"Go ahead and reunite with Tetsuya," I said, dropping Rosalba off halfway halfway between the mountain and the city.

Rosalba pushed me away without warning. I had forgotten how squirmish she got when held by a guy. Perhaps my brother was right, maybe I was a little too insensitive around girls.

"Sorry," I said, turning away. "I didn't mean to trigger your dark memories. Tetsuya or whoever it was will pay for what he did."

She gave me the same suspicious look that she reserved for Tetsuya, at least she used to. Did she really discount him as the aggressor?

I made my way back toward the site of the land dragon.

My sword was made out of the fang of a dragon. It should be strong enough to slice through its thick skin.

"Wait," Rosalba yelled, running after me. "I'm coming with you! If I don't, you and that prince will likely kill each other."

Seriously? I wasted all this time and energy to try to get her to safety?

Forming an ice wall between us, I continued on my way. "Stay back. I won't be responsible if anything bad happens to you. Besides, it seems that you aren't comfortable around me."

She couldn't get hurt, not again. If she did then she'd likely collapse and if that happened, what would I do?

I glanced back at the wall of ice that I had formed. Memories of the day after the ball flashed through my head. The princess had nearly died.

Why did she help him back then? She wanted him dead, but then asked her sister to aid him. It makes little... Wait, it does. Despite what happened, she could never stop loving him. Could that be the reason for why she has such a hard time coming to terms that he did it? Or could it be that...

I shook my head.

Why do I even care? My duty is to slay the creatures of darkness, not to babysit the princess. No, my real duty is toward myself. I still have much to learn. I need to become stronger, strong enough that I won't need to depend on others.

I opened my wings and flew off toward the mountain.

***

When I returned to the mountain, there was no dragon and no Ryonoko. I rose higher to get a better view but a lot of the terrain was obscured by thick mist. No matter how much I searched from the air, there was no sign of movement from within the mist. I doubted that the dragon would be so calm after having been attacked like that, nor did I imagine the prince would have been defeated so easily. He might not have been as strong as his parents, but he was still recognized as a strong individual in both Wynaga and Zionia. At the least he had to be as strong as his cousin, Zyuuni. Then again, the beast he was up against was a legendary monster.

"Did he lead it somewhere else?" I asked myself, rubbing my chin as I pushed away some of the mist. It was easy for me to do as the water particles making up the mist were in the process of turning back into solid form.

"Hey," a voice called out. I turned around and saw our clan's second princess waving at me from below. She jumped and flew over to me.

"What did I tell you?" I said, glaring at her.

Damn, this girl is almost as bad as her older sister. The only thing that she has going for her is that she follows and believes what her father tells her.

Crossing her arms, she sighed. "I couldn't let you go by yourself."

"You're back to being part of Tetsuya's group," I said, turning my back to her. I narrowed my eyes. "Also, what if I were the one who attacked you?"

She stepped back and raised her angel tool in front of her. Her eyes were filled with blood-lust.

Sighing, I put my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "I know that you can't use that, you haven't been able to since the day of the ball. You truly have no sense of self preservation. It's worse than my brother's."

She lowered her arm and kept looking at me with stern eyes. "You won't attack me."

I stopped walking and raised an eyebrow. "How are you so sure?"

"Because if you were then you would've already done so by now." She scratched her head. "We did have other instances in which we were alone."

I sighed. "With cameras or others around us."

She shook her head. "You're forgetting about that time in the Abyss."

***

[Days Ago]

"We're heading out now," Eiichi said, flashing her a smile. He turned away and waved farewell. Hideo and I followed after him.

"Wait," Rosalba said, chasing after us. She gave us a hesitant look. "I. I... wish to come too."

"Setsuko already set off earlier this morning," Hideo said. He frowned. "Are you sure that you wish to come with us?"

She pulled her arms closer to her chest. "I'll... join one of you!" she said as she averted her gaze. "I...want to make myself useful. I... I can't allow what happened to defeat me..."

This girl, she's forcing herself.

Eiichi grinned and held out his left hand toward her. "We'll be happy to have you. At least, I would."

"No you don't!" Hideo said, slapping his hand. "She'll join us. Right?"

Eiichi scoffed. "Come on, my group is stronger and bigger."

Hideo pouted and glared at him. "That's just more reason for why she shouldn't join you!"

