The Involuntary

by alexthegryffindor

Years later, the butterfly effect comes into play and the ones not expecting it are the ones most influenced. She was simply meant to stay with them for the protection. A plan meant to keep her safe during the absence of her father leads her to the greatest adventure of her life - and to the enormous danger looming over her and everyone she holds close to her heart.

2. Chapter 2

Part one: chapter two: the new, temporary home

October, 1y99

When the day of planned moving came, Alexandra Carlevaro felt nothing but anxiety and fear taking over her senses as soon as she had woken up. With a slight dose of excitement and curiosity for the unknown as well, as she had no idea what to expect of the Vongola family. It was one thing to see them for a few hours occasionally during the events and gatherings, and the other to live with them in one Residence for an unspecified amount of time depending solely on her father's haste in finishing his mission. She had tried to maintain her calm while awaiting the carriage that was meant to pick her up, though it was a hard task not to show her feelings under the watchful eyes of her sister and mother, both sensitive and alert when it came to the sudden development of Alexandra's marital status. After all, neither of them had expected the news anytime soon, both due to the father's lax attitude towards the subject and the daughter's strong insistence on staying unmarried as long as possible. Alexandra tried her best to avoid facing them, not wanting her guilt caused by the secrecy to cause any suspicion in neither of the women, as she knew they were very experienced in seeing through her lies – as everyone else who knew her.

So far, the engagement brought up an amusing set of events.

Her mother had been less than pleased about the way the betrothal had been handled so far. She greatly enjoyed the news of her younger daughter being engaged - especially when Joanne Allegri, the daughter of her zealous enemy, was still unmarried and unengaged at the same age. Everything the two young women had done through their years had always been compared by both the society and their own families. Having their social debut at the same time, it had been expected for the great competition to take place and the excitement had been palpable. However, neither Alexandra nor Joanne had been eager to add an unnecessary tension to the already stressful situation, silently deciding to simply ignore each other as much as it had been possible during the time of seasons. It had been easy to reach, as where Joanne had done her best to remain the main interest of the society, Alexandra had done as much to stay at the side of it, not wanting to be too visible.

Their mothers, on the other hand, held no similar notion, which continued even the two years after the debut had taken place.

Beatrice was also delighted by the fact that Alexandra, at such a young age, was soon going to take over the position of Lady of the House, no matter the lower position the Vongola had in the social ladder - or at least that's what she thought was going to happen. It was one of the highest possible rankings a woman could take in their society and definitely something to be boasted around during her outings with other Ladies. After all, how many of them could brag about their daughters taking over the position at the age of twenty, without waiting for their husband to actually inherit the tittle first?

At the same time, she seemed rather unbothered by the lack of knowledge and education that her younger daughter had never received to take over such a title. Elsbeth, as the older daughter whose husband would take over the position of heir, had been tutored in the direction ever since her education process had been put into motion. The governesses and teachers had always been instructed to ensure she had been well prepared for her future as the Lady of the Carlevaro House. Apparently, neither their mother nor father believed that Alexandra would have similar duties, as the possibility of receiving any information about what was expected out of the position of the Lady of the House had been obscured from her own curriculum. And there was no relief from the stress - if Alexandra was really considering the position - by the possible time separating the marriage and taking over the duties only after the previous Lord would pass away. At twenty five, Giotto was already a master in his own domain, not simply a predecessor that was meant to take over it eventually. It, coincidently, would make her of a higher standing than her sister, who had always boasted about the title she would be receiving in the future.

Whenever he decided to get engaged and married, Giotto would need to find a lady with the proper education received since the youngest years, if she was to start the duties straight away. Alexandra thought to herself while blocking the conversation around the table and ignoring the gossips exchanged between her mother and sister.

Though she still could feel the slight sting of the oldest Carlevaro's women glance whenever their eyes met.

Amongst her joy and happiness, Beatrice despised the fact that everything had been planned without her participation and behind her back, as she had been led to believe the entire secrecy had been running for quite some time. What seemed to be even more devastating was the idea of Alexandra moving into the residence of her fiancé barely a week after the union had been announced and her mother had not been asked for opinion in such a matter. A fight - a rare occurrence in the Carlevaro household - erupted and in the end no one was spared. The staff was trying to get some details to spread around during their days out, making sure their errands coincidently made them pass the closed doors of the Lord of the House office. Francesco and Alexandra received backlash as first, followed by Elsbeth and Gabriel, though no one really knew why the two had been included in it. They had as much knowledge about the engagement as Beatrice did, a fact the woman seemed strongly focused on ignoring in her rant. It seemed her mother had just gone with the flow at one point, as Francesco barely stopped her from having a dispute with the Carlevaro Council as well. Though Alexandra would be lying while saying she didn't look forward to it. And neither did Elsbeth, though the older sister was better at hiding her expression.

When the meeting with the Vongola family had taken place, all members of the House Carlevaro had watched their Lady with worry and anticipation, but, thankfully, she had kept her tongue in cheek, though the look on her face was a clear indication she had barely managed to do so. It made the leader of their guests shift uncomfortably in his chair a few times, to the amusement of the others as Giotto couldn't stop himself from averting his eyes whenever Beatrice's penetrating gaze fell on him.

Aside from her mother's behaviour, there had been a lot of thing happening around the House to prepare Alexandra for the upcoming changes.

Francesco had presented a signed Marriage Contract to the Council after Giotto's visit to Carlevaro Residence barely a day after their meeting in Vongola house. The participants hadn't seemed to be happy when they had left the house after a few hours of heated conversation. The members of the Council were used to having an active part in every decision made by Francesco, so the fact that he had put the accomplished fact in front of them had been a great blow to their feeling of authority in the House's affair. To be omitted in the matter of not only the marriage of the daughter of the family, but also in the choice of their own newest member, was destined to influence the relationship between the Council and the Lord, an unavoidable outcome of the situation which could bring great consequences in the future. Whether it would be temporary or lasting, no one was able to predict. And no one really wanted to even think of such a possibility, as the strain inside the family would have grave consequences in its integrity.

"I'm sorry we had to leave in such a hurry, but I couldn't cancel all of my meetings for today."

Turning away from the carriage's window and the passing view, Alexandra looked at the man that was going to act as her fiancé for the next few weeks. As all the needed preparations had been done at an accelerated speed, it didn't take long to move her into the Vongola residence – she had been given less time to prepare herself mentally than she was comfortable with and the entire situation still seemed as something out of dream. A very bad one, seeing as there was someone with a mind set on hurting her. Alexandra couldn't shake a feeling she was barely an observant of the developing play, not the participant of it. But it was all according to her father's plan, as Francesco had been unyieldingly set on leaving their hometown as soon as possible, without any unneeded delay, including even the mental comfort of his daughter.

And that's how she found herself in the carriage together with Giotto and Lizzie on her way to the Vongola Residence barely a few days after the plan had been shared with her.

Watching her male companion sitting in front of her, Alexandra suddenly remembered hearing once that no lady would be spared from falling over the looks of the members of the Vongola family, especially the Lord of it, as the handsomeness came in pair with the position. They had been the main subject of many conversations ever since joining the Noble society. While it grew less intense with passing time, it was still brought up regularly, especially when the family kept growing, accepting new members and the influence of their business had been steadily becoming more influential. It didn't really matter whether the conversation was led by old ladies or the ones that barely reached the age of entering the society as a woman - the effect was the same despite the age. The blond hair and strikingly amber eyes were a perfect addition to the handsome features and the gentleness and openness of his expression was an aspect that had many ladies swaying during the conversation with him.

And while she wouldn't deny the truth behind it, Alexandra found herself more interested in the way he managed to keep his blond hair in such a natural mess without making it look unkempt.

Ever since attending the dinner organised by her mother to celebrate the haste engagement - the event as rapid as everything else - Giotto had been nothing but friendly and polite during their interactions. Not that there were many, as she had seen him only twice during the actions undertaken to put the plan into the motion. When he had visited her father on the day she had found out about the farce and during the dinner, though they barely exchanged a few words during the time, the conversations mostly stolen by Beatrice who tried to appease her curiosity. On the contrast to his easiness, she had found herself unable to decide how she was supposed to be acting in front of others, especially the ones that had no idea of the truth behind their engagement.

The trip made her a bit uncomfortable and stiff, for many different reasons. In the end, it was the first time she had ever been alone with Giotto, not counting Lizzie sitting quietly by her side, the familiar presence of the maid giving her a slight support and consolation. Until now, it was either her parents or his Guardians that had been present during the events they had attended together and as the result they had always been surrounded by a large group of people. Not to mention, she hadn't been traveling with a man outside of Carlevaro family members before, as all her trips had always been accompanied by one of her father's or uncle's men, for safety reasons.

The change made her strangely insecure.

