Chapter 50

"You two will never change, will you?" Emma chided, feeling a sense of déjà vu wash over her as Jusis twirled the dark blue haired woman on the dance floor, both of them laughing.

"You are quite the dancer, Jusis." Melyssa complimented as he pulled her into his arms again.

"You are not horrible yourself, Lysa." Her name rolled off his tongue and he smiled, which didn't happen often from the youngest Albarea heir. "Shall we retreat for a moment to grab a refreshment?"

"Sure." Melyssa was parched and took his extended arm, walking off the dance floor with him.

"She looks familiar." Emma commented, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully as she watched Jusis and the young woman walk off. "Do we know her?"

Machias shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer that other than honestly and risk his witchy wife's wrath. He inwardly smirked at her narrowing eyes, pretty sure she had caught that telepathically. Celine would have found it amusing.

"I can't say." If he did know her, it would have been from a time before his wife and those kinds of women were never something one brought up in polite company.

Emma's eyes really narrowed. "Rean?"

He gave her a onceover, shrugging.

They had just taken a sip from their champagne flutes when Emma and Machias joined them. "I suppose congratulations are in order, Regnitz." Jusis smirked, watching his friendly adversary narrow his eyes.

"I do not need your congratulations, Albarea. But I appreciate the sentiment." His eyes moved to the woman, who had her back turned to them. "So, are you going to introduce us to your friend?"

"My what?" Emma gestured to the woman and Jusis cleared his throat, seeing Lysa was busy having a few snacks along with her champagne. "I would not call her my friend…"

"Then why were you dancing with her?" Emma pried, folding her hands in front of her and smiled tightly at Jusis.

Melyssa slowly turned around, after swallowing the food she ingested and held her flute in her hand. "Because we don't really know each other. We just met tonight and he was kind enough to ask me to dance with him." She smiled up at him and then turned her attention back to Emma and Machias. "Congratulations, Mr. Mayor." She extended her hand, acting perfectly cool, calm and collected as Machias shook it gently but firmly.

"A pleasure, and you are?"

"Lysa. Lysa Reynolds."

"She recently moved to Crossbell City."

"Oh really? And where might you have originated from, Miss Reynolds?" Machias was curious about her, though he didn't know why.

"Heimdallr." Melyssa figured that would be the safest route to take since the city held over 800,000 people within it. "Your father was and is an outstanding mayor and I know you will do him proud as mayor of Crossbell City."

Emma raised a brow, suddenly wondering if maybe she had assumed too much about this woman. "Of course he will." She looped her arm through her husband's with a smile. "Nobody else is better for the job than Machias."

"Why thank you, dear." Machias kissed the top of her head gently.

They really are a great couple and they love each other so much, Melyssa thought, taking a sip of her champagne while Jusis, Machias and Emma talked amongst themselves. She decided to make a retreat, heading toward a dessert table for something sweet.

Rean however felt more than just a passing bit of 'maybe'. He felt a tugging and he didn't like it. Rean didn't like passing feelings or any feelings for that matter. Life was much simpler, less complicated when he just focused on doing his job and not much else. Innocent civilians didn't die and people didn't disappear while focused on just the basics. He made his way to the dessert table, eyes roaming the offerings. Gelato. He snorted, moving to examine the offerings and found the flavor Melyssa had liked. He blinked when the woman Jusis had been dancing with reached for it too. Nothing else looked good to her, but Melyssa always had a weak spot for gelato. It was her favorite – chocolate and vanilla swirl. She picked it up with a spoon and turned, nearly colliding right into none other than Rean Schwarzer.

"Oh, my apologies!"

Her spoon had flown out of her hand to land on the floor and she went to bend down to grab it, but Rean beat her to the punch. Rean…how she missed him these past 2 years. Melyssa had to push her own feelings aside and cracked a smile when he handed it to her.

"Thank you." Calling him anything, even Mr. Schwarzer, would give her away and she could not reveal who she truly was to him.

