A/N: Hello! It's been a couple years since I've last written fic, but I decided to try to get back into it as part of my New Year's Resolution. Still a bit rusty, but hope you guys enjoy it anyways! This is a little idea I've been juggling around for a while now, still unsure of where I want this to stay T or go M. Remember to leave a review!

Prologue

The rain fell in torrents upon the figure of a young male as he stood in a barren-looking courtyard, the shadow of an enormous mansion looming tall and foreboding behind him. As the icy water slid down his slender body, it began mixing with a dark red liquid that stained his torn, white shirt, creating wispy rivulets that trailed at his feet. He was bleeding, and profusely at that. But he could scarce feel the pain, nor the cold… or anything else for that matter. His focus was on the object in his hand: a ring. A small, delicate ring that could only have been fit for the hand of a lady. The boy's pale lips twitched upwards, almost as if he were smirking.

"What have you done?"

The voice of a young woman shrieked from the back of his mind. Instantly he grit his teeth and shut his aquamarine eyes. No! He tried to will the image from his mind. No!

"Y-You've killed him!"

But his mind refused to obey his orders and continued to replay the scene.

"Mikuo, my love," the woman sobbed as she sank to her knees, her silken, teal tresses pouring across her pale shoulders. He wanted so much to reach out and feel them between his fingers and found that he had stepped forward, fingers outstretched, but as he looked down he noticed that they were covered in a viscous, crimson substance. He realized that he was also holding a sword, it too stained with blood. He looked back up at the woman, who was now frantically ripping makeshift bandages from her gown and wrapping them about the unconscious boy in her lap.

Len felt a spark of jealousy alight within him. "Miku…" her name left his lips with a growl, half-possessive yet with a soft, adoring undertone.

She whirled towards him, the greatest of hate burning behind her beautiful, teal-colored eyes. She took up the dagger at her lover's side and rose to face Len, her hand shaking but her expression exuding confidence and disdain.

"Never speak my name again, you… you monster! How dare you kill the man I love," she fought to hold back her tears.

"He tried to take you from me," Len clenched his teeth, barely able to control his rage. Him? She loved that boy? No… No! It was all a lie! That fool must have brainwashed her, for he was the one she loved, not that boy!

"I was never yours to begin with!" she spat, "It was all fraud. A ruse. My heart never belonged to you, and it never will!"

"Liar…," Len began to shake visibly, a whirlwind of emotions he couldn't even begin to explain building within him. Every word she spoke was as if she were twisting a blade of hot iron in his chest. "YOU'RE LYING!" He looked towards Miku once more, his eyes searching hers, pleading, begging to wake up and realize this was all just a horrible, horrible nightmare.

"I played along with your advances out of necessity," Miku said, refusing his gaze and steadying her hold on the dagger still aimed towards Len, "Mikuo and I eloped a year ago and came to this city. We had no money, no connections, nothing. It was only by a stroke of luck that you came across me that one day, and a greater providence that you happened to be rich." She looked away, shame plaguing her consciousness. She had no other choice, it was either let her and Mikuo starve on the streets or take advantage of the situation and survive… even if it meant manipulating Len and breaking his heart. "Unfortunately, you became too serious, so we had to escape," she glanced at the diamond engagement ring adorning her left hand. Any guilt she might have felt was quickly squashed when she remembered her lover, who now lay motionless and bleeding beside her.

Len could scarcely believe his ears.

"No…" he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper, "No…" Len sank to his knees with his hands upon the floor, utterly defeated. This couldn't be- he didn't want to believe it. He had loved her with all his heart, but she… Everything was all so surreal.

"Now, DIE!"

Len had snapped up and jumped away just as Miku lunged at him with her knife, barely missing his vital organs but still managing to plunge the blade against his torso. Len cried out as the dagger cut into his side, hot blood seeping through his shirt. He doubled over, clutching the wound in attempt to apply pressure and halt the massive bleeding. She… She was actually trying to kill him...

Pain.

Dejection.

Betrayal.

Len no longer felt anything anymore.

"How does it feel, murderer?" Miku sneered, now fueled by blood rage. She would kill him and take revenge for Mikuo, but she would do it slowly. Tauntingly. She would make him feel the same pain that she did, every last bit of it! She stalked towards him, lifting her blade for another strike.

But then, a soft voice called out from behind her.

"S-Stop…"

Miku dropped the dagger.

"Mikuo!"

The boy was now beginning to stir and weakly lift himself up with his elbows. He was pale and shuddering from blood loss. Miku made to run towards him, but a hand caught hers in a firm but gentle grip. She turned around.

