Chapter 2

    Rin ran through the market place as she ran the opposite way of the castle. She stopped to catch her breath as she was in front of a path. She began to run again following the path until she detoured and made a right off path.

    Rin ran through the forest huffing. She wasn't the athletic type in her family. She halted as she approached a small run-down cottage in the middle of the forest. She hopped over the broken down wooden fence and followed the dirt path that led to the front door. She smiled as she opened the door.

    She was first met by the strong smell of sweat. While the outside of the house looked run down, the inside was a blacksmiths dream. Rin called this her second home. No guards, no servants, and especially no mom.

    "Good afternoon!" She said before hugging the first little kid she saw. The cottage was a place where orphans lived and thrived. They enjoyed helping "Aunt" with chores specifically casting and making things for the soldiers. That's how they make money to stay there. Rin learned about the orphanage when she met a certain someone while she roamed around the market.

    The kid giggled as Rin ruffled the boy's black hair. He was about six or seven years old but none of the kids that lived there knew their actual age. Rin looked around for a certain someone that seemed to spark the little boy's curiosity.

    "Looking for Ash?" He asked earning a nod in reply from Rin. He shifted the tin molds into his other hand before pointing towards a closed door. "He's in Aunt's room." Rin smiled kissing the boy's head as she let him go from her embrace.

    "Thank you, Apollo" She said before walking over to the room. The door was closed as she knocked on the door earning a hum from the other side to come in. Rin opened the door hearing a gasp from the boy who laid on the bed that was set in the corner of the room. The male quickly sat up and started to fix his hair as Rin walked in closing the door behind her for some privacy. She immediately took off the hat she wore letting her long black hair become undone.

    "Hey, Ash..." Rin greeted as she walked over towards him. He got up from his bed as Rin stopped in front of him. She admired him. To others, he didn't seem so different from the other guys but to Rin, he looked like a prince. The light that shined through the holes in the roof almost seemed like they were pointed at him like a spotlight. His tan skin and brown eyes glistened in the light. His semi-long hair almost rests on his shoulders and on the top of his head was poorly tied bun.

    Ash seemed to do the same as he looked at Rin. Except, Rin doesn't really like eyes on her as she's more of the shy timid type who hid behind her sisters. As Ash looked Rin up from head to toe, Rin tilted her head slightly catching the others eyes on her. Ash was an exception though.

    Rin then embraced Ash. Her head rested on Ash's chest hearing the others heartbeat. Ash immediately hugged her back. Rin mumbled a quiet "I missed you" as she looked up to see him smile back at her.

    "I missed you too." Ash replied before chuckling at what Rin said. Rin pulled away from the hug with a confused expression. "What?" Rin curiously asked. Ash then placed a gentle kiss on Rin's forehead the others face becoming dusted with a light pink blush. That was the first time she had any affection.

    "You make it sound like we haven't seen each other in years when it's only been one day." Ash explained. Rin sighed as she thought about what she had to say. If she couldn't survive one day being away from Ash, how could she survive with not seeing him for weeks? Maybe even months!

    "In all honestly, I don't know when I'll be able to see you after I leave." Rin admitted with a from. Ash's eyes widened as Rin looked down. All the kids in the orphanage knew there was something going on between the two but between Ash and Rin, they are only best friends. They have admitted to each other that they liked one another but if anything went farther then that, she knew her mom wouldn't be too happy.

    Ash cupped Rin's cheek making her look up at him. Rin's eyes met with Ash's as he smiled almost happily. She could see a tiny bit of annoyance hidden behind that smile. "That's alright!" Ash lied. "You're going to be queen soon." Ash hated the thought of Rin being with some prince. "You'll have your own palace, own guards..." Ash felt a pain in his chest as he continued to speak. "A husband..." He was honestly heartbroken.

    "I don't want to be a queen!! I don't want any of that!!" Rin eyes began to swell up with tears as she hated the thought of being away from Ash. "I just wanna stay here, live with you and the kids and Aunt." Rin's voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. Besides the kids that lived in the cottage, Ash was her only best friend. If it wasn't for their status, Rin would marry Ash the second she would be able to.

    Ash hugged Rin tightly to his chest as if he would lose her if he let go. "I-I know, I know, it hurts me too" Ash said as he tried to hold back his tears. They stood there for a while comforting each other and enjoying their presence with one another. Once they both stopped crying, Ash pulled away from the hug and went over to the work table. He grabbed an item from the table before handing it over to Rin.

    "I made this for you. So you know that I'm always with you." Ash said as Rin studied the necklace. It had black beads and in the center of it all was a red ruby gem. On the back of gem, it had the letters R and A carved into it.

    Rin hesitantly took it in awe. "T-thank you." Rin said as she put it around her neck. Ash smiled as he mentally fist bumped himself as the necklace draped around her neck perfectly. Rin wanted to give a goodbye gift as well and that's when her bracelet caught her eye and began to take it off her wrist.

    Ash's eyes widened as he watched Rin try to take off her bracelet. "A-ah, you don't need to give me anything back. Especially not your bracelet, that's worth millions!" Ash exclaimed as he placed his hand over Rin's bracelet. Rin pushed Ash's hand away as she finally removed the bracelet.

    "And I hope you know how much you mean to me with this." Rin said as she held the rainbow gemmed bracelet. Each of her siblings were given a bracelet when they were born. Rin never took hers off and neither did her sisters. The bracelet itself is priceless since the gems were all rare and only found in the castles mines.

    Ash hesitantly took the bracelet and wrapped it around his ring finger. "Thank you, I'll take amazing care of it." Ash said admiring the bracelets rare gems. He looked back at Rin who nodded as the second round of tears started escaping her eyes. Ash hugged her again.

    "I-it felt like yesterday w-when we met." Rin sniffled into the others shoulder. Ash softly laughed remembering the day they met. "I can still remember the fear in your eyes when you ran into me when you were escaping a wild boar." Ash said earning a smack in the chest from Rin. That day was two years ago. They were only fourteen when Rin started leaving the cage she called her room. Ash showed her the flower garden that was near the cottage that day. Once they both escaped from the boar.

    Ash showed Rin what freedom was like. Thanks to Ash, she was able to embrace what's outside the kingdoms walls.

    Rin looked up at Ash as Ash looked down at her. He slowly leaned down as they shared a passionate kiss. After a year of knowing each other, they knew that they started to develop a relationship more than just friends. Rin never let Ash do anything except hugging as she was afraid of her mom finding out.

    The bells from the church rang louder than ever signaling that it was almost dark causing the two to quickly separate from their kiss. Rin's face was red as she touched her lip. "I-I gotta go..." She said as she put up her hair and hiding it in her hat. Ash nodded as he followed Rin out of the cottage. She quickly gave goodbyes to the kids as she was then escorted out of the forest by Ash. Once they were at the market, Rin gave Ash one last peck before leaving to go back to her castle chambers.