Len's POV

"Hurry up you useless slave!" Came prince Mikuo's call as I scrambled to ready his horse so he could hunt.

"Y-yes your majesty" I said. I didn't want to make him mad...
If he got mad, there was no telling what he would do to you.
He was like his father, cruel and uncaring about anything but his own pleasure.

I finished saddling the horse. To be honest, it was a beauty with its white body and lovely teal mane, the same shade as the prince's hair.

I led it out to him, he was tapping his foot impatiently.

"About time you useless piece of trash!" He said, slapping my face.

I just looked down. I had seen him beat up slaves just for fun, so I really couldn't say anything nor be mad at him for hitting me. I had taken awhile to saddle Starlight for him.

He climbed onto the beautiful beast and rode into the woods with a group of fellow royals and guards to keep them safe

I went to the stables and hid myself away, hoping the stable master didn't come in and see me as I started to cry.

I desperately missed my twin sister.

Only a week ago she had been sold to a different castle.

Maybe we had been abused, and were exhausted, but we were together.

Now we were apart, and life was so much harder.
I had to do everything myself.
No one cared about me.

Unfortunately my sobs were heard, as the stable master looked around the corner and straight at me.

"Kagamine! What do you think you're doing?" Came his angry voice.

I jumped to my feet. I knew the punishment for sitting down during work hours, why had I risked it?

"N-n-nothing s-sir... I-i just..."

"You were just sitting down is what you were doing!" He said, hate and anger in his eyes.

I looked down. "Y-yes sir" I said, trying so hard not to shake in fear.

He crossed over to me and grabbed my collar roughly, then pulled me out to where a wooden post stuck out of the ground.

"No, s-sir, please don't, p-please, I'm sorry, I didn't m-mean to sit, I-" I was cut off by him slapping my face, so much harder than Prince Mikuo had, he was so strong, it made tears spring to my eyes.

"Shut up and take the punishment like a man" spat the master.
I wasn't a man, I was a 14 year old boy, but I couldn't tell him that.

The tears started streaming down my face as he tied me to the post.
"P-please sir..." I whispered. I didn't understand how anyone could do this.
How anyone could treat a child like this.

I saw him grab a stick from the corner of my eye, and knew what was to come.
No amount of begging nor crying would make him change his mind, but I couldn't stop.

I heard a horrid WHACK then a horrible pain spread threw my back, another immediately following, then a scream of pain. My own scream. He hit me twenty three more times before untying me from the post. I lay on the ground, shaking.

"Get up" he said, kicking me in the stomach.

I just cried out in pain.

"Get up!" He said again, shouting, followed by another kick, a harder kick.

"I-i c-can't" I said, hoping he would leave me alone.

Instead he grabbed my collar and held me in the air, my feet off the ground

All I felt was pain and fear.

He drew back his arm, ready to punch me, and I closed my eyes, terrified, I wished he would stop, would let me down and leave.

I heard someone say "no!" And opening my eyes, saw a really pretty girl with teal twin tails hanging onto the stable masters arm.

"What do you want?" The stable master glared at her. Hopefully he wouldn't hurt her too...

The girl just looked at me, then turned back to him.

"One of the waiter boys are sick, the king sent me to ask this boy to serve instead" she said blushing.

"Is that so?" The stable master looked at her, then glared at me. "No food for five days, you hear me?" He shook me before dropping me to the ground.

I closed my eyes at the pain in my head.

The girl who had stopped the stable master helped me to my feet.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she started walking, but I didn't know where.

" I'm fine, w-where are we going? " I asked, opening my eyes.

"The kitchen, you need something to eat." She replied.

"But he said-" i started, but she cut me off.

"I don't care what he said"

She lead me into the kitchen and sat me down on the floor, as she got me a plate.

"Miku, who's this?" Asked the head chef.

The girl shrugged "I don't know, I saw the stable master beating him"

The chef looked at me, I could tell she didn't want me here.

"I-i can go..." I said, as I tried to get up.

"No!" Said Miku. "Stay"

I sat back down. I didn't think I could stand anyway.

"Here" the teal headed girl handed me a plate with chicken, rice, biscuit and broccoli on it.

I looked at the food, it looked and smelled better than anything I had ever eaten in my life!

I looked at her, wondering if it was really meant for me.

She smiled and nodded, I smiled back and took a bite of the chicken.
Oh my gosh it was so good!
I closed my eyes to savor it and I heard her laugh and felt her sit down by me on the floor.

"You like it?" She asked.

I nodded. "It's way better than anything I've ever eaten!" I said. I felt so grateful to her.

"I'm glad! So, what's your name?" She asked.

"Len Kagamine" I said, taking another bite.

"Cool!" She said. "Mine is Miku, my brother is-"
She stopped suddenly.

"Your brother is?" I asked questioningly .

"He's not with me..." She said.

I assumed that meant he was dead.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." I said. That was sad!

She quickly looked up.
"He's not dead, just, not here with me"

"Oh" I said, feeling like a idiot.
"Why not?"

She shrugged. "I don't know"

"Oh..." I said. "Well, I'm sorry... My sister was taken from me a week ago, sold to a different castle" I said, trying not to cry.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! That must be awful... " she said, ignoring that she couldn't see her brother either to morn with me.

"It's fine" I said wiping away the tears that had started to fall.

She put a arm around me, only to remove it when chef called her to help finish the meal.

"I have to help cook, I'll be back soon" she said smiling at me.

I nodded and she left.

I ate and replayed what had happened over and over again in my mind.