As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 80
Cha bhi luathas is grinneas còmhla.
Haste makes waste.

24-

"You were right, Professor, this is amazing! It's even better than what Nika makes."

Bianca insisted on cutting her own food, and while she was making a mess of it, neither Raine nor Professor Low had the heart to step in. She had conspicuously shoved most of the capers to the side of her plate and was eating around the ones caught tangled in the pasta. Raine found herself staring in amusement, reminded of the way that Genis used to pick at his food when he was very young. Though… it was usually more related to the poor quality of her cooking than any pickiness on his part.

The sun was beginning to set over the Meltokio skyline as they finished up with dinner. A butler took their plates with a promise of dessert very soon, which had Bianca rescinding her earlier statement that she "couldn't eat another bite." Instead, she raised her hand and waved it to catch Professor Low's attention.

"Professor? Where's the bathroom?"

"It's just down the hall, on your left," Professor Low replied with a gesture toward the door. "Would you like me to walk you there?"

"No-thank-you! I can find it all by myself." She'd said the last part almost defiantly, already out of her chair and headed toward the hall door. "I'll be right back!"

Despite the fact that she hadn't stated outright that she was going to the bathroom, Bianca did drop by first so that she wasn't technically lying. It was just like the ones in the Wilder mansion- more palatial than she was used to, and with buttons and appliances in strange places, the purpose of which were unknown. It piqued her curiosity, but she knew that she could always test it out later. Right now she had a special mission for Professor Low, and she couldn't let herself be delayed by something as trivial as a strange-looking button on the side of the bathtub.

The directions Low had given her were easy enough to follow, and soon she found her way down the stairs and into the greenhouse in the mansion's east courtyard. Just as Professor Low had said, there was a pair of servants waiting by the rose bushes. Bianca approached the door of the greenhouse, but she briefly heard the name Zelos used in their conversation, and she stopped behind the doorframe to listen.

"...a speech that important in just one night? Even if he is an academic prodigy, he should know better than to make such rash decisions!"

"If he's going to take a position of neutrality, should we really be worried? Unless he tries to argue a point, people will keep believing what they want to believe-"

"You know nothing can be truly neutral. There's always an unconscious bias to any public statement. And with him allegedly receiving assistance in the speechwriting from Professor Sage, is there any wonder where that unconscious bias is going to fall? We have to do something."

"Right, but I don't think that something should be a public assassination. Our plans were to disguise it as natural causes, and we can't exactly do that by using magic in front of a crowd of people."

"I know. That's why boss said she was going to disguise the assassination as-"

At this point, Bianca couldn't bear to listen any more. This felt just like before, with the courtyard at the university and the would-be vandals that had captured her. She spun around, determined to get away before they could spot her, but as she ran back across the courtyard, her foot caught on the edge of one of the stepping stones and she toppled over. Her hands flew out in front of her to break her fall, and her palms scraped against the rough surface of the path. She couldn't help a yelp of pain, and another of fear as she tried to get up and saw blood on her hands.

"What's going on? Are you alright?" It was one of the servants from the greenhouse, pulled from the conversation by the Bianca's cry. He ran to her side and knelt down beside her, placing a hand on her arm to help her up. She pulled away, however, screaming and struggling.

"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T HEAR ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION! I WON'T TELL ANYONE, I PROMISE! JUST PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! DON'T LOCK ME UP! PLEASE, PLEASE!"

At the sound of her pleas, he let go and began to stammer out a reassurance. "What are you talking about? We won't hurt you. What did you overhear-?"

Bianca didn't want to stick around to answer his question, but as she tried to run in a daze, she found the other servant blocking her path back into the mansion. Defeated, she collapsed onto the pavement, shielding herself with her bloodied hands.

"Please! Don't hurt me! I won't tell anyone!"

"What's going on?" the woman asked to her partner as she knelt down beside Bianca.

"She overheard us talking about an assassination, and now she's afraid we're going to hurt her."

"What? Oh no, no, no." The woman gasped and moved back to give Bianca some space. "We weren't talking about a real assassination. This was just about a grown-up game we're playing with our friends. We would never hurt you."

Bianca let herself relax a little at the soothing sound of the woman's voice and lowered her hands. There was still a look of fear on her face, but she was no longer shaking.

"A… game?"

"Exactly. It's a tabletop game called Habeas Corpus, and we play it every Friday night with our friends. It involves making political alliances between made-up countries and trying to conquer the most territory. That's what we were discussing- about last night's game and about our alliance's plan to assassinate the archduke of the imaginary country of Austro-Hungary next week. It's all make-believe."

