Mew-Star-Mew: I would agree that in fencing agility and accuracy is important ^^ (although sometimes I resort to power when I'm forced to, yeah... I'm not the most agile sabreuse around in my batch hahaha) actually I kind of surprised when reading your interpretation because I didn't see that way initially until you mentioned it. So... thanks! ^^

Socchan: umm... do you mean you're hoping for Neil to kill Reine since they can't be together? Please correct me if I'm wrong ^^". As for the King Consort matter, yeah, with the way things are currently, I agree that the Court would not allow such... development. The Court has a very strict protocols, and if you noticed in the last chapter I wrote that the Court has an "imprisoning safety"; it's safe, but it's imprisoning at the same time. For the naturally free-spirited Reine, this can be too much. It's like trying to put a flame into a sealed tube: at some point of time, the flame will die out.

TMCP: Yeap, since thunder is closely related lightning, Reine took it as a sign from Nature that she couldn't tell Neil of the truth yet. As for her wings, it disappeared when she fell down, the same occurence with the one in Chapter 5. As for why she fell down, you can see it either because of she inhale the smoke from her fire and was mildly suffocated, or she is suffocated by the fact how she is branded by the Royal Seal and there's no escaping it. Either way ^^

In any case... enjoy this chapter!

He couldn't leave her alone. Not when she was so shaken and disturbed.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but looking at her pained expression, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

She took his hand and held it tightly all the way back to the farm after he draped his coat over her head in lieu for umbrella. She held his hand so tightly, so desperately, as if she was scared of something.

Her lips never stopped moving, her faint voice inaudible due to the rain. He would have no idea that she had been saying it again, over and over again, of her apologies.

Apologies for not having enough courage to give him the much-deserved truth after that one thunder strike.

As they walked up the gentle hill leading to the farm, they arrived at the large oak tree with leaves thick enough to act as a shelter. Reine looked at the tree for a moment, then she walked there. Neil followed her, wondering what it was that she had in mind.

Reine held Neil's coat that was draped over her head.

Again, she built up the courage to give Neil what he deserved: the truth.

"Can we talk here for a moment?"

Neil nodded.

Reine tried to find the words to say. She racked through her mind just to find how she should give him the truth. She took a deep breath.

"You are… a Dragon Hunter."

"Yes, I am," he affirmed.

"And I…" her voice trailed off, this time muffled by her own confusion that managed to eventually overpower her, "what am I to you?"

Neil was obviously surprised by what seemed to him as a non sequitur. Then again, he couldn't find the word to describe her. He was never a man of words, after all.

So, he did what he could.

He reached out to her and pulled her in for an embrace, one hand behind her head and another around her waist and pressed her close.

He couldn't put it in words: the electric shock she gave every time they touched before it turned into a glowing warmth in him.

He couldn't put it in words: how she had weakened his defences and became his new strength.

What was she to him?

She was the one existence he wouldn't want to let go.

That was why he held her close, not letting go.

Despite the lack of words—or maybe because of it in their case—it seemed that his message reached her, as she wrapped her arms around his body and returned the embrace, burying herself in his chest. And she whispered the only Draconian phrase he could understand:

"Thank you…"

They stayed that way for a few moments before both of them sensed another presence. Neil let her go and turned around and he saw the blond young man, his eyes stared right at Reine. Sensing something was coming—and he didn't like the feel of it—Neil held out one of his arms protectively in front of Reine. Reine touched his arm gently, touched by his concerns. "It's okay. I know him."

She then stepped forward and greeted Will in Draconian.

"Is he the reason?"

"No."

"It does not sound very convincing." Will replied, "Never in my existence I saw you—"

"This is none of your business! Neither is this the Court's!"

"Your Majesty, you do realize that you have a duty—"

"I don't want to go back to the Court yet!"

In fury, Reine stormed off into the rain to the farm, leaving Will and the baffled Neil behind.

"I apologize for the intrusion," Will said apologetically towards Neil.

It was then Neil realized that he must have seen them embracing just now. He casted away his eyes, "Never mind that."

Neil then cleared his throat. "So, you are from her place?"

"Yes," Will replied with a smile, "in fact, I am her cousin."

"Oh, I see…"

"It seems to me she has formed an attachment to this town." Will remarked, "This is a lovely town, indeed… but, still…"

Neil raised his eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"Back in our place, the people need her." William said, with a gravity of grimness in his words. "She hadn't realised it, but her people depend on her."

"Is she… the head of her clan?"

William took a moment to ponder. "You could say that, yes," he eventually said.

The rain had energized Gwen considerably. When Reine reached the farmhouse, she saw her younger twin dancing and humming to the rain around the living room.

However, Gwen stopped when she saw Reine. It was clear to her that Reine was not in the best of moods.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"William infuriates me."

"Must be about going back…"

Gwen understood Reine's reluctance to formally assume the throne, especially after what had happened to their father. Truth to be told, Gwen wished Reine wouldn't need to assume the throne at all.

After all, the Royal Seal carried a curse in it.

And Gwen knew, so long as Reine was not formally presented to the Court as the queen, the curse wouldn't snatch her away.

"Hey!" Rachel greeted them cheerfully as she entered the house, "Let's go to the guys' place!"

"Huh? Why so?"

"Don't you know? Today is Allen's birthday!" Rachel said, "Let's go there and prepare a feast!"

Gwen's cringed a bit when she heard the mention of Allen's name. Since that day in the Clinic, she couldn't dissociate Allen from what he had said.

But today is his birthday… it's his important day…

Gwen eventually managed to smile. "Sure, let's go there."

Apparently this had been some kind of tradition: Rachel would go over and cook the guys a feast on their birthdays. Last winter, on Neil's birthday, she hadn't done that because of certain reasons (it coincided with the day Reine almost froze to death in the storm).

"Cooking is easier when you have more people and is more rewarding when more people are eating it!" Rachel said as she mixed the batter for the cake.

"That's right…" Gwen agreed as she simmered the cream sauce for Allen's favourite pasta.

Gwen found herself recalling the times when she had been staying here. When this kitchen became her second abode, thanks to the amount of time she spent inside there. She recalled the times when Allen came into the kitchen, perhaps drawn by the scent of the food. Gwen knew he had never been a morning person and he got cranky quite often in the morning, but she noticed that he nevertheless smiled when he saw her early in the morning. If she hadn't known from Rod, she wouldn't expect Allen to be a cranky person in the morning.

Allen could be very full of himself, with that oh-I-am-so-amazing attitude. But Gwen cherished that confidence in him; it was who he was—it was his true strength. She knew he wasn't arrogant; his confidence was well-founded, anyway.

And she knew that maybe his cold remark came from his trauma about his parents. She couldn't really blame him, but she couldn't stop wondering whether he could see that… just like humans who came in many different packages—dragons, too, were different one from the other.

Then the idea came into her mind: maybe she could be the dragon that proved him that.

Besides, he had been the human who showed her the variety of human's livelihood. She would consider this as a payback.

Gwen smiled, and finally she hummed as she felt that she had found the solution to her own dilemma.

Yet, the sky was still crying…

Neil has uncovered more about Reine's real identity... in a way.

Gwen has found a new optimism and motivation

While the all-seeing sky is crying...

Stay tuned for the next update!

Thanks for reading! Please rate and review! ^^

A/N: a bit of trivia, oak tree is a symbol of strength and courage ^^