“Princess what were you thinking?” Ai brought the comb through my hair with a vengeance I could not withstand.

  “Ow!” I pulled my head forward.

  “There was a knot,” she said bluntly.

  “No one will even see it.” I said. It wasn’t as though my wig was taken off in public.

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  “Oh, don’t be so upset,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s only a discussion. It may go nowhere.”

  “Why would you discuss a thing with The Beast Prince, of all three?”

  “The Beast Prince?” I asked. “Where did you get a name like that?”

  “Surely you’ve heard what they say.”

  “No Ai, I have not heard.” I said. “Or at least I have not understood.”

  She sighed, stroking my face. “I suppose it’s not your fault then.”

  “Well, do enlighten me on what they say.”

  “He’s a murderer!” She said with a fiery passion, yanking the brush through my hair again.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” I said. “He is a child. Same as you and I.”

  “That cretin is nothing like you Princess.” She said, though she’d never express something such as this outside my room. Not even in the presence of her mother, or some other servant.

  “Well he’s certainly not a murderer.”

  “He’s said to be responsible for a massacre.”

  “Children do not massacre.”

  “But he’s on the path to do similar things upon adulthood.”

  “Under what reasonable suspicion?”

  “He’s assaulted both princes you saw today. Publicly. On multiple occasions."

  “Is this a fact?”

  “Yes. The older prince on three occasions, the younger one only once.”

  “For what offense?”

  “Mere words on the older one’s part. No one seems to know why he hit the younger one.”

  “Oh my.” I said. While words could, in some instances, reasonably lead to violence, three times was absurd.

  “He’s only recently been allowed back into the palace. All this has happened in the course of less than a year.”

  “Allowed?” I asked. “Where was he before?”

  “I do not know the details about that much.”

  “I see.”

  Perhaps he was a ward of some sort then. Taken in by the royal family, and not royal himself. If he’d only been here a year, it would explain his lack of manners, and why he is not regarded as royal by anyone else. Of course, that much was only speculation.

  “Don’t sound so unbothered Princess!” She put my kohl and veil on. “You’re going to meet with this scoundrel.”

  “As I said, it is only a brief discussion.”

  “That alone is dangerous! They say merely looking into his eyes will kill you!”

  “I don’t believe a thing you’re claiming.”

  Of all the rumors, that much was certainly the most ridiculous. I’d stared into his eyes for a good long while, enough to find them admirable despite the person they belonged to. Redder than rubies with something inside. Not exactly the arrogance of his older brother, but certainly not nothing like the younger. A fire of some sort. I was curious as to the kind. I put the veil back on my head.

  “Princess! I can do that for you.” I waved her hands away. This veil was more transparent than yesterday’s, to give me a clearer view of things like body language and other things that may be important in such a discussion.

  “You’re too swayed by these rumors.”

  “And you are not swayed enough.” She said. “All rumors come from somewhere.”

  It was true enough, yet all these rumors were so unbelievably outlandish I had to doubt that our saying was true. Still, they certainly did catch one’s attention.

  He was different, that much was for certain. But the rumors of violence and an isolated upbringing weren’t what I found most interesting. Clearly, those eyes of his were a matter of their own in the lands he came from. Brilliant red, deep as a ruby. My kingdom was renowned for its jewels, and his eyes rivaled those. Even for the eyes of a Blessed, they were magnificent.

  They certainly weren’t deadly, but if I recall, I felt those beside me lower their heads when his name was called. When he had torn my veil off, all eyes were on the ground. Did people truly believe such nonsense? If so, what could possess them to?

  A knock at the door signified it was time to go.

  “Let’s get on with it then Ai,” I said, moving to the door.

  A guard bowed, not nearly low enough, but I truly had more pressing matters. The sooner I got to the Prince, the sooner I’d have answers to these rumors, and perhaps an engagement to return home with.

