Disclaimer: I own none of the characters except for OC's

Feel It

Haruka watched as snow drifted down from the sky, littering the ground with white flakes.

Her heart was beating furiously in her chest, wondering what would appear from the snow this time.

A giant tremor shook the ground, causing her heart to drop.

'No…'

She whirled around to see the giant shadow figure, its golden eyes casting an eerie glow.

The figure took a giant step forward, causing the ground to quake beneath it.

"RETURN…"

Haruka desperately tried to run, but her legs refused and were paralyzed on the spot.

"Please…no…don't…"

The figure reached out to her, threatening to drown her in darkness once again.

Her body trembled in fear as the giant hand got closer.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image. However, despite closing her eyes, she could still see the hand closing in on her.

"Someone…please…help…"

As if answering her prayer, a soft melody floated into her ears. Haruka snapped her eyes open and was surprised to see multi-colored winds fluttering around her, lighting up the surrounding darkness.

"Don't be afraid,"

Haruka glanced up to see another figure standing in front of her, bathed in light. Unlike the shadow, the light was human shaped, allowing Haruka to feel a sense of relief and familiarity. Before she could respond, the light figure reached up and gently cupped her face in their hands before pressing their forehead against hers.

"Your pure heart will overcome this darkness."

The shadow figure let out a low groan as it faded away into nothingness, allowing the light to take its place.

She heard a beautiful voice singing and seemed to wrap her in a warm, comforting blanket. Though she couldn't make out the lyrics, the melody gave her such a warm feeling in her chest that the fear she felt a moment ago wafted away.

'This voice…it sounds so familiar…who…?'

Rays of sunshine peaked through the curtains in front of the window, bringing Haruka slowly out of her slumber.

She blinked a couple times before lazily sitting up in her bed.

To her surprise, she still felt the warmth from the light in her dream as if it were real. She reached up and gingerly touched her forehead, surprised to find it tingling with warmth.

Her dreams had been plagued by that giant shadow for weeks, causing Haruka to be nearly afraid of going to sleep each night. It had started to interfere with her duties' performance and would forget about some things like when she was supposed to do the laundry.

The light and melody that had appeared in her dream last night was like a savior. It had made her anxiety and fear disappear with a single touch and Haruka was finally able to get a good night's rest.

"Your pure heart will overcome this darkness."

Those words repeated themselves in Haruka's mind as she tried to figure out who that was. She couldn't recall what the person looked like as their face was obscured by light.

However, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had heard those words before.

Glancing to the side, Haruka saw that Tomochika had already left to attend her duties.

Then it dawned on her. She was late.

"I'm sorry, Haruka," Tomochika apologized. "You looked as if you were having such a good sleep that I didn't want to wake you considering you haven't been sleeping well lately."

Haruka let out a sigh while folding another one of Masato's clothing into a nice, neat rectangle.

"I still don't know how you're able to wake up so early at the same time everyday."

Tomochika giggled. "Years of practice, my dear Haruka."

She held up the feather duster she was holding and waved it around dramatically. "It takes long hours of discipline to be able to wake up at sunrise on the dot."

Haruka couldn't help but giggle at her friend's theatrical gestures. "I see."

"I can help you achieve my level of rising early," Tomochika said as a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "If you don't wake up within five minutes after sunrise, I'll throw a bucket of ice cold water on you."

"You wouldn't!" Haruka cried in horror as Tomochika burst out in laughter after seeing Haruka's expression.

"I'm just kidding, I wouldn't do that to you. We'll figure something out later. I have to get back to the never-ending battle of dusting those godforsaken rooms. I'll see you later."

Haruka waved as her friend quickly rushed back to attend to her duties.

She then glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost time for her to deliver the prince's mid-morning tea.

When she arrived at his office, Haruka was surprised to find that it was empty.

'That's strange. He's usually here during this time.' Haruka said to herself. 'Maybe I'll go ask someone if they know where he is.'

While she walked down one of the long hallways, she suddenly heard the soft notes of piano keys playing.

She didn't think that the palace would even think to have a piano. Allowing curiosity to get the better of her, Haruka decided to investigate. Maybe she could ask whoever was playing where Masato was.

As she drew closer to where the music was playing, she couldn't help but admire the melody playing. Every key had such emotion that Haruka couldn't explain it. She could feel the warmth and passion from the music, giving her such an elated feeling.

