I had to type this entire chapter from my ipod because my home computer broke, so my parents have been using the laptop which I normally type my stories on. If there are any spelling or grammar errors, it's for that reason.

Thanks to everyone who reviews this story after I updated after many weeks. Please enjoy this chapter.

Len's POV

When I finally woke up again, I felt someone place a cool rag on my forehead. I noticed that I was lying in my bed back at Rin's house. Rin was hovering above me, wiping sweat from my forehead with the damp rag. She looked concerned.

"You're finally awake!" Rin exclaimes happily. "Thank goodness, you had everyone so worried." I sat up in bed, though my body still felt exhausted. I tries to pretend that I was perfectly fine. After all, a prince shouldn't appear weak before his subjects.

Rin must have noticed that I was faking because she pushed me back down. "You aren't getting up yet!" she said. "You're going to stay in bed until you are fully recovered."

"But what about lessons?" I asked, hoping that would be a good enough excuse to get up. "That can wait," Rin frowned. "I'm going to make sure that you stay in bed for at least one more day."

I gave a groan. I don't really feel like staying in this small cramped room for an entire day. I'd rather be out practicing with Kaito. "Don't worry," Rin started again. "I'll stay with you the entire day." She smiled at me and then went off to make some food

A small smile emerged on my face. I rarely ever smiled because I simply couldn't. But something was different now. I didn't have any trouble with it. I just startes doing it. I'm starting to feel like the bonds placed on me by that witch are weakening, but why? What has changed from then to now?

Rin's POV

I decided that I would make a light meal for Len and then run over to Luka's to get some extra medicine. Luka had given me some herbs that were supposed to be pain relievers, but I had already given them all to Len while he slept.

I'm so worried that he could be really sick or something. With all the commotion going on, I don't know if we'll have time to treat him. But he seems to be recovering. He's back to his usual self, at least he was when I talked with him.

I chopped up some vegetables and placed them in a pot of water I had on the fire. As I cooked, my mind wandered back to my greatest worry, the prince.

There hadn't been much discussion about what to do because Len had passed out. I don't think we would have come up with a plan though. There isn't much we can do. An entire village can't go into hiding, but we can't attack because no one knows where the prince is.

I wonder why the prince was missing in the first place. He doesn't seem like the type of person who would leave his lavish and luxurious lifestyle. I heard that there have been many riots around the palace. That could be why he left.

I could smell the soup, cooking on the fire, and poured some of it into a bowl. I walked upstairs to bring it to Len. When I arrived, he was fast asleep again. With a smile, I set the bowl on the table by the bed and left.

Len's sleeping face was stuck in my mind. He looked so peaceful, very different from when we first met. He has become adjusted to living here and has started to open to me. I feel like I've started to open up to him too.

I put out the fire and then headed off to Luka's to get that extra medication. Her house was a quick walk and I was there within minutes.

Luka was waiting by the door with the extra medicine when I arrived. She had it wrapped up in a small bag. "How's he feeling?" she asked.

"Much better," I smiled. "He's already trying to get out of bed, but I'll make sure that he stays put."

"Do you know how he could have happened to him?" Luka asked. "At first, I thought it might be illness, but if the way you describe his recovery, makes me think otherwise."

I thought to myself for a moment. I couldn't think of anything that would have caused Len to collapse like he did. Maybe it was because of heat, though it wasn't that hot this morning.

"I don't know," I replied. "He's doing a lot better though, so it really isn't something we should be too worried about." Luka bit her lip in worry, and she seemes to be preoccupied by another thought.

"I should return home," I said as I thanked Luka for the medicine. "I'm sure Len will want this as soon as possible." I gave a final thank you and headed back home.

Halfway there, I was stopped by Miku, who had been taking a walk with her brother. She still appeared to be worried about the situation about the prince.

"Mikuo has been trying to come up with a way to fix the problem," she told me. "He hasn't stopped thinking about it since the announcement. I think he's worried that the guards will come and attempt to kidnap the other girls and me again."

"I'd be worried about that too," I replied. "He's just nervous because he wants to protect you."

"I can protect myself now," Miku frowned. "I'm stronger than before and could help him catch the prince, but he always tells me that I shouldn't get involved." Miku gave a sigh and looked at her brother, who had wandered ahead to talk with Gumi, who had returned from the fields.