Len stood with his hand clasped around hers, his expression shielded by disheveled golden bangs now matted down from the rain. Miku didn't have to see his face to know what he was thinking.

'Please, stay… I will forgive everything if you do.'

Shouting voices were heard in the distance. Len's guards were coming. Miku tensed. She had no time to waste. With a flick of the wrist, Miku had slipped her hand from his, leaving behind the engagement ring in the process. Within moments, she and Mikuo were gone, disappeared into the dark forest.

"Master Len!"

Len barely registered that a man with dark blue hair had appeared before him, panting and pale-faced. The man's deep, azure eyes widened, "M-Meiko! Call the doctor, the master is wounded!"

"Find the assailants," another man with long, lavender-colored hair shouted to the troupe of guards beside him, "They couldn't have gotten very far! I want them dead or alive, using any means necessary! Go!"

All Len remembered from that point on were the worried cries of different voices fussing about him as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Chapter One

"Are you nervous, Miss Rin?"

The aforementioned old girl let out a heavy sigh and cast a sidelong glance at her companion sitting across from her in the carriage.

"As if," she snorted.

Teto Kasane chuckled, "It's customary for young ladies to get wedding jitters, you know, especially when they're on their way to meet their grooms-to-be."

Rin's lips twisted into a snarl as her cheeks alighted with a healthy shade of pink that Teto knew was not embarrassment, but rather frustration. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "Who would be excited about being married to some stuck-up noble whom they've never met before, and who apparently lives in the middle of god-forsaken nowhere?" she ended with a huff.

Rin cast her eyes downward and fiddled with the black lace trimming on her golden-colored gown. They had been travelling for nearly two weeks now and she was restless from all this sitting and waiting. Every time she asked the coachman, he would simply tell her 'We're nearly there, ma'am.' He had said that two days ago too. Did he even know where they were going? Rin turned her attention again back to the carriage window, and her expression fell slightly. As the days wore on, the scenery somehow began to look more and more desolate… The landscape changed from fertile, rolling plains to mountainous, dark, thick forests, and the people were out of doors less. Small, homely villages grew into large, cluttered towns. Just how far had they gone from home?

Since their journey began she had scarcely allowed herself to think about the manor she would now never be able to return to, at least not for quite some time. She thought about her family: mother, father... what were they doing now? Rin pursed her lips. Well, in actuality they probably weren't deserving of such fondness. It was because of them that she was in such a predicament in the first place.

Her mind flashed back to her nineteenth birthday scarcely two weeks ago when they had delivered the unfortunate news: she was to be married to a young lord up north in the Land of Yellow by the name of Lord Len Kagamine. This union had been decided before either were even born. Why? Because some "famous" priestess who served the king had stated, in her "all-knowing" wisdom, they were "destined" to be together, that their union would be prosperous and bring good fortune to both families. Ridiculous.

It was complete and utter nonsense, in her opinion. Her parents had met the reputed soothsayer at a festival in the capital, which the parents of her "future fiance" were also attending.

Apparently, the soothsayer had correctly guessed Rin's mother and Lady Kagamine were with their future children, which was astonishing since they were both only a month into their pregnancies and thus no physical signs were visible. They had both come to the tent to ask after their children's futures, the fact that they both arrived at the same time was further "proof" of their "linked destinies".

Their children were soulmates, the priestess had said. From their conception they were like two sides of the same coin: their characters would complement each other completely, and they would develop a deep and formidable bond that would lead to the most advantageous prosperity and happiness to both families. There were no other partners who would be such a perfect fit.

Thus, their parents' heeded the word of the king's priestess and immediately drew up a marriage agreement for their unborn children.

And now here she was in this absolutely ridiculous predicament. Who was this Lord Len, anyways? Her parents had told her absolutely nothing of him, other than he was supposedly her age and quite a powerful, influential lord, so she would be well taken care of and "happy". As if that meant anything. Hell, he hadn't even sent them a portrait! And she had suffered through so many hours to sit through one for him. For all she knew, he could be hideous or horribly filthy and covered with warts.

In fact, if this agreement had been settled upon long ago, why had she not met him or heard of him until recently? Shouldn't there have been more of an effort to unite them and make sure it was indeed a prudent match?