"That's fine. I will be back in a few weeks and I can always visit." she answered before a thought occurred to her. "Unless I can't?"

The amusement glinted in amber eyes at her sudden hesitation. There was no need to hold back with the conversation, as Lizzie - to fulfil her duty - had been let into the secret of all of the events. It would be a futile attempt to try and hide everything from the young woman, anyway. The maid had always been by Alexandra's side, including the time during and after the attempts on the brunette's safety had been done, as she continued to help her employee to the best of her ability, tending to her wounds and providing silent support with encouraging and calming words.

"You can leave the house whenever you want, as long as one of the Guardians is with you. There is no need to restrict your movement and all of them already know about the real reason for your presence." he replied sincerely before asking. "How much Francesco told you about the arrangements?"

"Not that much. He has been quite busy with the preparation for his mission and arrangement of the cover. I am to be protected by Vongola under the pretence of being your fiancée until his return." she explained with a note of displeasure in her voice.

Francesco had been mostly out of the house in the last few days, taking care of most prominent matters he needed to close before both his departure and moving his daughter to another location. Before Alexandra had a chance to ask him about the details, the engagement announcement had already been printed out and released for everyone to read. The man had caused another dispute in the Carlevaro Household with the note, to be true, as he had informed others about it barely a few minutes before the paper arrived. There was a feeling she wasn't able to shake that her father had been avoiding her after that, ghosting every attempt of conversation she had initiated, in his foreign haste to finish everything in accordance with his own vision.

It increased the uncomfortable clenching of her stomach whenever she thought about the upcoming days - Alexandra had no idea what exactly had been expected of her to support the guise. There was not much, as she hoped, for the farce was going to last only for a few weeks during which now much would happen. If they managed to avoid any party or social gathering, they would greatly benefit from it, as there would be no one to convince of their relationship. Until now, her interactions with Giotto and his Guardians were mostly limited to short conversations during events in the presence of her father, and she doubted that would be sufficient to make others believe they were truly engaged, not unless the special circumstances were involved in the matter. There was no courting that would make the other nobles aware of the possible change in relation, something that had been usually clearly stressed out when happening, to make sure all the suitors noticed the interest paid to the young lady.

And such surprises always arouse a lot of interest.

"We didn't set all the details until yesterday, it was hard to align the calendars. And the matter of legal documents was closed barely a few days ago." Giotto admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't plan on keeping you locked in the house. As I said, there will be no restrictions for you, aside from ensuring that you are accompanied whenever you go out."

Alexandra nodded her head, accepting the information, as it was actually more than she hoped to gain in the first place. Her original assumption included a total lockdown with no possibility to roam freely around the town with the room guarded by Carlevaro men from the outside and inside, as her father had once mentioned in his irritation of the failed capture of the suspect. She had no doubt that, if there was no need for the man to leave the town under the pressure of time, he would have resolved to such a solution when it came to handling her safety in the easiest and fastest way.

"Should I tell anyone beforehand that I need to leave the house?"

"That would be helpful in organising things" Giotto nodded his head, before explaining. "The Guardians are often away, so it can be hard to change their plans last minute."

"I can just stay in the house for the time being. It's only a few weeks." she proposed.

She wasn't comfortable with the plan. The extent to which Francesco had gone to put everything in motion seemed a bit extravagant for her - Alexandra was not a master in lying, something she came to accept eventually, as well as her entire family. She was actually more successful at failing it. The fear that she wouldn't be able to keep the required appearance and slip something accidently had been clouding her mind for the last few days.

The farce that solely depended on lying and deceiving skills was a play meant to fail with the lack of required skills.

Which is why she decided to limit the social interactions until the ruse was over. Not that she had much of them planned in the first place - with her absence from the town for even a few months every year, the invitations coming her way were lessening in numbers, an unavoidable consequence of not building much connections in the surrounding towns. Some had perceived her as snobbish in a way, due to the fact that she had been far more comfortable in the Capitol, but she didn't really care about the opinion.

She had stopped caring about that ever since the unjustified rumours and gossip were spread around six years prior, making her anxious and uncertain of her own being.

"As long as you notify me or G a day before, it won't be a problem. Also, when attending the social events, we will be presented as an engaged couple, so we will need to act accordingly." Giotto continued, glancing through the window and watching the passing trees, his mind on something else for a few seconds. "A guest room was set up with an adjacent room for your maid. If you find it not satisfactory, tell me, please. But it's close to Mist Wing where Elena is staying. so she will be an additional chaperone, if anyone asks, and also far enough from mine to not awoke any suspicions. We need to make sure there are no reasons for society to doubt your reputation once your father is back."

"Do you really think it is strictly necessary to go to such length?" Alexandra asked suddenly, looking at him closely to read his reaction.

He returned the look, considering the question for a moment but eventually deciding against voicing his initial worry that showed in his mind whenever he thought about the validity of the plan itself.

"Keeping both your health and reputation intact is the main concern of mine and your father at the moment." He answered.

Alexandra hummed, her expression thoughtful.

"It's a common knowledge that our families are befriended." She countered. "If I am correct, there is a female resident in the Residence, which I could be visiting for many different reasons for the period I will spend in your house."

There was a sense in her words and Giotto would be lying to deny it.

He hadn't considered Elena as a plausible explanation of Alexandra's presence in the Residence – though it did seem plausible, considering the lack of friends and female companions the blonde had. Simply going with Francesco's plan suddenly seemed like a reckless action on his part.

One of many.

"There are also seven adult men in the House. My position as your fiancée protects you from making others get wrong assumptions." He said hesitantly when it became obvious she awaited his answer. "Did you talk about it with your father?"

Alexandra shook her head with a grimace, not noticing the slight spike of curiosity in his voice.

"As I said, I barely saw him in the last few days. He wasn't very talkative." She admitted.

A pain flashed through her expression at the memory of Francesco's ignorance of her during the preparation. While she was grateful for Lizzie's support and help during that time, she still wished her father would be more open with everything he had on his mind concerning her.

"There is a reason why he went to such length to protect you. He cares deeply for you."

Giotto's voice brought her out of her musing and she shook herself out of her thoughts.

"I know he would never put me in a harm way. That doesn't mean I like being kept in the dark." She said with a smile, before changing the subject. "But I'm looking forward to seeing the infamous Residence myself, there are many rumours cruising around about the size and design of it."

She hesitated when Giotto looked at her in confusion.

"You have been there before." he furrowed his brows.

"I haven't."

The man in front of her fell silent, watching her with a surprise, his mind going through the events of the past to contradict the statement, but he found himself unsuccessful in the task. It was her turn to turn amused at the sudden disbelief and surprise on Giotto's face as he came to the conclusion that, after all, he couldn't remember her attending any of the events that had taken place in their residence.

It wasn't purposeful on her part, but the chain of incidental occurrences resulted in a fact that Alexandra had never before visited the Vongola House, despite the rest of the family spending their time there quite a lot. She had been either out of town, visiting her aunt, or sick or preoccupied with previous engagements, which made her unavailable to join the gatherings.

And none had ever forced her to amend her plans to do so, which led her to believe it wouldn't cause much offence on the hosting side - and it obviously hadn't, as she noticed with a relief, as her absence hadn't even been noticed.

"I… didn't think of that, I'm sorry." Giotto said eventually with a sigh, a clear uneasiness showing on his features. "Considering how familiar I am with your family house, I assumed it works both ways."

"Don't apologize, I should be the one doing it, after refusing all the invitations. But it shouldn't cause a problem, right?" she asked, creasing her brows.

Being unfamiliar with the layout of the house - and the Vongola residence was an enormous one in size - would hinder her ability to move freely around by herself, but that wasn't something Alexandra wouldn't live with for the next few weeks. She actually planned to make herself as little of a bother as possible, probably settling for keeping off the way of others until her presence was necessary.

"Not really, especially since it can be easily fixed. We will arrange a tour with Matteo, our butler, to make you accustomed to the place. It wouldn't give me a good reputation if you got lost there. The house is enormous." there was a note of disbelief in his voice, as if he still couldn't believe that the building actually belonged to him.

When the silence took over the carriage, Alexandra turned back towards the window again, watching the view. The road led mostly through the forest and the sight of passing trees made her calmer, her nerves more balanced than before. She wasn't able to hear anything, neither the sound of the wind nor the silent rustle of the remaining leaves that moved in accordance to the breeze that swept through it as the rattling of the wheels on the road covered any far more pleasant sounds. There was barely any leaves left on the branches anyway at this time of the year, the autumn doing its job and claiming the lot it had been taking annually with no change, despite the sadness it caused in the hearts of people watching the swapping seasons.

