Attia had been seated to the side of Keiro, rather than on the other side of Casper. Instead of having a place right beside Finn as he usually did, Keiro had given up his place to Claudia, so Attia and Keiro were a bit away from Finn's eyes, not that he had paid them much attention anyway. Throughout the meal, Keiro and Attia watched for Kingston, knowing he shouldn't be too affected by the drink. When he never appeared through the main doors, or even the back entrances, Keiro turned to Attia, holding his hand out to her. She eyed him for a moment before she let her lips curl into a smile and slipped her fingers into his. She followed only a half step behind him as he led the way towards the dancing area.

For the faster paced song, they weren't completely pressed together, but that had done nothing to stop either of their minds from wandering. It was clear from the look across his face that he was very interested in another late night spent with her, and she didn't appear at all opposed to the idea. It was different the way they stared at each other now, compared to the very beginning of their odd relationship. Before, any sexual encounters were spur of the moment. A thought that occurred minutes before they were acted upon. Now, both clearly had been thinking about another sexual encounter for quite some time.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Keiro asked in her ear. Over the music and loud bustling that accompanied large groups of people, only Attia's ears picked up on Keiro's words.

"Looking at you like what?" she replied as she moved slightly closer to him. Her hand was still on his neck, her fingers tracing random patterns on his skin beneath his long blonde hair.

"Like you're planning something."

"Planning what?" she laughed in response as he spun her around then pulled her back to him.

"I don't know," he admitted, his steps moving perfectly along hers. It must've been a figment of her imagination that their dance steps had become much more synchronized since the beginning of their late nights. "A raid of my third drawer, perhaps."

She laughed quietly, her eyes peered upward at him as she held his gaze. When she had hidden the incriminating evidence in Keiro's room, which was closer to Kingston's than her own room, she hadn't actually gone through all of his drawers. It had just happened that the first drawer she picked had been full of Keiro's impressive collection of women undergarments.

"Exactly how many women have you stolen clothing from?" she dared to ask and Keiro rolled his eyes, though he had failed at hiding his amusement.

"Those were gifts, actually. And it would be terribly rude of me to toss away something somebody gave me out of the kindness of their heart."

Attia had started to laugh again, but Keiro had suddenly pushed her to the side, sending her into the pair dancing a few steps away.

"You drugged me!" Kingston's voice echoed in the tall room, as he swung his arm unskillfully towards Keiro, where Attia had been only seconds before. Keiro let out a groan as the knife blade Kingston was wielding sliced his cheek instead of the intended target. Kingston had turned from Keiro, his gaze following Attia, who had quickly regained her balance. Keiro vaguely noted she had also shed herself of her heels, reducing her height by a good inch and a half, but as Kingston lifted his knife, Keiro's attention was pulled away from Attia. Clearly still suffering from the lingering effects of whatever drugs Keiro and Attia had given him, Kingston was unable to stand up straight or still, and so Keiro had easily taken hold of his armed hand.

With his other hand, Keiro attempted to twist Kingston's arm, but Kingston had turned back to Keiro. After taking a few hurried steps forward, Kingston managed to get Keiro slightly off balance enough to loosen his wrist from Keiro's grasp. As Kingston continued approaching Keiro, Attia had produced her own weapon, vaguely aware Finn had been yelling and the space around them had immediately cleared. The Royal Guards were closing in as quickly as they could, but even Finn knew Attia and Keiro should have no trouble with an older, pudgier, slightly unhinged, man.

He had started swinging his weapon at Keiro, who was able to dodge the attacks, but Kingston had quickly released his weapon when Attia approached him from behind and put a deep slice in his knife wilding arm. She hadn't expected him to turn on her so quickly, and so when he swung his arm around, she lost her grip on her knife. As it struck the floor, it clattered, creating one of the only noises in the entire ballroom filled nearly to the rim with people. It slid across the smooth floor, but nobody paid it attention as Kingston had raised his arm again, ready to strike at her a second time. Attia's quickness allowed her to avoid the first attempt, and a second attempt wasn't even remotely possible.

Keiro had easily pulled the unarmed man away from Attia, and though the Royal Guard had finally surrounded the three, Keiro landed at least three hits on Kingston.

