Zeph feels so nervous. He is sure he would mess up. He looks ridiculous. There is no way he is going to be able to pull it off.

“I told you, you have to look more natural. Relax.” Zeph turns around at Arai’s voice and is left speechless. Despite her being garbed in some of the dullest clothes he has ever seen, she is gorgeous. I can tell why you’re an outlaw- that much beauty should be illegal. Zeph had seen other boys his age flirt before, but to do so himself…. He would never have the courage to say something like that out loud. Of course that doesn’t stop him from thinking it. Seriously, how have I not been found out… She steals the little confidence I have with just a look. Does she think that I’m always this fumbling mess? With a sigh, Arai walks over to him and starts trying to fix his stance, touching each point he needs to relax. This of course only makes him tense up more. “Wow, you’re really tense. Maybe we should try giving you acupuncture. I’ve never done it before, but I always wanted to try sticking needles into a handsome guy.” Zeph looks to her in horror only to see that she wears a breath-taking smirk. He finds himself relaxing and smiling as well. Then it dawns on both of them exactly what she had said. She had called him handsome. Why had she done that? Their faces decide to have a competition of which one can get redder. Arai regains her composure first. “So… um, if you’re ready to go, shall we head out?”

Zeph looks down at the dress he is wearing. After two weeks of coaching in the art of disguises, Arai had decided earlier this morning that he was ready for some field experience. “I guess so...”

“Don’t worry, we’re only getting some things in town for Sarah. I’ll be with you the whole time if something goes wrong.” It’s not that he doesn’t trust her, in fact she was one of the only people he fully trusts. He doesn’t believe he is good enough yet. “It’s okay to be nervous. You can use that to your advantage. Now, come along, my pupil.”

****

Zeph can’t quite pinpoint what he is feeling. It is a mix of anger and insecurity with something dark in the pit of his stomach. It started when Arai was bartering with the butcher's assistant for a better price. She, of course, got her own way but the way she got it made Zeph feel uneasy. It was so easy for her to manipulate the men they were buying items from, usually with methods that could almost be considered borderline flirting.

Had she used these same methods on him? Had she been genuine with him these past few months or had she been just manipulating him? Zeph would like to think that he is special to Arai, but what if that wasn’t true? What if all the signs he thought as proof of this fact were just her manipulating him?

“Zeva, come this way so I don’t lose you, dear.” Zeph takes a few steps closer to Arai. And then there was that. Arai had been calling him Zeva since they left the caves. She couldn’t very well call him Prince Zephaniah, but there’s nothing like being called by an obviously female name to remind a guy how self conscious he feels in a dress. Letting Arai’s lessons take over, Zeph submissively grabs her sleeve in discomfort, even though all of his instincts are telling him to hide it with confident gestures. Men are expected to show only strength in public, so they are more prone to believe that someone is a girl if that person displays weaknesses.

“Well, well, who is this young lady you have with you, Miss Arai?” Zeph doesn’t like how the merchant is looking at him. Has he figured out that he wasn’t a girl? Just in case, Zeph steps behind Arai to avoid him looking any closer.

“Zeva is the newest girl in my household. She’s been quite helpful, but she’s really scared of other people so I’ve been working with her on socializing more. Say hello, Zeva.”

Is she crazy? His voice still sounds like a guy’s voice. How is he suppose to make it sound feminine? Let’s see… raise the pitch, soften the tone…. Arai told the man that Zeva was shy so whispering to hide any mistakes wouldn’t seem out of place. “Hello, Sir.” Hopefully that would be passable. Zephaniah looks to Arai. If her reassuring smile is any indicator, she is satisfied with his performance. Relief floods him. He had passed her test, this time.