"D-d-destruction of the F-Frosts?" Christine repeated in shock.

Aaron smiled widely. "That's right."

"N-no...You're crazy!" She shot up to her feet, shaking her head fiercely.

He chuckled. "Perhaps, but it's true. More than a few of the royal families have been displeased with the Frosts. I mean, the last Lord even married a human!" Aaron let out a noise somewhere between a growl of distaste and a wheezing laugh of hilarity. "And then...then that human thought to get rid of the HRD. And did the Lord at the time stop her? No! The sniveling bitch was apparently so good at pleasuring the Lord, he let her run free. Hell, he even helped and supported her!" he growled.

"I won't help you in your insane plot!" Christine shook her head again, turning on her heel and starting to the door. I never should have come, she berated herself. He's nothing but crazy.

"What was that? Mother dearest has gone senile? She's turned violent, lashing out at you? Ah, poor, poor Christine. Don't worry, I'll be sure that she goes to a facility which will be able to ensure she won't hurt herself or another person again."

Stopping in her tracks, she slowly turned around to face him. "Y-you wouldn't dare!" she hissed, her anger so great it made her voice shaky.

He had moved around his desk to lean back against the front. He was posed in a way she assumed was supposed to appear sexy, arms crossed over his chest, legs out slightly in front of him as he half sat on top of the desk. But to her, all she could see was the monster he was. His lips pulled back in a leering smirk. "Oh, but I would. After all, with dear Father's passing, I am the man of the family. By rights, I own both you and your mother. If I want to put the old hag up in a home, never to be seen or heard from again, no one will fight against me...Or did you forget that important little detail, Christine?" Her name on his lips made her shudder in disgust.

"T-that..." she could find nothing to say. Screaming and raging at how this was the twenty-first century and she was her own person would do her no good. Not in this frustrating, stubborn, sick world that she lived in...

His smile grew and a light of victory entered his dark eyes. "Perfect," he purred. "As long as you do everything I say, I won't touch your dear mother. But you step one foot out of line, my sweet..." His voice trailed off with his threat. Closing her eyes, she fought back a sob, nodding.

"Oh, Christine... Sometimes I wish you were as easy to manipulate and control as your bitch of a sister...I would have so preferred to have gained you...To have you all to myself, my pretty little child," he chuckled darkly. "The games we'd play..."

"C-can I go now?" she swallowed.

"Yes...Oh, I will be coming with you for the next meeting with the Lord Frost. As the man of the family, it is my duty to make sure you are married off to a good man, little sis."

Nodding her head tightly, she hurried out of the study. Rushing down the hall and out to the drive, she wrapped her arms around herself. I just made a deal with The Devil, she thought shakily. Gods, what have I done?

O O O

"Lord Torres, it's good to see you again," Aiden murmured, after slowly returning to his seat. He and Luke had risen upon finding Christine and her brother-in-law being led by the waiter on duty to their table. Aiden had figured keeping the same location would be easier for all involved, but he hadn't expected Torres to show his face. I suppose I should have seen this coming, he thought tiredly.

"Yes, yes. Truly, the pleasure is all mine, my lord," Torres bowed briefly before lowering to his own chair. "My dear sister tells me that you wish to wed her...Is it not, pray tell, a tad bit odd that I was not informed beforehand?"

Aiden eyed Christine's tense, almost defensive body language as she sat beside her brother-in-law. Obviously, there is some history between these two...and not the good kind. Then again, with the rumors of Lord Torres that liked to float around every now and again, was it really a shocker? "I felt that I should bring my offer directly to Christine herself, instead of having it come from a third party," he answered truthfully.

Torres' face twisted into a tight smile. "Ah, yes, of course. Better to make sure no false information is passed along, eh?"

Luke cleared his throat, shifting in his chair to the left of his cousin's, brushing some of his short blonde hair behind his ear. "So...Christine. Have you come to a decision?"

Swallowing, Christine fought to find her voice. "I've decided to accept the offer...with a few small changes." Aiden raised a brow in curiosity, but nodded his head for her to continue. "The amount per month needs to be increased to 20,000 jen, 17,000 of which will go to A-Aaron."

