Len POV
"What do you want to do?"
Rin scowls and glances from me to an empty horse. I know she wants to be independent, but she obviously doesn't want to ride by herself. I shift my weight and wait.
"I think that horse is tired." She announces, gesturing to her horse. I smile to myself.
"I guess you will have to ride with me." I reply. She sighs and nods as they lead her horse away. I hoist myself onto the horse and motion for her to come closer. Eyeing the horse, she bravely steps forward.
"Lift your arms Rin." I say. She frowns, but does so, and I lift her up, helping her sit behind me.
"Oof!" She exclaims as I lift her. She sits stiffly behind me, and I grab the reins.
"Hold on Rin." I warn her.
"To what?" She retorts.
"To me." She sputters a little bit, protesting, but the horse shifts in place, jostling us, so she wraps her arms around me. I smile happily and flick the reins so we start down the worn dirt path under the shadows of high trees.
Rin holds on tightly at first, but soon relaxes as the horse steps steadily, and lays her head against my back. I relish in her touch as we trot along, and steer the horse into the garden, which is filled with bright flowers this time of year.
"Len! Stop stop stop!" Rin suddenly shrieks. I pull back immediately to halt the horse, and glance around for danger. Once stopped, we sit in silence.
"Um…Can you tell me how to get down?" She says timidly from my back, her hands still clutching at my shirt.
"Sure. Just let go for a second." She releases me hesitantly, and I slip off gently, trying not to jostle her.
"Here." I hold my arms out to her as I stand firmly on the ground, looking at her figure as she perches up on the horse. She shakes her head.
"I can get down myself." She grouches.
"Rin…"
"I can!"
"Then do it." I retort, and she falls silent as she stares at the horse and then the ground. She bites her lip, and I sigh and hold my arms out again.
This time, she jumps off the horse into my arms, and I catch her easily, and our arms wrap around each other in my catch. For a moment, we hold each other and she buries her head into my shoulder blade. Then she lets go and I place her gently on the ground.
She turns away, face pink, and shakes out her skirt.
"Rin, why did we stop?" I ask. She looks up, surprised as if she had forgotten.
"I wanted to look at the roses." She replies, and carefully steps around the horse. I follow her as she delicately touches a golden yellow rose with her fingertips. She crouches and stares at it in wonder, and soon her face fills with a dazed look, her eyes seeing something else.
"Rin?" I ask, concerned. She snaps right out of it, then looks up at me strangely.
"What?" She says, somewhat more tenderly than before.
"Are you ok? You looked a little lost." I note. She shakes her head fervently.
"I'm fine, it's nothing." She stands, and looks around. I step closer to her, but do not grab her hand as I wish, knowing she wouldn't like it.
"Can I ride the horse?" She suddenly asks. I stare at her, confused. She didn't seem to like riding.
"Ok." I reply. If it made Rin happy, why not? She never asks me for anything.
She lets me lift her onto the horse, and I grab the resting reigns to steer. She glances at me as she holds onto its mane, but not before I reassure her that it did not hurt the horse. I lead her around the edge of the garden, and she seems to grow edgy as she stares over the wooden fence out onto a field surrounding the palace. It is a grassy, bright field that goes on for miles, and the high, untamed grass is dotted with wildflowers. It sidles up to some deep woods where some nobility that lived here hunted. I never did, finding it cruel and tiring.
"I can hold those." Rin says, holding her hand out for the reins. She stares at me with her huge eyes, and I suddenly know what she's thinking. She wants to leave, go far, far away, past the fence and the field, somewhere she can be free. I stare back at her, and although her face is unconcerned and smooth, I know my sister too well.
I cannot hold her here, make her unhappy. Rin is like a bird, she wants to fly free and untamed. I sigh, and hand her the reins. Maybe she will stay. Probably not. As she grabs them, our hands touch, and I feel a spark. She appears not to notice, focused primarily on her key to freedom. I take a last look at my sister, and deliberately turn the other way as my heart breaks.
I wait to hear the pounding hooves, my fleeting twin, but no sound comes but the horses breathing and the loud sound of my heart beating in my ears.
"Where do we go?" She asks quietly after a long, maddening moment. I look at her, shocked. She stares out onto the wilderness mournfully before staring down at me. I stare at her face, knowing she knew she had a chance.
I gesture to our right, leading us away from the fence, not wanting to tempt her again. After a while, she tires of riding and we go in for lunch. On the walk back through the hall back inside, I can't help but grab her hand and squeeze, my love flowing through my muscles. To my surprise, she squeezes back slightly as well, looking straight ahead.
Rin POV
I feel so stupid as I lie alone in my bed at night. I had a chance, I didn't go for it. He looked away, I had a horse. I'll have other chances, we can go riding again, I remind myself, but I keep chastising myself as I replay this afternoon again and again.
What held me back? Was it his smile, his kindness, his lips on mine, his soft touch as he holds my hand? No, I think as my cheeks flush in the darkness. It was that memory, that had to be it. I was drawn to those roses, and while seeing one up close, I suddenly heard laughter, laughter of two children as they frolicked in a similar garden, playing with each other, running as they held hands.
Was it a memory, really? Or was it just my own imagination? I clench my eyes shut as I try to block it out of my head. Sleep, Rin, just sleep. I don't, my head is full of thoughts. I roll around in my bed, feeling lonely and unsettled in such a new place still. This bed is too big; I've never slept in one like it. I sit up.
I get up out of bed to open the window, letting fresh air flow into the room. I pace around the room like a caged animal, trying to make myself drowsy or at least sort out my thoughts. I have nowhere to go except here, the only place to run to is either the bathroom or lens room. I mean, supposedly I can go anywhere, but no male guard is going to walk me around an unfamiliar palace in just my nightgown. Heck no.
