Re_Birthday Chapter 7

When I returned to the castle I was in a daze, I felt high on this feeling most would call love. I'd never been in love before, so this was an entirely new feeling. I wandered around tending to my chores, I washed Josephine, delivered all of Rin's items to her, and did countless other jobs that day without even thinking it seemed. When I finally seemed to be focusing again I was stunned to see that it was already time for bed. I went to say goodnight to Rin, she was busy brushing her hair with a golden hairbrush when I entered the room. It looked glossy in the light of the candles as she continued to pull the brush through it. I stood by the door waiting for her to finish, she stared at me curiously as she continued to brush, I wanted to ask her why she was staring at me in such, but though it may seem rude, so I waited.

"You seem to be in a surprisingly good mood today, I mean considering yesterday's events" She was still staring up at me as she said this, it caught me off guard, had my good mood really been so obvious? Even if it was I didn't think it was a bad thing, pouting a little I decided to answer her.

"Well I decided that it was okay, I did what was right so..." I trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence. "It's not a crime to be happy" I retorted, feeling irritated by her remark. She looked a little stunned at my rudeness but shrugged it off, she stood up, walking to her dressing table and placing the brush down gently on it's golden surface.

"Well I was not trying to offend you, I just noticed you have been grinning like an idiot since you returned from the Green Kingdom" She remarked, flipping her hair back, and standing with her hands on her hips. How innocent she looked in her long white night gown.

"Care to tell me what happened while you were there?" She questioned me, I blushed, I didn't want to tell her about meeting Miku, and how I had all too quickly developed feelings for her. So I turned away and mumbled something about the weather being too nice to feel upset. Of course being my twin she knew I was lying and didn't buy it. She moved uncomfortably close to me, circling me, wearing me down with her eyes.

"Oh, well to me it seems like you are...in love" She grinned knowingly at me as I turned away babbling, denying it. She put a hand over my mouth to silence me, she giggled, childishly. She shut the door and stood in front of it.

"I refuse to let you leave until you tell me who she is!" She smiled mocking an evil grin, funny how she mocked evil now when she usually had no trouble making her smiles all too spine chilling. I sighed deciding I would be able to get to bed more quickly if I just confessed, so I sat on the edge of her bed, and beckoned her to come and sit beside me. She sauntered over, smoothing her gown down over her legs as she sat. She looked up at me expectantly, I looked away, my cheeks still burning red and began to tell her about Miku, I told her how we'd met, and how I'd felt, and how I'd felt such a peculiar feeling when she'd touched my hand. She listened silently as I told her this, deciding to leave out her name, and the part where King Kaito came and ruined the moment. She blushed as I turned back to look at her, why on Earth was she blushing, I'm the one who had just spilled my deepest secret to her.

"Oh" She finally spoke, her voice seemed a little icy. "So I suppose you will be seeing her more often now" She continued, her voice shaking a little, I tilted my head in confusion, what could be wrong?

"Well I never said that...I don't even know where she lives, or what her name is..."I trailed off, lying about her name, of course I knew her name, I'd been thinking about her all day. Miku Hatsune. She turned to look away from me, she was trembling.

"Well I suppose once you two get together you will be leaving me to marry her, so I will need to find a replacement" She sounded as if she was about to cry. Ah so that's what was bothering her. I pulled her to me and hugged her tightly. She was still trembling, she let a few small sobs out as I held her. I hadn't meant to upset her.

"Rin, even if I were to marry her, which is highly unlikely, I would continue to live here and serve you, you're my twin, and nothing will change that, I'll never leave you" I reassured her, stroking her fluffy blonde hair. She looked up at me, her blue eyes shimmering with tears, tears silently slid down her porcelain cheeks.

"But you....you've fallen in love" Her voice broke as she said this, she sobbed desperately, burying her head into my chest, I could feel her tears through my shirt, against my skin. I continued to stroke her hair and whisper gently to her, anything to calm her down.

"Look Rin it doesn't matter if I'm in love...which I don't think I am, I will NEVER leave you...besides, she has someone already...she told me" I said this bitterly envying Kaito. Once again she raised her head to look into my eyes, she blinked tears away, clearing her throat a little so she could speak to me.

