What is it that truly makes a love story? Is it the warm, heartfelt moments? Or perhaps its the yearning, the pining amid the excitement that is the adrenaline rush of falling in love. Love stories are made of so many little things. Some people may call this story a love story. Others may call it a tragedy. However, this is none of those things. The story I am about to share with you is a long-forgotten tale, as it is one that was lost in the remnants of its time. I carried this story with me for many years, holding it as close as I did my dearest memories. Until I decided it was time I stopped clutching a lost relic, an old folktale. I knew that before my passing another must hear of it. Though it is of poor worth, I still love it and wish to present it to the world. Yes, some may call it a love story, but it is not a story of great affections, nor grand declarations of one's own heart, but rather a simple tale. This story is the story of two people who deeply loved each other. It may not be a great legend, but it is a story of people whose lives and loves held great importance. This is their tale.
"Mercury Procuring Moonshine"The morning air was colder that morning than it had been all season. The villagers had been paying close attention to it, anticipating food on their tables to feast on within the week. As the number of farmers visiting the city to sell their crops grew every day, the excitement for the annual harvest celebration was palpable throughout the streets. Banners and lanterns hung at every corner of every turn, livening the city with their vivid colours. Walking casually towards the citadel, as if it were any other day, were two bright-eyed siblings. Or, as their neighbours referred to them, nuisances.
One of them was standing just a couple of centimetres shorter than her companion. Lovingly named Rin by her doting parents, she was rocking back and forth with anticipation. Today was the day, and she should be overjoyed. That morning, however, left her in a foul mood as she fussed exasperatingly with her hair as it fell out of her ponytail yet again for about the sixth time that morning. How does Len make it look so easy? Rin thought to herself once more. Rin tied her hair up yet again, pushing it back forcibly, hoping it would finally stay in place.
She lifted her tired gaze to the castle as she trudged along, admiring it while letting her thoughts about her hair rattle on inside her skull. Rin had expected her hair to be longer than Len's, or at least the same length. It was a perfectly fair assumption to make, as she was the sister in the family. However, to her extensive disappointment, her hair was still shockingly shorter than Len's!
When Len saw her hair come out of her ponytail again and drape upon her exceptionally-polished training armour, he sent her a smug grin as he gestured to his own long, well-groomed hair. "Need help with the wig again, Sis?" He asked with a smirk, the sun reflecting off his annoyingly perfect teeth. "I might not be able to see you as much now that you're a big shot moving into the castle, but I will always be around to help you with your crazy hair if you need my magic touch."
"Really, 'wig', Len? If anyone has a wig here, it's you." She chided back. "Besides, our hairstyles are not only the same in colour but are almost the same in length as well, so who are you really making fun of here? It's not my fault I'm not a hair-narcissist like you."
Len scoffed, "'Hair-narcissist'? Don't make fun of my beautiful hair just because you can't get your rat's nest in order," he said, but Rin knew there was no real heat behind his teasing. This was just an average day of sibling-prodding from the two of them. "Besides, it's your big day! You've been working so hard, and I'm just so proud of my Lil' sis!" He swung his arm around Rin's neck and pulled her in close, rubbing his knuckles on the top of her head. Even amongst all the shopping tents lined up on the sides of the street within the busy capital, there was still space for them to annoy the hell out of each other.
"Ow! Len, stop!" She said, trying to squirm out of his grasp instead of fighting back as she usually did. Len let her go and smiled, but his brow creased with concern. "You know how I feel about you calling me 'little'!" She said, "We're twins! Ya'know," she gestured between herself and Len, "practically the same age!"
Len sighed, "I know, I know... It's just that you've grown up so fast, and you were such a late bloomer, and-"
"And what? I may have been a 'late bloomer' compared to you, but I'm doing just fine on my own, thank you very much! I worked just as hard as you to get right where I am today, and I'm going to work twice as hard to show the King that he can be sure whatever it is I get promoted to is worth his time!"