Bianca frowned. "That's really all it was?"

"Yes, that's all it was, we promise." The male servant knelt down beside Bianca as well. "We're so sorry to have scared you. I'm sure that must have sounded terrifying out of context, but you don't have to worry. Alright?"

Bianca sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "A-alright. I understand."

"Ooh, you scraped your hands up pretty badly, didn't you? Let's get you cleaned up." The woman took Bianca by the arms and helped her to her feet. "Then we'll cut the flowers that the mistress asked for. You are the Miss Bianca that we're supposed to be meeting, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Then let's hurry up! The mistress wouldn't want us wasting the time of one of her honored guests, after all."

"Honored guest?" Bianca was still a little nervous, but that phrase made her smile even if just for a moment. "I've never been an honored guest before."

It didn't keep her from wondering, however...

If it was all just pretend, why did they mention Zelos and Raine by name?

Raine leaned back in her chair with a satisfied sigh. "I have to admit, I was skeptical about this dish, since you talked it up so much. But your chef certainly delivered."

"Well, it's one of your favorite dishes. Of course you'd be critical." Professor Low offered a wink in Raine's direction. "So that makes it all the more meaningful that you enjoyed it."

"It was so good, I'm almost afraid to ask what's for dessert."

"One of my own favorites- a dark chocolate torte paired with a signature limoncello from the Altamira coast."

"And for Bianca?"

"Um…" Professor Low shrugged with an apologetic smile. "A dark chocolate torte not paired with a signature limoncello from the Altamira coast." She laughed and then continued with "Unless, of course, she wants to try just a sip. I find there's nothing to discourage underage drinking more than the unexpected sting of liquor."

Raine nearly choked on her laughter, her memory suddenly flashing back a few years. "At least limoncello is sweet. Genis was introduced to Dwarven whisky when he was fifteen, and he swore off hard drinks for the rest of his life. Honestly? I don't blame him."

"Really? For shame! The smoky peat flavour of a good Islay malt is one of life's greatest pleasures."

"Hm," Raine smiled, but she placed a hand over her mouth, "I'm afraid that's one pleasure I'll let you keep for yourself."

Professor Low smirked. "That's not a problem. I have plenty of other pleasures to share with you that I'm sure you'll enjoy-"

"Hey, now! Bianca could be back any minute." Raine tried to hide her amusement behind a look of concern. "We should save this conversation for later."

"Perhaps that's a good idea," Professor Low nodded. "If you'd like, we can step out onto the balcony for a few minutes. Now that the sun's almost set, we can see the city lights better."

"Isn't it cold?"

"If you get cold, we can come right back in."

Raine thought it over for a second, glancing back toward the hallway where Bianca had disappeared, and then back to the balcony. It was a lovely view, and some fresh air always did her good after a big dinner. "...alright, let's go," she said as she stood up.

Professor Low let Raine lead the way out the sunroom door and onto the balcony. Raine made her way to the railing, setting her hands on it to steady her as she examined the view of the city below. The surface of the marble was cold- a deep sort of cold that seeped into her skin- so she pulled her hands away after just a moment and placed them in her pockets.

"It's a beautiful view, isn't it?" Professor Low finally asked. "I used to come out here as a girl and study the way the city was set up. Society is so much like a machine in the way that it works, the way everyone's lives intertwine into a fabric of energy. I always wanted to design a piece of magitechnology that would work as efficiently as a city. But as I got older, I realized how truly unpredictable people can be. We're not just machines, we have free will that enables us to make independent decisions. No machine could ever replicate that, and in a way, I don't think I'd ever want them to."

Raine glanced over at Professor Low, who was standing a short distance away rather than right next to her. It almost made her nervous, considering the seriousness of Low's sudden observation. But as Professor Low continued, her voice grew softer.

"It's frustrating to know that there are processes I could never replicate in my magitechnology. But at the same time, the more I learn about the gap between human nature and technological capacity, the more in-awe I am of the people around me. And I think part of that is thanks to you."

"...me?" Raine looked up in surprise.

"When I met you back in Autumn to begin work on the project, I was skeptical about what we were going to achieve. But we've done so much in so little time, and it's not thanks to any kind of technology. It's because of your determination and hard work. I've learned a lot working with you, both about my work and about myself."

"Y-you… are giving me too much credit," Raine stammered, turning her attention back out to the city lights.

"I don't think I am," Professor Low replied, her earrings jangling as she shook her head. "Listen- I know we haven't known each other for that long, but these past few months have been the most incredible of my life. I've never met anyone like you, and somehow I can't remember what my life was like before you became a part of it. And I can't imagine what it would be like without you. I love you, Raine."

