"Mother. Mother." Diana was running through the manor, looking for her mother. Carter had said she was probably in her office. She had checked there but she couldn't find her mom. She decided to check the garden. She found her mother, walking up with her horse trotting next to her.

"Mother." She ran forward to hug her.

"Hello darling, what's the matter?"

"I have an idea. I want to have a necklace commissioned for Akko. It's going to be my wedding present to her."

Bernadette chuckled. "A wedding present huh? Well, what designs do you have in mind?"

"Anna give me a bunch of good ideas. I want to show you."

"Let's go inside then. I want to see these designs. We will have Anna bring us tea."

Diana was jumping for joy. She was excited for this present.

After the necklace was finished, Diana was excited to show it to Akko. But she was told to keep it a secret. So, she did. She didn't tell Akko or even her own cousins, that it was going to be their wedding present, just that it was a wedding present, but she still wanted Akko's opinion on it. Akko had thought it was gorgeous. Then the next day, Akko was getting accused of stealing the necklace out of jealousy. Diana felt terrible that she never actually stood up for her friend and watched in anguish as her friend's carriage rolled down the road, away from her. She cried that night.

"Diana?"

The king was silent. Everyone in the room seemed to watch him in fascination and confusion. It was a shock to see the king soon pull Diana into a bear hug. He stood up to his full height.

"My lord, what should we do with this intruder? They attacked one of our own." One of the guards asked. Diana felt a lump build into her throat. She needed to get back to Akko, Meiko and her unborn child.

Wait? Her unborn child?

"Untie her."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Untie her! She had every right to be there. She is the owner of the manor. She also is an honored guest to our kingdom. We will treat her as such."

The guard quickly undid the binds around her hands. She rubbed her wrist and was helped up by the king, who placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"What about this two?" Kenji looked over at Hannah and Barbara then her.

"Release them. They are with me." Diana whispered out. Her throat felt uncomfortably dry.

"Release them. Get some food and water for these three. Have the maids set up some rooms for them and get them some clean clothes. Diana, did you have horses?"

"We found their horses near the manor. We brought them with us." A guard broke into the conversation.

"Good. Place the horses in the royal stables. Any of their belongings are to be delivered back to them."

The guards quickly saluted and ran off to do as the king asked. Barbara instantly ran over and hugged Diana tightly. She returned the hug.

"I was so scared. I honestly thought we were going to die and you got hurt too." Barbara almost touched her cheek tenderly but Diana flinched away from the touch. "Sorry."

"Don't worry. You are all safe here. We will have your rooms set up and you can sleep comfortably. We will have food delivered to you three as well. Get me a healer too." Kenji hollered at another servant.

Before they knew it, they had been taken instead of the guillotine to one of the many guest bedrooms.

"Diana, I am sorry about all that happen to you." Kenji finally broke the silence as they walked down the hallway together.

Sorry about what exactly?

"I don't know what to say. I'm just tired and sore right now."

"Yes. Yes. I understand that. Please, if you so choose, came join me and Asuka for dinner. Sleep easy and is good to see you again. Good night Diana."

"Good night your majesty."

Kenji watched her with a solemn look on his face. It seemed he could sense the turmoil in Diana and left her alone. Diana looked at the door to the bedroom she had been given. Hannah had persuaded Barbara to share the room with her. That was good for the both of them. Diana opened the door. She was shocked to see a familiar sight in her bedroom. Her old head maid was fluffing up the guest pillows.

"Anna." The maid lifted her head before gasping and dropping the pillow in her hand. She ran over to Diana and hugged her.

"Oh young Miss. It is good to see you alive. And you are bleeding. Good heavens, what happen to you?"

Diana was shunned. She was so sure Anna had perished in the assassination. Now, she was alive. Diana wrapped her arms around her old maid and hugged her tightly. It felt like she was a kid again and had scrapped her knee where if her mother wasn't around, she could go to Anna.

"There, there my child. It's all right. Come. Come. Sit down. Let me look at your cheek."

