Evillious Chronicles 1. The Daughter Of Evil

Ever since Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche was born, she'd been cherished. Praised and blessed by the people, given whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it, and told that she was the most important person in the country of Lucifenia. She had very little memories of any time before she was about the age of eight, and from then on, she'd always been treated with the utmost respect and given flocks of servants at her disposal. So there really was no true surprise when Riliane grew up to be spoiled, selfish, and entitled, her act of arrogance following her around wherever she went, leaving her with no sense of bashfulness due to people bending to her every command.

Until her mother's death. It was the year 498 EC, thirteen years after Riliane had been born, and Queen Anne had passed with Riliane being the sole successor of the throne. At such a young age, the girl had been overwhelmed by the responsibility of being a queen, and saddened by the loss of her beloved mother. Although insisting on being addressed as "Princess" until she came of age out of deference to her mother, the ministry of Lucifenia were still deciding on whether or not she should rule due to her being only thirteen.

But one day, she was walking through the palace, searching for her ministers. Although she'd sent multiple servants to fetch them, their whereabouts remained unknown. As Riliane passed through a corridor, she saw that one of the servants' doors were closed, and heard Prime Minister Minis speaking softly inside.

"Now that Anne's gone, we can control the country ourselves," she heard the minister say.

"What about Riliane?" another asked.

"She's easy. She's young, unprepared, and doesn't know anything about running a country. We'll just...advise her. Contort her will to ours. If, of course, we even allow her to take control of the country at all."

Riliane had heard enough. Biting her lip, she quickly padded down the hallway, being careful not to make any noises as to alert someone to her presence. After feeling she'd gotten far enough away to be alone, she relaxed, her mind processing what she'd just heard. Then she screamed when she saw a flash of blonde hair confront her.

"Sorry! I'm sorry," the servant said, bowing before her. "I was going to your chambers to give this to you." The young girl pulled out a hand mirror and held it out to Riliane.

Riliane eyed it cautiously. "Oh. Okay," she said, taking the hand mirror.

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare-"

"It's fine, Ney," Riliane told her, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I want to be alone. Can you leave?"

Ney blushed, nodded, and quickly scurried away. Riliane sighed, glad to be alone. _It really was a nice mirror..._

Then she turned back to her thoughts. The ministers - the people she was supposed to _trust _were going to manipulate her! A jolt of fear ran through her, making her shiver as she held the mirror close to her chest. A sudden bolt of electricity shot down her spine, turning her blood to fire, and she realized the possibilities. How dare they.

She wouldn't let them manipulate her. She couldn't.

* * *

In the Hall of Sounds meeting that was eventually called, Riliane listened with growing fury as the ministers debated over whether she was to inherit the country now, or if she were to wait until she got older and let someone else take over for the time being. Who were they to decide that? She knew what they were doing. She knew they wanted the power to themselves, and would do anything to make that happen.

Well, Riliane wasn't going to stand for it.

"This shouldn't even be an issue," she argued, raising her voice above the others. "Only one of royal blood should take the throne. So, me." She wasn't going to let them cheat her out of what was rightfully hers.

"I don't think that's a very good idea, you are only thirteen and-"

"And?" Riliane asked, taking deep breaths to restrain herself from screaming at the minister. "Why should that matter? Why should someone else that isn't even of the family get to control the country?!"

"We can't declare you as Queen at thirteen years of age," another minister interjected. "That would be irresponsible of us."

Irresponsible, _right. _More like cutting off their power supply.

"What are you so afraid of?" Riliane taunted. "I'm _thirteen, _remember? What can I do?"

At this, Riliane noted the ministers' instant relaxation. It infuriated her to watch them think of her so _stupid, _but she forced herself to remain calm. She couldn't let her emotions thwart her plan.

"I'll remain as 'Princess' out of deference to my mother," Riliane continued, "and I'll put off my coronation until I come of age. But I expect to be the new ruler of Lucifenia in my mother's place. Understood?"

Dejectedly, the ministers nodded as Riliane stood, satisfied with the way she'd handled the situation. She'd gotten what she wanted, hadn't she?

No. As she exited the room, Riliane heard the ministers whispers of what sounded like plots against her. Ways to use her as a figurehead.

"We'll call the shots," one whispered.

"It's just a teenage emotion. She'll get over it," another said under their breath.

"She's not that smart," another voice said, or was that just a hallucination?

Before she would cry out in rage and ruin everything, Riliane quietly closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. This wasn't going to happen. They couldn't do this, not to her.

She wasn't going to let them take what was rightfully hers.

* * *

The following day, Riliane was walking through the halls when she noticed Leonhart Avadonia, Captain of the Royal Guard, and a boy who seemed to greatly resemble her. Intrigued by this observation, Riliane approached the two, her interest piquing when she noticed the boy's unusually long hair.

"Your Highness," Leonhart said, addressing her and bowing. "This is Allen Avadonia, a new servant. This is his first day here."

Riliane took a closer look as Allen turned to face her and marveled at their similarities. "We look so much alike," she told him. "Allen, it is?" When the boy nodded, she continued, "I'm hungry. Fetch me a snack."

"I don't think that's such a good idea yet," Leonhart interrupted, turning to Mariam Futapie, head maid. "Mariam should dress him first before he begins to serve you to save appearance."

Riliane frowned, disliking Leonhart's judgment, however as she turned to look back at Allen, she noticed he'd been right. "You're right," she said, sighing. "Dress him first. I'll wait."

Later, Allen was again presented to Riliane, this time dressed in servant's clothing with gold trim along the edges. Riliane smiled as Allen brought her brioche at three o'clock, wondering how he knew exactly what she liked.

When she had finished her brioche, Riliane turned once more to Allen and asked him to play a game with her. "I'll chase you," she said, "and if I catch you, then I get to put a bow in your hair." She held up a hair tie and grinned widely at Allen's expression.

"Now, go!" she cried, Allen sprinting down the halls. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Riliane chased after him, a smile of sheer glee appearing on her face. When Allen finally reached a dead end and didn't know where to turn, Riliane caught up with him, quickly tying a bow into his shaggy blonde hair.

Allen quickly took off again as soon as she finished, and Riliane laughed and chased after him, expecting to easily win as she did the first time.

But this time, Allen was elusive - skillfully making his way through the palace halls and outsmarting her while Elluka Clockworker and Mariam looked on in amusement. Suddenly infuriated at looking like a stupid little girl in front of the staff, Riliane ordered, "Stop or I'll have you beheaded!"

Allen immediately froze, allowing Riliane to catch up with him. Once again smiling, Riliane tackled him and tied another bow into his hair. There. That'd show them how she had ultimate power.

"Are you okay, Your Highness?" Allen asked as Riliane brushed off her skirts and stood up.

Riliane shrugged. "No," she told him before turning to Elluka and Mariam. "Look, I won twice! And, where's Leonhart? Why isn't he here?"

"Leonhart's busy," Mariam said as she scraped the dust off of Riliane's dress. "And you shouldn't have said that to Allen. It doesn't matter that you were only playing, you should never recklessly threaten to behead someone."

Rage shot through Riliane's entire body. How dare Mariam, a serving maid, chastise her for something she'd said to one of her servants? They really must think her a stupid and naive girl who can easy be controlled.

"Oh, I'm not playing," Riliane assured the maid, pulling away. She had to let them know that she was in control here. "I am the Princess of this country. I have the authority to behead someone, no matter the crime."

After noticing Mariam and Elluka's facial expressions change, Riliane smirked in satisfaction and spun on her heel. "Don't worry," she purred threateningly, a dark smile creeping upon her face, "I would _never _play games with it."

Then she grabbed Allen and turned away, the fury inside her slowly simpering down to a dull roar. Now they'd see her authority. Now they wouldn't challenge her. Now they wouldn't see her weak. They could never see her weak.

For Riliane knew that if anyone saw her weakness, she was done for.

* * *

Six months later, Riliane sat upon her throne, listening to the people's complaints: her taxes were too high, she was committing murder without due cause, etc, etc. Riliane didn't understand why everyone was so upset - taxes were to be expected in any government, she was only disposing those who opposed her, therefore traitors, and everything else? Well, she deserved it! She was the ruler, and the most important person in Lucifenia. People should be glad to serve her.

As she waved away a girl with tangled blonde hair and torn, ragged clothes, another with red shoulder-length red hair and a piercing stare came up to her. The girl bowed before her, lowering her eyes to the floor.

"Ugh, you again?" Riliane asked, recognizing the bright red hair. "What _is _it with you people?"

The girl sighed. "Please," she begged, "please just one hundred more coins. My family and I are starving, and we need the money!"

Riliane scoffed in disgust. "You're already five hundred coins in debt. Why would I want to give you more?"

"Please!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes.

"No," Riliane said simply.

"But-"

"Take her away!" Riliane ordered. As two guards dressed in Lucifenian uniform grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out, the girl glared at Riliane, her eyes burning holes into her skin. If looks could kill, she'd be dead.

"I will get you for this, _Your Highness!_" the red-haired girl shrieked as she was pulled out of the room.

Riliane yawned, and looked away. "That's all for today," she said. "I'm too tired. Allen, will you bring me a snack?"

The blonde-haired servant by her side nodded, and briskly walked away to bring her her three o'clock snack. Brioche, she liked. She was sure Allen would remember.

* * *

The day before Riliane's fourteenth birthday, she was annoyed. The people annoyed her. The palace annoyed her. The _world _annoyed her.

Suddenly, a knock sounded on her door. "What?" she called, her voice bitter.

"Captain Leonhart Avadonia is here to meet with you," her servant reminded. Riliane sighed.

"Send him in," she said, rolling her eyes.

The door opened, and Leonhart strolled in, bowing when he met eye contact with her.

"What is it?" Riliane asked.

"Princess, the townspeople are starving," Leonhart started, watching Riliane's expression. "As you know, we are currently experiencing a famine. As Princess of Lucifenia, it is your duty to assist them."

"So what do you suppose we do?" Riliane asked flatly, obviously uninterested in the conversation.

"To compensate for the lack of food, we should distribute the palace's food reserves to the country," Leonhart explained. "It'll only be temporary."

Riliane was annoyed. No, worse than that, she was angered. How dare he tell her she should give away her food?! It was _hers._ "Or," she said, coming up with an alternate solution, "if they can't eat bread, let them eat brioche!"

Leonhart stared at her. "With all due respect, Your Highness, I don't believe that is reasonable advice to give."

"And who are you to be reprimanding me?" Riliane demanded, enraged at Leonhart's audacity.

"Well, as one of the Three Heroes, it is my job to-"

"Enough!" Riliane interrupted, bored of the conversation already. "_I _am the ruler here, and _I _get to say what goes. So, no, we will _not _be distributing the palace's food stores. Dismissed."

"Princess, I-"

"Dismissed!" Riliane yelled, waving him away. Leonhart ground his teeth, then stalked out of the room, clearly angry at her decision.

As she stared at his retreating form, Riliane felt a twinge of fear shoot through her. She'd almost been cheated, _manipulated _out of her food! People were starting to challenge her authority. They didn't respect her. They didn't listen to her. They'd overrule her.

Riliane was going to make them listen.

* * *

The next morning, Riliane awoke, refreshed and alert for today's celebration. Today was the day she turned fourteen, and suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. A cake! She needed a cake! Why hadn't she thought of it sooner?

Getting dressed, Riliane called for the patisserie to make her a birthday cake. It would have to be amazing; after all, it was to be the centerpiece at her birthday gala.

"This is such short notice," the patisserie said indignantly. "If you'd only asked sooner-"

Riliane was tired of never getting the respect she deserved. "Well, you know what? That's too bad," she said coldly. "I expect it done by tonight. And it'd be better be stunning or heads will roll, and believe me: you do not want that to happen."

The patisserie nodded quickly and bowed low. Riliane smirked in satisfaction. This was how you got things done. If you wanted people to listen to you, you'd have to play dirty. It was the only way to gain respect.

Riliane then came up with another idea - a genius one, in fact. Smiling slightly to herself, she turned to her left wall and unlocked the secret passage that had been built in her room years ago. Slipping out, she raced down the dark halls and mounted her horse, Josephine. Then she took off through the Forest of Bewilderment to her secret place she went when she wanted to be alone. Riliane settled down by the coastline, feeling the slight throb in her palm from where a thorn had cut it during her journey. She smiled again. She was certain no one would find her here in time for her birthday celebration.

It seemed as if she sat on the beach with Josephine for hours. When she finally saw the sun begin to set, Riliane watched it closely, noting the beautiful red-orange glare it cast upon the waves and the pink streaks along the sky. Riliane mused restlessly as she surveyed it, finally admitting the thoughts she'd been afraid to admit even to herself. "It's alone," she remarked to the empty shore. "It's me."

Suddenly, a noise sounded behind her, and she jumped, startled by the broken silence.

"Ah, my lady," Allen Avadonia said, coming up beside her. He gazed towards the setting sun as he spoke.

"Allen! How-how did you find me here?" Riliane said, quickly composing herself. She wouldn't let this...this _servant _see her flustered.

Allen didn't answer her. "Leonhart is worried about you," he told her. "He's been scouring the palace for hours."

Riliane snorted, glad her plan had worked to at least some degree. "Good," she said triumphantly. "If he hadn't found me by the time of the ball, I could have had him executed."

As Allen looked at her disdainfully, thoughts of how she could've killed Leonhart crept into her mind. She knew how protected he was since he was Captain of the Royal Guard and one of the Three Heroes, and realized that she wouldn't have been allowed to execute him. A wave of fury overtook her at his status, and how he could get away with doing whatever he wanted to her.

"He just...pisses me off!" Riliane shouted. "He just really pisses me off!"

Suddenly embarrassed by her outburst, Riliane grabbed hold of her emotions and turned to Allen. "It's just - you _ruined _my plan!" she complained. "I could've had him gone, out of my life forever; no longer having to listen to his stupid suggestions that force me to limit my food!"

