So, how exactly are you going to explain to your family that you found yourself a fiancée?" I asked as Aamon walked me back to my rooms. "If I recall correctly, you left Castle Aberleen to find Gusion and answers about Kalon. But you suddenly come back with a fiancée."

"Leave that to me," he said.

I frowned at him. "That won't do," I objected. "Because people are bound to ask me. We need to get our stories straight." I paused. "I'm the daughter of a wealthy merchant living near the Azrya Woodlands. Our manor was attacked by Alice, and you fortunately were there to save me."

Aamon raised an eyebrow. I shrugged at him. "It's a simple story," I said sheepishly. This it the time when all the manga I've read come in handy.

"As you wish," he said.

We stopped just outside my door. "What about Gusion?" I asked. "Will he return to Castle Aberleen with us?"

"And interrupt your sweet, loveydovey time together? No."

The door opposite mine swung open to reveal Gusion standing there. Aamon frowned at him. "I need you close to Diana," the Duke said. "Since the presence of the Heart will help in keeping Kalon under control."

"Yeah, you banished me from Castle Aberleen, remember?" Gusion asked, rolling his eyes at his brother.

Aamon remained silent. I recalled in the game lore how Aamon had banished Gusion after earning the ire of the Elders of House Paxley. "You will remain in the castle," Aamon said. "You can either stay in the dungeons or the secret passages, out of sight, out of mind. Choose."

It was refreshing to see Gusion looking as if he wanted to throttle Aamon this time. "I'll stay in the towers," Gusion said, rolling his eyes. "I'll enter in secret. Though I get the feeling you would find the dungeons funny."

"Immensely," Aamon agreed.

"That reminds me," I said, turning to Aamon. "I need to know about your family. Your siblings, your relatives, your parents. All of it. And maybe about you as well. I can't be engaged and not know anything about my fiancé, can I?"

"In due time," Aamon said as he turned to the room he shared with Gusion. "Goodnight, Diana."

I could hear Gusion grumbling to Aamon about dungeons as their door closed softly behind them.

"We wish you all a safe journey."

The next morning saw Gusion, Aamon and I gathered in the courtyard of the Lunar Temple. Estes and Miya had been kind enough to provide us with three horses. Sleek and majestic, they looked as if they spent their lives running underneath a moonlit sky. Their glossy silver and white coats seemed to gleam underneath the morning sun.

Aamon placed a hand on his chest and offered Estes a small bow. "Thank you for your aid, King Estes," he said solemnly. "House Paxley will not forget your kindness."

Estes tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Diana," Miya said. I turned to her. She held a cloak in her hands made of a thick blue fabric with a golden trim. "The journey to Castle Aberleen will be a while. Nights can get cold. Here."

I smiled as I took the cloak from her and fastened it around me. Earlier, Sara had dressed me in blue riding breeches, and a white shirt with bishop sleeves. She'd insisted on riding boots earlier, and I inwardly thanked her for the decision.

"Your Grace," Alucard said, approaching Aamon. "I can personally pledge that the Lightborn squad will convene at Castle Aberleen in the coming month. Captain Tigreal will join us."

Aamon nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm personally not looking forward to going back to Castle Aberleen," Gusion said with distaste as he approached one of the stallions.

"I'm pretty sure your brothers and sisters will have missed you," I said. He shrugged.

"Can you ride?" Aamon turned to me.

I glanced at him, then at the mare before me. "Yes," I admitted, recalling childhood days spent on my parents' farm. "I used to, as a child." I gave the mare's muzzle a gentle stroke. "What's your name, beautiful?"

"Her name is Stella," Miya replied. "She's a very gentle mare. I thought you would like her. The other two stallions are Comet and Orion."

I nodded as Aamon helped me onto Stella. I murmured comforting words to her as I stroked her. She was indeed gentle, and not at all skittish. "Thank you," I told Miya. "We'll be sure to bring them back someday."

