Romeo and Cinderella: Noncest Version

Chapter 7: Different is Good?

I woke up the next morning feeling stiff, but no longer drained. I stretched and rolled my neck and sat up in bed. The day marked Tuesday, December 20th was just beginning. It was a day for independent study which usually meant that I would sit around in the Library and read. Thus, it was the weekday that I most looked forward to for sure.

I looked over to my clock. It was seven forty-three. Just enough time to roll over for a few minutes before Luka woke me up at eight. I smiled and sighed in the crisp morning air.

The sound of someone stepping inside my room got me up again. I opened my eyes and looked into the face of Miku.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" she fretted.

"No. I've been awake," I claimed, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"I just needed someone to talk to," she explained, then added, "and thank you so much for letting me stay for the night."

"It's no problem at all. After a night like that, it would be evil not to let you stay." It surprised me that she didn't expect to be taken in after such an event. What family wouldn't do the same?

She smiled. "Thank you." She didn't even rudely agree like most other rich snobs. Miku surely was strange… though I guessed it was rather refreshing.

"What do you need to talk about?" I asked her.

"Oh… I just needed to get my mind off of things. And…" She looked a bit embarrassed. "I hate to be so nosy, but did I hear someone in your room last night?"

My face burned bright red. "I…uh… I can explain."

She giggled and sat on the end of my bed. "Who was it? Was it a boy? Is he cute"she quizzed eagerly.

"He's," I tried to think of some way to explain. "He's from the other side of the city."

"Ooh!" Miku yipped. "I love a good forbidden love story. Tell me more." She rolled onto her stomach, swinging her legs over her back. This was the brightest I had seen her face since we'd met. Miku was obviously working very hard to keep herself occupied with something that wasn't what had happened the night before, and I wasn't about to make life harder on her than it was already.

"I first saw him about a week ago," I began. "I had never seen him before as I looked out at the town square, and it was strange seeing as I had been staring out my window ever since I was a little girl. I was intrigued. So I went out to meet him. At first I don't think he liked me very much." I laughed. "But that changed when I went out one day and got mugged. The man almost killed me when Len showed up and saved me. Then we started meeting in secret."

"So his name is Len?" she asked. Miku appeared to be very excited about why whole "forbidden love" fairytale. I didn't think it was really all that great. I mean, there wasn't much about my life that could be all that interesting.

"Yeah. He was outside my window last night. That's probably what you heard."

"That makes sense," she concurred. "…Wait. Yesterday when we were talking on our way to my house, didn't you say you were engaged?" Oh shit.

I looked down and away. "Y-yes… I-I am… But I hate my fiancé. He's so shallow and boring and plain and blah and I have no idea what I'm going to do about him."

"That seems to be a very difficult situation," Miku commented. She pondered my words for a moment, her lower lip sticking out in a sort of pouty manor, and then looked up into my eyes with content. "You need to follow your heart," she told me in all seriousness. "It'll lead you to where you need to go." I stared for a moment. She wasn't kidding.

I relaxed. "You're right. Thank you, Miku." No matter how strange your advice may be.

"You're welcome, Rin."

I wasn't exactly sure if I really accepted her statement or if it just seemed crazy (probably leaning more toward the crazy side). Deciding not to hang on it, I chose to believe that time would tell.

Luka opened my door. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "I was worried when you weren't in your room." Luka must have been looking for Miku.

"Oh, I apologize, Miss Luka. I was just talking with Rin," Miku clarified.

"No need to be sorry, milady. I wouldn't want to keep you from socializing," Luka stated. "I'll be back soon with some breakfast for you both." Luka left the room and closed the door.

"So what are your plans for today?" Miku asked me.

"I don't know. I don't really do much of anything on Tuesdays. I usually sit around and read," I said.

"Do you have a study?" she persisted.

"You could call it that. I'm pretty sure we have about every book ever published inside." I laughed somewhat nervously. It was true. I'd bet that we even had something in Miku's native language in the Library.

"Wow. Sounds like you always have something to do," Miku remarked.

"Yes. It's quite unusual, though. Most manors in Germany barely have more than a few text books."

"That's a real shame. My parents had me learn how to read at a very young age. Of course, that is quite unusual for a girl from Japan like me."

"Breakfast is here," Luka called from the doorway. "It's chocolate brioche."

Miku and I looked up from our conversation then back down at each other.

"Ooh, lovely," I said with a gleam. "My favorite."

.

Luka had just taken Miku home on Joseph and I'd decided that today's independent study would be in the culinary arts. I made my way to the kitchen where Luka was preparing to make a late lunch.

"Luka, can I help you cook?"

She looked up with a sort of "you've got to be kidding me" face on. "You can't really be Lady Rin," she accused. "You must have been taken away sometime within the past week and replaced with some evil twin."

