"I hope they get back soon."

Julieta snapped out of her 'daydreaming', truly just wondering how her Master was doing and wondering what she should be doing in a residential home such as this, to see that Almiria appeared anxious. Not only that, the young girl seemed to possess a sad affect, likely born of the emotional turmoil now going through her thanks to learning of McGillis' true nature.

Since she was not trained in handling emotionally distraught children, Julieta decided to just respond to the question at hand rather than possibly make things worse, "They have a lot of important things to talk about."

Dusk was starting to fall, but inside the mansion everything was still lit thanks to the many lights and chandeliers hanging within its walls. The darkness still left a certain aura thanks to the windows letting its atmosphere creep inside, one which left the distraught Almiria with perhaps a less personable attitude than if it had been shining brightly outside. The light of her life, McGillis Fareed, had been revealed to have been a man who intended to eclipse her family's happiness much as the sun was fading from sight now.

In this manner, she was quiet and took a full minute to speak to Julieta again as they sat in the living room, "What do you do for Gjallarhorn?"

The silence had not bothered Julieta in the slightest given that she was used to being on her own or being in professional atmospheres where she did not have idle chatter, at least until she began to befriend Gaelio months before. A process she supposed would both make her job now more enjoyable and also more difficult, since how could she dedicate her full attention to guarding him when she would want to be speaking to him?

"I serve Rustal Elion and perform whatever duties he assigns me. Currently, my assignment is to protect Gaelio Bauduin against any threats that may present themselves."

This piqued Almiria's interest and drew her out of her shell as it brought to mind many books she had read and movies she had watched before, some even with Gaelio, "So you're his bodyguard?"

Julieta nodded once, not understanding why Almiria's eyes were brightening. Was she happy that her brother would be protected?

"Why?"

Almiria blushed as she realized that this straightforward friend of Gaelio's with piercing eyes could likely see through any lie she could spin, so Almiria came clean with where her mind had gone on the subject, "In some of the stories I read, the bodyguard-knights fall in love with their princesses and they live happily ever after."

The comparison fell flat due to Julieta taking it seriously and giving Almiria a baffled look, "Gaelio is not a princess and I do not fancy one."

That the details were not exact did not matter to the pre-teen girl, only that the type of love story she had read and seen a hundred times could very well play out before her, providing a welcome distraction for her mind away from her own failed romance, "It's close enough," Almiria sank in her seat as she realized how childish she must seem to Julieta now, "I just want my big brother to be happy."

It took a moment, but the response she got surprised the heiress.

"I want him to be happy too."

Almiria looked up and saw that Julieta had her eyes averted, as if she was embarrassed by what she had said. In truth, it had scared Julieta to realize that the thought of her friend being happy made her happy as well, for while she supposed it made her a good friend to value his well being it also demonstrated to her just how much she truly did care for Gaelio.

It had only been a few minutes, but she already felt that she missed him. On her mind was the question of just what the Bauduins were discussing, and if Gaelio was okay, since he had killed the former man chosen to marry into their family.

Looking across from her, Julieta realized that Gaelio wasn't the only one who was going to be facing consequences now. Almiria no longer had her fiance and if her crestfallen expression accurately showed her emotional status she was suffering too.

"Are you okay?"

Almiria was trying not to cry as she remembered how nicely she had been treated by what she now knew to be a terrible man, "My future husband is dead and tried killing my brother."

"I'm sorry," Julieta responded, though she did not know what else to say after it. She could see Almiria softly sobbing now though, the heiress' facade having cracked and revealed the hurt young girl beneath.

"I wanted to grow up and be the best wife I could be for him because of how well Macky treated me," Almiria sobbed as she bereaved her crushed hopes and dreams, "He was the only friend I had, and now he's gone."

"I lost someone I cared about recently too," Julieta empathized with her, thinking of how distraught she had been when she had been told Galan Mossa had died, "Tekkadan, the same people who McGillis was working with, killed someone who was like an uncle to me...maybe even like a father."

Almiria wiped an eye as she listened to Julieta, her young mind placing Tekkadan firmly in the realm of the 'enemy' while those who fought them and protected her family as 'good', "I don't really know about them, but they must be evil people if they hurt your family. You're a good person, you protect my brother."

Julieta did not know how to take that compliment, but she did agree that Tekkadan were vile. If she was not mistaken, they were tied into the mafia and were fine with breaking whatever laws they saw fit to benefit their own purposes. Immoral children floundering about and lashing out whenever necessary.

Looking up after this small contemplation, Julieta saw that Almiria had gotten up and was crossing the short distance between them. Eyes still watery and red, Almiria was holding back her crying while still possessing a pouting expression.

"Can I..."

Julieta took a moment to realize that Almiria was asking for permission to hug her. Not seeing a reason to really turn her down, Julieta allowed Almiria to sit down on her lap and curl up into her. It seemed that she wanted comfort and all she had to give it now was Almiria since the rest of her family was out of the room and McGillis was gone.

It seemed that, much like Julieta, Almiria was a lonely person. Like Gaelio had become.

Almiria had made herself comfortable and Julieta brought her arms around her friend's sister to match the arms now put around her own body. She could feel wet tears soak her uniform, but Julieta didn't really care since she understood that this child was emotional at the moment and needed time just as she had.

After her tears had run for another half minute and she had felt the warmth of Julieta's body, Almiria gathered herself enough to continue venting her feelings, "Now I'll never get married," after all, who would marry the former fiance of a murderer? Almiria not only felt betrayed, she felt tarnished and her tenuous reputation ruined, "Everyone already hated me, and now they're all going to make fun of me."

"Then they are idiots. Don't concern yourself with the opinion of fools."

Julieta's terse response caught Almiria off-guard, since it breached any understanding she had of the world of the nobility. Just ignore them? Unlike Almiria, Julieta had not been raised to possess a certain tolerance or respect for those with rank except for Galan Mossa himself. She could follow orders, but as she demonstrated with Iok if someone did not deserve her respect she did not grant it to them.

"But..."

Julieta looked down at Almiria as the girl looked up to her questioningly, "Who doesn't like you, the other rich people around your family?" Almiria nodded, having been mocked by other women for years for being so young yet engaged to McGillis, who they wanted for themselves, and by men who saw her as nothing but a little girl marrying a bastard child of the Fareed family, "Why do they matter?"

Almiria had no true response to that, not aware of all the intricacies of politics like her father did. She just knew that minding their opinions was what she was told to do and that she was supposed to treat them well, even if they didn't return the favor.

"If they look down on you for no reason of your own fault, and they don't have relevance to your life, you should not worry about them."

That was how Julieta lived up until then, and she didn't foresee that changing anytime soon. Little did she know that in another room in the house a discussion was being had of her status changing quite severely, and thus she would have to perhaps adapt to a more Almiria-like perspective.

"Father says I have to be nice to them, since it is what is expected of a lady."

Julieta turned her nose up at that, "If being nice to idiots is part of being a lady, I do not wish to be a lady."

"But if you and Gaelio get married you would be a lady."

Julieta tilted her head, still confused by Almiria's insistence, not understanding the mind of a young girl who instead of growing up on mobile suit manuals and combat doctrines grew up with fairy tale romances, "What makes you think that we..."

"Gaelio never brings women home with him, but he brought you here. The only girl he's ever been around was Miss Carta, and she passed away," Almiria explained her opinion towards Julieta and why she thought that it was so obvious Gaelio liked Julieta romantically, "So you must be really special to him if he wanted you to be with him."

That stopped Julieta in her tracks. Gaelio...he was so particular about who he brought home with him? If she was the only woman other than Carta Issue, his close childhood friend, who he ever brought home, then that would imply that he truly did value her as a close friend.

Julieta looked up as she contemplated that. They slept now in the same bed, worked together and engaged in pastime activities and meals with one another, and now he had essentially invited her over to meet his family.