The conviction behind her words caused Raine to spin around. She came face to face with Professor Low, who was standing opposite her with a firm expression.

"I suppose it's not right to say that I can't imagine my life without you," she continued. "My critical thinking skills are far too advanced to be so limited. But I don't want to imagine it. I want to have confidence in knowing that you'll always be a part of my life as I want to be a part of yours. So-"

Raine stepped back as she watched, Professor Low's motions, trying to get a grip on what was happening. She'd studied Tethe'allan customs. She knew what this was. And yet she was entirely unprepared for it. What the hell was she supposed to say?

The ring was gorgeous- almost too much so. Raine had never seen a yellow diamond that big, much less inlaid in platinum, surrounded by smaller accent stones that wrapped around the band. It probably cost more money than she'd ever had in her entire life, and here it was being offered to her by someone she'd known for less than five months. She was so frozen-up, she almost didn't even hear the question.

"-Professor Raine Sage, will you marry me?"

Shakily, Raine placed her hands over Professor Low's.

"Todd, I… this is… this is incredible… I don't have the words…" She did have some words, of course, but they wouldn't come to her mouth. Things like 'too soon' and 'maybe someday' and simply 'no' were stuck deep in her throat, caught there by her nervousness. "...but our project… going public with this would be…"

"No one would have to know. I have everything worked out- we can elope and be out of Meltokio by tomorrow night. A colleague of mine has just uncovered a neolithic archeological site near Asgard that has yet to be mapped out. It would make the perfect honeymoon, just the two of us unearthing artifacts that haven't been seen or touched by man for thousands of years. Then we could be back in Palmacosta to start up work again, with no one being the wiser. It'd be perfect. What do you say?"

A small, clandestine wedding. A honeymoon at a newly-discovered archeological site. A promise to move forward with research endeavors, no matter the cost. Raine was looking at someone who reflected all the passion she herself had, someone she had fallen in love with because of a mutual love for all the things she herself loved. How could she say no to that?

She couldn't. And somehow that realization only made it worse.

"...yes…" Raine finally choked out. "...yes, I will."

Professor Low's eyes lit up, and she let out a squeal of happiness. Before Raine even knew what was happening, she found a ring on her finger and her feet lifted off the ground. Professor Low twirled her around the balcony, laughing a still-nervous, giddy laugh.

"Raine! Oh, Raine!" Low set her down, moving her hands to Raine's cheeks. "I believe with a 95-percent confidence interval that you've made me the happiest woman in the world right now."

Raine forced a smile through her clouded thoughts, trying to sum up the courage to sound excited. "I assume that your 5% margin of error is to account for the woman you just proposed to, right?"

"Oh, you!" Professor Low leaned in and captured Raine's lips in a kiss. It wasn't any different from the ones they'd shared in the past, but Raine found she couldn't truly return it. The weighty ring felt heavy on her hand, as though it were dragging her down and a worried knot formed in her stomach.

Eventually Professor Low pulled away and tapped the tip of her nose against Raine's nose with a grin. "You were right- it's cold out here. Shall we go back in? Bianca should be back by now, and I think she has a surprise for you too."

"Oh?" Raine's voice hitched in her throat, and she was finally able to speak honestly. "I'm not sure I can handle any more surprises tonight."

"It's not anything big, I just thought it would be appropriate to share some of-" Professor Low's sentence cut off as she stepped back in the door behind Raine. "-well, where is she?"

"Should she have been back by now?" Raine glanced around. "The bathroom isn't that far."

"I sent her to get flowers from the greenhouse. Simon and Gisela were supposed to meet her, and-"

Professor Low had begun to wander into the hallway, and by the time she did so, Bianca and the servants had just rounded the corner on their way back. Seeing Professor Low, Bianca waved and broke into a run.

"Professor, Professor! Sorry we're late!"

Raine joined them in the hallway, and when Bianca made it to the door, she handed her the bundle of roses.

"For you! Congratulations!"

"Th-thank you." Raine glanced down at the flowers with mixed feelings. They were beautiful, but… had Low been that certain she'd say yes?

Professor Low wasn't paying attention to the flowers, however. "What took you so long, Bianca? We were worried."

"Sorry. I fell and hurt my hands." Bianca blushed and looked at the floor. "These guys helped me get cleaned up."

"Oh, thank you two. I'm so sorry for the trouble-"

"It's no trouble, Mistress." The female servant spoke up, kneeling down beside Bianca. "We were just explaining the rules of Habeas Corpus to her. You should have her play sometime- she's a fast learner."

