I'm so sorry about the late update; I've been very busy lately.

Akane's POV

I took a deep breath and whispered, "Len, the Queen has ordered me to come live at the castle to be her maid... I don't think I will ever be coming back here... I... I'm sorry, Len..."

Len was silent for a while then murmured, "I see... when... when will you be leaving?"

I paused, then replied, "At dawn." my lip trembled but I forced myself not to cry.

"It's not like you can't come visit though, right?" Len asked. I could tell that he was trying to hold on to the last bit of hope that the two of us could still be together.

"I honestly don't know. I mean, I guess it's possible..." I muttered, hope growing in me as well.

He smiled and pulled me off his lap and stood up. "Come on. I'll help you pack."

When Len and I arrived at my house he helped me pack what little supplies I would need; food and water for the ride to the castle, clothes, my weapons etc. I didn't own very much so it didn't take long.

Eventually Kaito came into my room to find us finishing up. "Akane-chan, is this the friend you told me about?"

I looked up, smiled and said "Mmhmm! This is Len Kagamine! Len, meet my brother Kaito."

They bowed to each other and then Len said "Akane-chan, I'll leave you to finish up here. I would like to speak with your brother."

I nodded.

Kaito's POV

'Did he just call her 'Akane-chan,'' I thought. I would like to know what Akane-chan's relationship with this boy is... "I too, would like a word with you," I said to Len, a hint of bitterness in my voice.

Len's POV

Akane-chan's brother seemed to act rather hostile towards me. I didn't blame him though. He was probably just being over protective of Akane, which is natural for any boy who has a sister.

Kaito and I walked outside and sat on the door-step. I spoke first, "Kaito-san, please take good care of your sister. She means a lot to me and I don't want her to be unhappy."

Kaito narrowed his eyes and growled, "You speak to me as if you think I'm not trustworthy enough to take care of my own sister! I know her better than anyone so she will be perfectly fine."

I raised my eyebrows and replied, "How can you say that? You are away almost all the time! I am with Akane-chan every day. Trust me, Akane-chan may be stronger than she looks but that doesn't change the fact that she, too, gets lonely sometimes. Even when she was lonely, she still acted happy and helpful. It's incredible really, that when I found her all alone, she was smiling and willing to assist me. Kaito-san, I want you to understand that I love your little sister and even if she isn't here, I'll still love her." I stood up and strolled towards the stable to ready the horses.

Kaito's POV

That boy surprised me. He doesn't bow to other's commands and he speaks with confidence. My opinion has changed. I shouldn't have worried about Akane-chan; Len-san is perfectly capable of protecting her. Now that I think about it, I feel bad for tearing the two of them apart.

Akane's POV

I finished packing, hoisted the small sack onto my back and headed out to the stable. Kaito and Len had prepared the horses seemed to be getting along better. I strapped the sack onto the luggage horse and the three of us went back inside.

We walked over to Len's house to say goodbye to Haruka-san. Once I introduced her to Kaito and broke the news, she immediately prepared an elaborate dinner. It was delicious and afterwards Haruka-san hugged me goodbye and brushed away a few tears. Kaito and I then headed home for the night.

~The next morning~

I got up early and quickly bathed and dressed. Breakfast was uneventful and soon Kaito and I were headed out the door.

Just as I was about to mount my horse, I heard a familiar voice call out my name. Len sprinted towards me and before I knew it he embraced me and pulled me in for a farewell kiss. We stood there for a few moments and eventually Kaito cleared his throat. I giggled and pulled away.

"I'll miss you," murmured Len.

"I'll miss you too." I whispered.

He planted a kiss on my forehead and helped me onto the horse. "Be safe!" he called as Kaito and I rode away. I smiled and waved but as I turned away, I felt a single tear slid down my face. 'I love you Len... and I pray that we will be able to see each other again.' I thought.

The two days ride to the castle didn't seem to take very long. Most of the way there, Kaito told stories of the places he'd traveled to when he delivered messages. I stayed quiet; lost in my own world, humming to myself.

~Two days Later~

We had finally arrived at the Queen's Palace after a long journey that had only given us the nature's beauty as entertainment. I wasn't tired because we had set up a small camp the night before and risen from a long sleep not too early the next morning.

As the huge castle came into view, I scowled, unimpressed. The Queen spent her money to quench her greed, rather than looking upon the poor and helping them.

~In the Castle~

The hall we were escorted into was elaborately ordained with crystal chandeliers and tall marble pillars. The Queen sat on a marble throne with plush velvety maroon pillows.

I curtsied and looked up slowly. Queen Luka nodded, giving me permission to stand and she extended her hand. I kissed it and murmured "It is an honor to be here, Your Majesty." although I didn't mean it.

She smiled and gushed "I'm SO happy that you came. I'm sure we will become great friends!"

For a moment I was taken aback, the Queen was...happy, and she was being...nice? 'Surely this was a joke, right? I mean, she can't really expect me to be happy after everything she's put my family through...' I thought.

I couldn't have been more right. The Queen's smile quickly turned into a smirk and she called out to the guards, "This is the girl. Take her away immediately and get her prepared to sing and dance for the dragon. I'll even give her the privilege of meeting the current Diva, whose place she'll take."

My eyes widened and Kaito jumped up and yelled, "W-wait! What are you talking about! This isn't what we agreed upon!" His fists clenched.

"Of course it isn't," Queen Luka replied, "I knew that if I told you the truth, you wouldn't bring the girl. The only way was to trick you." she shrugged.

Before I could move to grab my daggers, I felt them being wrenched out of their sheaths and someone grabbed me around the waist and under my arms, restraining and dragging me away. I struggled and yelled but the guard was strong.

'I can't believe this is happening... I wonder, will Len have to come and save me and Rin now? What if by then, it's already too late...?' I thought just before the guard hit the back of my head and I spun into darkness...