Len smiled, noticing Rin's usual determined 'I've Got This!' attitude amongst her unusually dark demeanour like a sun peeking through the clouds. "I know you're going to do great, Sis," Len said, and Rin could hear his honesty seeping into every word. "You're the best knight-in-training I know, and that's completely objective!" Rin laughed lightly at Len's attempt to cheer her up and leaned over to gently shove her shoulder into his, which quickly transformed into a shoving fest in the middle of the street. That didn't last long, however, as someone quite literally barrelled through their intimate moment.
"Hey!" Shouted a man riding through the town street on a horse, "Get outta the way! I got places I gotta be!" The man was approaching at a rapid pace. Without hesitating, Rin grabbed Len by the arm and pulled him to the side of the street before he could be trounced into the ground. As they watched the man ride into the citadel, they both sighed in relief.
"That was close," said Len, "I could have been trampled! Quick thinking on your part."
"No problem," said Rin, "all part of the job. Speaking of almost getting trampled, who do you think that man was?"
"No idea. He sure had a funny accent though. Maybe he's going to counsel amongst the king and his lords?"
"...Maybe?" Rin considered. There were many things he could be. Perhaps he was the king of a neighbouring kingdom? Something of such importance was a rarity, and considering he didn't fit the description of any neighbouring king the townspeople spoke of, it was quite unlikely. He could be a lord, but his mannerisms reminded Rin of someone rude. Then again, his accent was quite unusual, and perhaps the customs for what was rude and what wasn't were different in his country. Rin pondered this when she was suddenly struck by a perplexing thought. What if this man was a new knight? Perhaps Rin was about to be introduced to quite the formidable foe or ally. She had to play her cards right if she wanted the outcome to be in her favour. After all, the king himself had called her in today to promote her to a currently unrevealed rank. Maybe there was no promotion at all! This might just be a test to see if she even deserves a promotion! No, she was letting her ridiculous thoughts get ahead of herself now...
"Rin? Hey, Rin!" Len snapped his fingers in front of her face, and she was slowly brought out of her deep thinking. "Are you okay? You looked like you were paralysed for a moment there." He laughed at what Rin considered to be his poor excuse for a joke.
"Haha, yeah," Rin said, not even attempting to make the laugh sound convincing. She wiped her crazy thoughts out of her head and said, "I've got to go anyway! Ya'know, big promotion day!"
"Aww, you're all grown up." Said Len, wiping a fake tear from his eye. Then his face hardened as he looked her dead in the eye. "You've got this, Sis! Give 'em hell!" He then grinned wide, giving her a familiar Len-like wink, and a thumbs up. Rin gave him one of her own signature smiles and she knew her eyes must have looked avid with enthusiasm.
"Oh," she said, "I intend to."
Rin skipped towards the castle, excitement pulsing through her every limb as she made her way through the courtyard. The stone underneath her feet welcomed her with open arms as if it could feel her anxiety and happiness all at once. Greetings, she imagined it would say in a sing-song fashion, from your new home. When she reached the stairs she straightened up, putting on the most serious expression she could muster. The castle loomed over her, intimidating and taut as if anticipating her next move, and Rin stiffened subconsciously. Today might as well be the most important day of her life, and she could not, under any circumstances, screw any of it up. She was going to show King Gackupo she was worth his time whether he liked it or not.
Squaring her shoulders, Rin pushed forward up the stairs and began making her way through the castle. As she walked, she ran her hand along the stones that made up the walls inside the chilly corridors. Rin looked up at the ceilings lined with the gorgeous, swirling paintings that her father had provided all those years ago. She had accompanied her father then, sitting and watching him work. The grandiose of the architecture was something that never failed to astonish her then and still impressed her now. Rin had never been much of an artist herself, but she knew her father indulged himself in a painting once in a while and was quite good at it. After all, King Gackupo wouldn't have asked him if he hadn't had faith in her father's skill as a painter.
