She would write him a letter only to receive a short reply, after three times she juust let it go. So within those six months the two of them only had three letters each. She didn't return for a break either.

Their first meeting was this morning but even during that time it was official business, she didn't get the chance to speak with him for he seemed quite busy. And the tasks were already given.

Nana was about to smile before she was shocked, for after Karen's shock, her tears started flowing down her cheeks. She was not concentrating anywhere but her eyes are looking at Nana.

"Wh What is it? What's wrong?" Nana was fl.u.s.tered as she didn't know whether to wipe Karen's tears or to hug her. She could only look at her worried.

Karen slowly shakes her head as she looked down.

"Why? Is this a trait of your family? I am not as perceptive or as understanding as Raven. Did he think that I was not sad with all those short replies of his? Or that he never initiated contact first? I know he was busy, that's why I didn't ask for anything. But without speaking with me, he threw such task to me? This is too much!!"

Karen sat down as she hug her knees. Nana was utterly shocked, it is to be known that Karen had always been the happy go lucky one among them. She loves joking around and most of the time, you'll see her with a smile. So for Nana to see her crying now, she didn't know what to do.

"I... That is..." she sat down in front of Karen as she tried to search for something to say in order to ease her up.

But Karen soon got a hold of herself. She wiped her tears away as she picked up all the books. She carried them to a table and sat down.

"In any case, since I have no other tasks. I'll just do as he wants. I'll study this..." her voice was filled with sadness as it slowly turned quiet.

'This feels like, her life is being dictated right now,' Nana couldn't help but think.

Seeing as Karen was already in deep thought without the pages of the book moving. Nana decisively left the library.

*****

"That's it for now I suppose. We can just see how this will develop before we move to the next step."

Rino was speaking with Raven, the two are in the office Kaoru used to use. This was lent to Rino as Kaoru was not around.

*BLAG*

Raven who was about to reply was cut short by the opening of the door. The two looked at Nana who was breathing heavily. The library was not close to this place, obviously she had run towards here.

Rino furrowed his brows upon seeing his sister but before he could reprimand her, she slammed her hands on his table and she was fuming with anger.

"You... Why do both of you and Eureka loved making people think? He has the same wavelength as her so he can understand her very well," she started as she pointed at Raven who was standing at the side.

He couldn't help but to furrow his brows upon being dragged in her outrage. He was just silently standing on the side, right? What did he do this time?

"What are you talking about? Didn't I ask you to help Karen? Why are you here?" Rino asked in return.

"That is the problem," she continued as she moved around the table and grabbed his collar.

"Karen is not Raven. You didn't tell me that you only replied to her letters without sending one of your own accord. And to top it off your replies were short?!?"

Rino was even more baffled, without much thought of his collar that was still being clenched by Nana, he looked at Raven who could only shake his head indicating that he has no idea what Nana is talking about either.

"Will you calm down and explain to me of what is going on?" Rino held her hand as he tried to calm her, to remove her hands on his collar.

"Eureka is an odd one!!" Nana didn't let go but shook him istead.

"Huh?"

This time not only Rino but Raven as well. They seemed to not get what is going on.

"Every woman, that is, every woman I know would want their man to tell them straight what was going in their mind instead of making them guess. Did you ask Karen properly? Is she ready to be the queen? You suddenly threw her into that task without speaking with her, without a.s.suring her that you will be there with her. She does not have the same wavelength as you!!"

Nana didn't stop as she speak glaring at her brother, Karen's tears a while ago made her worried.

Rino, on the other hand, finally understood what she was saying. He glanced at the left drawer of his table.

"Hey are you listening to me? Did you know that Karen is crying right now? She's saying that you are not taking her emotions into consideration!!"

Rino looked at her, "Did you just say she cried?"

"Don't make me repeat myself. She is still in the library, why don't you go and speak with her instead," Nana finished as she let his collar go.

Rino stood up and opened the left drawer, took some papers and went out of his office.

"And you," Raven who was just standing on the side was suddenly faced by Nana.

He unconsciously stood up straight as he look at her.

"Once my sister returns, despite being an odd one and the two of you, having the same wavelengths, you need to be straightforward with her as well. You two wasted so much time already."

After saying that she stormed out of the office as well. Raven who was suddenly dragged into the sibling fight was standing blankly inside.

*****

"Thirty minutes have pa.s.sed and the first book is still at the first page. Are you really studying?"

Karen who was absent minded returned to reality after hearing someone speak in front of her. When her mind focused, she saw Rino sitting opposite her looking at her.

"WOAH!!" she exclaimed as she leaned backward causing her chair to fall back.

Rino couldn't stop her on time and she fell straight in her back.

"Ouch!! Why did you startle me?" she asked pouting as Rino helped her up.

He sighed as he pick up the chair after helping her and helped her sit down once again. Of course he can see the remnants of tears in her eyes. He wanted to release another sigh, he just stopped upon seeing her pouting.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you busy? Don't worry I will be studying all of these just as you want me to," she said as she opened the book once again, this time flipping to another page.

Rino sat down opposite her and took the book in front of her placing it on the side. Karen looked at him in confusion.

"In reality, I am like a four year old child in this world. I only learned about official business cause that is what my father mostly do. So with things regarding romance, I only knew so little. Others would even be things I've read from books. So I thought I was doing the right thing by sending Nana to help you. But there is one thing I'm sure of..."

He reached out and touched her eye, "I never wanted to make you cry."

Karen's heart started beating faster, he's looking at her and her alone. WIth his sincere eyes all of her sadness disappeared. She knew she shouldn't have expected too much from him for she knew that she was the first person whom he had loved.

That is also why she didn't run away a while ago and just took up the task he left her.

Rino pushed in front of her the papers he took from his left drawer, he then looked in the side with a tinge of red in his face.

Karen tilted her head on the side before looking down on the papers. She picked it up and started reading through them. Her face was filled with astonishment as she kept reading.

~'How are you? Don't tire yourself too much...'~

~'It seems that the weather is changing, make sure that you won't get sick because of this...'~

~'I've sent some more fruits for you, be sure to eat well..'~

The letters weren't only one liners, most were him telling her to stay healthy and reminding her to get enough sleep, not to stay up too late. There are also him telling her how he was doing and the improvements of the kingdom.

What caught her attention though was that all the letters have obvious erases on them. Some have cramples as if he crampled it before straightening them again. The others were only done half way.

And somehow she can imagine how he must have looked while writing all these letters, she couldn't help but to giggle with this thought. Her heavy feeling a while ago was completely gone.