"So, some prissy royal has come to steal our competition away, eh?" Kaito said with a dissaproving look.

After he had finished his "interesting" conversation with Len, Gakupo finished his work in the garden and came to greet Kaito. After the sickbay was empty, he told his companion of their visitor.

"It would appear so," The gardener sat on the edge of the "sick" man's bed.

"Hmm, this isn't good. If the princess starts gaining a liking to him, the two will be married faster than a rabbit can jump and land."

"What makes you so sure?" Gakupo asked a little coyly.

"You know how females are!" Kaito exclaimed, he heaved a sigh, "The instant they start to admire some man they're fragile minds start to think they have met their true love, or some silly fantasy like that."

Gakupo chuckled. "I am quite sure Miku is far from a romanticized, absent-minded youth."

"Even if so, we must keep an eye on this Yuuma before he ruins our contest. Not only him, but also this servant you have told me about. I think your assumptions are correct on his affections for the princess. I have seen him only a couple times, but it's quite obvious those two share a strong bond, and if that servant tries to pursue his emotions, the two could get closer and closer until the girl has fallen for him as well."

The purple haired gardener nodded.

"I believe the nurse claims by tomorrow I can be up and about, however I am still too bruised and shaken to leave the castle. Plus, the princess seems to want to keep a close eye on me according to the nurse."

Kaito accentuated his last sentence in a rather smug manner as if saying the princess is interested in him already.

"Don't get cocky already," his friend replied not letting the man's pompous comment go unnoticed, "Like you said, Yuuma and the servant, seem like our biggest priorities at the moment. Until they are taken care of, any advances you try probably will fail most miserably."

Kaito shined his famous, mischievous curved grin, "Who's to say we can't try?"

Gakupo shook his head.

For the next couple of days Rei felt like he was stuck in a dream. His heart was a tornado of emotions, but his mind was unsure which to express, setting him into a emotionless trance. Only at night would he momentarily snap back to reality, only to have it slap him right in the face with the remembrance of Rui. He would silently cry himself to sleep, every night.

Each day he would do his job at the cobbler's, eat, sleep, and then repeat. He never spoke to anyone, not even the cobbler himself, he never left the house, and he never played violin. It merely sat in the corner of his room, slowly gathering dust.

Occaisionally, in those short moments he came into reality again, he wondered if Miku was curious as to where he was, but, though he knew it was ignorant, thought little of it.

Mr. Kinjo was almost as badly affected. While he wasn't exactly the best father figure, he treated the Kagene twins like they were his own children. He truly did care about, and love them, thus making it as tragic an event for him as it was for Rei.

"Rei, it is a beautiful day, you should go outside." Mr. Kinjo said during lunch one fine saturday noon.

Usually, lunch and dinner were times of gathering. Rui, always the brightest of the group, would go on endlessly about her time at the flower shop, and all the nice people she met. All of them would crack a few jokes, and compliment the meal. It was always a bright and merry time.

But after what happened to Rui, their meals were dull and quiet. The sounds of forks and knives clinking against the plates were the only noise made, and even the food seemed tasteless and grey.

"It will be good for you, the fresh air, and the company. Maybe you'll meet someone new, why not bring your violin with you? It's been up in your room for ages, you shouldn't let your skills go rusty now."

Rei was quiet. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go outside...

Finally the young man heaved a sigh and nodded.

"Good boy, be careful out there now."

Rei nodded again and then grabbed his things and left.

Mr. Kinjo was right, at first the air was very refreshing, and the cheery spring mood of the people around him, did boost his morale somewhat.

But as he kept moving along he noticed the flower shop Rui worked at, then he noticed Rui's favorite bookstore, then he saw the dress shop Rui always wished she could buy clothes from. Before long everything he looked at reminded him of Rui and his heart got heavy, and his mood slowly degraded until it was worse than before.

Eventually Rei stopped altogether right at the square where Rui almost tripped and fell in the always empty fountain. He placed his head in his hands trying to get a hold of himself.

