Thought I would miss Valentines? WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG. It just took a little time. That's all. That's all... *internally sobbing because of school work and exams coming up*
"Princess Rein, are you sure you're alright with this?" An old women said worriedly. Her gray hair was held up like a muffin top and glasses sat on her nose. "You'll meet in him due time..."
"Don't worry Camelot. I've got everything under control." The blue haired princess replied. She pulled her hair into a tight pony tail and patted down her black dress. She checked herself in the mirror and then walked up to Camelot.
"You can always decline..."
"I can't. Going against my father's wishes is not something I can do." Camelot let out a sigh then left the room. Rein followed behind, her head down.
"While we are at the Moon Kingdom castle, you will be known as Raina, my granddaughter who is training to become the Princess's personal maid." Rein nodded. "You must remember that when you meet him, you must not speak with him or come in contact with him in any way, understand?"
"Like I said before, I have everything under control." Rein gave her a reassuring smile, but Camelot still couldn't help but feel worried. Rein was a good girl who almost never disobeyed anything her father said. It wasn't unusual for her to do things out of the ordinary though.
Rein looked out at the window, thousands of thoughts running through her head. The Moon Kingdom was never on good terms with the Sunny Kingdom. Everything about the two kingdoms were basically complete opposites. Getting along seemed almost impossible, but then the Sunny Kingdom's king came up with a solution.
'Let my daughter marry your son.'
Those words are what led Rein to where she is now. Negotiations for the engagement have been going on for the past few weeks. Following right behind were unusual rumors.
'Apparently the prince is irresponsible and a womanizer!'
'Will the princess truly be alright?'
'I'm not sure... Isn't she quite pitiful? She's being married off to a stranger after all...'
Rein sighed and watched as the scenery slowly began to change around the carriage. The trees appeared less and less, being replaced by barren sands. Camelot smiled as she watched Rein's expression brighten as the landscape began to clear. She knew how much Rein loved new places, especially since she never got to leave the castle often.
It didn't take long for the carriages to roll to a stop towards the border. Everyone was ordered to leave the carriages and board what was basically a sand boat. "Why do we have to take these?" Rein questioned. She let Rein walk onto the boat first, then followed behind.
"These work better in the desert. They have lest resistance when moving around." Rein nodded in amazement. The minute the vehicle started moving, Rein couldn't help but feel fascinated by the contraption. "Careful Princess Rein. You might fall out." Camelot held her shoulder, but that didn't stop Rein from leaning out a bit and dragging her fingers lightly across the sand.
It didn't take long for them to reach the Moon Kingdom castle. Even the castle was beautiful. It shown bright against the sky's unusually dark glow. Everyone got off, and entered the castle with help from the other maids. Everyone was immediately guided to their guest rooms, and soon, all the maids were at work too.
"Princess Rein, you must stay put. I will accompany you later once I am done cleaning the kitchen and- Hm? Princess Rein?" Camelot turned around to see that the blue princess was no where to be seen. "MS. RAAAAN!"
"Well, that was sort of boring!" Rein sighed as she walked around the outdoor garden. "Sitting there and doing nothing while Camelot worked would have sucked." She skipped around a bit, staring at the flowers and such. "I shouldn't be dilly-dallying though... I have to find him as soon as possible so I can quickly go home..." The minute those words left her mouth, her mood dropped. Home...
She shook her head and looked around instead. The garden in itself looked extremely beautiful. It had such exquisite flowers Rein had never seen before. If this was how the garden looked, she wondered how the towns and cities looked. It was then that she stopped in place and slapped her cheeks. Concentrate Rein! We're looking for only one man!
It was only seconds after she said that that she tripped over something. She expected to hit something hard, but instead fell into something stiff, but not hard and painful like the ground. She opened her eyes, suddenly face to face with a blue eyed man.
"What are you doing?" he asked, slightly irritated. Rein blushed a bright red as he sat up, his hand still around her waist. "Shouldn't you be inside?" He questioned. He let go of her waist and she quickly scooted away.
"Big brother! If you have time to nap, you have time to work!" A small voice cried out. The unusual man grumbled and laid back on the ground.
"Isn't she calling for you?" Rein responded. He just opened one and and glanced at her, uncaring.
"Aha!" The girl suddenly popped out from the bushes behind him. She jumped and landed on his stomach, earning a loud choking sound from him. "Found you! Don't leave your poor little sister to do all the work by herself!" She whined. She saw Rein sitting nearby, shocked. "Oh, I didn't realize..." She covered her face, a small blush on her face.