Feigning ignorance, Aaron gasped, placing a hand to his chest as he twisted slightly in his chair to face her better. "Why...Christine, dear little sister. Truly, such a thing is not required." He grinned, batting his lashes. "Oh, but of course I'd never think to insult you so by refusing such a gift."

Luke's jaw clenched in irritation. What an ass... he thought darkly. It was obvious by Christine's pale face that she wanted nothing to do with this man. Torres' had one arm around the back of her chair, his fingers unconsciously playing with a few strands of her long blonde hair at her shoulders. It was almost as if he was treating her like some sort of pet. And as if it wasn't obvious that both this sudden increased in price, as well as transfer to a different person wasn't all a part of his ploy. "What's with the sudden change?" Luke asked, fighting to keep his voice polite.

Christine glanced up to look at him, but her cheeks quickly filled with color and she lowered her gaze once more. "I...Lord Torres has helped take care of my mother and I, since the death of my father. I...I wish to repay him for his kindness."

Kindness, my ass! Luke grumbled internally.

"No," Aiden's firm voice made the other three all turn to blink at him in surprise.

"N-no?" Christine stuttered.

"No?!" Torres hissed.

"No?" Luke repeated in confusion.

"No," Aiden repeated. "The price will stay at 15,000 and the money will go only to Christine and her mother."

Torres' expression twisted, his true form beginning to leak through. By his side, Christine stiffened and didn't dare move, more blood draining from her face in fear. Aaron's face began to shift into a hideous guise. A bizarre, disturbing, and disgusting blend of elderly man, dog, bat, raven, and pig; his face was certainly the stuff of nightmares. His voice wasn't much better, growing both deeper in a growl, while also rising in pitch to echo that of a shrill, almost bird-like cry.

"As the man of the family, it is my right to ask for payment. This is her bride-price, so either take it or leave it!"

Across from him, face calm, Aiden smiled thinly. "Last I heard, your wife denounced her ties to Christine and her mother. Therefore, as her husband, you hold no claim, legal or otherwise, over the Ventas. As such, I suggest you calm down and realize the mistake you are making by allowing yourself to loose control in such a public place." Around them, a small wave of unease was slowly traveling outward. Other guests were whispering to one another behind hands, glancing toward their table in a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

Luke swallowed, feeling the waves of blood lust, hate, and rage coming off of Torres. Christine, being close enough to touch him, looked ready to pass out on the spot. Slowly rising to his feet, Luke raised his hands up. "My lord, I think it's best that you do as my cousin said. There's no reason for this to turn into some bar fight over nothing."

Eyes swirling black and red, Torres hissed. "Silence, boy! Over nothing? He insulted my honor, my pride! You think you are so much better than me, hmm?" Torres' head began to twist a little funny, a harsh laugh emitting from his mouth. His breath smelled like rotten corpses. "Christine, come, we are leaving." Reaching down, he took hold of Christine's hand. He tugged, starting to turn and exit dramatically. But Christine didn't budge. "The hell?" Torres growled. "Come on, you little bitch."

"I..." Closing her eyes, she shook her head. Touching Torres as he was right now was making her head spin. The smell of him...the power pouring off of him...It brought back unpleasant memories of the only other time she'd angered him so before...When she fought against his advances at her father's funeral. "No, Aaron. I don't want to leave. I'm perfectly fine with the arrangement Lord Frost brought up. I'm fine with this marriage offer, in fact, I think it's more than fair and I agree with it."

"You what? Do you really want me to do as I said I would?" Aaron growled in a low, his disgusting breath and half rotten lips pulled down into a snarl.

"That is enough," Aiden sighed tiredly. "You will stop this ridiculous show immediately," he demanded in a calm voice.

Eyes still burning, Torres twisted to glare hate at the younger man. "What will you do if I don't, little princess?" he taunted.

Aiden sighed. "Really? That's the best you can come up with? And yes, I am a princess, thank you. I was crowned, just a few weeks ago actually," he smiled winningly.

Luke and Christine both blinked, startled. Torres' gaze grew a little uncertain. "Oh? Princess of what? Bigotry and arrogance?"

Teeth flashing in a wide grin, Aiden leaned back in his chair, totally at ease. "What? No, of course not. I thought you, Lord Torres, were in the running for that particular award. No, I was crowned as the Princess Snow."

