"It's not fair," Allen muttered to himself.

He was in the library, sitting at a table and hiding behind a giant stack of books. He'd been there all day. The library, the home of Bookman and Lavi, was the only place where his... bodyguard would let him go by himself. The only place where Allen could get away from his knight. The only place where Allen could be by himself.

Well, not exactly by himself. Lavi was sitting at the next table over, and he wasn't quiet. He was sniggering away and scratching around on a piece of paper. Allen was far too embarrassed to look at whatever it was that Lavi was writing.

Allen personally had no idea how he was supposed to go to training that afternoon.

How on earth would he be able to face his knight now? Firstly, he'd mistaken Kanda for a girl. To make matters worse, he'd accidentally... accidentally... accidentally kissed him. At which point Kanda had swiftly knocked him to the ground and disarmed him before stalking off. It was almost like Kanda had done it on purpose – kissed him on purpose – because Allen had almost defeated him.

Allen wasn't sure what scared him more. Kanda's anger or the fact that the knight might have done it on purpose.

What a dirty tactic to use.

Lavi sure wasn't helping Allen's embarrassment. All the apprentice Bookman had been able to do since yesterday was try and keep a straight face – and it sure as hell wasn't working. Every few minutes Lavi would break out in a fit of giggles. Every time he laughed, the memory surfaced again in Allen's mind and he felt a stabbing feeling in his stomach.

At least Lenalee hadn't been watching. Or Komui. Allen shuddered to think what would have happened to him if either of those two had been watching. Lavi might be irritating, but at least he could keep a secret. He was a Bookman, after all. And Kanda didn't have any friends to tell as far as Allen could see.

"So none but the three of us knows," Allen muttered to himself for the fifth time that day, putting down the book and resting his head on his hands, looking up at the clock with one eye shut. It was 12 o'clock already. He usually trained at four. Only four hours left.

"Y'know," Lavi said in a casual tone. The little tuft of hair on Allen's head had disappeared behind the stack of books again, so the apprentice Bookman guessed that the Prince was lying face down on the desk again.

"Y'know, you shouldn't let it bother you. I don't think anything of it. I'm sure Kanda doesn't either. In fact, I know he doesn't. No-one else knows. Just forget it ever happened."

Allen's head appeared, stretching over the piles of books he'd put up in defence. He rested his chin on one of the leather-bound tomes and sighed, puffing at his fringe, looking at Lavi with a troubled expression on his small face.

"You don't like to admit that you're shy, do you?"

"I'm not shy!"

Lavi leaned back in his chair and put his boots on the table, something he would definitely get kicked for if Bookman saw him. "Not shy with people, you're heart-shy."

"Is that even a word?" Allen asked, ignoring the connotations.

"Of course it is. I'm a Bookman; do I look like the kind of person who'd go around making up words? In any case, Allen, you're love-shy. You're afraid of that kind of thing because you've been betrothed to Lenalee since before you were born. Because of that, and your gentlemanly like manner, anything that could be considered actions or feelings that are stronger than friendship scares you."

"I'm not scared of love!" Allen protested. He was slightly embarrassed to be having this kind of conversation with the shameless Lavi, but at the same time he felt comforted.

"You're afraid that you'll fall in love with someone who's not Lenalee. You don't want to let her down. You know that there's no way out of this betrothal. So unlike the rest of the boys in the city, you're not out there with the guys, breaking hearts and trying things out. Do you even know any girls other than Road and Lenalee?"

"Where has Road been, these last few days, anyway?" Allen said in an attempt to change the subject.

Lavi relented and dropped the topic for the time being. "Lenalee said that she had some family business on the other side of the city to take care of for a few days. Something about th- I don't know what about."

But Allen hadn't missed Lavi's little slip. "Something about the? This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I've suddenly got a bodyguard, does it?"

"Course not. Now, you gotta promise me that you're gonna forget about that accident and perk up, 'kay, beansprout?" Lavi reached out and ruffled the white head in front of him.

"My name is Allen! Why are you calling me that as well!" All embarrassment was forgotten at the sound of the hated nickname.

Lavi chuckled and grabbed some of the bits of paper and parchment scattered across the table, standing up as he did so. "Cause Yuu's my friend and he's my age, and if he can call you that, so can I! Plus, it's a cute nickname."

"I don't need cute nicknames!" Allen raged as his friend scampered away. "It's annoying, and my name is Allen! I don't want to answer to beansprout!"

Over at the storeroom door where the old books and papers that needed to be restored were kept, Lavi stopped and leaned against the wall. "Sheesh, Allen, you're so shy that you can't even seen what's right in front of you."


