Hi! Oh my gosh, guyzzz... If I get to 100... I will make Rin and Len kiss in the next chapter:3 … How bout that?
XD
/shot for emotional fluffy blackmail.
Expect a big surprise at the end of this!
Anyways, onto the chapter~
"You...Look..." Len's eyes briefly widened before he looked to Gakupo. Gakupo smirked and looked away, refusing to offer the Prince any help.
Len scowled, searching for something to say that didn't sound too overused and cliché.
Teto had absolutely gone mad, turning into a crazy maniacal freak to get Rin ready. To Rin, it was pure torture, sitting in place while an insane Teto and giggling Gumi plucked, pinched, pulled, rubbed, prodded, and dabbed her face with all assortments of powders, lotions, glitter, and...tweezers.
Her face sore, Rin managed to give Len a pained smile- Her jaw still hurt from being pinched so much. But it was worth it, because right at that moment, Len decided that Rin looked:
"Radiant."
Everyone turned to him.
"What?" Gumi frowned.
"Radiant. Because, you know...She's... Leave me alone," Len snapped as everyone laughed at his expense. Gakupo chuckled, bowing his head.
"He's right, you look dazzling, Rin."
"Thank you." Rin blushed, smiled, sparkled with happiness. Better this time than any other, but Len slowly- Starting at the top of her head- did a full inspection of the girl.
Her hair was soft, pinned up expertly, by Teto, and small golden ringlets fell from the updo. Her ivory skin brilliantly contrasted to her eyes, which looked- somehow- even more vivid and oceanic than they usually were. Her dress, starting just above her chest, was strapless- Something that mortified Rin, after all, she really had no support, but Teto helped with that- and it was a rich violet at the top, but slowly morphed into an enigmatic blue towards the bottom. She had a fully bloomed crocus entwined with her hair.
All in all, she looked like a type of person that someone like Len would find the perfect lady in, if Len were that type of scrutinizing person.
Which he wasn't.
But she did look beautiful.
Len didn't look too bad himself, was what Rin was thinking. She thought he looked, in fact, very handsome, in a dark blue suit. It was so dark that it was almost black, but complimented with Rin's, made them look like an ideal couple. His hair was messy, but in a charming sort of way. If only he didn't frown all the time.
"She's going to steal hearts tonight, Len. Better capture her before someone else does."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Len whipped onto Gakupo, who raised his hands defensively.
"Nothing at all, if you can't decipher it."
"I know very well what you mean, and I'm telling you, it's nothing like that-" Len began to threaten, but Rin interrupted.
"Len? Can we go now?" She gave him a brilliant smile, which Len was (almost) tempted to return.
"Yes." he said shortly, offering her his arm. Luka came in from outside, brandishing a spatula.
"Len!" she cried excitedly. "The horse and carriage are outside! Are you two- Oh, Rin! You look absolutely darling!"
Len mentally groaned and gently tugged Rin's arm.
"Come," he said. "We can't be late."
"Mm," Rin agreed, trying to keep up with his fluent strides. With Len just at her side, everything seemed warmer- Even though they both could see the snow, and the barren trees. Rin shivered, and Len quickly led her past the snow and into the grass. She looked up to see a portly man sitting behind two horses, and an ornate red and gold carriage behind him. "Oh, it's charming, isn't it Len?"
"Hm," he made a half-committal noise and helped her up into it.
"Where to, Master...Uh...Um..."
"Len," Len said stiffly. "To the Serenade Ballroom, please."
"Of course, Master Len."
Rin made herself comfortable, and in the albeit cramped space, moved closer to Len. Len twitched, still not used to such contact, but found himself, yet again, enjoying her cheek against his shoulder. He looked down at her, and she looked so peaceful and serene.
But god, she was small, and it didn't seem like it would take much to snap her into two... And then he realized what he was doing.
He mentally screamed at himself. WHY ARE YOU THINKING THINGS LIKE THAT?
"Len?" Rin asked, confused. "Your face is having a battle with itself."
"Hm?" Len's eyes slid absently over her and he shrugged. "It's nothing." His arm, still a little clumsy, roped around her, and he held her petite body to his. He could feel her heartbeat race, run a little mile, and then return to its normal pace.
Why was that?
(A/N: Gawd, Len, you... Are so clueless.)
He dismissed the thought and reveled in the moment until they reached their destination.
"Come, Rin." He helped her out and led her into the castle.
"Come, Rin." He helped her out and led her into the castle. She looked around, mystified, but held tightly onto Len's arm. She seemed a little nervous, even a little scared. He felt the heat radiate off of her, and he frowned, wondering what he should do.