"Rei!"

The boy turned to see the last person he wanted to see in such a state.

The royal beauty's luscious green hair was curled and tied into a waterfall braid. She wore a magenta dress embroidered in silver.

"Rei! I haven't seen you since last week! Where have you been?" She asked pleased to see her friend again at last.

"Miku...good evening," Rei said in a dull dreary voice. It had been so long since he'd spoken, that it felt a little bit weird.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her face falling immediately at the tone of his voice.

Rei was silent for a few moments, for once he didn't have that feeling that he could tell the princess anything. He feared if he even mentioned Rui's name he would burst into tears, and he didn't want to make a scene in such a public place.

"I don't want to speak of it," He mumbled.

"Rei..." Miku said reaching out to comfort him but was cut off by the arrival of a tall man.

"You are...*breathe*..quite the uh, *coff* runner, aren't you?"

A tall man with magnificent pink hair came running to the girl's side breathing heavily. His blue clothes were made of such fine material that Rei knew he had to be a royal, but his accent was too thick to be from any of the nearby countries. His eyes were as vibrant a green as Miku's, but they were more of a lime, than the turquoise Miku's were.

Miku giggled she smiled up at the man with a fondness that reminded that of which a sister gave brother.

Rui used to smile at me like that, Rei thought mournfully.

"Rei, this is Yuuma Van Young the Second. He is the prince I told you would be visiting," The girl smiled.

That's right. Rei faintly remembered Miku telling him that a prince from a far off land would be coming soon. On any regular day he would've felt jelous of the handsome and charismatic fellow, but clearly his depressed state wouldn't allow such an emotion.

"Pleasure," Rei said dully.

"Likewise," Yuuma flashed a stunning smile. Rei returned it with a lazy nod.

"You seem a little down in the dumps, chip, are you sickly?" The man asked through his thick, smooth accent.

"No."

"Ah...alright then.." Yuuma said and shifted his eyes awkwardly at the blunt response.

"Honestly, Rei, please tell me what is wrong," Miku asked placing a comforting hand on the boys arm.

Rei's eyes shifted towards Yuuma, and then he looked back at Miku.

"Ah...I see," Miku responded understanding the message he was trying to send him. She turned to Yuuma, "Erm, Yuuma," She smiled, "Would you mind getting me one of those cinnamon buns from the bakery? I'm rather hungry."

Yuuma clearly didn't get the reason why she was suddenly sending him off, but he went along anyway." 'Course not! I'll be back." With that he was gone.

"Now tell me," Miku said gesturing to sit on the fountainside. The square wasn't so busy at the moment, so Rei was a bit willing to speak.

Rei obliged and sat down.

Miku's big green eyes stared curiously, yet uneasily at the black-haired peasant.

He took a shaky breath, "I have a sister...did I tell you that?"

She nodded, "You've mentioned her many times, Rui right?"

Rei smiled, "Yeah, I suppose I have. Well, she and I have been through everything together. We were born to a family in the Land of Yellow. Our mother was a servant at the royal palace, and our father was as well.

Our mother died giving birth to us, and our father was pleased to have twins, but he was sick, and later died of an unknown disease. This was the time when the king and queen were still alive, and the kingdom was at peace. So we grew up in the castle, and grew up to become workers there."

"So, why are you so down?"

"...Recently, my sister, whom I had been with since birth, and is the only living blood relative left to me...she...I.." Rei could feel the tears fall welling up in his eyes, "She...she was...ki-kidnapped."

Miku stared at the boy incredulously, "Rei...I'm...I'm so sorry."

Rei wiped the tears from his eyes, "It's my fault...it's all my fault, I shouldn't have stayed so late...I could've saved her I could've-"

"No, no Rei, you couldn't have known this would happen. It's not your fault."

"IT IS!" Rei shouted, "It's my fault...my fault."

Questions? Comments? Lemme know ;)