"And besides," Miku added, her face cheering up a bit. "If I wanted anyone to protect me, I'd want it to be Kaito." Her cheeks turned red and she looked lovestruck. I gave her a smile and told her not to worry about Mikuo. I said good-bye and left to give Len the medicine.

I went back into my house and grabbed a glass. I filles it with some water from the well. I poured the herbs into the water and let it sit. It smelled quite foul, but most medicine usually does. I took the glass up to Len.

When I arrived in his room, I noticed that the soup bowl was still sitting there full. He must not have woken up yet. I'll have to wake him though, so he can take his medicine.

I leaned over to jostle him awake, when he started to mumble something. He looked pained, even though he was asleep.

"Dell... don't..." he mumbled quietly. Who's Dell? Is he someone that Len knew before he came to the village? With Len's expression, I thought that this Dell person had caused Len trouble. Len continued to mumbled as he tossed and turned in the bed.

"Don't..." Len said again. His eyes were still firmly shut. "Don't touch her... just take me." I leaned closer to Len in worry. He seemed to be having a nightmare.

"Len!" I yelled into his ear. Immediately his eyes opened, and he was suprised to see me hovering above him in bed. "Are you okay?" I asked. "You were having a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Len asked, sounding a bit confused. "I haven't had one of those in years."

"You were mumbling about someone named Dell," I explained to him. "You were begging him not to take... her and to take you instead."

Len's face turned pale. He looked slightly worried. Maybe this Dell had caused more problems for Len than I had originally believed.

"Drink this," I said, changing the subject. I handed Len the glass and he scrunched his nose at the smell. "It's awful," he frowned.

"I already had to forced you to drink someone while you slept," I confessed. "Just drink it and you'll feel better." Len reluctantly drank everything in the glass, though he looked a bit green afterwards.

"Have some of the soup too," I said, pointing at the soup bowl on the table. Len nodded and grabbed the bowl. I stood up to leave the room, when Len muttered a quiet "thank you".

My heart fluttered as I closed the door. My cheeks felt warm. Just a mere thank you had caused me to enter this state. Everything felt warm and happy. I knew what this feeling was immediately. I had seen Miku and Kaito show it to each other, and it was not a foreign feeling.

It was love, simple as that. I didn't doubt it, but I didn't question it either. In the short time I had come to know Len, his personality and attitude had won me over somehow. His manners weren't the best, but that doesn't matter. This had all happened so fast that it seemed almost hard to believe, but that's okay.

I can't worry about feelings like love though. There is a much bigger problem right now. The prince is the main priority right now, and nothing should distract my mind from that. Aside from Len's temporary accident, nothing is more important.

I pressed my hand against my heart and smiles. I was reminded of my brother. Len had filled the void that Rinto had left open when he was take away. Perhaps that is why my feelings for him developed so quickly.

Luka's POV

Something about Len's sudden collapse is suspicious to me. Nothing seemed to be wrong with him until he announcement. I saw his face when Kaito announced the news. His reaction was different from everyone else.

He didn't seem to be worried or nervous, instead he seemed frightened and looked guilty. I think this triggered his collapse. Some thought that crossed his main caused his to panic and black out. But why did the announcement about the prince trigger his collapse?

Len is hiding something from us and it could be valuable information that could help us with the prince. I'd hate to think that he's hiding something, especially since Rin has grown so fond of him.

I can tell that he has filled her void, and because of that she has become very close to him. His attitude is still terrible, but Rin doesn't seem to mind. I just hope her poor heart won't be broken by a cold-hearted boy like Len.

Questions are now running through my head about Len. I'm starting to realize that the circumstances surrounding him are strange. A mysterious noble boy appears in the middle of nowhere around the time of the prince's disappearence. And he seems to become nervous at the mention of the prince? I'll have to tell my suspicions to Kaito. It would be best if he knew too since he makes all the decisions. Len knows more than he is letting on, and I want to find out what.

I hope Rin's love for Len doesn't seem to sudden. Her love wasn't meant to be at first sight, but it was intended to develop very quickly since the gap in her life was suddenly filled.

Please Review o(^▽^)o