The movement of the carriage was making her drowsy, and the last thing she wanted to do was to fall asleep during the journey. She had witnessed a few uncomfortable situations resulting from the uneven roads and the bumps on it. Lizzie obviously didn't share the restriction of her mistress, as the young maid was fast asleep, leaning over the side of the carriage. Both of them had gotten a little sleep the previous night, Alexandra's anxiety rubbing on her companion, as Lizzie had spent additional hours going through the packed boxes to ensure they had everything needed for the stay. While it hadn't been Alexandra's biggest concern, it made the young girl occupied with something to calm her own nerves, so the brunette hadn't opposed.

Fighting hard to keep her eyes open, Alexandra welcomed the break in the silence when Giotto's voice cut through it.

"I have a few things I want to ask you."

"About?" she inquired, turning towards him.

"The kidnappings. Francesco had shared the general outline, but you were the one there and your insight can bring more to the intel." he explained, watching her closely.

Trying to not make it too obvious, he took in her appearance, trying to read something out of her expression and stature.

He had seen her passingly a few weeks ago, during some social event he had barely remembered, but the encounter was short and they had probably exchanged no words outside of the polite greetings. But Giotto had an uncommon ability of reading people and remembering details of their behaviour, once it caught his attention. And Alexandra was a member of the family of his close friend - his overly protective streak was extending towards all the members of it.

She had changed in the span of the few months that separated their meeting before that, as he had noticed with a certain dose of surprise and wonder. She seemed more mature somehow, both in features and stature, making her actually seem her age. At least in behaviour, as he had given up on expecting to meet a person of Carlevaro bloodline with the features presenting their age. Perhaps it was the seriousness of her expression caused by the conversation they had, the teal eyes shining with thoughtfulness as she considered the severity of the events, or the way she had her brown hair pinned up instead of wearing her usual braid. Whatever was the cause of it, it brought a sense of relief in him, as he realised that considering her to be younger than she actually was would be impossible at this point.

Perhaps it would also stop his Guardians from teasing him about the age of his temporary fiancée.

"If you find that helpful. I doubt there will be anything more than father shared with you already. I told him everything I remembered after the events occurred." shrugging her shoulder, Alexandra averted her eyes back towards the window.

She wasn't pleased with returning to the bitter memories of the events, the fear that had been caused by the strange men in her own bedroom returning to her memories, causing a chill to run down her spine. Following the third attempt, the previously safe zone seemed foreign and dangerous to the point where she had moved to one of the guest rooms in her own house. She had been aware of every shadow that appeared in the closed space. Any foreign sound made her heart quicken in speed, keeping her awake through many nights and rendering her tired and drowsy for the most of the days to follow.

"It would help in planning the security around the house for Alaude." Giotto confirmed, his voice soothing and calming despite the silent insistence on the subject.

While she had never met the Guardian personally, as he had been avoiding any meetings, Francesco had mentioned him many times around the table. It was clear that her father was impressed by the man's abilities ever since getting to know him and that had not been a common occurrence.

"I didn't even notice the first two tries before father told me about them." she admitted after the moment of silence during which she contemplated how to describe her experience, picking her nails nervously. "It was the third one that was most dangerous and memorable, so to say, as they were able to get into my room that night."

"What happened there?"

The gentle voice decreased her anxiety slightly, though it was still hard to talk about it. Taking a deep breath, she gave herself a moment to collect her thoughts and remember the events in the exact orders they had occurred. Alexandra didn't want to make the recollection a mumbled mess, which would make the event less understandable for the person not participating in them.

"I was sleeping. It was the feeling of someone hovering over and watching that woke me up. Tt seemed to take them by surprise. They still managed to gag me before I could call for help, though. There were two of them in the room. I still believe there was another one on the balcony, but father's men weren't able to catch him. The second man by the door, the one that didn't stand over me, was talking with someone."

Alexandra was certain she didn't imagine it, despite the stressful situation and the darkness that settled in the room during the night - the open door of the balcony provided enough moon light to clearly see the moving lips and eyes concentrated on someone outside of it. The adrenaline that arose in her system as soon as she had gathered what was happening caused her senses to be at high alert, making her notice far more details than she normally could. But she had realised on the same day that Francesco hadn't believed in the existence of the third participant, straight worldly settling to consider it as a figment of her imagination due to the lack of any other proof of his existence. The way he and his men had spoken with her about the issue left no room for doubt in the matter that none of them considered looking for the third participant, despite her insistence on his existence.

Clearing her throat and putting the thought aside, she continued.

"The man over me had a knife to my throat, but didn't press it hard enough to actually harm me. He wouldn't hesitate to use it if I tried anything, he told me when he dragged me out of the bed. They wanted to get out through the balcony, I have no idea how. It was the second floor and climbing with a struggling person would be problematic." she said with contempt, looking at her companion. "The movement outside the bedroom made them still, which is the only reason I managed to get free. I'm not sure whether it was a passing maid or someone else, but it gave me the opportunity to grab the letter opener from the desk and stab the man holding me in the leg."

The blood staining the carpet and the floor of her room flashed in front of her eyes, as well as the sight of her dirtied nightgown where the red contrasted with the white material in place it touched the leg of the wound. It had been the first time she had ever physically harmed anyone - and the first time she had been forced to do so for her own safety. The memory of the warm liquid splashing on her hand made her rub it against her dress unconsciously.

"I don't know if they were shocked by it, but when he recoiled from me in pain and the second man seemed to be in stupor I had enough time to run from the room. I called for help and that's when my father appeared. They were caught while trying to run away. After that someone ambushed my carriage and tried to snatch me from the street, but father was always there and stopped them. That's basically it." she finished the story, turning her head away, aware of the amber eyes watching her closely.

"Francesco shared with you anything about the mercenaries?" Giotto inquired, keeping the same tone of his voice.

The way he spoke with her was a great contrast with the way she had been interrogated by the Carlevaro men after the events had occurred. Her father had been nervous and angry, the concern of her safety putting him on the edge which he had unconsciously taken out on his daughter. She knew that the anger wasn't really directed at her, as she had no idea why it was happening in the first place, but it still gave her an uncomfortable feeling that settled in her stomach and heart, the stress growing up whenever she had to give her statement to the questions asked.

"He barely shared anything with me. He refused to talk about anything that was discovered during the duration of the investigation as well."

The dismissal had hurt her, the negligence her father showed to any of her inquiries and concerns, something she had never expected to ever experience from him in the first place. They had always been close - the younger daughter choosing her father's company, while the older spent more time with her mother - so the change in behaviour was bitter and striking. Even when they were outside together, Francesco guarding her by accompanying her whenever she went out, he had been absent minded and mostly quiet, leaving her more nervous about the situation than she had been directly after the attack.

"It must have been scary." At the sudden change of the subject, Alexandra turned to him in surprise.

"It was. I mean, the fear came after the adrenaline wore out and hasn't really diminished since then. But it is expected when one finds himself experiencing the act of aggression in safe surroundings." she admitted honestly.

Females of the Mafia Families weren't prepared for such occurrences in the first place as it was expected of them to be oblivious and ignorant to the matter of politics and darkness of the Organisation. Instead, they were protected by the false sense of security, mostly not even aware of the direct danger that they had been target of, their fathers and brothers making sure none of them could ever find out about it, to not shatter the innocence in their vision of the world. It was unheard of to have a woman be able to protect herself through the means of any form of fighting - any tried to change it and arranging the basic self-defence lessons were frowned upon and immediately shut down, cutting short any attempts even before it was developed into something more serious.

A frown made its way on Giotto's forehead as he contemplated the story he had just heard. It had been in line with what Francesco had told him, not that he had expected any inconsistency in the versions of father and daughter. He was far more concerned about the way she had spoken about her feelings concerning the experience - the matter-of-factly way of admitting the scare and looking for the logical explanation to dismiss it made him wonder whether she had been consoled by anyone after all that happened.

"I will make sure no harm will happen to you when you are in Vongola residence." Giotto promised before he could stop himself, the need of comforting someone that was hurt taking better of him.

Alexandra watched him for a moment, her eyes calculating, before she nodded her head. She didn't doubt he would do his best. But it still did nothing to lessen the fear clenching her insides, though she made a great effort to not show it on her face.

"Thank you." she said instead. "And I'm sorry you had to be dragged into it."

"That's not a problem. I'm happy to help."

There was no room left to doubt the Genuity of his words, as his expression remained honest and open as he smiled friendly at her. A guilt made her heart clench painfully once again. If there was real danger looming over her caused by a member of her own Mafia House, involving others not associated with that world would have grave consequences. Putting others in a way of danger only to ensure her own safety seemed like a selfish act.

And that was something that didn't sit well with her.

---

Matteo, as it turned out, was a very dignified and pleasant older man. Alexandra liked him instantly as he was nothing but a professional and friendly companion during their tour, which made the first impression of the residence a lot better. She had understood, upon seeing the building once they arrived, why Giotto had been worried about her lack of knowledge of how to move around the never-ending corridors and recognize the purposes of the rooms.

