I knew Shunsuke could do it! I jumped up in glee when Shunsuke won the challenge. My father, I noticed, smiled at this before announcing the winner and declaring what the next challenge would be. He sat back down while the servants prepared the field. They had to do a javelin throwing contest.
"Father, if I may, after the challenge has been completed, no matter if Shunsuke wins or not, would you please talk with him?" I inquired. "You'll come to see just how great of a guy he really is. You just need to give him a chance."
My father gave me a quick glance. "Fair enough." He turned and looked back down at the feel. "Kay, I am very sorry for the words I said yesterday. I didn't mean them. I was... well, I... what I mean..." He was desperate to find the right words to describe how he felt.
I placed a hand on my father's shoulder. "If you apologize to Shunsuke as well, then I forgive you. It is a shocking experience, I know." I gave him a reassuring smile as I turned to my sister and brother that sat next to me and smiled at them.
My brother, Shane, leaned towards me, "What's it feel like to be human?" he asked. He wasn't poking fun or teasing me. I could tell he really wanted to know.
I shrugged. "I don't feel much different, but I am more susceptible to emotions. I cannot as easily turn off an emotion."
"Ya, we noticed," Josana and Briona mummbled.
Shane frowned, "What does that mean?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I refused to answer. "Josana? Briona? What do you mean?"
"The two of us walked in on them all wrapped up in each other's arms in the boughs of passion," Josana replied sarcastically.
"It was disgusting how you clung to him," Briona added.
I looked away, my eyes refusing to look at any of them, my face red with embarrassment. Elainea cut in, "She is nearly eighteen. Do you really expect anything less? And it only seems wrong to the two of you as you are both rather young."
I mouthed a thank you to Elainea.
Shane frowned, "He dares to even touch you in a way when you aren't even married?"
I frowned at this. "You and Lady Hana were not married when you and her-"
"That is much different. I'm a guy. We have needs. You are my dear younger sister. No man is ever going to be good enough for you," he cut in with a smile so that I knew he was teasing.
"He's too good for me," I replied softly.
"So, have the two of you done it yet?" Josana asked.
"Done what?" I asked, not following where they were going with it.
"It," Briona said through gritted teeth.
At this question every head in the Royal's box turned to look at me, anxious for the answer, my mother and father included. I looked around hastily, shaking my head. "No!" I cried. How embarrassing!
"He's not pressuring you, is he?" my mother asked, leaning forward to see around my father.
"Good God no. Why are we even having this conversation?"
"Just checking," my dad said.
The challenges went by quickly. And after the sixth challenge, they were tied with three wins each. The last and final challenge was the toughest of them all. I was taken onto the field where I would sit in the center of a giant maze. There was only one route out of the thousands of different courses one could take that led to myself. Whichever one of the boys found me first was the winner.
I sat in the center, listening to my father announce the challenge and telling them to start. Shunsuke, I prayed, please come quickly.