Did Gaelio love her like Almiria was suggesting? It certainly would make sense given the circumstances, but...

Julieta blushed. If Gaelio liked her, then what should she do? Galan had never really confronted this issue, of how to properly deal with receiving affection from possible romantic interests.

"Is he special to you?"

That drove Julieta's blush to go deeper as Almiria's innocent question made her actually question that for herself.

Unsure about it herself, Julieta began to speak out loud, "Most consider me abnormal, and I've been called a monkey more than a few times," she sighed and as she let out the breath she came to have a smile, "Gaelio doesn't mind that I sometimes climb up on things. He may joke about it, but he doesn't mind that I eat...oddly."

In fact, Gaelio was seemingly unique in his own way too. He went around wearing a mask for months and months, he enjoyed playing with the notion of who he was with Julieta, he spoke to his mobile suit like it was alive, sometimes said odd things or did something as odd as buy a coworker something for them to do as a hobby since they did not possess one.

Concerning affection and Gaelio, there was something that had been bugging Julieta for some days now and that had only grown worse in the time since it began.

"Is it normal to dream about a friend?"

The odd question caught Almiria by surprise, but she managed to recover well enough despite the blush it brought to her face and the now sad memories it arose, "I don't know, but sometimes I used to dream of Macky..." Almiria asked the obvious question to follow up from Julieta's own, "Do you dream of Gaelio?"

Julieta was not much of a dreamer and rarely ever remembered them, but she had remembered having some kind of dream about Gaelio a few nights back...and another a night or two later...and another...

It was to her a sign that perhaps Rustal's question on whether she loved Gaelio or not may hold water, but she also rationalized that perhaps it just was because they had been spending entire days together and so he was on her mind when she went to bed.

"Recently, yes."

The subject matter took a slight tangential turn as Almiria's mind focused on some of what she had just spoken of, specifically how she used to dream of McGillis when she thought of him as her Prince Charming. She crossed her arms and huffed, "I hope I stop dreaming of Macky. He's a mean person and I'm glad I won't see him again."

Even to Julieta it was obvious that Almiria wasn't speaking entirely the entire truth of her emotions, "That's not how you truly feel."

The declaration that she was lying again challenged Almiria, who was unused to anyone except her father and brother daring to do so. It was not unwelcome, it just was a new experience for her and one that left her confused, "Huh?"

"You loved him for what he did for you, but now that you know more about him you are conflicted."

Julieta's bluntness continued to surprise Almiria, and while at first she had a brief breathe of anger swell up as she thought Julieta was daring to suggest she still cared for McGillis, Almiria soon realized that she did actually still have unresolved feelings on him and that anger turned inwards as she chastised herself. After all, how could she still have any fond memories of such a horrible man? It made her feel like a traitor towards her family to not be able to just instantly hate McGillis as much as she tried to.

"It is alright to hate him. Just make sure you do not lie to yourself when you do so," Julieta explained, "While not the same, I needed to realize I missed someone when they passed away to properly move on."

Being told that it was okay to feel conflicted calmed Almiria down and she resumed being curled up into Julieta, where the blonde pilot moved a hand to touch Almiria's periwinkle hair and stroked it to try and comfort her in a way she had seen from Galan Mossa before.

"I am sorry he was not the man you believed him to be."

Almiria wrapped her arms around Julieta again and gripped her uniform with her small fists, her distraught feelings flowing out now again through her teary eyes.

"How could Macky...why..."

Not seeming to understand the possibly rhetorical nature of Almiria's anguished question, Julieta answered it directly, "He wanted to lead a coup against Gjallarhorn and to forcibly change it with his political power he would take from his father, Carta Issue, and your family," seeing that Almiria seemed a bit confused, Julieta decided to explain what she thought to be the problem, "A coup is when one tries to take something over."

Almiria nodded before lowering her head back down into Julieta.

"Macky said he would make the world a better place for me. For us..."

"The world already is a better place for you," Julieta replied flatly before explaining herself, "Not only will you not be marrying a man who sought to use you, but you are one of the wealthiest women alive. What you make of this world is what you will get out of it, since you can do almost anything you want to."

Thinking herself to be nothing more than a child in a world of adults, Almiria had not considered her own potential or aspirations and her ability to achieve them. It seemed that the whole world was off doing everything that could and would be done, and she was just left as a spectator on the sidelines due to her age.

"But..."

Julieta did not give Almiria a chance to offer a weak rebuttal, "At your age I already was training to accomplish my own goals, so there is no reason you cannot. Your brother lost everything, but that has not stopped him from doing what he believes he must and accomplishing what he sought to."

She wouldn't let Gaelio's sister be weak and meek in the face of her life's adversity now that McGillis, her shield from it, was gone. Julieta decided then that, if she was able, she would make sure that this other girl lived up to whatever potential she possessed, as it would simply not do to watch a member of her friend's family waste away under the weight of their familial burden.

"If Gaelio can be strong, so can you."

Almiria nodded confidently, agreeing with Julieta and now wanting to prove her correct, but after a moment she came to sigh upon realizing that unlike Julieta she did not possess any real goal presently to pursue, "I don't know what I want to do...I only know my role as a lady, that is what I have to do, but..."

The heiress stopped as she looked up at Julieta and smiled, giggling a moment later as she realized something.

Julieta did not know what was so amusing that it could cause a change in mood, so she looked quizzically down at Almiria, "What's funny?"

"I think I know why my big brother likes you."

Why Gaelio...

"Huh?"

Almiria nodded, "You don't hold anything back," "Everyone is always so mean to me because they think I'm a kid, but you treat me like an adult. Not just some kid who is in your way."

The girl looked away and blushed, now feeling self-conscious about her own insecurities.

"Thank you."

A moment later she received an odd response, this coming in the form of a rumbling stomach.

It seemed that Julieta had not eaten since before she arrived, and it took some time to travel there so now as the day came to a close she was actually quite hungry without having realized it until her body reminded her. She was used to ignoring hunger or thirst for hours until she could acquire it thanks to her upbringing as a soldier, and now that it was readily available her body had not yet adjusted to that.

"Are you hungry, Miss Julieta?"

Julieta sheepishly agreed, and she soon found herself eating food which was prepared by the family's servants with a bit of help from Almiria. She had requested meat, and when given vinison she wasn't displeased.

After eating, Julieta and Almiria were met by Gaelio and his father in the dining room.

Gallus politely bowed to their guest, "Miss Juris, I have to thank you for helping my son. If there is anything I can ever do for you, you need only ask."

Julieta returned the bow, not wanting to appear rude, "Thank you, Lord Bauduin."

"I am afraid it is getting late or I would like to take the chance to speak with you. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish, and I can have a room prepared for you should you wish to stay the night."

"A room is unnecessary. I do not wish to make your servants go out of their way for something I do not need," Julieta deadpanned. While she did not explicitly state it just yet, Almiria and Gallus both picked up on one possible meaning of what she said right away.

Almiria scoffed at her brother and put her hands on her hips, "Because you and Gaelio share a bed? Brother, how scandalous!"

Gaelio attempted damage control and scoffed right back at his sister, "You have quite the imagination."

Julieta shrugged, "I meant I could just sleep on the couch, but I could share a bed with Ga-Lord Gaelio if needed. We have already."

That earned Gaelio a good stare from both Almiria and Gallus, with Gaelio beating them to the punch of talking while holding his hands up as if to stop their trains of thought.

"Nothing happened, before you ask. Right, Julieta?"

Realizing now that perhaps she was placing Gaelio in hot water, Julieta did back him up since it was the truth that they had not actually slept with one another or done anything of the sort, "Your son has not acted improperly."

That being said, Julieta wondered if consistently waking up with Gaelio's head curled up into her chest counted. She didn't mind having him so close, but perhaps they would. Perhaps, she supposed, it was another sign that she was in love with him? It was something she intended to figure out in her own way, since this was new territory for her.

