A/N

SV: I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! Please forgive me!

Innes: I wonder how you'll get yourself out of this one, hehe.

SV: Uh… Innes wouldn't let me do it!

Innes: Hey!

SV: Just kidding. Sorry y'all, I'm just a frickin' lazy bum. I should make a schedule and stick with it or something.

Innes: As if that would work.

SV: Anyway. No more prologues, we have an actual chapter now! How about that! In this chapter: Party! A duel! Dancing! Mothers that try to hook up their children! Gifts! A great buffet! Overprotective fathers! Wonderful entertainment! Grand theft Sacred Stone and an old acquaintance bent on the total destruction of Magvel! Not specifically in that order!

Innes: Grand theft Sacred Stone? What on Magvel are you yapping about? And could you please stop with the exclamation points!

SV: You'll see soon enough, Innes. Disclaimer please. And sorry about the exclamation points. I just love those:D

Innes: Virgo still doesn't own anything. Thank Latona.

SV: Onwards to chapter one! Enjoy, and review if you will.

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Chapter One

Party Crasher

Castle Grado, early in the evening. A magnificent sunset graced the lands, but none of the visitors in the castle seemed to notice, as their eyes had something far more spectacular to watch. Rhianna, princess of Renais, and Marseille, the heir of Grado, were having a magic duel. Sparks of fire and creeping darkness flew around in the small area that Knoll and his son Noah had built. Cheers for both the princesses came from all across the room. The duel had been going on for fifteen minutes now, and neither of the princesses refused to give in to the other.

'Don't give up, Rhianna! You can do this!' Raymond cheered as he gave his sister a wink.

'Thank you for your support, brother, I'll do my best!' Rhianna lifted her fire tome to the sky, and started to chant for the next attack.

'May the power of this fire be as strong as my desire to win! Fire!'

Two small fireballs rose up from each side of the young mage. They flew up, and joined together into one big fireball. As soon as the two merged, they went straight for the princess of Grado.

'Lady Marseille! Remember our training and victory will be yours!' Noah shouted from the sidelines. Marseille looked over to him, and gave him a small nod.

'Don't worry, sir Noah, I won't let you down!'

The petite girl flipped through her spell book, found what she was looking for and started to chant as the fireball kept drawing closer.

'I call upon the creeping darkness that surrounds the realm at night! Devour this bringer of light and warmth! Flux!' Marseille held her arm above her head, and conjured a ball of darkness. She then lowered her hand toward her waist, and the ball of dark energy left her hand and crept across the room, directly to the fireball, which it then swallowed. A look of frustration and a sigh of relief was shared between the two duellists.

'Not bad, Marseille. You certainly have improved since the last time we met. I'm proud of you,' Rhianna said as she let out a small smile. Marseille smiled back.

'Thank you for those kind words, Rhianna. It's an honour for me to duel against such a talented mage as yourself.'

'Oh, the pleasure is all mine, believe me. How about we call this a tie? I don't want to ruin your birthday by duelling with you all the time. The evening could be much better spent by dancing,' she said as she stepped forward and offered her hand to Marseille.

'I couldn't agree more, Rhianna,' the younger girl replied as she took her opponents hand and shook it. Noah stepped into the duelling arena and joined the two girls.

'Ladies and gentlemen, how about an applause for our two wonderful competitors? Princess Marseille and princess Rhianna!' The audience cheered and applauded, as the other princes and princesses joined the two duellists.

'Marseille, that was so amazing! You'll be one of the greatest druids in Magvel someday, I just know it,' Camilla said as she congratulated her friend on a well fought duel.

'And Rhianna, you pulled some great moves back there. It was a fantastic duel, cousin. Care to join your brother and myself for our next duel?' Edward asked as he squeezed his cousin's shoulder gently. Raymond shook his head in horror as he heard his cousin's question.

'Edward, have you gone mad? She'll burn us to a crisp! We have a terrible resistance against magic!'

