Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean or its Characters.

Note: Well, I got over the writer's block. :)

Dialog – "Blah"

Thoughts – 'Blah'

Bitter-Sweet Motivations

Chapter 10: Disentangling Actions

'Something isn't right. Where is she? She said she would help me pack.' Blue eyes scanned the room. The first object of interest to be noticed was that the bed was empty and unmade. The second object of interest was the tattered doll placed on the floor as if it had been thrown to the side.

Maria left the room and went straight to Fayt's door. After a few quick knocks she was given a dreary reply. Without hesitation she opened the door and entered.

"Time to go already?" Fayt yawned sitting up in bed.

"No, not yet. Question: Where would Sophia be if she's not in her room?"

Fayt blinked at her before rubbing his face. "Huh? Lately she's been spending time in the garden. Or she might have gone to get something to drink. Why?"

"I don't know. She's not in her room and something just doesn't feel right. I've roomed with her on several occasions and the first thing she does when she wakes up is make her bed. But this time the bed is not made. Also, she has a doll I've seen her with at nights. She takes good care of it but right now it's on the floor. This isn't like her."

"Let me dress and I'll help you look for her."

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Sophia didn't look up from the floor of the wagon. She stayed still and quiet. All her earlier attempts to ask questions were answered with a swift "Quiet down, you'll find out when we get there."

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the wagon. When the wagon came to a stop she was both happy and apprehensive. Maybe she would get some answers but she was scared of what they might be. Either way, she was in a bad situation.

Before she could even stand, the tall husky man that had sat beside her the whole ride grabbed a hold of her arm and led her out of the wagon. She almost lost her footing as he jumped off the back and to the ground.

"Yo, I don't think the lord will like you handling her that rough."

The man who had a hold of her hastily shoved her toward the smaller, but still bulky man. "Fine, you take her in. I'm tired and hungry. We better get paid today, that's all I got to say."

"Fine, fine," the shorter man replied. "Follow me please."

She looked past the short man and noticed that she was standing in front of a mansion slightly bigger then Woltar's. By the appearance, it was evident that the residents like to flaunt their fortune.

Sophia followed the man up a walkway leading to a mansion. She knew the bigger man was following her. She didn't try to get away this time. Before, in her room she had tried, but he had been too strong. He had stopped her every time she attempted to use her symbology and he had kept his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams.

They entered the house and she was lead straight to what appeared to be a sitting room. When prompted she sat and waited. The bigger man stood at one side of her chair and the small man at the other.

The room flaunted the same gaudy décor as the outside. Vases and paintings virtually dominated the room. The tables were finished with gold. Everything in the room screamed 'I'm worth a small fortune alone'.

"Good to see you doing well." Sophia looked to the door to notice a middle aged man enter. He had short styled brown hair and lovely brown eyes. He dressed like nobility and carried himself with an air of dignity. He sat in the chair across from her and folded his hands in his lap.

"And your color is back. Very nice. I though for sure you would be dead by now; but after hearing the reports I had to see for myself."

Sophia sat still in total confusion. "I'm sorry, but what's going on?"

The man laughed at her. "Oh my, since when did you develop such a sense of humor? Don't tell me you have forgotten your dear Uncle Millon?"

Sophia shifted uneasily in her seat. "Um, excuse me sir but I'm sure you have me confused for someone else."

Millon stiffened the expression on his face. "Such intolerance. Child! Was it now I who paid in full for your trips to the doctor? Judging by your appearance their efforts were not in vain. You owe me your life."

"But sir…"

"You will hold your tongue!" he exclaimed giving her a very unpleased expression. "As head of the Leffeld estate it is I who will direct all matters concerning this family. Now, since you have been rendered parentless it is up to me to fill in. I feel you will be quiet pleased with my decisions, Ameena."

Sophia gasped and pushed back in her chair. The man really thought she was someone else. "My name's Sophia. I'm not your niece and I'm not a member of your family."

Millon stood and glared down at her. "That is enough! You will listen to me and listen well. It is up to you to uphold the social status I have spent endless hours on developing for our name's sake. I have achieved the rank and title of lord and as a noble man it is up to me to see any eligible members of this family properly wed. You will be wed in three days to a family of high nobility and thus ensure our status." He turned briskly away and stormed out of the room.

Sophia wasn't sure exactly what had just happened, but she knew she wasn't going to be married off. She was having enough problems with her own love life to have anything else thrown in.