Matteo had such a variety of information about the history of the building that Alexandra found herself unable to keep up with the man as he had been very keen on sharing them with her. Which both terrified her and made her curious.

"The residence had been built two hundred years ago. It's one of the oldest buildings in the area, possibly only the old ruins of the fortress were built before it. It was the King's gift to his Queen, as she had a habit of throwing enormous and luxurious banquets, in contrast to his own preferences. He himself wasn't much of a person to attend the events without need to do so. Still, a place for the guests was required to stay and rest after the parties."

They were going through the long corridor leading from the entrance of the residence on the lowest level of the Residence. Once she had been introduced to Matteo and left in his professional care, Giotto had excused himself, disappearing from the view after climbing the stairs. Probably to immerse himself in his work, the butler had explained, inviting her to follow him to start the tour.

"After the Queen had passed, the place was rarely used, only to be eventually fully abandoned by the Royal Family. The renovation and clearing started only after Lord Vongola received his title and the residence with it. It was actually believed, before that happened, that no one would ever claim the ownership of the Residence, which would be a great shame." Matteo continued, making his way towards the stairs.

Alexandra followed him dutifully, not making any attempt to conceal her curiosity as she looked around, taking in every detail and decoration that adorned the walls and floors. The signs of renovation were obvious and clear. The interior design lacked the old and dark tapestries that always gave the gloomy and overwhelming impressions. Unfortunately, it had been the usual style used for the Residences of the oldest Noble Houses, the design rarely changed, as at the same time, it gave the sense of royal dignity and luxury, the heavy, antique furniture completing the look.

In contrast, Vongola Residence gave the pleasant surprise to the guest, as the light colours and simple, yet sturdy, furniture brightened the rooms and corridors they were passing, There were no portraits of passed Lords and Ladies hanging from the wall, the painted eyes observing every movement and exchange as if judging their predecessor for all decisions and actions undertaken by them. There was no doubt it would eventually show up as well, presenting Giotto and his Guardians with their own families, starting the tradition that would be followed for many generations to come after them. But for now, the paintings represented mostly nature, the sunny and warm colours a great addition to the already bright rooms.

"It looks amazing. Were you the one responsible for the work done here?" she asked curiously.

The man nodded, a pride shining in his eyes as he looked at her.

"I was. Lord Vongola gave me a free choice of what to do with every room, having only requirements of it being simple and without a redundant splendour," he admitted.

The goal was reached perfectly, she decided, looking at the painting of the lake enlightened by the bright sun on the clear sky. She wasn't fully certain, but it seemed to be the representation of the Lake in the local park, or at least it looked illusively similar.

"Why was it abandoned, though? It's an amazing residence. I can't imagine no one tried to claim it before Giotto received it." she said genuinely, not hiding the awe.

She had no idea how the interior and exterior of the building looked before the renovation, though the layout of the corridors and the general structure of the rooms still would leave a great impression on whoever decided to take a closer look at it.

"There is this ridiculous story of the ghost hunting the residents and a curse that fell upon the building itself due to some dark gossip of the past. Though there is no sense in losing time on it, Miss Carlevaro. The abandonment is simply a result of the Royal Palace renovation, which increased the space to the point where additional residence was no longer required."

"Ghost?" she repeated curiously.

Alexandra almost winced at the displeased look she received from the butler which perfectly matched his voice when Matteo mentioned it for the first time. She could do nothing about it, as paranormal stories and horrors brought a great interest whenever she had heard of any. Though the curiosity was mostly caused by the need to find out the basis of the legends of curses and ghosts, as there always had been a logical explanation hidden in the past that could explain the events.

"There was a suspicion that the original owner of the residence had committed a crime of murder. The victim, one of King's mistresses, was found dead in her room. It was common knowledge that the Queen was pruriently jealous of her husband's infidelity, so everyone assumed she was the one behind it. And the mistress, the only one that had made its way to the Palace, was rumoured to be one and true love of the King, which only added to the anger of the Queen. However, the lack of witnesses made it an unresolved mystery, despite the official investigation being performed, led by no one else but the King himself." he recalled the history, albeit reluctantly.

Unfortunately for him, the story had already piqued Alexandra's interest and she turned towards Matteo with furrowed brows, the paintings forgotten at this point.

"How did she die? The mistress, I mean." she asked, following him.

"There are no details on the official historical records, but it is rumoured she was repeatedly stabbed. Crime of passion, apparently. However, the mistress was known for her passionate love of life and her weak spot for married men, as she hadn't been as limited as the King in her affairs. She was his only one, but he most definitely wasn't the only one for her. There were many noble ladies that held a grudge against her."

"But it wouldn't make such good gossip if any noble lady was the culprit. It was much more interesting when the Queen was the one behind it." Alexandra concluded with wonder and Matteo nodded his head.

"The Queen being involved made the story more desirable to spread," he confirmed.

Which made a sense in a way why the culprit had been never disclosed. If the Royal Family member was the one commiting the crime, all resources and abilities were directed at securing the information from leaking out, making sure that the case was quickly forgotten and no evidence of it were left behind.

The woman could have been a beloved mistress, but the Queen was still a wife and the perfect image of the Royal Family could not have been shaken by such a scandal.

"So how is she hunting the residence?" she continued the questioning, trying to hold back her smile when Matteo threw her another disgruntled look.

"As the rumour says, the murdered mistress is showing herself to the women that are troubled with the feelings of love and passion. Apparently, she is a vengeful spirit that does not want to see anyone's happiness. Or warning the ladies from entering an affair destined to be tragic. It depends on the sources." he explained, his voice resigned.

"I do feel sorry for the future wives of the family members." she muttered under her breath.

"You, Miss Carlevaro, are one of them." Matteo reminded her, throwing her a serious look.

Bridal lessons were usually handled by the butler, the one responsible for running the house affairs before the Lady of House was appointed and ready to take over the duty. Due to that, Matteo had been informed about the truth of the situation about his Lord's sudden engagement. There was no doubt about the man's loyalty, as well as in the possibility of him watching over Alexandra to make sure she didn't let something arising suspicion slip accidently. Clearing his throat, the butler continued the tour, changing the subject to a more mundane one.

"The residence was renovated with the purpose of being separated into seven Wings, one for each Guardian. Each wing consists of a few bedrooms, living room and Master Bedroom conjoined with Lady's Chamber. The idea was to make it as comfortable as possible for the time when the Guardians decide to start their own families, giving them the privacy and seclusion desired. On the first floor, the Wings of Rain and Lightning are located, as well as the Lord's office and Meeting Room. Second Floor, the middle one, is occupied by Sun and Mist Guardians. The guest rooms of the main building, one of which is prepared for Miss, are there as well. Which will serve well for the propriety purpose, as Miss Elena will be close by. And finally, the third floor is taken over by Storm and Sky Wings, where the Lord and his right hand man reside."

Letting the information sink, Alexandra furrowed her brows at the noticed inconsistency of the information.

"This makes six Wings. Aren't there seven members of the main Family, including Giotto?" she asked.

"Yes, but the Cloud apartment is located in the more secluded area, at the back of the residence in a separate building. It was requested by Master Alaude and approved by Lord Vongola, due to the specifics of Cloud Guardian's character and preferences."

Nodding her head at the explanation, Alexandra dropped the subject, not wanting to mingle in the matters that didn't concern her directly.

"The ground floor of the residence consists of the rooms of common use, which include the Dining Room in the left wing and Living Room in the right wing, both adapted to accommodate the Family of considerable size. The ballroom is located in the central building, taking almost the entire space of it." Matteo continued the tour after a short pause. "Is there a need to go through the individual Wings?"

Alexandra shook her head with no hesitation.

"I don't want to encroach, as it's the family's individual quarters."

The answer seemed to satisfy Matteo, as he nodded with a pleased look in his eyes. A sudden feeling that the question served a purpose of testing her character and intentions took over her mind as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, though the man only smiled back at her.

"That's good to hear. We will walk through the floors now."

---

She wasn't able to enter her new bedroom until a few hours later, the tour taking much longer than she had expected.

The size of the residence and the detailed history of each room they visited made her head spin and Alexandra was wiped out by the time she made her way on the second floor. Carlevaro's house had always seemed big for her, especially with only four people occupying it and leaving most of the space unoccupied, but her current residual place had definitely surpassed it greatly. The Royal family had always only the best. If the building was designed for the Queen herself originally, it had to be the most breath-taking place that could be made. She had suspected at one point it was Matteo's payback for forcing him to recall the ghost story, and the satisfied glim in his eyes when they finished it confirmed her thoughts.

Dropping lifelessly on her new bed, she closed her eyes in content, enjoying the moment of peace and quiet.

"Miss, you will wrinkle your dress."

