DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. This is a fanfic written for entertainment only.

A/N: Thank you for the review, HarvestDragon. I'm glad you enjoy the story. Hopefully you will enjoy this chapter as well. (n.n) By the way, I'm dropping 'Super Drive' and might do the same for 'Dear You'. I've learned my lesson; never attempt to do a multi-chapter fiction when you're bombarded with group projects, assignments, presentations, tests, exams and preparations for 3 months practical. OTL I'm past that anyway so hopefully this one will not meet the same end. OTL I'd like to thank you to all readers who support both fictions. It means a lot to me to read your feedbacks. X3

Italic words – Flashback

DESERT ROSE

Chapter 2: Memories Of The Past

"There you are!" a blonde-haired girl shouted, pointing upwards at the white-haired boy who was sitting on one of the branch of the apricot tree. "Didn't we agree that hiding up on a tree is off-limits?"

The white haired boy looked down at the girl and shrugged. "I forgot," he simply said and jumped down the tree; making a perfect landing on the ground. "You found me anyway so why bother?" he continued as he removed some leaves stuck between the strands of his hair and on his white coat.

"But Daddy told me that only bad kids broke the rules and I should stay away from them."

The boy turned to the blonde-haired girl. "You're going to stop playing with me?" he asked, faking a sad expression that he knew the blonde-haired girl will fall onto.

The girl, shocked with the white-haired boy's words-and completely oblivious that said boy is pretending to be sad-, shook her head so hard that the boy think it'll fall anytime soon. "No! Never!" she replied and moved a step forward to the boy; taking his hands into hers. She stared into his cerulean orbs with a determined look. "I'll never leave you, Your Highness! I'm your best friend. Best friends stay together even during hard times, right? And you're not a bad kid, Your Highness, you're just-"

"Pfft...ahaha!" the white-haired boy broke into laughter. He released his hands only to use it to clutch onto his stomach; trying to endure the pain of laughing so hard in said area.

The girl's eyebrows narrowed. "What's funny?"

"Haha...You're taking my joke way too serious," the boy replied, wiping away a tear from his left eye.

The girl's face reddened. "You tricked me!" she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from facing the white-haired boy. "I'm not going to talk to you ever again!"

The white-haired boy smiled. He was used to the girl's threats-though she actually will never do that-and somehow found her pouting face cute. He patted the girl on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm just kidding. You don't have to be so angry."

"Hmph," the girl hmph-ed and shrugged off the boy's hand; ignoring the boy's words of apology.

The boy let out a quiet chuckle. He dug into his coat's pocket, taking out two fresh-looking apricots; the fruits from the tree he'd climbed before. He moved in front of the girl. "I'm sorry?" he again asked to be forgiven while handing the girl one of the apricot while he kept another, the one in his right hand close to his chest.

The blonde-haired girl switched her stare between the grinning boy's face and the fresh-from-tree, delicious looking apricot. She had always hated the boy's attempt in trying to bribe her with her favourite fruit.

"I hate you," the girl said as she took the apricot offered by the boy. "When did you get these?" she asked as she started nibbling on the fruit in her hand.

The white-haired boy grinned at her question. "Do you think I hid up on the tree without any reason? I saw these two so I went up to get it. Apricots are your favourite, right? I was about to climb back down and hide but you're done counting so I just stay there until you found me."

"O-oh...You did it...for me?" the blonde-haired girl flushed. "I'm sorry that I got angry at you earlier," she apologized.

The boy shook his head. "Nah. I'm at fault for teasing you like that," he replied her.

The girl smiled. "We're even then."

"Not quite."

"Huh?"

The boy paused from chewing bits of apricot in his mouth. "Haven't I told you that there's no need to be so formal when we're together? You're still calling me 'Your Highness' even though I told you to call me by my name when no one is around."

"Ah...," the blonde-haired girl mimicked the boy's action; pausing from munching the fruit and scratched her chin with her free hand. "I'm used to address you that, I guess..."

"We're best friends, right?"

"Of course we are!"

"Then there's no need to call me 'Your Highness. Try calling me by my name," the white-haired boy added, now staring at the girl's amethyst orbs with a smile on his face.

The girl blushed even redder. "...A-Amir..."

Amir's eyes jerked open to the voice that called his name. Still lying on his bed, he turned his face to the right side of the bed; to the table in the middle of his tent. There stood a man with maroon outfit; the same one-which seems to always have a foul mood-who accompanied Desert Rose last night.