Diana sat there and let Anna pamper her. It has been so long. Even living with Akko, she refused to have Lotte touch any of her stuff and do her own cleaning. It felt…nice to have someone take care of her.

"Miss Diana, where have you been? I was so worried about you. I had thought you had died."

"I'm sorry Anna. I had escaped and never looked back. I thought everyone died that day. How did you survive? Is there others?"

"Sadly I know of only me and Carter that survived." Diana remained silent. At least Carter and Anna lived but she still mourned the lost of everyone. Anna wiped the blood off her face and stared at the scar on her cheek. "Young Miss, you have had a rough life I see." Anna wrapped the bandage tight against her cheek.

"It's been hard but I've finally met someone. Someone who loves me."

"And would you like to tell your old maid who that may be?"

"Maybe later Anna. Now, I just want to eat something and then sleep."

"Yes you do my lady. I'll grab your food. So get dressed for bed and I'll be back soon."

Diana was soon sound asleep in the bed after a hearty meal.

Diana was awaken by the bright sun hitting her face. She grumbled a bit at the light. She tightened her arm around Akko. She knew she should probably get up and get ready for the day but this felt nice. As her senses from her slumber slowly faded away, she began to realize a few things. She wasn't at the castle and Akko was not in her arms. She rubbed her eyes as she looked around the room. She recognized some of the paintings as once belonging to her mother. This was the guest bedroom they would stay in if they came to visit the castle. She looked at the other side of the bed and saw she had been hugging the pillow and a larger pillow, stolen from the couch, was used to substitute Okami on the foot of the bed. The unicorn toy she had taken from her home had been pressed against her back. She missed them. She missed her new family.

"Wait? When have I considered them my family?"

The door was opened for Anna to walk through with a tray in hand. "Good morning, or I should say afternoon, young miss. I see you are finally awake."

"Anna, how long have I been out?"

"It is mid afternoon. You missed breakfast but the king figured that you would sleep in later."

"Damn, that is long time."

"Yes but it seems to me that you needed it. I brought hot tea and a little food to eat. The king has asked that I watch over you for the duration of your stay."

"That's kind of him." Diana was very monotone in her voice.

"He is. He took me and Carter in. He gave us jobs. I owe a lot to him." Diana was silent. She couldn't understand why Anna would talk so highly of Kenji. He killed the family and nearly killed them. Anna steered her to sit in front of a large mirror. "Now sit up straight. Your mother would be disappointed to see you slouching and don't squirm while I replace your bandage."

Anna tore the old bandage off and was getting the new one ready. Diana finally had a good look at her face. The new wound was still raw looking and angled up on her old cheek scar, making it look like a lopsided X. She ran her finger along the new scar and then looked at the black eye she had also received. Anna said nothing as she replaced the bandage. Anna's eyes kept drifting over to the katana leaning against the vanity. It seemed the maid was wanting to say something but chose not to.

"Anna, what happen to my mother's and aunt's bodies? Of my cousins?" She was afraid of the answer.

"They were buried by order of the king. We have them buried here in the castle. We didn't have a body for you but we have a tombstone for you right next to your mother's." Diana patted Anna's hand that was on her shoulder. "I'm very glad to see you are alive and well. Now, tell me who the young person who has captured your heart."

Anna pulled Diana away and made her sit down on the couch. Diana sipped some of the tea. Anna always made some of the best tea.

"She are wonderful. I love her so much. She are kind and sweet and gorgeous. She has a small child and I love them both. They are now my world."

"I'm glad you found someone at least. It's a shame that Miss Atsuko didn't have the chance to have that kind relationship. She has never been the same since your supposed death. I see she isn't loved by her husband. I'm sure your marriage would of made her happy." Diana's head shot up.

"Marriage? Anna, we wanted to marry but we couldn't."

"That's right. Your mother never told you? Your mother and his majesty had a marriage contract drawn up for you two to marry. It was suppose to be a birthday present to you, young Miss."

"Wait, we were suppose to marry? Then why was my mother killed for it?"

"I'm not sure on that but Carter and I had our theories. I think it is best you ask Kenji and Asuka about that though. They know more."

