AN: I'm not sure but I think that since this is an AU it's a little bit harder for me to write so the chapter is shorter than my usual ones. I really do hope you enjoy it though

Chapter Four

Kyoko sulked as she stared out of the window of the private jet. Now that she was hearing how people were addressing the so-called Ren, she had realized that she had been brought to a situation that there was no way of her being ready for. This moron who had rescued her was the prince of his country and she was told that she would be staying in his castle until suitable accommodation was found for her. She hadn't wanted to be with this guy in the first place and now that he was royalty, her desire had decreased further.

She pouted as she looked out the window and then felt him approach her with a glass of something pink and bubbly. He was actually giving her alcohol? Despite him being an actual prince, did he not understand that she shouldn't be drinking. She looked away with disinterest. "You really don't have a problem with alcohol," she said and Kuon raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you say that?" he asked before putting a hand on her shoulder, she moved away giving him a warning glance. So what if he was the prince, what was he going to do? Execute her? She was pretty doubtful that that would be the case.

"I mean, what is in your hand?" she gestured and Kuon looked to the glass.

"Ah, you really don't have a good first opinion of me, do you?" he asked and Kyoko gave him a look that proved that what he had just said was correct. Kuon smiled as he put the drink in front of her and Kyoko turned, trying to ignore it. "That is one of the best strawberry lemonades that my country offers," he attempted to explain and Kyoko turned back to it slowly. Did he just say strawberry lemonade? "I think the name is Princess Lemonade," he smiled and Kyoko picked it up in her hands.

"You don't have to act like this. You can be a jerk if you want to," she told him as a security guard looked up at the two of them but Kuon gestured that they should sit down and remain calm. He definitely didn't find Kyoko much of a threat.

"Oh really, high praise," he winked as Kyoko looked at him again. "Look, you said that if you remained in Japan you might get into some trouble and I don't want to be the cause for anyone to get into trouble. I thought that taking you back to my country would let you live a good life, a happy life, a life where I can provide you with a visa, an apartment, and anything else that you need to live comfortably."

"Because you want me as a concubine," Kyoko accused him and Kuon rolled his eyes.

"Want you as a concubine?" he asked before shrugging and giving Kyoko an expression that seemed to say that he had absolutely no interest like that and that she wasn't his type. Kyoko felt irritated by this. Maybe he was a playboy who took advantage of the fact that he was a prince to lure a long line of women to want to be princesses. She had wanted to be a princess but now the option was looking a lot less favorable to her.

"You don't need to say it like that. Your country would probably revolt if they found you to marry an assassin anyway," she stated and Kuon laughed.

"Picturing yourself betrothed to me already?" he attempted to joke and Kyoko shook her head.

"You wish. You know, I think I preferred you when I thought that you were a security guard or someone hired by the royal family. Ren was definitely more pleasant to be around. He wasn't the jerk that you are, your ego is huge, you know that right?" Kyoko accused him and Kuon laughed, he wasn't used to being spoken to like that and he had to admit that he enjoyed it.

"Lunch should be ready shortly," Kuon told her before going back to his seat. He smiled as he saw Kyoko start to drink the lemonade. She was rather beautiful and he was happy that he hadn't left her behind. She didn't seem the type of person who deserved to be stuck in that type of a life. He hoped that he could make her happy even if she did have a bad first impression of him.

…

…

Kyoko's absence was definitely missed by the group that she could at one point call her family. A family wasn't necessarily a good thing, it didn't meant that it had love and affection for all members but they had provided her with clothing and shelter in exchange for the job that she hated but they all felt she was talented at. They hadn't known that she hadn't killed and disposed of the targets they had given her despite her years of training and being tested under the best and most talented in their number. All they knew now was that the target she had been sent out to get most recently was alive and she had disappeared without a corpse being found.

This was one of the ways in which she would be found a traitor to the group and just like any major gangs, if you betrayed your 'family' then you would face the punishments, the final punishments.