Gallus gave his son an amused smirk before bowing his head and departing the room, "Very well. I will be retiring now, so I hope you all have a good night."

With their father leaving, Gaelio looked over to his sister.

"Almiria, you should be going to bed now too, shouldn't you?"

She crossed her arms in protest, "I don't want to go to bed. I'm not a child."

Knowing a good way to goad her into doing what he wanted her to, Gaelio bent down to her level and put a hand softly on her shoulder, "You need your sleep though if you want to grow up big and strong like your brother."

Her present size or rather lack thereof being a sore spot for Almiria, this instantly changed her tune and she gave in to the request to go to bed even though it was fairly early, night having just fallen, "Okay..."

While Almiria had agreed to go to bed, she did so on the condition that she sleep beside Gaelio. Which also meant sleeping by Julieta. Who, when they all got ready for bed together, did not seem to make the connection that she perhaps should sleep in different clothing than when it was just her and Gaelio.

The lights off, Julieta had stripped down to just her bra and the shorts she wore as underwear. Gaelio sighed as he came to realize that she intended to sleep as they normally did, and so he went into his room's wardrobe to pull out a loose t-shirt and a larger set of shorts.

Julieta gave him a confused look as he handed them over to her, "To change into."

"I sleep in my underwear."

Gaelio bent over to whisper to her as Almiria crawled into the bed on the other side of the room, "Not when Almiria is in the bed you don't."

Julieta thought it through and considered that perhaps other people might not like her being nearly naked around a pre-teen child including the child herself, so Julieta pulled the clothing handed to her on and relented without further argument. The t-shirt was far too large for her, and the shorts only hung on thanks to being adjustable.

With sleeves hanging down past her hands, Julieta made her way over to the bed and dug beneath the covers to free herself from the confines of consciousness. Gaelio joined her right after, with Almiria snuggling right up against him the moment he got in the bed, eager to be with her big brother and to hold him and never let him go again.

"I'm so happy you're back, Gaelio. I don't know what I would do if Macky died and I heard he was a bad man and you were..."

Dead was the word her voice failed to say.

"I'm sorry, Almiria, for what I had to do. McGillis needed to be stopped..." "A villain like him had no place in this world, and especially not at your side."

"Please don't leave me again. I can't lose you again."

"I promise, Almiria."

"I love you."

"And I love you, Almiria. Now get some sleep. We'll always have more time to talk in the morning."

Julieta found that having a small barrier in the form of Almiria in her way to holding Gaelio was a bit annoying considering that she was used to sleeping right beside her friend, but she was capable of dealing with the minor distraction for their sake as brother and sister held one another.

The morning gave way to early afternoon as Julieta slept in without meaning to. So used to her alarm blaring each morning in the fleet that she had completely slept through the entire morning as if her body were trying to tell her she didn't sleep enough and was making up for lost hours of rest.

Once she did wake up she noticed that both Gaelio and Almiria were missing, likely having woken up entire hours before her, and that at the edge of the bed were the pieces of her uniform freshly cleaned and prepared for her, along with a dark aqua t-shirt, a teal over-shirt, and casual tan cargo pants. Since she was here as a guest and not officially working for Gjallarhorn, Julieta decided that she should don the casual clothing provided instead of her uniform, which she would save in its pristine state until necessary.

When she swapped the loose t-shirt and shorts for this new clothing she found that it actually fit far better, though it was still far from perfect. The woman who had owned the previously was a fair bit taller than Julieta, so while the pants fit just about right the shirt was loose, as was the garment that went over it, but it was still close enough to be worn without discomfort.

While freshly cleaned, the clothes gave Julieta a feeling that they had not been used in years, but also that they were freshly cleaned and prepared for her just like the uniform had been. They were someone else's clothing, but Julieta didn't know whose and did not particularly care outside of the remote possibility that they may ask for them back.

Since she awoke hungry, Julieta's first instinct was to go to dining hall again and see if she could scrounge up some food. She did not expect to encounter Gallus having his lunch right then, but upon seeing him inside of the room she bowed respectfully and waited for him to acknowledge her.

The Bauduin with graying purple hair smiled as he looked at their visitor. He recognized the clothing she was wearing and with it came both good and bittersweet feelings, "I see Gaelio left you some of his mother's wardrobe," the widow sighed as he looked down to his meal, "Those were her favorite clothes."

Julieta's eyes widened as she came to realize that Gaelio had just given her the clothes belonging to his mother. She did not know what having a mother was really like, but if what she had gleamed from others was true then the act of passing on such clothing...it was no doubt an intimate act.

Was Gaelio 'courting' her in his own way?

"I am sorry. I did not know."

Gallus held up a hand to silence her apology, "No need to be sorry. I think she would want them to be used and not just sit in an old wardrobe for years as they have been before this morning," he then used the same hand to gesture across from him at the table to one of its sides, while he sat at the head of it, "Care to dine with me, Miss Juris?"

Having come for food and now being offered a chance to eat with the head of the household, Julieta saw no reason to refuse him and so she sat down where he had pointed to. As she moved across the room Gallus smirked at the sight of her bare feet, amused that she was just casually strolling about without caring about footwear. Gaelio had left a pair of his mother's shoes that were about Julieta's size, but they had a slight heel to them and Julieta felt awkward wearing those so she just went barefoot to find food.

Gaelio had brought home quite the interesting specimen, that was for sure.

"Where are Gaelio and Almiria?"

As Julieta began to stack her plate with food and ready her own meal from the buffet available on the room's large table, Gallus responded after a mouthful of his own lunch.

"My children are spending some time together to catch up, and I would not want to disturb them. I believe they are in the gardens presently."

After more than a year apart, Julieta supposed they ought to spend some time together, and so she had no complaint at being left alone from them for the time being.

"I will not interrupt them either, then."

Gallus waited to see if Julieta would say anything else, but she seemed enamored by the vinison he had hunted with some others just the other day at a special resort. Since she was not speaking up and offering any course of topic, he decided to fill one into the void of speech in the room.

"So, Miss Juris, how is it that you came to be so close to my son?"

"He and I both work...worked for Rustal Elion, and so I encountered him frequently," Julieta corrected herself, since now she was officially working under Gaelio...on behalf of Rustal Elion.

Gallus nodded, already having known that part, "Not knowing who he was, though."

"He was a masked man named Vidar who sought to take revenge on McGillis Fareed. That was what I knew of him."

The host laughed as he thought about his son's antics, "It must have been peculiar working with a man who would not show his face."

Julieta nodded, "I did not trust him and disliked him at first. I thought him a coward for hiding his face, at least until I understood perhaps why he might use such a device."

Gallus continued his good cheer as he put forth a possible explanation, "Perhaps he wanted to be like one of those Sentai Rangers he grew up watching."

The word Sentai was not one Julieta was familiar with and so she inquired about it, "Sentai?"

"Teenage superheroes who dress up in tights and fight evil while having masks on. They also use giant robots not too dissimilar to mobile suits except for being bulkier," Gallus had a chuckle at the concept, "We actually have quite the collection of old movies and television series, so both Gaelio and Almiria are familiar with it."

Julieta furrowed her brow while speaking tersely, "So Gaelio was playing dress up as Vidar?"

Gallus shook his head, realizing that Julieta was taking his jesting comment too seriously, "No, I was merely joking. I believe he did it to actually conceal his identity without needing to be influenced by Megaranger," he smirked as he made note of the straightforward nature of this woman he was speaking to, having seen her kind of unfiltered personality before that did not censor themselves the way everyone else tended to: he had to be quite familiar, since he had been married to it, "However, it seems what people say about boys marrying their mother is true."

Not familiar with the saying, Julieta again took it at face value, "Why would someone marry their mother? Would that not be genetically unsound?"

