Story Three: Maiden of Green
A/N: I've been asked if I was aware of the next "chapter" of the "Aku no" series, Re_Birthday. I'm planning on doing a chapter on it, now. When I began this project, Re_Birthday had not been released yet. Now that I'm aware of its existence, it will likely be made into another chapter of this fan fiction. There has also been another chapter released by mothy (original writer/composer of the "Aku no" series), called "Daughter of White", which dictates the story from Haku's point of view... Unfortunately, I discovered Haku's version halfway through writing Miku's, and it explains a LOT about Miku's side of the story that wasn't shown before, so I had to re-write about half of it...
I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I about died writing it. I'm a die-hard KaitoxLen supporter, and this is chock-full of LenxMiku… XD
I hope you continue reading, and I apologize for the super long wait! I'll try not to let this fic go so long without updates anymore… Anyways, please enjoy "Maiden of Green"!
Miku sighed, looking out the window of her new home. She disliked it, but knew that it was her purpose… After all, her father knew what was best. Surely, he wanted peace, just as she did. He knew what was going to happen… and he always knew, was always right.
The Princess of the Yellow Kingdom was infatuated with the Prince of Blue. And, of course, should those two marry and their countries join, they would surely destroy the peace that had reigned for so long. Her father knew this, and had told her.
And given her a job to do.
The Princess of the Green Kingdom, her old identity, had been wiped off the face of the Earth. She had supposedly died of sickness. And now, she lived on, as a peasant, to do her only job: to prevent this marriage, the single thing that would cause doom for her country. At the cost of her life, of course... it was the only way.
Her father had told her of her mission: make the Prince of Blue fall in love with her was step one. Step two was to flaunt this to the Princess of Yellow. The Princess's quick temper would surely spark her to lash out, and Miku would be killed at the so-called 'Daughter of Evil's hand. Kaito would hate the woman for all eternity for killing his beloved, and the marriage would be averted for all time.
It was simple, and was sure to take the correct course. Provided that Miku could make the Princess of Blue fall in love with her. Which, truly, wouldn't be much of a problem, if one at all.
She left the house near sunset. It was well known among the nobles (and, thus, her father) that the Prince snuck out at night back in his own country. He was sure to do the same here. And, also likely, he would go to the town square.
She slipped into a local pub, knowing she had little time. She walked over to the first two men she saw that looked halfway sober. "Sirs, I was wondering if I could interest you in some money," she smiled.
"Oh? What do we have to do?" one asked, looking intrigued.
"Are you any good at acting?" Miku questioned, holding up a small bag of gold coins.
"There he is," Miku whispered. The two men with her nodded, pocketing the money Miku was paying them for this. She watched as Kaito rode his horse towards them, looking bored and lost in thought.
One of the men put an arm above her head, leaning closer to her. The other grabbed one of her wrists. Perfect. "Let… Let me go, please," Miku said, knowing her voice would be loud enough to reach Kaito's ears. As she predicted, she saw him look towards them from the corner of her eye.
"Come on, now. Don't be that way," the first man said, leaning against the wall behind her. They hadn't lied - they were good for this job.
"Yeah. We'll buy you a drink, and then we can all have some fun. How does that sound?" the second said enticingly. Kaito began to move closer to them.
"You're nervous! That's so cute!"
What was taking him so long? Miku had heard that Kaito was rather dim-witted and impulsive, he should have already-
"Hey! You there! What are you doing?"
About time. She heard the sound of a steel blade being drawn, and kept acting her part. The two men gulped at the drawn weapon. Miku had said nothing about getting into a fight for the money. They glanced warily at the steel for a few moments before darting away down the alleyway.
Miku made sure to look after them for a few moments, to compose herself. She switched her expression to one of childish bewilderment, and looked back at him. "Thank you!" she said, keeping her tone light and clueless.
Kaito smiled at her. Even if he was something of a puppet, he was still a nice person, she supposed. Or, at least, he had a nice smile. "What's your name?"
"Miku," she replied, covering her mouth with a hand and laughing quietly. She mentally kicked herself a moment later for not acting in an unrefined, peasant-ish manner.
"Miku... A cute name," Kaito replied. "I'll walk you home, then. It's not safe to be out alone at this time of night."
Miku smiled at him again. "Yes!"
The Prince of Blue was already falling into her trap. Why was it so easy?
Miku sighed, looking around herself. Why was she really doing this? Was this even worth it? Giving her life to prevent a marriage that, in a likelihood, would never even come to pass? In all the time that she had spent wooing Kaito (discreetly, of course), she had never once seen that the blue-haired nobleman had any intent to marry the Yellow Kingdom's princess. In fact, he seemed rather put-out by the thought of marriage at all. Though she had known him only a few days, she felt like she knew him inside out. There was no depth, no complexity to him - he just was. And some people liked that. But somehow, she felt as if something were missing because of that. As if he were a glass only halfway filled.
"Excuse me, miss?"