"I'm sorry," Allen apologized, lowering his head. "I truly am; I'm sorry."

Riliane sighed, knowing the plan would've been foiled anyway. "It's fine," she said grudgingly. "It couldn't be helped. We should return home before it gets dark, anyway."

The pair stood up, and Allen grabbed Riliane's hand. Riliane was shocked. How dare he, a lowly servant, touch her like that?

"You insolent fool!" Riliane cried, yanking her hand away and slapping him across the face. "How dare you-"

"Your hand is injured," Allen explained patiently, pulling out a bottle of ointment. "I only wished to heal it."

Realizing his intent, Riliane blushed a little. "Oh," she said, looking down slightly. A dark thought crossed her mind. Maybe she could use the scratch as an excuse to execute Leonhart.

"Allen, release my hand," she ordered, noticing he was still holding it after healing her wound. Allen blushed and quickly pulled away as Riliane laughed, finding it amusing that he became flustered not after she'd slapped him, but after she'd realized he was touching her intimately.

"We should head back," Riliane said, preparing to make the journey back to the palace.

"Your Highness, you should follow the path towards the port instead. It's much less timely than the one through the woods," Allen suggested to her.

Riliane, slightly embarrassed that the servant had more knowledge of the route instead, took off towards the port, not stopping to wait for him.

"Wait!" Allen called from behind her.

When Riliane turned around, he continued, "What about Josephine?"

"Oh. Signal a beacon for the royal guard at the port city," she told him, beginning to walk again. When she heard no movement behind her, Riliane rolled her eyes and gestured to the horse. "Well? You coming?"

Allen shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I don't know how to ride horses," he admitted. "I'll just follow you on foot."

Riliane sighed as she retreated back to where Allen stood and mounted Josephine. "We'll go together," she said as he walked beside her, marking their slow trek back to the castle. As they turned away from the coast, Riliane glanced back once at the setting sun.

"The sun really _is _always alone," she murmured, her voice taking on a strange undertone. "Just like...me."

Then she turned away and stared straight ahead, riding away from the sunset.

* * *

When the pair finally reached the palace, Allen alerted the royal guard and waited for him to arrive. Riliane dismounted and stood with her arms crossed as she frowned impatiently in boredom.

Eventually she saw Leonhart approaching, his eyes ablaze with fire when they rested on her. "What were you thinking?!" he demanded as he reached her. "You could've been killed! You can't just go running off like that!"

Riliane rolled her eyes in annoyance, convinced Leonhart was only worried about his title. "Would you relax?" she said tiredly. "I'm fine. No thanks to you."

"Yes, but that's not the point!" Leonhart sighed in frustration. "You endangered yourself and sent the entire palace into turmoil, you didn't tell anyone where you were going, and you certainly didn't think of this kingdom! As princess, you need to be more responsible!"

Now Riliane was infuriated. Leonhart, a high-standing socialite who intended to cheat her out of her own will, dared to lecture her? He had no right to tell her what she could and couldn't do! She couldn't let him control her. She couldn't.

"In case you haven't noticed," she responded coldly, "I seem to be the one in charge here. And _you _are supposed to be the guard, so _you _should have been looking out for these stunts. You shouldn't be reprimanding me; you should be overjoyed that I'm unharmed." Riliane turned to her subjects. "I am the Kingdom of Lucifenia's princess: Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche! You have _no right_ to tell me what I can and can't do. Understood?"

When no one responded, Riliane grew even more angry. They didn't take her seriously.

"Understood?!" she screamed.

Heads nodded like bobble-heads, and Riliane was satisfied. This is what it took, she reminded herself. Strong. Firm. Aggressive. That's what made a good ruler, one that was respected and listened to.

"Now, kneel to me!" she commanded. Let them know she was their ruler, and they'd treat her as such. They had to.

The mob of people all kneeled in front of her. Riliane smiled as Leonhart stormed off angrily. There. Now he couldn't control her.

That night, as Riliane attended her birthday ball, she only had her eye on one thing. She scanned the room, only giving it a cursory search before spotting the unmistakable mark of bright blue hair. Unable to hold back her excitement at having him so close to her again, she instantly made her way towards him.

"Kyle!" she cried, breaking out into a wide smile as he noticed her.

"Happy Birthday, Princess Riliane," Kyle replied, smiling as well. "How does it feel to no longer be thirteen?"

"One more year until our marriage," Riliane reminded him. "It is not so far away."

Kyle looked deep in thought as he replied, "Yes, you're right. It is soon." Then he met her eyes again and smiled. "I look forward to it, Princess Riliane." He kissed her hand lightly, and handed her a beautiful shell necklace. "To remind you."

Riliane blushed. "Thank you," she said softly. "That green rose you have is nice."

Kyle looked down. "Oh, this?" he asked, picking at the rose. "I-I have to go. I could only be here for a short amount of time before I have to return to Elphegort. You know I've been there for business."

Riliane nodded. "It was nice seeing you," she said, trying to hide the dismay in her voice.

He smiled at her before walking away. Riliane turned back to her party, sighing, silently reprimanding herself for being so unapproachable to Kyle. He'd been her fiancée for a number of years now after his mother, Queen Prim, and her mother had arranged for them to be married when Riliane turned fifteen. They'd been in love since they were kids, simply infatuated with each other until their parents had insisted they become engaged.

And now there was only a short period of time left before they were to be formally married. Riliane couldn't wait.

For the rest of the party, Riliane socialized little and played with the necklace Kyle had given her. After the servants had brought out her gargantuan birthday cake, she'd retired to bed, spending the rest of the night dreaming about Kyle, and what they'd do after they were married. After all, there was only one year left of engagement.

* * *

A few days after her fourteenth birthday, Riliane had gone back to being irritated with the world. Some insolent politician had spoken out against her at her ball, and now she and her ministers were holding a trial against him in the Hall of Sounds.

He seemed to blabber on and on for hours. Riliane was tired of it; she was the princess, after all, so why should she have to listen to such nonsense? Her word was law.

"Guilty," she said, yawning. She knew what he said - why did there have to be a trial?

"But, Your Highness, I haven't even-"

"Guilty," she said again, her voice firmer. The politician looked defeated, and Riliane smirked. "The only fair punishment for treasonous acts is death. Your execution date is today at three o'clock. Now, are we done here?"

"Treasonous acts!?" the politician exclaimed. "I committed no such thing! I've been loyal to this country my entire life, I would never-"

"Are you challenging me?" Riliane asked in disbelief. People had such nerve. Just because she was young didn't mean they didn't have to listen to her! "It is final! Finished! Now, leave!"

The politician glared at her, fury raging in his eyes at the smug princess. Riliane gave him a glare just as harsh. Who did he think he was, challenging her authority like that? He was trying to usurp her, too, wasn't he?!

Riliane grunted in disgust, then left to go eat in the dining hall. As steaming hot plates of food were presented to her, she noticed something was horribly amiss. The food quality was much worse than usual, and...hadn't she demanded _five _knives while eating?

Only one conclusion seemed correct to her. This was the ministers' doing. They were sure they wouldn't notice; that she would brush it off and leave herself completely exposed. This was how they were going to do it, right? First they'd start by removing a knife or lowering food quality, then they'd start managing executions, and eventually they'd steal the entire country from her! They were trying to deceive her!

Well, she wouldn't let them.

"Minis!" Riliane roared, storming back into the Hall of Sounds. "What the _hell?!_"

She noticed the prime minister trembling before her, and smirked. She must've known she'd been caught. Riliane got some sick pleasure in knowing she could outsmart a minister. She'd caught onto them. It was over.

"Did you really think you could get away with it?! Did you?!" Riliane demanded, screaming at Minis. "Well, I'll tell you something! You couldn't! You-"

Suddenly, a servant from the corner of the room cried, "You!" and charged at Riliane, the missing knife in his hand.

Riliane froze, unable to move, to breathe. This couldn't be happening. She recognized the servant - his name was Asan, and he was the politician's son. The ministers were in liege with the politician! How could she have been so stupid?!

She could only watch as Allen attacked Asan and grabbed his wrist, forcing him to relinquish the knife.

"Guards!" Riliane cried, quickly regaining composure after seeing Asan disarmed. "Seize him!"

Two guards came up and grabbed Asan, dragging him away from the shaken princess.

"He'll be executed tomorrow," Riliane said, her voice trembling just a bit. "I'm leaving. I'm not hungry anymore, anyway."

* * *

Three days passed, and Riliane had never felt more alone. She'd dismissed anyone who had tried to see her, save for Allen, Ney, Chartette Langley, and Mariam Futapie. Of these, Allen was the only one she permitted to speak to her in her room. She'd closed herself off to the rest of the world, refusing to socialize, and rarely came out of her room unless it were for meals. And she hated it.

But Riliane couldn't risk another assassination attempt. She'd almost been killed; outsmarted by the ministers. It was so clever, she thought, how they'd managed to turn her against the politician, and it would make perfect sense that his son would try to kill her.

She still felt she should've known. Why hadn't she been suspicious when the ministers had wanted a "fair trial"? Why had she permitted Asan to be in the room with her? Why had she underestimated the ministers so horribly?

There was only one thing left to do - one way to protect herself. Purge anyone whose loyalties seemed even the slightest bit shaky, and never let the ministers know that she was on to them. Riliane couldn't be around anyone she didn't know and trust.

That limited her to Allen, Chartette, Ney, and Mariam. Which meant that she would have to get her sources of information from other people's gossip when they didn't know she was listening. She couldn't trust anyone besides those four who gave her information directly, as she didn't know who was secretly working with the ministry.

Riliane had learned from rumours circling amongst the chefs that the ingredients in her food were "unnatural". Realizing she'd never figured out why the quality of her food had gone downhill, she grew furious. By focusing so much on the ministry, she'd let herself slip. Now even the servants would consider her weak and naïve.

_I can't let that happen, _Riliane thought, fidgeting at the prospect of the servants rising against her. Angrily, she stormed into the kitchen, ready to unleash her wrath on anyone in range.

"Where's Mariam?" she roared, halting the servants' preparation.

"We don't know," Ney told her apologetically. "She's been absent all morning."

Riliane was infuriated. How incompetent were these people? Or, for a better question, just how incompetent did they think her?

"Did you know?" she suddenly demanded, turning to Ney.

Ney looked confused. "Know what?"

"About the rumours!" Riliane clarified, her voice rising even higher. "Are the servants stealing food from the palace?"

"No, no one's been stealing food," Ney said, shrugging her shoulders. She seemed unnerved by Riliane's outbursts, and this just made Riliane angrier.

She couldn't take being lied to. "Well, if anyone _dares _to do so, you will pay!" Riliane cried. They had to know she was serious. They had to take her seriously. "If I or anyone else _ever _catches you stealing, you _will _be beheaded! Am I clear!?"

The chefs nodded their heads simultaneously in fear as Riliane looked on, relieved they'd listened to her. Then she turned on Ney.

"Ney, I know you love to gossip," she said, noting Ney's inability to keep her mouth shut. "How do you know all this?"

At that moment, another chef approached the princess and said, "I've seen someone stealing from the palace barns before. I didn't see who they were, but I know they're too tall to be a servant."

"I know who it is," Ney admitted softly, mumbling the words.

"Tell me!" Riliane demanded.

"Well, I-"

"Tell me, or I swear to God, I will cut your pretty little head off," Riliane said, her voice low and menacing. She had to know; she couldn't just let the servants keep secrets from her!

Ney looked back and forth from the chef to the princess, before finally sighing and pursing her lips. "Leonhart," she confessed, watching as Riliane's face grew from red to purple. "He also...he wanted to rise up against you, and you know he's a war criminal, right?"

Riliane knew she should've seen this coming; from the way Leonhart looked at her with disdain and contempt, she should have known he wouldn't have listened to her. That he would have tried to steal from her. It was obvious he didn't think she was a serious ruler, as he so blatantly committed a federal offense right under Riliane's nose. He'd tried to outsmart her, get her thrown out of her position - why, he was a traitor! A war criminal! An insurgent!

Riliane let out a loud groan of frustration, and stomped back to her room, sketching out her next plan of attack. And soon, she'd come up with something.

That night, after dinner, Riliane ordered Allen to her room, at first commending him on his able fencing skills, and asking him where he got his ability from. After learning his father had taught him, she complimented his form, saying, "Even in my opinion, your sword is powerful."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Allen said platonically, as if having rehearsed that statement.

"I also learned fencing when I was little," Riliane continued. "The soldiers made several attempts to beat me, but I never lost. I'm so powerful, aren't I?"

When Allen nodded and bowed his head, she knew it was time to let him know what she really wanted him to do.

When Riliane was young, someone had told her that if she wrote a wish down on a piece of paper and put it in a bottle, that it would come true. Believing in the old tradition, she quickly wrote down her request, placed it in the little glass bottle, and handed it to Allen.

He looked utterly shocked when he opened it and read the message: Kill Leonhart.

"Why?" he asked her, his eyes wide in indignity.

"I want you to do it because no other palace guards would have the nerve to," Riliane explained, "and I can't just get rid of him by my word. You know how honoured he is around here - the others would never stand for it."

Allen nodded his head slowly. "Why did you ask me like this?"

Riliane shrugged. "Someone told me about this method a long time ago, that if you put a message in a bottle, it's bound to come true. I can't remember who, though."

"Why do you want Leonhart killed, anyway?" Allen then asked, his voice taking on a hint of scornfulness. "Why is it so important to you?"

Rolling her eyes, Riliane groaned. Why was this servant questioning her, anyway? "Because he wears on my patience!" she snapped, turning away from Allen. "He continually lectures me on how 'I'm not doing my job as leader of Lucifenia', when he has no right to judge me on that, anyway! And he always goes around acting like he is above everyone else, and he's all self-righteous and everything, but he's not! He's no better than the rest of us!"

When she saw Allen's blank stare, she sighed and clarified, "Apparently, he's a war criminal, has been stealing food from the palace reserves, and is a traitor."

"And who told you this?" Allen asked a bit defensively.