"Keiro, stop!" Attia yelled, her voice carrying easily through the room. At first Keiro had opted to ignore the call, but he felt her hand touch the arm he'd pulled back before striking Kingston a fourth time. To everyone in the room, Keiro seemed to listen to Attia right away, but to the pair the moment between her touch and the release of Kingston lasted a lifetime. He'd met her eyes for maybe half a second, but it had been enough for her to see it. He was being protective. He probably didn't even feel the long gash across his cheek anymore.

"Remove him!" Finn's voice boomed through the ballroom as he made his way towards Keiro and Attia. The Royal Guard, all dressed in black and silver, had quickly taken hold of Kingston and a pair had begun to carry him from the ballroom. Despite the chains around his wrist, Kingston continued to yell accusations of a drugging aimed at Attia, and his voice was not drowned out until the heavy doors shut behind him. The remaining Royal Guards stayed near the King out of fear of a second attack.

"He's out of his fucking mind, Finn," Keiro said, his eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, voice loud and tone low. Attia saw how his shoulders squared off, even though he was no longer in direct combat. He was clearly tense, and she had wanted to remind him to take a breath, but she had suddenly been made aware they were in a room filled with hundreds.

"It'll be handled, Keiro," Finn told him, using a clam voice. He also noted how on edge Keiro remained.

"Handled?" Keiro repeated in his own acidic voice. The tone was enough to make even Attia cringe. "He could've killed her! He's damn lucky I didn't kill him. Being short one corrupt Lord doesn't seem such a bad thing, now."

"It would seem you were in the most danger, anyway," Finn replied as he held Keiro's gaze. Finn, as well as everyone else, wanted Keiro to calm down after the surge of adrenaline he was surely feeling, but Keiro's gaze was more cold than anything.

Keiro had a response, but Attia watched him figuratively swallow his words. His clenched his jaw, his entire body seeming to tense for a moment, before his shoulders fell and he averted his eyes. As though he just remembered the cut on his face, Keiro reached up and smeared the dripping blood with the back of his hand. He almost wiped the blood on his expensive coat, but Attia's hand had stopped his wrist before he could ruin the cloth.

"Take a walk, Keiro," she told him, but her voice was quiet and soft. It was a harsh comparison to Keiro's booming, demanding voice. He held her gaze for a moment, before he nodded in agreement and turned towards the side door the Royal Guard had dragged Kingston through. As he walked, Attia beside him, his attention was more or less free to wander, leading to the realization nearly every set of eyes had found him, watching him intently until he passed through the doorway.

It was a short walk down a few corridors until Attia had lead him to an open air courtyard. Neither had said anything, but both seemed content in the silence that surrounded them. Attia, still shoeless, carried her heels in her left hand as she walked beside Keiro. Even as they stepped onto the cobblestone pathway that snaked its way through the gardens, she went barefoot.

Eventually, the sound of running water broke the silence, and Keiro started to wander in the direction of the fountain where the water was running. He dipped both hands into the base of the fountain, the clean, clear water washing away the blood and dirt from his hands. Reaching up, he pulled free his blonde strands and ran his hand messily through them. As he bent down, he splashed the water on his face then tried to wipe away the rest of the blood on his cheek. Standing up straight again, he let out a deep breath and started to pull his hair back again, using the water on his hands to tame the unruly strands. Attia stepped near him slowly, his eyes following her closely. As she reached him, she reached up to touch his face, her thumb wiping away the last smudge of blood from his cheek.

"You attacked him," Attia said simply, but when Keiro's body tensed, she feared he'd heard an accusation.

"You attacked you," he replied and Attia held his gaze. She couldn't actually recall a single moment when Keiro had appeared as conflicted as he was at that moment.

"Exactly, Keiro. You could've killed him, because he attacked me. Because I drugged him."

"Well don't let anyone hear you say that," he warned as he stepped away from her and found a stone bench nearby. He sat on one side of the bench, leaving room for Attia to sit beside him.

"Do you feel better then?" she asked as she sat beside him and dropped her heels to the ground. They clattered against the cobblestone.

"Do you?"