"Can I have a private meeting with him and Asuka?"

"I'll talk to him and see about that meeting."

"Thank you Anna."

The meeting had been set up but it wasn't for another four days. Kenji was very busy with the kingdom and various meetings. Diana felt anxious about it and had told Hannah and Barbara that they could leave her and go back to the kingdom. They were both stubborn and turned down her request so the two stayed with her. The three were spending time together which was nice. Diana wandered the castle when she could as memories washed over her. She made her way to the stables to see her horse. Carter was brushing her white horse. When he spotted the heir, he dropped the brush.

"Miss Diana, Anna told me but I didn't believe it. Oh thank the heavens."

"Carter, I'm glad to see you." She hugged her old butler. "It's good to know you two made it out alive."

"I'm happy to see you are alive as well. It does this old heart good. Anna told me you have a little love."

"I do. I'm happy around her."

"I'm glad. Bernadette wanted you to be happy with the person of your choice and not forced into a marriage like hers." Diana looked over at Carter strange.

"I'm sorry, what? My mother loved my father. It wasn't a forced marriage."

"You are now older. I think it's time you know the truth. Your mother was in love with another but she had been forced to marry your father. She hide the truth from you because she wanted you to at least have some knowledge that your father loved you."

"So, the tales she told me about how my father wooed her was false?"

"Not exactly. They did happen but not with your father." Diana sat down on top of a barrel. "You came for the truth. Ask his majesty about it. We knew. It's time you get all the answers."

"That's why I am here. Do you know that Akko and I were going to be married?"

"I did. I was happy because you and Miss Atsuko looked perfect for each other. Now, she is miserably with Andrew and you look happy with Miss Barbara." That bothered Diana.

"I'm not with Barbara." She paused. "I'm with someone else. Who do you think had set out to kill us?"

"I'm not sure."

Diana left Carter and trudged back to her bedroom. Everything was now eating at her. Who sent the assassins? Who wanted her dead? Why was she set to marry Akko and not told? Who knew about the marriage contract? Why did her mother never tell her about her other lover?

She sat up when she had an even worse thought. Was Akko at fault again? Did she know and not want to marry Diana? Was Akko just using her?

She felt cold sweats cover her body. She ran. She needed fresh air. She ran to the garden. She wandered around the garden till she come upon Asuka. The queen was on her knees in front of several stones. They looked like tombstones. Diana watched her from behind a tree. She gripped the handle of her katana. Did she finally have a chance to get her revenge?

"I know you are there Diana." Diana released her grip and moved from behind the tree. "It's good to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances."

"As do I."

"You want answers right?" Diana nodded. "Diana, don't blame Atsuko please."

"She prefers Akko." Diana felt like at least still defending Akko's name.

"Don't blame Akko. She had nothing to do with your family's death. She is innocent. She loved you. I know she would of loved to have been with you for the rest of her life then with a man who doesn't care about her. I wanted a better life for her. Now I've just lead her down the same path I was once on. At least my husband loves me like I love him. She doesn't have that privilege."

Diana stared at the queen. The queen waved her over to a small bench off to the side. Diana sat down next to her.

"Diana, it's time you knew the truth."

"Who was my father? You knew my family before I came along. Who was my mother's secret lover?"

"It was me?" Diana stared at her in shock.

"What?"

"Honey, I loved your mother. More then you would ever know."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw Bernadette Cavendish one day in the market. I thought she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. We were kids but it never died. It only got stronger as time went on. I spent as much time as I could with her. I did things to make her smile. I wrote her letters and poems. I wooed your mother. I even had ring ready to marry her."

"You were the person who had my mother's heart when she told me stories about my father. She always looked in the direction of the castle when she spoke. It was you."

"We wanted to be wed but my status forbid it. I tried to get Bernie to want to run away with me. She couldn't abandon her family though. As much as it pained me, I married for my kingdom and she for her family. Not for love like you two should of had. Now, your father was just a simple sailor who had owned a rival shipping company from the Cavendish family. They had Bernie in an arranged marriage with him long before I came along. The story about him dying in a storm was true."