Noting Allen's dark undertone, Riliane raised her eyebrows at him, and he apologized profusely before she continued. "It was Ney," she finally admitted.

"Ney?" Allen couldn't help the skepticism in his voice. "You're believing Ney?"

Riliane hated the servant's judgment, but she couldn't find it in her to yell at him. "Ney may love gossip," she said, "but she wouldn't lie. Anyway, you know I can't just order him executed for no reason, so I have a plan. I'm going to invite him over for drinks, and give him a glass of poisoned alcohol; later, after he's completely stoned, you will come up and defeat him in a fencing duel. Easy, right?"

"I-"

"Great," Riliane said. "Don't tell anyone, it's only our secret. Dismissed."

Allen looked away, and quietly left Riliane's chambers, clearly deep in thought. He couldn't do it - he couldn't kill his foster father. But for Riliane, he might have to.

* * *

The next night, Riliane decided to launch her plan, even going so far as to request Leonhart in her room. After his arrival, she told him to relax and sit down, despite the swordsman's tensions.

"It's a bit uncomfortable - the two of us so isolated together at night," Leonhart remarked, nervously tapping his fingertips on his knees.

"Well, this is a private conversation," Riliane said, forcing her voice to be as light and airy as possible. "Why, are you having urges to rape me?"

After noticing Leonhart's obvious discomfort, Riliane laughed at her own joke and brushed it aside with, "It's okay, I know you like women with bigger breasts, anyway. Like my mother, for example."

"Sure, because I'd always taken notice of your mother's chest size," Leonhart said, relaxing at her sudden jovial nature.

"I knew my suspicions were right!" Riliane joked, laughing along with Leonhart. Now was the time to act.

"Anyway, what did you call me here for?" Leonhart asked, his expression suddenly becoming somber.

"Well...I've noticed that there's been a shortage of food in the palace," Riliane started, making sure to tread carefully. "And...I just wanted to tell you that I know it's you who took the food. But - I'm not mad. In fact, I'm actually...impressed that you did it. It was a very heroic thing to do."

Leonhart seemed pleasantly surprised, and pleased with Riliane's reaction. Finally, maybe the princess was coming to her senses, and realized what an asset she could be to her country.

"I agree with your cause," Riliane continued, "I think it's important that we make sure the townspeople are always well-fed, and don't have to worry about starvation. So, with this, I give you permission to freely transport food from the palace to the masses. No need to steal anymore.

"I also want to improve our relationship. I know things have been kind of shaky between us, but I want to make that better. It's no good if the princess and the Royal Guard have a faulty relationship, right?" Riliane chuckled softly. "So, I wanted to give you this - sort of like a toast. It's Blood Grave, the favourite wine of Vampiress Vanika Conchita, but don't worry: there isn't any blood in it as the fairytale states."

Leonhart's eyes were wide - this was better than he'd ever expected! Riliane was acting like a responsible adult, the type of ruler her mother had been, and he now had full permission to transport food without having to steal when the princess wasn't looking. Unable to conceal the wide smile on his face, Leonhart accepted the glass of wine Riliane had offered, but noticed when she didn't pour any for herself.

"Don't you want some?" he asked her, motioning to her glass.

"Oh, I don't like alcohol," Riliane replied smoothly, pouring herself a glass of ice water. "I've just never understood struggling with it, you know? But water will do just fine for the toast. To new beginnings!"

"To new beginnings."

The two clinked their glasses and drank, continuing to talk long into the night.

The next morning, Captain Leonhart Avadonia was dead.

* * *

Three months later, Riliane sat in the Hall of Sounds, listening uninterested to the conference about the aids the Freesis Firm in Elphegort and the Kingdom of Marlon were offering. Allen was the first to speak, addressing her directly.

"I spoke with Keel Freesis, Your Highness," he told her. "He's quite interested in the state of affairs within Lucifenia, and would like to help out."

Riliane shrugged, not particularly interested in what Keel had to say. "I doubt he's doing anything of majour concern," she said, bordering a yawn and attempting to listen to the other merchants discuss the pressing issue.

As the day dragged on, Riliane grew more and more tired, and was reduced to nodding her head as each merchant gave their point of view. "Allen?" she finally asked.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"What is today's snack?"

"It is brioche," he replied simply, stepping down and allowing for Minis to take the stage.

Riliane listened with increasing disinterest until the end of Minis' report, noting that the Marlon family had given a baby octopus to her court mage, Elluka Clockworker. Seeing no problem, despite it being such an odd present, Riliane allowed Elluka to keep the octopus, as she had more pressing issues on her mind.

"The wedding," Riliane said, suddenly.

"Excuse me, Your Highness?" Minis asked, clearly confused.

Riliane sighed impatiently. "Did Kyle speak about the wedding? We'll be getting married in less than a year now, he had to have made some mention of it!"

Minis pulled out a letter and handed it to Riliane. "I'm supposed to give you this."

Riliane's eyes lit up. This had to be Kyle making plans for the wedding - they'd been waiting for this all of their lives, and now it was finally happening. Riliane was unable to restrain her excitement as she tore open the letter, but her ecstatic demeanor quickly faded as her eyes scanned the page.

Noticing Riliane's expression, Minis quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Princess Riliane. His Highness did speak of falling in love with a girl of green."

Riliane took several deep breaths, swallowing hard before she felt calm enough to speak. "Okay. Okay. Who is she?" she asked, her voice eerily monotonous.

When no one answered, Riliane became enraged. "_**Who is**_** she?!****" **she demanded. "Who is that little _whore _who seduced _my _fiancé?! How could he have left me for that _slut?!_ Mariam! Get in here!"

Mariam hurried into the room, bowing quickly. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Find out who that green-haired girl is. Find her, and report back to me _immediately!_"

"Yes, Princess," Mariam replied, bowing her head in regret.

0-0

That night, for the first time in months, Riliane cried.


	2. The Revenge Of The Wronged

Less than a week after Kyle rejected Riliane, there was still nothing. No reports from Mariam, nothing from the soldiers, no reassurance from the servants. Kyle hadn't sent any more notice after the letter, leaving nothing for Riliane to go by. She hated being left in the dark.

Finally, when Riliane was with Allen and Elluka, Mariam returned to the palace, out of breath and twitching nervously. "There was nothing," she told the princess softly. "I looked everywhere, asked everyone. No one knows who this girl is."

"Ugh!" Riliane screamed in frustration. "Why?! Why did he do this to me!? Why did he reject me?!" Infuriated, she slammed the box of Kyle's gifts onto the floor, yanking on her hair violently and letting out grunts of rage.

When she finally looked up, breathing heavily, she burst out, "I could've given him everything! Why did he pick her over me? What does she have that I don't?!"

It wasn't fair. Riliane had everything; she was young, beautiful, wealthy, and she loved him. He'd loved her as well, at least until this green-haired girl came along! _She _deserved him, not some stupid puke-coloured slut who'd probably only seduced him to get to his money and fortune!

Minis, having heard the commotion, hurried into the room, bowing low when she noticed Riliane's beet red face and her heavy breathing. "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"

Riliane couldn't let the minister see her like this. "Yes," she said, calming herself. "That green-haired girl. I want her dead." She wouldn't stand to see Kyle with another girl, a girl who was trying to manipulate him!

"I'm sorry, Princess, we don't know who she is," Mariam said softly, trying to shield herself from Riliane's wrath. "We've scoured Aecid, where Kyle saw her. She's nowhere to be found."

This couldn't happen. Now it was about more than just her personal lust for Kyle; oh, no, now this was about her title! Her authority! The ministry would take advantage of this weakness, everyone would see her as a little girl who couldn't obtain what she wanted even after their parents had arranged it! And Kyle couldn't be with this other girl. The girl was a liar, out to see Riliane's downfall. Out to challenge her authority!

If she let anyone see her as weak, or unable to get what she wanted, they would take advantage of her. She needed to have all power or else they would overtake her. Riliane wasn't going to let that happen.

"Fine. Fine," she said, voice flat as she swallowed hard. "Then I want you to kill _every single _green-haired woman or child in the country of Elphegort! Don't stop until they're all dead."

That'd show them. They couldn't mess with her now - _no one _could mess with her now if she showed them the lengths she was willing to go to to keep her power. Now no one could manipulate her.

"But...Your Highness, are you sure that's alright to do?" Mariam asked in shock. "That's an awfully severe action; are you sure it's fine?"

"Well, since we don't exactly know her...ah, sure! Killing them all is fine!" Riliane knew if the ministry saw her take advice from a servant, she'd be done for. "Minis, prepare the troops at once! Kill all the green-haired woman!"

"That is ridiculous!" Elluka burst out, unable to contain her anger.

"Excuse me?" Riliane asked. Even now, people dared to challenge her?! They really must underestimate her just because she's "young and naïve."

"Actually, Your Highness, I think it may be impossible to follow your order," Minis told her. "The forest between the two countries makes it impossible to invade."

She wasn't fooled; she knew what he was doing! He was trying to trick her into changing her answer, to get her to resign and look weak. He knew that if she followed through with this that people would listen to her, and he didn't want that. He wanted her power to himself.

"Well, burn the forest then," Riliane ordered with newfound fury. The ministers wanted her to fall. The mage wanted her to fall. Even Mariam might want her to fall. She had to go through with this - not only was her title at stake, so was her status and respect, and her relationship with Kyle! After this, she'd have whatever she wanted; no one would dare go against her. She wouldn't have to worry anymore.

"You insipid girl!" Elluka cried. "You're bitter because Kyle chose her over you! Well, no wonder! You're selfish, arrogant, and don't think of anyone else! Do you know how many people you are ordering to be slaughtered? Do you ever think of anyone besides yourself?!"

Riliane was furious. "Execute her," she said angrily, pointing to Elluka.

"You know what? Fine," Elluka said, standing up. "I resign." She gritted her teeth, and marched out of the room where Riliane seethed.

"Allen! Kill her!" Riliane cried, tears forming behind her eyes. What would it take for people to finally listen to her? "Minis, stay here! I need to speak with you."

Minis nodded in fear and repeatedly blinked.

"Now," Riliane said, "I want you to prepare the troops for the invasion of Elphegort. Burn the Forest of Bewilderment if you have to; I don't care. Just make sure every green-haired female is dead. I want to be sure I've killed the right one."

"Yes, Your Highness," Minis said, bowing low as he left the room.

Riliane smirked. The world was now hers.

* * *

Two days later, Riliane spoke with Ney in the Servants' Quarters after hearing that the maid held some covert information.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Riliane asked impatiently. She hated being here; it made her feel so...common.

Ney sighed. "Well...I'm not really supposed to tell you," she said hesitantly. When Riliane groaned, she continued, "But you know Allen's been keeping things from the rest of us, right?"

Riliane stood up straighter. Allen, her most trusted and loyal servant, was keeping things from her? Who could she trust around here, anyway?

"What are you talking about?" she asked, a part of her hoping Ney was wrong. Hm, that was strange. Riliane knew she would have to execute him if he were hiding things, and she'd never felt remorse before. So why did it seem as if she did now?

"Allen's been sneaking out," Ney finally admitted. "One night, I caught him when trying to climb out the window. When I asked him what he was doing, he gave me a vague answer and said 'Nothing', so I pressed on, and finally he confessed he was meeting someone."

"Who?" Riliane barked, her voice sharp. She was so stupid. She'd trusted someone, and now he'd betrayed her.

"I don't know," Ney said slowly. "But...I think he's going out to meet that green-haired girl. You saw the way he looked at her, right? And he was speaking to her before he rode home in the carriage. I didn't see her face, but I know it was her."

"What!" Riliane shouted, enraged at Allen's betrayal.

"I'm sorry," Ney said, lowering her eyes. "I know he knows where she is, I see the look on his face when he sneaks back in. He's definitely going to see her. Her name's Michaela, you know."

Riliane forced herself to calm down, not wanting to show Ney her weakness. "Okay," she said. "Thank you. It's always nice to find out who I can really trust around here."

Ney looked a bit uncomfortable. "About what I said...please make it confidential."

Suddenly, the door opened and Allen walked in. "Your Highness," he said, surprise lacing his voice. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in the Servants' Quarters?"

As Ney exited, Riliane pursed her lips and ordered Allen to sit. "What business is it of yours?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," Allen said, noticing he'd upset the princess. "I didn't mean to intrude."

Riliane huffed. "No matter," she said. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, out," Allen told her, his voice distant.

"Out _where?_" Riliane asked in annoyance. She wasn't going to let Allen play games with her.

"Just...shopping." Allen shrugged. "Why?"

"Hmm. That wouldn't happen to be in the city of Aecid, would it?" she said, her voice low and demanding.

"Well, yes," Allen admitted. "But I always go shopping there, and there's never been a problem before."

"What exactly were you buying?" Riliane questioned. She noticed how Allen was being as vague as humanly possible.

"Just spring onions," Allen told her, wondering where the princess was going on this one.

"Oh, yeah?" Riliane asked. She was furious. "Well, what kind, and are they still alive?"

Allen looked at her in apparent confusion. "Your Highness, what exactly do you mean?"

"Is the Daughter of Green still alive?" Riliane demanded. No more playing around. "Tell me. _Now._"

"I-"

"The Daughter of Green...is named Michaela, right? It's the first I've heard of her. Allen...what a pity, I never expected you would betray me." Riliane's tone remained flat as she forced herself to believe the truth. She should have him executed for treason, lying to royalty, and betrayal.

But she couldn't. She didn't have the nerve, and for that, she was weak.

Riliane sighed. "But I can't hate you," she admitted. "So I'm giving you another chance." She took out a piece of parchment and wrote down her request before placing it in another glass bottle and handing it to him.

When Allen opened the bottle and read the message, she could sense his dismay. A pang of jealousy shot through her, and she barked, "Dismissed. Now," as Allen silently exited the room, not glancing back.

