"You guys find anything out?" Noctis asked.

Standing on the dais in the village's center, the prince and his friends met back up. They had been reluctant to leave Angelica, but since she insisted on being left alone, the four decided to split up and gather information. After all, they were suspicious of Thanatos and didn't quite trust him.

"Well, despite being assassins, the residents here pretty much do things like ordinary people," Prompto said.

"Yeah, aside from the 'assassinating' part," Gladio added. "And everyone seems to wear the same thing."

"You noticed it too?" Ignis chimed in. "Every person is wearing a black jacket. They all bear the same characteristics - long sleeves, high collar, and accented with what I presume is their clan color."

"Really?" Noctis questioned. "Everyone?"

"From what I've seen," the shield replied. "Everyone except Thanatos."

"Hey, you're right," the gunman said, thinking back on it.

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "I also witnessed a young boy exhibiting odd behavior."

"Odd how?" the prince asked.

"Well, the child was helping his mother with some shopping when his whole body seemed to convulse and he furiously clawed at the back of his neck. But after a mere moment, he was back to normal, and everyone carried on like it never happened. It was strange for certain, but I don't know if it's relevant to our investigation."

Noctis was silent, thinking on it. Prompto was the first to speak again, "So, do you think Angel might actually decide to stay here?" His tone gave away his worry.

Noctis sighed. "I... I don't know."

"Let us hope we can talk some sense into her," Ignis said. "There is surely a reason Miss Valerie never brought her back here, and also..." He briefly turned his gaze downward toward the ground. "I certainly loathe the idea of parting with her."

