Dampierre lounged backward in his comfy chair and continued reading a book about the history of money. He was currently sitting in one of the luxurious living rooms and he sipped a glass of wine as he flipped through another page. All of a sudden, Gisele, Alphard and Ludovigo entered the room with a very strange and anxious expression on their faces. "Umm… boss, there's someone here to see Dumas," Alphard said nervously.

"Tell him the graf is out right now. Now quit bothering me for such silly nonsense," said Dampierre, not taking his eyes off his book.

Giesele spoke up. "Boss, you should really count your lucky stars that Dumas isn't here. Because this is going to be very troublesome…"

Dampierre lowered his book at the tone in her voice. Getting off the comfy red couch, he strolled past the three and said, "Who is it?"

The three replied, "You'll see…"

Stepping into the parlour, he looked at the man staring outside at the window. Clearing his throat, he said, "Excuse me, but how can Le Bello help you?"

"I would like to see Graf Dumas," the man said politely as he turned around.

When Dampierre saw who it was, all the blood drained from his face and his knees started shaking. "Y-y-yo-you-you…"

Raphael arched an eyebrow at the man. "Is something wrong?"

Dampierre immediately shouted, "Farewell!" as he ran out of the room and slammed the door shut. Leaning against the door, he tugged on his moustache and pulled. The first thing that came to his mind was… HOLY MONEY THAT MAN IS STILL ALIVE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! AND HE STILL LOOKS THAT GOOD? The second thing was…. I CAN'T LET HIM AND TALIM BE TOGETHER!

After all, he was planning on using his friendship with Talim to bolster his relations with Dumas. If Talim was reunited with Raphael, then he wouldn't be able to use her. So… there was only one thing to do. He opened the door and plastered a big fake smile on his face. "It's… really good to see you again Raphael."

Raphael rubbed his eyes tiredly and he placed the other hand on his hip. "Before you spout some kind of nonsense about being my long time friend, I want to tell you that I'm not Raphael Coral, I don't know a woman name Talim and I have no idea who you are."

Dampierre blinked at him a few times before saying, "Raphael Coral?"

Talim held on to Dumas's hand tightly as she stayed by his side. What should she do? He seemed so pale and she watched as he grimaced in pain. Buffy cried and plopped itself onto his armoured chest and she had to pull it off of him. "Please Buffy, don't cry," Talim said gently, patting it on the head.

Alun hopped over and chirped, "You're making my mistress even more worried! Stop it!"

Buffy squeaked, "But Raphael is hurt! He... he's dying! Wahhh!"

Talim watched as her bird and the baby batsa talked with each other and she shooed them into a corner of the cave. "Get some sleep you two. I'll look after Dumas."

Back to his side, she began taking off his armor to see how bad the damage was. She apologized when he made a pained sound as she eased him on her lap and her fingers moved swiftly as she searched for the buckles on his armor, hurriedly unbuckling them. When she managed to take off all the pieces, she removed his bloodied black undershirt and eased him up into her arms. With her free hand, she began taking off her long half skirt and she struggled to cut at it. When she finished bandaging his wound with the cut fabric, she laid him down on the ground gently.

Her body ached and she felt exhausted from having to use so much magic. She wouldn't be able to do anything more then read the wind for the next few days since her body and soul needed its rest. White moonlight sneaked towards her from the cave's entrance and a warm wind entered as well. She looked down at Dumas and prayed that he would be alright. He had taken that blow for her without any hesitation and she was deeply touched by his love. Staying by his side, she was determined to stay awake and watch over him.

Seconds... minutes... and finally, hours passed. The sun was rising but it didn't raise her spirits at all. Her bird woke up sometime at noon and nestled in her arms, keeping her company as she watched over Dumas. Meanwhile, Buffy was still hanging upside from the ceiling and sleeping. But when it did wake up, it also cuddled up against her as they waited for Dumas to regain consciousness. The day drifted by painfully slow and Talim grew more worried and anxious when the sun began to set. Alun and Buffy sensed her distress so they hugged her and snuggled up against her.

When night arrived and the stars covered the sky, she made Alun and Buffy go to sleep again. Since Buffy was a bat, it had squeaked in protest until she sung it a soft lullaby. In a few minutes, it yawned and fell asleep against Alun who was resting nearby.