Aaron's jaw dropped. Slowly, he began to revert back to his human form. "Y-you...You can't be serious!"

Frowning in confusion, Aiden tilted his head to the side. "Why would I not be? Oh, do you not believe me?" Reaching down in his pants pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Here. It's my very own certificate of Princess-hood."

Before he could open it up, Torres let out an annoyed snarl. "Good day, Lord Frost. I believe another appointment is calling to me." Turning on his heel, he started out of the cafe.

Watching him leave, Aiden sighed wearily. "What an unpleasant man. Really, Christine, I do not envy that you have had to put up with him." Shifting in his seat, he started to put away his folded paper.

Out of nowhere, Luke snatched it up. "H-hey!" Aiden gasped in surprise.

"I have to know what this really says, bro. You've never been the joking type. What was this, a receipt or something? Kinda big for one..." Luke's voice trailed off as he read the child's writing, in black and blue crayon. "Well, I'll be damned..." Slowly, he lowered the paper, folding it back up. Turning, he bowed elaborately over his hand as he held out the paper like a offering. "Your Highness, I sincerely apologize for my rude and forward behavior. Please, accept the return of such a precious article as my gift of apology."

Looking more than a little miffed, Aiden nodded his head firmly. "Damn right you're going to grovel and beg. I expect a new pair of shoes as apology as well...Size 4, in Juniors, blue."

Grinning mischievously, Luke glanced down at his cousin's leather-clad feet. "Oh? Has Your Highness suddenly shrunk...ten shoe sizes?"

Glaring, Aiden jerked his feet away from his cousin, still under the table. "Hey! I have dainty feet and don't you dare say otherwise!"

The both of them paused at the sound of a woman's high, happy laughter. Blinking at one another for half a second, they turned to take in the sight of Christine. She was half-bent forward, holding her sides as she continued to laugh. Her bright green eyes were filled with mirth and tears as she tried to talk between her laughter. "O-oh, by the gods...D-do you two do stand up? I-if not...you s-should...Oooh, oh no...you two...o-on stag-ge...!"

Suddenly, a snort appeared and with it, Christine's face grew bright red with a mixture of embarrassment and how hard she was laughing. Her tears were leaking out badly and she looked like she desperately wanted to stop, to be anywhere else in that moment...But she couldn't.

"Oh, great..." she gasped out between breaths, a few more snorts scattered here and there. "Y-your...your faces though...s-so comical, it's horrible. S-stop looking at me...W-why does everything become funny...when I get like...this?!" she choked out in an annoyed and amused laugh.

Aiden slowly rose to his feet, smiling himself. "Really, it's fine. Just try to take in a few deep breaths, alright?"

Why do I find her completely adorable right now? Luke thought awkwardly. No, no. Bad Luke. BAD! Down, boy, down! he told himself cynically.

She nodded her head, trying to force her breathing to even out. "I-I'm sorry..." Slowly, her laughter was dying out. "It's just...A-Aaron terrifies me and you...the both of you were acting like nothing had happened...And I-I got giddy with relief because he was gone and-"

"Really, Christine," Aiden murmured as he took a glass of water a waiter had thoughtfully brought to them. "Thank you... Honestly, it's no big deal. Laughter is a good thing. It helps relieve stress, I've discovered. And I imagine you have more than your fair share of stress to relieve."

"Yes..." she sighed heavily. "That's certainly true. Thank you," she took the glass of water, letting the cool liquid slid down her throat. Gradually, the color began to fade from her face, lowering her body temperature by leaps and bounds.

Returning to his seat, Aiden took a sip of his cup of tea. "Well then." Holding out his hand across the table, he flashed her a smile. "Betrothed?"

Slowly, she nodded her head. "There's a few things I want to clarify, but I get the feeling you're a fair man. So, yes." Grasping his hand, she smiled as well. "Betrothed."

They shook once, a spark of magic shooting up both of their arms. "Let it be so," Aiden murmured softly. The magic receded slowly as they released one another. "We'll go shopping for an engagement ring later today, if you do not have anything else planned?"

"I do not," she shook her head.

"Wonderful. Now, what were these other things you wished to discuss?"

"Once we are married, I will essentially be your daughter's step mother, won't I?"

