"Len!" Rin screamed from her room, clearly agitated. Len straightened his tie as he answered with a dutiful, "Yes, my Queen?"
"The people are causing such a racket outside! I can't get my afternoon nap this way…" she complained, and he could almost see his twin sister faking a dramatic swoon in exaggeration. A small smile found its way to his face, before promptly fading. The rebels…
For so long, he had known about their plans. Ever since Rin had ordered Miku's death, he had felt indifferent to the world. He still smiled, but he didn't interfere with the world's goings anymore.
But they were rebels. They wanted to destroy their monarch. That was unacceptable. But hadn't she ordered the death of the one he loved?
"Come out! Stop hiding and come out, daughter of the Devil himself!" There was the sound of breaking glass as something was evidently thrown at the castle's ornate windows. The protests came every day, and were increasing in violence. However, no thoughts of fleeing came to Len's mind. Only the lowest of the low would think like that.
"Rin comes first, I come second," he murmured, remembering what his parents always told him. Rin was the heir, she had to live. Len thought of all the things they had done together; their short afternoon talks, the way her face was when she saw him again after so many years. The way she cared so much.
"The rebels will go away, my Queen. Our army cannot afford to subdue them after we lost so many men in the Green War." he responded diplomatically. Before Rin could further discuss the topic, he interrupted.
"Would you like some brioche, milady?" There was a pause.
"…Yes, bring it to my room." she finally responded. Len sighed in relief, glad that his sister had not pressed. She didn't need to worry about their weakened military. Or the rumours of a final rebellion. It would be best if those things never reached her ears.
He headed towards the kitchen, still deep in thought. As he prepared the brioche, he couldn't help but think that something was wrong. Why had the people grown so bold all of a sudden? The destruction of the Green Kingdom was an obvious reason, but he had never predicted that they would be so stirred and angry. Why…?
"Len?" Jean, one of the butlers raced into the kitchen, almost causing Len to drop his half-finished dish.
"Yes?" He continued to work, his thoughts elsewhere. It made no sense to him. Was it how the common townsfolk thought?
"Len, the rebels are announcing an attack on the castle…They seized me in the garden, and demanded that I tell everyone, especially the Queen. They demand her surrender." Len snapped to attention, putting down the finished snack on the counter delicately. Then he turned to face Jean, a serious expression on his face. Now that he looked closely, the butler did seem quite ragged and startled.
"They don't have the necessary means. This is an idle threat," Len said smoothly. Had Rin heard…?
"No, you don't understand! Len, just listen to me! The Blue Kingdom is supporting the rebels, they have an entire army! We need to run!" Jean waved his hands in exasperation, looking nervous and pale. Something in Len clicked.
"An army…" He looked at Jean's worried brown eyes.
"You saw this army?"
"Y-Yes, it was huge, bigger than our regular forces! It was a wall of Blue soldiers, holding all kinds of weapons and wearing so much armour, and so many townsfolk there as well, looking like they want to mur-" Len waved his hands dismissively. Jean always over-reacted towards every little thing.
"Yes yes, I shall tell Her Majesty immediately." he let a sliver of sarcasm creep into his voice as he picked up the dish and headed towards the Queen's chambers.
Yet as he walked down the hall, he noticed something; they were strangely silent. Aria, Vanessa, and Rose, the maids, weren't cleaning and talking at their usual post. Gerald, the footman, wasn't running around carrying giant rolls of parchment. Even Rin's counselors, Roy and Thomas, were absent.
"Open the gates!"
"Let us in!"
"Evil incarnate!" Splattering and breaking noises could be heard from behind the closed curtains. Len hesitated. Eva never forgot to pull back the curtains. She hated the dark.
Why? How come everything is so strange today? With one hand holding the brioche, he carefully drew back the cloth. He gasped at what he saw.
A mob of people were surrounding the palace, men and women, young, old, common folk, and soldiers. Some of them had weapons, while others hurled garbage and junk as far as they could. Studying the assembly with growing horror, he saw what Jean had meant. Soldiers of Blue flanked the main entrance, looking ready to break into the castle. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of men looked ready for bloodshed.
Seemingly, the only reason why they hadn't stormed the keep yet was because of the royal archers holding them back, killing with deadly accuracy. Len craned his neck to see that few of their number remained, most of them felled by Blue spears and arrows.
"We need to run!" Jean's words came back to him. So that was where everyone else went. They had already fled. Len gritted his teeth, analyzing the situation carefully. Within a few hours, they would break in, and they would take Rin. The servants had fled, and since they surrounded the perimetres, they must've been let through.
They only want Rin. he realised, gripping the plate of brioche so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Len! Where's my brioche?"
"Coming!" he called, trying to tear his eyes away from the crowd. He began to draw the curtains, when he saw a small girl in the crowd stare directly into his face. Her eyes widened, and she shook a man's hand.
"The Queen! She's there!" Ripples of anger spread throughout the people, and all eyes turned to face the window where Len st-
Len pulled the curtains together hastily and ran towards Rin's chamber, clutching the brioche as if it were his lifeline. He didn't even feel hurt when Rin yelled at him as he threw open her doors.
"Len! You're supposed to knock and ask for permission to enter, not barge in like some unschooled ruffian!" She sat in her bed, a small crown on her neat blonde hair. Rin was still in her nightgown, as if she hadn't moved the entire day. His sister pointed towards the drawn curtains.