Turning her head without raising it towards the source of the voice, Alexandra looked at Lizzie. The young girl emerged from behind the opened doors of the closet, her ginger hair put up in the neat bun and her clothes as pristine as ever as she had immersed herself in the task of unpacking her mistress' dresses and hanging it carefully in their destined place.

"I could do it myself." Alexandra replied calmly.

The clothes would probably remain unpacked until the next day, though, but she decided to keep that piece of information to herself. Not that she had a sense in unpacking them in the first place, as well as taking that much of them - she wouldn't spend much time in the Residence anyway, and the ballroom gowns seemed as an unnecessary expense.

"Miss, I'm your personal maid and it's my duty. It would be my shame to let Miss do such things on her own."

"I told you to call me Alexandra." she muttered with a sigh, sitting up on the bed and straightening, recognizing her defeat when Lizzie shot her an exasperated look. "The constant 'miss' is tiring." she added under her breath.

"I can always switch to 'my lady' to fit the situation, Miss." Lizzie replied with an innocent smile.

"Please don't. Have you been here all the time?"

Lizzie shook her head, disappearing once again for a moment before returning to the opened suitcase.

"No, I went to introduce myself to the rest of the staff. It was nice, they were really welcoming, offering their help. I mean, there were some who were suspicious of me, and some jealous for whatever reason, but in the end, I think I will become friends with most of them."

The glam of excitement was radiating from Lizzie as the girl was more than pleased with the change of scenery and her usual duties, despite the circumstances of it. Alexandra smiled to herself, shaking her head. It had been three years since the younger girl was promoted to work as her personal maid. Capable and hardworking, she had moved quickly from her position as kitchen help and had caught a good contact with her mistress. Lizzie had been trying hard not to overstep the boundaries but her open personality made it hard to keep quiet. The girl had easily shared most of the details of her life, including the struggle to support sick mother and the interest she had developed in the young men she had been currently enamoured with. Alexandra had never minded it, storing all the information given in her memory, as it gave her a more personal view of the girl that served her, creating a way of getting closer and partially making them balance on the margin of what was expected from the relationship between a maid and a lady.

Lizzie had also been an amazing source of all information and rumours that were spread amongst other maids. Including the ones not working for the Carlevaro family, which gave Alexandra far more insight into the lives of other Houses than she should probably have.

"I am invited to eat my meals with them in the staff room. Some of the maids mentioned they can move an additional bed to their rooms if I wanted to stay with them, in case Miss wanted to have some private time." she stopped herself short, glancing at her mistress with hesitation. "Sorry, that was out of line."

"That's fine, those weren't your words after all. But I would be grateful if you slept in your room for the duration of our stay here." Shaking her head with a sigh, Alexandra tried to keep a blush from making its way onto her cheeks.

She hadn't been much accustomed with the subject of intimate interactions, though even for her the implication wasn't left misunderstood. The years of education in what was right to discuss and what not left her very uncomfortable with the subject as she considered it shameful and improper, as it had been described by the governesses and teachers.

It had been supposed to serve as a warning from acting on young ladies' dangerous desires that could arise at any possible time, but the effect had been lasting far too much in their brains, causing a lot of stress for the ones awaiting their wedding night.

"I hope that the danger will be over soon."

Lizzie's face turned solemn when she watched the brunette lying carelessly on the bed, teal eyes closed once again. The maid had seen the aftermath of the break into Alexandra's bedroom, as well as the other maids that were assigned to clean the room, and the worry of the safety of her employer hadn't left her heart ever since then. Francesco had managed to somehow ensure the silence and stop the rumours from being spread outside the house - probably with money being exchanged from one pocket to another, as Alexandra suspected, though she didn't have a way to confirm it.

She wasn't certain what exactly Lizzie knew, but her father had pulled the young maid on the side to have a short conversation before they had left the Carlevaro household.

"Well, father wouldn't move me here to go through the farce if he wasn't certain I am going to be safe." the brunette said, sitting up. "Lizzie, what did he tell you?"

The maid looked at her with confusion all over her face for a moment, before a realisation made its way on her expression, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"To watch over Miss and make sure that there are no possible rumours later on. Something I would be doing anyway, as it is my sole duty."

The pride note in Lizzie's voice amused Alexandra and the warmth spread in her at the sight of the genuine care the girl had expressed. It was nice to have a close and familiar person in unknown surroundings to support her mentally. Social standing was often an obstacle in relations, though none of them really cared about it. The nobles took the highest position in hierarchy, being not only the wealthiest, but also the most powerful people and they had a specific sense of superiority over others, more often than not a fake one. The heritage passed through the generations from father to sons ensured their luxurious life, despite the debts that had often made its way into the family fortune due to the wrong management. Aside from running the family business, none of them had to bother themselves with working, which resulted in barely any of them recognizing the true hardship of earning the money and supporting their loved ones. The enormous and decorated residences were the gems of every town, taking over the side of the city where the biggest space and most amazing views were available.

The middle class was considered the working class of the society. Most of the young maidens desired the work at noble's houses, giving them reality of what it was like to be a noble and at least letting them take a glimpse of the luxury that they had been refused due to the birth. If the person they served was friendly, they had the possibility to learn how to write and read, which in turn gave them the opportunity to find better jobs in the future. Others counted on the good recommendation letters that would result in easily moving away from the family house to pursue their own lives - the best way to leave the town and follow their dreams of living in the Capitol. There were also the more daring ones, who wanted the easiest and quickest way out of poverty - seducing the noble often meant a healthy recompense that would stop them from spreading the news. The future wasn't really bright for the child in most cases, as it was either given to the orphanage or neglected while growing up. The males of the class usually took over the physical work, more lucky ones taking over the position as helping hands or cooks in the houses of nobles. Others worked in the fields or shops, doing their best to ensure the wellbeing of their wives, mothers and sisters.

The shops around the town were often by the wealthiest members of the working class. The art of needlework, cooking or meat preparation was passed from generation to generation, ensuring the good life of the families, even despite their lower status in the society.

There was also the lowest class that didn't bother with making their lives better. Consisting of criminals, mercenaries, social outcasts and strumpets, they were mostly avoided by both nobles and working class. They occupied the furthest part of the town, slums that were not willingly visited by the ones that didn't have urgent business there. Even though many dreamed of leaving the extreme poverty and perversion, in the end not many had succeeded in the task, choosing instead the future they had accustomed with.

The sound of knocking echoed in the room and the two women exchanged surprised looks, both broken out of their individual thoughts.

Alexandra hadn't expected anyone to visit her - Giotto wouldn't risk coming to her bedroom in case someone would see him leaving it and she strongly doubted any of his Guardians would come to serve as a company for her, mostly for the same reason as the presence of their Lord was not expected. Standing up from her bed, curiosity taking over her mind, she watched as Lizzie made her way towards the door, opening it after a moment of hesitation. A few words were exchanged before the maid let the visitor enter the room.

Alexandra wondered whether good looks were one of the requirements of joining the Vongola family.

The woman that entered the room would definitely bring the attention of any company she had entered into. Her long blond hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves while blue eyes shone friendly when she smiled at the brunette after thanking Lizzie for letting her in.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything. I'm Elena. Elena Baudelaire." She introduced herself. "I'm the fiancee of Demon Spade, one of Giotto's Guardians. You must be Alexandra."

The brunette nodded her head, returning the smile, the action unconscious and automatic, caused by the naturally friendly and kind vibe that Elena kept influencing others with.

"Please, just call me Alex. It's nice to meet you." .

While the blonde looked nothing but pleasant and friendly, Alexandra could recognize when she was being assessed and when not. Elena was curious what to expect of her and whether there were no hidden intentions in her presence in Vongola Residence. While Francesco was their friend and they trusted him, it didn't necessarily mean that his daughter would follow the same principles as her father.

"I heard Matteo was the one giving you a tour around the house. I'm glad you survived it." she said with a note of mischief.

"Barely. But the stories he shared were interesting, so it wasn't so bad in the end." Alexandra admitted with honesty, glancing at Lizzie who returned to her previous task.

The maid, while pretending to be occupied, was watching them carefully, listening to every word exchanged, making sure no harm would be meant from Elena. She was taking her duty seriously and any unknown person approaching the brunette was perceived as suspicious one, even if they were the members of the Vongola House meant to protect her in the first place.

"I went through the same ordeal when I moved here. Which is why I suspect he has been studying this house since his childhood. Even if he denies it, his knowledge is too extensive to be accidental." the blue eyes twinkled with laughter. "I wanted to invite you over for some tea. We are going to spend a lot of time together during your stay, so I find it vital to get to know each other."

Alexandra hesitated, before nodding her head.