"Really?...Well I bet he is not as great as you, she must be an idiot if she chooses him over you" She smiled weakly at me, forcing a laugh. I laughed as well, oh if only she knew who my competition really was. She moved closer to me sighing. She looked deep in thought, and seemed to be wrestling with her conscience before she spoke again.

"I'm in love as well" She told me suddenly. I looked down at her in disbelief, who could she possibly in love with, she never saw anyone but me...my eyes widened at this thought...was she in love with me? I blushed, what would I say if she said this? I loved her, but only as my sister, not as anything more. I cleared my throat nervously as she had done before, and prepared myself for the worst.

"Oh....who's the lucky man?" I questioned, my voice cracked as I asked this, I coughed nervously as she moved closer giggling. No I can't do this! I stood up moving away from her, sweating nervously. She blinked at me in confusion. She gave me a look that told me she thought I was crazy, but continued to speak regardless.

"He is a Prince, the Prince of the Blue Kingdom, Prince Kaito" She told me, clasping her hands together and holding them to her heart, she giggled sighing at his name. I felt relieved but furious that the same time, Rin deserved better! She sat curling a lock of her hair, staring off into the distance, obviously infatuated with the blue Prince.

"Oh I didn't know you knew him so well" I commented, waving a hand as if to dismiss him from the conversation, Rin didn't take the hint and continued to talk about the man I hated so much.

"Oh yes, he has been here many times, usually when you are out on errand actually so that is probably why you never see him, yes he is handsome, I wish I knew if he felt the same way" She sighed again, her voice seemed to be higher whenever she spoke about Kaito. It wondered how I sounded when I spoke about Miku....had I really been grinning like an idiot all day? I shook my head and decided I'd just go to bed, maybe I'd dream of her, my angel. So I said goodnight to my beloved twin and retired to bed.

The next few weeks were the happiest of my life, Rin would often give me jobs to do in the Green Kingdom, and I would often run into Miku, or if not I would spot her walking with Kaito. I didn't mind I suppose, she was happy, and I still believed that I had a chance even if it was a miniscule one. I found Rin acting the same way as me, wondering around as if in a trance, love had taken over both of us it seemed, still I didn't have the heart to tell her Kaito had a lover already, because I believed that any day now Miku would leave him for me....

I returned from the Green Kingdom one day, from seeing Miku, she'd told me Kaito had been in the Yellow Kingdom today visiting Rin....maybe he really did like my sister. I hoped so, I would hate for her to have her heart broken, little did I know we would both be heartbroken very soon. I had just finished washing Josephine, and was venturing back into the castle when I heard sobbing coming from one of the rooms. At first I assumed it was one of the other servants, I followed the sobbing sounds and searched for the source, shocked to find my sister curled up on a red velvet chair in one of the rooms. She was picking away at it with her yellow fingernails. Astonished I ran towards her, I held her in my arms as I had done so many times, asking her what was wrong. I'd never seen her so miserable before, she clung to my back as loud sobs shook her small body. We sat there for a long time, I tried my best to calm her but it seemed useless. When she finally did calm down enough for her sobs to turn to small hiccoughs, she managed to choke out the whole story.

"I....I asked Kaito if he...if he loved me today....if he would be with me" She let out another sob at this before continuing. I could tell immediately that his answer had been no. How I hated him for making Rin hurt so badly.

"He said no Len......he laughed at me!.....He said he would never.....never love a spoilt, evil little girl....like me!" She broke again, hiding on my chest again, as I sang gently to her, the only thing that seemed to help at the moment. As her disheartening sobs finally subsided she moved herself away from me, deciding to carry on, her face turned to stone now as she finished.

"He said he already had a lover, a girl named Miku from the green kingdom" She spat venomously, gritting her teeth as she hit the chair with her fist. It didn't seem to hurt her, even with the force she hit the chair, I heard a crack, I wasn't sure whether it had come front Rin's knuckle or the now battered chair. I began to panic, what if she figured out that Miku was the girl I was in love with?

"Oh" I managed to answer weakly. For what could I say? She'd find out I was a liar if I said any more. I fidgeted nervously in my seat, wondering if she already knew. So I gulped awkwardly and waited for her to continue.

"I have sent our soldiers to the Green Kingdom to destroy it, I have ordered them to capture this girl and bring her to me" She declared, I felt my heart sink. She would capture Miku. What would become of my beloved Miku? Her home destroyed! I blinked back tears, I couldn't let Rin see me cry, she'd know! She looked at me coldly, noticing the look of fear upon my face. She knew! She had to know!