Turning back to Dumas, she brushed away a few strands of his hair. Picking up his hand, she placed it on her cheek. "Dumas..." A tear trailed down her cheek and she closed her eyes. Her heart felt heavy and the thought of losing him, made it ache even more. Why? Why must he love her? Why did he look and act exactly like Raphael? Why did any of this have to happen? All she wanted was a simple life with the man she loved. But why must she meet Dumas, who was slowly taking away her heart?

Talim wiped away the tear that splashed onto his mask and gently removed it, revealing once more, the face she had etched into her heart and memories. However, he wasn't Raphael and she could not love him because of that. Nonetheless, she did cared for him. Looking down at him, she whispered, "Dumas, I... I will save you." Her eyes darkened and she placed her hands on his chest. "Wind that sees both chaos and order, I ask for the darkness that you carry with you."

In response, the stars and moon outside were covered by the dark clouds as the wind carried them. The cave grew darker and Talim remained still as she took in the dark energy and passed it to Dumas. With another whisper of words, she finally let go and waited for him to wake up.

A few minutes passed before Dumas made out a pained sound as he awakened. Groggily, he reached out and when a small hand held onto his, he asked hopefully, "Talim?" When he saw Talim and her worried expression, he smiled. "Dearest, you stayed by my side all this time?"

Talim nodded silently and turned her head away. "I could not leave you, after what you've done for me."

He held her hand lovingly. "I would do anything for you."

Talim breathed in deeply before saying, "Then let me go."

"What?" He grimaced as he sat up but he looked at her firmly as she continued to avoid his gaze. "What's wrong?"

Talim's eyes turned downcast as she placed a hand on her medallion and pulled away. "It's because of what you've done, that I need to leave."

"What? Did I do something wrong?" His tone had turned pleading and he reached out for her in the darkness.

But she shook his hand off and said softly, "I don't want my feelings for you to get any deeper." Her hand tightened around her medallion. "I will stay faithful to Raphael. He is my one and only and that will never change." She tilted her head back and murmured, "We can't be together Dumas. I'm sorry..."

"I am Raphael. Why won't you believe me?!" He said angrily. At his anger, Talim drew away with a frightened expression on her face. Dumas noticed and he tried to control himself as he reached out for the gentle priestess. "Talim please, don't do this to me. I can't prove to you that I'm Raphael but I've proven myself to you that I love you. Please…" He said sincerely, "You even admit that you like me. Stay with me and I'll do anything you ask. Anything you wish, I will give. I will be faithful and I will be a devoted husband to you."

Talim looked at him sadly and shook her head. "I'm sorry but I can't... the guilt is killing me." She meekly dipped her head and said softly, "I'll ask you one more time, please let me go. It's the best for both of us."

He let out a sound of frustration before turning back to her once more. "You have become such a difficult woman Talim." Dumas added quietly, "You had better remember that I am not a patient man. I have waited too long to have you this close to me. I will not lose you again, even if it's against your free will."

"You are threatening me?" Talim asked as she put a hand to her heart.

Dumas was quickly becoming more and more angry with her and he gave her a hard look. "I saved your life just hours ago. You owe me."

Silence ensued for a few moments until white moonlight slipped in and illuminated the two. With a smile of complete acceptance, Talim closed her eyes and whispered, "Then take my life as payment."

"Damn you!" Dumas stood up angrily and as he fumed, he smashed one hand against the cave wall. "Why must you do this to me?!" He gave her a pained look and shut his eyes closed. "The moon cannot shine without its sun. I can't lose you... Talim."

Composed and serene, Talim stood up as well and she edged towards the exit of the cave. Looking up at the bright moon, she replied, "No matter what happens, I will not betray Raphael. I owe you a lot but I owe him more. And I… love him more." She touched her sun and moon medallion and said, "Please, let me go. It will be better for the both of us." Talim took a step back when he edged towards her with a strange expression on his face. When a cold wind blew past her, she realized something was wrong. Nervous, Talim backed away another step as he leaned down. "Dumas?"

He gave her a cold smile. "If the sun refuses to be with its moon, then the moon has no choice but to conquer it."

Talim's eyes widened. "What?" Her heart jumped when he gripped her wrist tightly. "Dumas, what are you doing?"

Eyes as red as the lustful roses shone brightly and it met her dark chocolate orbs as he said, "I will never let you go." Before she could protest, he knocked her out and swiftly caught her in his arms.