Rosalba glanced at me. "I think that I'll join Hyosetsu."

The two knights looked at us like a bunch of buffoons.

"Why?" Hideo whined, stomping his foot like an imprudent child.

She looked back at me. "It's just... I trust him more than you." I thought I saw a light blush in her face.

Such reaction would've been flattering if it hadn't been so common a sight.

Starting as far back as elementary, girls around my age would get close to me. Befriend me for all the wrong reasons. They would try to do the same with Kohri but he was immune to their charms, unlike me. If I had had such a gift then the pain inflicted by such vultures would never have happened.

Unfortunately, there was no way to set back the clock. Perhaps it was that inability to discern who is lying, that my mother ended up losing faith in me as her heir. A chief surrounds himself with vultures is one that is doomed to be eaten.

"Fine," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "Just don't be an obstacle."

She nodded and followed after me, but keeping her distance. It was then that I noticed that her blush was that of worry, not shyness, for it covered her hands.

She was forcing herself... to be strong.

At the mountain my team was geared up for war.

"I see that everyone is ready. These last few days of training will finally be put into action. Princess Setsuko got a head start on us but we won't allow ourselves to be outdone. This team might not be as big as hers but it is disciplined. An elite squad is worth more than an army of simpletons."

The men nodded in agree and turned around, marching toward the shrine on top of the mountain.

"Are there any other girls?" Rosalba asked, looking around at my army. Her arms and legs shook with fear.

Walking on ahead of her, I said, "They're nearly all guys."

She jumped as soon as I said that.

"If you want, you can go and join Eiichi's group. It's made up of nearly all females."

She shook her head even as sweat ran down her face. "It's fine. I...I got to get over this. I... can't let that man destroy my life." Her eyes were tortured despite the strength in her words. Tears broke through and streamed down her face.

"For... Listen, don't force yourself. I can help you find your sister. I'm sure that you'll feel more comfortable with her."

"Sister isn't actually in the Abyss right now. I had her take some food to someone."

"Someone?" Wait, does she mean Tetsuya. "Why are you so kind to him? A while back you nearly committed suicide! Then you had a panic attack when you saw him at the armor shop."

She closed her eyes tightly. "Because... there's a chance that I might have gotten the wrong person."

I glanced at the dirty trail beneath us. I scoffed."Come on, he was in bed with you."

Her hands shook. "Yeah, but the way he reacted... it didn't look like the face of someone who would... do that to me."

I sighed.

This girl is as trusting as my brother. Not sure how that guy does it to capture their trust. But then again, they are naive fools.

"If it wasn't him then who could it have been?" I questioned.

"I." She grew quiet and smiled. "Let's..." Her grin faded. "go."

Acting joyful. Did my words perhaps do more to hurt than to help? She can't do this, hiding her fears behind a fake grin.

"Fine." I lead my group to the vortex at the center of the shrine on top of the mountain.

She peered down at the black mist below. She took in several breaths as the rest of my team jumped. I grabbed her hand which caused her to jump, dragging me with her into the alien world.

I rubbed my forehead and glanced around. Something had happened for the others were nowhere in sight. I tried to get up but felt a weight over me. It was Rosalba who had landed on top of me.

She opened her eyes and jumped to her feet. Her breathing quickly grew erratic as if she were having an asthma attack.

I held my hands in the air and reached one out for her."Hey. Calm down."

She picked up a black rock and threw it at me. I caught it, and threw it behind me.

She raised her arms in front of her face and screamed, "Stay away!"

Taking a deep breath, I turned around. "I won't leave you here! I'll keep my distance, but I don't plan to abandon you!" Peering back, I saw Rosalba making her way toward me. Her breathing slowly stabilized.

"Why?" she cried. "Why do you care for me? Aren't you usually cold toward others? So why treat me differently?"

I averted my gaze. "It's..." I had no answer, why was I doing this? Had it been because she was there for me... back when we were kids? "Does it matter?"

She gulped and turned her back to me. "Let's... continue."

***

['Present']

Thankfully she has opened up again, slowly but surely. Was it because of Tetsuya seeming to accept her back to his group? Or perhaps being closer to finding who actually did it? Though the possibility that it was that plebeian is still high. Though Kohri and the rest of these fools have even me starting to doubt Osamu and Eiichi's story. What actually happened all those weeks ago?