* * *

Two days later, after the Daughter of Green was confirmed dead, a sense of peace had come over Riliane, despite the nagging feeling that kept poking at her sides over Allen's betrayal. It'd just been a moment of weakness for him, right? Right?

She was with Ney and Chartette in the Heavenly Yard, finally being able to relax after the many sleepless nights she'd suffered, knowing that Kyle was in love with someone else. For once, she was happy - pleased with the simple comfort of just not hurting anymore.

"So, you should definitely read it," Chartette rambled on as she realized Riliane hadn't been listening.

"Sorry, what?" Riliane asked, snapping back to the present. "What book?"

Chartette just laughed. "The Saga of Vengeance. It's really good; it's about someone who is on a journey to get revenge on those that have wronged them."

"Ah, so that's why you're always leaving the palace," Riliane joked. "I always wondered where you disappeared to."

"Hey, Ney leaves the palace a lot, too," Chartette countered. "I wonder where _she's _going."

"Usually just to meet friends," Ney said timidly.

"Yeah, you're right," Riliane said. It was true; both Chartette and Ney did leave the palace quite often. "So, are they boys you're seeing?"

Ney chuckled and then sighed wistfully. "I wish," she said, looking up to the sky. "Nope, I'm just going to look around, survey the area. The usual."

"You survey the area?" Chartette asked, giggling a bit. "That's the lamest thing I've ever heard."

"Oh, and you go to the library," Ney said in a joking manner. "So I wouldn't be talking if I were you."

"Ladies, calm down," Riliane interrupted, clearly trying to suppress her own laughter. "We should just enjoy the moment."

That was when the Levin church bells rang, signaling that it was three o'clock.

"Ah, it's tea time," Riliane remarked, smiling brightly as Allen brought her a beautiful plate of brioche. She knew he wouldn't have ever forgotten.

* * *

After the assassination attempt on Minis, Riliane convened with the other ministers in the Hall of Sounds to discuss the ongoing war in Elphegort and the shortage of soldiers due to the prolonged issues. She was bored; why should she care? If Elphegort wanted to fight back, keep letting them for as long as possible.

But she knew she had to come up with a solution of some sorts to satisfy the prying ministry. "Well, what about Gast Venom's mercenaries?" she asked, recalling Allen's report from the Freesis Mansion.

"That could work," one of the ministers agreed. "What are they called again?"

"I think the Venom Mercenary Group," Riliane said.

"Well, that's certainly outright," another minister mumbled under their breath.

"So, are we hiring them or not?" Riliane asked, impatient with the ministers' discussion. She was tired of talking about this, and longed for her snack.

One by one, the ministers agreed on hiring the mercenaries, and Riliane smiled, relieved that she would finally get to leave this hall. These incessant ministers were distracting her.

With the Venom Mercenary Group hired, Riliane met with Gast Venom in the Hall of Mirrors. She was a beautiful woman, with long purple hair and bright eyes, although not what Riliane had been expecting.

"Thank you for hiring us, Your Highness," Gast said, bowing low and showing his gratitude to her. "I promise, we will not let you down."

Riliane was taken aback by his deep voice, and realized that Gast was not a woman, but a man. "Oh," she said, "I seem to have mistaken the 'Demon of Asmodean' for a woman due to his face. You really do have beautiful bone structure."

Gast just laughed at the princess's comment. "I see you have learned that you should not judge a person solely based on their appearance," he said.

"That is true," Riliane agreed. "You also shouldn't judge solely based on past records, either. I know you were defeated by Leonhart, but that was in the past, and I look forward to your prowess since Leonhart's...passing."

She then turned to Allen. "Give Gast a tour of the palace," she ordered, exiting the room and leaving the two alone.

Later, Riliane stood in the Heavenly Yard as Allen served her cake at three o'clock. She watched the sunset, thinking to herself. Something was wrong - something was going to happen, and soon. The sky seemed to tell all, and it worried her because of the nudging feeling in her stomach. The ministers might overrule her. The country might go broke. The Daughter of Green may have actually escaped. Fears flooded her mind as she began, her tongue seemingly numb.

"You know, the sunset gives messages," she mused, taking a bite out of her cake. "I'm one of the few that can read it."

Allen looked at her with interest, seemingly surprised that she was relaying this to him.

She glanced up at the sky, noting the streaks that seemed to come together to join into one. Some were lighter, some were darker, and they all rallied around a beautiful cloud in the center. The cloud seemed larger than life, glowing a beautiful yellow colour with tiny specks of black peeking out of the folds. It appeared invincible, as if it could scatter the stratus clouds quickly, but when looked at closely, the streaks were more powerful, overwhelming the center cloud. Small puffs protected the yellow centerpiece, however as time stretched on, the different stratus clouds pushed them away, leaving the center completely defenseless. She shivered at the thought.

There was only one conclusion.

Riliane felt a wave of fear shoot down her spine as she stared straight ahead. Softly, she said, "The sky foretells an apocalypse."

* * *

When she first heard of the Lucifenian Revolution, Riliane was frankly quite bored. She attended the war meeting in the Hall of Sounds, but didn't think there was anything to really worry about. Yes, they may be slightly short on soldiers due to the ongoing conflict in Elphegort, and yes, they may be at war with two countries at once, but Riliane had always gotten her way before. What was going to change now?

As the meeting dragged on, Riliane couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the ministry - had they been the ones behind this? Were they trying to scare her into stepping down? Well, it wasn't going to work because Riliane was not going to give in to anything.

"Based on the number of troops we have at our disposal now, we should be able to hold off the revolutionaries for a while," Minis said. "And the war in Elphegort will surely end soon; we will then have those troops as well. For the moment, the resistance seems to be quite minor, making simple demands for more food and resources. If they persist, we will assist them, but they should be able to be stopped soon enough."

This confirmed Riliane's suspicions - the ministers were definitely in on something or the conflict wouldn't have been able to be resolved so quickly. Besides, wasn't it a bit suspicious that Minis had been the one to come up with an answer? "So, does that mean this is over?" Riliane asked, bored of sitting in one place for so long.

When Minis nodded, she continued, "I'm hungry. Allen, what's today's snack?"

"Cinnamon rolls," Allen replied, bowing and retrieving her snack. Riliane smiled, and took a bite as she dismissed the meeting.

0-0

The next week when Riliane attended the war meeting, she was beginning to feel a bit uneasy. The Lucifenian troops had been easily defeated in the last three battles with many more casualties on her side than on the insurgents'. Minis was panicking, shuddering with fear, which also made Riliane worried. If the Prime Minister was this distraught, then how could he be setting her up?

Brushing the horrible thought that she could lose out of her mind, Riliane turned to the shaking minister. "Don't worry," she stressed, "we're not going to lose. The revolutionaries are eventually going to get tired, the troops from Elphegort are coming back, and besides all that, we have the Kingdom of Marlon to rely on. King Kyle wouldn't abandon me if we ask for assistance."

She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince the minister or herself.

"Your Highness, your snack," Allen said, bowing low as he presented a platter of pastries to her.

It looked delicious, but Riliane couldn't eat. Would Kyle really abandon her? He'd rejected her and she _had _had his beloved killed. But he wouldn't leave her. He wouldn't send her to her death...right?

"No," she told the servant. "Take it away. I've lost my appetite."

-0-

The week after that, Riliane sat upon her throne in the Hall of Sounds as the ministers reported the current standings of Lucifenia, trying her hardest not to show weakness in front of the ministry. She couldn't have them thinking she was weak - not now, or they would surely leave her.

"Your Highness, the war isn't looking too good for us right now," Minis admitted. "The troops still haven't returned from Elphegort, and the soldiers are quickly falling after being at war with the green country."

"Anything else?" Riliane said, attempting to keep her voice steady. There had to be some good news, after all, she'd received a letter from Kyle, but it hadn't been opened yet.

"The Elphegort and resistance armies have merged," Minis continued. "They're working together now, and are battling soldiers from either side of the country."

"And? What about Kyle?" Riliane demanded. He wouldn't leave her. He wouldn't.

"King Kyle has refused to send troops to defend Lucifenia," Minis told her. "He says that you are on your own."

At this, Riliane shook, her hands trembling and heart racing. If Kyle, her betrothed for nine years could do this to her, there was no telling what the others would do. How could he do this to her? Without Marlon's assistance, it was over for her.

0-0

The fourth week, Riliane was terrified. The Hall of Sounds war meeting had very few attendants as most of the ministers had either fled or were attempting to. This washed away any suspicions Riliane had that the ministers were trying to deceive her - no, this was happening. This was real.

Minis was trembling as he stood up, slowly reporting the status to Riliane. "They're approaching," he said. "The revolutionaries are almost at the palace, and many servants and ministers have already fled. The troops are almost nonexistent, and neither Marlon nor Beelzenia have offered any support. We're on our own."

Riliane had heard enough. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't.

Silently, she stood up from her throne and exited the room, retiring to her chambers. Maybe if she pinched herself hard enough, she'd wake up and realize this was all a dream. Kyle couldn't have left her. Her troops couldn't have fallen.

She was going to be overthrown. She was weak.

As she reached her room, Riliane was suddenly enraged. What had she done wrong?! She had done everything she could to make people listen to her, to follow her! And they still went against her, they were still challenging her authority. Why was this happening to her? It hadn't happened to her mother, so why her?

Why had Kyle rejected her? She'd given him everything, she'd _loved _him. They could've been the most powerful leaders in the world, but he'd still chosen Michaela over her! Imagine: a simple peasant girl over _her, _the princess of Lucifenia! Why? The blue prince had chosen her mother, so why not her?

Allen interrupted her thoughts with a gentle knock on the door, and Riliane sighed. "Enter," she said tiredly. When she saw it was Allen, she brightened a little.

"Your Highness," Allen said, bowing low. "Would you like brioche or something less sweet?"

This calmed Riliane's nerves. "Ah, brioche," she said, relaxing in her chair. Everything was going to be alright.

Allen nodded, bowed again, and then went to retrieve her snack, leaving Riliane alone with her thoughts.

-0-

As the revolutionaries finally began to storm the palace, Riliane sat in her room eating her snacks, unnerved despite the commotion downstairs. Swallowing her last bite of cinnamon roll, Allen collected the plates and started to head back to the kitchen.

"More brioche, m'lady?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"Yes," Riliane said curtly. The noise downstairs were starting to become louder, closer. She could hear voices now and began to realize - this was _real. _Before it'd always felt like such a dream, but now she had to face the reality. They had surrounded the castle, and were coming for her. It was only a matter of time before they found and captured her.

As Allen returned with the brioche, Riliane got up the nerve to ask the question that had been tugging at her conscious mind. She had to know. Had to hear reassurance from someone - even if it was false.

"Am I going to be killed?" she finally asked weakly.

When Allen didn't reply, she realized the truth. "They're never going to forgive me, are they?" she continued, coming to the harsh conclusion. "They're never going to forget the awful things I've done. The taxes, the Green War, the killing of the green-haired women. They won't forgive me."

Attempting to continue eating, Riliane brought a forkful of brioche up to her mouth, but her hand gave out and she dropped the fork, doing the one thing she'd sworn never to do: she broke down. It didn't matter anyway, now that she was going to die, right?

_Death. _The prospect seemed so dark and foreign to her, it was impossible to fathom. Death. She was going to _die._

"I'm scared, Allen!" she burst out, her voice cracking through her sobs. "I know I deserve it, but I'm only fourteen, and _I don't want to die! _I-I'm _scared_!"

Fighting back another round of tears, Riliane made one last request. "Allen, will you hold my hand?"

When Allen complied, Riliane felt herself immediately become calmer. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and confessed, "All I wanted was to be strong like my mother. She was always loved and respected, and I wanted that. But I failed, Allen, _I failed. _I couldn't do it. I couldn't be like her."

Allen hesitantly put his hand on her shoulder, and Riliane tensed slightly before relaxing her muscles.

"You know, I always felt I was alone," Riliane admitted. "But Allen, you...are the last one by my side. You have done _everything _for me, even now." She sniffled and swallowed hard. "And for that, I thank you. _Thank you, _Allen."

"Riliane," he said, finally addressing her by her first name. Riliane looked up in surprise, but didn't chastise him for it. "Will you grant me one wish?"

Riliane was surprised he'd ask her this now, but a part of her didn't really blame him. He'd served her all her life; he was bound to want some form of compensation. Nodding her head, she was taken aback once more when he smiled at her kindly.

"Switch clothes with me," he told her, his voice urgent.

For Riliane, this was unexpected. She'd never heard of a last request being a _clothes swap. _Still, she decided to comply and ordered him to turn around while she changed. When she had taken off her dress, she neatly laid it on the floor behind her, picking up Allen's clothes and quickly stepping into them.

When the two turned around, Riliane was surprised at Allen's likeness to herself. "Wow, my dress suits you well," she teased, a sudden burst of laughter coming over her. This must have been his plan - distract her and make her laugh before her death. Even now, he did everything he could for her. "It's like we're twins."

When Allen smiled, Riliane continued, "You know, I've never really understood why some people would _prefer _to dress this way, but these shabby-looking clothes are surprisingly comfortable."

"You'll be able to escape with them," Allen replied. "It'll be easier if you aren't wearing a dress."

Riliane was confused. Escape? What was he talking about?

Noticing Riliane's confusion, Allen clarified, "You can escape the palace on Josephine."

Riliane was surprised and warmed by his act of affection, but she knew it wouldn't work. Shaking her head, she replied, "That wouldn't work. They'll send out a search team for me - you know that."

Allen shrugged. "Not if they see the 'princess' is still here."

Riliane was even more touched, the sudden warmth what she'd been missing for most of her life. However, the plan still wouldn't work. "You'll be exposed eventually, Allen. Thank you for trying, but there's no way out of this. I have to face the truth." With those words, tears filled her eyes again and she blinked back the betraying drops of liquid.

Suddenly, Allen embraced her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. Shocked, Riliane originally began to pull away, but then relaxed into his grip, resting her head on his shoulder.

"There's something I have to tell you," Allen said once they pulled away.

