[Me]
"What are you talking about!? Prince Joshua... you always jump to conclusions! If you had actually paid attention you might have figured it out..."
Prince Joshua's eyes widened, and he gasped.
[Me]
"I...I really, truly..."
Prince Joshua gently covered my mouth with his hand.
[Me]
"What..."
He looked into my eyes.
[Joshua]
"Let me say it"
He slowly removed his hand, and raised both hands to gently cup my face.
(...Prince Joshua...)
His eyes looked earnestly through mine, straight into my soul.
His eyes were so familiar to me now.
He smiled at me, and quietly whispered:
[Joshua]
"Yumi...I love you"
Then, those eyes started to swallow my thoughts, as they drew closer...
I gently closed my eyes.
I felt his lips touch mine, tentatively, softly.
Then, he pulled away, waited for me to open my eyes...looked deeply into them, and kissed me again.
(...Prince Joshua...)
Even from behind my eyelids, the world seemed brighter.
The reporters were yelling, and camera flashes flooded the room.
And, this time, this kiss... it wasn't an accident, or an incident, or a collision...
...it was a real kiss, full of love, a passionate dream my prince gave me at last.
#JoshuaLieben #BeMyPrincess #Voltageinc