"Nothing like Oedipus, what I meant was that you remind me much of my wife, Gaelio's mother. With a spirit like yours, I must say you will be a welcome member of our family," Gallus affirmed.

So Gaelio's sister and Father thought that...

Julieta blushed as she came to the conclusion that if it was obvious to everyone else around them that she and Gaelio must be demonstrating tendencies befitting of a romantic couple.

"F...family?"

Gallus laughed cheerfully as he nodded, "Yes, Julieta Bauduin. I think it sounds good, don't you?"

She was a bit confused now. She wasn't married to Gaelio, so why would she be Julieta Bauduin? "Are you adopting me?"

"I mean I could, but that would make you marrying Gaelio...interesting."

Julieta confirmed that Gaelio's father indeed was thinking the same thing as Almiria, and so she shook her head while smirking, "Oh, you must have spoken to Almiria. She seems to believe that Gaelio and I are lovers, which is untrue."

Gallus nodded slowly, coming to the conclusion that Gaelio had not yet followed through on their last conversation, "Yes, my mistake," Gallus decided to take things into his own hands however in a way he could, "I meant what I said, however. You are the only female friend Gaelio has possessed in his brief tenure in this world, the daughter of the Issue family notwithstanding. The way those two acted they were like brother and sister."

The death of Carta had left a deep mark on Gaelio, and Julieta had found herself wondering if a part of him had once loved her. She did not believe that he had romantic feelings for Carta, but he had still seemingly cared for her quite deeply. If he had been romantically interested in the other woman before Julieta would have thought he would be trying to celebrate her memory more now that he was free from his shackles as the masked man Vidar, but instead he seemed content just leaving her memory be.

"Miss Carta has been avenged thanks to Gaelio. Her death seemed to irritate him more than the betrayal he faced himself."

Had Gaelio been the only one to suffer at McGillis' hands, Julieta wondered if Gaelio would even have done all of this. He was so kind and caring that she could actually see him perhaps affording McGillis some forgiveness, but the deaths of Carta Issue and Ein Dalton ruined any chance he had of that.

Gallus lost his good cheer at the subject of his son's near death and betrayal by McGillis, "To have one friend betray you can be heartbreaking. To have a second friend be murdered by that one must take a toll that is hard to bear."

"Revenge is an ugly thing, but I believe it was necessary in this case," Julieta paused and gave some consideration to the man she was speaking to while still supporting the actions taken by Gaelio, "Gaelio should have told you of his survival, but I believe he did the right thing."

"Defending him, are we?" Gallus slowly grinned again, "From what I gather on the situation, I must agree. And if I am to be honest, I am not so foolish to have not noticed that the Kimaris was not returned like what the official records stated. From what I remember of the machine, it is a noble steed like the sigil of our house. I doubt someone other than Gaelio himself would have been able to pilot it, though perhaps it could have been stripped down for parts or sold to some antique dealer."

"Does it possess an artificial intelligence?"

Gallus continued to grin as he shook his head, nostalgia trickling in to his mind as he thought back to Gaelio's first experiences with the trusty family heirloom that had been collecting dust, "That, I am not at liberty to say, but I remember once hearing my son complain about how the machine felt as if it were fighting him when he brought it out after first using the Graze. Like it was upset over being passed over, like one might expect of a living being and not a machine."

He paused and, then remembering some of what Gaelio had told him, spoke again in a wistful voice.

"Now, I would think it has even more reason to."

Julieta on the other hand had another train of thought considering the Kimaris.

"I would like to one day pilot it."

It did not matter to her if it would resist her controls as both Gaelio and his father suggested it might, what mattered was that she was capable of using the machine she considered to be the most powerful of its time.

"Maybe Gaelio can convince it to allow another to handle its reins."

Gallus paused for a moment before stroking his beard while smirking knowingly.

"Of course, since it is the vessel sworn to serve our family, you could circumvent the entire issue by joining us."

Another marriage offer of sorts from the old man, to be with Gaelio...

There actually was no direct complaint from Julieta towards the idea itself, for she did not understand enough about the concept to know whether she even would like or be against it.

"I am afraid I still do not fully understand what marriage is. What would the parameters and expectations be?"

"Well in its most basic form, dating back thousands of years, it was the joining of two houses through two of their children so as to produce offspring and to ensure the continuation of their bloodlines," her mingled his fingers together as he mentioned houses, but took them apart as he continued to speak, his face revealing a certain sadness to it as if he regretted the current state of affairs, "Nowadays, it is mostly a tool for those who believe they love one another to label their union and make something of it."

His usage of an uncertain term had Julieta curious, "Believe?"

"Divorce has become a common practice, for we are no longer of the age where marriage concerned the life and death of families, but rather where it is something many do on a whim. So I said believe, because not every union works out as those participating would hope, and separations often happen now," he brought a hand to his chest, "For members of the Seven Stars however, we place great importance on those who our bloodlines will mingle with for the family's name and strength must carry on not only for our sake but for the stability of the world. For this reason, we do not always marry those we love, but rather those who will benefit our status the most."

What he said so far seemed like a basic explanation that filled in some of the gaps of what she barely knew of before. Galan did not exactly fill her in on what a husband and wife really were back when she was learning from him, and the rest she knew came from what she saw while with Rustal.

Still, something crossed Julieta's mind and left her curious. The clothes she was wearing seemed to be commoner clothing, so had Gallus married someone just like herself, someone who wasn't one of the rich nobles? If Gallus had wed such a person, perhaps that could help explain why Gaelio would...could...

She silenced her thoughts and went forth with her question.

"Did you love your wife?"

The response was a slow nod of the head, followed by Gallus closing his eyes to picture his wife, "I was fortunate to marry a woman I had been close to for some time, and the reason I have not taken another wife a decade after her passing is indeed that I loved her with my whole heart."

This satisfied her question and left her with the possibility that Gaelio indeed was following in his father's footsteps and possibly did love her despite their difference in social status. Still curious what a wife of the Bauduin family did, Julieta pressed further, "What did she do?"

"Some may downplay the significance of such a role, but my wife was the pillar from which I could stand up and achieve the goals I sought. She supported me in my work, and she maintained our House's needs by organizing galas, entertaining guests, representing our family when I could not..." Gallus looked down sorrowfully, as if he was ashamed, "I am afraid that without her I have not been able to function as I once had. I have grown complacent, and the bonds and friendships she once helped forge are now fraying at their edges."

Still, as much as he missed his wife he would never forget or stop to admire what he did love about her in life, and so Gallus came to smile even if it possessed a sadness to it.

"She challenged me in mind and spirit. That was how I could possess a drive greater than what I could on my own, and without her I feel as if a piece of my life is missing."

Julieta looked down at the old clothing of the deceased Lady Bauduin. It was the colors she liked, having grown up with Galan Mossa using green on his mobile suits often times for its camouflage value and Rustal's fleet having a close teal to the one she now wore. Was the position that the former owner possessed also something she could like to do?

Her gut told her no, that it would be agony, but she remained questioning on the matter. She did not think she had a mind for the chessmaster political scheming others might be capable of, but she was wondering if she couldn't learn enough to get by. She just had never bothered to try yet to do anything of the sort, so maybe she could have a hidden aptitude for it even though it contrasted with her earnest nature?

After a brief pause in the conversation, Gallus finally looked up to Julieta after his shame over his complacency wore away and gave way to a sad yet proud expression.

"Most importantly, my wife gave me the two most precious gifts I have ever received: my children. Without them our family would perish, and with them I know no greater happiness."

His explanation seemingly over, Julieta already had her first question in the chamber and ready to fire.

"So a wife of the Seven Stars would be required to befriend foolish nobles like Iok Kujan?"

Gallus nodded as he stood up, "In a sense, yes, but let me demonstrate something to you."

