A/N: Sorry this took me such a long time. I had trouble writing this chapter. Also, whatever I might have said in the last chapter, there isn't anything dirty in this, and I currently intend to keep things T rated though I may make a separate story that contains dirtier bits.

I don't think I have any music terms in here, though if I do, tell me. And I apologize in advance for dialogue; some parts might be a little hard to follow.

Thank you to all my reviewers. I think I've thanked everyone who logged in. But, I would like my number or reviews to match the number of chapters. I'm not asking a lot as Gino fics aren't the most popular. Preferably not BS reviews, though they don't need to be complex. I'll even start you off. "One thing I like about your story is..."

Please enjoy.

They were haunting her. And she feared she was fading back into her former self, a phantom of Pendragon's court. It was bad enough that the court was looking down their noses at her because of her shameful forfeit to Luciano—though she was immensely grateful her forfeit hadn't really backfired on Gino—but when the whole royal family began to attend seemingly every party Aly was that week, her life became hell.

Oh, at first it was okay. Aly liked Princess Euphemia and Prince Clovis, and Cornelia and Odysseus were decent, but by Monday, Schneizel had gotten back from his trip, and his gaze seemed to follow her everywhere. Additionally, young noblemen—or at least their parents—had remembered that she was now seventeen, so she had to deal with avoiding suitors as well.

She was in one such party, held by the Count of Portland, when her cellphone rang. She excused herself from discussion with the elderly Count with six single grandsons, and ran out onto an empty balcony.

"Aly, Aly! It's working~"

"Lloyd?" Eyebrows raised, she held her cellphone at arms length.

"Yes, yes. The Lancelot, Aly, it's working!"

"Well?"

"Beautifully!"

Aly studied her phone for a second, "Why? What's happened?"

"A terrorist hijacking."

"Aren't the usual forces are enough to handle that."

"There seems to be some mastermind behind it all, and the rebels have gotten their hands on knightmares."

"Who is piloting the Lancelot?"

"Suzaku Kuurugi."

"A Japanese man!"

"Technically, he's an honorary Britannian, but yes."

"...Lloyd, why are you calling me about this? As much as I enjoy interruptions from parties, I don't really have a lot interest in knightmares."

"Cecile told me to go bother someone else."

"And so you called me?"

"Yes, well your are my heir you know~"

"I guess I am. I-"

"Aly, I have to go. Prince Clovis is making some strange announcement." His end hung up. Aly slowly lowered the phone and pressed the end button, a sinking feeling filling her. Lloyd's tone there at the end had been incredibly surprised. What could Clovis's announcement be?

A voice from under the balcony interrupted her thoughts. "My lady of light. Your smile is a radiant ray of sun, your hair starlight in this summer's night."

She sighed. "Gino, go practice your monologue on some poor maiden who will appreciate your adaptation of Britannian literature."

"But my lady, my words are true. Your beauty bridles my untempered passion. Your sharp tongue but tempts me closer."

"Gino, you're starting to sound like a masochist. It's very worrying."

He ignored her. "Cast off the moon's dark garments and take all my light for thy own."

"Oh, Gino, Gino, wherefore art thou trying to get me bare?"

"Hey, I'm not a pervert!"

"Oh?"

Gino jumped up onto the balcony's guardrail, his green capping flapping in the air. "No, I'm not a pervert."

"This is beside the point. Since you're here, I need to talk to you, privately."

"And leave this fantastical party filled with fatuous political significance. Count me in!"

She grabbed his arm and towed back inside, searching for the host of the party. Finding the count, she gave him their regrets for not being able to stay longer before hastening outside the noble's mansion.

"Leaving so soon, Lady Aly, Sir Weinberg?"

Aly turned and took a few steps toward Schneizel "Yes, your highness. Are you leaving as well?"

"No, I just desired to discover why the Lady of Nice and the Knight of Three were leaving before the party even got into full swing."

Of course. "Well, it might be best if you did go back to the palace. Do you know of the Lancelot, Prince Schneizel?"

"How could I not, Lady Aly? I am the chief sponsor of Camelot."

Wide eyed, she took a step back. "You...you are?" She cursed herself. Even if that was news to her, she shouldn't react like a scared rabbit.

"Did you not know? I guess I do try to keep that under the radar, but even still, I would expect you to know, Lady Aly."

"I didn't, though it comes as little surprise."

"Good. I would hate to think you were losing your touch. Now you were saying?"

"The Lancelot was launched during a terrorist hijacking in Japan. Lord Asplund was telling me about the Lancelot's performance when your brother began to make a surprising announcement."

"Oh? What was the-" From the mansion came someone running, yelling for the prince. "K—Earl Maldini. What's wrong?"

The earl hurried over to the prince, whispering something up into his ear. A look of distress passed quickly over the prince's face before he straightened his face to its normal expression. "Lady Aly, it seems as if you were right. Would you two like a ride back to the palace?"

It wasn't like they had much choice, and he had looked so unsettled that she hoped she get the upper hand in their conversation. But what had happened. "Of course your highness."

"Dead?"

"I'm afraid so, and Suzaku has been accused of the murder."

"But isn't he in the Britannian military?"

"And more faithful to it than most of his comrades, I believe, but—"

"Since he isn't Britannian and they couldn't find who really did it, they're putting him on trial. And I suppose he'll be convicted easily enough."

"It's such a shame too. Kuurugi's performance with the Lancelot was astronomical. Without him, Shinjiku would have been an even bigger disaster."

"I would imagine that under different circumstances, Prince Clovis' PR department would be making him a hero, to relate to the people."

"Maybe, though the Emperor isn't that fond of public relations, so Prince Clovis might've decided just to not make a big deal out of it."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. But thanks for telling me, Lloyd."