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Cliff stepped past the teen. "So, you lost her again?"

Maria sighed and shook her head. "No, it's not like she's wondered off. At least I don't think that's the case."

"You mean she was taken forcefully?" Nel asked.

"Bah, the girl's just wondered off again."

Fayt shook his head. "If you look in her room there's clearly a lot of evidence to indicate she was kidnapped."

Cliff raised his eyebrow to question Fayt further without words.

"First, her bed isn't made."

"Neither is mine," Roger spouted in an unconvinced tone.

Fayt sighed again. "Her worry doll's been thrown in a corner."

"Doll?"

"Yeah, Albel," Maria responded. "You know what a doll is don't you?"

"Of course, you fool," Albel replied to match her harsh tone.

"Break it up guys," Nel said stepping between the two. "We need to figure out what's going on here first. Then I'll let the two of you fight it out."

Maria gave her a half smile, acknowledging the joke.

Fayt continued. "Several things in her room are also broken. Now, I've known her longer then anyone and I know she's not the type who would just fly off the handle and start breaking things."

"Nope. That's Albel's job." Cliff grinned as he pointed his thumb at the swordsman.

Albel grunted and decided to ignore him.

"So, what's our next move?"

"Well, I was hoping Nel might be able to see if anyone saw anything suspicious last night?" Fayt turned to the red head.

"I'll see what I can't do," she replied as she walked toward the front of the castle.

"Hey, Albel. Where are you going?" Cliff asked to the swordsman who had started to walk away himself.

"I'm going to find her, worm. What do you think?"

"Albel," Fayt called. "It might be better if we worked as a team."

"Bah," was the only answer he got as Albel walked out of sight.

"Hum," Cliff rubbed his chin and continued to watch the hall the swordsman had gone.

"What is it, Cliff?"

"I don't know, Maria. Does it seem like he's acting any different to anyone else?"

"Albel?" Fayt responded. "I don't think… Wait, now that you mention it there are a few things I've wanted to know about him lately."

Cliff looked at him. "Like?"

"Well, first of all: What is he still doing in Aquaria? Luther's gone and he's free to go home."

"Come on guys," Mirage said. "We should be trying to find Sophia. It's a waste of time to stand out here and ask questions about Albel."

"Yeah, she's right. Let's go."

Cliff nodded but waited until everyone had started to walk off before confronting Mirage. "You know something don't you."

"No, not really."

"Not really? So you have a suspicion, huh?"

"Just drop it for now Cliff. There's no use in getting too worked up about it. I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough what's going on."

He chuckled. "You got a hunch?"

"You could call it that. Now, let's go help the others."

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A new man, accompanied by a maid escorted Sophia to her 'new room'. Once inside, the maid stayed and the man left; closing the door behind him.

The room was large and gorgeous. On one side of the room was a large canopy bed. To one side of the bed was a book shelf lined with books and on the other side was a table. Straight across from the door was a large double window. On the other side of the room was a cameo, a full length mirror and another door. As with all the other rooms she had seen, this room was filled with pictures and expensive trinkets.

"Please, Miss Leffeld, make yourself at home." The maid spoke in a kind and humble voice.

Sophia tried to smile back at her, but couldn't. "I'm not Miss Leffeld. Why won't you believe me?"

The maid continued to smile warmly at her as she pointed to the wall over the bed. When Sophia finally saw what the maid was pointing at, her voice failed her. Hanging over the bed was a painting of a girl with who Sophia guessed to be her parents. Neither the man nor the woman looked like her own parents, but the girl looked just like her (only a few years younger).

"I really do look like her," Sophia mumbled. Now she understood why Millon was so persistent to refuse she wasn't his niece.

"Now, Miss," the maid spoke moving to the cameo. She opened the double doors to reveal a beautiful selection of gowns. "The master has spared no expense for the lady. He purchased these from the highest quality available. The lady should freshen up and change. The private bath is there," she pointed to the door beside the mirror. "It would be an honor if I could help with the lady's hair."

Sophia finally came to the conclusion that reasoning with anyone in the house was hopeless. If she was unable to talk her way out, then she would have to find another way.

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"What did you find out Nel?" Fayt asked as the group gathered at the castle entrance. All but Albel who was still off on his own.