She had a feeling that if she refused the invitation, her stay in the Vongola residence would not be as pleasant as she would prefer it to be. Not because Elena would act to get revenge for throwing away her invitation – she didn't seem to be such a petty person – but because Alexandra wouldn't have an ally inside the House that she would spend time with. And Lizzie, after all, would have duties to perform occasionally, leaving her alone in the guest room with her thoughts, as that was something she would rather avoid at all cost.

"A tea would be nice."

She had previously refused snacks proposed by Matteo at the end of the tour due to fear the man would continue overwhelming her with information about the residence and its history while accompanying her to the served meal. Alexandra hadn't been lying - she had enjoyed the tour and genuinely liked the man, but the amount of stories and historical details already shared was enough for one day.

"I was a bit surprised that I haven't met you yet, actually. I know Elsbeth quite well, as she is usually accompanying your father and Gabriel, though I don't think I have ever seen you at any party here." the blonde said at the start of the conversation

Elena was leading her down the corridor to the Mist Wing, as Alexandra remembered already, the brunette following her diligently, trying to calm down her nervousness at the prospect of getting accustomed with someone she had never seen before. Matteo made sure to make her familiar with a layout in the fear she could get lost at one point while wandering around the halls on her own, which would happen during her stay. Not that it would pose any danger for her, but as a butler of the House he wanted to avoid any situation that would make their guest displeased and uncomfortable, and that would be a case if he suddenly walked into one of the Guardians accidentally by mistaking the room for something else.

"I have usually been preoccupied with something else at the occasions." she replied. "As strange of a coincidence as it may be. I hope that no one found it offensive."

"Would it be too meddling to ask what it was?" Elena asked, looking at her curiously.

Alexandra hesitated for a moment, considering the answer, though she had nothing to hide in the aspect of her continuous absence from her hometown. She hadn't been committing any crime or involving herself in shameful acts that would influence Elena's opinion about her.

"Not really. I spend a lot of time at the Capitol with my aunt, visiting the local markets and joining the festivals there. Most probably, I was there at the time of the Vongola events." she explained genuinely. "And if I wasn't there then I most probably stayed at Cavallone Residence."

Elena's interest piqued considerably, as she tilted her head to look closer at Alexandra, her eyebrows narrowed curiously. It wasn't certain what exactly caused her reaction, though the brunette made an effort at disclosing her expression, to not let out the discomfort she felt at the sudden attention she was getting. The Founding Families were often heard to travel to the Capitol, both out of duty and enjoyment, so that wasn't anything new to be considered amusing.

"That would explain it. It's not like we held a lot of them, actually, as they guys aren't much of the banquets and events enthusiasts. They do attend it when necessary, though mostly try to avoid it. Aside of Giotto, obviously, as he is obliged to do as the Lord." Elena said finally in contemplation. "I have tried to convince them many times that it is a lot of fun if they would make an attempt to actually involve themselves, but it is all to vain, I'm afraid."

The banquets, while considered often as a nuisance by some during the social seasons when the intensity of them was greatly increased, they still served the purpose of a distraction from daily routine and the political and economic problems that had been occasionally arising, making some of the Houses uncertain of their wealth and luxurious lives. Young ladies were always keen on attending such events to find an elusive and handsome gentlemen that would be considered a desired candidate for the subject, preferably with the fortune and position. Their mothers, more often than not, participated to support their daughters in the task and to gather new and thrilling rumours, their eyes hungrily scanning the room to search anything that would grab their attention.

"You didn't take much after your mother or sister." the direct comment brought amusement in Alexandra.

She turned to Elena, a smile playing in the corner of her lips, as her eyebrows furrowed uncertainly. She doubtfully considered how the words should be understood.

"I have no idea if it's a compliment or not, but I will consider it as one."

There was only aspect of her features that signified she a relative of her mother and sister – all three of them shared the same rare teal eyes, a signature characteristic of her mother's family, something that hadn't been a common occurrence in the local area. Other than that, her short and petite stature, as well as the wavy brown hair were a direct inheritance of Carlevaro bloodline, a features the female descendants of the House had often shared. In that aspect, she was far more similar in looks to her aunt than her mother and she often found herself jealous of the missed genetics that were passed to her sister instead.

Such comments as the one spoken by Elena had usually been given in more pitying and disappointed tone.

Elsbeth had taken fully after their mother, her straight raven hair flowing elegantly down her back with every movement she made and the tall, slim figure never failed to catch attention of the male company. The difference between the two sisters caused many unnecessary comments and comparison to be made during Alexandra's debutant year, incidentally or not causing her to be far more conscious about her own looks than she probably should have been. She had kept herself on the side when it came to the banquets during that time, willingly giving the position of the focus of attention to Joanne Allegri, not making the slightest attempt of taking the leading role.

It had disappointed many people, as the expectation of the rivalry between the two daughters of the Founding Families had been high. Her mother herself hadn't failed to express her own lack of happiness after the lack of good enough marriage proposition that she had been certain would come after Alexandra made her first official appearance at the events as an adult woman. But the brunette, despite Beatrice's encouragement, made no attempt at gaining the attention of any young gentlemen.

"Of course it's a compliment. I wouldn't dare to offend you at our first meeting." Elena laughed openly, shaking her head, before continuing with a smile when they had entered the living room of Mist Wing. "That's where I am staying. Feel free to visit me whenever you want a company or are bored. I am always lacking a female company in this male environment, so I will be more than happy to host you in my humble abode."

The room, as Alexandra noticed, had been nothing but humble, despite it delicate and simple interior. She had been curious whether the room was decorated by the woman herself, as it seemed to fit her personality just well – the purple colours were an addition of dominating beige ones, giving a pleasant look to the eye. The walls, as she noticed with the surprise and joy, were mostly covered by shelves holding many books, far too many to guess the quantity of it, their covers varying in style and colours, the display eye catching and breath taking for anyone that enjoyed the peaceful reading in front of the fireplace.

"I don't want to take too much of your time." Alexandra answered absently, her attention taken by the enormous collection of novels stacked on the shelves in the corner.

"It is going to be a refreshing change." following the direction of her eyes, Elena smiled bashfully. "That's my dirty little secret. I really love romance novels. Not that I like to admit it easily, but they are a nice way to make the time pass faster during a slow and boring day."

"Are all of these romance?" the brunette inquired curiously and dubiously, moving closer and reading through the titles.

The stories of love and romance were greatly sought by many ladies, both young and older ones, as it provided a good and harmless way to distract themselves from the lack of it in their daily lives. With arranged marriages, not many of them were blessed with experiencing the thrilling adventure that were usually portrayed by the author. The maidens were following the story with rosy cheeks and held breath, imaging themselves in the position of heroine, gaining the attention of mysterious and handsome gentleman that would eventually develop a romantic interest in her, swiping her of her feet with his bravery and gallant behaviour.

"Mostly. There are also some horrors and criminal ones."

Hearing the sound of a clattering china, Alexandra turned around, her attention drawn back to Elena, as the woman sat gracefully on a chair by a small tea table, in the middle of the process of pouring them tea. An unfinished needlework and a few books lied at the side, abandoned temporarily by their owner, though they would be picked up eventually once again when Alexandra would be gone from the room.

Feeling the embarrassment heating her cheeks, she took the seat opposite her host, clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry."

"That's fine. So, I heard you will be staying here for the next few weeks."

The sudden shift of the subject took her but surprise, and Alexandra threw a calculating look at Elena, wondering where exactly it came from. It was hard to distinguish just how much information the other woman had been shared about the situation. She had already known that the Guardians were well aware of what caused her presence in the Vongola Residence, though Giotto had never mentioned directly that Elena had been let in the secret as well.

The hesitation must have shown on her face, as the blonde smiled easily before saying.

"I know everything, you don't need to be worried about it."

"That's good. I would hate to lie to you all the time." the brunette didn't try to conceal the relief in her voice, as her shoulders felt lighter suddenly. "A few weeks, yes, though I hope my father will return faster. I am terrible at lying and would like to avoid doing it as much as possible."

Elena kept watching her a longer moment, the blue eyes assessing her answer and words, as if she wasn't sure whether it was to believed or not. Curiosity and anticipation were the most prominent emotions that she could see on the blonde's face, though a bit of distrust could be spotted as well as she tried to read something out of Alexandra's expression. The brunette tried her best to look as honest as she could, to not make Elena suspicious.

"It can cause some problems at the upcoming Cavallone's ball."

The blank look on Alexandra's face seemed to greatly amuse Elena, as the blue eyes twinkled with laughter at the suddenly terrified expression.

"You and Giotto are going as a betrothed couple. It will be your first outing together, so it is destined to put you in the centre of attention."

It took Alexandra a moment to comprehend the words, the meaning not fully registering yet in her mind. She had held a great hope, even before leaving the Carlevaro Residence, that they wouldn't need to make a public outing during the period of her stay with the Vongola family, instead keeping their relationship in the seclusion of the safe walls, not getting themselves involved in any possible conversation about it from curious friends and acquaintances. The less they were seen interacting together, the easier it would be to cancel the engagement in the eyes of others without any retribution.