Riliane looked at him in confusion. Besides Michaela, she hadn't thought that Allen hid anything from her.

"They're not going to recognize me," Allen told her. "They won't ever notice you got away. They'll think you're me because they won't know any different...because we're twins."

Riliane's heart raced. _Twins? _Allen was her _twin?_

Sudden guilt rushed through her. How horrible she'd been to him; ordering him around, and forcing him to do her bidding. Why was he doing this for her? Why didn't he want to see her dead like everyone else after the way she'd treated him?

"Why are you doing this for me?" she asked, breaking down again. "You could just run now, keep the secret and no one has to know. Why are you _choosing _to get killed for me?"

"Riliane...you have been an evil girl," Allen confessed, speaking softly. "But if you are an evil girl, then your evil blood also flows through me." He stopped to take in her facial expressions, noting the way she looked at him in admiration. "If you are the Daughter of Evil, then I am the Servant of Evil. So, it doesn't matter."

Allen approached Riliane, brushing away a tear that had trickled down her cheek. "I will take your place here while you live on."

Riliane couldn't let him do that. Not after everything he'd already done for her - he didn't _deserve _to die, no, _she _did.

"But I don't want that!" she sobbed, clutching at him. He patted her hair and then released her, leaving the room.

Riliane ran after him, but he was too quick for her. He shut the door before she could get out, and she heard the click of the lock.

"Let me out!" she screamed, pounding on the door. "Allen!"

"When we were younger," Allen said, his voice in a faraway land. "Our mother used to lock us in our room when we did bad things and got in trouble. Do you remember, Riliane?"

Riliane couldn't recall the details exactly, but a faint memory emerged out of the haziness. It was of her and Allen as young children in each other's arms.

"And we used to just cry in each other's arms," Allen continued. "And eventually, our mother would forgive us, but not until after we'd already snuck out. Now, you know what to do."

"Please, tell me more," Riliane begged. She couldn't bear not knowing her past, especially now that she knew she had a brother. "I've always felt like something was missing. Tell me! Please!"

Allen didn't answer, and she heard him sigh and turn away. Then she panicked, realizing what he was about to do. She couldn't let him die. Not for her, a girl who so clearly didn't deserve it.

"No! Allen! Don't leave me!" Riliane cried, banging on the door as he walked away. "Let me out! Allen! **_Allen!_**"

When there was no reply, Riliane sighed in defeat, slumping against a table. Her eyes rested upon the secret passageway. _Could she? Could she really?_

_"...but not until after we'd already snuck out. Now, you know what to do."_

Slowly, Riliane got up and walked over to the entrance, opening its' door. Swallowing hard, she snuck one last glance at her room, at her door where she'd let Allen walk to his death. She hated herself. She hated herself for what she'd done. She hated herself for what she was going to do.

Before she could change her mind, Riliane slipped into the entranceway and quickly shut the door behind her. Breathing heavily, she hurried down the halls, ignoring her imploring conscience. There was time to dwell over that later, and without a doubt, she definitely would.

When the tunnel reached its' end, Riliane finally saw how big the masses truly were. They were enraged, shouting defamatory language and holding up swords and arrows in an attempt to threaten who they thought was the princess. Turning away, Riliane realized they couldn't see her and headed towards the stables.

That was when she encountered a girl in red armor, and from the way she presented herself, clearly one of the revolutionary leaders. She had bright red hair...recognizable bright red hair...

_"Please, just one hundred more coins..." _

_"You're already five hundred coins in debt. Take her away!" _

_"I will get you one day for this, Your Highness!" _

_If looks could kill, **she'd be** **dead.**_

Riliane realized with a start it was the girl that had sworn revenge upon her. A flash of fear pulsed through her veins when the girl looked at her with recognition.

"Allen?" she asked in surprise.

_Right. She was still wearing Allen's clothes. _"Y-yes," Riliane gulped, attempting to lower her voice and hoping the girl fell for it.

The girl looked around her at the angry mob. "Go quick," she commanded. "I'm glad you finally came to your senses and decided to flee."

Riliane nodded and scurried away, horribly relieved that she hadn't been exposed. Quickly, she made her way to the stables and mounted Josephine, riding through the forest to the port where she'd been less than a year ago, watching the sunset.

_"The sun is always alone, isn't it? Just like...me."_

Allen had come to find her. Allen had always come to find her, Riliane realized as tears filled her eyes. He'd always been there for her.

But now he was gone, and he'd never come to find her again.

Riliane blinked back hot tears behind her eyelids, and scribbled out a wish on the piece of parchment she always carried with her.

_If we were to be reborn, it'd be nice if we were twins again._

Then she placed it in her little glass bottle, closed her eyes, and tried to forget any of this had ever happened.

-0-

Three days later, Riliane was tired. Her hair was dirty, and she barely had any resolve to live, let alone eat or move. She'd basically laid in the same position for the past seventy-two hours, and slept for most of the day, clutching the little glass bottle close to her chest. She couldn't let anyone steal it. After all, it was the only thing she had left of Allen.

But that day, when the church bells rang two o'clock, Riliane realized. "Her" execution was to be three o'clock today, a tidbit she'd picked up from two passing travelers coming to see the public death of the princess.

She had to be there. She refused to miss the last sighting she'd ever have of Allen.

Urgently, Riliane mounted Josephine, despite her fatigue and weakness due to lack of food, and quickly rode to the town square near the church. Tears blurred her eyesight, but still she pressed on. It was the least she could do for her twin, and she had to see him.

The clock read 2:58 when Riliane finally arrived. Panicking, she dismounted quickly and noticed the mob of people gathering as Allen was dragged onto the stage. She barely heard the jeering and criticism as she saw his limp body, dirty and weak.

When the Levin church bells rang three o'clock, Riliane couldn't help herself. She pushed her way through the crowd of people, not caring if she elbowed someone or at the annoyed murmurs she received as she shoved someone out of the way. She had to see Allen one last time.

"Any last words?" the girl with the red hair asked as Allen was roughly pushed into the guillotine.

This was when Riliane reached the front. She looked up at Allen urgently, meeting his eyes and he only smiled at her reassuringly.

_No. _She couldn't do this. She couldn't let _him _do this. It was...it was uncouth, it was horrible, it was everything she'd tried not to be but failed so miserably...

But she couldn't force herself to move. Her body seemed frozen, mouth glued shut. Even as the red-haired girl prepared the execution, as the crowd grew louder, as Kyle stepped on stage.

Not even when it finally came.

Riliane made eye contact with Allen one last time before his final words.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

"Oh, it's tea time!"

* * *

"No!" Riliane cried out, tears streaking down her cheeks as the guillotine's unyielding blade bore down on Allen's neck. "No, no, no!"

But it was over. Riliane stood there, staring at the stage as the crowd disbanded, not believing he was dead. He couldn't be dead, he just _couldn't. _Loyal, sweet Allen, her secret twin brother. This didn't happen. It didn't.

But as time wore on, and Allen's corpse was dragged off the stage, Riliane had to admit it was over. She couldn't live in denial forever.

And that was when it hit her. She'd been _wrong. _This really _was _all her fault because she'd been _wrong. _All those people she'd killed hadn't been working with the ministry. Hell, maybe the ministry hadn't even been plotting against her in the first place! She'd been so afraid of being manipulated that she'd turned corrupt. She'd wanted people to respect her and follow her, so she thought she needed to force them to.

She realized why her mother was so loved. Her mother was a kind and gentle ruler, and they'd naturally followed her because they truly thought she was one who deserved to _be _followed.

Riliane hadn't deserved it.

Those people she'd had executed hadn't deserved it. The green-haired females she'd slaughtered hadn't deserved it. Leonhart, Captain of the Royal Guard, hadn't deserved it. And Allen certainly hadn't deserved it.

This was all because of her own selfish pride. She'd been so paranoid they were "challenging her authority" that she'd killed them all. _She'd _killed Allen.

Numb with guilt, Riliane turned away, slowly walking back to Josephine, not even noticing when someone was calling her name.

"Hey! Allen! _Allen!_" the red-haired girl called, running up to her. "Allen, are you listening to me?"

Riliane turned around. "Oh, sorry," she said quietly. She didn't hate the girl before her. How could she when Riliane so obviously deserved death?

"Here," the girl said, pressing a small hand mirror in to Riliane's hand. She avoided eye contact by looking down. "He would've wanted you to have this."

Shocked, Riliane was unable to reply until long after the girl had already turned away. _He _would've wanted her to have this? That meant...that the girl _knew? _The girl _knew _it had been Allen up there, and had allowed him to be executed anyway?

New rage coursed through Riliane's blood as she looked around furiously for the red-haired girl. When she couldn't find her, Riliane sighed, realizing the situation was futile. Even if the girl had known, the whole thing was still her fault to begin with, and she couldn't blame anyone else for that.

Defeated, Riliane turned back to where Josephine was, only to find that the horse was gone. She panicked and looked around frantically for her beloved horse, but Josephine was nowhere to be found.

There was only one thing left to do. Riliane forced her eyes to stay open after the days of no food or real water, and took off into the forest. She wandered blindly for what seemed like hours, unsure of where she was or what direction she was heading.

Finally, seeing a port town in the near distance, Riliane collapsed, her muscles giving out and rendering her unable to even sit up. It was a horrible feeling - to be weak, but Riliane was too tired and hungry to care. She'd lived her entire life in comfort and luxury, and had never had to experience such a thing as true hunger before. And oh, it hurt. Her body ached from the lack of food or water. Her mind ached from the conflicting thoughts each trying to force their way to the surface, almost as if she had two consciences. Her heart hurt from the realization and guilt of killing those thousands of people, and of letting Allen die before her. How could she? Was she really _that _horrible a person that she would let her own twin die for crimes she'd committed? She was. Yes, she was. She deserved to die, not him. She did because she was terrible, spoiled, selfish, _evil..._

-0-

With this, Riliane's eyes finally closed and all she could see was black.


	3. The Town Of Regret

Two weeks after Allen's death, Riliane lay by a small port town, weak, tired, hungry, and mourning. She'd never experienced true fatigue before, at least not with all the servants she had at her disposal that would bend to her every command. There was no way for her to tell what exactly her surroundings were, as all she could see was a small bakery in the near distance, and a chapel not so far away, but her eyesight was too blurry for her to make out the engraved words on the front, and was lacking in the obvious strength it would take to stand up and walk to get a better look. She knew she must be at the edge of Lucifenia, however, because there she could just barely make out a coastline in the distance, and she knew she couldn't have possibly walked across the country to Elphegort, not with her limited strength. She'd never had to feel this way before - never had to feel weak and helpless the way she did now. She'd always had servants helping her, always had Allen there to assist and humour any whim she might possibly have.

_Allen. _Riliane had watched him die right in front of her, in front of everyone. Allen, the one who she'd forced to do her bidding, the one who she'd ordered around, had died for her. He'd sacrificed himself for her, and for what? She was going to die here anyway.

_Maybe I deserve it. _The thought was certainly a true one in Riliane's mind, but she couldn't help but long for the sensual feeling of human contact. There hadn't been anyone passing by here in the past weeks; no one here to see her and put her out of her mercy.

That was when she heard footsteps approaching. Fear pulsed through her body, and she pulled her cloak up over her face, afraid whomever it was may recognize her, even through all the dirt and dust she'd collected over her time away from the palace. Riliane heard the person move past her head, and she exhaled a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, relieved that she hadn't been exposed. But was that really what she wanted, to be ignored and abandoned?

Suddenly, she felt a nimble hand pulling off her cloak, and Riliane moaned, but didn't have the strength to resist. Her eyes fluttered open feebly as she saw a white-haired girl leaning over her in surprise.

"Are you alright? You look like you're starving," the girl said gently. "Does anyone know you're here?"

Riliane moaned again childishly, secretly grateful for the girl's compassion. Not many other people would have stopped so amicably to help her. She knew she wouldn't have.

"Listen, I'm going to go get help," the girl told her, loosening Riliane's collar. "I can't carry you to the monastery by myself, especially not with this heavy sapling here." She laughed before her tone turned serious again. "But I'm not going to leave you here to die, alright? I'll be back with some help - don't worry." Then she turned and began to walk away.

_No. _The first person who'd paid any attention to her, who'd shown her any form of human affection, she couldn't let walk away. Maybe she didn't deserve it, she knew that, but Riliane was _not _was too tired of being alone. Sure, she'd always been emotionally distant and felt alone, but she'd never had to be truly alone for so long until now. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't leave me," she whimpered pathetically, clutching onto the girl's skirts. She felt the girl's hesitation before finally coming to sit down next to her.

"It's okay," she whispered, petting Riliane's hair gently. "It's okay."

With this, Riliane allowed her eyes to close, the girl's soft hand lulling her to sleep, barely feeling it when the girl finally stood up and walked away.

* * *

When Riliane had once again awoken, she found she was in unfamiliar territory, as she was lying on a soft bed with her head on a fluffy, white pillow. The white-haired girl had approached her, setting a bowl of soup on the stand beside her.

Riliane's first reaction was to panic. Where was she, and why was she here? Why wasn't she at the palace? Where were her servants? Where was Allen?

_Allen. _Tears sprung to her eyes as she realized the truth - Allen was gone because of _her. _He'd sacrificed himself for her, and she'd seen him die - his body slump down as blood trickled down where his neck no longer was. She remembered sinking to her knees, and crying out for him. Riliane squeezed her eyes shut, pinching them so tight it almost hurt. If she did so, she could almost see Allen's face smiling at her.

"Are you okay?" the white-haired girl asked, concern wrinkling her features. "This should make you feel better."

Swallowing hard, Riliane forced down a spoonful of soup as she looked up at the girl. "T-thank you," she said softly, the words foreign on her tongue. Really, the only time she'd ever spoken them to another person was to Allen before the revolutionaries stormed the palace. The last time she'd ever seen him alive and well.

"It's no problem," the girl said gently, interrupting Riliane's thoughts. "If you don't mind me asking, who exactly are you?"