"I've got a report saying that a wagon left here last night headed for Perterny."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Cliff asked ready to go.

"Yeah, this'll show Albel not to stick with the group," Roger said in a triumphant tone.

"It would seem that Nox is ahead of us."

Fayt turned his attention from the boy. "What do you mean, Nel?"

"Well, my other report was that he was seen following the wagon tracks already."

Cliff grunted amusingly. "Well, we better hurry before he finds her first. Come on Fayt, don't tell me you're going to let him show you up like that."

"Right now I don't care about that. I just want to make sure Sophia's alright."

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Albel passed through Peterny. Clutched in his right hand was a small talisman. The item was one worn by those who served a particular family. The family crest carved on the item was one Albel could not identify. The way in which it was carved did provide him with information that the family hailed from Airyglyph.

Perterny was a trading town and on different days different merchants would wonder the streets hoping to sell their inventory to the street dwellers. One thing Albel knew was that everyone had a price. Anything was for sale if the bid satisfied the owner.

After a short negotiation, Albel rode out of town on a lum. As he rode he took note of the tracks the wagon had left in the soil. He no longer needed to follow the tracks; but he noticed them anyway.

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Sophia entered the bath and was rendered momentarily speechless. For a personal bath it was spacious and beautiful. The only problem was the room provided no window or any other way out.

She had hoped to take advantage of her time alone to sneak out. The maid waited for her in the bed room and she was sure someone would be standing guard at her door.

Sophia opened the door and stepped back into the bed room. The maid immediately greeted her. "Is there something wrong, M'lady?"

'I have to find a way to get rid of her.' "Um…I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much to ask for something to drink?"

The maid nodded sweetly. "What would the miss like?"

Sophia smiled, doing her best to sound convincing. "Anything will do. I'm just thirsty."

"I will return shortly," she replied before leaving the room. The door shut behind her.

Sophia waited a few seconds before following her to the door. She leaned her ear on the cool wood and listened. Her suspicions were confirmed. The maid exchanged a few words with the 'guard' before leaving.

Taking no time, Sophia moved to the window. She knew she was on the second floor, but she hoped the height wouldn't be too far. She was willing to jump if she was given no other choice.

She pushed the windows open and inspected the drop. Suddenly, jumping didn't seem like a good idea. Inspecting the wall, she noticed a small ledge. It might not be so bad if she could reach the ledge with her feet. She scanned the area some more and noticed that the bricks just a short distance from the ledge were grooved to make the house look more luxurious.

This was the only way she could see out of this. She would lower herself to the ledge and then use the house design to help her to the ground. She sat on the window seal and looked down. She whimpered a little as she eased her feet out first, putting her full weight on her arms. She lowered herself down until her toes felt the ledge. It felt much smaller then it looked.

As soon as she had gotten a good grip on the ledge with both feet, she heard the door to the bed room open. She panicked, grabbing for the bricks with one hand and holding to the window seal with the other. She had just reached the bricks when she heard the maid scream, followed by the guard's frantic entrance into the room.

Her hand found the bricks and she was ready for her other hand to join when the guard grabbed a hold of it. She looked up at the man and tried to pull her hand back. His hand was larger, but her hand was too small for him to keep and she managed to free her hand. Only as a consequence to her actions, she lost her balance on the ledge and her hold on the bricks.

When she hit the ground she landed hard on her side; pain shot through her shoulder. Tears stung her eyes as she looked at the window. The man stood there looking down at her but was hesitant to jump out after her.

She staggered to her feet when he started shouting for help. She took a quick look in both directions before taking off for the corner of the house. She rounded to the side of the house with no incident. She could hear the man behind her calling for her to stop.

She had just made it to the front of the house when a hand grabbed her. The grip wasn't firm enough to keep a hold, but the loss of her momentum was enough for her to twist on her ankle. She yelped and twisted free. Another pain matching that in her shoulder and hip shot up her leg from her new injury.

She kept running despite the pain and finally found the street. Choosing a path at random, she continued to run her best. She could hear the commotion behind her and expected to be stopped at any time.

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With the lum's help; it didn't take long for Albel to reach Kirlsa. His first stop was at Woltar's mansion.

"Lord Albel," the guards greeted.

"Humph." He held the talisman up for the guards to see. "Where can I find the house this belongs to?"