Haruka eventually came across a door that was slightly open. The music seemed to be coming from there so Haruka decided to take a peak.

To her utmost surprise, a familiar blue-haired man was sitting on the piano bench, gently brushing his long fingers against the keys of a grand piano.

'His Highness?!' Haruka said in surprise.

Upon closer inspection, Haruka realized that Masato had a relaxed yet passionate expression on his face. She had never seen him like this before. It was as if he was pouring out all of his emotions into the music he played.

She unconsciously took a step forward as if being drawn in. However, she accidentally pushed the door open slightly, causing it to squeak.

Masato immediately stopped his playing and snapped his head in her direction.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude!" Haruka squeaked, her face turning a considerable shade of red. "It's just that…your playing is really beautiful."

Masato's shoulders relaxed a bit, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in a small smile. "Thank you. I can't say I'm anything like a professional though."

Haruka walked over to him and laid the tea-tray on the space next to Masato on the piano bench. "But your playing has such passion behind it. I don't think just anyone could play like that."

A surprised expression crossed over Masato's face before a small, dry chuckle escaped from his lips.

"Jii actually taught me how to play when I was little and I've been playing ever since in my free time."

"Really? I've actually played a little piano myself when I was still living with my grandmother." Haruka said.

"Oh?" Masato said in mild surprise. "Why don't we play together then?"

"What?" Haruka replied, dumbfounded. "B-B-But I doubt I can play as well as you can! Besides, I haven't played in a while."

"That's all right," Masato said as he took a sip of tea from his cup before placing it upon on the clearing next to the music rack. "You can pick the song and I'll follow you."

Haruka was hesitant for a moment but upon seeing the expectant look on Masato's face, she let out a sigh of defeat.

Masato moved to the side as Haruka sat down next to him on the piano bench.

Being this close to him made Haruka's heart beat a little faster, much to her confusion. However, she quickly pushed the feelings aside and she thought about what they should play.

A song she used to often play came to mind and decided to go with that. It had a simple tune and was sure Masato would be able to follow.

She was slightly embarrassed to play as she was far from experienced. There were several mistakes she made while going through the different notes with her shaky fingers. It wasn't long before Masato joined her in playing.

To her surprise, Masato's playing helped to support her own notes. When hers fell, his was there to help her right back up and encouraged them to go on. After a while, Haruka began to play more comfortably and her and Masato's notes intertwined to make a harmonizing melody.

Once the song had ended, Haruka felt her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Never before had she been so in tune with someone like that before.

She glanced over at Masato and was surprised to see him staring blankly at the piano keys.

"Your Highness?"

Masato immediately snapped out of his trance and shook his head.

"Ah, I apologize. I suppose I was just wrapped up in the music," Masato said before giving her a soft smile. "Your playing was lovely, Nanami."

Haruka blushed slightly and returned his smile with her own.

"Hm~? Since when did you become so cozy with the little lamb?"

Both Masato and Haruka flinched at the sudden voice and whirled around to see Ren leaning leisurely against the doorway.

Masato immediately stood up from the stool and shot the man a cold glare.

"Were you spying on us?"

"Hardly," Ren scoffed. "I was just lured in by the sweet music that she was playing."

"You're just full of flippant comments, aren't' you?" Masato replied coldly, earning him a frown from the other man.

The two erupted in another argument, going back and forth on tossing insults.

Haruka glanced from one to the other in concern, wondering if she should stop them. Before she could react however, someone slapped a hand on her shoulder. The sudden contact caused Haruka to flinch and she looked over to see Kaito.

"K-Kaito-san?!" Haruka squeaked in surprise. "When did you get here?"

"I was always here," Kaito replied dryly.

"Ah…" Haruka said in slight exasperation. She wasn't sure if he was being serious or was trying to crack a joke. Either way, it was still creepy.

"In any case, it's best to keep out of a lover's quarrel," Kaito stated.

"W-What…?"

"Isn't it obvious? Those two used to be childhood friends. It's only natural they would develop feelings for each other. However, their families' relationship causes problems in their relationship. Not only that, but Ren constantly tries to get Masato's attention by flirting with other women. It may seem that Masato can't stand him, but in reality, he very much—"

Before Kaito could finish, Masato and came forward and punched the man across the face.

Kaito was sent crashing to the ground as Masato glared down at him.

"Stop spouting such ridiculous stories, Kaito." Masato growled, an intimidating aura surrounding him that caused Haruka to take a few steps back.