She had completely forgotten about the banquette at Lorenzo and Claire's, the invitation received a few weeks back by all noble families in the area, meant for celebrating the upcoming birth of their firstborn, as well as the approaching winter.

"I forgot." she whispered, her face pale.

There was no sense in lying to herself that the sudden announcement of engagement, not preceded by the common courting, wouldn't arouse curiosity, especially amongst the mothers that had their eyes on Giotto - many questions were to be asked, for sure, and many lies would need to be shared to answer them. Alexandra had favoured the idea of simply not attending the event, though she knew straight away there was no way she would miss it. Claire had expressed her hope to see her and get her support during the banquet at the moment she had handed her the invitation and getting back on the promise was not something the brunette could easily do without being swallows by her guilt as the aftermath of such an act.

"It's going to be fine. You won't be there alone." Elena said comfortingly, wincing in sympathy at the distress. "Giotto will be with you, so you can leave it all to him. He is quite good at getting out of such situations when he puts his mind at it."

Alexandra glanced at ger companion, collecting herself from the moment of impromptu panic. She didn't want to be perceived as an overly dramatic person, but the situation had put a lot pressure on her already troubled mind.

And, somehow, the idea of Giotto being good at lying didn't really suit her image of the man.

"Are you going as well?" she asked to busy herself with the conversation and raising the cup to her lips, the warmth and flavour calming her nerves.

She had no idea what kind of tea it was, but she found it greatly enjoyable, her taste buds pleased a lot more than she expected it would be possible. It didn't taste like anything that could be acquired on the local market and she wondered whether Elena had ordered it from another town. She made a mental note to ask her about it before leaving the residence, as the certainty that it would become one of her favourite drinks from that moment settled in her mind.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it. Demon, G and Ugetsu too." the blonde confirmed, before adding. "I don't usually join the events, though for such an occasion, I will make an exception."

"The more the merrier." Alexandra commented.

She didn't know why Elena would have chosen to seclude herself from the social life, as she had expected her to be quite an outgoing person. They had barely known each other, though, and she didn't find it in herself to ask too much personal questions – maybe once they get acquaintances a bit more she would return to the subject to satisfy her curiosity, but it definitely wasn't the time for that yet.

"Do you know all the Guardians?" Elena changed the subject suddenly, taking the brunette once again by surprise. "I asked Demon about you, but he wasn't able to tell me much."

"Intel gathering?"

Alexandra couldn't stop the amusement when she looked at Elena, in awe that the woman had been speaking so honestly about her actions. She wasn't really surprised by it, though, not in the light of the current happenings that influenced all of their lives. If she had known about Elena's existence before the arrival, she would probably do the same, bothering her father or mother until they would give her enough information to prepare her for the meeting.

"I was curious." the woman admitted with no regret. "I mean, you will be staying with us for some time, I wanted to know as much as I could about you. Not only for our comfort, but also to understand what kind of person you are to see if you will be able to easy find yourself amongst us."

And to ensure she could be trusted with keeping any information she accidently could hear in the House during her stay, though none of the women voiced that aspect of the matter of Elena's curiosity.

Alexandra wasn't offended by it as she wasn't naïve enough to believe that she would be trusted and welcomed straight away with an open arms. She was, despite the friendship between her House and Vongola, a stranger that was to act as a future part of their family. They all could know the rest of her relatives, though she herself was a slightly bigger unknown that no one was certain how to approach in the end. It was to be expected that certain suspicions would arouse in the eyes of Vongola House members, as it would happen in any other case when a stranger was moved into their house. It was safer to keep the friendly distance than to face the consequences if the trust was to be put in the wrong person.

"I don't believe I know all the Guardians." Alexandra answered the original question, resting against the back of her chair. "Aside from Giotto and G, I met Demon passingly, during some of the banquets I think. And I heard a lot about Alaude from my father. I think Elsbeth is far more accustomed to all of you than me."

Elena nodded her head,

"It would seem so. But there is nothing to be afraid of. The guys are quite friendly, under the layers of rampant behaviours and erupting tempers. A lot of layers, in certain cases." the blonde added as an afterthought, more to herself than to her companion.

"I'm going to make sure that my presence won't influence your daily lives too much." Alexandra promised. "I know it is a great favour all of you are doing for my father's sake, as well as my own safety. I don't want to be too much of a bother."

Short laughter left Elena's lips and she waved her hand, completely unphased by the possibility of it.

"Don't worry about that. I actually hope that they will try to control themselves with you here. We all could use a civilised meal from time to time."

The brunette didn't like the idea as much, preferring the Guardians and other inhabitants of the house to continue their habits despite her presence. The stiff and tense atmosphere that would follow such an attempt of controlling their true characters wouldn't ensure the comfortable stay in the House, for neither of them.

"I hope that the banquette will be the last one for the upcoming weeks." Alexandra voiced her thoughts suddenly, surprising herself.

The statement caught Elena's attention back, as the humour was slightly suppressed by the guarded interest as she put the cup of tea down on the table, folding her hands on her knees instead and getting more comfortable on her chair, leaning against it back.

"Why? Don't you like them?"

"Not really, but that's not what I am afraid of. The more events we attend together, the more possible sources of gossip would be created. When the official annulment happens, it would be best to have as little rumours as possible." the brunette explained. "I don't want anything to hinder the swift process of it, for the sake of mine and Giotto's."

"You don't like the idea of the engagement."

It wasn't a question and Alexandra watched her companion with an unreadable expression, not able to decipher whether Elena was pleased with the statement or not. The emotions on the blonde's face shifted, a sharpness taking over the blue eyes as she returned Alexandra's look, both young women turning serious while considering the subject at hand, one suspicious, the other cautious, carefully planning her words.

"I don't. I have nothing against Giotto and Vongola Family, just to be clear about it, as I heard and seen only the best qualities of all of you. But it causes too many unnecessary risks and questions and I don't believe any of us would enjoy being involved in scandal." she answered honestly. "I would like it more if the solution was less complicated. And, ideally, if there was a way to fix it without dragging Giotto into it., as he should have nothing to do with the internal matters of the Carlevaro, not when there was a risk it would backfire on him."

"I heard Francesco deemed it to be the safest option. And, obviously, Giotto agreed with him, as you are here." the blonde pointed out.

"Yes, he told me as much. But it doesn't mean I need to like the solution. I mean, I'm immensely grateful for the protection and length everyone is going to keep me safe." Alexandra added hastily, realising her complaining could be taken the wrong way. "Once the annulment takes place, there will be just as many questions as there are going to be now. It doesn't seem fair for Giotto to need to go through that because of my father's idea."

It had been troubling her since she had been informed about the plan of her father and she had spent a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of that and find out why Francesco hadn't considered anything else. But it was refreshing to share it with someone. Until now, she could have done it only with her other, as there was no one else in Carlevaro House that knew about the farce, and he didn't seem to share her worries when Alexandra voiced them, her opposition to go through it simply ignored after the initial argument that erupted one night.

"The rumours can hinder the annulment, as you said. Both of you would invoke a lot of effort in some cases to keep the story alive if any scandal takes place." Elena said with a thoughtful expression, still watching the brunette closely as she nodded her head.

"Which is why they need to be kept at minimum." She admitted immediately.

"But it would lead to the actual marriage if the outcome was too hard to deal with."

Alexandra became suddenly aware of the fact that the humour completely vanished from the conversation and she felt as if she was once again sat in front of one of her father's people, being questioned and interrogated about whatever occurrence she had participated in. She had no desire to repeat herself, to stress out that she would not try to continue the relationship once it would be brought to an end.

"That's what we are trying to avoid." she said carefully, growing suspicious at the calculating look of the blue eyes.

"So you don't want to lead to officialising the relationship?"

She held back the grimace that threatened to make its way onto her face at the confirmation that she been correct about her assumption of Elena's intentions while the blonde had directed the conversation in such a way.

"Why would I?" she asked with exasperation. "It's not like I want to get married. Especially not under such circumstances. I don't doubt Giotto would be a good husband, but I don't know him well enough to be comfortable with the possibility."

She was as honest as she could, teal eyes returning the look of her companion with genuity and openness, trying to convince Elena that there was nothing she tried to conceal from her.

"And if you knew him longer?"

"That still would leave undesirable circumstances on the plate. And it's not really only my decision to make, no matter who the fiancé could be in the theoretical situation discussed. It takes two to be married." she pointed out. "Without the mutual agreement, the marriage would be nothing more than a farce meant to end with the devastating disappointment and pain."