The Bauduin clan's leader knelt down before Julieta respectfully and spoke in a cultured, sincere voice.

"Miss Juris, I have never before in my life met someone just like you."

Julieta was confused and so tried to offer some form of gratitude for what seemed to be flattery, "T...thank you?"

Gallus stood up and broke the character he had just demonstrated with a laugh and smirk, "The best lies are wrapped in the truth," he winked at Julieta as he explained the trick, "The truth is that I have not met you before, and so I am not lying when I say that I have never met someone just like you because each of us is at the end of the day entirely unique even if we have occasional similarities. But the way it sounds when I say it makes one feel special, feel like they have been paid a compliment."

That...was brilliant. Julieta loved saying what she actually thought and what was on her mind, but by not censoring herself it often caused others to dislike her. But if she could call someone an idiot without the realizing it or anything like that...it was quite appealing to her.

"So...what you are saying is that I can still tell the truth and what is on my mind if I just word it how someone wants to hear it?"

Gallus nodded and laughed as he remembered the time he spent teaching his wife the art of lying through the truth, "Precisely. When I married my wife I was worried I might have to cut out her tongue she was such a spitfire, but she learned to smile and speak as I just did so that she could play her role. She hated each and every one of the sycophants and backstabbers in the elite she met, but by careful planning and thinking she managed to do what she had to for the family."

As much as she liked the concept, Julieta still felt that perhaps she lacked the people skills to see such a deception.

"I'm not sure I could ever do something like that."

"With the proper effort and training, I am sure someone as talented as you could manage it."

Her first question dealt with, Julieta moved on to another...one she was pretty sure she could accomplish, but which she required some confirmation about since she did not know much about its specifics.

"A wife also would be expected to produce heirs for the family, yes?"

"It is essential to the continuation of the bloodline, as demonstrated most recently by the Issue family."

"How many?"

That was her actual question, and it caught Gallus off-guard. Julieta was no-nonsense and so she cut right to the chase when it came to inquiring about the role of being a wife like it was an official job offering.

"It...it isn't an exact process. Whatever the married couple come to an agreement on, I would think."

Julieta tilted her head, still trying to figure this all out, "The more the better, correct? That way even if a few die or otherwise cannot carry on the family name there will be others to take their place."

"Hypothetically, yes," Gallus replied, not wanting to say anything that might influence his son's possible sex life one way or the other or that might scare Julieta off, but also not knowing really what to say back to such a sudden and direct question on a sensitive topic.

Still, as odd as she might be Gallus could certainly see that this soldier Gaelio had picked up was not without her merits and meant well. That she was similar in a few ways to Gaelio's own mother both enamored Gallus and won over his support for the pairing, something reinforced by her now wearing her clothing.

"I presume the reason you ask all of these questions is because you did not possess a family of your own growing up."

Julieta tried to respond verbally, but she failed to get anything out before she nodded her head affirmatively. She owed everything she had to Galan and Rustal, but while they were the closest she had to parental figures they were far from what one would normally consider them.

She froze as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Gallus smiling down at her.

"So long as you are at my son's side, you are a welcome guest in our home. I mean it when I say you would be a welcome addition to our family."

Gaelio meant a great deal to her, she was taking a liking to Almiria, she liked their father, and her stomach was full of the best food she might have ever had in her life. If this was what it meant to be a Bauduin, to be around good and sincere people who led comfortable lifestyles while working also with Gjallarhorn, Julieta actually had to say she wouldn't mind perhaps taking on such a role.

She blushed as she wondered if Gaelio actually did agree with his sister and father.

"Are you sure you want to wear your uniform, Miss Julieta?"

To celebrate Gaelio's return, a social gathering was arranged for that night and as many noblemen and noblewomen who were not needed elsewhere came by to pay their respects to the family reunited with their lost son. Of course, as the guest of honor, Gaelio was to attend it, and after some slight convincing Julieta was going to go as well. Or, because it was happening in the house she was presently staying inside of, she rather was not going to hide from it.

Almiria was trying to convince Julieta to wear something differently, but Julieta did not care. Her uniform was clean and nice and she enjoyed it as a familiar, comfortable outfit. While the clothes she had been given that morning were certainly comfier on their own, she was not used to them yet nor were they serious enough clothing to wear to a function such as this.

"I do not own a dress nor do I desire one presently."

Almiria took this refusal in stride as she followed beside Julieta towards where everyone was situated in one wing of the large facility, "We should go shopping for you then. I'm sure we could find you something perfect that shows off how pretty you are."

The compliment actually surprised Julieta, "I'm...pretty?"

"Of course," the young girl giggled, "Your face is cute like mine, and Gaelio chose you over all the others so he must think you're beautiful."

"Our relationship isn't like that," Julieta affirmed, for it truly was not...yet. A part of her was growing fond of the idea of it developing in a romantic light, since that was an experience she was unfamiliar with and did not think she would mind sharing with him the more she pieced things together about it.

The two reached the large room where most of the guests were scattered about on its multiple levels and sections, but at the entrance to the room Almiria stopped and Julieta did as well to try and see why Almiria seemed scared to enter.

"What's the matter?"

Almiria sheepishly looked down as she tried not to look at any of the women in the room, "I'm just a girl, but I'm next to all of these beautiful women..."

Julieta rose an eyebrow in curiosity until she took a look at the room and caught sight of buxom women from wall to wall. Then, looking down at Almiria, she could see that she had not entered puberty yet and thus was nowhere in the same league as the people she was comparing herself to.

"Oh, you haven't developed yet."

Almiria huffed at Julieta's blunt statement of the fact, "I'm not even a teenager, of course not."

"I grew up when I was just a little older than you," Julieta shrugged, not really understanding the big deal anyways, "I haven't needed large breasts, they would only get in my way as a pilot. I do not understand why they are important."

Almiria opened her mouth to explain why they were important until she realized she wasn't all too sure why either. People liked them she supposed? She knew what they were for, so maybe there was something to that?

"A woman with a large chest can feed her babies, I think, so I think people like them," Almiria paused as she tried to remember what she had been reading with her tutors the other day, "My biology book says when a women gets older she develops them for that reason along with larger hips."

Julieta proudly put her hands on her wide hips, "Oh, I have those. Strong legs has always been useful."

Thinking there to be some kind of trick to it, Almiria pled for Julieta to reveal her secrets for possessing at least half of the curves a woman might, "How can I get big legs like yours?"

"I exercise a lot I suppose, but before I developed I was a string bean like you."

This gave Almiria hope and so her eyes lit up as Julieta unintentionally cheered her up, "So do you think I can have curves like a real woman one day?"

"I don't read biology textbooks, so I don't know. Probably with the right diet and exercise. Drink milk."

With this in mind, Almiria made her way into the room with an air of confidence that was not lost upon Julieta, who followed beside the heiress.

"You seem a lot more confident."

Almiria grinned as she tried to picture how things would be in a few years, "Well soon I'm going to be the most beautiful woman there, rather than the little kid they all can laugh at."

While Almiria was satisfied now, Julieta actually was beginning to have some doubts as they passed by women who possessed both a large bust as well as considerable lower bodies, "Do you think Gaelio minds my only curves are my legs?"

"Gaelio never cared for even women who got surgery, so I think he likes you just the way you are."

Almiria stopped to turn around and grin at Julieta in a way Julieta recognized as coming directly from her father.

"If you two aren't together, why does that matter though?"

Julieta blushed as she was caught, "J-just curious."

Almiria laughed as she triumphed over Julieta verbally, "Don't worry Miss Julieta, you can get bigger if you want. I learned that they get bigger sometimes the other day."

"Bigger? How?"

"You just have to have a baby. Then they'll get bigger so you can feed them," Almiria explained as if it was plain as day, though it only made Julieta narrow her eyes at the heiress while they aimlessly wandered through the room at Almiria's discretion.