Blinking, Aiden chuckled softly. "You know, I must confess, I never thought of that. But yes, you would be."

"Then I would like to be a part of her life, as long as you and her mother agree to it," Christine urged. "I know it's an awkward situation, but I don't want to just forever be labeled as the 'evil stepmother'. I really would like to get to know her, to get to know both of them."

Smiling, Aiden nodded. "I don't mind, in fact I think it's a good idea. Also, to be brutally honest, my daughter most likely already knows about you."

Frowning, Christine stared at him. "I...does she not live in the Human World?"

His smile grew wider, filled with a layer of teasing. "Oh yes, she does. But that doesn't mean anything."

"I...um...alright then," Christine murmured faintly.

"Next?" Aiden chuckled.

"I would like my...my 'allowance', so to speak, to be lowered to the original 7,000 after we are married."

He narrowed his eyes, growing thoughtful. "Hmmm...Reason?"

"I don't want to take more from you than I need to. And to be brutally honest, I'd rather take nothing," she sighed.

"But as soon as your last name changes to Frost, you will have just as much right as anyone else in my family. And unlike a certain ne'er-do-well, you have yet to do anything proving to me that I must occasionally monitor your activities." Thinking about said troublemaker, Aiden's bright eyes began to dim with weariness. "Honestly, I don't know what to do about that boy..."

Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Luke turned to his cousin. "'Boy'?" he repeated in disbelief. "He hasn't been a 'boy' since he was what...twelve?"

Christine's cheeks flushed a little, knowing which Frost family member they were talking about. She'd met the infamous Felix Frost once before. Thankfully, he hadn't appeared very interested in her, as he'd had two other women on his arm at the time. Even so...he'd proven to be more than Christine could handle. She wasn't as sheltered as her father would have liked her to be, but even so...Yes, I can see how Felix can cause Aiden to look so, just thinking about him.

"You know what I mean," Aiden grumbled. "He never mentally grew up past, what, sixteen?"

Luke sighed. "Oh, that...Yeah, basically."

"I'm thinking maybe he needs what I had to get. He needs someone in his life who will show him how to be happy. I mean...does he honestly believe he can stay happy, like this, for the rest of his life? Eventually he's going to run out of steam and he's just going to be empty inside. Ugh, I worry too much about the little brat," Aiden chuckled quietly.

"You'd think, with all those women, he'd have found one that he could even try to have a real relationship with," Luke murmured. Blinking after a second, Luke shook his head to clear it. Smiling sheepishly at Christine, he rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. "Um, sorry about that. We sort of went on a tangent there, didn't we?"

She quickly raised her hands up to stop Luke. "N-n-no, I didn't mind. Honest! I just...I-it's important for me to learn more about your family. A-after all...they'll soon be m-mine too..." She coughed to clear her throat, taking another drink, wishing it had a little alcohol to it.

Luke's laugh filled her ears and lifted her heart before dragging it back down to the depths of an abyss. "Oh, yeah, that's right. You'll be family, once you marry Aiden here. Well, I guess that means you'll be my cousin-in-law, won't it?"

"Y-yes..." she murmured through cold lips.

Seeing the cloud of pain starting to come over Christine's eyes, Aiden cleared his throat. "Back on topic then. Was there anything else besides visitation and a decrease in your allowance you wanted to discuss?"

"No..." Christine whispered.

Frowning, Luke studied her face. She'd seemed happy enough just a second ago, especially with that cute laughing fit of hers. "You sure you're feeling well enough to go ring shopping with Aiden?" he asked in concern.

Her head snapped up for half a second before she turned her gaze away from him. "Yes," she said in a stronger voice. "Honestly, I'm perfectly fine." Her lips lifted into a smile, causing her whole face to lighten. Her eyes sparkled with an excited light as she grinned at the two men. "The promise of a shopping trip fixes all ails," she teased.

Grinning himself, Luke turned to Aiden. "Hear that? You better keep a tight hold on your wallet."

Smiling softly himself, Aiden rose to his feet, pulling out said wallet to take care of the bill. But before he could, Christine was already getting out the money. When he raised a brow in question, she shook her head. "Please, my lord. Let me pay for this, as an apology for how my brother-in-law acted earlier."