"I hope your private audience goes well."

"Have you ever had one?"

"Occasionally I've met with him about my work, but there were always others there."

"How fortunate for you." Aly bid her uncle farewell and turned off her display monitor. Ito-san emerged from a shadowed doorway.

"Does M'lady need assistance in getting ready for your audience?"

"Always, Ito-san."

"I believe you'll be able to hold your own, M'lady."

"You were a gift from the Emperor. Did you ever meet him?"

"M'lady, I'm a servant and el—Japanese. I could never meet the Emperor. What dress would you like to wear, M'lady?" Ito-san opened Aly's mahogany wardrobe. Aly walked over to it and searched through the dresses, selecting a single-strapped purple dress, and Ito-san helped her put the dress on.

Aly turned to a full length mirror. The hem fell just below her knees. "I think it's appropriate." She gave a small twirl and watched the dress slowly settle back down.

"Beautiful as always."

"Gino, you're supposed to knock before entering, especially as this is my bedroom. I could have been changing." Grinning, Aly turned her head to look at Gino, lounging on a doorway. "I know you might privately enjoy that, but Ito-san would be most distressed. Wouldn't you, Ito-san?"

Aly heard the rustle of skirts as Ito-san curtsied to Gino. "M'lady, I couldn't reproach a noble, especially the Knight of Three."

"You hear that, Lady Asplund. I'm irreproachable."

Aly rolled her eyes. "Just wait until you marry some stiff young noblewoman. She will rid you of your fantasies quickly."

"You haven't done anything with your hair."

"I thought you said I looked 'beautiful as always'."

"And I was telling the truth. Ito-san just seems to be fond of doing elaborate hair arrangement."

Ito-san spoke up. "We hadn't gotten to the hair yet."

"I don't think you'll have enough time to do much." Gino pointed at a grandfather clock, pushed into the corner of the room.

"He's right, Ito-san. It is already nine-fifteen. Maybe just a simple French braid would be good."

"Very well, M'lady. If you'd just step over to the vanity." Aly obeyed her maid's command.

As Ito-san started working with Aly's hair, Gino said, "Ito-san, I've had word of your sister."

Ito-san froze, "M'lady, you didn't need to ask-"

"But I wanted to, Ito-san. You are a very nice person. Gino, what did you hear?"

"Ito-san's sister is alright. Her home in Shinjiku was destroyed, but she's alive. However, her son, Ito-san's nephew, wasn't so lucky."

"Jiro is dead?" Ito-san's voice trembled. Gino nodded and looked away as the maid began crying quietly. "M'lady...I'm sorry, I-"

Aly turned in her chair to look up at Ito-san. "It's fine Ito-san. Go grieve. I can take it from here."

"Thank you M'lady."

Aly watched the maid retreat into the room Aly had provided as a bedroom. "Have you ever lost anyone, Gino?"

"No one I was close to. Both my paternal grandparents died when I was still a toddler, and, well, of course, there's Kotone, but she's not dead...or not as far as I know."

Aly studied his face. For once, he wasn't grinning, instead thinking back to his youth and his childhood love. "What would you do if we found her?"

"You haven't-" His face was contorted, a peculiar combination of desperation, fear, and anticipation.

"No, I haven't found her. I haven't even looked, but...we could."

"I've tried, when I first became the Knight of Three," his voice was resigned. "Doubtless, if I did find her, it would be incredibly awkward. All of the feelings we shared so long ago..." He brightened, "but don't worry, she could never replace you."

She forced a laugh, responding dryly, "You completely failed to relieve my nonexistent jealousy." She stood up and stared up at Gino. "It also failed to disguise your concern."

"And how are you any better avoiding the present? You realize it's almost time, don't you?"

"Maybe I'm just making polite conversation while I'm finishing getting ready." She brandished the end of her braid as she slipped a hair tie around it.

"Ever the politician."

"Can't blame me for practicing." She took a few steps toward the door, then looked down at her feet. "Oh, how I hate heels."

"Oh? And why is that? They make you taller and your legs longer."

She glared at where he had taken her seat and was now lounging, his feet on her vanity."I hadn't noticed." She sighed, "It's just that walking in heels isn't as easy as models make it look. And the heroines in comic books couldn't fight as they do in heels."

She took a few more steps toward the door and turned back, looking at Gino expectantly. He returned the look with a "What?"

"Aren't you going to—I don't know—offer to walk me to the throne room or something like that?"

Instantly, he jumped up and kneeled before her, green cape fluttering from the sudden motion. "Lady Asplund, would you do me the favor of allowing me to escort you to your audience?"

"I didn't mean you had to offer! I just had expected something like that from you."

"And I intended to, but I figured you would want to independent and walk the plank alone, a martyr, protecting those you love, and I wouldn't be able to convince you to let me go with you."

"Oh! Well, I guess...you're right."

He stood and walked toward her, grabbing and encasing her smaller, colder hands in his. "And is there anyway I can convince you?"

"No, afraid there is not." She smiled sadly and continued speaking, softer, "I would like a hug though."

And he swept her up in warm, comforting hug.

A/N: So I hope you enjoyed that. I've been watching Young Justice recently, and last night I injected myself with large amounts of spitfire fanfiction, so Wally and Artemis might have seeped in some there at the end, though I think they are similar to these characters anyway. If Aly does seem a tad OOC, remember that she's scared shitless, and not the normal sudden scared in her encounters with Schneizel but now she's dealing with the Emperor.

I myself hate the waiting while scared.

I wanted to update more frequently in the summer, but I'm going on a long trip next week, so it may the end of the month by the time I update again, but please story alert and review and yeah...Have a nice summer.