Something in him told him to wrap an arm around Rin's shoulders. So he did. And she looked surprised, but happy. And that was all he needed to hold on to her.
"Good to see you out and about after your, ah, illness, Prince." Rin realized that Len, who had been a cruel prince, still scared people.
"Hm," Len said shortly. "Good to see you too..."
"Um, Honne. At your service, Your Highness." Honne moved backwards and scurried away, looking bewildered. Rin smiled, and Len frowned at her.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing," she said hastily, and Len continued frowning at her. "Really, it's nothing. Come, let's head to the dance hall."
"Yes," he agreed, his eyes slightly narrowed. People spread for Len and Rin, bowing and frantically falling to their feet. Len seemed utterly confused. "Why are you all on the floor?"
"Um... You're not going to hurt us?"
In a snap, it hit Len. He used to be so cruel, malicious, and wicked to all the people. It was only to be expected that they were scared to pieces of him.
"Please, Your Highness." A man mopped his brow with a handkerchief. "We would be honored if you would give a speech."
Len sighed, turning to face everyone in the hall. The room was deathly quiet, with people expecting Len to call his guards upon them.
He cleared his throat. "I'm glad to be here."
"What?" Hushed murmurs rippled through the crowd and women and men nervously turned to each other. "Is...Is he different? Changed?"
"No, that's impossible."
"He must have... He doesn't look angry..."
"Watch... We'll all be dead by the end of today..."
"Excuse me," Len snapped impatiently. "I know that I have been gone for quite a long time, so please bear with me as I attempt to restore all that has come undone in the time that I did not rule. That is all. Thank you."
Shocked faces rewarded him, and people slowly nodded.
He pulled Rin along with him but Rin stopped him. She cleared her throat.
"If I may say something?"
The whispers grew louder.
"Who is that?"
"Goodness, she's beautiful... Is she the Prince's...Betrothed?"
"I've never seen her around here."
"They are striking together..."
Rin smiled graciously at the crowd, her eyelashes barely fluttering over her eyes. "My name is Rin. I was not here to witness the time before His Highness's illness..." The crowd gazed, captivated by her voice and beauty.
"...But I am under the impression that he was quite frightening and cruel to people."
"How could she say that when he's right next to her?" People hissed to each other. "Is she mad? The poor thing, she won't live to see another day..."
Len didn't say a word. His hawk-sharp eyes never left Rin. Calmly, Rin continued.
"Len and his staff...Took me into the castle. In the beginning, it was quite hard for me to adapt. I had to leave my family and it was quite a rough time for me. I thought that Len was just a terrible person who had no better thing to do than frighten people. He scared me, and I did not particularly want to remain in the castle."
A pin-drop silence followed Rin's brief pause.
"But what I want to say, is that in the time that followed, I came to enjoy my time in the castle. Len, although rough, had times where he was quite kind to me, and even...Gentle. Although this... For you, that is... New Len will be difficult to accustom to, I'm sure that once you do, you will find that he can be quite pleasant to be around. I gave him a chance, and now...Although I know it will be extremely difficult, I'm asking...Begging...You to give Len another chance." She bowed her head forward and said in the softest of voices, "Thank you for your time."
"Is...Is the Prince getting her to apologize for him? How awful," said a sudden vengeful voice. Len's sharp eyes flew to the crowd. No matter how hard Rin tried for his sake, people would never forgive him.
Voices flew into the air, suddenly furious and accusatory. "Does she really believe we can forgive that man? He ruined our lives."
"I have no parents because of him!" cried a voice in anger.
Len's hand lifted, and the crowd slowly hushed. He knew what he had to do, and he knew it was unavoidable. He deserved it, anyways, because his cruelty would never be forgivable.
Everyone would love Rin so much more. She was kind, sweet, forgiving. She loved people, and she would never make the mistakes he did.
"Despite what Rin said," he said in a deathly calm voice. "I don't ask that you forgive me." The slightest of tremors ran through him, and he closed his eyes. "In fact... I ask that you not forgive me."
Rin stared at him, her eyes wide. What is he doing?
"I deserve your hate, anger, abhorrence. What I did before my illness was absolutely unacceptable, and I know that better than anyone. It is only until recently," his eyes flickered to Rin and back to the crowd, "that I felt the guilt of my actions. It is a huge weight, and I will never be able to get rid of it. And I deserve it. So," Len finalized his decision.
His eyes simmered with intensity as he turned fully to Rin, holding his hand out towards her.
"I have decided to hand over the crown to Rin and let her rule this land."
Whoa. Bet none of you saw that one coming.
Review, please? x3
100 reviews... And... :D