Chapter 16 - Didn't Finish

Fujimura Miyu jumps up from the ground and launches herself at Nakada Ryota. She has darkness in one hand and light in the other. She pushes both forces together and then at Ryota. It hits him like a stampede, throwing him again across the field. The force was stronger then the air and he made a crater in the ground. When the dust settles, you could see Ryota coughing up dirt and trying to find a way to get out of the debris. When he came out he was covered in a layer of dirt and dust. Miyu giggles and points at Ryota, "This high prince, actually is seen with dirt all over his body. And look, he's pouting!!"

Ryota pouts even more and tries to dust some off the dirt on his body. Whenever he heard a sniggers from the crowd, he glared that way and the giggler was silenced. Miyu was still laughing uncontrollably. Ryota saw this as a entrance and ran up to her and burned her. She screamed and her gear burned from the waist down. She called for her water and doused her self before glaring at Ryota. Gnashing her teeth, she ran at Ryota. He ran at her as well. Miyu used her speed power to go even faster. Ryota noticed this and began to slow down. He was starting to turn around when Miyu hit him with full force and he felt his breath knocked out of him. He fell to the ground trembling and holding his chest. He coughed multiple times, still having dust in his lungs, when he felt a stream of fresh air flow through him. He breathed it all in and his breathing went back to normal. He lifted his head to see Miyu's not so far from his with her finger pointed at him and air swirling around it. She was helping him breath. "Thanks."

She looked at him with happiness in her eyes, "I had to pay you back for such an entertaining match. But I wasn't all of my power. I wanted to go easy on you."

Ryota pouts and gets up, "You're making me feel self conscious."

Miyu shrugs, "I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of your soldiers."

He glances around at the silent crowd and shrugs, "I could care less about what they think. They know how tough I am, they must be very frightened of you if they're scared of me."

Miyu looks at everyone around them as well and sees them cower whenever she looks at them, "Damn, I don't want people to be scared of me."

Ryota grins and puts his arm around her shoulder, "I'll never be scared of you, you can count on me."

Miyu smiles under her cloth and leans into his embrace. He smells like burning embers cinnamon, a string scent that makes her. nose itch. He guides her to his father where he stands, glowering.

"You didn't finish your duel, " The emperor grumbles, expecting more action.

Ryota turns serious and says, "I surrendered."

The emperor nods, still looking disappointed, and turns around, "Follow me."

*****

Fujimura Kasumi leaves the manor and travels to the palace. Empress Kouki requested her presence and Kasumi is giddy, 'Shes going to ask me to be engaged to her son, she's definitely going to ask me?'

Kasumi is super impatient inside the carriage leading to the palace. The empress ways visited Kasumi in school whenever they needed to talk. This is the first time that Kasumi was invited to the royal palace. The empress was always complimenting her on her effort at school and at how strong she was. Kasumi sucked all the nice things in, making her confident.

She begins to dream about her wedding with the handsome prince Ryota when the carriage stops. Kasumi hops out with a big smile on her face as she walks gracefully to the doors. She knocks, not too loud or soft, and waits patiently. The door opens and a guard greets her, "May I have your name?"

Kasumi bows, "Fujimura Kasumi here for Empress Kouki."

The guard nods and looks through the list in his hand, "Come in."

The guard leads Kasumi to the Empress who is sitting outside on the deck. The empress is beautiful, like a fairy. Kasumi greets her and sits next to her. The empress smiles, "You know I've treated you as my daughter, right?"

Kasumi nods, "Yes."

Kasumi is waiting for the words, the sweet words. But Kasumi's wait didn't pay off.

"You see the person standing next to my son on the field?"

The deck overviewed the field and the empress pointed to the woman with Ryota's arm around her. Kasumi burns with jealous but doesn't let it show, "What about that person, my empress?"

"She'd be a good wife for him, right?"