The two guards inspected the item. One guard shrugged and looked to the other. The second man lit up slightly. "Sir, that is the emblem of the new nobles who have recently moved here. They go by the family name Leffeld. They have set up residence two blocks from the abandoned chapel."

Albel turned without a further word. He neglected the lum as he strolled in the direction of this 'Leffeld' family. Whoever was behind this had some explaining to do; what was if they were given enough time to talk when he found them.

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It didn't take long for Sophia to realize she was in Kirlsa. She wondered if she would be able to make it to Woltar's house. She was sure he would explain to Millon that she was not his niece. The only problem was the more pressure she put on her ankle, the worst it hurt and the more it threatened to quit supporting her.

She could see the street leading to the mansion coming into view when another hand grabbed her arm, only this time the hold stayed. She yelped as she came face to face with the shorter man from the wagon. He grinned. "Come now, girly. Just calm down and get back to the house."

She let into her first instinct and screamed her loudest. Her screams caught the man off guard and he let go to cover his ears. She had intended to draw attention, but the release of her arm was enough. She took off running trying to blink her tears away. From the impact of the ground and her ankle, nearly her whole body ached.

She was a few steps from the street when something snagged her jacket. She almost fell forward, but the force pulled her back to her feet. She fell back and was turned to face Millon.

"Such insubordinate will not be tolerated and you will be punished. Severely!"

Not thinking she slammed her foot on his. He moaned, pulling the arm of her jacket off by the seams. She wiggled free from the fabric and nearly fell when she resumed her run.

Her mind couldn't focus and the only sound she could hear was the pounding of her heart. As she moved forward, something stepped to block her exit. She didn't stop. In her current state, she was ready to ram right through whoever it was.

Her strides lengthen as she pumped more power into her run. Her ankle burned. She was only inches from the obstacle when she realized who was standing in front of her.

Albel.

As she collided with him, she threw her arms around him and held tight to his waist.

Albel stood still, watching the scene unfold. He had seen the man rip the sleeve off her shirt. Anger twisted in his gut. When she reached him, he had solidified his stance to accept her impact and remain unmoved.

The man who had threatened her with punishment reached them. Albel smirked as he saw the man's expression change to recognition. The man clearly knew who he was. Only the man's reaction wasn't what Albel had expected.

The man reached out and grabbed Sophia by the back of her jacket and jerked her away with enough force to separate them. He flung her to the ground.

Sophia landed on her knees and this time did not hold back her cry of pain.

"Lord Albel. Please excuse her insolence. I swear she will be punished for this."

The man had started to bow but was unable to finish when Albel's claw grabbed him by the throat. Before the man could react, Albel had him up against the side of a neighboring house; his katana drawn and aimed at his chest.

Sophia stood; her legs barely supporting her. "A-Albel! Don't kill him!"

Albel's eyes never left the man's terror filled stare. "Why not? The maggot's asking for it."

Sophia reached Albel and rested her hand softly on the hand that held the sword. "It's not right to just kill him. This has all been a mistake. He really thinks I'm his niece."

Albel grunted, but allowed her to direct his hand (and the tip of his sword) down and away from Millon. He loosened his grip on the man's neck and stepped back. Millon fell on the ground trying desperately to regain his lost breath.

Sophia knelt down. "I'm sorry, but my name really isn't Ameena. I'm Sophia and I'm not your niece."

Millon looked at her and frowned. His expression clearly proved his disbelief in her words. His expression changed sharply when the blade of Albel's katana was displayed dangerously close to his nose.

"If you touch her again, I won't let you live."

Millon shrunk back as much as the wall behind him would allow. "Y-yes sir," he replied defeated.

Albel sheathed his sword as Sophia stood. She yelped as her ankle reminded her of her injuries.

"You're hurt."

She looked up to see him looking down at her. She forced a smile. "It's not too bad."

His expression disagreed with her. He lightly touched her temple. She winched and for the first time realized that she was bruised on her head. He lowered his hand to show her the blood on his fingertips. In the rush to get away, she had not realized she was bleeding.

"We need to get someone to look at that."

She nodded and turned to leave Millon behind when her ankle finally gave out. She fell on her already bruised rump.

Albel reached down and took her arm to help her up. Once she was on her feet he slid his hand behind her and used his other arm to bend her knees. She wasn't sure what he was doing until she found herself being carried.

"Albel? You don't have to…"

"Humph."

"I can heal myself, you know?"