"I-I'm...Rin," Riliane said, thinking fast. She couldn't let this girl know her true identity, for she would surely be run out of town, if not exposed and executed. "Rin Luci-en...a. Who are you?"

"I'm Clarith," the girl told her, silently cleaning the dirt out of her hair.

"Netsuma?" Riliane asked. Although she had little knowledge of the world outside of Lucifenia, Clarith was sure to be from the Netsuma clan with her distinctive white hair and red eyes.

"Y-yes," Clarith said, looking down as if she were ashamed of her prominent features. Riliane wasn't quite sure why; Clarith seemed quite pretty, and the white hair was a refreshing change from all the common colours she'd seen.

"Oh," Riliane said, unable to compliment the girl despite her personal thoughts. It was hard for her to try to make someone else feel better when for her entire life, everything had revolved around her. "Well, where do you come from?"

"I used to live in Yatski," Clarith told her, "but later I moved to the city of Aecid with my friend. About two months ago, I decided to move here, disliking the city life. I couldn't stay there. It...it reminded me too much of someone."

Riliane nodded, understanding not wanting to be reminded of their past. If anyone knew something about that, it was definitely her.

"What about you?" Clarith suddenly asked. "Where did you use to live?"

"Lucifenia," Riliane answered truthfully. Lots of people had been born in the Yellow Country, so there was no reason for it to seem suspicious, right? "In...the capital."

"Oh..." Clarith said, her smile faltering slightly. "So you lived under the rule of Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche. Is that why you're here now?" Her tone had suddenly turned bitter at the mention of Riliane's name.

Riliane shivered, her cheeks turning pale at Clarith's deep hatred for her. "Yes...in a way," she said, avoiding eye contact with the girl.

Clarith nodded her head in understanding. "I know how it feels," she said, "I'm here because of Riliane, too."

"Why?" Riliane asked, not completely sure if she wanted to know the answer. "What did she do?"

"Nothing of importance," Clarith said briskly, standing up and clearing Riliane's empty bowl of soup as she turned away. "I think you can stay here, as there shouldn't be any objection. This town is mostly green-haired, but if you tell them you're from Lucifenian, the capital, they'll sympathize with you. Everyone here hates her just as much as we do."

Riliane let out a faint squeak, then instantly chastised herself for appearing odd in front of Clarith. "Oh, okay," she said lightly, attempting to hide her fear. "T-thank you for letting me stay with you. I just...I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Clarith said. "I know how horrible Riliane was, and I'd gladly help any of her victims. Just make sure you try your hardest with your work, and you'll be rewarded."

"Work?" Riliane asked. The concept was foreign to her; she had to _work? _She'd just assumed people would give things to her here...just because she may no longer be royalty by title doesn't mean she should have to lower herself to a common person's status!

"Don't worry, it's not that bad," Clarith reassured her. "You'll get used to it."

Riliane just nodded and turned away. Work, she thought to herself. This girl expected her to do _work. _

Well, Riliane was going to do no such thing. Why should she be expected to change her entire lifestyle now? After all, she was still of royal blood!

The others would just have to get used to it.

* * *

Three weeks had passed, and Riliane was still having trouble adapting. Or, more accurately, they were having more trouble adapting to _her. _The nuns seemed to have no respect for her, and actually threatened to not let her eat if she didn't work! Imagine that! A princess having to _work _for her food.

Not to mention the food wasn't even enjoyable, nothing like the quality of the food at her palace. It might be worth it to work harder if she'd actually get food worth noting, but since she wasn't, well, there was no reason for her to work, now was there?

Regrets of her past rarely crossed her mind anymore, and Riliane felt more upset at the fact she was losing everything she'd had in Lucifenia, once again asking why Kyle had left her. She'd had everything - a title, money, power...they'd have been perfect together.

If only he'd chosen her.

It didn't even matter that no one knew who Riliane was, they should respect her anyway, she thought bitterly. A part of her knew she was being ridiculous and couldn't expect that of people who hated her true identity, but she couldn't help but feel as if she were being cheated out of what she so rightfully deserved. Why couldn't Allen be here now?

Because she'd killed him. Tears stung at Riliane's eyes and she felt a sudden wave of regret pass through her. She really didn't deserve respect, did she?

But the feeling didn't last, and Riliane reverted back to her haughty state, feeling as if she should be treated better than this.

"Rin, are you there?" she heard Clarith call, and she quickly returned to reality.

"Yes," Riliane said, annoyed at Clarith's interruption.

"You've only shoveled two carrots," Clarith said, pointing to Riliane's pitiful looking pile of carrots.

"That's because I could only _find _two," Riliane complained. What, was she expected to be a psychic now, too?

"That would be because you have to check for the roots," Clarith explained patiently. "Here, you see these little vein-like things? You need to look for these, and if you find them, you'll have found another vegetable."

"But...that gets so dirty," Riliane protested. The concept of dirt was foreign to her, having being sheltered all of her life and never having to experience manual labor.

"It's the only way," Clarith told her before returning to work.

Angrily, Riliane thrust her shovel into the ground before grunting and turning away. She'd show them. Who did they think they were, forcing her to work like this? She was a _princess, _for God's sake, she shouldn't be out here doing work for peasants!

With this, Riliane huffed and stood over in the shade, watching uninterestedly as the others piled up vegetables all through the long, hot afternoon.

* * *

Despite her malicious behavior, Riliane noticed how Clarith still always treated her with kindness and affection, almost as if she could sympathize with the way Riliane felt. But how could she? How could Clarith possibly have experienced what Riliane had?

One day, she decided to find out, approaching Clarith during work and asking, "Clarith, where did you live before Aecid?"

Clarith seemed surprised to see her, and Riliane was temporarily annoyed until she responded, "Yatski, like I told you. Anyway, I didn't expect to be seeing you here today, Rin."

"Ah, well, I was bored of sitting inside," Riliane told her.

"That's reasonable," Clarith said, nodding her head as she worked.

"You're always so nice to me," Riliane finally blurted out, knowing she didn't completely deserve it, especially because Clarith would never treat her the same way if she knew the truth. "_Why?_"

Clarith looked taken aback at Riliane's question, and Riliane regretted asking, wishing she'd just kept her mouth shut because now Clarith may think she didn't like the affection, and she'd lose the only form of human companionship she had.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Clarith asked in sheer bewilderment.

"Well, no one else is," Riliane pointed out haughtily, unable to stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "Why aren't you like them?"

Clarith sighed. "Look, Rin, to them, you seem selfish, spoiled, and entitled. But to me, I see something else. Because just because someone may seem a certain way on the surface doesn't mean they're like that underneath. I respect you because I know how it feels to want that so badly when no one does."

Riliane was surprised. She hadn't expected Clarith to react the way she did. "You respect me?"

"Rin, everyone respects everyone else to a degree, you know that," Clarith said.

"Not everyone," Riliane said, shaking her head. "Some people are just born...well, better."

"I don't think so," Clarith disagreed. "Imagine if you were born blessed, and had everything you wanted. Now imagine you were born without anything at all, and were hated. What makes the two people so different? It's just fate, there's nothing separating the two except where exactly they were born which shouldn't have a real impact on their own self-worth."

"What if you had everything you wanted, and were still hated?" Riliane mused, thinking of herself. Is that what she was? Did she deserve any of the things she'd been given, or was it all just up to fate?

"Then that person has to learn to respect and cooperate with others," Clarith told her. "Listen to me, Rin. It doesn't matter your class or social status or anything you may have done in the past, I mean, we're all the same underneath. Yes, I know that sounds staged, but it's true. Take it from someone who's been isolated their entire life and thought that they were just 'less than others' until someone came along and taught them differently."

Clarith sighed again. "I know the way of life here is probably a lot different from whatever life you lived in Lucifenian, but I can tell you've been isolated your entire life, and you need someone to teach you to feel the way I needed someone to teach me. So, I guess that's why I'm helping you. Because I see myself in you."

Riliane was instantly touched by Clarith's emotional outburst. She hadn't known Clarith had always felt this way, and it almost made her want to become more of a person who thought of others.

Almost.

Nevertheless, Riliane decided it was time she start making snacks on her own, as she'd gotten tired of eating the horrific, bland food the monastery served to her on a daily basis. "Clarith," she finally said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," Clarith replied.

"How...how do you make brioche?"

Clarith turned to look at Riliane, a strange expression clouding her face. "Well...you need to give the yeast time to become active," she said, "and brioche takes a few hours to make because the dough needs time to rise. You need to make sure to pound the dough at different times to keep it moist, and always keep it covered over before you bake it. Here, I'll give you a recipe."

"Thank you," Riliane said, the words slowly becoming more familiar on her tongue. Clarith truly did seem like a good person who'd come from a hard background, but managed to rise from the ashes and live a better life. And for that, Riliane commended her. Because it was the one thing that Riliane hadn't been able to do. She didn't think that _everyone _deserved to be equal, but the white-haired girl had definitely struck a chord about Riliane's lack of respect and selfish behavior - even though Riliane knew Clarith wouldn't be saying the same things if she knew who Riliane truly was, and that made her disagree with the white-haired girl.

Even if she didn't fully agree with what Clarith had said, she would still keep her words in mind.

* * *

Three days later, the warm season had come in, and Riliane was bothered. Despite what Clarith had said, Riliane still felt as if the work was too hard and too tiring for her. She still couldn't get used to the idea of having to play by someone _else's _rules instead of everyone playing to her own. And no matter what, Riliane could never shake the bad habit of feeling as if she didn't command everyone, the monastery wouldn't prosper and everyone would try to manipulate her.

"Rin! What are you doing?" a nun scolded, knocking Riliane out of her thoughts. "If you don't work, you won't get any food, you know that."

"These shovels are too tiring to carry," Riliane complained. "Do you expect _me _to be able to do this? Maybe this is work for others, but definitely not for me."

"That haughty attitude is going to get you nowhere!" the nun retorted. "You don't work, you don't eat. Simple as that."

"So, what, you're just going to leave me to starve?" Riliane asked. "I didn't expect a monastery would do such a thing."

That was when Clarith hurried into the toolshed, interrupting the two arguing. "Rin, I'll take half the shovels if you want."

"Clarith! Rin needs to get over herself, and learn to work on her own - stop coddling her!" the nun scolded.

"Please, forgive her behavior," Clarith begged. "You know she's new around here."

The nun huffed and walked off.

Riliane, although grateful for Clarith's help, couldn't help but feel a bit insulted at her need to apologize for her. Why did Clarith feel the need to ask forgiveness for Riliane's actions? What was so wrong about stating the truth?

"Now," Clarith said, turning to Riliane. "Come with me. I know they're heavy, so I'll take half, but you need to come."

Riliane didn't want to have to listen to the girl who felt ashamed of her. "No," she said childishly. "I don't want to carry them."

"Rin, believe me, you have to work or they won't give you food. It seems harsh not to feed you, but we do need to support the monastery," Clarith told her, beckoning for Riliane to come.

"Well, you could smuggle food for me," Riliane pointed out, knowing that was what Allen would've done. If the servants would have done it for her, why shouldn't Clarith do it as well?

"No, we'd be scolded, you know that," Clarith said, clearly annoyed at Riliane's demand.

Riliane folded her arms and pouted, reeling from Clarith's rejection. She'd only been rejected once before, by Kyle, and see how well that'd gone?

"Hey, Donnie!" Clarith suddenly called, noticing one of the bigger kids passing by. When he stopped to look at her, she continued, "Could you help me carry some of these shovels over to the fields?"

Donnie nodded and jogged over to where the two were standing. "Sure," he said, taking the other half of Riliane's shovels.

"Thank you," Clarith said, smiling as they set off towards the fields.

Riliane smiled in satisfaction - see? She'd always get her way.

That was when she heard the two talking _about her!_ How dare they?

"I can't believe the nerve of that girl," she heard Donnie say. "She refuses to work for anything!"

"I know," Clarith agreed softly.

"I mean, even _trash _can carry their shovels!" Donnie continued.

"Don't worry, you'll be compensated," Clarith told him. "You'll be rewarded with a snack for your efforts. Snack time is at three o'clock."

At this, Riliane's face turned red in humiliation. He'd referred to her as _trash, _and now she wouldn't be getting her snack, but he would?! It couldn't happen like this. She couldn't not get what she wanted.

Embarrassed, Riliane stormed over to them and grabbed her shovels from Donnie, flicking her hair back over her shoulder and striding ahead towards the fields, surprise overtaking her that she was heading to work, and actually knew where it was.

* * *

Later that day, after the two had worked in the fields for a good six hours, they had finally been allowed to stop for a break. And Riliane was exhausted. It was hard work, bending over, pulling weeds, and digging through the dirt to look for the roots of vegetables, which, most of the time, weren't even there! Even after Riliane had hunt through a large section of the fields, she'd only been able to find about twenty carrots, whereas Clarith had been able to find about forty.

So when Riliane had been presented with a plate full of solely vegetables, she'd actually been quite grateful after realizing the rarity of them in the fields. She'd never known before how scarce food truly was - after all, she'd always been well-fed and had thought there couldn't possibly be a food shortage! But now she recognized the starvation of the townspeople, knowing how little food really was out there and how they were lucky to get even a few vegetables whereas she'd been gorging herself on brioche and other luxuries.

She'd never realized how selfish she was before.

For the first time since arriving at the monastery, Riliane didn't complain about the small amount of bland food she'd been given; with the amount of vegetables Clarith and she'd collected, she couldn't possibly deserve all that was given to her.

"So, do you like the food?" Clarith asked, smiling as she sat down next to her.

For once, Riliane could answer without being frowned upon. "Yes," she admitted truthfully. "I never realized how little food is actually out there."

"There isn't much, is there?" Clarith replied as she turned to water the sapling next to her.

Riliane glanced over at the white-haired girl, finally noticing how she always kept that little sapling with her, no matter what. "Why do you always carry that around?" she finally asked, albeit a bit rudely.

