Rin POV
People are problems. Or at least, that's the conclusion I've arrived at since I've finally remembered all my memories. And fell in love with my twin. First, people are what split us apart, and now they are trying to keep us apart.
Every day with him is bliss, when I'm away from him, it's like suffocation. Unfortunately, it's hard to be together since our relationship is practically taboo and frowned upon in court and the world, so it must be in secret.
Although we sleep together every night, eat together, and spend time together, it doesn't seem like enough. Rules and obligations and traditions are horribly constricting, and people are catty and suspicious. Only when we are alone is it safe to really act as we are: in love.
"Rin, I have to go." Len says, kissing me lightly to briefly wake me for his good bye. I grab his neck drowsily to pull him back down to me; it doesn't take much, he doesn't really want to leave.
"Rin…" he sighs before succumbing into another kiss. I press my arms tighter, not wanting to let him go. However, he breaks away for air and out of duty. I sit up in bed, watching him pull on his shirt before running back to his room to get ready for being the prince another day.
"Do you have to go?" I ask sweetly, hoping to lure him back, so we can spend the day together like we did before. He glances at me, his blue eyes gazing remorsefully at me before sliding away, as if the image of myself is too much temptation.
"Sorry Rinny. I hate it, but I have to be a prince sometime." He replies.
"More like all the time." I proclaim. He sighs and crawls back onto the bed to wrap his arms around me.
"If you need me, you can always come and find me." He whispers. I sink into his embrace, but frown.
"I always need you." I whisper. Fear of us being separated again has hit me hard, especially since the monarchy isn't very popular as of now, especially with the scandal at the ballet and rumors about us swirling. Although I don't care anymore if people look at me with contempt anymore, I do care about Len. What would happen if he was dethroned? He would be in danger.
Anxiety tightens my stomach and my grip as I bury my head in his shoulder. He hugs me tightly as well. His smell is comforting, like grass or something; earthy but with a gentler touch to it. He kisses my head before untangling himself.
"I love you." He grins, obviously trying to ease my fear. I can't help but smile back at him.
"I love you too." He smiles again before slipping to the other door. Left alone, I curl my knees up and wrap my arms around them, looking out the windows as early sunlight beams in. I sigh, and wonder what to do today.
"Good morning princess." Marie says, walking in through the door with breakfast, as she does each morning. I smile back at her; she is sweet and seems to be quite genuine. However, today she looks worried.
As she hands me my breakfast tray, I observe that a piece of paper has been stuck under my plate. I immediately lift it out as Marie turns to run my bath.
"Marie!" I call out, halting her before she leaves as I scan the paper. I lift my eyes from the parchment to see her turn around slowly, a guarded look on her face.
I stare at her searchingly. "What is this?" I whisper. She bites her lip.
"Lady Laura's note of leave, Mistress." She murmurs. I put the paper down. "But why?" I ask. "And this is so sudden."
"Perhaps she was unhappy." Marie whispers. I slid out of bed, walking up to her. She avoids my eyes.
"Tell me the truth Marie." She finally looks up, her eyes meeting mine. I see her holding herself back.
"There is talk of unrest princess. Perhaps it was for her safety." I blink, as Marie shifts uncomfortably.
Are things worse than I thought? Does Len know? My first thought is to go to him, not only for reassurance but to warn him. He wouldn't lie to me, so he mustn't realize it. Or perhaps I'm overreacting.
Marie takes my silence as a further prompt. "Mistress, people who are close and loyal to the monarchies are the ones most in danger." I snap out of it.
"Thank you Marie." She nods before backing away to begin her task. I turn to the window.
It was obvious Laura feared for her own safety. I guess I do not blame her, but she does not seem like the type to abandon faithfulness at first sign. She must have really thought she was in danger.
But maybe she was overreacting. Who else has left? I haven't noticed, my small circle is usually all I concern myself with, I dislike the pettiness of the court. But how to tell? Perhaps because of my title, we are being kept in the dark.
But Len, Len could be in danger! The thought of my old memories makes my blood run cold. I often have nightmares, in which Len has woke me up from, crying and kicking, and holds me to calm me down. But even there, in his arms sitting the darkness, I feel unrest and fright. Sometimes, the thought and wish that I hadn't ever recovered such horrible memories crosses my mind fleetingly. But then again, memories of my dear brother… they are too precious to forget. But they do not mask the pain.
I spin from the window, flying to the doorway to the bathroom. "Marie!" I shriek, and startled, she immediately looks up from the bathtub, a hand flying to her chest as if my suddenness has scared her.
"Get me some common clothes, ones that would fit in with everyone else in the closet village. And some for you as well. We are going out." Her eyes widen and she immediately shakes her head, and run towards me, catching onto my plan easily.
"Mistress, please! It wouldn't be safe and the townspeople-"
"Are what I'm going to see." I interject sharply. I look her straight in the eye.
"We are going, just me and you, and you do as I ask and don't tell anyone! Especially not my brother. Please. Do you understand?" she closes and opens her mouth, then closes it again and nods. Mumbling, she walks somberly out of the room. I feel a pang in my chest as I watch her go. She was trustworthy; I shouldn't have been so sharp. But this was important.