  We were led down the halls, red and green. The colors must have been incredibly bold for them to show through my veil so strongly. Though that was not the only thing that was eye-catching. The number of girls that stood outside one room was as well. All 63 of the girls Touya “considered” must have been standing outside.

  Did not one of them have pride or dignity?

  Their heads turned to me as I passed, as if I was the crazy one.

  The next room passed by was full, but not overflowing into the hall. Shinji, certainly. Those aught eyes could at least claim self-respect as they looked down at me. Or rather up, in a manner I could only assume was condescending.

  After that, we didn’t see anything. Not a soul. It was disturbing. The colors came through the veil less and less. Was this a greater insult to me, or the Prince?

  The room we finally came into was a sight worth ending trade relations. It could hardly be called a waiting room. Dark, dusty, with only a single, rickety and rotting bench to speak of. It was the poorest welcome I’d ever received, and that was by no means an easy feat to accomplish.

  I elected to stand, but made an effort to convey my insultedness.

  The guard made no attempt to ease my insult, further feeding into the idea that this was, indeed, all intentional. If power moves were the game, I could certainly play. Though really, I detested such useless games.

  He knocked at the door, only once, then turned toward the exit. My jaw dropped behind my veil. He did not even announce my presence or title. Was he completely incompetent. Even for games this was absurd. How did he still have a job, or better yet his head? These lands were said to be more ruthless than my own.

  The door opened before my indignation could truly even fester. The response was so fast it was unheard of. The guard wasn’t even halfway through the room, and even turned around.

  “Please enter Princess.”

  It was a new voice I hadn’t heard before. Well spoken and refined as far as I could tell. Too well spoken for a servant, but too young for anything else.

  Ai bowed in return and nudged me forward.

  “Please take a seat.”

  I did, sitting on the bench across from the Prince. It wasn’t much better than the one in the waiting room, but it was covered in pillows in an attempt for some comfort. His was no better than mine. This truly was an offense to the both of us.

  I bit down the bitterness of insult and turned my eyes to the Prince.

  He didn’t sit proper in the slightest, one foot on the seat and the other on the table. He looked the same as yesterday from what I could see. Dark hair in a high ponytail, red eyes as sharp and bright as before, and not at all deadly to stare into. It was quite interesting, that particular rumor.

  The young man that greeted us came up beside the Prince. It was the first time I could get a proper look at him. Long black hair tied lowly, his left eye covered by a cloth of some sort. Clearly someone of lower rank then, yet he stood straighter than the Prince. I could not get an idea of what exactly he was supposed to be. A noble or a servant? He seemed to me to be a little bit of both.

  He leaned down to the Prince, whispering something in his ear, the way Ai might whisper to me. It was something we did often, but was considered improper. Many things about this Prince were improper though. I supposed this was the tamest.

  “What are they saying?” I whispered behind my veil.

  “I can’t hear what the boy is saying, but the Prince is asking him why this is important. You already know his name, or something along those lines.”

  They boy whispered to the Prince again. This time he clicked his tongue, turning the supposedly deadly eyes to me.

  “My name is Ryuunosuke,” his voice was as abrasive and ill mannered as before, carrying that consistent irritation. “Yours?”

  I raised a brow. It was a commoner’s introduction. No title, or rank, or anything else. Just a name.

  “I am Nefret-Nadzeja-Anet, First Princess of Athar Alrimal and—”

  “Huh?” The noise erupted from his mouth so suddenly I paused my introduction.

  “Pardon?”

  The boy beside him tried to stop whatever words were coming out of his mouth, but to no avail. Even Ai hesitated to relay them to me.

  “Ai?” I prompted.

  “Y-your name Princess, could you… repeat it for him?”

  “Certainly,” I said, not finding something so innocent in asking worth such a panic. “My name is Nefret-Nadzeja-Anet.”

  His voice was so loud it was difficult to tell if he was angry or simply always spoke like this, but it was unpleasant to listen to regardless, and put in me a strong desire to become defensive that took all my resolve to press down.

  “What did he say? I want to know the precise words he’s using.”