I glanced up at the now black mountain as the ice particles around us fell back down in the form of snow, However, the fresh snow melted on the still hot rocks.

"Hey, Rosalba," I said, flying over to her. When we return home, there's something that I wish to tell you."

Her eyes widened. She tilted her head at me in confusion. "Something? Why not tell me here and now?"

"Because I need to get a few things ready." I lifted my coat's hood and held it close to my face. "Plus, now isn't the right time. Come, we've got to find our stupid 'Celestial Prince' first and help him capture the dragon for that stupid plebeian's weapon upgrade."

"Don't... don't call him that," Rosalba said, lowering her eyes.

I lowered my arms. "Tell me, why are you so quick to forgive him?"

She closed her eyes tightly. "I... I want to believe it wasn't him..."

So that's it, she's trying to fool herself...

"I noticed that during our trip to Kuroyuki no San, you two were close. Akari even said how you two looked like a couple. Tell me, do you love him?"

Rosalba's face reddened. "I... I do. Even despite being the primary suspect, I can't help but love him. But... but it's not love that makes me think this way. Rather it's his actions. They've lead me to think it wasn't him, or at least that he didn't do it on purpose. And who knows... maybe in reality... our roles are flipped"

Wait, is she implying that the peasant and she... that they actually did it? But were drunk? Neither one appeared in a state of stupor when they left the ballroom.

I shook my head at her. "You're as foolish as my brother. I assume you got it from aunt Sofia. Mother said she was naive and a romantic."

Rosalba spun around. "Don't you dare insult my mother!" She grasped her angel tool tightly. "My mom, she was a person who lived her ideals. So was uncle Sebastian."

I stopped and remained afloat. It had been awhile since I had heard my dad's name. He was the older brother of the princess' mother. Their era was the only time in which siblings were Seven-Hill Knights, with the exception of the original seven.

"I... I can only hope to be as strong as them," she said, closing her eyes tightly. "The confrontation with Tetsu at the temple of the Divine Couple and my talk with his father at the museum in Kyuu Seishin made me think; What I have been doing these past few days in comparison to Serrano? Despite being a Seven-Hill like my soon to be brother-in-law and Kohri, I have not done much but cry and shiver in a corner. I am tired of that!" Tears dripped down her face. "I want to move forward! I... I want to move on. I do not want to live with these awful memories! I just... I just want to move on with myself!"

"Is doing it like this really the best way? Is aiding the accused how you plan to move forward?" I flew in front of her and stared her right in the eyes. "I can see that being by his side is painful."

"Yeah, and not just for me," she said, averting her gaze. "Tetsu, my presence back at Xeleria bothered him greatly. He's a kind person to forgive me for having lost nearly all trust in him." She curled her hands so tight that red droplets slide down the palm of her hands. "I should've trusted my gut this time."

"Having lost all trust? It would've been nice if you had. I get the impression that it never made it to that point, your belief in him. It might have been enough to have him kept far away and cower in his presence, but it was not enough to completely abandon him."

"What's with your reaction?" she snapped back.

I shook my head. "You got to be less trusting! That plebeian might not be who you want him to be! The person you danced with at the ball, he could be but a lie! It appears that Serrano is the smartest out of your generation of Seven-Hills. Despite being that guy's cousin and one time best friend, he looks at him with more skepticism than either one of you."

"You speak as if you knew for sure that it was him. I ask you to wait until his trial is over, before casting further judgment upon him," she said, shaking with anger.

I lowered my head. "Fine. We have wasted too much time here... Let's go!"

Rosalba suddenly gasped.

"What's wrong now?" I asked.

She turned around and flew in the opposite direction.

"Hey, you're going the wrong way!"

"I sense something in that direction," she said, pointing back in the direction of the mountain. "Something powerful. Go on ahead if you want, I'm going to check it out myself!"

I pressed a hand against my face. Why did I have to get stuck babysitting a princess? Especially one as naive as this one?

"No, I'll help you. But let's make this fast. We need to locate the prince. If anything happened to him, Lady Saya will rain her fury on us who got him into this mess. Though, it was him who volunteered to help."

Rosalba flew forward, not paying me any mind.

Will she listen to what I have to tell her when the time comes?

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter ^_^**