Staring at her hard, seeing her gaze remain steady on his own, he gave in with a sigh. "Alright. But please don't think I blame you for that round of unpleasantness. No, that was all Lord Torres' creation and I find I really can't stand the man. Also, call me Aiden. 'My lord' is much too stiff and archaic for our relationship now."

A small blush filled her cheeks, but she simply nodded. "Alright. Then please refer to me by my first name as well."

A brief smile flashed on his face, but in his eyes, she could see his heart wasn't in it. "I was planning to, Christine."

O O O

Willow cut a sneaky glance over at the living room clock. It was Friday afternoon, one week after Aiden had left with the rest of his family and Bren. Her world had once more returned to just Prophecy, Kazuo, occasional glimpses of Bri, and herself. It wasn't bad...exactly. There was just something about it that felt...Well, certainly not empty.

Starting Monday, Prophecy was officially enrolled in a public elementary school. Monday had been her first day, after getting a private tour the Saturday before by the principal herself. The excuse Willow had come up with for why Prophecy hadn't been enrolled in any public school and why some of her behaviors or words she said might seem odd was that she had Asperger's syndrome. With said disability, Willow explained that Prophecy was mostly normal. The main things the teachers had to understand and accept was Prophecy's 'obsession', so to speak, was future vision.

The principal had raised a few eyebrows, but explained they had a few other children with 'odd' problems. Willow had taken this as a sign of Other children going to this school. By the principal's behavior, the woman had no idea about anything supernatural going on. Even so, Willow felt a little better. She didn't find Prophecy odd and it had killed her to have to lie in such a manner. But she hadn't been able to explain that the real reason why Prophecy had been kept so close to home was Willow's own fear. Fear that Prophecy spouting out a vision would send off warning signals to anyone who was in the know. Fear that Prophecy would loose control and harm another person, someone who couldn't just be brought back to life...Willow didn't want her daughter to be forced to live with that sort of burden.

Even so...it was one of those epiphany moments Willow had where she realized she'd just been selfish all these years. It had been a hard pill to swallow, but she'd done it. She'd done it for Prophecy. Seeing the little girl's smiling, excited face as she climbed out of the car and waved wildly at Willow who was still in the car had been worth all of it.

Glancing down at the chain of the beautiful necklace around her neck, she couldn't quite squash down the happy smile on her face. It had been an amazing thing to her, receiving this gift. She'd never even thought about trying to get a artificial soul created! But she'd wished she had...The price for this treasure must have been steep and a part of Willow still desperately wanted to pay Aiden back. Honestly, she still had no idea how something as simple as a little kiss and a promise had been equal payment.

"Mommy! Dad's coming! He's coming! He'll be here soon!" Coming up from behind her, Prophecy proceeded to jump and dance around the kitchen. It was a little past four thirty in the afternoon and Prophecy had been in the dinning room, working on her homework. "Oh, I can't wait, Mommy. I've. Missed. HIM!" The eight-year-old shouted in a mixture of excitement and dramatic emphasis.

Laughing, Willow turned to grab hold of the girl, pulling her into a warm hug. "Aw, should I be jealous now? How much would you miss me, if I was gone for so long?" she teased lightly.

Leaning up a little, Prophecy dashed a kiss on her mother's cheek. "LOTS!" she cheered, giggling. "I always missed you when you were gone. Love you, Mommy."

Feeling her heart almost stutter between happiness, love, and a spark of sadness, Willow gave her daughter a watery smile and a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek. "Mmmmwa!" she let her lips pop to make a loud kissing sound. "I love you too, baby girl!" She hugged her daughter fiercely for two seconds before lowering her back down to the floor. Patting her butt, she jerked her head back to the dinning room table that had all of Prophecy's school books spread out over it. "Don't you think you should get your homework finished? To show Dad?" she prompted.

Prophecy shook her head. "No, Dad doesn't mind. He's just happy to see me and-"

Sighing, Willow straightened. "C'mon, honey. You know just because you can see into the future, you shouldn't use it to restrict your life. You got to remember that you're living in the present, in the here and now. It's like I always tell you, baby. Even though you can see the future, it doesn't mean you don't also got to make your own."

Sighing herself, Prophecy nodded. "Okay..." she grumbled.

Reaching out, Willow patted the top of the girl's head, running her fingers through her curls. "To make up for it, why don't I make cookies tonight, hmm?"