"I never thought of having children."

That was, before today. She hadn't felt any real urge to do so, but now that the idea was in her head she didn't find it too odd. If, hypothetically, she had children they could do multiple times the service to Rustal Elion she ever could in her own life. Hypothetically, of course. It just made some mathematical sense to Julieta to sacrifice a couple years of time for born allies to her personal cause.

Almiria, who was raised with the purpose of one day marrying into a family for that family's lineage to continue while establishing relations with the Bauduins, was the opposite of Julieta in this regard and was shocked that someone wasn't like her and didn't have such thoughts or aspirations before, "You haven't?"

Julieta shrugged, not caring too much just like with the balloons that comprised the chests of many of the other women present, "I am a soldier. I can't fight if I can't fit into a flight suit."

The simple explanation reminded Almiria that yes, not everyone had the same upbringing or life circumstances as her or even was a noble, "Oh, right," this realization quickly gave way to her getting another idea, with her growing gleeful at her own thought, "Maybe when you're done being a soldier then? You and Gaelio could have such cute babies!"

Julieta blanched, which only served as further fuel for the people watching her from afar in the room to judge her. Who was this uncouth woman and what was she doing there? Why was she with Almiria Bauduin of all people?

"Do you see that weird woman?" one woman whispered to another.

"Oh, that's Guiliette something or another. She's one of Rustal's soldiers, so she's been working with Gaelio all this time it seems."

"She seems short for a soldier," another laughed, "That's not all that is underdeveloped."

"Rumor has it that Rustal's top pilot, Julieta, was quite close with the masked man who turned out to be Gaelio. If that's true, she might be his mistress."

"That thing? I don't even think she knows how to eat what she's holding."

Surely enough, Julieta was at a refreshment table and was wondering what arcane food she was holding. It did little to endear her to those seeking to mock her, the sudden appearance of a woman seemingly close to the Bauduins threatening their chances to be with Gaelio Bauduin now that he was back.

"Even the runt will be taller than her by next year I bet."

"How uncouth."

"Maybe he's gay after all? She looks kind of like a boy."

"All these years and he hasn't even looked any of us over once, and now he's going after some monkey of a soldier? What is Gaelio thinking?"

Someone clearing their throat caught the small posse of women by surprise, and they turned around to see that Gaelio was standing right by them.

"My ears are burning."

He had learned to move quite silently in his time as Vidar, and so these women who had never truly done anything in their lives now were caught completely by surprise.

"Oh, Gaelio. It's so good to have you back," one said, moving in to try and embrace him as a welcome back only for Gaelio to stop her with a hand.

"Is it?"

His question caught the small cloister of women by surprise, since while Gaelio had a perfectly polite tone it implied that they weren't actually happy to see him. For this there were a few implications, the main ones being that they were glad to see his meal ticket again rather than him, and that they were not pleased to see him right at that moment while they were mocking him.

Gaelio stepped past the women and looked across the room all the way over to where Julieta and Almiria were having their fun at the refreshment table, no-one really wanting to talk to Almiria since she was just a little kid and they were all adults while no-one knew or really cared about Julieta...yet.

"You seem quite curious about my personal guest, Julieta. No, she and I are not romantically involved as you implied, but I would wed her before I gave my mother's ring to any of you."

Gaelio turned back to the women with a smile, though it was obviously fake if it wasn't outright malicious.

"My father may permit classless spoiled brats to dine in our home while insulting and looking down upon not only my sister but our esteemed guest, but I shall not a day longer. I expect you to leave, and to not make a scene, immediately. From now on I do not want to see you on our property again, not until you have properly made right your wrongs."

Him kicking them out of the party shocked all of those he had confronted, and none moved as if they were unsure if he was serious or joking just yet. They would soon find out which when he curtly spoke.

"Now."

One woman tried to defend herself from the dismissal with an indignant, "You can't—"

Gaelio cut her off, still smiling politely, "I can and will. If you do not remove yourself, I will have someone do so for you. You may mock her, but I am sure that Julieta could throw all of you out of here by herself."

"That pipsqueak?" the one testing his authority questioned, given that she was far taller than Julieta.

Size did not mean everything, and so Gaelio welcomed this wretch to try to handle Julieta, for he was cure it would be quite the spectacle to behold, "Would you like to test her?"

Without further prompting the small group departed the party without further argument, their hopes to perhaps one day wed Gaelio dashed anyways by how things had turned out. Now sans them, Gaelio made his way over to join his sister and Julieta, but by the time he got there Almiria decided to go speak with a small family of nobles she knew and liked since they didn't look down on her for her age.

Now with Julieta by the refreshments, Gaelio finished the wine he had started earlier so he could pick up another glass and begin working on it.

"How goes the night, Julieta?"

Julieta finished scarfing down the food she had found, not knowing its name but enjoying its taste as she helped herself to her fifth piece.

"Fine, I suppose. This is not my kind of event...except for the food."

Gaelio chuckled at her shameless devouring of the appetizers, "Nor is it mine, but it is a necessary evil I suppose."

Gaelio stood beside Julieta and leaned back against the sturdy table used for the refreshments, affording him a full view of the room. Seeing Gaelio look out at all of the others present, many of whom were women of superb beauty, made Julieta feel self-conscious again after what Almiria had said earlier about people liking those on the buxom end of the scale.

"Gaelio, do you mind that I do not possess the same...womanly qualities as the others here?"

He turned towards her and rose a periwinkle eyebrow, almost offended that she had to ask.

"Of course not."

Glad that he was not shallow just as Almiria said, Julieta nodded, "Good."

Since he knew Julieta would never ask something like that on her own, Gaelio had a good idea where it came from, "Were you talking to Almiria?"

Julieta nodded as she finished eating another appetizer, "She thinks she has to be beautiful because that's what all the other nobles she sees are like."

Gaelio grinned and sipped at his wine until its eventual emptying, "Don't worry too much about what she says."

With Julieta finishing her 'dinner', Gaelio noticed that she didn't seem to have a clue now what to do. To be a good host, he decided to personally entertain his dear friend rather than let her be an awkward wallflower who would draw attention to herself by manner of being so out of place.

He offered her an arm, "Do you wish to go outside, where we can have more privacy?"

Julieta didn't know the social cue was to take the arm, so when she nodded and agreed to his proposition she just walked past it and towards the nearest exit. Gaelio rolled his eyes and followed after her, guiding her not towards the nearest exit where some nobles happened to be standing by and enjoying the night air, but rather towards an alclove which was well away from the loudness of the party.

The structure was a semi-circle from what Julieta could see, and while it did not hang directly over the ocean it gave a good view overlooking it. After closing the door behind them Gaelio moved to stand by the edge, where he could lean on the navel high wall there and look out at the waves crashing about by his home as the moon's light shimmered across them.

"Tomorrow we return to Gjallarhorn and face the music for our actions."

Gaelio said it in a joking tone, but he did fully expect to have to argue for and defend his actions. He was also confident he would succeed, but that did not mean it would not be time consuming and exhausting to go through the whole process.

Julieta was not worried all too much given what she had been told before, "Master Rustal doesn't believe we will face repercussions."

That Gaelio could agree with Rustal on, "I recorded McGillis, so we cannot be faulted for taking down a traitor who had our allies slain for his ambitions, even if that traitor was a powerful member of Gjallarhorn. For months I have been doing the homework I once did as an investigator, so I also have the clear evidence of his ties to Tekkadan and the parts he played in their triumph over our forces."

"So...we are okay?"

Gaelio turned around and smiled at Julieta, "The hearings and the related bureaucracy will be unbearable for a time, but yes, things should turn out well. We have my father's support, Rustal Elion will support us even if it is in a reserved manner thanks to his rivalry with the deceased, and Kujan will be useful as well here."