"Oh, that's my...precious friend," Clarith told her, smiling kindly.

"Well, that's weird," Riliane said, turning away. Precious friend? She'd never heard of a _sapling _being someone's precious friend before. Either Clarith was crazy, or hiding something.

"No, it's not," Clarith replied. "Special friends can vary. Besides, all life is equal."

Riliane disagreed. _Equal? _She'd never heard of all life being _equal _before. Why, if all life were equal, how could a society ever function properly?! Lucifenia could never have operated normally with that type of mindset! After all, how could one be sure they would not be cheated out of their will? Their destiny? Those that said such a foolish thing were either delusional or trying to manipulate their way to the top. It wasn't like everyone was born exactly the same. And if Clarith knew what she'd done, she never would forgive her. No, all life was certainly _not _equal.

"That's not true," Riliane argued. The concept didn't even really make sense! It certainly wasn't a reasonable thought process when trying to rule a country! "In this world, only the concept of 'dominance and being dominated' exists. If everyone were equal, it would be impossible to constitute a society."

Clarith paused a moment, considering what Riliane had said before answering. "You might be correct," she told her finally, "but I still support my beliefs of all equality, no matter what."

Riliane wondered if this were the type of mindset that developed over time. Surely Clarith couldn't have been _born _this noble and naïve, right?

"Does everyone think like a saint after being in the convent for a while?" she asked, thinking that must be the only reasonable answer.

Clarith just chuckled before answering, "You'll soon understand the idea."

No, that wasn't true, either. Riliane may be living in the monastery, but she was a follower of the Levin church.

"I'm not a follower of Held," she told Clarith. "I don't believe in what the rest of you do."

"That doesn't matter," Clarith replied. "Our Levin beliefs are essentially the same."

_Our Levin beliefs are essentially the same. _The Levin church mainly believed in forgiveness, in letting go of the past and moving on. She wondered if Clarith felt the same way as a Held follower.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Clarith said, clearing her plate. "Oh, Rin, now that you've finished eating, you need to clear your utensils."

Riliane complied, noting Clarith's kindness and feeling it was the least she could do. Strange, it was, the want to do something for others.

As she turned, Riliane decided to ask the question that had been nagging at the edges of her mind since she'd met Clarith. The Netsuma girl was so kind to her and everyone she met; was there any chance she might forgive her if she knew the many crimes Riliane had committed?

"No matter what kind of person I am...for example, if I were a heinous, wicked person," Riliane started, the words sounding guilty coming out of her mouth, "...would you still treat me like you do now?"

Gulping as she waited for a reply, Riliane quickly put away her utensils before she heard Clarith speak. "Yes, definitely," the white-haired girl said, smiling kindly.

Riliane smiled back before sighing and looking away. She knew it wasn't true - Clarith could never treat her the same way if she knew the atrocities that had taken place because of her, but she knew she couldn't hide this from her white-haired friend forever.

And, besides that, it was nice to believe that she could be forgiven. Even if it was just for a second.

* * *

That night, Riliane finally understood. When she heard the church bells ring eleven o'clock, she couldn't help but remember. Today was the five-week anniversary of Allen's death - of the day when _she _was supposed to die, and hadn't.

_"You need someone to teach you the way I needed someone to teach me. So, I guess that's why I'm helping you. Because I see myself in you." _Clarith's words rang through Riliane's mind as she slowly crept out of bed, tiptoeing down the stairs to the confession box. Clarith was helping her. Clarith wouldn't change her beliefs, right?

"_No matter what kind of person I am, would you still treat me like you do now?"_

_"Yes, definitely."_

Was it true? Could Riliane _really _ever be forgiven for what she'd done? For the people she'd killed? For her own selfish desires?

Riliane didn't think so. She hadn't forgiven the people who she'd thought had wronged her - no, she'd had them executed! Why should she think she were any different? Because she was a princess?

"_We're all the same underneath."_

Then maybe she _could _be forgiven, Riliane reasoned as she twisted the confession room's door. She realized it was locked, and sighed before quickly going to grab the key to the dean's office. As she made her way back to the confessionals, more doubts popped into her head, her emotions agreeing and contradicting each other at the same time.

**"You can never be forgiven."**

**"But-you're right, this is hopeless. No, she said we're all equal - it can be done!"**

**"You aren't even a believer! You can't ask for forgiveness by a Deity you don't even believe in!"**

**"I know. I'm sorry."**

**"For what? Not believing, or the million other crimes you committed before your fifteenth birthday?"**

**"It wasn't my fault!"**

**"Oh? So the slaughter of all the green-haired women wasn't your fault? That politician you had executed wasn't your fault? Allen's death-"**

**"Okay! You're right! I can't go back...I...I-"**

_"It doesn't matter anything you did in the past. Our Levin beliefs are essentially the same."_

**_Our Levin beliefs are essentially the_ same.**

The Levin church was supposedly a strong believer in forgiveness, but there was only one way to find out for sure.

Silently, Riliane closed the door behind her and knelt on the floor, attempting to confess whatever crimes she'd committed. But once in the position, she wasn't quite sure where to start. With the servants she'd treated with disdain? With the killing of Leonhart? The innocents she'd killed? Her extreme genocide? Allen's-

"I'm sorry," Riliane choked out finally, tears burning her cheeks. "I-I was _wrong. _I shouldn...I shouldn't have done all those things, and for that, I'm _sorry."_

Riliane brushed the hot moisture off of her face before continuing, "I was convinced that in order to make the country prosper, the ruler must have absolute power." She thought of the ministers she'd accused of manipulating her. How accurate had she actually been in all of her little predictions? "However, it all ended up in capricious and arbitrary ways. I was just using my own power for my own prestige.

"I was just a _stupid, _ignorant little girl," she finished, taking a deep breath. There. She'd admitted it - surely that'd be enough, right? It'd better be because she had nothing left to say-

"I _killed _him," Riliane blurted out. "I _killed him. _It should have been _me _at that guillotine, _I _should have died, but I didn't. I could have saved him, but I didn't! I stood there, and I watched as they executed him for crimes he didn't commit. Why? _Why _did I do that - _why _didn't I have the courage to say it was me?"

Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and Riliane yelped in surprise, but after turning around, she discovered no one was there. Ignoring it, she turned back to the confession box, but found that now she actually didn't have anything left to say. There was nothing she could _say _to ease her mind, nothing she could say to make this better.

But there was something she could _do._

Quietly, Riliane left the confession room, closing the door behind her as she slipped out of the monastery and onto the harbor of the Anonymous Coast. There, she pulled out a small glass bottle and held it in the palm of her hand as tears blurred her eyesight. But it was in that moment that she remembered.

"_Would Milady Riliane like to try this, too?"_

_"It's a game for the peasants, I don't need to try it."_

_But as he looked away sadly, the girl continued, "I mean...Alexiel already grants me all of my wishes, don't you?"_

_And they smiled and looked at each other, innocent without a flaw._

Now she stands there, alone at the shore, glass bottle in her hand as she gazes out to sea. The lonely girl sinks to her knees, knowing she should release the bottle, but she can't. It's the only thing she has left.

_Alexiel. His name was Alexiel._

Oh, how she wishes she could remember more. Why couldn't she remember more of their past? He'd remembered - he'd told her the story about their mother, locking them together when they had been bad until they repented and let go.

She needed to let go.

Slowly, she releases the bottle as the church bells ring midnight, her eyes closed in a futile attempt to stop the hot tears from sneaking past her eyelids. She wouldn't cry, not now, but the truth crept into her mind at the thought of Allen's demise being her fault. She'd brought the Lucifenian Revolution on herself, yet she let him take the blame. And that, that was why she shouldn't be here right now - shouldn't be here to even admit those thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be alive."

The bells finished ringing, and she jumped in surprise at the noise behind her, seeing a girl poised with a golden knife, ready to strike. That noise in the confession room. Sadly, she realized now who it was - her white-haired friend, Clarith.

Her first reaction was to scream, escape, do anything to distract the girl about to kill her, but when noticing her limited options, the reality began to set in. Why should she be given an escape when she so horribly deserved to die? She didn't want to, it was that simple, for she was still _so selfish_. She wanted to live - to grow past her early teens and be someone, make something of herself, but should she really be allowed that chance?

Midnight, on the anniversary of Allen's death. The day he'd died, and she hadn't. She could've sacrificed herself, but she hadn't. She could've saved him, but she hadn't. She could've eased everyone's minds, just a little bit by getting what she deserved, but she hadn't.

_She deserved to die, and he hadn't._

She closed her eyes one last time, saying, "I understand. Do what you wish," before she accepted her fate with a sad smile, realizing that her death was the best thing that could possibly happen to so many of those people. She'd cheated fate, but it was going to catch up, and this time, she wasn't going to even try to stop it.

That was when she heard Clarith cry out in anguish before stabbing downwards, the brief tickle of her knife brushing lightly against her neck as she realized the Netsuma girl had only cut her hair. Slowly, she opened her eyes, glancing up at Clarith in confusion.

"You...you didn't..."

"I can't," Clarith interrupted, her voice taut and broken. She turned to look at Riliane before continuing. "You are a murderer, a committer of genocide. You know that girl you ordered to be killed, Michaela, if you even remember that? Yeah, she was my friend. My _only friend. _The only person who'd ever treated me nicely, who hadn't scorned me and hated me for my white hair! She saved my life when I was so alone. I was so alone, and you killed her. You _killed _my only friend.

"But I can't kill you. I can't because now I am _your _only friend. I've seen how alone you are, you were _always _so alone, and that's a fate I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I told you before I helped you because I saw myself in you. Well, now, I'm saving your _life_ because I see myself in you. You're alone, like I was. And no matter what, I can't kill someone who is the girl I had been back then."

She looked at Clarith in surprise, not realizing the extent of her kindness. She already knew that Clarith had a good heart, but she'd never known it was like this.

"For what it's worth, you are the most beautiful person here," she said, complimenting someone for the first time. But for once, she didn't get a strange sensation over the kindness she'd learn to present to others, because the words she spoke to Clarith were true. The white-haired girl truly was the most beautiful person she'd ever known.

Tears welled in Clarith's eyes, and the two turned away from each other. "This doesn't mean things are better," the Netsuma girl clarified. "But I'll see you tomorrow. Bright and early. Six o'clock. So, you should get some rest."

She nodded, standing up and walking back towards the monastery, pausing to glance back at the sea one last time. She could have _sworn _she'd seen something, just a faint glimmer on the sea, a tiny trickle of blonde hair much like Allen's by the shore. But when she turned to look, there was nothing there.

-0-

The next night, Riliane stood with Clarith in a forest, a small, green sapling cradled in the white-haired girl's arms. And for the first time since she'd met Clarith, she hadn't thought the girl's affection for the little plant was strange or abnormal because for the first time, she understood. Just as the glass bottle had been the only thing she'd had left of Allen, the sapling was all Clarith had left of Michaela.

It actually was Michaela - the tree, something that had taken Riliane the entire day to wrap her head around. Michaela, a living, breathing human being, was now a tree? It all made sense to her eventually, however, after realizing that Michaela had never been a real human; instead, she had been one of the forest spirits that Elluka had always talked about. The green-haired "girl" had taken a human form just for Clarith.

_Sort of like how Allen took her place at the guillotine for her._

With that thought, Riliane knelt next to Clarith, helping to dig a small spot for the sapling to breathe and grow. Then, the two gently eased her into the ground, right next to the Millennium Tree, noticing the already emerging similarities between the huge thousand-year tree and the tiny plant.

"She's going to become the new Thousand-Year Tree, you know," Clarith said thoughtfully, glancing up at the old tree's leafy branches. "She'll make an amazing advisor."

Riliane could only nod - she'd never really met Michaela, but still felt the horrible grief over what she'd done. _How could she? _she thought once more, regrets once again popping to the forefront of her mind. _How **could **she?_

"I'm sorry for cutting your hair short," Clarith continued. "I-I didn't know what to do; I hope you don't mind, but it should grow out again soon-"

"I don't mind," Riliane interjected softly. "Actually, I'm glad you did. It's surprisingly much easier to manage short hair."

When she saw Clarith's face relax in relief, Riliane finally asked the question she'd wanted to for a while, but hadn't known how. "Can...can you teach me to make brioche? I know you told me how, but I just never really got it."

Clarith smiled. "Definitely," she told her.

Riliane smiled in return, for for the first time in her life, she finally felt content. Even when she lived in the Royal Palace, Riliane had never been able to shake the feeling that something was missing; that _someone _was missing. She'd thought it was Kyle, but now she knew she was wrong. Kings and material belongings hadn't been able to give her happiness, but this - maybe this could.

But after the tree sapling was planted, Riliane could feel the guilt coming back. Her brief conversation with Clarith had distracted her for the time being, but now her tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks and into the hard earth. _How could she have killed all those people? How could she possibly deserve another chance to redeem herself - a chance at happiness after the horrible things she'd done?_

There was only one way she could possibly fix it; get over her guilt and move on. She knew she couldn't give back the lives she took, but maybe by doing this, she could rid her conscience of a tiny fringe of guilt.

"I'm sorry," Riliane admitted to the tree, addressing Michaela directly. "I'm sorry, Michaela. This doesn't change things, but I'm sorry I did those horrible things out of jealousy of you. You didn't deserve it - _none _of them deserved it. And I don't deserve to be here right now, Allen does. But he gave his life for me, and I have to try to at least make it worth it. So, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, and maybe one day, you can forgive me." Her voice broke on the last words as she started to sob, barely hearing when Clarith began her own apology.

"...and I wasn't there to save you. I wasn't there for your death, and I'm so, so sorry!" Clarith cried, her own voice disintegrating as she collapsed into a heaving mess.

Riliane had never felt less alone. For once, she cried without abandon, until her head hurt, and her vision turned blurry - for the people she'd killed, for the ones that died for her, for Mariam, for Ney, for Kyle, for Clarith, for Michaela, for _Allen..._

And Riliane and Clarith knelt there and cried until long after nightfall.