Saena Mogami had been hired as a lawyer and kept on retainer for this group for the unpleasant and illegal acts of doing the work of the gang's version of justice. Nobody wanted their identity known to the outsiders and so Saena risked her life to be that face.

It was now time to send an assassin after their top assassin or at least to recover and burn the body. She had a suitcase of money in front of her and she closed her eyes, bowing her head and getting herself into character as there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," she instructed and a man walked in wearing a long trench and smoking a cigarette. His long silver hair was styled in what gave an impression of a young visual kei artist. Aside from Kyoko who had been brought up since childhood with a taste to kill on demand, this man was also successful. He would find her and kill her for this disgrace she had brought upon the family.

"Your name is Reino," Saena commented as the man took a seat at the table and then put his feet up, his shoes had once been designer but now they had wear to them as if he had trekked somewhere dangerous. He should have been wearing better clothing for her to offer him this contract.

"What do you make of it?" he asked before stretching out. "You know that I don't work for free," he told her as he eyed the briefcase. "And money is only one form of payment. What do I get to do with the body?" he asked as he licked his lips and Saena had a fear that he would eat his victims. No, her mind was racing, she was getting ahead of herself.

"I know the price you ask, I also know that you want to keep whatever weapons we provide you with," she told him and Reino nodded. "This girl isn't going to be easy though. She's quick and she has a strength using weapons. You may get hurt."

"Heh," Reino cracked a smile as he looked at Saena as if she had just made a joke worthy of a comedy club. "I never get hurt. I don't mind death but I hate pain and therefore I make sure that I never get hurt."

Saena sighed before sliding down a photograph of Kyoko, she raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you can manage this one?" she asked and Reino picked up the photo, sliding it into his pocket.

"Any rule against necrophilia?" he asked and Saena shrugged.

As disgusted as she was by that question, it wasn't outside of the job description and there was no set rule on whether it was permissible. "Whatever you like," she told him ready to continue the contract negotiations.

…

…

Somehow being in the library in the palace reminded Kyoko of that scene in Beauty and the Beast where the Beast provided a library for Belle. Maybe that was too mean. Kuon was a prince but he was attempting to save her, not keep her prisoner in here and she hadn't lost her freedom, they were just trying to arrange somewhere where she could live safely. She hadn't intended to be mean or cause anyone any pain but she had grown up to be defensive.

She looked through the books before finding there to be one set out next to the window. It was a book of fairytales that were different than the ones she had grown up with in Japan. The book was written in English but she could read English and she was fascinated by what was inside. She jumped up to the ledge, picked up the book, and started reading.

As she skimmed through the pages in the book, she landed on one that seemed to spark interest within her. It was titled, 'The Tale of Prince Corn'. She smiled at the picture, this did kind of look like Kuon. This part of the book also seemed to be the most read part. Had this been something that he had enjoyed in childhood?

"I thought I'd find you in here," she heard a voice and turned to see Kuon approaching her. She turned stubbornly so that her body was turned away from him and that she could stare out the window. The world below seemed so new and different but she didn't want to show vulnerability to this man.

"What are you reading?" Kuon asked as he approached her and Kyoko tried to hide the book but he had already seen it. "Ah, Prince Corn, always an inspiration for me. It's about making sure to smile though also keeping a special place for your sadness," he told her and Kyoko rolled her eyes.

"You call that inspiration? A book that tells you that it's okay to be sad and lonely?" she asked but before she could place another insult, Kuon interrupted her.

"Yes, I do think that it's okay," he said honestly. "When I was little, my mother wanted to read to me and this was one of her favorite stories. She would always look so happy when she read it that it was very comforting to me as a small boy. I think you'd enjoy reading it," he told her and Kyoko turned to him. So, even though he had people giving him everything that he could want and she had people giving her things that they didn't want or things they legally needed to provide, they had both experienced what loneliness felt like.

"Tomorrow I'd like to show you the garden," Kuon told her as he took a look out of the window. "You might even be able to find my secret garden," he winked before leaving her with the book and Kyoko watched him go. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she had originally believed him to be.

End of Chapter Four

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Three

H-Nala, Kaname671