"Jeez. That sure took you some time to get up. I've been calling you for the past 2 minutes now," the man complained. He placed a tray of food on the oak table. "Here's your breakfast. Next time, try to get it yourself. This is not the palace and you're no longer a prince...well, at least here," he added. "I couldn't care less if you're starving or not, but Anita doesn't seemed want to deal with more dead bodies so there."

Amir-now sitting on the edge of his bed-stared at the tray of food lying on the table; there's a small clay pitcher-probably filled with water-and a glass next to it, a plate of sliced bread and some grilled meat served in another plate. Amir's stomach started grumbling as he remembered that he hasn't eat anything ever since he escaped the palace yesterday. The food is plain to Amir's standard for after all; a Prince of a wealthy kingdom such as Janaam was used to be served by other exquisite, rare food that Amir was positive he wouldn't have a chance to see nor eat before the feud in his kingdom is over.

As if reading the Prince's thoughts, the man in maroon outfit grunted. "Sorry that the food's not as grand as you used to have back in the palace, Your Highness," he said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone when addressing the white-haired man 'Your Highness'. "But you know what? I don't care and if you want to live here with us, you will have to deal with it," he added, rolling his eyes to no one in particular. "Have fun tasting the food your oppressed-by-the-royalty people ate," he smirked and spun his heel around, ready to leave the tent but paused as the white-haired man spoke.

"You've changed, Dirk," Amir commented, staring at the back of the other man close to the exit. "I don't remember you being this bitter before."

Dirk turned around; the expression he had clearly showed that he was angry at the previous comment. "Quiet. You know nothing about me," he muttered. "You know nothing about the hardship I've been through ever since 'that' happened."

Amir looked at the other with sympathy clearly shown in his cerulean orbs. "I'm sorry that you have to gone through such experience, Dirk. But as I told you before, I play no part in it and-"

The rest of the Prince's words never came out as Dirk, with a speed that Amir couldn't believe he had, launched himself onto him; tackled him down back on the bed he was sitting on. Amir winced in pain as he hit his head hard on the bed; the bed sheet and blanket did nothing to soften the impact. The brunette's eyes flared with hatred as he grabbed the prince by the collar of his coat with both hands.

"Shut up," he growled; eyes locked with the prince beneath him. "And stop looking at me with that sympathy of yours, you murderer. Your pity is the least I need in my life. Try making the same comment ever again and see what I'm going to do to you," Dirk released a hand from the prince's collar and drew a dagger-still inside its sheath-from his back and raise it high enough for the white-haired prince to see it.

Amir didn't flinch. To say that he was used to this-getting shown sharp weapons that can anytime reap his soul from him and leave him dead-is exaggerating things but he have a fair share of experience having himself getting almost-killed, poisonous daggers pointed to his throat and swords almost cut him into two or worst, having his body chopped into countless pieces of human meat. He wondered though how Dirk managed to move as fast as he did now because even though he's rather short in height compare to him, he always managed to outrun the man in maroon outfit in a race they occasionally had back at the palace.

The prince heaved a sigh. "I understand," he replied. "I wish to avoid getting involved in a fight while I'm here, Dirk. Now if you please," he added and placed his hand onto Dirk's which is still on his collar, never letting it go.

Dirk's eyebrows knitted together as he continued to stare at the prince. He gritted his teeth and drawing back his dagger, he pulled away from the prince; rose from the bed while still shooting death glares to the white-haired prince. "Tch. I hope you're going to keep your words-or at least try to keep it. I swear if the same thing ever happens again," his fists balled on both sides. "I will definitely kill you," he continued before turning around and started to walk over the exit.

Amir sat up on his bed; his eyes followed the other man as he moved. "You hated me so much now, don't you?" he muttered, mostly for himself to hear.

Dirk once again paused on his track. Without turning around to the prince, he said," Who wouldn't hate you after 'that'? To top it all, you're the reason Anita turned out to be like this. She will never go back to being a cheery woman she used to be. You're the reason she will never smile again." With that, Dirk walked outside; leaving the prince to stare at nothing but the untouched food on the table in the middle of the prince's room.

. TO BE CONTINUED .

A/N: Writing this was fun as always. XD I've been thinking of using characters from other HM games as well for this fic. (n.n)