"Well I guess if you don't want any help in cooking…" I started, turning away from the kitchen as I spoke.

"No. Way. You are getting yo' little behind in this kitchen and making food with me." I smiled at Luka's unusual accent. It sounded a little like a Brit trying to speak German except with a hint more stupidity in the accent. Not that I was calling Luka stupid, of course. If anything she was smarter than my father.

"Ja gnädige Frau [Yes ma'am]," I replied, putting on an apron. Points with Luka plus I got to know what was for lunch ahead of time. It was a win-win situation.

.

It was only five o'clock when everyone finished eating. I had returned to my room, like always, and sat on my bed to think. I had no further plans for the day, and the night before I had left so quickly that there was no time for Len and me to discuss another time to meet, so I was left bored. Then, it occurred to me. I had not ridden Joseph in a long while. He had gotten a lot of riding recently, but it was never by me. I sort of missed it, feeling the wind in my hair, heart beating in synch to hoofs hitting the ground. So I set off to inform Luka as to where I would be. Me and my bright ideas.

It was usually frowned upon for a woman to ride a horse, so I'd gotten into the habit of posing as a man whenever riding Joseph. However, my father may or may not exactly be informed of this little detail. In fact, he probably believed that whenever I was riding, it was in the pasture behind our manor that was a bit too small to gain real speed. Thusly, given my circumstances, I kept a set of men's riding clothes hidden away inside my closet as well as a dusty old coat I adorned whenever I wished to go out and about with a horse attached during cold weather.

It wasn't weird…

"Luka, I'm going out to ride Joseph," I informed, walking in with my dignified trousers and hair pulled back.

"Where are you going?" she asked, indifferent as the appearance wasn't all that uncommon for me.

I replied after some thought: "I think I'll go to the field just north of the city."

Luka contemplated it for a few seconds. "Okay. Try to get back before nightfall. If you aren't back by then I'll come down there to get you." I was thankful to Luka for giving me even that much time. In fact, I was amazed she let me out at all. It was good to know that she trusted me. I guessed my random acts of kindness toward her had paid off.

"Thank you."

Without a second thought I walked down to the stables beside the manor and saddled up Joseph. I missed the times when I would come down here every day to ride him. What could I say? I was a girl who loved her horse.

I rode north out of the city then east to a large grassy field. During the spring and summer the field would be very lush and full of wild flowers, but it was gray and brittle in the dull winter sunlight.

It was a very long stretch of land—perfect for running. Taking in a deep breath of frozen air, I kicked Joseph forward. Maybe the cold air was like fuel. Joseph took off running. It was probably the fastest I had ever gone; it felt that way. Perhaps it had just been too long since I'd gotten out. The adrenaline pumping through my veins just made me want to ride faster.

So I did.

And it didn't take long for me to hear the sounds of another horse's canter. My heart sunk to my stomach. Joseph felt it, too. He sped up. Wow. My horse was telepathic. Who would've thought he could run this fast? And for this long; truly remarkable. What was even more remarkable was that the other guy was faster. I looked over at the rider. He wore a black cloak that shadowed his eyes. Len returned my stare and smiled under his hood. I nearly fell off my horse.

I tried to stop Joseph as quickly as I could. "What the—what the hell are you doing here?" I yelled.

"Riding my horse," Len replied bluntly. "Why are you dressed as a man?"

"Who the hell cares! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I screeched. "Since when do you come here?"

Len vaulted off his horse and walked over to me. "Since I found it yesterday. It's a really nice field. I'm surprised we're the only ones here."

My heart was still racing, though it had slowed significantly. "It's an old church field," I answered. "It was abandoned around the time of the Reformation when the prince of the state chose to be Protestant. Then when he died the next man in power chose Catholicism but never really reclaimed the property for the church, so it's not used anymore."

"You know a lot about history," he commented. Hell yeah I did.

"If you were son to my father, you would, too," I said dully.

Len took my hand and kissed it. "Come back to my manor," he proposed.

I smirked at him, my expression suggesting he was crazy. "Is that not just a little bit risky, love?" I liked the way this guy thought.

"No. I have an agreement with my maids. We wouldn't be bothered," Len insisted. He did have that whole "I Get What I Want" attitude going for him.

"… Really?" I asked skeptically.

"I promise." Len smiled; it was almost sweet, but there seemed to be something devilish behind it.

"Okay." At that, Len hopped back on his horse and gestured for me to follow him. I sped behind Len as he headed toward a trail leading south-east to his side of the city.

After winding through a series of narrow paths in a thinly wooded area, Len and I came out to a large manor, almost as big as my own, but it seemed much older than my dwelling. There was a tower-like structure nearest us. That was where we stopped. Vines crawled up the walls, very thickly. They were so thick you could probably scale them.

"Are you up for a climb?" Len asked. Ironic much? I think so.