'Hey, at least it's better than mine. Raymond is a cavalier, and Edward is a lancer. Sometimes I wish that I hadn't become a wyvern rider, but then I wouldn't have been able to soar through the skies. Too bad you can't look manly on a Pegasus. Why do those beasts have to look so damn girly!' Glen said with a small sigh of frustration.

'Too bad Pegasi won't accept men as their riders as well, or else you could have been a Pegasus knight like me, ey Glen? No magic can touch us, haha! But enough about duelling and magic, I want to dance! Let's go, brother!' Odette said with a laugh as she pulled her brother to the dance floor and engaged in a waltz.

'Odette is right, we're here to party. Care to dance with me, my dear sister?' Montague made a small bow for his sister and offer her his hand, which Myrna hesitantly accepted.

'I'll dance with you, brother. But promise me that you won't dance too wild, okay?'

'Of course, sister. Let's go!'

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Soon after Odette, Montague and their dance partners entered the dance floor, other people started to join in as well. Celeste and Camilla dragged Dozla and Rennac with them, as Raymond asked his sister for a dance. A few moments later the dance floor was filled with dancing couples. Marseille, Artemis and Edward were one of the few people who weren't dancing.

'Marseille, don't you want to dance? This is your party, after all. We can't just leave you standing here like a wallflower,' Edward said. Marseilles face turned a bit red.

'Well, there is someone I'd like to dance with, but it wouldn't be proper. People would stare and gossip,' she said shyly.

'Marseille, you shouldn't pay attention to that. Just look at my father, he married my mother, and she was a Pegasus knight. And aunt Tana married a common man as well,' Aretmis said, trying to cheer her up.

'And don't forget about my aunt Eirika. And queen L'Arachel and king Joshua, all of them married commoners. In fact, I think you and I are probably the only ones who had a noblewoman as a mother, haha.'

'I hadn't even thought about that. Thank you, Edward and Artemis.'

'No problem, Marseille. So, who is the lucky guy you'd like to dance with? We can ask Edward to go get him for you.'

'Well, uhm…' She looked over to the other side of the ballroom, where her father stood with Knoll and Noah. It seemed like they were having a humorous conversation, as the three of them started laughing. Edward and Artemis followed her gaze. 'It's sir Noah…'

'Sir Noah, ey? You have a great taste in men, Marseille,' Artemis said with a wink. 'I've heard nothing but good stories about him.'

'He truly is a wonderful man. Patient, talented, intelligent… I would like nothing more than to share a dance with him,' she said as she shifted her gaze back to her hands. Edward and Artemis shared a knowing look, and after a nod from Artemis, Edward walked over to the emperor and his men. He came back a few moments later, with a smiling Noah.

'Lady Marseille, would you honour me with a dance?' he asked as he offered the princess his hand. After looking at both of her friends with an even redder face, she nodded and took Noah's hand. He escorted her to the dance floor and the two of them started dancing.

'You know, I don't think I've seen Marseille this happy. What did you say to sir Noah?' Artemis asked as she watched Maraseille and Noah dance.

'Nothing much. Just that nothing would make his liege happier than to dance with one of the men she admires the most. And besides, the fact that he likes her as much as she likes him didn't work against me as well,' he said with a wink.

'So that's how it is. They do look very cute together, though.'

'They're not the only ones that look cute…' Edward said as he gave Artemis a smile. She blushed a bit after that comment.

'Edward? What do you mean?'

'Care to join me for a dance, princess Artemis?'

'Well, I… I'd like to, but if my father sees us, he'll make a scene! He can't stand you because of your father.'

'Not to worry, Artemis. I think that our fathers will be too busy with each other to even notice us. So, how about a dance?' He offered her his hand, which she accepted with a smile.

'Persistent, aren't you? Alright, I'll dance with you. But I'm taking the lead.'

'I don't think so, Artemis, I'm taking the lead.'