I open the door to the bathroom, trying to make myself more at ease and les claustrophobic, but it doesn't help. I pace around the room some more before standing at the window, letting the air rustle my long white nightgown.
I sigh, then hesitate as I stand before lens door. I can't help but remember those tiny slips of memories, how comfortable I am with him, how it felt to sleep with him beside me. I back away from the door, frightened by my own thoughts.
A noise outside the window makes me jump, and it encourages me to push open the adjoining door that was shut to my own request.
His room is dark, and the sound of his deep breathing is the only noise. I creep over to his bed, unsure of what to do.
His hair is free from its pony, spread over his pillow like gold in the dim light. His handsome face is accented by the moonlight, and I want so much to lean over and-
I stop myself, embarrassed. My own brother! Kinda. I lean over to touch his arm, shaking him lightly.
"Len?" I whisper, and he groans before opening his eyes.
"Rin?" He mutters, rubbing his eyes while trying to sit up. His bare chest is revealed as the blanket falls down, and I step back.
"I-I just…" I flush, embarrassed and mad at myself for not thinking ahead.
"You want to sleep with me?" He asks sleepily, and I nod, feeling horrified. He smiles and scoots over, giving me his warm spot on the bed. After a moment's hesitation, I slide in, and he pulls the covers up over us, making sure I have enough even in his drowsy state. I blush, mortified by my own actions, but feel relaxed as he grabs my hand. I turn over towards him, feeling a strange rush… of affection? He draws me closer, and slips his arm around me. I stiffen, but eventually go limp, realizing it doesn't bother me.
I frown into the darkness. Why doesn't this alarm me? I've never gotten so close; I've never even needed anyone!
"Goodnight Rin." He whispers, shattering my thoughts.
"Goodnight." I reply, and although his grip slackens on my hand when he falls back asleep, it still lays intertwined with mine. I sigh, deciding to just let it all go, and slip into slumber with my twin.
Len POV
Time passed pretty fast. I had to go back to ruling over a country, making not a whole lot of time left to see Rin. Luckily, every night since she climbed into my bed we've slept together, side by side. I usually come to her bed so she will be more comfortable, but I'm happy either way.
However, I've heard that Rin is not. Not only is she still upset about having to stay here, but she's also bored, which really is to be expected. I'm guessing she's lonely too; she doesn't leave her room much unless she's with me. She doesn't really know anyone else and doesn't feel comfortable with the court, a clinging to me a little whenever it's not just us. Her maid, Sophia, mentioned how unhappy Rin seemed to be lately, so I decided to try and do something about it.
"Hey Rin, I got you something." I say, walking into her room through the open door.
"I don't want anything." She replies coldly as she stares out the window, a pen in her hand and paper lying on her desk.
"Please?" I beg, and she only turns to look at me, dragging her eyes away from the window. She stabs the pen into its holder.
I place the basket I had hidden behind me on her lap. She looks at it then back at me with an emotionless face.
"Thanks." She says blandly. I roll my eyes.
"Its inside." I say, and watch her eagerly as she gingerly investigates underneath the folds of the blanket. I feel a huge, goofy grin stretch across my face as her expression turns into a very surprised one.
She smiles sweetly at the sight in the basket: A tiny orange and yellow kitten. It mews lightly as she picks it up from the basket, and cuddles it.
"How sweet…" She murmurs, nuzzling the kitten.
"It's yours." I say, feeling stupid that I stated the obvious. She smiles at me shyly.
"Thank you…But why?" her wide blue eyes search my face, and I can't stop smiling at her happiness.
"Oh you know…Just thought you might like it." I reply casually. She beams at the kitten and sets it on the ground carefully, watching it for a moment to make sure it was ok. Then she moved towards me, and hugged me close.
"What was that for?" I ask after she pulls away after her swift show of emotion.
"Oh you know." She laughs, scooping up her kitten and flouncing away. I shake my head. Rin is so funny.
The kitten loves Rin, and follows her around. I often here Rin laughing when I'm working in my room, the sweet ring music to my ears. The kitten has no idea how much I love it for making Rin happier. It even sleeps with us, snuggled by one of our stomachs or heads while we sleep. Rin has named it Melody, for she says the cat makes her want to sing.
Other than the cat, I've been trying to help Rin, but she seems surprisingly shy and withdrawn. I want so much to comfort her, help her, but she still seems to be wary. I try not to hold her hand or hug her or anything, knowing she doesn't feel comfortable with that stuff very often. But sometimes, especially when we are apart, I feel a tightness in my chest and dark thoughts creep into my head, and I can't help but seek her out and crush her to me, or at least grab her hand to hold, just wanting us to be connected. She always looks confused when this happens, but doesn't fight me anymore.
Although I've worried about her trying to leave, she hasn't, but always looks mournful and stares out her window very often. I want to help, so I decide to take a day off from princely duties to do something, just me and Rin.
A/N
Hmm.. Im starting to worry myself... this doesn't sound very good . Sorry! But yay for Rin's kitty?
XD
Anyways~
Ellsweetella~ No problem! I know, hooray! :3
Saa-san~ Aww thanks! I think so too, she is just entertaining the idea...
hehe, only time will tell... :D Im so sneaky...
Oh don't worry! I tend to write a lot on the weekends, then practically not at all during school days XD So its totally fine, there might be some times I'm working on my other story too, so I just try and update when I can! XD But thats so sweet of you!
Thank you to all! I love all of you! Thank you for reading! the next chapter will be soon, I promise!