By now, the noise had woken up their two pets and they hurriedly plopped themselves on her and made frantic sounds. Struggling to grab his sword but not drop her, he finally managed it. Whatever she had done for him had obviously drained a lot of her energy but he... had never felt stronger. Power surged through his veins and it felt like he had devoured thousands and thousands of souls. In a flash of fire, he teleported back to his castle with her and he was determined on making her stay there with him forever.

"What is the meaning of this!" snapped Raphael, fighting his way up the stairs as he battled a multitude of guards and Dampierre's own henchmen. Their feet pounded across the velvet red roll of carpet and the light from the chandelier illuminated his hopeless situation as he was completely outnumbered. With a hiss, he backed up against the wall as the soldiers blocked the right, left and bottom stairs. Twirling his Flambert, he aimed it straight at Dampierre himself. "On your knees!"

Without batting an eyelash, Gisele took out her crossbow and aimed it at his knee and fired. The bolt hit its mark as it sank deep into his flesh and Raphael went down with a cry of pain. Dampierre stroked his moustache and watched as Alphard, Ludovigo and two more soldiers pinned the Frenchman down. They had tried to be alittle more... discrete about their motives but it was a second too late when Dampierre remembered that Raphael was talented when it came to medicine. So the fencer recognized that his tea was poisoned immediately and then things just spiraled out of control.

Dampierre sighed. "I'm sorry it has to be like this my friend. But if Talim sees you... it'll be the end for Le Bello's future."

"I already said that I don't know her!" Raphael shouted angrily. "I'm just here to see Dumas!"

"Come now Raphael, surely you can do better than that." Dampierre let out a sorrowful sigh. "Why did you have to come here Raphael? If you stayed away from her, none of this would be happening."

"What does she have to do with your future in the first place?" Raphael asked. He was secretly bidding for time to try and figure a way out of this.

Dampierre strolled past him and said curtly, "She will be married to Dumas. And as one of her close friend, I'll have the privilege of being a close friend to Graf Dumas as well. But if she leaves with you..." he shrugged and fiddled with his mustache "Since we were friends all those years ago, Le Bello could be merciful. I'll send you to Siberia and make sure you'll never come back."

"You're sending me to Siberia?!" Raphael struggled even more. "Insolent dog! I'll make you feel my wrath!"

Gisele raised her crossbow at him. "I don't think you realize the situation you're in."

Dampierre gave her a pat on the shoulder and said, "I think it's time our guest leaves. Tie him up, stuff him in a crate and send him to Siberia for Le Bello will you?"

All of a sudden, a burst of fire erupted from the top of the stairs and Dumas appeared with Talim in his arms. His sword pierced the ground and stayed upright as he looked down at them. "What is going on here?"

All of his soldiers immediately bowed low and Dampierre quickly followed suit even though he was alittle surprised by Dumas's powers of being able to teleport. "My lord... Le Bello is so glad to see that you're back."

During the sudden arrival, they had all let go of Raphael and he looked up cautiously as he adjusted his hat. Dumas was a formidable figure; his eyes were a piercing red and an elegant mask adorned his face. He was obviously injured, judging by the strip of bloodied blue fabric wrapped around his torso. But he didn't look injured at all. His posture was straight and his voice was strong.

Dumas looked at the soldiers standing from his right, left, and at the bottom of the stairs disdainfully. "I have only left... for one day, and this is what happened? My furniture smashed, my floors ruined with blood and-" He suddenly stopped when he felt something stir within his soul. It was crying out for something. The same way Soul Edge rejoiced in finding its shard, a look of euphoria crossed his face as he looked at the man wearing the elegant bat clothes. His eyes sparkled when he saw Flambert lying beside the man. "You... come here. And bring your sword with you."

Raphael looked surprised but he quickly hid it. Cautiously, he ascended the stairs and stopped before Dumas. Only then did he realize how similar they looked. Their height, eyes, and hair were exactly identical. Everyone there turned their attention to the woman in his arm as she stirred. The round bat and fluffy bird made sounds of delight and hurriedly got off her as they flew into the air and rested on the handrails. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at Dumas. "What did you-" She suddenly noticed him and gasped weakly. "What?"

Raphael's eyes widened when he realized that he had met her before. She was the one in Odenburg who had saved him; most likely she had mistaken him for Raphael Coral. He didn't get to see her very clearly since the night was dark and he only looked at her for a few seconds before he ran away. But now, he could see her features very clearly.