"Consider them as gifts," Estes said, waving a hand. "From the Lunar Temple to the House of Paxley. Lunar horses are stronger, swifter, their footing surer. You will find no other breed like them."

Aamon nodded in acknowledgement. "Best be off," he said as he effortlessly mounted the stallion Orion. "Until the next time we meet, King Estes." He placed a hand on his breast and kicked his horse into a gallop.

"Bye!" I called out to Miya as Stella swiftly followed.

We made it out of the Lunar Temple and down the hill, the cool wind whipping my cloak around me. Ahead of us, I could see Aamon holding out a hand. Three shards of light promptly appeared and darted towards me and Gusion. In the blink of an eye, we were Camouflaged, invisible save for our faint outlines. Miya was right, the horses didn't even blink.

I urged Stella to go a little faster, and soon I found myself riding beside Aamon. "How far away is Castle Aberleen?" I asked, the wind whipping my hair around my face.

"Normally, a fortnight's ride," Aamon said, his eyes fixed on the trail ahead of us. "But these horses go faster and are less fatigued. We may make it within the week, or less."

I nodded and looked ahead. "Can't say I'm excited," Gusion said as he rode up beside us. "It's normally a nice place to be, but the Elders manage to screw that up." He sounded bitter.

I fell silent.

Castle Aberleen…

The stronghold of House Paxley was in the southernmost part of the Moniyan Empire. It had been the fief of House Paxley for centuries, when Valentina, the first Duchess, had succeeded in repelling the forces of the Abyss from the Lantis Mountains. Though ruled by the Duke of House Paxley, Aamon, I recalled that the Elders of the House often found ways to circumvent his orders, and his authority. Aamon may be capable of pulling the strings of the Empire from the shadows, but the Elders…

There was a spy among them. I wanted to ask Aamon about it, his plans for dealing with the so-called Elders, but…That wasn't really my business, was it?

"So tell me about your siblings," I said later that night. We had camped out in the forest to rest the horses. Gusion had managed to snare several rabbits for dinner. Surprisingly, he was quite a good cook.

"My siblings?" Aamon asked as he drank from his canteen.

"Yes," I said in all seriousness. "I'm supposed to be your fiancée. And surprise, surprise, I'm actually just as thorough as you are."

"Gusion," Aamon said, tilting his head at his younger brother.

"She's asking you, not me," Gusion said from his place beside the fire. He was busy polishing a few of his daggers.

Aamon set his canteen down and turned to me. In the light of the fire, his icy blue eyes didn't look as cold as they normally did. "We are seven siblings," he said, raising a hand. "I have four brothers, and two sisters. I'm surprised you didn't know this. After all, am I not your favorite 'hero' in your game?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't know whether he was teasing or being straight up sarcastic. The latter, I think. "You've been demoted to least," I corrected, rolling my eyes. "My favorite is Helcurt now."

"Who?"

"Never mind, go on," I said quickly. "Four brothers, two sisters." I was excited. The game lore had already mentioned seven Paxley siblings, but they had yet to release all of their names. Admittedly, it felt like a behind the scenes spoiler.

"I am the oldest," Aamon went on, lowering a finger. "Vassago is the second."

"Womanizer," Gusion piped up. "Might wanna stay away from him. Imagine the scandal if the fiancée of Duke Paxley ran off with the womanizer of the family."

"That was…helpful," I said, raising an eyebrow at Gusion.

"I'm being honest."

"Berith is the third," Aamon said, lowering another finger.

"Bland," Gusion said, polishing his knife. "He's like a wallflower. You're bound to forget he exists."

"Perhaps you'd like to continue?" Aamon asked, turning to him.

"I'm just being honest," Gusion insisted. "You're just enumerating names. I think she'd like to know what we're really like."

"Gusion is the fourth," Aamon said, lowering another finger. He opened his hand again.

"And the most dashing, most talented," Gusion added.

"And most obnoxious," I said, rolling my eyes. Aamon let out a small laugh.