"You should really learn to keep that lying mouth of yours shut, old man." Ren said darkly.

Haruka couldn't help but gulp nervously at the sight of the two young men in a silent rage. She was surprised that even Ren got angry.

Kaito groaned in pain slightly as he held the side of his face. "Sorry…"

He turned to Haruka with the same blank expression he always wears. "It was impolite of me to be telling such a pure, young woman about the passionate love story between two men."

Before Haruka could comment, Masato and Ren grabbed Kaito by the back of his collar and dragged him over towards the door. In unison, the two threw the older man out of the room.

Haruka winced upon hearing Kaito slam against the wall outside as Masato promptly closed the door with Ren behind him to prevent any more disturbances.

"As I've said before, do not take what that man has to say seriously." Masato said, irritation evident in his tone.

Haruka couldn't help but giggle. "He must have guts to talk about the prince that way."

An exasperated sigh escaped from Masato's lips as he shook his head wearily. "That is certainly one way to put it."

Ren glanced from Masato over to Haruka with slight curiosity in his eyes.

A grin formed on his face, seemingly forming a plan in his mind. He strode over to Haruka and tilted her chin so she looked up at him.

"If you're still not convinced, I'd be happy to prove it to you elsewhere." Ren said, the last part being a seductive whisper.

Haruka blushed heavily before Masato came over and yanked Ren away from her and protectively got in front of her.

"There are limits to your jokes, Jinguji."

"Who said I was joking?" Ren replied smugly. "Maybe I'm serious about her."

Masato narrowed his eyes. "I recall you saying the same thing about all the maids here. Why should I take your words seriously this time?"

Ren's grin immediately fell, a serious expression replacing it.

Tension was rising between the two again and Haruka could feel he air crackle between them.

After a tense moment, Ren turned his back on him and shrugged. "Believe what you want I suppose. Not my problem whether you trust my words or not. But I will say this…"

He turned to look at Masato in the eye. "Remember your place. This isn't something you can win against me."

A look of shock came over Masato's face before he promptly narrowed his eyes at the other man. "What…?"

Without answering, Ren walked out the door and shut it quietly behind him.

It had been a few days since Masato and Ren's tense standoff, but Haruka was worried if it was still bothering Masato.

When she left to go back to attend to her duties after the incident, he seemed to be still troubled by Ren's words. Though he claimed to be fine, his weak response wasn't convincing. Especially when he snapped the cover over the piano keys with a loud clack.

She didn't understand what they were talking about but she figured that it was probably best if she stay out of it.

Haruka was currently walking down the hallway that led to the kitchen. In her hand was a tan envelope that jingled every time she took a step. There was something she needed to talk to him about and decided it would be best to ask after she brought him his afternoon tea.

After several weeks of walking around the palace, she finally had a sense where the kitchen, her room and Masato's office where. However, she didn't know much else about the other rooms. At least it was a start.

Upon entering the kitchen, Haruka heard several hushed whispers. She paused and looked around, wondering if she was imagining things. However, she heard someone giggle. Curiosity getting the better of her, she quietly crept around the corner and was shocked to find Ren.

He was currently talking with one of the maids, leaning in closely to the young woman's face while whispering things that Haruka couldn't hear. The maid's face was completely red and was fidgeting nervously where she stood with an embarrassed smile on her face.

'Are they seeing each other?' Haruka wondered.

Deciding to let them have their privacy, Haruka tried to quietly leave. However, she accidentally bumped into one of the pots that was sitting on top of a nearby counter, catching both Ren and the maid's attention.

Without thinking, Haruka quickly ran out of the kitchen and into the main hallway; her heals clacking loudly behind her.

Well that was embarrassing. Not only had she accidentally interrupted them, but also made a klutz out of herself by being seen. Though it was rather inconvenient that they chose the kitchen to be flirting since Haruka still had to make Masato's afternoon tea. You would have thought that a palace this big would have more than one kitchen.

"Ah, Nanami-san!"

Haruka flinched upon hearing someone call her. However, she immediately relaxed when she saw Otoya and Natsuki.

"Where are you guys off to?" Haruka asked as the two walked over to her.

"Jii asked us to run a special errand for him," Natsuki replied as Otoya let out an exasperated sigh beside him.

"He's making us clean the front gates," Otoya grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head, his dog-ears drooping. "He claims that we obviously have too much time on our hands so he's giving us more work."

