Len sat up with a large yawn. With a smile on his face he looked out his window. The sun was only just beginning to rise but Len knew that Rin would be up and ready to give Len commands. So, with a little stretch, Len swung his legs out of bed and prepared for the day ahead. However, as he stood up, he noticed that something was missing. The green rose that Len had set in his vase was gone, however, the yellow rose still remained.

"I could have sworn that I put the rose in the vase...did it fall out?" Len searched the table and the floor around the vase for the rose but with no success. "Where did it go?" Then, Len took another look at the vase. There was a small green petal floating in the water, but for some reason, the water had a slightly red tint. Len looked at his hands. He hadn't pricked his hands on the thorns when he placed the rose there, so then who...?

"Len!!!" Rin called from her room. Len frowned and reluctantly ran to his Princess' call. He would simply have to search for his rose later.

Len quietly entered the Princess' room and bowed to her, although her back was to him. "Yes, Princess?" Rin didn't answer immediately, and instead, walked to the window. She held a beautiful green rose to her nose and drew in its scent. My rose!

"Len, where were you last night?"

"Pardon me, Princess?" Len tensed as the Princess' suspicion was evident in her voice. Does she know? But how...?

"I asked where you were. I saw you riding away from the castle last night."

"I...had forgotten something back at the inn we stayed at. So I left to retrieve it."

"Was this rose the thing you had forgotten?"

"What?"

"I also managed to catch you returning to the castle rather late. You carried nothing in your hands except for this rose."

"W-well, yes. It is a very special rose."

The Princess paused for a moment. Then, she began to tremble and clutched the rose around its head, crushing the petals together. Len opened his mouth in protest but Rin had started first. "Is this rose so special that you would even hurt me?"

"Princess, I would never hurt you!"

"So then why!?" Rin turned to look at Len now, with tears in her eyes. "Why did you save that girl?"

"H-how do you know that I-"

"When I saw you leaving the castle, I ordered someone to follow you. They told me that you had rescued a green haired girl from the attack on the Green country. When they described the girl to me...I was so sure that it was her...the Prince's lover!"

"She's the one...the one that you were after. I'm so sorry..." Len watched as Rin cried and then knelt down, bowing his head. "If you wish to punish me, then I am ready to accept it."

Rin stared at her servant and then smiled sadly. "Len...you really are my most loyal servant, you know that? Ever since we were little, you've always been at my side. That's why, I could never execute you for something like this." Len looked up, astonished and smiled gently at her.

"Princess..."

"However..." Then, Rin bowed her head and then extended her clenched hand out in front of her. "Although I have forgiven you...I cannot forgive her. So, I order you to return to where you hid that girl...and kill her." Rin unclenched her hand and let the rose fall to the ground.

Len's eyes followed the rose as it fell from her hand and then his eyes trailed back up to the Princess' face. His eyes were wide as he processed her request. She was his Princess and he was her servant, but for once, Len was hesitant to carry it out. But, when he saw the tears falling from her cheek, he closed his eyes. If his Princess were to cry, then he would do whatever she asked him to so that her smile would return.

"I...understand." Len stood and fetched his cloak and sword from his room. He rode out to the farm where he had left Miku and quietly entered the barn. Miku was only just waking up when he arrived and when she saw him, she smiled.

"Oh, Len! Good morning!"

"Good morning...Miku." Len approached her, his head down. Miku tilted her head slightly, wondering at his odd behavior.

"Are you okay, Len?"

Len stopped before her and clenched his hands in an attempt to still his trembling. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop his tears. "Oh, Len. What happened?" Miku reached her hand out with concern. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm so sorry!" Len drew his sword and held it over his head. "I-I...I love you..."

Rin gasped. "No! How could she!? That little-!"

"Sis! Calm down!"

"But she ordered him to kill the girl he loves! She just doesn't know when to stop, does she?"

"Kill the girl he loves..." Len suddenly remembered back to his recurring dream. The bloody images that flashed before his eyes...perhaps if they really happened to these people, then maybe his dreams wanted him to know what happened, for some reason or another. In any case, Len had to know more. "Rin, please, keep reading."

"You're really interested, aren't you, Len?" Len only nodded and Rin sighed. "Okay. But it's really getting late so I'm only going to read a little more. We can finish the rest in the morning."

Oh no! Poor Miku! Uh, well I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See ya next time!