"He will support us, right?" Julieta inquired, actually a bit worried that Iok might cause them problems rather than aid them, "But how can a man like that be of any use?"

"Iok is charismatic and possesses an energy to him that inspires loyalty, so he is a good ally to have when others would seek to tear us down," Gaelio explained, still smiling though no longer facing Julieta, "He has another role, however. He was a witness to the fact that you obtained the Order on Mars."

Gaelio had mentioned that, but he couldn't mean...he didn't actually mean that she would benefit from it, right?

"I...the Order is for Master Rustal."

That brought Gaelio to laugh and shake his head once, "Rustal was not supervising the battle, nor was he on Mars. He gave you the order to find and retrieve Iok and his team, but did not assign you the task of facing the Mobile Armor. He has no relation to your success against the Mobile Armor except as your superior, but your direct superior was Iok Kujan who was actually in battle against the Mobile Armor. If Rustal had any claim on the Order, Iok would have more of one, but fortunately that is not the case. It is yours."

Julieta sighed as she realized that he was correct...that she had technically done what the founders of Gjallarhorn had once upon a time and defeated a powerful Mobile Armor.

Now what?

"So I have the Order?" Julieta smirked as she joked about what that meant, "Does that make me a member of the Eight Stars of Gjallarhorn?"

To her surprise, Gaelio responded in a deadpan voice, "Yes. It does."

She gawked at his response to her jest, "You...you are joking, right?"

"Julieta of the family Juris, the Eighth Star of Gjallarhorn," Gaelio turned around and faced Julieta completely, a hand finding its way onto her shoulder, "It is not official, yet, but my Father will also be helping establish your power within Gjallarhorn."

The affirmation of this newfound power and position shocked Julieta, who did not know what to say back.

Her, a member of the Seven...no, Eight, Stars of Gjallarhorn? All because Gaelio helped her defeat the Mobile Armor and protected her, allowing her to finish it off?

Not one to eschew gratitude where it is due, Julieta felt grateful that she now possessed something of such great importance now due to Gaelio. However, she was not yet sure that it was even a gift she wanted, for worry crept into her spine that this might interfere with her serving Rustal Elion.

"I..."

Gaelio could sense her apprehension and so he worked to relieve it, "You want to help Rustal Elion and pay him back for all he has done for you, right?" she nodded, prompting Gaelio to speak further, "What better way than by becoming his peer and supporting him with more power than you could ever possess as a pilot alone?"

A member of the Seven Stars could command an entire force or fleet...as much as Julieta was proud of her piloting abilities, she was well aware of the fact that she could not defeat a fleet by herself. She could accomplish so much more with the power a Star of Gjallarhorn would offer than on her own.

If it meant giving Rustal the most she possibly could, Julieta would gladly accept the position and whatever hardships it possessed.

"You're right."

That did not, however, mean it would be easy for her and so Julieta frowned and looked down away from Gaelio.

"I'm not sure I can do it though. I am not a politician. I always speak my mind, but..."

Julieta blushed as she felt Gaelio move his hand from her shoulder to her face, the calloused skin of his hands grazing right up against her cheek.

"You can always learn," he said with a supportive voice, "I was not always Vidar, remember. When the moment comes, Human beings can change as they need to. It does not mean you have to be like Rustal or my father and be a professional politician, but I do believe you have a mind capable of traversing the landscape of Gjallarhorn's elite. When Carta represented her family, she served our cause through her military duty."

That, Julieta smiled, was certainly something appealing to her.

"I could do that."

"Would you like to be in charge Outer Earth Orbit Regulatory Joint Fleet?"

The casual and flippant manner he said it nearly made Julieta gawk.

"W-what?" realizing that once again Gaelio was serious, she amended her confused questioning, "I...how?"

Gaelio shrugged, "I was just asking. The position is vacant at the moment after all."

While it might be a lofty goal of sorts, the conversation at hand was already revealing to Julieta that she now possessed far greater reach and potential than she had ever imagined she might. Perhaps one day she could come to have such an important role, but she had no delusions that it would be tomorrow or even in the near future.

"Maybe one day. I doubt someone with a single Order such as myself would be able to hold such a position."

"That is true. The Issue family was the most powerful in Gjallarhorn and after taking their power the Fareed family took that," Gaelio looked out towards the ocean, his face possessing a calmness to its smile, "But if something like that is what you may want one day, I could help you achieve that goal."

Julieta could tell that he was speaking the truth, and she blushed to think of how fortunate she was to have someone be so selfless towards her. Gaelio cared about her in a way she felt no-one had before him, and it made her embarrassed to think of all he gave her while all she had to offer in return were companionship and comfort.

She closed her eyes as her head sunk down, feeling self-conscious about the situation she found herself in, "You deserved that Order, not me."

"Julieta, look at me."

It took her a moment, but she managed to crack her eyes open and look up to Gaelio despite her shame. When she did so, she was met with Gaelio looking right back at her, his hands on her shoulders. He seemed peaceful in a way she had not seen from him since she first saw his face except for when he was asleep, and even then sometimes he had nightmares that she had to coax him out of so it was rare even then.

"I'm happy you have it. You are one of the most capable pilots I know who is held back only by the fact she does not have a family name behind her to raise her status."

Julieta wanted to argue out of some modesty, but there was truth in what he said. She only had come as far as she had thanks to Rustal, but even then she was a mere subordinate who had to listen to others like Iok who had no right to hold their position except for their birthright.

"Family's are important..." she replied solemnly, thinking of how the closest she had ever had were Galan and Rustal, but one had been a teacher and the other her superior officer, so they weren't even great examples.

"Do you want one?"

Julieta froze, while Gaelio still smiled as he spoke.

"I wouldn't mind sharing mine, though I hope you like Almiria and my father, since chances are you will have to meet with my family again. After all, your duty presently is to protect me."

This calmed Julieta down somewhat, having thought for a brief moment that Gaelio was proposing to her.

"Your sister is a good child who reminds me of myself at her age, and your father is a good man, I believe, even if he is a bit silly."

Gaelio chuckled at her assessment, "Silly?"

"I think he has the idea that we're getting married or something. We're at least two steps away from that, so he is silly to think otherwise."

Julieta's flippant way of speaking was amusing even now as she spoke of something as major as marriage as if it was nothing special, "Only two?"

"If I am correct, the common progression path goes..." Julieta began to count on her fingers, "Friendship, dating, engagement, and then marriage. As a member of the Seven Stars, casual dating is not likely a possibility, leaving the steps at friendship, engagement, and then marriage. So two steps, maybe three."

Gaelio lowered his hands from her shoulders to Julieta's waist, his tone taking a mockingly lovesick bent to parody a star-crossed lover, "There is a pretty large gap then between steps one and two. However could I climb such a mountain?"

Even Julieta could recognize he was joking this time, but she still took it fairly seriously as she began to question what it would take for her to agree to marry someone.

"Hmmmm...I haven't thought of what it would be like to be married. After all, I can't serve Lord Elion if I settle down."

Julieta did not notice Gaelio's relieved smile as she looked aside to contemplate the issue, soon coming to a conclusion of her own making.

"So it would have to be someone who me being married to would benefit Master Rustal, but also who I am better than at something since I couldn't stand marrying someone better than me..."

Gaelio had expected as much, though he thought with some pride that he might have difficulty letting her be better than him at something. After all, he didn't like losing when he could help it.

Still thinking aloud what her requirements would be for a spouse, Julieta spoke further, "He also should be nice, and loyal, and love me..."

The blush she possessed then would be nothing compared to the one which replaced it a moment later when Gaelio bent down to one knee and looked up at Julieta while taking one of her hands in his own.

"I could promise you all of that," he winked before adding, "Though I can't promise that I'll let you be a better pilot than me."

He actually did it.

"Gaelio...I..."