"I simply can't sleep with ragged countrymen yelling at my doors! Subdue the rebellion, Len," she moaned, leaning against multiple silken pillows. Len put the plate of brioche down on her nightstand carefully, as if it were made of glass. He had to tell her. Someone had to say something.
"My Queen…" He tried to think of a careful way to form his words, but Rin interrupted.
"What is it? Spit it out." she demanded in her usual haughty manner. Len tried to manage a weak smile, but it didn't work.
"My Queen, this isn't a rebellion," he began slowly. Rin raised her eyebrows.
"This is revolution." The yells outside grew louder, as if in response.
Rin was pale as she raised a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with newfound fear.
"Len…" she mumbled weakly.
"Yes, my Queen?"
"Do something…Do something, Len!" With sudden strength, Rin grabbed one of her pillows and threw it across the room, her entire body trembling. But when he looked into his twin's eyes, all he saw was fear and desperation. He remembered that look, the way she had been when Kaito rejected her love. Then he remembered where he also saw it. The girl out in the courtyard appeared in his mind, her face full of terror and weakness. The way she looked at him with such horror, the way she hated the queen.
"Rin…" Her sobs wracked her body as she clung to her blankets, scared like a child.
Suddenly, after one particularly loud yell,the window exploded erupted violently as a large stone flew into the room. Shards of broken glass flew through the air, scarcely missing Len.
"This accursed capital and its blasted ruler…Neither will be standing for much longer!" a man yelled. Len watched, still as stone, as his companions dragged him back. The country's intent was clear; They sought Rin's death, and they would stop at nothing to obtain it.
"Len! Get them away from this place! I don't want them to be here!" Rin cried pleadingly. Len drew the curtains, his face an emotionless mask. It had been the same man who the girl had warned, the one who told everyone how the queen was standing at the…Len tentatively shifted his gaze to Rin's open wardrobe, completely filled with lace and stain gowns.
"Rin comes first, you come second, Len,"
"But why?"
"That's just the way it is."
Their parents had never truly answered that question, but he had never really wanted to know the answer either.
Rin comes first...Slowly, he removed his cloak. Rin looked up at him, her eyes glassy.
"Len?" she said weakly. He said nothing as he approached his sister, holding his cloak out. Rin shrank away like a frightened animal at his approach.
"Rin, come here," Len whispered softly. She obeyed, ignoring the fact that she was been ordered by her servant, and crawled towards her twin brother. As gently as he could, Len draped the cloth around his sister's body and plucked the crown off her head. Rin looked at him questioningly, but didn't speak as he messed up her hair and let it down from its tight bun.
"L-Len…?" Her eyes were glassy as she watched him open her closet and pull out her finest gown. Len pressed the garment against his body, regarding his choice carefully. It was the right thing to do. For a moment, he dreaded the thought of his fate, but then he thought of the happy times he had shared with his twin; the times before they were separated. It gave him the needed courage.
"Rin, run away. They'll never know," he spoke softly as he began to tie up his hair with one of Rin's silk ribbons.
"…" His sister's face was plagued with concern, but she said nothing. Len sighed and walked back to her, cupping her face in his hand. His mirror image stared back at him.
"Don't worry, we look the same," He tried to comfort her, but she just looked away. Len took her hand and helped her stand up. She seemed wobbly on her legs, something that didn't fit her queenly nature.
"Rin, get out of here. No one would ever notice if you got away." Len placed the crown onto his own head, taking a deep breath. He had to be the confident older brother she needed right now. Rin didn't move at all, she just watched as Len became her. Smiling weakly, Len pushed her gently and turned away.
"Run." He heard Rin whimper from behind, but was relieved as he felt her presence fade away.
"Len…Goodbye." Len let a tear slide down his cheek, and he turned to bid his twin farewell. But she was already gone, the door closed behind her.
He smiled melancholically as he stripped and changed into Rin's clothes, making sure to apply careful makeup. He was the queen now.
Moments after he finished his look, the door burst open. Men clad in blue rushed in, holding swords confidently. Len held their gaze, mimicking Rin.
"How dare you burst into my room like this!" He spoke in a high falsetto, but no one noticed. Instead, the guards approached him, determined looks on their faces. Behind them, a woman dressed in blood-red strode into the room, a sword in her hand as well.
"Surrender, daughter of evil." she announced, pointing her weapon at Len. He didn't react in terror like she must've expected him to, for her simply smiled. Not to win a small victory against his captors, but because Rin had been spared this.
Goodbye indeed, my twin…
The clock chimed steadily, every ring echoing throughout the town square. Not a person spoke as the queen was led on stage, her hands tightly bound behind her back. Stares of hate were directed at the former ruler, yet she grinned steadily at them all. Hisses and boos began to form, and eventually, it led to cursing and shouting. Finally, the crowd tolled its last ring for the hour, and the crowd immediately hushed.
There were no words spoken as the ex-queen was fastened into the wooden stocks, the crowd watching intently. Suddenly, a figure pushed its way through the people, earning a number of glares and silent threats. It looked up at the former queen with desperation. The queen quickly spotted the figure, and looked down at the wooden boards. But not before giving the person a quick, playful wink.
"Do you have anything to say about what you have done to the country?" The red lady mercenary demanded, stepping onto the stage. The figure drew back a bit, as if hesitant now.
"…" The queen smiled brightly, averting her eyes with the dignity she still possessed.
"Oh, it's tea time!" she declared.
The figure, a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to the former queen, shrieked and began to cry.
And the guillotine came down.