Her eyes were almond shaped and it was a very dark brown, flecked with a small amount of gold. It was strange but very mesmerizing... Long eyelashes fluttered up and down every time she blinked, making the gesture seemed very languid and relaxed. Her mouth was small and sensuous and her lips were a very soft pink. Dark viridian hair flowed down to the middle of her back and the color was beguiling in its unique color. Blessed with a beautiful slender body, Raphael had to admit she was as lovely as Viola. He took a step back when she reached for him.

"Raphael!" Talim struggled to get out of Dumas's arms and she cried out, "Please! Help me!"

Dumas was rather annoyed to hear her say that and he turned his attention back to Raphael as his strong grip dug into Talim's arms. "Come here, Voldo." In the next second, Voldo showed himself as he leaped down from apparently nowhere. Bowing low, he let out an obedient hiss. Dumas then said, "Escort Raphael to the dungeons for me. I will be down there soon."

Raphael stepped back and growled, "On what charges are you imprisoning me for? I've done nothing wrong and how do you know my name?"

"No! Don't hurt him!" Talim cried loudly. "Please, don't-"

"Then stop struggling in my arms!" Dumas snapped impatiently. He regretted his harsh tone of voice when he saw her beginning to cry as she looked at him fearfully. "Dearest, I didn't mean to hurt you." His lips brushed her forehead gently as he turned and began walking away. "Behave yourself and all will work out Talim. Soon… you will have your wish."

Dampierre and Gisele took a fearful step away from him. He seemed almost deranged and mad as he held the priestess possessively. Inwardly, Dampierre wondered if he had done a horrible thing to Talim when he saw her drew inward like a frightened animal while being carried. The look on her face was that of someone who had nowhere to run…

Alun and Buffy looked at each other worriedly but when they saw Talim's pleading eyes, the two spirit animals bobbed their heads and trailed after Raphael who was being led away.

As he laid Talim down in the magnificent bed, Dumas sat down at the edge and stroked her hair. "Ssshhh, don't cry Talim. Haven't I always told you that you look so much more beautiful when you smile? Now, be a dear and give me a smile." He sighed as she backed away and cover herself with the green blankets.

"Please let me and Raphael go Dumas," Talim begged pitifully. She was now utterly afraid of the man who used to care and protect her so well and she trembled as he caressed her right cheek. But she didn't dare object in the current situation she was in. She was afraid that if she angered him or made him jealous, he would hurt Raphael.

"Talim, listen to me," Dumas whispered softly. "Soon, you'll get what you've desired these last seventeen years. But for now, I will need to overlook some fine details until I deal with Raphael."

Tears streamed down her face and she looked at him imploringly. "Dumas please, don't hurt him. I'll... I'll do anything. Just please, don't hurt him."

The moonlight shone on her delicate features, that of a beautiful and pure storm maiden who was willing to give everything and anything to protect her love. He did not want to hurt her or see her look so sad but he didn't want her to see his other self. She would be heartbroken when she realized that he didn't know her and she would be even more confused. In a clipped voice, he asked, "Anything?"

Talim nodded and bowed her head. "Anything."

"Then be a dear and go to sleep. You look exhausted Talim."

She looked up in surprise. "But what about-"

"You will not see that man." Dumas saw the look of sadness on her face but to protect her feelings later on, he will not budge. "If you ask me again, he will pay the consequences," he said curtly as he left her bed and began letting down the curtains of her windows. "If you stay obedient, I will be merciful. And in the end... you will understand that everything I do is to protect you and make you happy."

Talim kept quiet as he closed the door and left her room. With a stifled hiccough, she hugged her pillow and sobbed. "It's all my fault. If Dumas didn't fell in love with me, you wouldn't be in this mess Raphael." Her lips quivered as she sat there in the darkness. "Perhaps I truly am the bane of your existence."

"You silly things! Don't you realize that you're too round to fit through the bars!" Raphael huffed as he tried to pull Alun and Buffy through the bars of the prison he was trapped in. Rotten corpses hung gruesomely on the outside of the large cage and in the distant, he could see more torture devices like the iron maiden. That creepy thing called Voldo had unceremoniously thrown him in here and then the blasted man pulled a lever that isolated the cage from the ground. He was now basically suspending over a pit with a devastatingly cute baby bat and a very fluffy white bird.

When Raphael pulled harder, Alun squawked to its friend, "I told you we wouldn't fit!"

Buffy squeaked, "But I even sucked in my stomach!"

Raphael grumbled as the two animals made noises at each other. They were soundly trapped between the bars and he tried his best to free them as he pulled and wiggled them out. With a loud pop, he finally managed it and they flew over his head and fell on the floor of the cage.