"That I agree with," he said, nodding. "Amy is the fifth."

"Pit viper if you cross her," Gusion said. "Just go along with whatever she says, and you should be fine."

"She dislikes you for a reason," Aamon pointed out. Gusion scoffed. "Eren is the sixth sibling."

"I know Eren," I said, remembering the comics that featured the sixth Paxley sibling. "Not as talented as either of you, but he's diligent, smart, sweet and a walking green flag altogether."

Aamon raised an eyebrow. "I hope your opinion of your fiancé will be just as generous," he said with a hint of irony.

I ignored him. "And the last?" I asked.

"Sitri," Aamon said, lowering another finger. "The youngest girl, and the youngest sibling. She's ten years old now."

"She adores Aamon," Gusion added. "She's honestly the sweetest out of all of us. She was a newborn when our parents…Anyway, Aamon sort of raised her."

I nodded. "Thank you," I said. "I'll be sure to remember their names. And their quirks." I found treating this whole fiancée thing as an assignment made it much more bearable. I turned to Aamon. "But what about you?"

"What do you mean?" the Duke asked.

"Well, I want to know more about you," I said, tilting my head at him. "I can't be engaged to a stranger."

Aamon blinked, and Gusion laughed. "Careful, Aamon," he chided.

"You'll find out eventually," Aamon said, taking another drink from his canteen.

"Okay, be secretive," I huffed. "If you must know, I like cream-colored roses, sweets, and dogs. I'm partial to chocolate and lemon sherbet. I love books, but I also like jewelry, dresses, and shoes. My favorite hobby is painting, and before I was a doctor, I loved to ride the horses on our farm."

Aamon stared at me, completely at a loss. This guy. "I just think those are a few things you ought to know about your fiancée, fake or no," I said, crossing my arms.

To my surprise, he chuckled. "Well played," he said.

"Well, are you going to tell me about you?" I asked.

"No."

"Heaven forbid people find out our engagement is fake because I accidentally gave Duke Paxley something he's allergic to," I said sarcastically.

"In due time," Aamon said.

Ignoring him, I stood and began spreading out my sleeping bag. "If you'll excuse me, I'm retiring early."

The journey out of the Azrya Woodlands took a good few days. Aside from the first night of our journey, Aamon hadn't talked much. When we made camp, he would often patrol the area, taking turns with Gusion. If he wasn't patrolling, he was busy writing letters on thick scrolls of parchment, which he then rolled up and kept within his saddlebag.

Gusion was the opposite. He liked to talk, mainly about his magic and his knife throwing skills. This amazed me. There were only so many things you can discuss about daggers, but Gusion never seemed to run of ideas. The contrast between their personalities was so poignant.

Aamon had been raised from an early age to be the head of House Paxley. This was reflected in his aloof personality, and in the way he seemed to prefer to stay silent. The lore had once stated that the reason he was so lenient with Gusion was that he saw in Gusion the man he could have been had he not been born with the weight of House Paxley on his shoulders.

On the fourth day of our journey, we came to the edge of the Azrya Woodlands.

"Diana, come," Aamon said, gesturing to me from where he stood near the edge of a cliff.

Curious, I dismounted Stella and made my way over to him. "Welcome to the Moniyan Empire," he said, gesturing to the land below us.

My eyes widened. Spread out before me were vast fields of deepest green. Here and there, farmland was spread out, interspersed with sprawling rivers and forests. In the distance, I could make ou vast mountain ranges, and mist-covered valleys.

"This is already a part of the fief of House Paxley," Aamon continued. "We will stay at an inn tonight and send word to the Elders then." He turned to Gusion. "I will keep you Camouflaged while you follow. Be stealthy."

"Don't have to tell me," Gusion said. "Maybe I can share a barn with Comet."

We arrived at a quaint roadside inn just before nightfall. Aamon kept the hood of his cloak down, and the young man who took our horses nearly had a stroke upon seeing him.