"N-NO! IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" Rein quickly replied as she held up her hands in defense. "I just tripped! That's all!" The girl glanced at her brother, who was slowly coming back to reality.
"Oh, if that's so then, what is a maid doing all the way out here? I don't think I've seen you before either..."
"Oh! I'm from the Sunny Kingdom. I am a maid in training and my mentor thought it would be useful if I came here with her. My name is Ran." She replied. The girl nodded, slightly excited. "I got lost you could say..."
"Oh wow! My name is Milky by the way!" Rein was surprised. Milky was the name of Prince Shade's little sister. Rein looked towards boy who was still grumbling and rubbing his head. Then that makes him... Prince Shade?! Rein stared at him, dumbfounded.
"What?" He asked. Rein shook her head.
"Nothing! Nothing!" She quickly turned away, hiding the blush on her face. Calm down! Please!
"Oh! I have an idea! Since all the work is pretty much done, why don't we show you around town?" Princess Milky suggested. I wanted to reject, but I suddenly remembered a couple words of advice from Camelot. A maid is not allowed to reject requests!
"Well... If your majesty wishes..."
"Don't be so stingy! You're the same age as Big Brother right?" Prince Shade stood up, stretching out his back a little. He held out a hand, and Rein hesitantly took it. "You don't have to work so hard when you're young you know." I caught Prince Shade's glare, and hid my smile. Before anyone got to say anything else, Princess Milky took Rein by the hand and dragged her off, Shade following behind, still yawning.
"Wow!" Rein said, fascinated. The town was bustling with life, and there were foreign shops everywhere. She felt kind of bad that she had to force Prince Shade to look after her, as well as his sister. Each time she got distracted by new stores they passed by. The three of them attracted a lot of attention. Rein and Princess Milky didn't pay much attention, but Shade was cautious.
"I don't want to keep playing babysitter! Would you two stay put already!" Prince Shade angrily stated as he held both of their heads. That didn't stop the both of them from struggling towards a new area. It was when someone accidentally bumped into him that they both escaped. He was about to run after them, but was almost immediately swept away by the sea of people.
"Will he really be alright?" Rein asked. Milky laughed as she took Rein by the hand and pulled her into a restaurant.
"He's the prince of the Moon Kingdom! Of course he'll be alright!" Rein had forgotten he was the prince of the Moon Kingdom. She had also forgotten she was royalty as well, and turned to her.
"I'm so sorry for my rudeness! I was completely sucked into the scenery! I-"
"Calm down Ran! It's okay! I don't ever get to go out often, and you might not be able to tell, but Big Brother is actually pretty happy too!" Princess Milky replied. Rein let out a shaky sigh. I didn't expect someone so much younger than me to be so much smarter... After the two of them ordered some food, Rein took this chance to ask about Prince Shade.
"I don't know much about this kingdom, but... I've heard some nasty rumors about Prince Shade..." Milky laughed a little.
"Yeah. It just takes one little mistake for things to spiral out of control. People think he's irresponsible for leaving the castle often, but he's really just checking on how the townsfolk are doing."
"R-Really?"
"He prefers to see everything himself. Advisers can lie you know? For the sake of earning more money and such. He learned that the hard way. All he wants is what's best for his people." Rein was dumbfounded. Was he really that misunderstood?
"What the other half?" She wasn't completely sure if Princess Milky knew about the perverted part of the rumor, but she really wanted answers about that.
"That was just one huge misunderstanding. A maid attempted to force herself on him once and she was immediately fired. Our father has also paid for him to have... unusual parties." She suddenly lowered her voice. "He thinks I'm asleep, but the music is too loud. It makes me happy to know that my brother isn't in to that kind of thing though. I'm happy mother raised him right..." It hit me that the queen had passed only a couple months ago.
"I'm sorry." I said under my breath. Milky sighed.
"Well, either way, Big Brother still knows how to attract to women population quite easily, even if he doesn't want to. Did you know that once he was trampled by a bunch of women at a ball once?" I couldn't help but laugh a little this time.
"Oh really?" Milky and Rein paused in their conversation and slowly turned to and irritated prince. His hair was a complete mess and he looked like he was slightly sweating. "We're going back to the castle right now. You two are way too much trouble." He looked directly at Rein, and she shrank in her seat. The two of them quickly ate their food and silently followed Prince Shade behind.
They walked quietly behind him, and Rein had to fight the urge to leave the group. She forced herself to stay focused on the both of them who were happily chatting away. She noticed how Prince Shade's mood from earlier had already faded. Rein smiled in relief. It was only a couple seconds after that Princess Milky started nudging him. It took a couple minutes for him to slow down to stand next to Rein.