In gratitude, Buffy squealed happily and launched itself at his face. "Oof! Git off my ace!" Raphael pulled the bat off and sternly set it on the floor as he observed its strange physical features. It looked like a bat... but no bats could be this big or this symmetrically round. He was quite positive that this one was supposedly a baby as it blinked up at him with large smoky grey eyes. Hmmm... how strange. It looked like it was smiling at him. Cautiously, he poked it.

Buffy giggled and flapped its small wings in excitement.

Raphael smirked and picked up the bat. It was certainly pretty cute. But was it a boy or a girl? He couldn't really tell from this grey ball of fur with big eyes. It did have really long eyelashes though. All of a sudden, it bit him. "Ouch!"

"Eeek."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "I don't speak bat." A chirping sound made him glance up and he saw the fluffy round bird flying above him. When they quieted down, he said dryly, "Don't expect me to help you two get out of here. I can't even get out of here myself." To his annoyance, the bat just gave him a half shrug before leaping into his lap and snuggling up against him while the bird hopped over and plopped itself down beside him with a ruffle of white feathers.

Great… at least he was spending the night with two stuff-like animals for companions.

Waking up before the crack of dawn, Dumas stayed still as he continued to lay in bed. Weak rays of light touched the gold and red canopy, which was then absorbed by his black blankets. After awhile, he decided to get up and see Talim.

"Not so fast, Raphael."

Dumas's eyes widened. How was Soul Edge communicating with him when he did not have either the sword or a shard.

"You can thank that wind priestess of yours. She pulled an enormous amount of dark energy from the air and transferred it to your body. That was more than both of us consuming a hundred souls and it has boosted our powers by tenfold."

A worried look crossed his face. "If she did that then..."

"She's extremely weak right now. You should avoid having her undergo anything too demanding."

Dumas agreed. But then he remembered something. "Soul Edge, do you know of a method to show Talim that I and that other piece of my soul are the same? I think I might have a method but I'm not entirely sure on its reliability."

"You will need to open a portal to Astral Chaos. Once there, she'll be able to see the truth."

Dumas furrowed his eyebrows. "I had been thinking that it would be easier if I reabsorbed my other self."

"She'll think that you devoured his soul."

With a heavy sigh, he turned back to the sleeping priestess. "And how will I open a portal to..." His eyes sparked as he remembered something and a smile lit his face. "I almost forgot. Countess Valentine should be able to help me with that aspect. After all, she has no choice."

"You two made a deal that you wouldn't bother with each other after she found out that you were a malfested."

"Stupid woman," Dumas said with an irritated look. "That woman dares hunt down her own kin to rid this world of what she calls 'evil'. It's a good thing I know she's a malfested so now we're stuck at a standoff."

"Now what?"

"I'm going to have to trade her something for her work," said Dumas grumpily. But then he noticed something. "Why are you so interested in my dearest all of a sudden?"

"I have my reasons. But I can honestly say that I'm helping you two be together."

"You wish to use her." Dumas's voice was low.

"Having a priestess of the wind on our side gives us many advantages. And you do want her to be on your side, right?"

"I do but she's being difficult."

"Patience is the key Raphael. You have all the pieces; all you have to do is wait now."

Dumas nodded and sat up slowly. "For now, we wait. I'm only worried about my storm maiden. She'll want to see my other self but I can't allow it. Talim will only be heartbroken and confused once she realized that he doesn't know who she is." Getting out of bed, headed for his closet. "I shall be sending Isabella Valentine an invitation to my party. If I'm correct, she and Matthias should arrive at the same time..."

Two days later...

Talim and Dumas did not say much to each other, even though the lord of the castle tried his best to cheer her up. The atmosphere in the castle was strained and Dampierre wisely kept himself out of sight.

Walking downstairs, Talim's face was pale and her eyes were downcast. The servant escorted her over to her chair and obediently pushed in the chair for her as she and Dumas took their breakfast together. Bright sunlight streamed in through the huge windows and the food for them was beautifully prepared on the dark red and white tablecloth of the dining table. However, Talim had no appetite.

Dumas was saddened to see her in such a state. "Talim, eat something will you?"

She stayed still before reluctantly picking up her spoon. Scooping up some porridge that was flavored with herbs, she ate some and when he asked how was it, she replied, "It's fine Dumas."

Trying to think of a topic, he asked, "Where have Buffy and your bird gone? I haven't seen them around for awhile."