It was usually the male members of families that made such plans anyway, choosing their wives and reaching out to their caretakers to ensure the possible negotiations of the dowry and details of the Marriage Contract. Women's opinions were rarely taken into consideration, their happiness simply ignored in the light of possible political benefits and alliances, unless the rare occurrence of true love came into the picture and was supported by both families.

There was a silence hanging in the room for a longer time, the heaviness and tension covering both women like a thick blanket, making it slightly hard to breath, at least of Alexandra, as she was the one that was questioned in such a case. It was a greatly uncomfortable development, though she couldn't blame Elena for wanting to ensure the safety of Giotto and the rest of Vongola House from any possible trap that she could set out on the Lord of the House.

Finally, a smile showed on Elena's face as her posture relaxed, the blue eyes shining once again with humour and friendliness as she reached out for the teapot to fill their cups once again.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure you are not going to take advantage of the situation." the blonde explained, her voice lighter and more cheerful. "There were a few ladies that wanted to make their way into the family and, despite his strength and smarts, Giotto can be a bit naive and neglectful in such matters. I really don't want him to get hurt in any way."

"You could just ask." Alexandra pointed out, feeling a headache forming in her head.

There was too much happening for one day.

"I didn't have assurance you wouldn't lie."

The proud smile on Elena's face was a clear indication the blonde felt no remorse over her actions and that she had enjoyed, to some extent, her small interrogation moment, something she obviously hadn't had the opportunity to too often.

"I could have lied to you just now." the brunette pointed out the obvious.

"I doubt it. You have really expressive eyes."

Alexandra grimaced, displeased with the fact that couldn't oppose without lying, which could be immediately recognized anyway. She had really tried to learn how to conceal the signs that betrayed her deceiving every time she had made an attempt to do it, but all of it was futile – she still kept failing at it to the amusement of her relatives. She could have been able to keep her face straight, not giving out her emotions through her expression, but for it to have any positive result she would need to walk around with her eyes covered.

"I hope you are not offended by my actions." The sudden hesitation in Elena's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"No, it's actually quite commendable you are so protective over your family."

It was a genuine admission and Elena smiled at her once again, apparently pleased with the conversation so far. Sighing and making herself more comfortable in her chair, Alexandra watched silently as the blonde filled their cups once again, wondering just how she was going to get through the next few weeks.

"How long have you been with the Vongola family, anyway?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject and hoping they would never return to it.

"It will be two years by now. I left my House to join the guys back then, the charisma of Giotto is hard to be refused. He didn't force me to do it, mind you, but his words and actions made me certain my place is here."

Alexandra watched as a fleeting shadow that passed through the otherwise bright eyes when Elena looked through the window, reminiscing a past that she wasn't willing to share.

It wasn't an usual situation. The event where a man joined another family was quite notorious, especially for those of lower status. It was unheard of, however, for a woman to move into another House without the bond of marriage to the member of it. There was no doubt Elena had faced certain setbacks and repercussions for her actions, despite the backgrounds of it - even with her father's approval, if she got one, the public opinion would be unforgiving.

Alexandra jolted suddenly, realisation coming over to her.

"Wait. You are a daughter of Duke Baudelaire." she said, looking at the blonde in shock when she smiled at her sadly.

"So you heard of my father."

"I did. I mean, I met him two years ago, when I was in the Capitol with my aunt." Alexandra admitted.

The man had introduced his daughter back then, but it was a girl of fourteen of a great beauty and shy demeanour that kept her from engaging in the conversation with newly met people. From the few sentences that had been exchanged passingly, she had been led to believe the Duke had only one child, the girl present by his side. Which, the brunette realised, meant that Elena's movement to Vongola House was not supported by her father. It must have been shortly after her decision to do so, considering the timeline, so the man had been greatly sour and deeply offended by the action of his older daughter.

Seeing the uncomfortable look in the blonde's eyes, Alexandra cleared her throat, deciding to switch to the safer conversation.

"Would you mind if I borrowed some books from you?"

They weren't nearly close enough to go through such subjects. Recognizing the rightness of her decision when blue eyes looked at her gratefully, Alexandra listened with interest as Elena listed the most suitable titles for her to go through.

Giotto looked up from a letter in his hand when the door to his office opened and Demon entered the room, followed closely by G. While it was hard to read anything on his Mist Guardian's face, his face settled for impassive and kind expression, the displeased scowl of the Storm Guardian seemed to be deeper than usual, indicating that the news they came with weren't going to be happy ones.

"Did something happened?" the blond inquired, leaning back in his chair and watching the two men as they sat down in the chairs opposite him.

He put down the paper in his hand, deciding to go through the report of one of the owners of the businesses they had invested in. It had obviously been beneficial so far, so there was not urgent need for actions to be taken to resolve any problem. He could deal with later on, when the more pressing matters were solved.

"It seems you were followed earlier today." Demon explained the reason for their visit.

"I had a feeling something like this would happen." Giotto said absently, ignoring the glare of his right hand man.

He would be naïve and reckless to expect otherwise, considering the information he had received so far. Alexandra had been targeted every time she had gone outside, so he had no reason to believe that his presence would suddenly change the situation, making the mercenaries back away. They had been brave enough to infiltrate and attack a Mafia Family. There was no basis to expect them to be afraid of the House not involved with the Organisation.

"This is the reason why one of us should go with you." the Storm Guardian mumbled, obviously irritated.

The conversation had been repeated almost every week, whenever he had insisted on going anywhere on his own, in search of a peace and quiet during his break from a paperwork. While he had strongly admired and appreciated the concern of his Guardians, Giotto would also love to keep at least scraps of his privacy, even though there was nothing he considered in a need of hiding from his Family. He had yielded his refusal when it came to the official outings, partially due to the fact that G's scowl kept away any possible advances made at him, but he still kept a steady refusal when it came to his own free time.

"Alaude has them in custody. They refuse to talk."

Humming in answer, Giotto held his surprise back. He had notified Alaude about his suspicions before leaving the House, though he hadn't expected his Cloud Guardian to be successful on his quest of capturing the culprits.

"Do they seem to be associated with any House?" he asked instead, resting his chin on his intertwined hands.

"As far as we are aware, they are hired mercenaries."

That aligned with the intel Francesco had given them, the situation the same as when Alexandra had been targeted in Carlevaro Residence. Not that he doubted the man's words, but there was still something comforting in reaching the conclusion and evidence of it by himself.

"I expected them to make a move straight away. The development they didn't predicted must have thrown them of a loop." he voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Alaude believes they were just assessing the situation, as there was no actual attack. They were probably learning about the Carlevaro habits for some time before proceeding with their plan. We don't doubt they would be doing the same now." Demon said, crossing his legs and making himself more comfortable. "No one was supposed to know about the date of moving, aside from the main family."

It was a promise Francesco had given them, as soon as the dates and details were settled and the plan was moved into motion. It hadn't been hard to organise, considering everything about the engagement had been hastily prepared and the decisions had been made basically in the last possible moment, giving all of them barely enough time to act.

"That was the plan, but I had my doubts it would be successful. The staff of the house and Council were all aware of the preparations. There was no way none of them would notice when Alexandra was packed and prepared for the travel. They could have been observing the residence since the engagement was announced, giving them some possible timeline." he said, concerned once again.

They were facing much more experienced group than he had originally assumed.

"We will ask around tomorrow, see where the men could come from." G interjected, absently playing with the lighter.

Nodding in answer, Giotto lost himself in his thoughts. Francesco had stressed out the obdurateness of the mercenaries, but perhaps he hadn't fully believed the man, the motion that there was a partial over exaggeration clouding his judgment. He had been dealing with a father concerned greatly about the safety of his child and the fear could influence the way he had perceived the situation. It seemed, however, that Alexandra had been observed more closely and vigilantly than they had anticipated.

"Alaude had increased the security around the House. I take it the plan is going forward as it was agreed on?" Demon watched him closely, waiting until his boss nodded his head.

"Yes. Where is Alexandra now?"

"With Elena, they had been occupying the living room in my Wing for some time." the Mist Guardian answered.

Giotto kept his smile back, remembering the insistence Elena bagged him with to meet their temporary guest. He had tried to convince her to give Alexandra some time to rest and get accustomed to the new surroundings, though eventually gave up, recognizing the signs that the only woman in the Vongola Family wouldn't back away so easily.

"That's good. Alexandra is free to walk around the house and yard, but we need to accompany her whenever she is planning to leave the grounds."

Since he had agreed to the plan, the nagging feeling of anxiety hadn't left his mind. It did seem that he had all the information needed to perform his job well, all the cards played out in front of him. But still, he couldn't shake the impression something had been escaping their attention, some crucial aspect of it deeply covered and hidden, waiting to hinder all of their efforts to protect Alexandra and ensuring Francesco's request was fulfilled to the best of their abilities.

He was growing more worried that the case could be far more dangerous than they had anticipated.