He looked around nervously (which Rein found funny) before taking a deep breath and asking, "What's the Sunny Kingdom's princess like?" Rein jumped at the question.
She almost immediately replied, "She's useless as heck, and has absolutely no elegance or grace! She has no real talent... and... and I wouldn't really say she was pretty..." Her voice quieted down with each passing insult. It was her she was talking about after all. It didn't take long for her to hear a light chuckle come from the prince's direction. Rein was stunned into silence.
"I never thought I'd hear a citizen of the Sunny Kingdom so intensely insult their Princess." He said as he laughed a little more. Rein let out a light laugh too.
"I think being honest is better then lying dear Prince." Rein replied. Prince Shade reached for her hair, taking a couple strands and letting it fall.
"You're really interesting, Ran." Rein blushed and turned away. I keep forgetting I'm a maid! She thought as she slapped her cheeks. Prince Shade had noticed her unusual action, but said nothing about it, instead holding in another chuckle.
The three of them reached the castle shortly, with Shade explaining to Rein the unusual landscape of the Moon Kingdom. The more she learned, the more she fell in love with the Moon Kingdom.
"Prince Shade! Princess Milky! Where have you been?!" A maid suddenly shouted as she ran towards the three of them. Rein immediately recognized her as Camelot. Prince Shade apparently did too, because his expression was mixed with worry and discomfort. "The entire castle has been in a fit..." She was about to continue when she caught Rein's glance. "Oh! Did P- Ms. Ran give you trouble?" She seemed to struggle saying that. "She's such an irresponsible maid I tell you! Even though she is training under the best!" I slowly walked over, my head down. Prince Shade gave her a shocked look. He quickly regained his composure
"It's nothing Camelot. So tell me, what's the matter?"
"You have more work on the tables. They are important documents that must be addressed at once. To make sure you don't wander off, I'll..."
"Please let Ran accompany me." He quickly stated. Rein froze in place and Camelot wasn't exactly in a position to deny his request. She hesitantly nodded, and Prince Shade grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hall. Camelot gave one last worried look before turning to Princess Milky, who seemed to be really happy.
"How do you know Camelot?" She asked as she kept up with Shade's pace.
"She's well known throughout most kingdoms... She's a fierce maid who is strict on princes and princesses... There is no break when it comes to her. I feel bad for the Sunny Kingdom princesses." Shade sighed, as though remembering terrible memories. "For you to be her apprentice..." He glanced at Rein, but said no more. It was a long, pleasant walk, and Rein finally built up enough courage to ask.
"Do you really plan to marry Princess Rein of the Sunny Kingdom?" There was a small silence, and Rein made sure not to meet his eyes.
He then said, "It's not something I'm really interested in. Even if the decision is finalized, I'm just going to decline. Our kingdoms have been at peace for a long time now, so I don't see much reason for it." Rein felt a stab in her chest.
"I-Is that so... That's quite a shame..." Her pace slowed a bit.
"By the way, Milky insisted we do this tomorrow, so I'm stopping by you're room tomorrow morning." He said casually. "Ah, it seems we're here." She slowed to a stop, and watched Shade entered his workroom. She bowed, and before even getting a reply, she turned around and dashed away. Why did I ever decide to meet him? She quickly ran to her room in the guest chambers and flopped onto her bed. She flipped around to face the ceiling, her heart aching.
"Ran! Get up! We need to leave before Camelot comes!" someone shouted. Rein quickly jolted up, not sure what was happening. It was when Shade opened the door that she snapped back to reality. She almost immediately picked up a pillow and tossed it at him.
"You don't walk in on a sleeping girl! Where are your manners?!" Rein scolded. Shade caught the pillow, and gave her what Rein was sure was not a guilty look.
"I thought I would have had to shake you awake." He replied. Rein just glared at him. "Also I had to tell you that Milky can't tag along. She skipped out on her lessons yesterday and has to make up for them today." Rein nodded, finally processing what he said.
"WAIT WHAT?! J-Just you and me?" Shade looked puzzled by her reaction.
"Yeah? What about it?"
"N-Nevermind. Just leave so I can get ready!" She threw another pillow at him, but he quickly closed the door before it hit him. She quickly changed into the maid outfit Camelot had provided. She then nervously followed Shade out to the first available sand boat and they quickly took off. Rein almost forgot all about it being just the two of them. She was too caught up in the beautiful sunrise.
"Have you really never seen other places than the Sunny Kingdom?" Shade questioned. Rein turned to him and nodded, a wide smile on her face.