"Ah...your lover she lives in the Kingdom of Green...I am sorry Len, but it must be done" She turned away from me as she said this, unable to watch my reaction. I was horrified, why the sudden lack of compassion? I'd been with her all of our lives and she didn't even care if my lover was brutally murdered....Then it dawned on me, my lover hadn't been brutally murdered, she was being captured and brought back to Rin....I trembled, what on Earth would I do when they brought Miku here? What if she called for me to help her, not only would that be agonizing for me to have to endure, but Rin would know for certain then that Miku was my heart's desire.

"It is for the best" She said simply now, disguising any misery she still felt from her voice. It was monotonous, cold, unfeeling. She walked away from me swiftly leaving me alone in the room. My vision was blurred with tears, Miku would never love me now, she wouldn't even look at me after she knew I was Rin's twin. I imagined the scenario, Miku being dragged in covered in bruises and cuts, she'd look up at Rin, spotting me, she'd glare at me with her mesmerising eyes and scream at me;

"YOU TRAITOR! I thought you cared!" and her green eyes would fill with hatred, and Rin would ask me how I knew her, I'd have to confess and...

I couldn't bear that thought. I hid my face in my cupped hands, it was all I could do not to scream, cry, sprint after Rin and beg her to end the assault. These were all ridiculous thoughts, I knew it was too late by now, the Kingdom would be in ruins, and the soldiers would be dragging Miku back to this prison now. Part of me was relieved to know she wouldn't die in such a way, though secretly I knew that she would be tortured, her fate would be much worse than that of the other people in the Green Kingdom.

I was jolted out of my thoughts by the unpleasant sound of galloping horses, not one, not two, but an army of them. I reluctantly peered out of the window, I prayed it had been my ears deceiving me, however I was let down when I witnessed the soldiers riding toward us on their horses. I scanned the gaggle of men for my green haired angel but was unable to catch a glimpse of her. I sighed discouraged I moved away from the window, when a sudden thought struck me. What if they hadn't found her? What if they'd mistaken her for someone else and murdered her like everyone else? I felt horror and fear building up inside me.

"NO!!!" I let out an unintentional cry of fear. I just couldn't lose Miku. I refused to let it happen. However the soldiers were moving closer, and I didn't have time to find Miku, so instead I decided to try and conceal my identity from her when she did arrive. I dashed from the room, where had I left my cloak? I darted into my room, I rummaged through drawers and my closet. Not finding it anywhere in there a wave of panic and frustration gripped me. I sprinted into the old kitchen, searching abandoned cupboards and hooks. I was relieved when I spotted it crumpled in a heap upon the stone floor, I knelt to retrieve it, pulling it over my head hastily, I sighed, guilty, why had it come to this?

Not five minutes later I was summoned by Rin, to her side where I would forever be. I moved swiftly into the throne room, just wanting this whole experience to be over soon. I mounted the steps leading up to Rin's throne, reluctantly standing next to her as she sat. She glanced up at me, puzzled by my sudden need to hide who I was. I hoped she wouldn't question me for once, and thought she wouldn't as she looked away, silently staring straight forward awaiting the arrival of her new found rival. I began to relax a little, with her looking away from me I felt less tense, I was free to think over how I would react when Miku was dragged in here. Rin's voice cut through the silence, making me jolt out of my thoughts, I grimaced at her question.

"Why are you wearing your disguise?" she began, "The soldiers know who you are" She finished coldly. I could tell she was ready to rip Miku apart, and not only with her words. I found myself shaking, I knew what she was going to ask of me, she'd ask me to kill her. I clasped my hands together tightly, I couldn't tell Rin the truth, but my conscience begged me to release my secret. I wouldn't do it, I wouldn't. My wrestled painfully with my conscience, if I were to confess would it save Miku's life? Or would Rin simply kill us both. Her brother the traitor, she'd be alone forever....I decided against confession. What if I were to simply stand up for Miku? Rin didn't have to know I loved her. Perhaps I could reason with her, I'd never really attempted to, so perhaps it could work.

"LEN!" Rin's infuriated tone put an end to my planning. She too was shaking, however it was not for the same reasons as me. She was furious, that much was clear. Perhaps all of my plans would fail, I'd never seen her so resentful before.

