Chapter One: The von Gikkingen Brothers

On a forest path, thickly surrounded by tall trees and bushes, there rode two men. One was a youth, scarcely yet worthy of the title of being called a man. His eyes, which were a brighter blue than the sky over his head, were trying to take in all the sights of the springtime forest at once, still excited about being allowed to accompany his companion on this important assignment from their king. His hair appeared to be white underneath the shade of the trees, although it was actually a very light shade of blonde; angel hair.

The other man was calmer; having passed this way before. His mint green eyes, though appreciating the beauty, were keeping a watch on everything around him and his companion, hoping that no cutthroats were laying in wait to rob them, even if they could be handled with ease. In an effort to appear less noticeable, he and his companion had switched out of their customary suits in favor of comfortable, but modest, tunics and leggings.

Although this disguise would normally throw off anyone that thought to look on them, it would not have disguised the way the men held themselves with quiet dignity. Another interesting thing about the older man was the crow perched on his shoulder, since they were notoriously so difficult to tame. The blonde man turned to his companion, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"It's so beautiful here!"

The tawny haired man gravely nodded, keeping his mind on the task at hand.

"Forests usually are, Louis." He wondered again how his mother had managed to convince him to take his little brother with him this time.

"Come on; he's been hearing stories about your travels for years. It's just a message."

The man shook his head, praying that the message wouldn't cause grief, wherever it went. There was plenty of grief in the world without making more.

Louis suddenly started galloping, making his brother grimace, and follow.

"Now is not the time for games!"

The blonde man grinned wider, and jumped over a fallen log.

"Well, you never want to play when we're at home either! What do you want me to do?"

"Act your age!"

The younger man laughed again as he slowed down.

"You're no fun anymore, Baron."

It wasn't the man's true name, but it suited him better than his real one. Even their mother couldn't deny it, and she was the one that picked it. Baron reached over and pulled his brother's ear closer.

"If you do that once more, I swear I'll never take you with me again."

That got the young man's attention, and he calmed down.

Good thing too, since they were shortly attacked by thieves. Baron wasn't particularly impressed by them, managing to take them down with ease, using the horsewhip that he kept only for situations like this. Even the crow flew from his shoulder and began scratching and pecking harshly at the thieves. Louis had a harder time, being untried in a real battle. He was nearly torn off his horse at one point, just barely keeping his seat as he used his own whip to knock a few unconscious.

When all the thieves appeared to be down for the count, Louis made the grave mistake of turning his back on his enemy. Baron saw one cutthroat raise a club towards his brother, and made a hasty split-second decision. Saying the secret word he had been warned never to speak unless no other option was open, his brother's mount grew wild and started kicking madly, easily taking down the offensive rogue, who dropped his weapon as he sailed through the air.

Baron smiled and spoke the word to calm the horses, impressed that his brother had managed to hang on so well. His brother looked up to grin at him, but his eyes shifted to the side as they widened with horror.

Even as Louis opened his mouth to shout a warning, Baron felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, and he swiftly faded out of the realms of the conscious.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Before the tawny-haired man even fell from his seat, an arrow pierced his assailant's shoulder, making him cry out in pain as Louis saw several soldiers approach.

"Halt, in the name of Haru!"

Louis blinked, certain that the call was usually 'in the name of the king'. The thieves that could still run did so, part of the soldiers breaking off in order to give chase. The young blonde man hopped off his mount to run to his brother's side, who had fallen on the ground and was now unmoving. A gentle hand gripped his shoulder as an older shoulder bent beside him.

"Hmm, while it doesn't look good, I think your friend will pull through."

Louis turned to him, his eyes streaming as the crow landed next to him, fear evident in his eyes for the Baron.

"He's my brother, and we have a message to deliver to the Celian king. But, but…" he was too overcome to say more, his sobs choking him. The soldier smiled comfortingly, and raised his head to look behind him.

"It's safe, M'lady! They're under control, but this young man has a problem!"

The young viscount turned his head, and stared in amazement.

A young lady wearing the darkest shade of green was just getting off her tan mare and walking up to them, her large dark eyes filled with genuine concern. Although her clothes were simple, one could tell she was of high birth from the way she held herself. As she came closer, Louis judged her to be about his own age. His heart began to thump rapidly as the lovely brunette knelt beside him, looking into his eyes like she could see his soul.

At first glance, she was merely pretty, but her eyes…

"What is the trouble, young man?"

Louis struggled to break free of the spell in her eyes, enchanted… He finally looked away towards his brother.

"My brother's hurt, and he was the one that knew where the castle was, and has the message we're supposed to deliver to the king."

The woman looked at his brother, her eyes slowly widening in shock as a gasp issued from her throat.

"Baron!" she whispered, taking the viscount off guard.

"You know him?"

Her eyes softened, almost becoming liquid. She nodded, but looked at him again.

"You're Louis, aren't you? He described you perfectly."

The viscount's mouth dropped open as she stood up and beckoned to one of the soldiers that had just finished tying off one prisoner. He marched up and smartly saluted her, his eyes filled with respect for this young woman.

"Momotaro, I want you to escort the Viscount Louis to the royal palace to deliver a message to the king." She turned to the young man that was still kneeling on the ground. "Do you know where your brother kept this important message?"

Louis nodded numbly, reaching into his brother's shirt to fish out the scroll. The young woman blushed and turned her head away until the blonde man stood up, the parchment in his fist.

"But…my brother…"

She smiled warmly at him, making his world explode into a vast, open space, riddled with possibilities.

"Don't worry about Baron. I'll personally see to his recovery, and Momotaro can take you to my estate when you're done with the king. He'll be fine, Louis."

Louis. The name never sounded special until it fell from her lips. A coughing from behind him revealed the older guard, patiently holding out one hand for him. He took it, climbing onto the sturdy stallion as he looked at the young woman again.

"Who do I have to thank for this service?" It was such a disadvantage, having her know his name when he didn't know hers. She smiled, her eyes still glowing.

"I am Haru. But take care not to mention my name inside the castle; people in there like to pretend I don't exist."

The soldier galloped away as Louis saw her beckon two more soldiers forward to assist his brother, Toto obviously choosing to stay with Baron. His mind reeled in shock.

How could anyone want to forget about a girl like that?!