"So, you and mother were in a relationship?"

Asuka looked away at the big tombstone, that bore her mother's name on it, with a look of fondness.

"I loved her. I still love her. You have grown to look so much like her. Please Diana, protect my Atsuko. Love her like how I loved your mother. Please don't harm her. She has done nothing wrong. If you want to direct your anger at anyone, direct it at me and Kenji."

"Who killed my mother?"

"The Hanbridges."

Diana just sat there, hands shaking. Asuka pulled her closer and Diana just let her. Everything she had thought and knew up till this point was a lie.

"I'm sorry." Diana finally spoke up. She cradled her head into Asuka's shoulders. She viewed this woman as another mother. She hated the Kagaris for killing her family. Now, she felt hollow and empty. All that anger was directed at the wrong person. She had made Akko's life hell in the beginning. She killed people who were close to the Kagaris. She wanted to kill Akko. That thought destroyed Diana. She had almost killed Akko without knowing the full truth. She accused Akko of something she never did. It was like the necklace debacle again. Akko getting accused of something she was never involved with.

All that pain of losing her mother, losing her best friend, and of losing a family she loved and the thoughts to kill them finally boiled over. Diana finally wept for the first time in fifteen long years. Tears she hadn't shed were flowing and she couldn't stop it. Asuka just held her tightly and whispered sweet words to her. Diana wasn't sure how long she sat there and how she could possibly still cry as hard as she was.

"Sweetie, let's get you bed. We will talk more tomorrow as intended."

Asuka was her brace as she lend the assassin back to the room. Diana couldn't see because of the tears. Diana was laid down into the bed and all Diana could remember was the soft motherly tone and a kiss to her forehead. She cried herself to sleep that night, hugging the pillow close to her chest.

Diana made her way to Kenji's office. She had came for answers and she wanted to know all of them before she left. She was already behind schedule and wanted to hurry back to Akko and Meiko. She made a promise and she had already broken it. She held the handle of the grip of her katana tightly as she knocked on the large door. It was mostly a comfort item at this point. Something to steady herself with.

"Come in Diana." She walked in to see Kenji and Asuka sitting on a large couch. He pointed to the large chair sitting across from them. She sat down. "Have some tea. Asuka told me about what she has told you so far. You know some of the truth now. It's time you know the rest."

For a moment, Diana could see Kenji looked older then when she was in the throne room. Wrinkles were etched into his face, mostly around his eyes. She felt pity. She had loved them as another set of parents. Maybe she still loved them.

"I'm sorry sir." She bowed towards them. She settled her katana on the chair.

"For what my girl? For wanting to kill the people who essentially sentenced you and your mother to death? No. I don't blame you one bit. I knew the reason why Bernie was killed. We are as much to blame. We should be the ones who are sorry and we are.."

Kenji stood up and took the katana into his hand. She watched as he pulled the blade out of it's sheathe. He held out, admiring the black handle and the design of the handle.

"This is a gorgeous blade. One I would not be disappointed if it loped my head right off. You want your revenge then I am ready." He bent down to his knees and held the sword out for her to take. "I'm as much to blame as the Hanbridges. I let it happen without stopping it. Diana, go ahead. If it makes you feel better, I won't stop you. Just know, I loved you like a daughter."

Asuka joined her husband's side on her knees. Diana took the blade from his hand. She took the sheathe and put the sword in it's proper place. Both Kagaris looked up at her in surprise.

"I won't kill you. I have no reason to anymore. I came here for answers about my mother's murder and I have some of them. I want to know everything else like the why."

She helped them both up.

"Asuka told you about Bernadette and her. Asuka always told me everything even her prior love. It made me happy that she at least had been happy before marrying me."

"Yes. I'm surprised to have learned everything between the two." Kenji patted Asuka's knee. "I also know of who killed my mother. The Hanbridges."

"Specifically Paul Hanbridge. Andrew was too young to do anything and we knew he had Chloe in his mind to marry. He also doesn't respect my daughter."

"I've seen it and seen how he treats Meiko too."