Lenalee Lee walked down the corridor to her brother's day rooms. He didn't live in the rooms that were officially the King's rooms, because he was only the steward. Even so, the position of steward/advisor was an important one, and the rooms were huge. Most of the time, however, Komui spent his time in the first underground floor. This level was common knowledge to the public, but the levels below it were a secret that only the Generals, the knights, and a select few others knew about. Even Allen, the Prince, didn't know about much at all about the world he really lived in.

Kanda Yuu, Allen's knight, was walking along side her. He had a more than usually grumpy look on his face, so Lenalee kept quiet as they walked down to the room in the second underground floor that Komui called his "lab". There, along with the other scientists, he worked together with the knights to create weapons that could fight the Millennium Earl's akuma.

Not very many people knew the truth about the knights of Innocence. Though it was widely known that ordinary people could become knights easily, most people didn't understand how brilliant fighters remained ordinary soldiers their entire lives. The reason was simple – if you couldn't wield magic, you couldn't become a knight. All knights were members of the global organisation called the Black Order. That was why the knights were constantly rotating and leaving on "missions". Occasionally there were reports of akuma attacks, and the knights were dispatched to take care of them.

Lenalee was not officially a knight, but she was a magic-wielder – known as an "Accommodator" of magic – and a member of the Black Order. Her weapons were the infamous Dark Boots, and she had trained in kickboxing. Her brother was the Black Order Supervisor for the European Branch as well as being the steward of Innocence. Because of this, Lenalee didn't go out on very many missions, as well as the fact that she was a lady and the betrothed of the Prince.

Lenalee sighed. Betrothed of the Prince. Even though she and Allen had been friends for years, both of them had yet to come to terms to the fact that they would have to get married and were expected to... raise heirs together. To Lenalee, Allen was like a little brother. He was noble and loyal, exactly like a prince should be. She loved him, like a little brother. And the older the two of them got, the more constrained Lenalee felt. She knew her brother was doing all he could to find a way around the betrothal, but she couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling whenever she thought of it.

"Lenalee!" Reever, Komui's assistant, stuck his head around the door as he heard their footsteps approach. "Kanda. You're here."

"Yes, brother mentioned that he had something important to discuss with us?"

"That's right. He's just over here." Reever led them across to a desk that was covered with books and scraps of parchment. Bookman, the librarian and historian of the castle, was sitting on a red couch in front of the desk, his hands hidden in his large sleeves and a resigned look on his face.

Reever frowned in annoyance. "He's still asleep?"

"He was up late last night," Lenalee put in. "He said he was working on something."

"How annoying," Kanda grunted in his usual annoyed tone.

"Unhhh... Lenalee?"

"Che."

"He always wakes up when he hears you, Lenalee," said Johnny, another of the science team, as he passed by. According to official records, the people who worked in the underground Black Order worked in the castle as "servants", but if the real servants were asked about them, they often didn't recognise or know the science team. The fact that the Black Order existed and was operating from underneath Innocence City was a well-kept secret.

"Hey, Lenalee!" Komui leapt up from the desk with a sudden vigour and charged at his sister.

Shing. Komui's headlong rush was brought to a stop by the sudden appearance of Mugen. "Waah, Lenalee, he's bullying me!"

"Just get on with it. I left that idiot beansprout with that idiot rabbit. Everyone with a shred of sense is down here. The sooner I get this stupid business over with the quicker I can stop the peace being destroyed."

Is he... worrying about Allen? Lenalee thought to herself. Lavi did say something about something happening at training... did Allen get injured? Speaking of that, I haven't even seen him today...

"Lenaleee~!" Komui whined, looking at her for help.

She put a hand on Kanda's shoulder. "Hey, chill out a bit. You're all on edge today. Did something happen at training yesterday?"

If Lenalee didn't know better, she would have sworn the tiniest bit of colour entered the knight's cheeks. "Of course not. Don't be stupid." Kanda sheathed Mugen and sat down in a huff on the couch.

"So, you wanted to talk to us?" Lenalee said, turning to her brother.

"Right." Komui pulled his ridiculous white hat further down on his head and returned to his position behind his desk where he sat with an air of superiority. He'd quickly transitioned from what Lavi called "brother" mode to "scientist" mode.

He pulled a map down across the book shelf behind him. It was a map of Innocence. General Tiedoll's fortress was marked out in red, but there was another spot in the south of Innocence that had a large red splotch on it.

"As you know, a week and two days ago there was an attack on General Tiedoll's fortress. What you didn't know, and we didn't either until last night, was that another attack was carried out in the city of Bromide exactly a week ago as well. General Yeeger was also attacked by forces of the Millennium Earl."

"Is... is he ok?" Lenalee asked in a worried tone.

"No. While he is not dead, he has been reduced to a very concerning state." Komui's face was dark. "Something or someone played with his mind using a strength and type of magic that we haven't seen before. His mind has been completely addled, and all he does now is sing a rather creepy song. On top of that, his weapon "Pendulum" has been destroyed."