"Your—your Grace!" he stammered, taking the reins of the horses.

"Ensure that the horses are well cared for," Aamon ordered as he led me through the doors of the inn. I glanced behind me. Gusion, still Camouflaged, followed closely behind us, keeping to Aamon's imposing shadow.

The inn was crowded, filled with patrons who were busy eating their dinner. Several bawdy voices sang drunken tunes as people raised their tankards gaily.

"Duke—Duke Paxley!" the innkeeper stammered as Aamon approached him at the bar. He was a punchy, balding man. At the sight of Aamon, he started sweating profusely, and wiped his hands on the apron he wore.

At the mention of Aamon's title, everyone at the bar went still, their eyes fixed on Aamon with surprise and awe. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gusion dart out of sight.

"Morty, if I recall?" Aamon asked the innkeeper, oblivious to the commotion he had caused.

"Ye-yes, Your Grace!" Morty stammered. "Forgive me, Your Grace! If we had known that Your Grace was coming, we would have prepared a grander welcome for you."

"Not necessary," the Duke said, waving a hand impatiently. "We require several rooms for the evening, your finest if you will."

Morty began to sweat more. "I—I apologize, Your Grace," he stammered, wiping his hands on his apron again. "But we've just one room left. It is, however, our finest room. If you and your companion wouldn't mind." Morty stared at me, as if he had just noticed me. I smiled awkwardly at him.

"That will suffice for my fiancée and I," Aamon said bluntly, and a tad bit loudly. "Would you mind, darling?"

The inn went even more quiet. At once, all eyes swung in my direction. I gulped.

Dammit, Aamon. A little heads-up would have been nice. I inwardly sighed. Well, I guess it was time to start acting.

"Not at all," I said, smiling at him with what I hoped was a lovestruck smile. I could almost feel Gusion laughing at me from the shadows.

Aamon drew a small pouch from his jacket and handed the man a few gold coins. "Have them bring our dinner upstairs," he told the innkeeper, whose eyes widened at the gold in his cupped hands.

"At once, your Grace!"

Aamon slung his arm casually around my shoulders as he led me off to the stairs at the back of the room. I was amazed at how easily he could put on a façade. A lady greeted us at the top of the stairs, dressed in a prim white dress and freshly starched apron.

"A pleasant evening, Your Grace, My Lady," she said as she bowed to us both. "Allow me to show you to your rooms."

We followed her down a dimly lit hallway. Aamon handed her a few copper coins as she ushered us into one of the rooms. "Many thanks, Your Grace," she said as she gently closed the door behind her.

I quickly shrugged off Aamon's arm. "You should have seen your face!" Gusion's voice whispered from a corner of the room. I could see his faint, Camouflaged outline in one corner.

I blushed, and glared at Aamon. "A little warning would have been nice."

Aamon raised an eyebrow. "In public, you are my fiancée," he reminded me. "It is only natural to act that way, isn't it?"

"You have a point," I admitted as I sat on the edge of the bed.

Wait.

One. Bed.

"By tomorrow, word will have spread that Duke Paxley was seen with his fiancée," Aamon went on, oblivious to my dilemma.

"That was your intention all along?" I asked.

He nodded as he shrugged off his cloak. "You can stay on the bed. Gusion and I will manage."

"Can't I share the bed with Diana?" Gusion muttered. "My back hurts from all the sleeping on the ground, and the horseback riding."

Aamon raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't mind," I said. Besides, Gusion was relatively harmless.

"It isn't proper," Aamon said bluntly.

Gusion and I stared at him. "Right," I said. "You're nothing if not thorough. I guess you're sleeping on the couch, Gus."

The younger Paxley started muttering under his breath as he crashed into one of two couches in the room. "Do me a favor and wake me up when the food's here," Gusion drawled as he shut his eyes.