She was familiar, sort of. Rean had seen many beautiful women over his lifetime, being sort of nobility meant he had grown up surrounded by them. "You're welcome." He offered her a smile that felt stiff, as if his mouth had forgotten what to do in this kind of situation. "That's a good flavor, Miss?"

She was wearing make-up like it had been air painted on and thanks to Emma, he now knew that women had a lot of tricks up their sleeves to make themselves look like someone they were not. He found that sort of thing devious. Crow, the last time they had seen each other and not squabbled, which had been well over a year, had seemed amused with the idea.

"Lysa. Lysa Reynolds." Melyssa extended her hand to him without hesitation, knowing showing the slightest bit would make him suspicious. Rean slid his into hers, firmly shaking it and she smiled softly at him, feeling that familiar spark shoot up her arm. "And you are?" That question surprised him as their hands left each other and she took a bite out of her gelato, savoring the taste of it.

Pretending she didn't know who he was…Melyssa didn't know if that was the right thing to do or not. She figured maybe it would put Rean's mind at ease a little since his smile was tight. Anyone who didn't know him automatically raised his suspicion because Rean didn't go to very many places where he wasn't referred to as the Ashen Chevalier. That title still irked him, but now it was for all the right reasons. He had always thought that he wasn't a hero and the title wasn't deserved, the accolades he received weren't deserved. Now, after the events in Jurai, what he had always thought was now a cold, hard truth. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't the Ashen Chevalier. He was just… an Instructor.

"Rean." He didn't offer his last name, spooning his own bite of gelato into his mouth.

Rean always had a problem with his titles – the Divine Blade of Eight Leaves and the Ashen Chevalier. Some things never changed, apparently. "It's nice to meet you, Rean."

He was eating gelato and she recalled how he'd never had it until the night they walked under the stars together. Those memories were better left in the past because she wasn't that girl anymore. A lot had changed about her over the past 2 years being captured by Ouroboros. Now, she was an Enforcer and Rean would hate her if he knew the truth. He just nodded back at her while eating his gelato and she could see he wasn't in the mood for conversation.

"Have a nice night." It was time to make her exit from this party. Melyssa had stayed long enough and didn't want to linger too long for fear of someone recognizing her.

There had been too many close calls already.

"Not leaving so soon, are you dear?" Emma was right there to intercept, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. "The party has only just begun and Jusis was looking for you, Ms. Reynolds." Something about this girl, no woman, seemed familiar and it was bothering her that she couldn't place it. "You just said you moved to Crossbell City recently?" She asked politely, glancing past the woman to find Rean watching them almost curiously.

For him, that was the most expression she had seen in a year and she felt a moment's sadness wash over her.

Jurai had not gone down the way anyone had planned, at all.

"Oh, he was? I figured he'd be sweeping the next damsel off her feet."

Melyssa felt butterflies erupt in her stomach at the way Emma was staring at her. The witch was very perceptive and Melyssa had to be careful a spell wasn't cast on her or something. She did not trust Emma and kept enough space between them that was both comfortable and necessary.

"Yes, I did. Lived in Heimdallr most of my life and figured it was time for a change. Man troubles, you see."

"Ah, bad relationship then?"

"You could say that."

"What part of Heimdallr, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The Leica District." It was the first one that popped in Melyssa's head.

Emma narrowed her eyes slightly. "The Leica District. So are you familiar with the Vander school then?"

"Yes, I've heard of it, but never ventured there." Melyssa didn't appreciate all the questions, but rushing out of there wouldn't be wise either. "I did work for the Imperial Museum for about a year, however." It was the only place in Heimdallr she was completely familiar with.

"Oh really?" Emma smiled broadly, seeming more at ease and genuine now as she really considered the other woman. "Did you like it there? I always found the place to be stuffy. Well, I always did admire the Star Bell, but that might be because I'm partial to the Crossbell area." She laughed, shaking her head, gesturing back towards the party. Whatever odd feelings were slowly disappearing, she had spent years on edge and focused, now it was time for another round of peace. No matter how temporary it was. "Oh, and how is dear Ravan?"

"As far as I know, fine. We haven't spoken since I left the museum."