"W..well I don't want this girl to tell everyone our secret when she is let go" A vain attempt to look into Rin's dark and jealous mind, perhaps I could trick her into giving me information, would we let her go, or would I be forced into murder once more? I wasn't sure if I could face death again after so many weeks floating on the clouds of love, to come crashing down into a world of death and loneliness. I shuddered. Rin stared at me, her expression was unreadable, even if she was my twin I still had no idea what she was thinking right now. She seemed to be processing what I had just said, coming up with a suitable answer. She was taking too long to answer, that was never a good sign.

"I see" She responded. I sighed with frustration, she hadn't even given me a hint. I was once again forced away from my thoughts as the thunderous sound of the doors being flung open, followed by the sound of heavy boots colliding with the highly polished floor made both myself and Rin jump. I gently placed my hand upon her shoulder as if to console her, however as the men approached she shrugged it off. I understood she felt this was something she needed to do herself, she didn't need my support this time. She loved Kaito and this was her battle, Miku was her competition.

I was alarmed as the large gaggle of soldiers entered the room, all mimicking each other's actions perfectly, right down to which foot they placed in front first as they walked. There was something rather unsettling about it. I was even more alarmed when I couldn't see Miku amongst them. Rin appeared to be concerned by the lack of a woman amongst them as well. After passing her eyes over the men many times she finally spoke.

"Bring her forward" She ordered, assuming she was with them. For one terrible instant I truly believed they had killed her by accident, that they had left her body among the ruins of the green kingdom, however, as the crowd of men parted I saw her. My eyes widened as I saw her in a seemingly comatose state. Her head lolled forward so I couldn't see her face, her once lustrous green hair seemed lank and dull as it hung in clumps down her face. It was undone from it's usual pigtails, and trailed on the floor, dirt and leaves tangled within it. I could see that the bottom of her dress was torn and ragged, I assumed she had literally been dragged all of the way here and was now worn out, by the looks of it she'd put up a decent fight, as I could clearly see a large cut across one of the men's cheeks, he held her up by one arm while another man stood on the opposite side mirroring him. My heart pounded furiously as it always did when I saw this girl, however today it was from distress, I longed to rescue her from this ordeal, my heart told me to heroically leap down and snatch her away. However duty and respect held me in place, next to my twin. The hood disguised my pained expression, my heart was torn.

"So THIS is her?" Rin mocked unimpressed. "You Miku, stand before your Princess and explain why Kaito loves you and not me!" Rin raged, her face was red with fury as she glared down at Miku. Weakly lifting her head up she began to answer"

"I...I'm so..rry" She replied in a frail tone. My heart went out to her, I prayed Rin's heart would melt as mine was right now. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she was trembling.

"Release her" Rin ordered, the men obeyed her, dropping Miku to the floor. She gasped as she hit the floor, presumably in pain. I felt myself react to this against my will, I raised my arm slightly, spreading my hand out as if to reach for her, noticing this I quickly pulled myself together, checking no one had noticed this. Rin commanded her to stand, she automatically responded, clearly terrified of Rin. She feebly forced herself to her feet, it took her a while, however Rin seemed patient, sizing her up seeing how much competition she really was. When she had accomplished this she clumsily tread forward toward Rin, she stopped, reluctantly staring up at her. In response Rin stared coolly back. Somewhat of a laugh came from Rin's direction, she sneered down at Miku. I held my hand to my chest, silently praying for Rin to spare her life. A silent tear rolled down my cheek.

"She is not worth it" Rin waved her hand as if already bored with her prisoner. "Lock her in the dungeons" She said laughed a cruel laugh. Miku was crying again, she didn't sob as I had expected to her, the tears flowed gently down her soft cheeks. I wasn't sure if this was with relief or misery that she would be locked away on her own, however I found myself crying with her.

"We shall see how much Kaito loves you in this state!" She said spitefully as Miku was lifted off her feet once more and carried away to the dungeons. I gasped painfully as she was taken away from me once more, I was crying, really crying, and I wasn't sure if Rin had noticed. Now she stood and watched me once more, a repulsed look upon her porcelain face.

"I shall never understand men" She remarked bitterly before leaving the throne room, leaving me alone. I knelt next to the throne and let tears of relief take over me.