I glanced at Aamon. "Are you sure you'd be comfortable on a couch?" I asked. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch. I mean, I once fell asleep on the floor of the operating room. I can pretty much sleep anywhere."

"Nonsense," Aamon said, and that was that.

I rolled over in bed, trying to will myself to sleep. Thanks to sleepless nights spent on-call, my sleep patterns were irregular, and I sometimes had trouble falling asleep. I opened my eyes and rolled to one side again.

Aamon was sitting at the bay windows, his eyes looking out into the world outside. I could see his profile in the moonlight, saw his eyes narrowing as he lost himself in his thoughts. Guess I wasn't the only one awake. I could hear Gusion snoring loudly on the couch, the remnants of the evening dinner on plates in front of him.

"Can't sleep either?" I asked as I sat up.

"No," Aamon said, eyes still fixed outside the window.

I stood up, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders to stave off the chill. "Mind if I join you?" I asked.

"You should sleep."

"I also have trouble sleeping," I said as I sat opposite him on the bay window. "A side effect of my profession, if you think about it."

Aamon turned to me then. "You mentioned you were a doctor."

I nodded. "I was a surgical resident before I ended up here," I said cheerfully. "Was a bit young to be in residency, but I skipped a grade or two."

"What is a surgical resident?" he asked.

I beamed at him and began telling him about my time as a resident so far. "Ah," Aamon said. "You were being literal when you mentioned cutting people up and putting them back together."

"…for some reason, it seems so sinister when you say it," I told him.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Frightened?"

I stared at him. The MLBB lore mentioned that Aamon was someone who didn't mind doing evil deeds as long as greater good came of it. His role in the game was that of an assassin after all. I wonder if he took that role literally in this world as well? Maybe? I wasn't entirely sure.

"Of you?" I asked, tilting my head at him. "Well, you're someone who'd rather be feared than loved if you can't have both. I can't quite get a good read on you, and considering I deal with people at their most vulnerable, I find it a bit disconcerting. But no, I'm not afraid you." I paused. "I'm more frightened of your Elders, actually. I just…don't think they're trustworthy."

"You and me both," he agreed. He leaned his head back and stared at me. "I had toyed with the idea of eliminating them, at one point."

I kept silent. "But I didn't want to deal with the headache of the fallout," he continued.

"That's entirely your business," I pointed out. "I don't judge people."

"How comforting to hear my fiancée say that," he said sarcastically.

I glared at him, resisting the urge to smack him. "I do have a concern, by the way," I pointed out.

"What is it?" he asked.

"If I recall, you Paxleys are so particular with magic," I said, running a hand through my hair. "Don't you think I should learn how to use my magic?" It felt so weird saying it. "Just in case the Elders go all 'We don't want you marrying someone without magic!'"

To my surprise, he laughed, low and soft. "They don't get a say in who I marry," he said with such conviction it was hard not to believe him.

"I may be your fake fiancée, but I believe if I can't do anything right, I shouldn't be doing it at all," I said. "Besides, learning how to use the Heart of Anima may be useful in the future."

Aamon fell silent, his gaze lingering on mine. "You want to learn how to use your magic?" he asked.

I nodded. I was already stuck in a fantasy world, might as well get the full experience.

"I can teach you," he said quietly. "That is, if you would trust me to."

"How can I not trust my fiancé?" I said with the same sarcastic bite he gave me.

He smiled. "Well played."

Author's Note:

The lore canonically mentions that there are seven Paxley siblings. So far, we know only the names of three of them, namely Aamon, Gusion and Eren. For the remaining four siblings, I took the liberty of naming them myself. Since Aamon and Gusion's names come from the Ars Goetia of the Lesser Key of Solomon, I chose the names of the remaining Paxleys there.

On another note, I believe music really sets the mood for writing and for reading. I thought I would share with you all my musical inspirations for this chapter, and upcoming chapters where applicable.

Half Moon by Blind Pilot

You Could Be Happy by Snow Patrol

For You by Angus and Julia Stone