"D- destroyed?" Even Kanda seemed a little shocked at that.

Komui sighed and rested his chin on his hand, twirling a stylus in the other. "Yes, completely and utterly."

"What could destroy a knight's weapon? And the generals are the strongest power users in Innocence! How could one of them be defeated?" Lenalee clutched the edge of the couch as she sat on it. On her feet, her weapon the "Dark Boots" suddenly felt heavier than usual.

"We believe it to be a creation or ally of the Earl's known as the "Noah"," Bookman said in his dry voice. "They are similar to knights in a fashion. They also wield magic, but it is more similar to the Earl's than to ours. We don't know their full capability because this is only their second appearance in the history of the world. Even the Bookman records don't have very much information on them. I've had Lavi scouring the oldest records, but neither of us has found anything yet."

"That's why we are assigning protection details to the Generals," Komui informed them. "But we have a problem. General Cross has disappeared again. Whether this is just another of his little escapades or if he's been captured by the Earl, we don't know. That's why you and Lavi are going to look for General Cross."

Lenalee nodded. "Ok. What are you going to tell Allen?"

"That you and Road had to return on a matter of business to our home. Road will head there, whilst you and Lavi set off to look for Cross."

"He'll be disappointed... when are you going to tell him about all of this?" Lenalee asked.

Komui sighed. "I honestly don't know. Until the wielder of Crown Clown has been discovered, I think we should just keep it a secret."

"Che. That beansprout's not as stupid as he looks. He's going to figure out that something's going on."

"Probably. So it's your job to keep him distracted!" Komui finished with a grin."

"I'll go and start packing." Lenalee stood up. "Could someone send for Road? She's been staying at her uncle's these past few days."


Road Camelot of the family of Noah licked on a lollypop as she skipped down a street in . In her other hand she was swinging an umbrella with a pumpkin on the top. It was a creation of the Earl's and its name was Lero. It could talk and fly, but that was about the limit of the magic inside it.

"Stop swinging, Lero... The Earl will be mad if he finds out you took me out again!"

"Oh hush, he won't. Besides, I did a good job last week while the Black Order was distracted with the frontal attack on Tiedoll."

"If you say so, Lero..."

"Come on Lero, play with me!"

"Shouldn't we be going back to Lord Tyki now?"

Road sighed. "You're probably right. He'll be waiting. Maybe he'll play with me later!" The umbrella rolled its tiny eyes.

Road stopped in the street. A large, wardrobe shaped object appeared in front of her, covered in a pale glow. The doors opened and Road stepped through into another house, far away in Japan. There was a young man sitting at a table in the main room of the wealthy-looking home. His name was Tyki Mikk, and he was another of the "family" of Noah.

"So, you're back."

"Tyki!" Road rushed over and threw her arms around the man who had long black hair. "Play with me! It's so boring with Lord Millennium out on business!"

Tyki chuckled. "Don't worry; I'm sure he'll be back soon. By the way, while you were out, a message was sent to our house in Innocence City. You are supposed to accompany Lenalee Lee back to the Lee mansion in the west of Innocence. But she's actually going on mission with that knight Lavi something to find General Cross."

"Cross? Aren't Jasdero and Debitto supposed to be chasing him?"

Tyki snorted. "Don't mention it to them. In the past week since he disappeared from the capital, he's caused them all sorts of trouble."

Road giggled. "That sounds like a lot of fun! When's Lord Millennium getting back?"

"Don't know." Tyki pushed Road off him and stood up, putting on a black top hat as he did so. "You should be getting back. If you don't show up soon, our cover will be blown."

"Ohhh, but Tyki, I'm being sent back to the Lee mansion! I won't get to be with Allen! I don't want to go!"

Tyki sighed. "Just go back there and I'm sure the Earl will give you something to do. He wouldn't want his favourite Noah to get bored, after all. Remember, we're still waiting to find the user of Crown Clown before we can make a move. Crown Clown is probably the only thing that can stand between us and domination."

"And as such it's our duty to eliminate it and its wielder before they can do anything!" Road said in a happy voice. "That is the duty of the Noah, after all."


A/N:

A shortish chapter, sorry. I know. I'll try to update more regularly and I'll also try and, y'know, move the plot along a bit. But I think there were a lot of interesting developments here!

General Yeeger, yay you got a mention! . But your Innocence has no name therefore it's now been dubbed "Pendulum" for this chapter. Whoot. And yes, Bromide? That's one of the elements I think... it was the first thing that came into my head, whatever!

Whooooot the Noah finally appear~!

I SUCK at writing romances, so everyone knows D: but I'm trying my best. Really, I am!

Your reviews are the things that keep me writing! So read and review! Constructive criticism is... appreciated?