Talim hesitated slightly before saying, "They're... they're just playing with each other somewhere in the castle. And keeping company for someone..."

Wryly, he nibbled on his spoon before dropping the subject even though he wondered why Talim didn't want to spend more time with her beloved pet. He watched her took a few more bites before reaching over for some slices of fruits.

Dumas sighed. Things weren't going well and if there was something he learned after all this time, it was that Talim had to be dealt with gently. If he was hard with her, then it would only drive her away. Getting up, he walked over to her and he saw the flash of fear that flickered across her face. Gently, he kneeled down before her and held onto her hands that was on her knees. "Talim... look at me."

Talim took in a deep breath before reluctantly looking down at him. "Yes?"

"You know that I love you, right?"

She lowered her eyes. "Yes."

"And because I love you. I want you to be happy." He saw Talim twitch in surprise and he added, "I want to see you smile. Therefore... after the party for Matthias, I will let you and Raphael be reunited with each other."

It was almost too good to be true and Talim's mouth parted in amazement. "You... really mean it?" When he nodded, Talim squeezed his hands. "Promise me that you're not lying to me please. I... it would break my heart if you weren't being honest with me."

"I give you my words of honor, that you will be reunited with the one you love on the evening of the party." Getting up, he kissed her on the forehead. "But until then, I want to spend all of my time with you. So unfortunately, you can't see him. Do you agree to the deal?"

Talim replied, "The party is in three days. So... all you want is for me to spend three days with you?"

He nodded and stroked her cheek, which turned pink under his touch. He was about to say something before a servant ran up to him with a frantic look. "My-my lord. Terrible news..."

Talim watched as Dumas stood there and listened intently as the servant whispered into his ear. She drew back slightly when a look of raw anger blazed in his eyes. Even his mask didn't hide the look very well. Timidly, she asked, "Dumas, what's wrong?"

He took in a deep breath and placed his palms flat down on the table. But in the next second, he smashed the dishes to one side and snarled, "How foolish of him... to anger me like this."

"Dumas, what's going on?" Talim asked worriedly as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Matthias has killed most of my people at that inn we stayed. And from my sources and spies, it seems he has sent a certain someone to infiltrate my castle..." Dumas gestured upstairs. "Go to your room Talim. I have matters I need to attend to."

The servant meekly took ahold of her elbow and dragged her upstairs as Dumas headed the other way. "This way mi'lady. You best avoid the master while he's in such a foul mood."

Talim bit her lips and she noticed that he was heading for the dungeons. Was something happening? It couldn't possibly be.. related to Raphael could it?

"Loathsome cur." Ivy leaned back the plush purple sofa. A crystal chandelier above her illuminated the look of annoyance she wore and the alchemist looked at the letter in her hand with distaste. She was gathering ingredients for one of potions so she was currently staying at one of her smaller houses. Currently, she was alone except for one maid and she was rather content about her solitude until an invitation arrived late that evening.

Getting out of bed, she draped a violet silk robe over her body and tied it loosely as the maid gave her the letter. Walking over to the sofa in her room, she read the letter and was immensely annoyed. How dare Dumas asks her to open a portal to Astral Chaos. Did he think it was that easy? The ritual was not only taxing, it was risky. And to open a portal, one required something or someone with immense holy powers that can counter the surging evil that leaks out from Astral Chaos.

Ivy wanted nothing more than to throw away the letter but when the man mentioned about trading a Soul Edge shard for the trouble, she knew she couldn't walk away. That shard would be extremely helpful for her research. Tilting her head, she drawled, "Get the carriage ready. I'm leaving for Denèver Castle. You're coming with me as well."

Her maid bowed. "At once mi'lady."

When her maid left, Ivy headed for the closet and looked at her outfits. A flash of yellow caught her eyes and she smirked as she reached for the outfit. She always enjoyed seeing the looks on the men's faces as she showed off her body. Just because she took a vow of celibacy, didn't mean that she didn't like to make men squirm. Especially when they have no chance with her. She cocked her head to the side and said, "What do you think, Valentine?"

Her sword stirred on her elegant purple bed and Ivy laughed. "This shall be fun then."

Darkwings13: Holy wind I've been gone for a long time. But as you can see, more actions are ready for this story than ever. And I feel quite proud of myself for that picture :D

Is there going to be a scene with fireworks in the future? Hehehe, maybe. Anyway, sorry for the long wait and thanks for reading. I hope you all missed me ^_^