"I... wondered who was in my reflection," she thought for a bit before replying.

"Why?"

"I can't see through her, no matter how much her emotions change, nothing is reflected in her eyes."

'You suddenly became aware of how well you can unconsciously hide your emotions and that scared you?'

"And... the word monster suddenly appeared in my mind, somehow that scared me so much. I don't even know why, if I was a kid I would have understood but I am not," after seeing that he was not going to ask, she continued speaking.

She felt at ease, after feeling that tremendous fear awhile ago, seeing him calms her down greatly. That she was able to tell him the things that happened a while ago.

"Stop thinking about it for now, you're overall must still be unstable that is why these things could happen. Get back to sleep," he didn't asked deeper and just told her to sleep.

"Uhmmm... I know this is a bit weird... but is it possible for you to stay until I fall asleep again? But if you are busy-"

"Just lay down and get back to sleep," he interrupted her not moving in his position, showing her that he won't leave.

She weakly smiled as she lay down, "Just as I thought..."

"Your eyes are different..." she finished before closing her eyes.

Raven felt confused by her words but didn't bother asking. He waited until her breathing became even before leaving the house.

"They went to the lake and her mood changed after looking at the water," Dai appeared outside and told him.

"They were also worried why I suddenly asked but told them to meet her tomorrow instead for she was already resting."

The reason why he didn't know what they did was because he only always watch over her once the two of them are no longer with her. He would leave to do other things while she is with Azusa and Feena.

"Yes, I already got the answer with her. I shall be meeting the king, please watch over her for now," Raven replied before walking away, Dai then blended with the darkness.

*****

"So you're saying, she seems to be scared of her past?" Rino asked after hearing the story from Raven.

"It is still a speculation, what scared her a while ago was her own reflection, the fact that no matter what changes might happen in her emotions, her physical appearance seemed to remain unchanged. As we all know, that was what she was good at before."

He chose not to say anything about the monster, he was still unsure whether that was connected to how she refer herself in the past.

"Now, it's becoming more and more like she'd rather not remember," Rino sighed after hearing this.

They are still waiting for the reply from the other kingdoms, a week before their letters would arrive, another week before their replies would come. Over all there are still nine days of waiting at max.

"Very well, we shall point out that they must watch her closely especially when they feel like her mood have s.h.i.+fted," Rino then said after thinking about it.

"One more thing, I think that some of them have re entered the kingdom. But they were able to disguise themselves and we have no proof that they are among the rebels. Just speculations," Raven then said, he came here for two matters.

He was just planning on getting changed before reporting to Rino but the thing about Eureka happened.

"To be a just kingdom, we can't just imprison people just because we have some speculations. For now task a few knights to watch those people closely, we still have no idea why they decided to return," Rino propped his head with both hands as he spoke.

The rebels could easily be apprehended, they have an idea of who they were after all. The only problem is the fact that they still wouldn't gather as a whole and that the others haven't done anything yet other than leaving their respective kingdom.

Whether this was a strategy to keep their whole group moving or a fact that they were not united, it is still best to keep watch over them.

"*giggles* You can't catch me..."

They then heard Hikari's giggles from outside.

"*sigh* It seems that father is playing with Hikari again," Rino sighed as he stood up to open the door and look outside.

There they were greeted with Akihiro running after Hikari.

Rino looked at Raven who was completely confused by this scene.

"*chuckles* A day after Eureka left the castle, Hikari came to father and mother. She was fidgetting before she started speaking abuout her grievances. We actually didn't know she was that lonely. She acts mature for her age."

They followed with their eyes the running father and daughter, "Well just like Eureka, she knows how to keep things inside her. That's when she made father to promise her that he would also play with her and that she will still diligently do her lessons just allow her to play with us from time to time."

He then walked back inside and Raven followed.

"Do you know what was more fascinating?" he asked as he lean in his table and looked at Raven.

"What?"

"When I asked her why did she hide everything, she said that she thought princesses should not act spoilt."

Rino chuckled once again, "I was about to tell her that that should not be the case but she beat me by saying that, her elder sister Eureka told her that it is fine to act spoiled from time to time. And that her parents won't get mad at her for asking for their attention."

He then sighed, "We failed once again, she asked us to take care of Hikari but in the end it was still her who was able to see through that child. Really she is just too amazing."

Raven was silent and chose not to say anything about this, it was not in his position after all.

"And that scene was refres.h.i.+ng actually, to see my father run after a young child with all that smiles. At first the servants and knights were flabbergasted, but they got used to it eventually," Rino then continued.

"I am happy that you're family is doing great," was all Raven could say.

Soon he bid him goodbye, Rino watched him walk away through the balcony of his office.

"Though she was not the only one who noticed it, you once said to watch her closer or she might end up straying away from us. Physically we are close by but soon emotionally we won't be. I just didn't heed your advice back then and just made sure to spend more time with her," he started commenting.

"But the time spending was not the same as well, we are just physically near her but we are still mentally away. Seriously you two are so much alike."

With a stretch he returned inside to continue his work.

*****

Raven's mouth almost opened upon seeing a person sitting by his doorstep.

"What... are you doing here?"

She looked up and a smile broke on her face, "I woke up to go to the bathroom when I returned I actually... got scared from the mirror so I turned it away and layed back. But no matter what I do... I was still scared and felt like the whole house was filled with mirrors," she replied.

"*sigh* So you came here and seeing as no one was in you squatted down on my doorsteps?"

She smiled sheepishly at him. She really didn't want to impose on him too much and of course she is incredibly embara.s.sed but her fear got the best of her.

With another sigh, "Come on, let's return to your place."

He walked ahead and opened the door, Eureka could only follow like a baby chick. But before she could enter the house, she felt scared once again and couldn't get herself to go in.

Raven looked back at her, Eureka had always been an independent person. Seeing her so dependent, he couldn't help but feel different. Different in a good way, he thinks.

"Come on now, I won't leave till morning so rest a.s.sured. I think you will be fine after a full night's sleep," he said before taking her hand.

'It's cold,' was his thought, the weather today was a cold one and feeling how cold her hand is, she must have waited for so long.

Eureka felt secured for some odd reason, as she followed him upstairs before he tucked her in bed. He pulled a chair beside her bed and took out a book, he borrowed this book from Rino just a while ago.

Seeing as she was watching him, "Go to sleep, you are obviously still tired. I won't leave, as you see I am already sitting."