  “Are you certain, Princess?”

  I wished she carried the same boldness toward people she did in my chambers to the world outside. I didn’t care if such a thing was deemed improper, it was quite useful in a confidant.

  Nevertheless, I did squeeze it out of her.

  “That whole thing?”

  “Yes.” I said simply in return.

  He folded his arms. “That’s too long.”

  I was at a loss for words. Never had I been insulted so childishly and blatantly.

  “It’s a perfectly reasonable length!” I finally huffed.

  “It’s the longest name I’ve ever heard in my life!” He said. “There’s no way all that’s your name. You have to be throwing in your title and the name of your lands.”

  “My name sounds nothing like my title or lands.” I said. “They’re clearly different!”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “EVERYTHING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH SOUNDS LIKE NONSENSE TO ME!”

  I laughed.

  It was so sudden and inappropriate I even surprised myself. However, even when I recognized it, I could hardly stop. His statement was so ridiculous but true enough nonetheless.

  “P-Princess?” She turned to me, concerned.

  “Sorry, sorry,” I waved her off, swallowing my laughter enough to speak. “Tell him he’ s not supposed to say that in front of me.”

  He made another confused sound after she relayed the message. “Am I supposed to say it behind you?”

  Again he sent me into near hysterics.

  “WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT!?” He demanded, standing out of his seat, which only served to make me take him less seriously.

  “Only that I could say the same thing of all the angry sounds that have come out of your mouth.”

  “Huh?” He was so indignant it almost sounded like a growl. “EVERYTHING I’M SAYING MAKES SENSE!”

  I covered my mouth with a hand, managing to hold back all but a giggle. The boy hurried to ease the Prince, coaxing him back into his seat and whispering something into his ear. The Prince swatted him away, but did return to his seat.

  “Whatever. I’m not calling you that whole thing,” he said, returning to the rudest part of the entire conversation. “It’s too long. I won’t remember it.”

  “What are you suggesting you refer to me as then? My title?”

  “That’s probably even longer.”

  “It’s not.” I said. “Princess. That’s it.”

  “Princess.” He repeated the word. It sounded so strange on his tongue, with his people’s inflections and sounds. The ‘p’ sounded too soft to be a consonant, the ‘r’ rolling far more than it should have. It almost sounded like a different word entirely.

  “Princess,” he said again, shaking his head. “Doesn’t even sound like a real word.”

  He was impossible.

  “Does everyone you meet go around calling you that whole long thing all the time?”

  “My acquaintances refer to me as Nefret-Nadzeja.” I offered.

  “That’s still too long.” He said, much to my irritation. “Your parents call you that?”

  “My loved ones simply refer to me as Nefret, but–”

  “Nefret,” he repeated, the name sounding like a stranger's from his mouth. “Yeah, that’s better.”

  “I didn’t say you could call me that!”

  “Everything else is too long, unless you prefer Foreigner like everyone else calls you,”

  I folded my arms. “Then you give me something shorter to call you.”

  “Why should I?” He was back to yelling.

  “Because your name is just as long as Nefret-Nadzeja.” I also had to admit I found his

  harder to remember than his brother’s.

  “Is not!”

  “Is too.”

  “IS NOT!”

  “Is too!”

  “IS–” The boy beside him urgently whispered something in his ear and he settled down. “Ugh. Fine. Something like what.”

  “What do you parents call you?” I asked.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “My mother is dead and my father has never spoken a word to me.”

  I was stunned by the dryness in which he said so.

  “You weren’t supposed to tell her that!” The boy said.

  “Why? It’s true.” He said, unbothered.

  “Well what sort of moniker would suit you?” I stammered, trying to move the matter past.

  “How should I know? You’re the one who wanted a shorter name.” He said.

  “I didn’t make you come up with a name for me.”

  “Well that was your own decision.”

  This boy was infuriating.

  “Ryuunosuke…” the boy beside him used his name as if there was no class difference.