"I was always... trapped inside the castle." She turned back towards the scenery, her mood lifting along with the sun.
The town was still bustling with life, but it had fewer people than last time. This time, with the lack of people, the two of them seemed to be more noticeable. A maid and a boy traveling the streets. Rein seemed oblivious, but Shade on the other hand... "Ran, don't wander off too far..." he looked in front of him to see she had run a little ahead again. "This girl..." He quickly caught up and grabbed her hand. She blushed, but continued facing forward. "It'd be bad if you got lost."
"What do you mean?" Rein questioned. Shade didn't want to tell her that these places have dark allies.
"Camelot would scold me dead." He replied. Rein giggled a little. It didn't take long before another shop caught her attention, and soon enough she was dragging Shade around. Even when he let go every now and then, she would grab his hand again and drag him to a new store. For some odd reason, Shade wasn't annoyed by her demeanor. More like, he was happy, and at peace.
After a long time, he finally let go of Rein's hand when he got assurance that she wouldn't wander too far. He saw her quickly walk towards a jewelry store window where beautiful jewelry sat in nice assortments. She seemed mesmerized. "Which one?" Shade asked. Rein paused a moment, about to pick, before realizing who she was.
"You can't buy things for a maid! That's just..."
"Well, I'm not exactly prince right now, so there's nothing wrong right?" He questioned. "So, which one?" Rein smiled and picked out a hair clip in the shape of a beautiful flower with small pearls hanging from it. Shade quickly bought it. He then handed it to her, and stared at it. "Why don't you put it on?"
"Huh? Oh, that's because I'm thinking... Maybe this would suit my sister better." Rein said as she stared at it.
"You're sister? Why?" Shade asked. Rein wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it, but if the Prince asked, then she couldn't decline. Not in her position at least.
"Can we... grab something to eat?" Shade nodded and left the store, Rein following close behind, the clip still in her hand. They both walked into a fancy pastry shop, and took a seat. Shade ordered two drinks before letting Rein continue.
"So? Why do you think it'd suit your sister better?" Rein hesitated. Placing the clip on the table.
"She was always... better than me. She knew what she wanted. She knew how to be independent. She wasn't a sad, pitiful girl..." Rein said as she twirled the clip. "Even my dad preferred her. I was... unneeded. Just a waste of space in the Sunny Kingdom castle." She didn't hear a reply from Shade in long time. Not until the drinks came.
"That seems like quite the story for a maid." He finally said. Rein didn't realize she was letting on too much until he said something. "Where is your sister now?" She wasn't sure what to say.
"She's... working under Princess Fine." She finally looked up, wanting to see his reaction. A new thought occurred in her head, and she couldn't stop herself from asking. "If it was Princess Fine who was arranged to marry you, would you still have rejected?" He looked at her, his face expressionless.
"Well, I heard she was much more elegant and graceful than the pitiful Princess Rein." Rein's eyes widened in shock. Even he agreed that her sister was better than her. Her heart ached, and her eyes became a little hazy. He would even consider marrying her, while he flat out rejected Rein.
"I... I'll be back..." Rein quickly stood up and exited before Shade could say a word. She ran down the crowded street, her eyes filled with tears. I want to go home! She thought. She rubbed her eyes, and slowed to a walk, not knowing where she was. She looked around, distressed and unhappy. This was an area she hadn't reached yet, and without Shade, she wasn't sure where to go.
"Hello ma'am." A stranger said as he approached her. Rein looked at him, slightly scared. "Are you lost?" Rein hesitantly nodded, and saw as another man began to approach from behind. The both of them didn't look too clean, and more over they had suspicious coats on them.
"I-I'm waiting for someone." Rein quickly replied as she backed away. They wouldn't do anything in public, would they?
"Don't be shy. We're here to help." They forcefully grabbed her wrists and began guiding her somewhere. She was about to cry out when they suddenly wrapped a muffler tightly around her mouth. As an alternative, she began to struggle. She kicked, cried, but the grip was too strong and soon she ran out of energy. They turned at least one corner before Rein was thrown on the ground, her arm scraping against concrete. She looked up to see at least two other girls shivering in the corner.
"We hit the jackpot didn't we? A maid! Classic!" The old man laughed. Rein sat up, shivering and scared.
"We leave in the evening. Until then, what should we do I wonder..." Rein scooted back with the other girls.
"They have to be in perfect condition when we sell them! Don't ruin them!" The other man replied. Rein glanced from one to the other, a pleading look on her face.