Face instantly lighting up in a smile, Prophecy nodded again with much more enthusiasm. "'K!" she beamed before rushing off to return to the table and her school work.

Shaking her head, Willow let out a breath. "The kid's got my number," she muttered under her breath. She starting to move toward the refrigerator. She was now going to have to make a different meal for more people, since she figured Bren would be coming along with Aiden.

Pausing, she glanced down at her chest. Under her short-sleeved, maroon, sweater-styled shirt, she was wearing the necklace. She didn't wear the necklace all the time, since she'd learned it had a weird habit to sometimes let off heat or cold. It had almost scared her shitless, the first time she'd felt a sudden icy touch against her chest...But when she did wear it, she kept it hidden. She wasn't really sure why...Just something about it made her feel...

I'm just worried someone will try to steal it, she told herself. You never know, with a city like this and the way people are. It's a very flashy stone, so it's bound to attract the attention of people with bad agendas, she rationalized in her mind.

The sound of a knock echoing through the first floor forty-five minutes later made Willow jerk from where she was stirring a large pot of chili mac. She'd half gone into auto-pilot, falling back into some of her dark memories of her past. But Prophecy's occasional voice, asking a question, or telling her about her day, always served to pull Willow back out of the darkness. In between the interruptions from Prophecy, the necklace against her breasts would occasionally let out waves of warmth...almost like it was happy.

It sort of freaked Willow out and she planned to pull Aiden aside and ask him about what was up with the stone. Was it suppose to be doing the stuff it did? Or was it defective? Even worse, had she somehow broken it since he'd given it to her?! Just the thought almost made her want to curl into a ball and cry. Partly because a part of her that was both Girl and Melody was terrified of how angry he'd be. Partly because of how much this stone must have cost him, and she'd ruined it within only a week or so. Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus.

"I'll get it!" Prophecy cheered. "It's Dad," she explained as she hopped down from her chair and rushed toward the front door.

"Sweetie, wait a second-" Turning on her heel, Willow quickly reached out to turn off the stove, which she'd kept on Low to keep the chili mac warm. Pausing after three more steps, she reached down to pull out the blue-red stone. Maybe Aiden will be able to tell if something's wrong with it if he sees it? she wondered.

And won't he be happy to know I've been wearing it?

That last thought made her frown, but she quickly pushed it aside. Right now she had a errant, hyper-active, and excited kid to stop. Prophecy really did need a dose of caution. With her Gift, she was so sure that she Saw all futures, all possible outcomes, the girl seemed to think she was invulnerable to danger. And no matter how much talking Willow did with her, it never seemed to stick for long. Especially when Aiden was involved. But, at the same time, Willow couldn't help but be a little happy. Seeing Prophecy so excited was like a dose of sunshine in Willow's heart, every time.

On her chest, the stone seemed to glow, for just half a second, brightening. But as quickly as it had happened, it stopped. Shrugging, she turned the corner to the door. "Hey, guys, how's you're time away bee-" She stopped, her eyes widening as she took in the sight in front of her.

Aiden, in a green turtleneck, with light grey slacks, was smiling at her nervously. He looked just as breathtaking and handsome as when she'd last seen him, making a ache in her body start to rise up. But even as it did, she shoved it back down, her eyes moving to the woman beside him. She was a little shorter than Willow. But holy hell, if Barbie hadn't just come to life, Willow didn't know what else to call this woman. Slim, elegant, blonde, bright green eyes...She was almost sickeningly perfect, especially in her mauve and white frilled top and knee-length skirt.

The woman-the stranger-seemed just as curious and shocked to lay eyes upon Willow. Her eyes were as round as saucers, riveted on Willow's chest. Wondering what was up and so weird about what she was wearing, Willow started to lower her own gaze down. But as she did, it snagged on something she hadn't noticed before.

On the woman's right hand ring finger was a simple gold ring and small diamond. An engagement ring, Willow thought in shock. Very slowly, her eyes traveled back up to Aiden's.

His dark green eyes-wearing the contacts now that he was in the Human World-were heavy and filled with something close to both pain and resignation. He straightened his spine, before placing a smile on his face. "Loves, I would like you to meet my fiance, Christine Venta."