Rin didn't know much about art nor architecture, but she knew that her father, though he thought he knew most everything about both subjects, was much more suitable to one over the other. Rin had seen his paintings, and they were quite beautiful in her personal opinion. His architectural skill, however... Not quite as exceptional. Rin knew hardly anything about architecture, but she knew enough to know that Kaito Kagamine's performance was dreadful when it came to the subject. She recalled the king and his servants asking her father for "Just the paintings, please, no need to help with interior design, nor anything similar!"
Rin smiled to herself as her eyes glossed once more over the gold-painted ceiling. Clearing her thoughts, she knew she had to make it to the throne-room quickly, lest she provoke the king with her tardiness. She picked up the pace as she moved down the now red-carpeted corridors toward the most essential room in the castle. When she reached the front of the throne-room, the guards nodded at her, acknowledging her presence as they pushed open the double doors.
"Thank you," Rin said to them, even though she knew they would not reply. As she entered the room, she observed the oh-so-familiar surroundings. The windows lining both sides of the large room were engulfed with red drapes to match the carpet, and pushed up vertically against both window-adorned walls were long tables only ever used for the grandest of parties, such as when neighbouring kingdoms came to visit. In the middle of the room was a much smaller, square table which Rin knew was only ever used for council. Sitting at that table, ever so casually, was the man that almost trampled Len. The stranger was now dressed in clear silver armour that almost matched her own. She knew just by looking at his armour that he was older than her, as it was official knights' armour, nothing like the silly training armour that Rin could only wear while training and on special occasions, like today. If she had been just a year older, she might be wearing her own polished armour like the stranger was. It took almost all of Rin's willpower to resist glaring at him.
Rin shoved her envious thoughts away and lifted her gaze to the back, or front rather, of the throne-room, where King Gackupo was sitting next to his only family. His sister, Princess Avanna on his left, who was staring off into the distance with a dreary, blasé look in her eyes. His daughter, Princess Miku, who sat on his right, not-so-subtly looking over her father's shoulder to read whatever it was he was reading.
Princess Avanna was dressed in a fine grass-green gown that matched her piercing green eyes. It matched so perfectly well, that Rin wondered whether the princess had decided to wear it herself or if a seamstress had picked it out for her. Rin, whether correct or not, decided it was the latter. Princess Miku, however, was wearing a pearl-coloured gown that clashed rather well with her deep, ocean-blue eyes. Rin felt a hot wave of desire fill her chest as she studied Miku's eyes gorgeous. The princess, who was still reading what King Gackupo was holding, looked up for a millisecond, catching Rin's eyes with her own. When Princess Miku's gaze met hers, Rin ripped her traitorous eyes away, feeling her cheeks flush, embarrassed to be caught staring so intimately. It wasn't as if she could help it, though, and not a soul in the kingdom could blame her. The teal-haired princess was as beautiful as she was cold. Rin supposed Miku could take out an entire army with just one frigid glance if she was pressed to do so.
Rin prayed to every god in existence in that moment that whatever position Gackupo put her in would not put her under the wrath of the lovely Princess Miku in any way, shape, or form. If it were to be so, Rin would be utterly mortified at not only the thought, but the reality, of having to deal with the constant embarrassment brought on by someone such as herself being anywhere near the princess.
Oh, fates! she prayed, ever silent and melodramatic, Please, do not sentence me to a life of torment!
Rin cleared her throat awkwardly and King Gackupo looked up, startled out of whatever it was he was so comfortably reading upon his throne. Ah yes, old age, an ailment Rin was not looking forward to. Although, she supposed the king had always been hard or hearing. Even in his prime years, the king still had his head in the clouds and his ears stuff with dirt. Some things, Rin thought, never change.