'We'll see about that, Edward. Let's join the others before the music stops.'

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While most of the Renais household was in Grado celebrating, the guards stayed at the castle, making sure that no one suspicious would enter without permission. After the War of the Stones had ended, the last remaining Sacred Stone was given to the twins of Renais for safe keeping. Even today, the Stone was being kept safe within the catacombs of Castle Renais. The only way to take the Stone from its resting place was to put the Lunar Brace and the Solar Brace in the sockets of the pedestal which held the Stone, to remove the barrier that protected it.

'Well, ten more minutes and is time to switch shifts,' one of the guards said as he looked at his partner.

'Thank Latona. I think my wife would kill me if I stayed any longer tonight, haha,' the other replied with a laugh. The two continued their round and walked towards the barracks to be replaced by the next guards. They were just about to enter the barracks, when they heard a rustle.

'Did you hear that?'

'I did. I think it came from the north side. Let's go check it out!' The two guards raced towards the north side as fast as they could, only to find an old man who was standing in front of the northern gate. He was wearing the robes of a bishop. The guards lowered their defence a bit, as they started to ask the man what he was doing there at this time of the evening.

'Excuse me, father! You're at the wrong place if you're looking for a temple of the Saint Latona, all the temples are in the city.'

'Oh, but I'm exactly at the right place, gentlemen. This is the castle that holds the last remaining Sacred Stone, does it not?' the bishop asked in a crackled voice. The guards immediately stiffened with surprise.

'W-what do you care if the Stone is here or not, old man?'

'Old man? At least your friend next to you had the decency to call me father. Kids these days, no respect for the elderly!'

'Just answer the question! Why do you ask about the Stone?'

'Let's just say that my master has need of it. And you two are the ones who will give the Stone to me.' The bishop disappeared from in front of the gate, and reappeared directly in front of the two guards. The guards, shocked from the sudden move, fell backwards, and watched the old man prepare to chant a spell.

'By the power granted to me by my master, you will obey. Gehoorzaam!' The man raised his staff to the skies, and a flash of blue light appeared that hit the two guards in the face. A few seconds later the men stood up, eyes blank. The bishop let out a small smile.

'Good, very good. Now tell me, my friends, where is the Sacred Stone, and how can I get it in my possession?'

'The Stone is in the catacombs of Castle Renais, master,' one of the guards answered in a monotone voice.

'But you can not remove it from its pedestal without the bracelets,' the other one added.

'Damn it to hell, not those accursed bracelets again! I thought that they would have lost their power after the twins had used them to gain more power during the war! Tell me, where are the bracelets now?'

'Prince Edward and princess Rhianna have the bracelets in their possession.'

'They are in Grado, celebrating princess Marseilles thirteenth birthday.'

'Grado, ey? Hmm, this could work in my advantage…' The bishop raised his staff to the sky once more, and this time a red flash appeared. As soon as it hit the men they fell over.

'By the time you two wake up, you won't remember anything that has happened tonight. Thank you for being such good sports and giving me the information I needed.' The old man let out a laugh before he vanished. He reappeared a couple of yards from the castle, and walked towards an open field, where he began to draw a teleportation rune. As soon as he was finished drawing, he entered the rune and chanted a spell.

'I hope the two of you are having fun while you're still able to, my dear prince and princess. Because this will probably the last time you have reason to celebrate!' A monocle flashed briefly in the moonlight before the man disappeared.

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While a lot of people were dancing, the rulers of the five nations were at their table, snacking and talking. Innes was just about to take a second plate of roasted salmon, when he saw something that utterly disturbed him.

'Vanessa, my love. Is that our daughter who's dancing over there?'

'Huh? Oh, yes, yes she is. And she looks absolutely wonderful in that jade-green dress! It matches her eyes perfectly,' she said with a smile.

'Of course she looks wonderful! But who is she dancing with? Is that the scoundrel who I think it is?' he asked, sounding more irritated by the second.