While Julieta couldn't say she was caught entirely by surprise, part of her had been thinking that perhaps the notion that Gaelio did love her and would want to marry her as his family suggested had been wishful thinking. That she wanted to have someone care enough for her to ask it of her.

Now he had done it and she was speechless, not having formulated yet how she would actually respond to such a question, one that she had never expected to be asked before a day ago.

Julieta was not however the only one to realize that it was sudden, and so Gaelio continued his proposal as he had intended.

"Give me three months. Three months to show you that I mean what I said."

That sounded reasonable, Julieta thought, but...what happened when the three months were over with?

"And then?"

Gaelio smiled as he noticed that Julieta had intentionally or unintentionally put her own arms around him in a mirror of his hold on her, "Then I will ask you if you would do me the honor of being my wife and become my fiance."

So a three month trial. That sounded reasonable to Julieta, since it would give her three more months to contemplate this issue and figure out just what it was that she wanted.

"May I choose the wedding date?"

"Of course, if you wish," Gaelio nodded, glad that Julieta seemed to be coming around to the idea, "Though it will have to take certain other factors into consideration. I would have to be available to be there after all."

With this in mind, Julieta lowered her head into Gaelio's chest and let out a breath.

"Okay."

Three months to figure out the depth of her feelings, what she wanted to do with the possibilities placed before her, and if she wanted to spend the rest of her life waking up beside her dear friend who held such affection for her and having a family.

Julieta put a small amount of space between them so she could better look up at Gaelio, now having a serious and determined look she would often wear when on duty, "I agree to your terms of future engagement. If you prove to me in the next three months that you will be a good husband, I will marry you and bear your children, on the condition that you ask for and receive Master Rustal's permission for my leave of his service."

Gaelio grinned, foreseeing no problem in obtaining Rustal Elion's permission to marry Julieta. This moment of joy soured for him when he thought of Rustal further though and how the man might try to twist Julieta's relationship to his own purposes. While Gaelio wanted to make it so Julieta would be sidelined from the political turmoil, she would no doubt be given a front row seat to it that would just have to be turned down.

Julieta could read the shift in Gaelio's mood and it confused her, but her confusion did not last too long as Gaelio soon explained himself.

"Julieta, there is something I want you to know. Given my...potentially 'our' status, there will be occasional power struggles and conflicts that come about. While I do not wish to oppose Rustal Elion, I cannot promise that there will never be an occasion when he and I do not see eye to eye on a matter."

The honesty pleased Julieta, who understood what he was saying. Different houses did not always agree with one another and so by joining the Bauduins she would be placed in a position where her loyalty to Rustal or to them might come into question.

"My loyalty is to Master Rustal," Julieta said first, but followed it up with something that even surprised Gaelio, "But if he grants me permission to marry you, then he must know to expect me to be loyal first and foremost to my husband."

Still, Rustal expecting Julieta to be loyal to the Bauduins did not mean she would enjoy ever having him as an enemy of sorts, and so Julieta added sternly, "Don't make me oppose him."

"I don't plan to, Julieta," Gaelio said truthfully, wanting nothing more for her than for her to be out from under Rustal's control without hurting their bond, "But can I be honest with you?"

Julieta nodded, not knowing what to expect, but she always spoke her mind so she was not going to tell Gaelio not to do so.

"This is not an attempt to criticize Rustal, but rather just an observation of the political game we are about to enter: he will agree to our marriage, because he knows he can trust you. If you marry me, he can have one of his own insiders planted right beside me."

It didn't sting to hear Gaelio's suspicion, for it made perfect sense to Julieta as something her master would do, "That does sound like something Master Rustal might do."

"Can I ask then that, while I do not seek conflict with him, for you to not let him use you? I want you to make your own decisions and be your own person," Gaelio's face softened, "If that means one day returning to his side and leaving me, so be it, but..."

"I won't be Carta Issue. I will not let someone dictate my fate for me, whether it is you or Master Rustal."

The determination in her tone brought a smile back to Gaelio, who was glad to hear that she was beginning to listen to his advice. He did not want her to be like Ein and blindly sacrifice her entire being for someone else, be that Rustal or himself. If she wanted to serve Rustal because that was what she wanted in life and it was her own decision rather than a feeling born of seeming guilt that he had given her so much, then that was what she would do. But if she wanted to be with him, Gaelio, then...

"If I, in three months, choose to marry you it will be because that is what I want for myself," Julieta explained.

Silence hung between them for a moment before Julieta lifted a hand up to point to her lips.

"Are you supposed to kiss me now?" she blushed as she stood nervously, "I've never done it before, so I...I don't know what to do?"

Gaelio laughed as he leaned in towards her to fulfill her seeming request, "It would be an honor to share my first kiss with a lady as beautiful as yourself."

His lips did not meet her own however, instead pressing up against her index finger, which Julieta had placed in the way.

"Not yet."

Confused, Gaelio let her explain herself as Julieta frowned.

"I've seen how you pilot. You don't let yourself be hit unnecessarily, but you fight recklessly. How you move throughout the battlefield is beautiful, but you risk your life with each strike. If you are going to get yourself killed, I want no part of it. You can forget the entire deal if you are just going to throw your life away."

In response Gaelio lowered his forehead to be touching Julieta's, his voice sincere, "I have no intention of leaving you or my family behind again," Julieta was not the only one worried about such dangerous behaviors however, "But promise me that you won't die on me, either."

Julieta pulled herself closer to him, "I promise, Gaelio."

With her no longer blocking him with a finger, Gaelio pressed his lips down on Julieta's. She moved her own to meet his as he leant down over her, though she didn't really know what to do with them and just followed Gaelio's lead. He too was inexperienced given his propensity for not engaging in relationships to the chagrin of his family up until now, so the two lingered with their faces pressed up against one another until Gaelio shifted his grip around Julieta.

Julieta nearly yelped into Gaelio's face as she felt him drop his hands from her waist to her rear, but when he lifted her up a moment later she understood why he shifted his grip: he was tall and she was short, so he was evening them out. With Gaelio holding her up, Julieta assisted him a little by using her legs to hold herself up, wrapping them around him as they deepened their kiss.

If another man had grabbed her rear Julieta was sure she would have put him in the hospital, but she didn't find herself minding at all after the initial surprise. Even after their inexperienced kiss faded they remained as they were, faces right beside one another while Gaelio held her up in his strong grip.

"Your family was right," Julieta said in a near whisper as she finally came to a certain conclusion, "I think I love you."

It didn't mean that she was sold on the idea of marriage yet, but one of her criteria was met...Gaelio obviously cared for her, and she cared for him as well.

Gaelio kissed her on the forehead, "And I love you, Julieta...though, speaking of my family, we should probably save Almiria from those inside."

Julieta smirked as she thought about how the poor young heiress must be fending off hordes of fake acting nobles now that she was all by herself inside. Perhaps they should play the part of saviors to her and rescue her from whatever situation she found herself in.

"Don't expect me to act like you are anything more than a friend," Julieta explained after sliding down and off Gaelio and straightening out her uniform, with Gaelio doing the same for his more casual dress clothes.

"Of course not. We wouldn't want to appear unprofessional, would we?"

Julieta smirked up at him and moved a stray strand of hair our of her eyes. Seeing Gaelio's kind, happy face almost made up her mind right then and there as she found herself smiling the same genuine smile he possessed.

Whatever the following days had in store for them, Julieta was determined to be by his side through them. He made her happy, and she was not going to let anything change that.

A/N: As one may see, this was a gigantic chapter and took a lot to complete, so thank you to Shinn, Spirit of Justice, Nuclear Breadstick, Angel-no-Crux, Msmusicful, Kaiser Chris, and a guest for your reviews and support since the last chapter. I hope you continue to enjoy and that I can continue hearing your thoughts as the story continues.

Thank you everyone for reading, and if you have any thoughts they would be most appreciaated in the reviews below!