She turned towards the road. A young boy, maybe a year or two younger than her, but a little lanky for his age, smiled widely over at her. When he spoke, she noticed his eyes, and Miku felt as if she could see an ocean in the sky-blue orbs there. "Would you happen to know where the nearest inn is? I've been walking for quite some time, and I need a place to rest..."
"There's no inn here," Miku said, shaking her head. "The nearest one's in the next town over, and that's nearly another day's walk. I believe the pub may have a room above it open, though I'd assume the quality wouldn't be the best."
"That's fine," he said, nodding. "I just came to town on an errand. I won't be here long. Maybe you could show me the way? I'm afraid I'm terrible with directions," he laughed, running his hand through long, shaggy-cut blonde hair, which he had pulled back into a messy ponytail.
Miku felt herself smile in spite of herself. "I'd love to. I'm Miku. And you?"
For a moment, she could have sworn he looked in shock. But he covered it up with another smile, this one a little nervous. "Len," he offered. "Nice to meet you, Miku."
They spent a while talking as Miku worked. She had been tending the garden in the home her father had found for her when she took on her mission - the home of a wealthy merchant woman, her new mistress. Of course, this woman knew nothing of Miku's secret mission, and neither did the other servant of the house, Miku's friend, Haku. Haku's poor heart would break if she knew what Miku had planned, and so the green-haired girl had never told her. The main road to town ran past this house on the outskirts of town, and travelers frequently stopped in for directions or friendly chat. Miku found the large diversity of the travelers appealing, and loved to welcome them, sometimes giving them a cup of tea in return for stories of far-away places. Sometimes, she even wished that she herself could visit them, though she knew that it wasn't a possibility - not when her destiny was already spelled out for her. There were lots of things she'd never know, people she'd never meet, and experiences she'd never get a chance to go through.
Len was currently knelt down next to her, helping her weed the new carrot section. He paused in his work, and gently picked a small flower out of the ground. "Oh... a primrose," he smiled, brushing dirt off the soft yellow petals.
Miku leaned over, looking over the small flower, wondering why he found it so interesting.
"They're one of my favorite flowers," he said sheepishly, blushing a bit. "Th-they're pretty, though, aren't they?" He laughed nervously.
"They are," Miku agreed, laughing a bit. "Very. I've never taken notice of them, but they're everywhere, aren't they?"
"Why shouldn't they be?" Len smiled. "They stand for young love and faithfulness," he explained. "I think it's a good thing if they spread everywhere, don't you?"
"You know a lot about flowers for a boy," Miku teased.
"I do gardening every once and a while," Len shrugged. He tucked the primrose into her hair, behind her ear. "There. Perfect. It suits you."
Miku laughed a bit. "Thanks. Come on, I've kept you long enough. Let's get you to a bed. You're probably tired from traveling, if you've come a ways."
"I suppose," Len sighed, brushing off his pants. "It's a pity, though, Miku-I like talking with you."
"We could meet up again later, then," Miku said without thinking. "Can I meet you in the town square around sunset?"
Len looked surprised, but smiled brightly. "Yes, that sounds fine. I'll be waiting."
Miku took a shortcut through a field to get back to her home, holding up her skirt a little ways to try and keep it from catching on thistles and the other prickly plants that grew there.
She caught sight of a familiar head of blue hair, she bit her lip for a moment before switching into her act. She moved closer, and feigned surprise when she got close enough. "Oh!"
Kaito sat up, looking her way. "Miku!" he greeted, obviously happy.
Miku walked forward, faking pleased surprise the whole time. She forced a smile on her face. "It's good to see you again."
Kaito glanced up at the flower that Len had given her, which was still tucked into her hair. "Who gave that to you?" he questioned.
"I just found it, is all..." Miku replied, smiling nervously and laughing. Why was she so stupid? She shouldn't have forgotten to take it off!
Kaito seemed to accept this as an answer, thankfully, and didn't press her further. "Miku… In my rudeness, I never told you my name when I dropped you off at home that night," he laughed. "My name is Kaito." Of course, she knew that already. Nonetheless, she continued to follow her part.
"Kaito… a strong name," she commented. She smiled lightly. "It'd be nice to see you again," she said, secretly hoping he'd decline.
"I'd enjoy that, as well, Miku," he agreed. "I'll meet you in the village square around… say… sunset?"
Miku cursed inwardly, but put on a smile. "Sunset's no good for me," she said delicately. "Would midnight work?" she asked, hoping he'd give her at least that much time for her meeting with Len.
"Yes. That'll be fine, Miku," he allowed. She silently thought a prayer of thanks to whatever god had answered her wish.
Len was waiting near the fountain in the town square, gazing down into the cool water. Miku walked up to him, smiling cheerily. "Len!" she greeted. A smile came easily to her face, and she was actually rather surprised… She had never really smiled without thinking before.
And so the two began to meet each other in secret.