"Not really," she laughed. Her eyes were still casted downward, absentmindedly watching the stones that made the pathway. She was, however, aware that Keiro's gaze lingered on her, on her smile. "You have any idea how repulsive it is to seduce a man who is thoroughly disgusting?" she asked as she turned up to peer at Keiro.

"Very?"

"An understatement."

"I trust your sacrifice wielded positive results."

"Oh yes," she replied still watching him. The entire tone of their conversation had shifted dramatically, and the threatening, and rather terrifying, man Keiro had been moments ago seemed to disappear entirely. "But you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see."

"Tomorrow?" he repeated as he rose an eyebrow at her. "What's wrong with tonight?"

"You're not going to your room tonight."

Instead of frenzied kisses, Keiro and Attia shared slower and deeper kisses that night. Even the way their hands roamed each other's bodies had changed from desperate for access to thorough exploration. If Finn had gone looking for Keiro that night, he never thought to ask Attia, and the two were left utterly alone in her bedchamber.

"You lied to me." Attia's voice was quiet, but in the silence of the night Keiro had heard her perfectly. For a moment, his face contorted out of confusion at her comment, but as he turned his head to look at her, he looked more interested than anything else.

"Oh really?" he laughed as he raised one arm and laid back on his hand, his bent elbow up in the air slightly. His free arm was wrapped around Attia's body, which was neatly laid against the side of his, his chest providing her ample head support.

"Yes."

"About what?"

Attia remained silent for a moment, but when she felt Keiro's body tense, she looked into his blue eyes. She hadn't meant for the playful tone of the conversation to fade. "You said nothing would change between us."

Keiro had no response to provide for her right away. She heard him swallow and clear his throat as he shifted his gaze upward at the high ceiling. "Yeah, I did," he admitted. He didn't look back at her until he felt her shifting beside him, but she wasn't pulling away. Instead she seemed to move closer and realigned herself more comfortably against him. Her hand rested on his chest beside her face.

"You wouldn't have fought back like you did if nothing had changed between us."

"You don't know that," he told her, but part of him knew she was well aware of his lie. He wasn't really sure if he was trying to lie to her or to himself.

"I would've been fine without you, Keiro. You know that."

"Is it a crime not to want drunken men to attack women?"

"You mean drugged instead of drunken?"

"I mean trained killers instead of women."

Not only could he hear her laughter, but he could feel it too. He could feel her cheeks pulling up as she smiled. He could feel her entire body shaking as she laughed. He could feel her cling to his body in the middle of the night. Though he never actually admitted the change that had slowly occurred between them, it seemed Attia didn't actually require him to say the words. The way she peered up at him, eyes lit up even in the middle of the night, lips turned up in a gentle smile, had told him she'd somehow understood. He was new to actual emotions in a relationship, but she was new to all relationships. Somehow, he doubted it mattered at all.

For the first time, Attia hadn't wanted to get out of bed at all. She wanted to linger there, hold onto the new feeling Keiro had instilled within her. As she rolled over and found Keiro's eyes watching her, she had a feeling he'd felt the same way. A long moment passed between them, neither saying anything, neither looking away. They just stared at one another.

"So about those gifts from all those women?"

Keiro laughed as he rolled onto his back and shut his eyes. He could feel the bed moving as Attia moved, but he was still surprised when she'd settled into the space above him. Her hands rested on his bare chest as she lowered herself to press their lips together. He wrapped his arms around her waist before he used his own upper body strength to sit up on the bed. Attia's legs bent and straddled his lap as she remained seated on his legs. Her arms had wrapped around his neck, their lips never once parting.

"What about them?" he finally mumbled between their kisses and Attia pulled away from him.

"What exactly inspires them to just hand over their intimates?"

"I'm a very inspiring lover."

"I'm fairly certain there's more at play," she replied and Keiro scoffed as he stared at her.

"What are you saying, exactly?"

"You're definitely worth a second trip, but I wouldn't start handing over rather personal articles of clothing."

"You're terrible."

"You say that like its bad thing," she told him, but in response she got only another kiss. She could feel his fingers tangling in her long dark locks, pulling on them slightly. Even she enjoyed toying with his long strands, though she had more than once considered what he might look like without them. A cleaner, more polished look, she thought, could give Keiro an edge. The kiss continued, ending only when Finn's voice carried through the room unexpectedly.