"Please. Not like they'll know." His arm reached Rein's hair so quickly that Rein didn't have much time to react. He dragged her by the pony tail towards a doors to the side. She gave him a pleading look, but knew there was no way out. This was where it would all go downhill. It was only as the man reached the door that a loud yelp echoed across the walls. Everyone turned to the noise to see that the other man's hand had a sword pierced right through it. At the other end was a purple-haired prince, his expression blazing with anger.
"What do you think you're doing?" He questioned. He withdrew the sword, and blood leaked from his hand.
The other man shook a little, fear obvious in his voice, but he didn't back down. "I'm trying to enjoy myself." This seemed to infuriate him even more. He didn't hesitate to stab him in the thigh. He let go of Rein's hair, and grabbed his thigh, screeching out in pain. Shade then proceeded to walk past him, and approached Rein who was shivering and crying her eyes out. He undid the muffler, and Rein let out a cry of relief.
"Oh Shade! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Rein cried as she leaned into him. Shade hugged her and undid her tied hands.
"It's my fault for saying something so rude to my fiancée." He replied. Rein stared back in shock. "I'll explain later. Right now, I've got some people to deal with." It didn't take long for him to knock them unconscious. During that time, Rein helped free the other girls, and they quickly took off under Shade's orders. Once he was sure the men were tied up and unconscious, he turned to Rein whom was silently standing by herself. "They ruined you're beautiful hair." He said as he caressed her head. Rein could do nothing, but hug him.
"Camelot, may I please have some alone time with Rein." Camelot looked up, a worried look on her face.
"Of course, your majesty." She replied. She bowed on her way out, and Shade took a seat next to Rein who was calmly drinking some tea in bed.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Rein said as she placed her cup down. Shade shook his head.
"This is the twelfth time you've said this. You don't need to apologize anymore." Rein shook her head.
"Of course I do! Once again, I have disappointed everyone." Rein clutched her bed sheets. Instead, Shade took her hand and she looked up at him, her eyes hazy.
"I'm not disappointed."
"Then what are you?"
"I'm frustrated with myself for letting this happen." He placed her hand up to his forehead. "I let you get kidnapped, and nearly injured in the Moon Kingdom. You are a guest here and most importantly, you are my fiancée."
"How did you know?"
"Camelot is an extremely loud thinker." This earned him a giggle, and he smiled, rubbing his thumb on her hand. She then sighed and looked away.
"I guess I should start packing. Not much reason for me to stay here." She was about to climb out of bed when Shade continued to hold tightly onto her hand.
"What are you packing for?" Rein gave him an 'isn't it obvious?' look, followed by a hurt expression.
"You said it yourself! You planned to decline the offer. You'd even prefer you're sister over me." It didn't take long before she felt something pinch onto her hair. She stopped talking and felt her head, her hand tracing the flower clip Shade had bought her earlier.
"I said your sister was more graceful and elegant, but-" He made sure to pull her into a tight hug. "I never said I preferred her over you." Rein's eyes widened with shock in Shade's grip. She could feel her eyes becoming a little hazy. "Just tell me, honestly, how you feel."
"You don't... you don't hate me?" Rein asked. Shade shook his head, and pulled back, giving her a gentle smile. Rein rubbed her eyes, before saying, "I love you." Shade chuckled a little as he pulled her back into a hug.
"I love you too, Princess Rein." He whispered into her ear. She let out a laugh of relief and Shade just continued to hold her in his embrace.
It didn't take long until Milky came barging in shouting, "When's the wedding?! I call maid of honor!" Rein almost reflexively pushed Shade away and hid in her face in the bed sheets. Shade glared at Milky whom just ran up to the bed and sat next to Rein. Rein looked up to see that Milky wasn't the only one who had overheard. At the door was Camelot, and a couple of other maids. Rein whined and hid her face in the bed sheets again.
"Rein." Shade said in an unusual tone. Rein, surprised, turned to him, where she was greeted with a sudden kiss on the lips. Everyone watching gasped and some turned away. Milky pretended to cover her eyes while still peeking through the cracks in her fingers. When he pulled away, he had a smirk on his face. "I'm looking forward to the wedding, my dear finacée." All Rein could do was duck back into the covers, but even so, a bright smile was plastered all over her face.
Many of you might not know, but I'm entering high school soon and I have this entrance exam coming up in two days. I'm extremely nervous. =[ Wish me luck. I still won't have a lot of time to write either though, since after the entrance exam there are more tests to do and a lot of studying. I'm very sorry guys, but I will finish these stories even if it kills me! I've got like two new stories too, so look forward to them. (in like two years or so *sob*)