'If you're talking about my son, Innes, then yes. Artemis is dancing with Edward,' Ephraim said matter-of-factly while taking a sip from his wine.

'WHAT! That's it! No daughter of mine is dancing with a son of yours! I'm going in!' Innes stood up from his seat, ready to charge, when Vanessa stopped him.

'Hineas Hayden Frelia! Don't you dare ruin this moment for your daughter! Can't you see is having a wonderful time?' she said while pulling him down to his seat.

'Wait, your name is Hineas? Ahahahaha!'

'Don't you start, Joshua! Your middle name sounds worse! No offence, Innes.'

'B-but Vanessa! She's dancing with EPHRAIM'S SON! She can't possibly have a good time!' he said, trying to get up again.

'Oh, for the love of Latona, Innes! Just because you can't stand me doesn't mean that your daughter can't stand my son. Looks to me like they are indeed having a wonderful time.'

'And they're not the only ones, look! Isn't that Marseille with Noah? That's so cute, and they have matching hair! As if my dear ancestor Latona himself wanted them to dance together!' L'Arachel said as she watched the couple.

'And over there, in the centre, Montague and Camilla, Raymond and Helena, Vincent and Grace, Glen and Celeste… I think we can expect a few weddings in the near future!' Tana stated, clasping her hands together. The other women at the table greeted her idea with joy, already thinking of locations as to where the kids should marry, while the men tried not to choke in their drinks. Seth tried to calm them down.

'Don't worry, men, it's just harmless planning. They'll forget all about it in the morning.'

'They'd better forget about it! I don't want Ephraim to be a part of the family! No offence, Eirika.'

'Toulon, you've been awfully quiet this whole time. How do you feel about Marseille dancing with Noah?' Cormag asked as he offered Toulon a drink. Toulon smiled before he answered.

'Do you see that smile on my daughters face, Cormag? Noah is the only one besides me who can make her smile like that. Of course I don't want to lose my daughter to another man, and I know that it won't happen until she's at least sixteen, but if one man will take proper care of her, it's Noah. They have my blessing.'

'Toulon, that was wonderful. Marseille is lucky to have a father like you. Why can't you be a bit more like Toulon, Innes?' Vanessa said, while still trying to keep Innes in his seat.

'Because Noah is a decent young man, and Edward is a scoundrel! Now let me go so I can break the two up before it's too late!'

Innes finally broke free and walked towards the dance floor. But before he could cut in and take his daughter back, the lights in the ballroom went out. A couple of screams could be heard, and when the lights came back, everybody in the room stared at the bishop who had suddenly appeared. Innes froze in horror as he saw who the bishop was.

'It can't be, it just can't be… Riev?'

Riev looked around the room, and let out a smile as he found the two people he was looking for.

'Well, well, well, what have we here? A young man and a young lady, both with teal hair and blue eyes. You must be prince Edward and princess Rhianna, am I right? You must be, you two look like the spitting images of your parents!'

'Riev, you scheming, good for nothing heretic! What are you doing here?'

'If it isn't prince Innes. Oh, wait, you're king now. And you still haven't forgotten about me, I'm so touched,' he said, wiping an imaginary tear from his face.

'Quit fooling around, Riev, what do you want?' Seth asked, pointing a lance at him. He, too, had recognized their former enemy, and immediately grabbed the first weapon he could get his hands on.

'Oh, nothing much, really. I just want the bracelets that those two little brats are wearing.'

'How dare you to call my sister a brat!' Raymond charged at him, but Riev just teleported out of the way, causing Raymond to fall flat on his face. Rhianna immediately rushed to his side.

'Brother! Are you okay? You! What do you want with my bracelet?'

'Don't tell me that you don't know the story behind that little trinket on your wrist, princess. Now hand it over before anyone gets hurt.'