Natsuki chuckled. "Jii-san sure is an interesting fellow, isn't he?"

"I can't help get the feeling he doesn't like us very much," Otoya said.

Haruka couldn't help but feel the same way. There were times when Haruka caught the elderly man staring at her suspiciously while she carried out her duties. It was as if he was waiting for her to mess up or something.

"In any case, what were you doing before, Nanami-san?" Natsuki asked, snapping Haruka out of her thoughts.

"Oh, um, I-"

"HEY YOU THREE!"

The three of them flinched at the sudden voice and whirled around to see Jii glaring at them.

"If you have time to chat then you obviously need more work to keep you busy!" Jii said.

"N-No! We were just on our way!" Otoya cried frantically. "See you later, Nanami!"

Otoya and Natsuki went rushing down the hallway, leaving a bewildered Haruka watching them as they left.

"Those two I swear…They're too laid back to be proper servants," Jii grumbled before he turned to Haruka. "And you, what do you think you're doing?"

"I…" Haruka stammered. "I was on my way to prepare his Highness' afternoon tea."

Jii narrowed his eyes before letting out an annoyed grunt.

"Well, don't keep the young master waiting. Get to it!"

"Y-Yes sir!" Haruka cried before hurrying off towards the kitchen again.

Hopefully Ren and the maid were gone so she could finish the task at hand. Realization suddenly hit her when she realized the envelope with her savings was gone.

'Oh no! I must have dropped it somewhere! But where did I last have it?'

Haruka's thoughts began to race, desperately trying to remember the last time she had the envelope in her possession. Deciding to check the kitchen first, she raced down the hallway, praying the money was still there.

After working for Masato for nearly a month, Haruka had learned that not all the servants working in the palace were trustworthy. Though nothing happened to her personally, she had seen some of the servants try to sneak some off with some extra food from the kitchen. Tomochika had also told her of a time when someone had been secretly stashing away money that came in from delivered services. They were caught, but it created suspicion towards most of the servants.

There was no doubt in Haruka's mind that if a servant found stray money lying around they would most definitely keep it. Especially if it was as much as she put in.

When she reached the kitchen, she got on her hands and knees and searched the floor.

'If anything, I must have dropped it around here…'

Despite searching the expanse of the kitchen, the envelope was still nowhere to be found.

'No…Without that money…grandmother…'

"A frown doesn't suit a beautiful lady."

Haruka quickly got up off the ground and whirled around, surprised to see Ren standing in the doorway.

"Jinguji-san?!"

Ren smirked before holding up a tan envelope. Upon seeing it, Haruka's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's-!"

"I believe you dropped this after you left," Ren said as he walked over and handed it to her.

Haruka couldn't hide the relief on her face as she took the envelope and immediately bowed gratefully.

"Thank you so much! I don't know what I would have done if I didn't find this."

A sly grin crept over Ren's face.

"I'm glad to have been able to help you, but now…"

Before Haruka could react, Ren came forward and backed her up against the wall. He placed a hand on the side of her head, leaning his head close to hers.

"I'd like to collect my reward."

The proximity of their faces caused Haruka to blush, her heart beating anxiously in her chest.

"Jinguji-san…what are you…?"

Ren didn't respond as he leaned in closer.

Without thinking, Haruka immediately ducked her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

Noticing her tense, Ren paused and was surprised to see her bracing herself like she was about to get hit. No other girl had ever reacted to his advances like this. Deciding to back off, he let his hand slide off the wall and back over to his side.

Haruka timidly opened one eye and allowed herself to relax slightly after seeing that Ren had distanced himself a little from her.

"U-Um…"

A small chuckle escaped from Ren's lips. "Sheesh, you're such a kid. But I don't mind waiting."

Haruka blinked in confusion, unsure of how to respond before Ren reached out and took hold of a piece of her hair and brought it to his lips.

"I eagerly await for my reward, little lamb." Ren said with a wink.

Masato was quietly working at his desk, filing several documents from a rather large pile that was stacked to his side. As he filed through the documents, one caught his eye in particular. It was the Guardian Patrol's report. He hadn't read it over yet since it had been relayed to his father first.

The report stated that surprisingly there was little to no Guardian activity around the South-West Kingdom borders. Masato couldn't but find the news a little strange since the villages and towns that were not close to the capitol had the most severe Guardian problems. While there were no significant problems showing in the report, Masato decided to keep it as one of his personal files just in case.

