AN: Thank you for your interest in my Tales of Xillia story! This is based after the first game (6 months after) and I intend to have it go through the second game as well. I am playing through it now and I am enjoying the Gaius scenes very much :) But enough about that. As a disclaimer, I do not own any character from the Xillia game but I do have a few of my own. But I do not make any sort of profit from what I write. Thank you for reading, and please review!

"Esther Von Svent, you are appointed to be part of the Elympian ambassador group. Your assignment is to be an assistant to Rieze Maxia's leader, Gaius. You leave in one hour," was all the Elympian political advisor, Gerard Rowand, said before he left her with the file of paperwork and a bewildered look all over her face. Being young meant that she was left with all of her jobs at the last second… but going to Rieze Maxia was something she had always wanted to do since the schism was brought down six months ago. But to live and work there… that was a very hard pill to swallow and in one hour to boot.

Sighing in anxiety the moment Gerard was out of sight, she looked over the paperwork at her metal desk. Everything was metal around Elympios, simply because nature was so frail. The breaking of the schism made sure that life would be restored… but only temporarily. The research of spyrites was going full out now thanks to Jude Mathis, making spyrixes something to soon be gone from the world they damaged so heavily. Very slowly though. Her own spyrix was one that allowed her to tackle beasts when going from the research facility back to the capital. Given that it was powered, but for how long was anyone's guess. Because she wished to better her world was why she became involved with the newly formed REUM group. Reize Maxia and Elympios Unification Mandate group was formed for just that, unifying the two worlds to bring about a peace that would be enduring.

The only thing that made her nervous was that Reize Maxia's people didn't need spyrixes, one wrong move without her spyrix and she could be in a world of hurt. She supposed it was a good thing that martial arts were pushed upon her for so long by her parents before they were killed ten years ago. The only family she had was a little sister, Lily, who was just old enough to graduate this fall. Lily was in the private school dorms while Esther lived in a small apartment in the capital… correction… she did live in a small apartment. From the look of the paperwork she would be living just outside the palace in Kanbalar.

The pictures of the area were breathtaking, and she thought that maybe she would grow to like it so long as the job wasn't horrible. From what she heard Gaius was a very driven man. At one point six months ago, he sought to destroy the spyrixes or at least that was what she was told from some of the researchers. Him and a woman by his side. Six months ago when the schism was broken, she remembered the panic that had taken place. However, once there was peace treaties going back and forth everything seemed to calm back down, even if the two worlds didn't mingle very much with each other yet.

Closing the folder, she went down to exit the building. Her less important things would be shipped over to her, but she was assured that anything she would need in an office setting would be already there for her upon her arrival. Running home, she packed her suitcase and prepared for the air ship journey to Rieze Maxia to meet Gaius. The thought was rather daunting, but she hoped for the best. This was all for peace after all, she had to rise above prejudices and see the good in him despite his past actions.

Her long blonde hair radiated the sunlight as she made her way to the airship's dock. The locks waved down her back down to her hips. For as far as hair went, she was usually quite envied, but it was other places where she felt she lacked. Her breasts were one fault she could find. Far from being a busty woman, she often sighed whenever men were caught looking at her other friends who were better gifted than she. Men thought she was much younger than she looked, a woman nearing her mid-twenties, because of her lack of a mature figure. Besides her hair, she was complimented on her fair skin and bright blue eyes. However, her appearance of age was not helped much from her height either. Given Gaius's towering demeanor, she was quite nervous at how much she would end up standing next to him… being hardly three inches above five foot…

Arriving at the palace in Auj Oule, Kanbalar was not as long as she thought given how much her mind was occupied, but it was now time to face the music and her new boss. The cold atmosphere made her regret her choice of dress, a white blouse tucked into a high waist, black pencil skirt that reached just below her knees. The heels she wore were lower so she could walk quicker, but it didn't give her enough height to be satisfied. One thing she had learned to live with.

The attention she was receiving was interesting. She was aware that not many of the people from Reize Maxia saw what the people from Elympios looked like, but from what she could tell there wasn't much of any difference. The only one was in the mana lobe that her people lacked and the choice of simpler clothing rather than fashionable wear. Practical over anything else, and rightfully so. Shivering slightly as she was assured her bags would be brought in, she continued off the small airship. Smiling and waving to the people who stared, she saw a few run away and others politely smiled back and bowed. It would be interesting to live here, but they would soon grow used to her… or at least she hoped so.

When they reached the inside of the castle, she was told to wait by an older gentleman. He was kind and had a long pony tail, and he seemed quite comfortable with her as he stood next to the chair she sat in.

"Well, my dear, did you have a nice trip?" he said with a kind smile on his face. Obviously he would be one of the few who she could talk to.

"Very nice, thank you, Mr…"

"Rowen, Rowen Illbert, at your service, Ms…"

"Von Svent, Esther Von Svent," she said with a smile as they shook hands. He was very kind, he reminded her of a grandfather.

"His Highness, Gaius, should be in shortly, please feel free to wait here while I go see how progress is coming along," Rowen said with a small bow as he went into a side room to announce to Gaius that the young lady from Elympios had arrived. "Gaius, the young woman from Elympios has arrived," he said with an amused twinkle in his eyes. One that Gaius was learning to give caution to.

While Gaius was not a vain man, he was a man none the less. So long as the woman did her duty, he would have no qualms with her. However, nor did he wish to have an eyesore. Sighing, he nodded to Rowen as he stood up and walked out of the throne room. He still wore his traditional garb, considering he hadn't been abel to go out much since the clean up after the war started. In fact, it was why they were starting to hound him about the diplomatic paperwork. This woman they sent would have to be well versed in both sets of laws, and so she would have to be taught quickly. He was patient, but there was a limit. If the woman was idiotic, there would be no working with her no matter her looks.

However, what came into his sight was not an unsightly girl. She was small… much too small to be a full woman for sure. Being only a man, he couldn't help but notice her body was quite lacking in the voluptuous curves, but he was noticing that she was quite… doll like. That young woman that had traveled with Jude, Elize, and Milla herself. She was like a combination of those two young women. Young and doll like and yet something about her that seemed unique.

When her attention was snapped by Rowen clearing his throat, she sat up with a start and looked at Gaius and then to Rowen. "Young Miss Esther, this is King Gaius. I am the Prime Minister and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors here. We have quite a bit of work to do, so shall we proceed?"

It wasn't a question, but as Rowen lead her down the hall, she noticed Gaius looking at her intently. Evaluating from the looks of it, but then the way his eyes almost seemed disappointed as his gaze crossed over her hips and breasts… well, it stung a little.

"Of course," she responded, trying to keep her mind off of the fact that Gaius was very close behind her. His towering nature wasn't overtalked about in the least. He was at least a head taller than her and he seemed so… daunting. For a boss, she was really hoping he wouldn't be near her while she worked with those eyes that constantly evaluated her. Taking on this job last minute, this was too much. "I'm sorry I'm not more prepared, I was only alerted this morning that I would be coming."

"Oh my, that is short notice now, isn't it?" Rowen said with a small laugh as he opened a side door past the throne room. It was hidden from sight, but it had an extensive desk… with a mound of paperwork almost falling off all sides. Books lined the walls and they seemed organized enough. "Well, this is where we are at on our work. It saddens me to give this to you in this state, but you can see why we needed help."

All that could come to mind was… 'why me?' However, she didn't let that show as she unbuttoned her cuffs and rolled up her sleeves. "Well, it isn't going to finish sitting there unattended." Looking back to Gaius and Rowen, she took a few steps towards the desk and smiled with determination. She would make this work. "Where do I begin?"