I nod to myself, and turn to lens door, knocking on it before entering. Len looks up, startled and in mid bite. He's eating breakfast, and immediately dismisses his servants when I enter.
"Rin." He whispers, drawing me into his arms. "Are you alright?" he knows I wouldn't disturb him unless I was distraught or needed something.
I nod and lean into the safety of him. He so much taller now, taller than I am. His chest and shoulders are broad and strong, but lean. The safest place I know is in his arms.
"Len, I wanted to tell you I'll miss lunch, maybe dinner." He draws away, worried. He stares me in the eye, and I feel guilt rising. How can I lie to him?
"Where are you going?" he asks curiously. There isn't suspicion, just concern in his eyes. It makes me feel worse, like bile is on my tongue as I lie.
"I have been invited to a luncheon in the far side of the palace by one of the other princesses. It is supposed to be a girls get together thing." Len looks at me funny. He knows me very well. I roll my eyes casually. "I wouldn't go, but I've been invited quite a few times. I think if I go once and stay for a long time, it will make up for it and I won't have to go again. See?" I smile up at him, and he laughs.
"Sounds like tons of fun." I glare at him and he smiles back, teasingly. He kisses my nose lightly. "I'll miss you, but I bet it won't be as bad as you think." He whispers. I smile back weakly, feeling my resolve slipping.
"Yea… perhaps." He brushes back my hair before pulling me closer for a long kiss that makes me burn, the kind that makes me forget about things like air. Pulling away, I cling to him as he kisses my jaw.
I stumble away quickly, but don't let go of his hand that I had grabbed earlier. He tightens his grip.
"Len." I say, and his eyes meet mine. I edge closer to quickly kiss his cheek. "I love you." I whisper, before letting go. As I walk away, I remind myself of the purpose. I'm just trying to keep you safe, Len. I'm sorry, I think. I glance back and see a look on his face however, that makes me question whether I really fooled him or not.
Finally, Marie and I have changed and have slipped out. Acquiring horses was no problem, we merely sent another maid out before. We ride through Len and I's meadow. It's peaceful, and somewhat refreshing to be in less constricting clothing. And memorable too, of back when I was a "lost princess" and merely just another lonely commoner. A long, plain skirt of plain cotton falls above the tops of my shoes, and my top is merely a blouse tied in the back tightly. No frills, no color, no lace. Not too bad.
Despite the peacefulness, Marie is incredibly skittish. She says she has family in the nearby village, but its "no place for a thing of royalty, Mistress." I try not to roll my eyes and scare her with my tales of scrappy poverty.
We leave our horses tied up, for it would be highly suspicious to ride into town with groomed and decorated horses. Instead we walk in, and Marie sticks to me like glue, as is I will be recognized and attacked at any moment. I'm not sure how in the world I would be recognized except by my likeliness to Len, but she still is fearful.
The place seems bare and dirty. Impoverished. Beggars litter the place, of all ages. There are only a few vendors out, but their goods look old or faded. I note this to Marie.
"Princess,-" she starts.
"Marie!" I hiss. She nods.
"I mean, um, R-Rin, no one can afford to buy the goods, so they just keep trying to sell the goods, for they have too many but not enough demand." She whispers.
"Why?" I ask. A lady looks at us suspiciously, shutting her shutters with a bang.
"Bad conditions for crops, for the soil is bad and weak from overuse, and high taxes." She looks at me nervously and regrettably, as if she wishes my ears wouldn't hear of such things. I thrust my chin up fiercely, bravely. I may be Len's sister and our parent's daughter, but that didn't mean I couldn't handle myself.
"That's horrible." I say angrily. But it can't be Len who is doing this. Who's in charge of taxes anyways?
"Princess… perhaps we shouldn't be going here." Marie whispers, and I notice that I'm leading her down a dimmer alleyway. It does look a little dodgy, but if I want to find information, this is probably where I'll find it.
"Hush!" I snap, not even bothering to reprimand her for using my title. She shrinks back but continues to follow me. I sigh, for this whole royalty thing creates such a wall, and Marie can't even look past it to just treat me like a normal person for now. I idly wonder if Len ever feels the same.
After doing some twists and turns, I look back at Marie. "Why are people so angry looking? Is there something other than poverty going on?" She shrugs helplessly, her eyes full of fear. I sigh again, feeling even more exasperated.
"Conditions are only getting worse Louis!" the sound of an equally fed up man rings in my ear and we freeze. I realize his loud voice is right around the next corner, and luckily, we haven't been spotted. I motion Marie to crouch down. She glances around as the look out while I listen in eagerly.
"Keep your voice down. And I told you, we have to bade our time with this." Another voice says, coolly and without emotion, the opposite of the other's.
There's a thud. "Children are starving! We can't wait any longer for your 'master plan!' we need help now, and it's time we did something about it." The angry man says lower, but with the same emotion as before.
"Oh really? What are you going to do? Go to the prince? I'm sure he would be happy to help you after he's done with the war."
"There's no war!"
"There will be. You know he and his so called 'sister' are up there right now, plotting to take more land and money for themselves, and more food out of your family's mouths." Nope, she's just sitting here, listening to your conversation!