* * *

Date: EC 505

It was just after the sun had set that Riliane finally returned to the shore. Lost in her own thoughts, she continued to stare out at the sea, noting the way the waves whispered and roared as they pulled out and then rolled back into the coastline. She'd always visited the sea and just stared at it before, especially during her rule and after sending her glass bottle away, but why now? There was nothing left for her; she did not find the ocean interesting any longer, and there was no reason for her to be here, so why? What was so fascinating about the way water operated that still beckoned to her now?

_Maybe it's because you always stared at the sea before, and Allen always came to find you. But he can't do that now, can he? After all, he's dead. Because of you. You don't deserve this, you should've-_

"You're fine," Riliane whispered to herself, annoyed partially because her conscience was right, and partially because she'd worked so hard in the past five years to get over what she'd done. Her destruction was everywhere, the countries still not fully recovered from what she'd done. She didn't need a constant reminder. "There's nothing for you to worry about, now stop."

Suddenly, Riliane heard a firm voice behind her, chastising a young serving maid. Surprised that she hadn't noticed before, Riliane spun around, watching the two banter.

"You should have been more careful. That was a good vase, you know," the woman scolded.

"I'm sorry," the servant replied. "I-I'll replace it, I promise."

"Don't bother," the woman said, huffing slightly. "It wasn't that expensive in the first place. I'll replace it."

That was when she noticed Riliane, making eye contact with her. "Excuse me, do you work at the monastery?"

"Yes," Riliane replied, surprised the woman was speaking to her. Most people just ignored her or acted like she was a piece of furniture.

"Could you give me directions? I need to visit a friend."

"Ah, sure! Come with me, I know where it is," Riliane said, leading the two towards the monastery.

"Thank you," the woman said graciously. "We've had such a trying time just getting here. The first time we wound up on the opposite side of the coast!"

Riliane laughed cautiously, not wanting to upset the lady. "Ah, well, here it is. It is a little bit reclusive, so don't worry about not being able to find it."

"Thank you," the woman said again, chuckling slightly.

"Who do you want to visit?" Riliane asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. She knew it wasn't polite to interrogate others coming to the monastery, but Riliane couldn't help herself.

The woman didn't seem angry. "Clarith," she replied. "I've been looking forward to seeing her again."

With that, Riliane only nodded as the woman and her servant headed into the monastery.

0-0

Sometime later, Riliane had gotten to know the rich woman quite well due to Clarith being a capable introducer. After being informed that the woman and her daughter, Yukina Freesis, would be staying at the monastery, she'd become good friends with Yukina. The girl was fourteen and a bit stubborn, something that Riliane could sympathize with due to her strong remembrance of being that age.

"Is it okay that I let a friend visit me?" Yukina asked, her eyes wide. "I know I never told you, but you'll like her - I know you will!"

"Don't worry," Riliane said, smiling gently. She knew how much it would've helped to have another friend at fourteen. "It's fine."

"Oh, I see her coming! Hold on, I'll introduce you two!" Yukina said, starting for the door. "Don't go anywhere."

Riliane laughed lightly as Yukina raced out the door, innocent and full of energy. Despite that, the girl was a surprisingly good writer for such a young age; her stories vivid and well-written with horribly accurate detail. Her friend was bound to be someone the same way, and a part of Riliane couldn't wait to meet her - what would it have been like to have another friend to talk to when she was in her early teens?

That was when Yukina returned, smiling brightly. "This is Germaine Avadonia," she cried happily as a girl with bright red hair walked through the door.

Riliane's heart stopped. Bright red hair. That _unmistakable _bright red hair.

This was the leader of the Lucifenian Revolution.

"And this is Rin Luciena," Yukina continued, rambling on. "She's been working here at the monastery for - what, five years now?"

Riliane could only nod in shock. It was obvious that Germaine knew who she was as well, from the way her eyes widened slightly with recognition to her fingers tapping her thigh nervously.

Germaine cleared her throat before saying, "Well, it's been very nice to meet you...Rin."

"Likewise, Germaine," Riliane said awkwardly, unsure of how to address the girl before her.

"Is there tension? I sense tension," Yukina said. "Do you know each other?"

"What? No," Riliane said, a bit too quickly.

"Never seen her before in my life," Germaine replied.

Yukina shrugged. "Okay then."

"I'd better go," Germaine said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"I should, as well," Riliane said. "N-nice meeting you."

"Mhm."

Then Riliane turned on her heel, and exited the room as quickly as possible to avoid any more awkward introductions. She didn't need to find out that Yukina had also brought Kyle along, too.

As tense as it was, Riliane couldn't help but feel a bit glad that Yukina had decided to introduce them. Finally, she got to clear the air; to see Germaine and for them to greet each other as equals. It was...freeing.

For Riliane was no longer just the Daughter of Evil, and Germaine was no longer just the Revolution Leader. They were different people now than who they were before, and it should be seen.

The world was going to see it.

-0-

Later that afternoon, Riliane saw Mikina, Yukina's mother, standing on the beach while simply gazing out to sea. Riliane was no stranger to doing this, and noticed Mikina's strange, far-off expression. Something was different. Something was wrong.

"Yukina," Riliane said, hurrying to the fourteen-year-old writer. "Your mother - she's on the beach, and I know something's wrong. I'm sure this will all be sorted out, but if anything strange happens, contact me immediately, okay?"

Yukina suddenly got a fierce look in her eye, a look that Riliane was far too familiar with to be comfortable. "I'm not going to let them do this to her," Yukina said, her voice oddly dark. "I'm going to save her."

"What?" Riliane asked, confused at the girl's sudden determination. "Save her?"

"The truth," Yukina replied, heading towards the door.

Riliane wasn't going to let the young girl go on her own; who knew what could happen? "I'm going with you," she said.

Yukina didn't look too pleased, however she didn't object, and the two set off for the beach. They then met up with Germaine, who walked a bit ahead of them and confronted Mikina first.

"Mikina?" Germaine asked slowly, circling the woman while peering at her. Riliane cautiously approached her, Yukina following slightly behind.

Mikina was silent at first before suddenly lashing out, a blank look in her eye as she attacked the red-haired warrior. Germaine gasped, and moved before Mikina could hurt her.

"Why are you doing this?" Yukina cried. "They made you, didn't they? _Why_ did they make you!?"

The aristocrat didn't answer, only called upon the power of the Marlon Spoon, creating a ring of blue flames around her terrified daughter. Riliane's eyes widened. She'd heard of the Seven Deadly Sins, of the symbolic items they represented, but she'd never seen one or known of its power before. This couldn't be Mikina doing this. Mikina would never do such a thing, _right?_

But Riliane wasn't the best judge; she had done horrible things before, and..._stop. This isn't about you._

"She has to be controlling her," Yukina choked out, attempting to hold back sobs.

"Abyss I.R.," Germaine muttered softly.

_Abyss I.R. _Riliane could have sworn she'd heard the name before, however it was unknown where. Perhaps Elluka had mentioned her - yes, that had to be it. Abyss I.R. was a sorceress of some type, a powerful one from the rumors she'd heard Elluka mumble when she thought no one was listening, but Riliane hadn't known Abyss would do something like _this._

That was when Germaine noticed something. "The cat," she pointed out.

Riliane looked up in confusion. There was no cat as far as she could tell - certainly Germaine hadn't been this distracted during the Revolution.

Germaine must have noticed the blank expressions, for she continued, "Abyss's red cat always accompanies her - it must be her true body! I'm going to find it."

As Germaine left, Riliane felt herself begin to panic, the hardest she had in over five years. The past half-decade of peace and simplicity had left her completely unprepared to do anything, as she hadn't felt this scared or done anything this daring since she was fourteen, escaping the Lucifenian palace in Allen's place. She knew she couldn't just stand there completely useless in the face of peril as she had before, but she had no idea what to do.

Allen had known. He'd known what to do.

_She was going to know, too - to finally make something of herself, the way he'd want her to. She was going to do this for him._

Oh, but she was scared. She didn't want to die here, not now, after everything she'd done to get to a peaceful place. She couldn't die; she couldn't.

Gritting her teeth, Riliane closed her eyes for a second, imagining the day of the Lucifenian Revolution. It was surprisingly clear in her head, something her mind hadn't tried to block out.

_She'd sat in her room, eating snacks with Allen by her side. He'd told her they were twins, and offered to take her place before switching clothes with her and forcing her to escape down her secret passageway. She'd been so selfish then, only thinking of herself - not even considering that she could have ran out and told everyone who she was. Surrender herself there, and save Allen's life._

Well, she wasn't going to be selfish any longer.

It didn't matter if she died, Riliane told herself as she watched Mikina's haunted eyes flash back and forth between Germaine and her daughter. It didn't matter. She would be fulfilling what she should have done for Allen; she could die saving another person's life.

As Mikina focused on the rising flames around Yukina, Riliane took a deep breath and quickly slipped away, heart pounding as her feet treaded silently on the sand. She snuck up behind the woman, pausing for a second at what she was going to have to do.

To save Yukina's life, she would have to steal the Marlon Spoon from Abyss I.R., the most powerful sorceress to live.

This made Riliane's heart race, images of her dead body penetrating her mind, her limbs disturbingly contorted, her face twisted into some sort of sick smile. What was she thinking? She couldn't do this - to even try to defeat any sorceress without magical abilities was simply suicide!

As Riliane backed away, preparing to flee, an image appeared, if only for a second. But for that fleeting moment, the waves glistened and sparkled and shimmered in the fading daylight, and Riliane could have sworn she saw a flash of hair out in the ocean.

A flash of blonde hair.

That was when she knew. She had to do this for Allen; if not for anyone else, for him. She was going to die eventually, anyway, but she would die unaccomplished and in vain if she waited until her natural passing like a coward. No, she had to risk this _now. _

Knowing she couldn't wait any longer or Mikina would notice her disappearance, Riliane grit her teeth and charged at the sorceress, all fear vanishing when she saw Mikina's surprised face. There was no more hesitation on Riliane's part - this was it. Lunging, she slid forward and attempted to grab the Spoon out of Mikina's hand, laughing in delight when she saw the sorceress accidentally drop it and release the spell surrounding Yukina.

But then Riliane realized she still wasn't free; Abyss I.R. had another Sin at her disposal. Terrified, she froze as Mikina pulled out the Glass of Conchita, and raised it towards her.

She was going to die here, die or be possessed by the sin. Frantically scouring the area, Riliane saw she had no means of escape, and her legs were paralyzed, her feet glued to the floor as Mikina raised it above her head.

_She saw a white-haired girl with a golden knife, poised to strike._

_"I understand. Do what you wish."_

She really should have died years ago, Riliane knew that. Clarith hadn't killed her, Germaine hadn't killed her, Allen hadn't let her die. But it was inevitable - Riliane really didn't deserve a long, happy life.

But she was okay with that, because despite her reign of terror and the loneliness that had plagued her for most of her time, she had experienced true friendship and happiness, something that no one's life is complete without. At nineteen, she had already lived out her life, and now it was time for it to end.

Closing her eyes, Riliane smiled and accepted her fate, knowing she had at least fulfilled what Allen wanted for her. She had saved Yukina, at least temporarily, and she could die a slight hero.

But the imposing blow never came, for the Glass of Conchita refused to ignite easily. Slowly opening her eyes, Riliane heard Mikina curse under her breath before focusing on a spell that would contain Riliane within the sin.

She never got the chance. Riliane watched in amazement as Mikina screeched and then slumped to the ground, alive but no longer controlled by Abyss I.R.'s movements. The woman breathed heavily before standing and turning to Riliane and Yukina.

"Thank you," she cried, as Riliane and Yukina embraced each other. Riliane felt tears of her own starting to form, relieved that the two were alright.

"She must have slain the cat," Yukina said thoughtfully. "Germaine killed Abyss's true body."

Riliane, not quite understanding what Yukina was going on about, turned to Mikina. "You should get some rest," she told the woman. "A lot's happened."

Mikina nodded as Yukina gently hugged Riliane one last time before leaving with her mother. Riliane smiled faintly, watching as the two departed. By saving someone else's family, in some way, she'd also saved her own.

All she'd ever wanted was to make her mother proud. And now, she finally had.

* * *

Early the next morning, while it was still dark, Riliane hurried down to the shoreline, standing by the darkened sea. She finally knew why she still came here; why after all these years, she still visited the ocean that no longer interested her. Why despite having so many poor memories of standing by the coast, she was still prompt on returning every day.

The sea was forever - long, and deep, and filled with second chances. Every time another wave came in, it crashed upon the shore before being pulled out to sea for a new wave to start anew. It was a never-ending journey, filled with disasters and darkness that lay deep within. It raged, it stormed, it _killed. _But it also forgave. Every day, the sea forgave her.

Riliane stood there for hours, simply gazing out into the ocean, into the dark, endless sea. She could barely feel herself breathe, but as her knees grew numb and threatened to give out, she realized she should probably head back to the monastery. She was satisfied with her explanation for her dedication to the sea, albeit not entirely certain it was correct, but satisfied, and that was good enough.

But as the sun rose onto the horizon, illuminating the deep blue waves in all their splendor, Riliane turned once more. The clouds seemed to have shifted, rising higher into the sky as the glowing ball's rays shone down upon her, and that was when she realized. She realized the true reason why she kept returning.

Because of him. Because of the message.

The message she'd sent right here five years ago. She'd stayed there, and watched as the sun rose over the sea, carrying the message far, far away, hoping to reach its ultimate destination. The message in that little glass bottle she'd held onto for so long; the message ingrained in her mind, carved into the very depths of her soul.

The sun rose higher, leaving streaks upon the sky, and Riliane saw a flash of blonde hair far out in the sea, its owner hidden behind the waves. That undeniable flash of blonde hair, answering her. Returning her message.

"_If we could be reborn..."_

_"...**it**_**_ would be nice if we were twins again._**_"_


End file.

Evillious Chronicles, Hurt-Comfort, Tragedy