A/N: It's a little difficult adapting these modern-day characters to the Victorian Era, so I hope I can do them Justice (heh). Just a side note: Trucy calls Phoenix "Papa" because "Daddy" sounds too American. ;) (She calls him "Papa" in Japanese, too, so I guess it's okay.) Also, still trying to think of a halfway decent title (haha).

Thank you to everyone who has read, faved, and followed! Please leave a review if you like it so far (or even if you don't)! They really do encourage me to write faster! :) Enjoy chapter 2!

Disclaimer: May contain spoilers for the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Rating will eventually change to M for sexual content and violence.

Chapter 2: The Ball

For the duration of the carriage ride to the ball, Miss Trucy was a whirlwind of spirited conversation and animation.

"Did you know, Apollo, that the von Karmas have a daughter only three years my senior?" she asked him, her eyes bright with excitement. "Indeed, Miss von Karma is older than I, but she is only now making her debut into society – I heard that from Miss Skye, you know. And really, I wonder why that is, for I hear she is quite accomplished. Perhaps she is unattractive?"

"Perhaps you shall find out for yourself tonight," Apollo said dryly, though he was hardly listening; he was uncomfortably anxious again now that they were drawing near their destination.

"I suppose so," Trucy conceded, casting her gaze ponderously out the window. She was silent for a brief moment, seemingly lost in thought until suddenly, she let out a hearty exclamation of, "But I hear Mr. von Karma is very wealthy! Oh, and quite influential, especially in his home country of Germany – and I do wonder if he has invited any people of –"

"Miss Trucy, you ought not concern yourself so much with feeble hearsay," Apollo interrupted. "It's hardly becoming of you." He hadn't meant to sound peevish; his stomach was now hurting him a great deal, and her constant chatter of the source of his discomfort only served to aggravate the pain further.

"You're so cruel, Polly!" she cried with a simultaneous glare and pout. "I only meant to try and calm your nerves, for you look so ill that I almost regret bringing you with me!"

"No, no, I'd have never let you go alone," he said hastily. "And I apologize for being curt with you. As you said, I'm quite… discomfited." He leaned his head against the wall and tried to relax. The irony of Miss Trucy's intentions and their impact was not lost on him, leaving him feeling rather guilty.

But, as was her way, she brightened almost instantly. "Do not despair, dear brother! I think we shall both enjoy our evening immensely! Even if you do not wish to dance with any ladies besides myself –" (here she gave him a mischievous grin, which he willfully ignored) "– there are bound to be other young men with whom you might be inclined to discourse. Perhaps even other lawmen like you and Papa!"

The notion that he might be made to talk law with actual masters of the subject wasn't particularly relieving, but for her sake, he only smiled warily and let her continue her frivolous gossiping without any further objections.

When at last the coach pulled up to a grand manor house, whose grounds were positively brimming with cultured ball-goers and smartly-dressed servants, Miss Trucy had to practically drag her brother out and up to the front doors, looking more like his chaperone than he hers. The pair was then duly admitted by a portly old butler and escorted to the ballroom, where Apollo had to repress a shudder at the sheer number of attendees present. He supposed he ought to have realized the grandness of the event upon witnessing how populous the grounds themselves had been, or how exquisitely decorous the entrance hall was, but even had he done so, he was certain even they could not have prepared him for this.

Apollo knew well that Mr. Wright was not a wealthy man, but he was a successful attorney, and as such, he was certainly well-to-do enough that he and his children were able to live in considerable comfort in a rather large rural estate. He even afforded to maintain their own coach and pair of horses as well as a stableman and two young domestic servants. But it wasn't until that moment, wherein Apollo found himself marveling in awestricken wonder at the enormous, elaborately furnished von Karma ballroom, that he realized just how far from wealth Mr. Wright really was.

"Miss Trucy," he said in a daze, grabbing for her arm so as to keep her from wandering off and losing herself in the thronging multitude of richly-garbed gentlemen and debutantes, "stay close by, if you please. There – there are quite a bit more people here than I had anticipated."

"But Apollo, look!" she cried, turning to direct his gaze alongside the far wall of the space to where a small group had congregated, its members conversing almost furtively with one another. "That can't be – oh, but it is! It's Mr. von Karma himself, and Miss von Karma is right beside him – and I daresay she's quite handsome!"

His curiosity vaguely piqued, Apollo strained along with Trucy to see through the crowd to the private assemblage off to the side. There was a large, imposing man with gruff features and keen eyes who could only be Mr. Manfred von Karma himself; and beside him was an equally imposing, though much softer-featured young woman with a shapely figure and boyish bobbed hair. Her face was turned in defiance to the side, and she appeared to be speaking to someone outside of Apollo's field of view. He stood up on his toes but even then could not manage to discern who it was that was holding her attentions.

Without his knowing it, Miss Trucy had gently begun to guide him toward the group, a devilish look in her eyes, and quickly, he tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her back toward him, hissing into her ear, "Are you mad?! We are invited guests here – we can't simply go about as we please, listening in to people's private conversations whenever the urge strikes us!"

"I care not for their conversation," she interjected, sounding rather offended at the suggestion. "I meant only to catch a better look at – well, see for yourself, Apollo! Look at those two handsome gentlemen they have taken all for themselves!"

Wearily, Apollo followed her pointing finger with his eyes. And his heart gave a wild little flutter.

Beside Miss von Karma stood not one but two young men, so alike in countenance that they could not but be relations. Tall and slender, and with exotically tanned complexions, they shared the same long, white-blond hair, which both wore styled in a loose braid over the left shoulder. The one presently engaged with Miss von Karma, who Apollo perceived to be the elder of the two, wore a pair of thin-framed eyeglasses, upon the bridge of which he rested his fingers thoughtfully as he spoke. The younger, darker of the two seemed to be paying little attention to their discourse and instead occupied himself with peering about the ballroom with startlingly blue eyes. Apollo momentarily found himself mesmerized by them until, unexpectedly, they met with his own.

He blinked, then tore his eyes away, his cheeks warming. He had been caught staring at a complete stranger – a high-class one, at that! And he hadn't even realized he had been doing it!

"A-Apollo!" Trucy murmured suddenly and with such a tone of urgency that he turned to face her at once. But her eyes were elsewhere, and he had a sinking feeling he knew where. He slowly turned back around as Trucy whispered in shaky incredulity, "He's coming over here!"

Chapter 3 Preview: Apollo can't seem to keep his eyes off this mysterious young aristocrat, and he doesn't understand why. Klavier, on the other hand, has a pretty good idea why...