Guardians' actions are always unpredictable, making them dangerous to deal with, especially when they go on a sudden, berserk rampage.

Masato narrowed his eyes. An unwanted memory came bubbling to the surface, causing him to wince. He could hear the cries of people and the ear-splitting roar of the rampaging Guardian…

A sudden knock at the door broke Masato out of his memories. He flinched slightly at the interruption but was grateful for it.

"Come in," Masato said, cursing himself slightly when his voice cracked slightly.

The door opened and Haruka came in holding a tea tray along with some cookies on the side.

"Here's your afternoon tea," Haruka said as she set the tray on his desk.

"Thank you," Masato said as he blew at the steam before taking a sip from his cup.

He glanced over at her and was surprised to see her face was flushed.

"Is something wrong?" Masato asked.

"Eh? O-Oh, of course!" Haruka stammered, giggling awkwardly.

Masato raised an eyebrow at her strange behavior, but thought it best not to ask too many questions. He took another sip from his cup before letting out a weary sigh.

Noticing the exhausted expression on the prince's face, Haruka gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Tired?"

Masato leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together. "It has been a long day."

"I see…" Haruka said with a hint of disappointment. "Well if that's the case, maybe you should rest."

"Hm? Did you need something?" Masato asked, noticing something was bothering her.

"Oh, if you're tired, I can just ask you about it later," Haruka replied, waving a hand in front of her.

"It's fine," Masato reassured. "What is it you want to ask?"

Haruka was hesitant at first but since he was giving her his full attention, she didn't want to waste any more of his time. She reached into her pocket in her uniform's apron and pulled out an envelope.

"I was wondering if you had any spare time, you could possibly send this out for me."

Masato raised his eyebrows slightly in mild surprise as she handed the small envelope to him.

"What is this for?" Masato asked, taking the envelope.

"I'm sending the remaining half of my pay to the medical center in Eleca where my grandmother is admitted," Haruka explained.

Masato looked at her in surprise. He hadn't known of this situation beforehand. Since Haruka was determined to pay him back for helping her during their first meeting, she was only being paid half as much as she would have normally. The pay wasn't even that much to begin with. Masato was surprised to find that even with what little she had left, she was selflessly giving it away to help her grandmother.

"My grandmother's health has been declining lately, which is why she was admitted. But the cost for allowing her to stay there was much more than we had. Thankfully they allowed me two months to try and pay off the medical cost. Even if it's little by little, I'll eventually pay it off!" Haruka said determinedly.

'So that's why she was looking for a job…' Masato realized.

The corners of Masato's mouth lifted slightly into a small smile. "You really are something."

"Huh?" Haruka said as Masato stood from his desk, placing the envelope down.

"If that's the case, then I will be happy to deliver this on your behalf. I'll make sure to have a messenger take it out as soon as possible." Masato said.

Haruka's eyes immediately lit up with joy and she quickly went over to him. For a moment it seemed as if she was about to hug him, but instead bowed gratefully.

"Thank you so much, your Highness! You don't know how much this means to me." Haruka said as her golden eyes shone brightly.

Masato felt his heart lurch, causing his eyes to widen. He quickly tried to recover by turning his head to the side.

"You're…welcome."

"Well, there are a couple more things I need to take care of. I'll be back later to retrieve your tray."

Haruka gave him one final smile before excusing herself from his office.

Once he was alone again, Masato sat back down at his desk and let out another sigh. She had only been working for him just a little less than a month and he already felt pretty comfortable around her. However, lately he's been feeling strange around her. It didn't make sense to him. Whatever the reason was, he decided he would sort it out later.

Masato glanced down at the envelope sitting on his desk.

"Hmm…"

Without another word, he slipped the envelope into his desk.

A/N: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE REN. For some reason even after watching his two episodes in the anime and reading a detailed summary of his route in the game, I still can't capture his entire character. I know there is a lot more to him than just being a flirt, which is why this is so difficult. I don't really like how this chapter came out. What do you guys think?

Sorry for the late update. School has been really busy lately and had writer's block for this chapter. Thanks for keeping up with it and waiting patiently for me to update!

*There are certain patterns I've been following in each chapter. If you can figure them out, I'll give you a virtual brownie (since I really can't give out prizes) So far there are only 2 things to reference*