  “Ai,” I turned to her, no longer addressing him. “What does his name mean? Ryuunosuke?”

  The two turned in the corner of my eye, at the mention of the Prince’s name. I made it a point not to return the look with even a glance.

  “Son of the dragon.” She said.

  “What would a shortened form of that name be?”

  “Well, I suppose Ryuu would be the most likely.”

  “Ooh!” I clapped my hands. That was certainly easier to remember. “And what does that mean?”

  “Dragon.”

  “Perfect!” It suited him exactly. As did the nickname he’d procured as a Beast Prince. “I’ll go with Ryuu then.”

  He turned to the boy again.

  “What are they saying?”

  “He’s asking if Ryuu is a good thing to let you call him.” She said.

  I nearly leaned forward as if I’d somehow be able to understand the answer he’d be given. “What is the answer?”

  “It’s quite affectionate, don’t you think? You should just use her proper name and I’m sure she’ll do the same. We don’t have time for this kind of thing.”

  I was inclined to agree with the boy.

  “I’M NOT SAYING THAT WHOLE THING! Ryuu is fine.”

  “It will seem strange if you refer to her less affectionately. One or both of you may–”

  “Just tell me what to call her then.” He waved him off.

  The boy whispered something Ai could not hear. Ryuunosuke turned back to me. “Ryuu is fine, Nefret-chan.”

  “Chan?!” Ai was appalled. “That’s more familiar than Ryuu! Call him Ryuu-chan!”

  I didn’t comprehend the difference, but I trusted Ai. “Alright then, on to more important matters, Ryuu-chan.”

  He nearly stood up again when the boy pushed him physically back into his seat, bowing deeply. “Yes Princess. Thank you.”

  I liked this boy.

  “Ugh.” Ryuu threw himself across the bench so improperly he was laying down more than sitting. “Fine. Got any concerns or anything?”

  So unserious. “I’ve noticed this place is still in the practice of keeping concubines.”

  “Yeah, what about them?”

  “If we were to marry, I don’t want you having any.”

  He scoffed. “Trying to get one woman is pain enough. You think I want another one?”

  The boy whispered something to him again. “Eh? Oh, fine. If you can’t bear children I will need one.”

  I bit my lip, but conceded. “I suppose that’s fair, but only if it’s absolutely necessary.”

  “You women can have children until you’re what? 40? Yeah? That’s plenty of time to figure it out.”

  “Well you don’t need to get into detail!” My face reddened behind my veil. He really just said anything, didn’t he?

  “Anyway, if it does come to that,” he said, though he sounded more disgusted than I did at the idea, though certainly not for the same reasons. “You can’t do ridiculous things like try to kill them, or any of my children with them.”

  “What possess you to think I would even consider doing such a thing?” I was aghast.

  He merely shrugged. “All women do such things.”

  It was clear to me he’d never met a woman, or heard about one from any man who ever had either.

  “Families are a unit, not a home for such strifes."

  “Is that the kind of family you’d make?”

  “It’s the only kind worth making.” I said.

  “You’re almost reasonable.” He sat back. “What is it you want to get out of me?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Don’t play coy,” he said. “If you don’t plan to kill me or any of my heirs, you must want something from me. I can’t guess a foreigner's selfish motives, so tell me now what they are.”

  I bristled in indignation. “Only a proper marriage and alliance.”

  “To make your own son Emperor would be more believable.”

  “I can’t imagine why you’d find that more believable than the truth!”

  The boy was frantically speaking to the Prince, but it went ignored. “It can’t be so simple.”

  “Well it is!” I folded my arms, eyes burning in insult.

  “Then why sail so far across the sea? Do you not have men there? You must want something worth the trouble.”

  “Is proper matrimony and alliance not more worth the trouble than anything?” I asked. “And if you must know, the boys back home are all arrogant fools who think their birth alone means they can slide along without merit of any kind. Who think all people and troubles are beneath them and I quite frankly think they’d make worse husbands than they would kings.”