'Rhianna, don't listen to him! Edward, Glen, Vincent and Montague, take everyone and run, we'll take care of this!'

'But, father, we can't just…' Edward began.

'Not now, boy! Take the guests and go! Bring them to safety, we can handle an old bishop,' Innes said as he cocked an arrow and aimed at Riev's chest. But before he could fire, Riev teleported again.

'Damn it! Where did he go?' Innes asked as he took a quick scan of the room. He soon got his answer as he heard Marseille and Noah scream.

'Lady Marseille!'

'Aaaah! Father, Noah, help me!' Marseille tried to escape from Riev's grasp, but he made sure to keep her close to him. Noah immediately grabbed his Luna tome.

'Keep that Luna tome to yourself if you ever want to see the little lady safe again. Now, I want you all to listen carefully. All I ask is that you give me the bracelets that prince Edward and princess Rhianna wear. Then you can have your Marseille back.'

'No! Please, let Marseille go, you can have my bracelet!' Rhianna said as she took off her bracelet.

'Rhianna, no! You know what our bracelets protect! We could doom the entire continent if we hand them over!' Edward said, grabbing her wrist.

'Edward, I can't just stand here and watch Marseille suffer! Let's just give our bracelets to him, we can always try to get them back later.'

'Well, what's it going to be?' Riev asked, tightening his grip around Marseilles throat. Edwards eyes grew wide in shock. He turned his eyes away and removed the bracelet from his wrist.

'Let Marseille go, you can have my bracelet,' he said, trying not to say something in his anger that might offend Riev.

'Good boy. Now, slide the bracelets over to me, I'll release the girl as soon as I have them.'

'Do you take us for fools? Release Marseille first, than you can have the bracelets,' Ephraim said, gripping his lance tightly.

'You're in no position to make demands, Ephraim. This girl is of no use to me, as soon as I have the bracelets; she'll be free once more.'

'Edwards, it's okay, give him the bracelets. We'll think of something to get them back later,' Innes said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. Edward looked at him with a defeated sigh, took the bracelet from his sister and slided them over to Riev.

'You've made the right decision. Marseille, would you be so kind to pick those up for me?'

The girl did as she was told, and picked up the bracelets from the floor. Riev let out a smile as he reached for the bracelets. He looked at the bracelets, confirmed that they were the real deal and was just about to release Marseille, when he suddenly stopped his movement. His eyes went blank for a moment, and the people wondered what had happened to Riev.

'Perhaps he suddenly fell ill and died! Serves him right, the bastard,' Joshua said. As soon as that sentence left his lips, Riev began moving again.

'Crud, I spoke to soon.'

Riev shook his head for a moment and looked around the ballroom. He was greeted with looks filled with anger, hate, and worry, and it pleased him. He held Marseille closer to him.

'What are you doing? You have what you wanted, let my daughter go! Please!' Toulon pleaded.

'I just had a meeting with my master. It seems that he has taken a liking to the little shaman, and he wants to meet her. So she'll be coming with me. Thank you for your co-operation, and have a nice evening!'

'You dirty, lying, son of a bi-' Artemis began, but her swear was lost in the laud laughter of Riev as he teleported away, with Marseille still in his arms.

'Father! Help!'

'Marseille! MARSEILLE!' Toulon saw his daughter fade away, and he collapsed.

'Marseille, my dear, sweet, Marseille…'

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SV : OMG, a cliffie! I think :P

Innes: Well, that wasn't even half bad. I'm actually willing to see what will happen next! Who would have thought!

SV: There you have it folks. It was a bit long, again, but at least it had some action. At least I hope it did :D. Stay tuned for the next episode to find out what the crew will do to get Marseille back, and if they can prevent the Sacred Stone from being pilfered from Castle Renais.

Innes: They will prevent it if they follow my obviously brilliant plan, hehe.

SV: Geez, how DO you stay so modest, Innes. It's a question for the ages. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated :D. See y'all next chapter!