"Attia? Are you awake yet?" he called, his voice accompanied by three loud knocks on her door. Keiro had felt Attia's body instantly freeze, her muscles tensed as she remained sitting on his lap, brazenly undressed. Keiro's state wasn't much better though.

Without even bothering waiting for a response, Finn had turned the unlocked door handle and stepped into the bedroom, but didn't enter the room too far before he froze in place.

"At least shut the damn door, Finn," Keiro snapped. Averting his eyes, Finn cleared his throat and shut the door behind him slowly. He kept his back turned to Keiro and Attia, but he could hear rustling originating from their side of the room. It felt like centuries to Finn as he went over every possible scenario where Attia would actually agree to have sex with Keiro. Not a single one had made sense.

"Any particular reason you're here?" Keiro's voice sounded like an invitation to turn back around, and so Finn slowly turned back. Thankfully, Keiro was dressed from the waist down, Attia draped in a modest robe tied around her waist.

"Um…" Finn stared at the two, his face continuing to burn from his own embarrassment, though he didn't really understand what he had to be embarrassed about. The fact that neither Attia nor Keiro seemed at all embarrassed themselves only made it worse for Finn.

"Finn," Attia snapped and he cleared his throat as he nodded again.

"I came to warn you that Kingston and Scotts are planning together and they've petitioned for a search of your room and personal effects."

"No," Attia said simply but Finn held her gaze.

"It's not really up for debate." Silence followed Finn's comment, but after a long moment, Keiro let out a dry laugh before he turned to Attia. Though neither had said anything, Finn saw something between them that had him believing he hadn't actually woken up yet. It had to be a dream where Keiro genuinely smiled at Attia, and she actually smiled back. It was like they were enjoying their own private joke, but Finn was certain their smiles had less to do with some inside joke and far more to do with the night they'd clearly spent not sleeping.

"You don't have any incriminating evidence, right?" Finn finally asked and Attia turned her gaze to him.

"No," she told him and laughed to herself as the thought of where she'd hidden the incriminating evidence came to mind.

"And I can't believe you didn't tell me it was Attia," Finn declared as he turned to Keiro, who had groaned and rolled his eyes. Attia stared at Keiro, obviously confused about the comment, but she said nothing. "I mean were you ever going to mention it?"

"No, not really," Keiro answered truthfully as he turned and met Finn's stare. "Mostly for the obvious reasons, before you ask why."

"What obvious reasons? None really spring out at me," Finn replied, clearly not as amused by Keiro as Attia appeared to be, based on her smile. She wasn't even part of their conversation. Instead, she sat at her vanity table on the other side of the room from Keiro, and she had started applying a few different products, none of which Keiro or Finn had the slightest idea as to what they were.

"One, you wouldn't have actually believed me."

"You're right," Finn replied bitterly. "I was under the impression your affair was with some tall, leggy blonde you keep talking about."

Attia let out a loud laugh before she met Keiro's gaze in the mirror. The two seemed to share another moment Finn wasn't really privy to. He could tell, however, that Keiro hadn't really let on as much as Finn thought he had about the ongoing affair Finn had confronted him about.

"Get out of my room," Attia finally said and Keiro rolled his eyes as he started to pull on his shirt. "You can't be here when they show up to search my room."

"Why not?" He wore the smug smirk Attia had once absolutely hated. There was something about it now that she didn't seem to mind so much anymore.

"Not in last night's clothes," she replied and Keiro laugh as he finished buttoning his shirt and crossed the room. He seemed to completely forget Finn's presence, or he just didn't care at all, as he reached Attia and put a hand on her shoulder. He bent down and had meant to put a kiss on her cheek, but she had turned her head and met his lips with her own.

The scene before him was definitely not what Finn had pictured when he thought of Keiro and the numerous women he spent nights with. Of course, Finn knew Attia well enough to know she would never be a woman a man could spend only a single night with. Whatever was between his two closest friends was a lot deeper and more meaningful than Keiro had wanted to admit earlier.