"Well, of course she is!" Professor Low's smile had returned, and she took Bianca's hand to return to the sunroom. "But we can save the games for later. Right now there's a dessert with your name on it."

"Dessert! Hooray!"

Bianca skipped into the room following Professor Low. Raine trailed behind them, focused on the flowers in her hands and the ring on her finger. It all felt so strange, so difficult to come to terms with. But she wondered if perhaps it was just nervousness on her part. All brides got cold feet at some point, didn't they? But they always overcame it and lived happily ever after.

Didn't they?

Colette seemed less surprised by the story than Zelos thought she should.

It was all too surreal, like something out of one of his and Seles' mystery novels. A secret lovechild, a dead mother, a twisted web of lies to hide the shameful truth… but this wasn't just some story that would be guaranteed a happy ending. This was real and it was frightening. All Zelos could think was that Adora didn't deserve this- didn't deserve a father who would leave her behind.

No child deserved to grow up feeling unwanted by the people who should have loved them most. He knew that painfully well.

"Where is Adora now?" Zelos finally demanded. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, still somewhat lopsided from the haphazard way he'd thrown it on in an attempt to get the truth out of Yuan as quickly as possible. Yuan had joined him and Colette in the dining room, not to eat anything, but simply to get some privacy while they talked out the situation. Yuan had kept a cold demeanor throughout the whole story, and it grated on Zelos' nerves. He knew that Yuan was trying to keep from showing any trace of emotional vulnerability that Zelos could latch onto, but… dammit, no father should be able to describe losing his child with no reaction whatsoever!

"She's with Song. He agreed to babysit while I sorted this out," Yuan responded. "I thought it best that she not be here. I wasn't sure how Zelos would take the news."

Colette glanced over at Zelos and then back at Yuan. "You don't have to worry about that. Now that you've told us, we understand. We're sad that you felt you couldn't trust us, but not angry. Right, Zelos?"

"She's right… at least somewhat." Zelos turned his head away. "I don't care about all the lies you told us. That's not the issue. What I want to know is, why did you say that Colette didn't have any right to rescue Adora? Are you saying you wanted to leave her there?"

The room went silent. Colette's face turned white and she turned back to Yuan.

"Is… is that true?"

Yuan looked down at the table with a serious frown. "I've known for a long time that you were capable of breaking Martel's spell. If I'd wanted you to do it, I would have asked you a long time ago."

Once again, the conversation was swallowed up by silence. Zelos wasn't surprised- after all, he'd already had time to process that conclusion- so he instead looked to Colette for her reaction. She didn't seem to have one, however, keeping a blank expression on her face. There wasn't a hint of shock or grief or any other kind of emotion. Just… blankness.

"Why?" she finally spoke.

A strange look passed over Yuan's face, one that Zelos couldn't quite identify. "I don't quite understand what you're asking," Yuan replied. "Why what?"

"Why didn't you want me to break the spell? At what point did you give up on Adora?"

Zelos had to admit, Colette was doing an amazing job of keeping her composure. He was ready to strangle Yuan at this point. Giving up wasn't the phrase that he would've used.

Yuan lifted his gaze to stare back at Colette. "I gave up on Adora the moment Martel died. By the time you were born, it had been millennia since I even considered seeing Adora again."

"I didn't mean before. Even if you'd given up before, knowing someone could break the spell should have renewed your hope." Colette's voice cracked just a little, but she was able to finish her question. "When, despite knowing that rescuing your daughter was within reach, did you make the decision not to? When did you decide you didn't want her?"

That finally broke Yuan's stern expression. He dropped his gaze back to the table.

"It wasn't that. I did want her. But I wanted her to be happy. And bringing her into the kind of place this world has become isn't what I wanted for her." He closed his eyes and turned his head away. "Face it, it's not any better to be a half-elf now than it was back when she was born. Her uncle tore this world apart- literally- and people, especially in Sylvarant, blame half-elves for that. Her mother is dead and I can't give her what she needs on my own. This lonely, broken, hostile world… I wouldn't have chosen to bring her into this."

Colette seemed to be considering what to say, and while Zelos hated to interrupt her, he just couldn't stand it any longer. He jumped to his feet, practically snarling at Yuan as he spoke. "Well, then, I'm DAMN GLAD that it wasn't your choice! You really think just because you're her father, that it's your right to choose when and where she lives? She's her own person, Yuan! And I'll be damned if I'm going to let you decide to abandon her under some stupid pretext of wanting what's best for her! I'm going to talk to Song."