He paused for a moment and looked down at her. She couldn't help but to blush. The few seconds he stopped felt longer and she found herself still looking at him when he started walking again.

She hardly heard words being exchanged between him and the guards at the gates leading to Woltar's mansion.

"Yes sir. He won't be back for a couple of days."

"Fine," Albel responded to the guard.

He carried her into the mansion and to the room he always used when visiting. He sat her on the bed and took a few steps back. "Well, heal yourself then."

She finally forced herself out of her daze. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Healing!" The energy erupted from her hands and engulfed her body. Within seconds her wounds were sealed. She felt better, but she was still a mess. Her outfit had been torn and she was filthy.

He grunted at her and turned to leave the room. "I'll send someone in to help you clean up."

Before she could respond, he was out of sight. She sat there and waited until another maid entered the room. She sighed involuntarily.

The maid gently rested her hand on Sophia's shoulder. "Would you like to follow me to the bath? I'll be of any service you require, Miss Esteed."

Sophia nodded with a smile. She finally felt better just being called by her own name.

Time seemed to pass slowly as she bathed. The maid's help wasn't required much. When they had entered the bath, the maid had stated that she would take her cloths to have them washed and patched. A robe was left for her use after she was done.

Sophia climbed out of the bath feeling fresh and rejuvenated. She slipped the robe on and immediately felt like a child. The maid had warned her that the only available clothing was that for men since the maids wore uniforms and there were none cleaned at the time. The sleeved required her to roll them up a few times before she was able to tie the sash around her waist. When she left the room, she had to pull the front up enough not to trip on it. She felt like a kid playing dress-up with her parent's clothing.

She giggled lightly as the maid led her back to the bed room. Standing in the middle of the floor was Albel. He turned slightly, indicating for the maid to leave.

The door shut behind her with a soft thud. Albel glanced down at her, his expression showing no emotion. "I never realized just how small you are, girl."

Sophia shrugged and giggled some more. "This feels – weird. Whose robe is this anyways?"

"Mine."

She blushed uncontrollably. He noticed but turned his stare away from her. "You should rest. You took quiet a beating today."

She yawned as if commanded by his words. "I am a little tired. But what about everyone else? Do they know what's going on?"

He grunted softly. "Once they find out where you are then I'm sure this will be the first place those maggots look to for help. While we wait I suggest that you rest."

She nodded and sat on the bed. "Yeah. I guess you're right. It's not everyday you're kidnapped and told that you will be married in three days."

His attention turned down to look at her. "Married?"

"Yeah," she chuckled. "Millon said he was going to force me to marry some stranger in order to preserve the family name – or something like that. It's funny because I have nothing to do with his family. But it's also sad. I wonder if he'll ever find his niece?"

"Bah," he answered sitting on the bed beside her. The bed rested against the wall and Albel pushed himself up and leaned back.

Sophia pulled her legs under her and smiled. "You came all this way to find me didn't you?"

"No."

She continued to smile. She picked the truth of his tone and ignored the word. "Thank you."

"Humph. You're nothing but trouble."

She pushed a few loose strands of wet hair from her face. "Yup, you're right again." She broadened her smile.

He had his chin resting on his chest as he looked up through his hair to see her. She was just smiling at him like an idiot. He knew deep inside what he was feeling. He knew deep inside what he wanted; but he refused to let it show. The only problem was that at times he wasn't sure how to keep the lid on his feelings. Being stubborn only subdued him so far before he felt his restraint leave.

At the moment he was relieved that she had been found; and though not unharmed she was fine. He would never admit all the thoughts that had run through his head during his search. He closed his eyes half way as he reached out with his human hand. He hooked her by her head and pulled her to him. Her wet hair draped over his arm as her head landed on his chest.

"Trouble," he repeated. She noticed that he sounded relaxed and not irritated. "Now rest before the others show up. By then your cloths should be repaired."

She didn't resist his embrace. She allowed her weight to lean on him as she put her free arm around him. Feeling completely relaxed it didn't take long for her to find herself on the edge of sleep.

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(A/N) I think this chapter is a little longer then most of the others. No, the stories not over yet. I just couldn't get the idea of having Sophia being mistaken for Ameena out of my head. I also wanted to see the old cliché of Albel saving her – yeah, I know…but at least now she's been 'saved' by a knight. Well, sort of since she did do some of the rescuing for herself.