Teto observed her mistress' changes in expression with amusement. Her family had been serving Rin's for as long as she could remember, and Teto had been appointed Rin's personal attendant from a young age. They were a kind, genteel folk that governed a quaint farming town. Rin's father was a gentleman and her mother the cousin of a noble by marriage, so technically Rin was of noble blood, although ranked lower on the social ladder. Rin's fiancé, however, Len Kagamine, was rumored to be the pureblood descendant of an ancient lineage of lords. These types of nobles were said to be of "another breed" with much more refined and traditional manners from generations and generations of practice. So it was a great surprise that the Kagamine family even accepted this marriage agreement. Teto wondered how her mistress would handle the change in lifestyle.

Rin had always been a headstrong, free-spirited sort of girl. She tended to speak her mind often and express her emotions without second thought, which was quite a stark contrast to how a proper noblewoman was supposed to behave. Perhaps it was because of the environment she was raised in. The people of their town were intimate with one another and everyone knew each other by name, so everyone acted freely around one another. Rin's parents had also been fairly relaxed in her upbringing and encouraged their daughter to make herself known and amiable. Well, no matter the reason, Teto thought this attitude was perfect for Rin. It made her a distinct, unique, and very amusing mistress to serve.

She had definitely grown into a fine young woman over the years, Teto nodded to herself. Rin had once been a pudgy, clumsy, button-nosed little thing with cheeks that were constantly puffed from crying because she always injured herself. Now, however, she was lithe and thin with gentle curves that gently but definitely declared her femininity, and her skin was smooth, unblemished, tinged with a healthy shade of peach. Perhaps still reminiscent of her tomboyish nature from childhood, Rin kept her hair sleek, blonde hair cut short, just under the chin, highly uncharacteristic of a lady. Then again, when had Rin ever followed convention? But the one thing she did consistently follow was that she always, ALWAYS wore a white ribbon in her hair. Why? Teto couldn't necessarily recall, but it had to do something with a gift someone had given her long ago…

Teto sighed and turned to also join her mistress in observing the passing scenery. It filled her with a motherly sort of pride to be able to see Rin off to be married. Lord Len had sent short but strict orders that she would only be able to carry enough trunks to fit in one standard-sized carriage and only one other companion, and Teto had been more than grateful to be able to come along. But the major reason why she was so grateful, though Teto would never admit it outright, was because this way she could make sure Rin was truly happy. If that Lord Len did anything to hurt her mistress, Teto swore she would take Rin back home immediately no matter what the cost, marriage agreements be damned.

"How much longer do you think until we arrive?" Rin's voice broke the redhead from her reverie.

"I was told we'd arrive by today," Teto answered.

Rin furrowed her brows, "Ugh, but the sun is beginning to set! Soon it will be nightfall and then we won't be able to see where we're going, plus I don't see anywhere up ahead where we can possibly stop for the night!" she stuck her head out the window and peered out. Right now they were travelling through a forest so thick she was surprised the coachman could even see where he was going, because she sure as hell couldn't. Rin glanced at the trees and gulped. She had never seen a forest so dense and yet so… so barren. The bark on the trees was dark and ashen, the branches sharp and knobby. She also hadn't heard any birds chirping nor seen any type of critter characteristic of a forest for quite some time… how strange…

"Miss Rin! Pull yourself back inside the carriage this instant, what if you lose your nose?" Teto scolded as she grabbed the back of her mistress's dress and yanked her inside.

Rin squeaked and landed back on her seat with an 'oomph', "Well, wouldn't that be a good thing?" Rin pouted, "Maybe then I'll be so ugly he'll have to send me back!"

Teto rolled her eyes and both women shared a laugh, but their enjoyment was cut short as the carriage suddenly lurched forward and jerked to a halt.

"Ow!" Rin rubbed her head where it had hit the ceiling.

Teto called out to the coachman, "What is it, Winston? Is there something in the road?"

The coachman answered back, but Teto noted that his voice was somewhat shaky, "N-No, milady, it seems that we've arrived…"

Arrived? A knot began to form in Rin's stomach as the reality of the situation began to hit her full force. She was here. Finally here, in the land of Yellow… the unfamiliar land that was to be her new home from now on. And soon, she would meet him…

Despite Teto's protests, Rin once again stuck her head out the carriage window, bracing her arms on the edge for support. A breeze gently brushed her honey-colored locks from her cheek.

Her eyes widened.

They had broken through the forest and arrived at a vast, spacious clearing guarded by a pair of fortuitous iron double gates. Rising up from further within the gates, however, was the finest, largest estate Rin had ever laid her eyes on.

"The Castle of Yellow…"

A/N: So? Thoughts, comments, suggestions? No flames please! Only gentle, constructive criticism because I am a fragile soul lol. But I do greatly appreciate all reviews!