"The marriage contract was originally for you and Akko. Bernie and Asuka wanted you two to be married since they hadn't been able to. I agreed as well. We created one for you two."

"So, my mother was able to get one started. No wonder she was able to break off the marriage with Blackwell. What happen though?"

"Simple, Paul got pissed that we weren't going to give him the power and money of our kingdom. He made threats on you and Bernadette and our kingdom. Daryl kept saying not to worry. Bernie was worried but we weren't. That was our mistake. Then he made his move. He poisoned a nearby village to show his power. The damn bastard was sick."

"Paul was mad the marriage contract was broken?"

"He was very mad. He was desperate for money. That man is money hungry and rather let his own people starve then help them. I just never would of dreamed he would send assassins to kill Bernadette and Daryl and then attempt to kill you but he did. He rode up the day of the assassination and made sure we knew about it. He had soldiers at the ready in the event we tried to stop it. We couldn't move. We let it happen. It pained me so much to know what was happening and not be able to do a single thing about it."

"And I'm sharing the same castle as that asshole's son."

"You've never seen Paul?" Diana shook her head. "Interesting. I've heard rumors that he is running the kingdom on the side while Andrew just acts as the face. I heard he stays at a cottage while his son rules but then they switch when Andrew slips out of the castle."

Diana stared at the cup in her hand. She had finally had her answers.

"So Akko and I were to be married? But we were denied that chance. Maybe we could finally have chance again." She felt hopeful. The first she had felt in such a long time.

"Diana, I have a favor to ask." Asuka finally spoke up. Diana smiled at her. "Protect Akko. We know why you are at the castle, we just don't know who hired you. You are an assassin meant to kill her. If you want to kill a Kagari, let it be me."

Diana dropped to her knees. She held her blade out to the Kagaris.

"You have my honor on this blade that no harm will befall Atsuko. I will love her like she has never been loved before. I will not kill any Kagaris. You have my word."

Asuka pulled her up and wrapped her arms around her. Kenji pulled them both into his arms and hugged them tightly.

Kenji soon walked over to his desk. He pulled a parchment paper and quickly scribbled on it. Soon, he made his seal with wax. He handed the paper over to Diana.

"Here. This will allow you to enter your home freely. Just show it to the guards. I'm sure you want to look around your home. Take whatever you want with you."

"Thank you." Diana bowed.

She went to bed and felt her heart get lighter. She had evidence. She knew who was behind her mother's killer. It was time to force Paul out of hiding.

Diana rummaged through her mother's old desk. She finally got the old hidden compartment opened. She still wanted her mother's old journals as a memento and to back up the Kagari's story. Considering she had free range over her house now, she could take her time. Hannah waited by the doorway as Diana pulled out the various journals and read a few passages. They were mostly filled with moments her mother had spent with Asuka.

"Your mother was a neat freak. Sort of like someone I know." Diana just smirked at her. "Is there anything else you want?

Diana took the three journals her mother about her previous lover and stuffed them into a bag. She made her way to the bedroom once more. She took three more books from her mother's bookshelf and then went to her jewelry box. Inside was the very necklace she had commissioned for Akko and the one Akko had been accused of stealing. Diana stared at it with sadness. She would need to apologize to Akko about when she got back. She wrapped it into a cloth and stored that into her bag carefully. Diana soon made her way to the old weapons room. There was one more thing she really wanted there.

Sitting in a glass case was a katana with a white handle and a white sheathe with sparkling blue designs in the sheath and handle. It was a gorgeous blade. She lifted the dusty glass off and carefully picked it up. She marveled at it for a bit. She had always wanted to wield this when she was younger. Now, she had the chance. She would use it to protect Akko, Meiko and even her unborn child.

Yes. That baby is my child. I don't care what Andrew says. I will love them like my own.

She strapped it to her belt and and carried her belongings up. Hannah followed behind her.

"Got everything you wanted?"

"Yes. Now, we better hurry. We are about a week behind schedule and I want to get back to Akko and Meiko soon."

As the girls made their way back to Appleton, a thought entered Diana's mind in the silence of their trip.

I want to marry Akko. I will marry Akko.