"Don't you worry, Iggy," Gladio said. "We're not splitting up this group just yet. Let's go make sure our opinions are heard."

~~~~~

Angelica hummed in content. The past hour had been the most relaxing hour of her life. She had Bellus, her own happy-go-lucky servant, pampering her. Bellus was a sweet girl, treating Angelica with the utmost respect and kindness. Even now, while the redhead soaked in a warm bubble bath, Bellus gently combed through her hair.

"You're hair is sooo beautiful, Lady Angelica."

Angelica smiled to herself. "Thank you."

"The Solani's are so lucky. Their red hair is the prettiest thing. It looks like the fiery life force of a phoenix plume."

"Bellus, if I decided to stay here, in Secreta, would you still want to work for me?"

"Oh, but of course, my lady!" There wasn't a second of hesitation in the girl's answer. "This is what my clan has always done, and to follow in the footsteps of those before me would be a huge honor!"

Angelica grinned. "Then it may just work out after all." Her plans came to mind, turning her grin into a devious one. "It could finally happen. Niflheim took everything away from me, and now, with my dad and all of you, I can finally take my revenge."

"Oooh, definitely!" Bellus cheered. "We could totally take 'em all down! After all, those who mess with the assassins are sure to die!"

"Right you are," Angelica agreed. "And then no one will ever mess with us. Everything we care about will remain safe." Another thought crossed her mind and she simply had to ask, "Bellus, do you think it's a bad thing to be feared?"

The blond giggled. "Of course not. Assassins SHOULD be feared." Angelica hung her head down slightly, remembering her childhood. Bellus leaned over her shoulder. "My lady, don't be upset. Always remember - fear gives us power, and power is everything."

The redhead dwelled on those words for a moment. She pushed back her memories, grinning devilishly. "You're right. Power is all that matters. Now that I'm back with my people, we could be unstoppable."

Angelica began laughing darkly, thinking of how close she was to achieving her goal. Bellus started laughing as well until she suddenly froze with an audible "ow". Angelica paused, leaning her head back to look up at the blond, who was vigorously rubbing the back of her neck.

"You okay, Bellus?"

The girl smiled and nodded. "Yeah, just a bit of a... stiff neck. Don't worry about me, Lady Angelica."

Bellus swiftly finished combing Angelica's hair before offering a pedicure as well. The redhead lifted her legs up out of the water, crossing them while letting them hang over the opposite end of the tub. Bellus left the bathroom to get the supplies for the pedicure. While Bellus was searching for the things in the bedroom, the boys hurried in through the front door. They quickly made their way upstairs where they presumed Angelica was.

They saw the open door of the bathroom and walked over. But as soon as they were in the doorway, they froze, eyes growing wide and cheeks burning red. There was Angelica... in the bath. Fortunately, the bubbles littering the water's surface covered her, aside from her legs hanging out and the very top of her breasts and shoulders. Angelica stiffened, surprised by their intrusion. The four men were quick to cover or avert their eyes.

The redhead glared and placed her hands across her chest, making sure they couldn't see her. "May I help you?" she asked with annoyance.

Noctis, with his hand over his eyes, nervously answered, "W-We'll just... come back... when you're done."

"You can wait in the living room," she told them. "I'll be finished shortly."

"Yes, sincerest apologies for the intrusion," Ignis said.

"Bellus!" Angelica called.

"Coming!" The blond came running, slipping past the boys in the doorway. "I'm here, Lady Angelica!"

Bellus ushered the males out and shut the door. She swiftly took care of Angelica's feet before letting her finish up her bath. Once done, she got out, dried off, and got dressed. Bellus followed Angelica down to the living room, where the boys sat around patiently. They all turned their gaze to the two girls.

"Angel, we need to talk," Noctis said.

Angelica nodded and turned to look at the blond girl. "Bellus, you may return home for the night."

Bellus bowed. "As you like. Goodnight, Lady Angelica."

She swiftly left. With Bellus gone, Gladio said, "You got a servant now too?"

Angelica shrugged. "Turns out her clan has served mine for generations. She's a friendly, obedient girl, that's for sure. I quite enjoy her company."

"Obedient?" Ignis echoed. "Are you hearing yourself?"

Noctis intervened before Ignis could say anymore, "Angel, do you really think it's safe here, in this village?"

"Well duh," she replied. "My dad and my people are here. This was meant to be my home, y'know."

"Yeah, but do you ever get the feeling that someone or something just doesn't seem right?" Prompto asked. "Like Thanatos, for instance."

Angelica frowned. "There's nothing wrong with my dad. He wants to help."

"But how do we know we can trust him?" Ignis inquired.

Angelica felt a bit hurt by that. "He's family - my only family left. I understand that you're wary of him, he IS an assassin. But I trust him." She took a seat, smiling to herself. "I'd always wondered what it was like to have a dad, and now I finally know. It's a wonderful feeling."

The guys grew quiet, not wanting to ruin her moment. They knew just how much of a revelation it was to find him, and Angelica had been overcome with joy when she discovered who he was. That was something they didn't want to take away from her, especially since they couldn't be certain Thanatos was even up to anything. Perhaps he really did want to help, and they were just being overly cautious.

"Please tell me you're not actually thinking of staying here though," Noctis finally spoke again.

"It would be pretty sad to split up our team all of a sudden," the shield added.

"I..." Angelica turned her gaze away. "I haven't made a decision yet. But staying here would finally allow me to get back at the empire for everything."

"But, Angel," the gunman argued, "that's what WE'RE doing. If Noct gains enough power, we can take back the stolen Crystal and get payback."

Angelica narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh really? Then how come everything we've been doing seems like a waste of time? If you haven't noticed, I've gotten an entire village of assassins on our side. Unlike you, I don't need power from the Kings of Lucis or the gods, I have all the power I need right here."

Her tone and the look in her eyes was darker than ever. "But even all the strength of these assassins isn't enough," Ignis said, hoping she'd listen to reason. "Noct is Chosen for this. With the nights growing longer, only he has the power to right everything that's wrong."

"You don't know that!" Angelica snapped, rising to her feet. "How do we really know the prophecy is true?! My way could work just as well! In fact, isn't it our duty to aid the chosen King?" They all stared at her, unable to comprehend her reasoning. "This would be the assassin's way of doing our part. We're stronger than you think, and we have the power to make a difference."

She turned on her heel and marched back upstairs to her room. The four males all sighed. They truly hoped that Angelica would make the right choice in the morning. Meanwhile, the girl tucked herself into bed, angry that her friends didn't understand. But in the morning, she would make a decision, and while she hated to see her friends go, she believed it was the best action to take. Desperate times call for desperate measures.