Regrets of Evil

Chapter 2
blue Green HeartBreak

Rin had dismissed Len for the day, saying she wished to be alone for a while. Len obeyed without question like he always did. It seemed like something was bothering him, but Rin didn't care. It wasn't her problem. Besides, she had more important things to deal with.

Once she was sure Len was gone, she dove into her mahogany wardrobe and pulled out a plain set of brown clothes. She smiled to herself as she jammed the poufy paperboy hat on her head. With this, she could go out and see her prince without him knowing it was her. She fully intended to tell him how she felt later that night.

The streets were very crowded as Rin pushed her way through, frantically searching the faces for her prince. She knew he was staying in this district somewhere, she just needed to find it. She'd actually never been outside the palace without an escort, but she wasn't scared or worried. She was confident in her power to let people know just who they were dealing with. Someone's shoulder bumped Rin and she fell to the ground, scraping the heels of her hands. She turned around furiously to snap at the one who had hit her. A girl with long aqua colored hair in pigtails was bowing low to her, apologizing profusely.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there, you're so small!"

Rin stood up and brushed her clothes off. "Watch where you're going, you stupid klutz," she snapped.

The girl's expression changed to confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Is everything alright here?" A newcomer had appeared on the scene. Rin's face turned red as a beet. Her handsome prince was standing right in front of her. He smiled at her and turned to the green haired girl.

"Darling, shall we go? I'm due at the palace to meet that awful princess again. She's absolutely horrible."

The girl smiled. "You shouldn't say such things about people you don't know. I'm sorry again, sir."

The prince took the girl's hand and together they walked away. Rin stood there in the street speechless. Her prince had basically just told it to her face that she was a monster. And he had chosen that ditzy girl instead of her! Her happiness quickly turned to rage. She fumed all the way back to the palace, barking at everyone who was unfortunate enough to cross her path.

She violently kicked the doors open of her bedroom and threw one of the expensive vases out the window, shattering the glass panels. She stuck her head out into the hallway.

"LEN! LEN, GET YOU LAZY BUTT IN HERE THIS INSTANT OR I SHALL HAVE YOU DECAPITAED!" she shrieked.

The maid carrying a stack of laundry dropped her bundle, backing against the wall. She quickly gathered up her chore and took off at a run to find Len. She certainly didn't want to be the one to get her head lopped off. Len wasn't too far from the bedroom. He was polishing a stack of swords for the amorer when the out of breath maid came up to him.

"*huff* *huff* The princess calls for you, Len," she said. Len ran the cloth one last time before sliding it back into its sheath on his waist.

"I'll be there in a minute. It sounds like she's set herself into a fit again."

Len could feel the bad vibes coming from Rin's room several feet from the door. It seemed particularly bad this time. He calmly entered the room, expecting a retort from her. He got one.

"You're late," she said in a deadly whisper.

Len bowed his lowest. "Forgive me Princess. I came as soon as you called."

Rin tossed her hair. "It has come to my attention that the prince of the blue country has a fiancé. The princess of the green country, yes?"

Len's face remained blank. "I do not know, Princess. Perhaps the prime minister knows?"

The minister had been called to the room as well. He gulped as Rin cast her venomous glare on him.

"Uh, well, yes, that is true, Princess. He has been betrothed to her for some time."

Rin sat up in her chair and beckoned the minister with her finger. He hastily came over to her, nearly dropping his papers. Rin grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him down to her level. Very quietly, she whispered into his ear.

"Make sure that country is set on motions of war. I don't care how you do it, just get it done. Fail me, and you'll pay with your life."

She released him. Cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead. Slowly he edged away, bowed to the princess and left the room in quite the hurry. Rin twirled a strand of her hair, a dark and evil guise on her small face. She cast her blue eyes up at Len and gestured at him as well.

"I have a task for you, Len," she said sweetly. "Someone is standing in my way and she means to do me harm. You'll know her by her hair. It's the same shade as a pure emerald. You know the rest."

Len bowed again. "As you wish it, Princess."

"You'll know her by her hair. It's the same shade as a pure emerald."

Len wandered the streets of the city, searching for his target. Not many people had that shade of hair, but she was proving difficult to find. He'd been searching all day, asking around, but no one had seemed to have seen her. He was about to give up for the day, when someone bumped into him, knocking his hat off. He reached down for it, but another slenderer hand grabbed it first.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! Here you go."

Len looked up at the person holding his hat and his chest suddenly became tight. A beautiful girl with long green hair stood before him, holding out his hat and smiling at him. His face flushed and he timidly took the hat.

"N-n-no, it's fine. I'm used to it…"

The girl's face squinted as she bent further down to look at him. "You kinda look familiar…oh! I know! You look just like that other boy I knocked over earlier!"

Len's heart was pounding like it had never before. He pulled his hat further forward. "Y-you must be mistaken, miss. I've only just arrived in this city…"

The girl straightened and put a finger to her cheek. "Oh, is that so? Hmm…then I wonder…oh well, it doesn't matter. My name is Miku by the way."

"Uh, I'm uh, Len…Len is my name…" he mumbled. Why did he feel like his heart was going to explode?

Miku smiled at him again and he really thought he would have a heart attack. "That's a nice name. Listen, I'm sorry for knocking you over, so I want to make it up to you. Would you like to come back to my lodgings?"

Len swallowed and his expression became hard again. "Yes, that would be fine. I don't have anywhere to go right now. Yes, let's go."

Len followed Miku to the aristocrat district of the city, where she was staying while her family was in the city on official business. She brought him up to a room on the second floor and started rummaging around in a trunk.

"Now I know that's around here somewhere…"

Miku's back was turned to Len. She was so busy digging through her things that she didn't hear the shing of a drawn sword. She straightened and turned around.

"Ah! Here it- uwah…"

Her bright green eyes seemed to lose a little bit of their shine as the cold steel pierced her middle. The little vase of flowers fell from her hand and shattered against the marble floor. Dark red blood quickly spread out and stained her white dress. It rolled down the length of the sword and pooled on the floor. Her face beheld utter bewilderment.

"Len…? Why…?" she croaked before sliding off the sword and collapsing on the floor. The blood now mingled with the hardening stuff on the floor.

The sword in Len's hand clattered to the floor. His hands were shaking horribly and tears as thick as a waterfall poured out of his eyes. They wouldn't stop coming, even though his face was still emotionless. He bent down and picked up one of the white roses, now stained with Miku's blood. He slipped it into his pocket and silently left the house.

On his way out, he passed a man carrying a bouquet of white roses. He kept his head down as he passed, careful not to make eye contact. He didn't even stop when he heard a ghastly wail from the house. Len knew who the scream belonged to, but he kept walking. After all, she had been a threat.

I wonder why my tears won't stop coming?