I sighed. "No, but I'll do it anyway." I stared somewhat angrily toward the wall. The thought of having to climb it made me unhappy.

"What, do you fear heights?" Len pushed.

"No!" I retorted. "I just don't like the idea of falling is all…"

Len grinned mischievously, "Oh is that all? I can climb behind you in case you 'fall' if that's the case."

I glared at him in a pouting sort of way for a moment then gave up. "Okay…" I mumbled quietly.

I began climbing the stupid tower of vines whilst hoping my arms wouldn't suddenly fall off or something relatively ridiculous like that. The climb was only about eight meters up, give or take, but it still made my mind whirl. However, I did, by some miracle, manage to make it to the top and climb in through Len's open window. Inside there were five lit candles placed strategically about so that the room was decently illuminated. From the candlelight I could see that the room was very small. Len's bed was to the left surrounded by two and a half walls and on the opposite wall was a desk with a small pile of books and a pen next to a stack of papers. The door was shut across from the window where we stood.

"It's the only private room in the house," Len commented from beside me. "Every other inch is practically showcased, just to torture the poor with how 'rich' we are. It's kind of annoying." He looked so hot when he was irritated.

I nodded slowly. "The reasoning of adults fails to be comprehended by my own," I complained. "They act so mature, but in truth they're just like us except with more experiences. The day I meet someone with wisdom that knows how to use it, I will be dead speaking with Aristotle."

Len chuckled. "Really," he answered. He grabbed my waist and held me in front of him, resting his chin on my head and making me feel short. "Hey, Rin. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

"The ocean," I replied immediately. I thought about the answer to this question often. "I've always dreamt of leaving my manor and escaping to the sea, where I can be free." I felt Len chuckle. "Where would you go?"

"Good question," he said. "I'd go anywhere that isn't godforsaken Germany."

I giggled. "That's a good plan."

"Wanna go there with me?" Len asked.

"Go where?"

"Somewhere that isn't godforsaken Germany, of course." I immediately felt stupid for asking such an obvious question but the feeling quickly passed, replaced by the thought of running away.

I smiled to myself. "What a great idea. When do we leave?"

Len laughed and held me tighter for a moment. "You know, you're different, Rin."

Different? "What do you mean?" That was a good thing, right? Different meant weird, right? Maybe Len liked weird people. A girl could only hope…

"You just seem so fascinated by the world. It's like you actually care and you have an opinion when things happen." He paused to make some sort of facial gesture that I couldn't see. "In other words, you're the worst princess I know."

I sighed in mock disappointment. "Princessing has never been one of my strong points." A good princess was to sit back and smile as a man made all of the decisions that affected his subjects. If one was lucky, a princess could maybe have influence in fashion (and what a high position to hold!). A princess of free thought was never a princess liked.

The chime of a clock could be heard in the distance. I noticed that daylight had become scarce which meant Luka would be expecting me home any moment.

"Oh, no. I have to go," I said, whirling around to face Len. "I'm sorry. My maid will have me impaled if I'm not back soon."

"Then, for the well-being of my princess, I shall bid you adieu." Len leaned over and kissed my hand. It was ironic because I was still dressed as a boy. I tried not to laugh out loud at the thought, though the smile did manage to sneak its way to my face. I blushed.

Still grinning like an idiot, I swung my leg over the side of Len's window and started my quick descent, my fears leaving me in my great haste. "We should really do this again, sometime!" I called halfway down. I ended up jumping down the last few meters, nearly breaking my legs, I was sure. I scampered to my horse and urged him forward onto the forest path where I would come out at the field and hope to get home with as little ratting out from Luka as possible.

.

As I rode home, I thought about what Len said, about being different. I didn't think I was very different. I just did what I needed to do when it needed to be done. That had been my way of life, especially after the incident. Was that really so different.

Miku's words rang in my head for a moment. I should believe in my heart. What was that supposed to mean?

.

Author's Note: SORRY I'VE BEEN GONE SO LONG! School started then there was too much homework then my grandmother died then there was /more/ work and I had to rewrite two chapters and it's just been chaos. So yeah. Sorry. N stuff. I'll try to pull up chapter 8 in a couple days or so then totally rewrite chapter nine since I moved crap around and changed so much stuff it's crazy.

I didn't think this one would change that much… then I decided to space out Rin and Len's relationship more so I totally rewrote the end of the chapter and changed some nitty gritty stuff here and there in the beginning. I hope it worked.

Different is good? What is different? And what does it mean?

*failed attempt at depth XD*

So I really want to know what you guys think and see if any of you noticed changes at the end there. ^^; So please review! Even if you just started reading the story I love review spam~~ So yeah! Love all of you guys! And I'm aiming for 10 reviews before next chapter! So review and hopefully I'll update faster~~