Miku had heard that the so-called "Daughter of Evil" had a twin brother, a servant with her face. But she had never really believed as such. Until, that is, Len stated to her that his beloved sister, whom she had heard him refer to in passing, but with obvious adoration, was currently in a struggle to gain the affections of someone she loved dearly, a high-ranking man in the Kingdom of Blue.
She easily put two and two together. Len's blonde hair was regional to the Kingdom of Yellow, and the fact that he looked so strangely familiar… There was no way he could be anyone but the Daughter of Evil's faithful manservant.
The thought broke her heart, but she knew that, even if he served one as foul as the Daughter of Evil, that did not necessarily mean he was a horrible person himself. After all, could she really condemn him for loving his sister? His twin?
Besides, while she had kept things hidden from him, as well. She held the Prince of Blue's heart in her hand – it was hers to do with as she pleased, though she didn't want it. She knew her role. She knew she would be killed by the hand of the Daughter of Evil. It was what she had been born for – to prevent such a tragedy from happening.
She was not meant to fall in love with Len, she was not meant to lose her own heart in the process. The thought that she was forbidden from loving him, that it was wrong, that things would never work out… That she could never have a "happily-ever-after" with Len, no matter what she did, broke her heart.
Len leaned forward, brushing her hair out of her face, and pressed a light kiss to her lips. "Stay safe, Miku," he murmured quietly, and he left her there in the alleyway outside her home, stealing away back to the inn he had been staying at for the past few weeks.
Miku felt tears stream down her cheeks, and her chest tighten up painfully, before her shoulders were shaking with sobs, her heart shattered, wishing in vain that she could have her fairy-tale ending.
She prayed her heartbreak would end soon.
Miku stopped, looking at Len, who had stopped only a block or so away from her house. He had a strange expression on his face, as if torn. He looked as if he were in pain, his heart suffering. "Len, what's wrong?" she asked quietly.
To their right, Miku could see a few boxes of flowers her neighbor was growing in an attempt to bring some color to the front of their house. She gazed at these, unable to force herself to look at Len's pained, hurt expression a moment longer.
"It's… It's nothing." They continued walking, towards the community well that was only a few hundred feet away. They didn't say a word to each other, and Miku realized what was happening.
Len… Len had no choice in this, did he?
The Daughter of Evil would kill her, not by her own hand, but by the hand of her brother. Miku felt saddened by the thought that she had to die at his hand, but somehow, she was also strangely happy. She had been given the chance to love him, even if it had only been for such a short amount of time.
"Len… I love you," she murmured quietly. It was the first time either of them had said those words, and she knew he had heard her. "And… And thank you."
Len's breath hitched. He turned, his eyes confused, terrified. In his hand, Miku could see the glint of a knife, a dagger, really. His hands were shaking, and he stepped closer, his footsteps uneven and unsure, hesitating. "Miku…." He gulped nervously. "I…"
"I know, Len. It's okay," she murmured quietly. She moved closer, laying her hand on top of his, moving it closer to her heart. "If it's you, then… Then it's okay. I can die happy."
Len's eyes widened in recognition, and she heard him gasp in surprise as she pulled the knife towards herself, impaling it into her chest, the blade sliding into her broken heart. Len looked confused, heartbroken… So many emotions Miku couldn't truly name, but knew how they felt. "…Thank you," she whispered, falling forward into his arms. Len lowered her to the ground, and her vision began to blacken around the edges.
She had wanted it to be Len. If she was to die, she wanted it to be by Len's hand. Not his sister's. It was her one act of selfishness, and she felt that, after all she had sacrificed, all she had done, she deserved this small thing, this small… small token, something to thank her for everything she did.
Still, she hadn't meant to upset him. She could feel wet drops on her arms, and knew he was crying. "I'm sorry," she murmured quietly.
"Miku… Miku!"
She felt his hand tighten into a fist at her skirt, whispering her name and hushed apologies repeatedly, like a mantra. The last sight she saw was Len's face, tears streaming down his face, shaking, crying his heart out. She closed her eyes as her vision went black.
I hope… I hope you loved me, too, Len…
God, I fail at Miku's point of view... But somehow, that one ended up one of the longer ones...
Daughter of Evil (complete)
Prince of Blue (complete)
Maiden of Green (complete)
Daughter of Vengeance
Servant of Evil
Message of Regret
Daughter of White
Re_Birthday
I'm planning to do "Daughter of Vengeance" next, followed by Servant of Evil, which is probably the one I've wanted to write for the longest time... I'm going to warn you ahead of time, "Servant of Evil" may or may not have to be split into two parts, as it will, in all likeliness, easily be the longest of all of them, since so much happens from Len's point of view (it weaves in and out with Rin's version, Miku's version, Kaito's version, etc... Actually, in all honesty, I believe that Len's the main character in the "Aku no" series, not Rin... He at least has way more character depth.). Please read/review, and come back for more, and look forward to my updates!
Also, I've decided to do the rest of the stories in the order above; no more voting! Sorry!