~ Chapter I ~

The silver light from the full moon beamed upon Danika Cavallone's face, making her golden hair stand out in the dim-lighted patio.

"Good evening, my princepessa." Someone greeted.

"Bel…" was all she could utter as she stood up.

"Ushishishi," he chuckled his signature laugh as he stepped out of the shadows, hands on his pockets and with his small tiara reflecting the silver radiance.

"Scusa, the prince forgot that you're not his princepessa anymore."

"Good for you, huh?" She looked down then composed herself to gaze back at the prince with a bleak smile. "You've been bailed out of this binding predicament… I meant agreement."

"Ushishishi. It was interesting. No, rather you were interesting. The prince had his fun. But still, he didn't want it to end so soon." He said, drawing his face close to her.

She felt her cheeks go warm. She blushed either because of the distance of his face, his compliment or both.

"So, what is he like, the Storm Guardian of Vongola Decimo, Hurricane Bomb Gokudera Hayato?"

"Shishi. He's weak. He doesn't deserve to have the Storm Vongola ring. The prince won during the battle. The prince doesn't know why this had to happen. But I know, he's too weak and he can't protect you, shishi."

"Bel doesn't understand, does he? Well, I don't blame him. He probably never felt and never will feel the bond between Vongola Decimo and his guardians. To his guardians, Decimo is more than their boss and to him; they are more than just his subordinates. They are friends… As for the Varia, Xanxus doesn't give a damn on what happens to his subordinates.

Gokudera Hayato…

He gave up the ring and forfeited the battle just so he could return safely. Was that a weakness? I don't think so. There's really no point in fighting if you die. Dying is losing sight of everything you're fighting for. This is something Belphegor will never realize for he fights to kill, to shed blood." All this thoughts flooded Danika's mind in just a mere span of seconds.

"You know that doesn't count since the group victory is taken into account and besides, isn't it you fault that you got disqualified?"

"The prince still beat him," the blonde assassin said angrily as he threw a knife at a nearby tree."I should still be your prince and not a peasant like him."

A gentle breeze and the sound of the forest was the only reply that Bel received. Danika wasn't sure of what to say. Bel had been a very great friend. He had also been very straight forward about his feelings for her. Not that she felt the same; she just had to do her duty.

"Do you want the prince to free you from your predicament? Ushishishi, he can do that with just a few knives."

"Jeez, Bel. You're frightening when you're like that." She said without a hint of expression, not really showing the meaning of what she just said.

"Do you want the prince to or not? Just one word and he will gladly release you from those binding chains. Shishi." He said, brushing her cheeks with the back of his hand.

"You know I can't do that. After all that I've been through, I just can't throw everything away. This was already determined even before I was born. Besides, only I can call this engagement off after all." She explained.

"If you say so, princepessa. Shishi."

"Grazie, Bel. I really don't know how I can express my gratitude to you." She said formally.

"Well I have an idea. You can entertain the prince. Shishi." He said with a Cheshire grin.

"I understand. If that's your wish, Principe." She said as she bent down to open a black velvet case and brought out a mahogany violin.

She placed the wooden stringed instrument below her chin and set her bow in place. She struck her bow and played and idle tone in preparation. She took a deep breath and started playing Pachelbel's Canon.

From that moment on, from when she started, everything seemed to have gone in slow motion from the Prince Ripper's perspective. As her hair swayed with the wind, every blink of her eyes, every stroke of her arms, every rise and fall of her bow, every shift of her fingers and every obscure movement was graceful and elegant. She brought the song to life and the song brought him life. The feeling of calmness in him was different. It was better that the exhilaration of killing someone. No, it was actually the opposite. It was as though her music quenched his thirst for blood, settled his killer instincts.

As Danika continued to play to her heart's content, everything else faded from Belphegor's sight. All that mattered to him then was his princepessa with her violin and it's melody that made his haunted past and indefinite future disappear.

The song gradually moved to a crescendo and it was over. Bel gave a round of applause and said,

"That was great, princepessa, shishi."

Danika put her right foot behind her left, slightly bent her knees and gave a curtsy. Bel picked up a red rose form a bush and slashed off the thorns with a quick movement of his silver knife.

"For you, my princepessa." Bel handed her the rose.

"You know, Lussuria will seriously kill you for picking up a rose on his garden."

"Not if I kill him first, shishi. Well, by the time he finds out, I'm probably not here anymore."

"Still, thank you."

"Take these too." Bel said, handing her three silver knives.

"Bel, you know how much I hate weapons."

"It's very rude for the princepessa to refuse something given by the prince. Just think of it as a souvenir"

"Okay, thank you again. Buona nuotte più Arrividerci." She said as she turned around and began to walk away.

Impulsively, Bel grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Buona nuotte, princepessa." He said and gently pressed his lips onto her forehead. Danika was utterly stunned. The moment he let go, she immediately turned around to hide the dark shade of red on her face.

"I'll see you in Japan in two days then," She said as she walked away.

"Si, si," he said as he waved goodbye. "If I'm still there."

"Arrividerci, princepessa…" he continued in a bare whisper.