Zelos stormed out of the room, not even willing to look back. Colette jumped up, calling "Zelos!" but she wasn't fast enough to get to him before Yuan did. Yuan caught him in the hallway, throwing an arm around his neck.

"Don't you DARE lay a hand on MY DAUGHTER!"

"Oh!" Zelos struggled against Yuan's grip, elbowing him in the stomach. Yuan let go, both allowing Zelos the room to throw a punch and allowing himself the room to dodge. "You can't act entitled to the life and death of your child and then decide to be a good parent once it's out of your hands! You haven't got the RIGHT to raise Adora now!"

"Right? And what gives you the RIGHT to decide that?!" Yuan threw a punch at Zelos' face. Zelos managed to grab his arm and twist it against his chest, causing Yuan to grit his teeth in pain. He kicked at Zelos' shins, knocking him off balance enough to free his arm. "Adora is alive now, and there's no way I'm letting anything take her from me again! Least of all YOU!"

Zelos nearly fell over as his legs were kicked out from under him, and he grabbed the edge of a window sill to steady himself. Turning the momentum from his fall back around, he lunged at Yuan, fist closed and ready to strike. "You're just JEALOUS that I've been a better father to her than you EVER WERE!"

Zelos' punch managed to find its mark along the back of Yuan's head, and he blundered into the wall from the force of it. Zelos descended on him in an instant, but that only gave Yuan the opportunity to thrust and uppercut against Zelos' jaw. It sent Zelos back a few steps, and Yuan moved to close the gap again.

"YOU, a FATHER? How dare you call yourself that? You could never understand the feelings a father has for his child-"

Zelos caught the fist that Yuan had thrown at him and used his grip to shove Yuan back towards the wall. Yuan let out a gasp as his back hit the wall and he lost his breath, unable to finish his sentence. Zelos wasted no time shooting back a rebuttal.

"Maybe you're RIGHT. Maybe I don't know how a father should feel- but that's only because MY father felt nothing for ME! He decided I wasn't his problem and IGNORED me! Left other people to care for me because he didn't want to take RESPONSIBILITY! Now does that sound like someone ELSE here?"

"Stop it!"

Zelos was already in the middle of throwing a punch when it happened. It was too fast for even his sharp reflexes to kick in. By the time he felt the hands on his shoulders, his fist had already made contact. There was a sharp cracking noise, a thud, and then silence throughout the hallway as Zelos and Yuan stared in horror. Colette, meanwhile, picked herself up from the floor, brushing off her dress as though nothing had happened. She sniffled, but it wasn't enough to stop the stream of blood draining from her nose, so she used one hand to pinch her nostrils and gestured to Zelos and Yuan with the other.

"Stop. This. If you want to hit someone, hit me. But if you wouldn't do that, then don't hit each other. You both care for Adora, don't you? Why are you fighting if you feel the same way?"

Yuan was silent, his breath still shaky as he stared into Colette's fiery expression. Zelos was horrified, caught looking back and forth between Colette and the fist he'd hit her with, a shaky "...Colette…" the only thing able to escape from his lips.

"I care about Adora too. And that's why I want her to be with a family who cherishes her and does everything they can for her. Yuan, are you willing to be that family for her?"

"Of course," Yuan choked out, his expression stern. "I never want to see her suffer again. I'll do my damnedest to give her the life she deserves. That, you can count on."

Colette stared him down. Finally, she spoke, taking her fingers off her nose.

"Let him go, Zelos. We knew from the start that Adora didn't belong with us. She needs to be with Yuan."

Zelos didn't offer a reply. He was silent as he watched Yuan stagger to his feet and accept Colette's help returning to the entryway. She called for Sebastian to get Yuan's coat, and he appeared within a few moments with both the coat and a handkerchief for Colette to wipe her bloodied nose. Yuan left without a word, and Colette said nothing to him. She simply waited until the door was closed and then turned back down the hallway to deal with Zelos. He looked up, hearing her return, and spoke quietly.

"...I… guess he won't be buying us dinner after all. Shall we go see what the chefs are making for Seles?"

Colette shook her head. "I'm not hungry," she said, turning back around as though she'd only wanted to make sure he was alright. "I'm going to find Miss Veronica to do something about my nose."

Zelos found himself unable to move until she was already at the staircase. He snapped out of his confusion and ran to the base of the stairs, calling up to her frantically.

"Colette, I'm so sorry!"

Maybe she was just in a hurry to stop her nose from bleeding, but she didn't even take the time to answer.

And maybe it was just from the pain, but Zelos noticed that as she disappeared from view, she was crying.