  He tapped his foot against the table. “That much I can believe.”

  “Now why don’t you tell me what you want out of me?” I asked, not soothed at all.

  “Children, obviously.”

  Ai gasped. I gasped. The boy beside him hit him, so hard across the head I heard it. He scolded him clearly, bowing toward me and spilling out. I didn’t need Ai to relay them to me to get the message.

  “What other kind of answer am I supposed to give in honesty?” Ryuu held his head, turning to the boy.

  “If your reasoning applies to yourself, you chose to speak with me rather than the others for a selfish reason.” I said. “So what might that reason be?”

  “Huh? Because you look interesting, obviously.” He said, then did not elaborate.

  “Interesting… how?”

  “Huh?” He said. “You’re not a servant, but your skin is darker than any slave I’ve ever seen. Your clothes are almost as strange as your smell. Your voice is deep for a girl, and you’re tall as a boy. You also seem to be capable of doing things with thought rather than lying alone, or sleeping with someone.”

  “Those are all very much basic things,” I said, truly concerned as to whether or not he had ever encountered a woman. If so, which one could make him think so ridiculously about them?

  “So is not being arrogant and knowing merit is important.”

  “Fair enough I suppose.” I said.

  The silence dragged on after that. I was used to silence–comfortable in it, but Ai began to squirm. The boy beside the Prince seemed well from what I could see, but Ryuu became agitated. He spoke the same as before, fast and rough as if I had somehow done something to agitate him.

  He was in front of me in a moment, climbing over the table between us to stand before me as he had during the ceremony, looking down at me–something he could only manage to do because I was sitting. I refused to let it get a rise out of me.

  “What is he saying Ai?”

  “He asked why you’re wearing that.”

  “Wearing what?” I asked.

  “The veil, Your Majesty.”

  “Because I was told to.” I said.

  “Do you always do what you’re told?”

  “Generally, yes.”

  “Then I’m telling you to take it off.” He said.

  “I will do no such thing!” I turned my head from him. “I do not listen to you– oh!”

  “Well you will if you become my wife.” He pulled at the veil, the fabric caught in my hair ornaments. He pulled harder, pulling my hair along with it.

  “Ow!” I shrieked. “Unhand me!”

  “Take it off!”

  There was no more translating. I could feel Ai and the boy trying to pull him off me, but he was stronger than a child had any right to be. His other hand grabbed the back of my head, forcing me back with him. I put my hands to his face, trying to push him off me. It didn’t work. I could not pry him off me, so I could only force him to let go.

  I did the only thing there was to do. I bit his hand, and I bit hard.

  His scream was a child’s, but there was something more underneath it.

  This was no longer about the veil. We’d devolved far past that. We were on the floor, throwing kicks, punches, scratches, pulling hair, and screaming words we didn’t need a translator to understand.

  His hits were hard for a child’s, but on the ground he was much easier to predict. It was a terrible display, but the incorrectness of it all was almost exhilarating. My lip twitched as I split his lip with my fist, even when he somehow managed to get blood to spill from my nose.

  I was ready to be hit again, when he was lifted off me., not by a child, but by a man. Rather than relief, I felt shame as my father stood above us. The only thing on his face was anger at the boy he was holding.

  “Who’s putting their hands on me now!?” Ryuu demanded, fist raised. It died down the moment he saw who held him. He hung his head, eyes glued to the floor in silence that did not seem to suit him.

  “What happened here?” He asked, setting the Prince down, who stood the same way he’d hung.

  Neither one of us gave an answer.

  He shook his head, and with that motion alone, his anger became disappointment. “Let’s return to our rooms, Nefert.”

  I couldn’t refuse. He offered his hand. I adjusted my veil and took it. For the first time since coming here, I was glad for it. Their foreign whispers filled my ears.

  I held my head higher. It was the only thing I could do after the shameful state I’d come to. Tears burned my eyes, but I kept them high . Not for me, but for my father and my kingdom. I could not let them down further,