"Oh! Does Dorothee still work there too? She's one of my best friends from Thors."

Melyssa had to take a risk with this and nodded, keeping the smile on her face. "I'm not sure, but when I worked there, she did. I didn't talk to her much."

Emma chuckled, gesturing Rean over to join them while she kept the conversation going. "She's definitely different, that's for sure." She would never forgive the 'romance' novels Dorothee used to write, almost all of them involving only men. "Ah Rean, have you met Lysa yet? She's from Heimdallr and recently moved to Crossbell City. She used to work in the museum in Leica District." There, he was caught up now.

What was Emma trying to do? Melyssa smiled at him tentatively, seeing they had both finished their gelato. "Yes, we did briefly. Hello again, Rean."

"You worked at the museum?" Rean asked, nodding to acknowledge Emma's inquiry if they had met yet. "When, which part? I spent quite a bit of time there last season and I don't recall seeing you at all." He had finished his gelato and gotten himself a glass of champagne. He wasn't a big drinker, never had been and that hadn't changed, but a glass or two of something here and there. "Oh, this is disgusting Emma." He made a face after taking a sip.

"Ash said the same thing. He's around here somewhere."

Rean's face went carefully neutral. He hadn't seen Ash since graduation and Ash had repeatedly made sure Rean knew exactly what he thought of him. Crow had been a target of Ash's ire as well.

Ash was here? That wasn't good because if ANYONE would recognize her, it would be him. Maybe. "I worked mostly nights, after hours." Melyssa answered, trying not to snicker at his reaction to the champagne. "It's not so bad."

"A little bitter, but that's how champagne is supposed to taste."

"That's why they put strawberries and other types of fruit in it, more than likely."

Emma nodded at Lysa's observation. "Good point, I never thought of it that way."

Shrugging, Melyssa finished off her champagne and set the flute down on a tray that came her way. Three was her limit; she couldn't be drunk in case she had to make a run for it.

Rean was not thinking about 'making a run for it', that was just cowardly and unbecoming a man of his 'stature'. What he was thinking was about making a discrete exit because discretion was the better part of valor. In other words, it was better to avoid a potentially dangerous -and danger came in many varieties- situation than to confront it.

Ash was a dangerous situation waiting to unleash.

"You and Ash still haven't reconciled?" Emma asked, having noticed the shift in Rean's entire demeanor, even though his face was still schooled into a very neutral, very calm expression. Some things he just couldn't hide, especially from someone who was a good friend.

"It'll happen eventually, our friendship is just… taking a break." He said diplomatically.

Because of me and what I did, they're no longer friends, Melyssa had to fight back the sadness engulfing her and had a feeling Rean was about to call it a night. "Well, it's been lovely meeting all of you, but I really must be going. Give my best to the new mayor, Mrs. Regnitz." She curtsied with a smile and turned, making her way up the stairs that would lead to the exit.

That had gone a lot smoother than she thought it would and lying had become second nature to her, as it did with every Enforcer of Ouroboros. Turning, once she was out of sight, Melyssa pulled something out of her clutch and held it in her hand, blinking tears away. Her good luck charm, the pendant Rean gave her for her birthday. She always carried it around with her, remembering what he said about its protection.

I won't hurt any of them. I don't care what they do to me anymore, but I WILL protect them with all I have. Slipping the pendant back in her clutch and closing it, Melyssa cracked a sad smile at the slowly fading people that were once her friends and comrades before making her way out of the building.

"I should really start bringing Celine to things like this, that woman was… odd." Emma said at the end of the night.

She hadn't allowed Rean to 'slip off', but instead forced him to remain and she had done so by reminding him he had an obligation to his current students who were here under his supervision. She had felt mildly bad using that against him, because she now tried keeping her opinions and observations to herself. The 'Instructor' she had wanted Rean to be was now his core personality and she hated it, she missed her friend.

"She seemed familiar."

"Everyone seems familiar to you." He replied without looking at her, watching as the ballroom was tidied up. His own students were in the process of helping secure the place, ensuring everyone was out and everything was sealed off.