"Ah," Gackupo said with vigour, "if it isn't my most loyal, skillful knight!" Rin suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. She had heard it all before thousands of times. The king had been singing her praises ever since she had announced to her father that she wanted to be a knight at the young age of four. As the king prattled on about her endless devotion (not exactly...) and unbeatable skill (not even close!), Rin tuned it all out. It wasn't the first time she was hearing this horse dung, and it wouldn't be that last. Please,she begged silently, just get on with it!
Gackupo eventually continued with the promotion. "Now that you are of age, I can finally promote you to the position that you deserve!" Rin almost sighed in relief, but instead, she let out a shaky exhale. This is it. "Kneel before me, knight in training." King Gackupo said, standing up. Rin did as he instructed, kneeling before him and hanging her head ceremoniously. She could feel his presence looming regally above her. "You have trained under the knights of this kingdom throughout your childhood and adolescence, proving yourself to be worthy enough for not only an official title as a knight but also your own armour and chainmail." Rin, head still bowed, smirked to herself triumphantly. My own armour and chainmail! Rin felt the blade of the king's sword press lightly against both of her shoulders. "I now dub thee: Rin Kagamine, Knight of Crypton!" Gackupo announced, "You may rise."
Rin rose to her feet, her stomach doing somersaults with excitement. "Congratulations," the king said earnestly. Rin smiled at him, but her eyes anxiously flitted around the room. When her gaze landed on Miku, Rin wasn't surprised to see her expression cold and impassive. No change, as per usual. "Now that's not all," said King Gackupo, and Rin's heart pounded against her chest. This is the moment she had been fearing, the moment that would decide how her career as a knight would play out. The king returned to his throne and looked at her with a calm aura. "Your position, Knight Rin, was given some heavy consideration." For the first time since Rin had entered the throne-room, Miku's expression shifted. Miku glanced at her father, an ever-curious expression chipping away at the normally cold, blank look on her face. "The position I am about to give you is of utmost importance, as it concerns someone I'm sure you are aware is very dear to me." Rin watched in shock as Miku gripped her chair, nails digging into the wood as if she knew exactly where this was going and was very displeased with it. "Your position is to be the assigned knight of Princess Miku, to protect her with your life and to-"
"But father!" the princess protested immediately, jumping up from where she was sitting, "I have told you countless times that I can protect myself! I don't need some silly knight following me around 'keeping me safe'!"
Oh, the fates are cruel, thought Rin. Why, why, why? This must be punishment for something awful I have done!
"Now, Miku, we have discussed this!" Gackupo said firmly. "You will take on a personal knight to protect you whether you wish it or not, and that is not an order from your father, but an order from your king!" Princess Avanna observed their quarrel from her own seat, playing with her hair nonchalantly as if this was a completely ordinary day within the Hatsune family.
"I- ugh- Fine!" said Princess Miku, sitting back down with a grumble. Rin almost gaped when she saw a pout cut through Miku's sharp features. Never in all of Rin's lifetime had she expected to see the cold, impassive Miku Hatsune pout. She wasn't close to Miku by any means, but she thought she knew enough about the princess to expect her mannerisms. Apparently, She didn't. Either that or after King Gackupo told her of her new position she fainted and this was all just a crazy fever dream.
"Now, are we all in agreement here?" said the king, his tone leaving no room for any argument.
"I suppose," Miku grumbled.
"O-of course, Sire," Rin said, still trying to process the heaps of information. What was happening?
Gackupo gave her clear instructions on where she could find her new armour and sleeping quarters, but Rin's head was muffled with her own loud, intrusive thoughts. After he dismissed her, Rin stumbled awkwardly out of the throne-room. There was sweat on her brow, her head was pounding, and- oh, lord, were her hands shaking?
After the throne-room doors closed behind, Rin crumbled to her knees, putting her head in her hands. What was she going to do now? She would have to face Miku every day! At this rate, she might as well die!
Rin stood, swaying back and forth. Black spots dotted her vision as she steadied herself. Then, she ran.