"It can't be true."
"It is. He and his sinful sister are throwing away this land, only worried about themselves. The prince has been so busy getting what he wanted, he forgot about the people." I seethe, my face an open flame, but I feel something cool touch my wrist. I turn, and Marie looks at me concerned, her fingers barely brushing my hand. I grab hers, grateful for some support. She's sweet…I guess I'm glad I came with her after all.
"We can't let this go on." The man's voice is now dead, defeated. I feel ashamed. Children, starving, and I didn't even know.
"Then follow the plan. As soon as I get the signal, we will need you to follow through, and end the horrible monarchy that starves you." I feel chills up and down my spine. End? That can really only mean one thing. My heart pounds in my ears, signaling I should take flight, but I make myself still, I must hear more.
"How soon? And what's this all coming from huh?"
"Soon enough." The cool voice replies. "And don't worry. Just someone fighting for the greater good. Like everyone here, he has a grudge against the long tyranny of the Kagamine line."
I pull back, my heart flying now. Marie tugs on my hand, and we fly down the alley way. I think I hear the voices get louder for a second, but soon they disappear.
When she finally stops running, she turns to me with tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry princess! I didn't know, I can't believe…!" I shake her arm violently, trying to stop her tears.
"It's fine! I'll take care of it. But we need to go home. Now." The sun is high in the sky now, and we have a long ride home. I'm starving and sweaty, and I just want to go home. I tug her away from the village, trying to be discreet and not make a scene, and we climb on our gotten much better.
As we ride home, fear pits in my stomach. Len will be angry, and how do I tell him something like this? I just want to climb in bed next to him, feel safe again. This familiar fear has come, the kind I always used to have, the kind you need to survive when you're alone and poor. I hate myself for being such a spoiled brat, and scowl in the dimming light as we cut through the meadow. The grass is tall, and brushes my calves, tickling them. I soon see the gate, and I happily slip inside with Marie following me close behind. She's stopped crying, and I feel horrible.
"Marie." I stop her as she slides off the horse, going to lead ours both to the stables. She turns. "Marie, I'm sorry to drag you into this. But thank you for helping me, and don't fret. Ill fix this. But don't tell anyone of today, promise?" She nods, and I smile at her. She's a good friend.
I slip inside the doorframe and dash to the back hallways, usually used for quick escapes or secret meetings by people of rank. I know them well now, or at least well enough to find the hallway leading to my room. I slip inside, it's dark. I have no idea where Len is, but I have to change before he returns.
I start to slip off the looser garments, but freeze in the dark as I turn to face my bed, a voice startling me.
A/N
I'm back! Sorry for the wait, I was having too much fun on break XD I hope you guys all had good holidays as well!
I hate to say it... but I finally decided on a "real" ending for this story... before it was just a few ideas... but now I know where its going and I'm sad TAT I'll miss this story! But don't worry, we have at LEAST a few more chapters to go!
Anyways, Since this and the other story I'm working on are wrapping up, I was wondering if you guys had any ideas on what I should write my next RinxLen fic on! I was thinking of doing another one inspired by a video~ but I've seen tons and tons of them, but nothing really sits in my mind! :( so if you guys have any ideas or videos you think I haven't seen, leave me a comment! I would love to write something new when i'm finished with these, so toss them out! And I will defiantly mention you if it's your idea or if you suggest a video or a song or whatever! So thanks you! Sorry for the long A/N XD
Anyways~
SoulsOfTeardrops~ Thank you!
Ellsweetella~ I know! *squeals* we've been waiting for it XD Aww thanks! :'D
Saa-San~
Ahaha! You were right! I always think of the climax first in stories, so I had already planned it when you guessed that, and I freaked out a little! I was like: "Is this too predictable? How could it be guessed!" XD
I know! TAT The red soldiers just want to take all the land, so they think they gots to kill the monarchy :'( Meanies.]
Eh, I considered both, decided a rock was more fun XD Plus, there's no way Rin could ever supress memories of Len! ;D
Aww thanks! I'm a nerd for Historical Fiction and read all the time, so yeah XD Plu8s I like things to be pretty... correct? XDDDD Oh man, I was totally thinking that as I wrote this, and worried everyone was gonna see me as a perv! TAT Im no perv... maybe just a little bit XD but ya know! (I might like to see that too) XD
I always right happy endings ;D it's just in my nature! But yup, there's still a few things I've got in meh sleeve!
You're sweet :'D and I understood everything! And huge reviews are the bestest kind! I squeal when I get them! XD
Kagaminevii~
The fluff is fun :D Twincest is win as always! XD
Hmm that's a good guess... something like that~ *zips lips*
The general... is mysterious! and bad! Leader of the mean red soldiers... :D you'll see! Luka and Gakupo... You'll know later!
Too many secrets ~
Xitlalit123~ Thanks! I like the deep stuff! And fluff XD Thank you! I will :D
Anon Y. Mous~
Me too! Bad Ass Len :D We will see BA Len again! XD Poor Rin... Thank you! I hope to meet expectations! I promise to do my best! Thanks again!
So... Yea! XD Thanks you guys! I look forward to ideas!