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she looked down and noticed the corset part of her dress still resting around her waist where Kaiser had left it. she turned around using his cloak to shield herself while she became decent again. she turned back around and handed him his cloak, "Could you do me one last favor?" she turned around and moved her hair revealing the loose strings of her corset, "Could you relace and tie my corset? and thank you for the Cloak... i guess i forgot i had been topless from the warmth of your cloak... or the shock of..." she remained silent waiting for him to accept or decline her favor.

She smiled and giggled softly, "Yeah, it would help if he didn't see straight through me." she walked out the door and went up the stairs to face her father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why aren't you wearing your crown? do you not like it?" he asked as he rocked in her chair and examined her crown.

She came in and closed the door behind her, "No, I took a nap and haven't put it back on..." she turned and walked to the chair on the other side of her desk.

"Sit."

She obeyed and looked at her pale trembling hands in her lap.

"So what has happened to my little girl? you won't look me in the eye." he crooned as he reached across the desk and wrapped a lock of her hair in his hand.

"Kaiser's dead."

He let go of her and retreated as far back as the chair could go. he spun and looked out the window, "How..." he whispered in disbelief.

Oriana shifted uncomfortably and sighed, "papa... I found Kaiser three days ago freezing to death on my door step." her hands tightened on eachother and she swallowed hard, "I took him in, healed him, and we came up with a plan... Since i saved him... He would be my suitor. just before the wedding he said he would do something that would make him look like he was having a seizure, and he would "Play dead" which would give me some time to find someone i wanted to marry... or just prolong my issue."

Her father turned back to her with tears in his eyes, "Honey... you..."

She shushed him and continued, "I knew there was something wrong with him... something i thought i could fix, but i couldn't, and it came back on me. Kaiser tried to "Rape" me... but he wasn't begin forceful..." she turned away from her father with tears in her eyes, "He wanted me to feel the same way he did. I could feel it in him. And i knew i could feel that way about him... but I-I had only known him for three days papa..."

He rose from his chair and began walking around her desk.

She shuttered and pressed into the back of her chair, "He didn't want to hurt me, But it doesn't matter now because he's dead!"

Her father knelt at her feet and rested his hands on her legs, "Sweetheart... why? why did you..."

She glared at him and shouted, "I Have less than a year to find a husband!!! why wouldn't i try anything i could! The opportunity just fell onto my lap and i felt that i would be stupid not to take it!" she pushed her chair back and stood up, pacing.

He rose from the floor and watched her with weary eyes. he was worried about her, but he couldn't let her delay her marriage... she needed someone, and she had locked men out of her life for so long, that it was going to be hard to get her to even want to be with someone. he was devastated by the pressure it had been putting on her, but he had to...

"I never knew how lonely i was until i saw how Kaiser's death impacted me." she rested against her bookshelf and did her best to smile, "I had known him for Three days, but i cried like i had known him for years..."

Her father scooped her up and held her close, "I'm so sorry sweetie... but i can't change the rules... you need a husband." he wiped the tears from her eyes, "Maybe an assassin just isn't right for you..." her laugh to his comment brightened his glooming heart, "Well i can't imagine that you laced up your corset yourself, so who's in the house with you... Vadim can't lace a corset, though he is pretty talented for a polar bear..."

She looked up at him and smiled, and he wiped her tears, "don't cry sweetie... It'll be alright. Let's go see your guest. It's rude to leave your guest unattended."

She smiled, "My mutt's down there..."

"You haven't named that pup yet!?" he chuckled as he escorted her daughter out the door, "Goodness sweetie... It's pretty sad that you've had that dog for almost a year and it has no name..."

She frowned, "He does... It's stupid mutt..."

He laughed and walked down the stairs, "Is he in the kitchen?"

She nodded and they walked through the door.

"Sir?" Oriana father smiled, offering a hand shake to Auren.

He tilted his head and gave him an odd look, "So by saving my daughter you failed her?" he released Auren's hand and stroked his beard, "Doesn't make any sense to me... "

Oriana shook her head at her father, "papa, Leave him be. From what i can understand... he killed a good friend of his for my safety." she looked over at Auren, "I'm sorry for placing you in such a position... If there is anything i can do..."

Her father jumped, "OH," he turned to face his daughter and cringed, "What are we going to tell your mother and sister... should they just stay home now, or should they come?"

Oriana closed her eyes and counted to five, trying to relax enough to talk calmly to her father, "Papa, now's not the time... Maybe you should introduce yourself...."

"Ah yes!" he spun around and took Aurens hand again, "So sorry sir, I am Damir Drei. the past king of this land and the proud father of two beautiful young girls."

Damir scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "you don't have to be formal, Technically I'm no longer the ruler. And if you did that, it wouldn't have been right..."

"Papa... you don't know how Kaiser was killed..." Oriana mumbled and looked away trying to flush the images from her head.

"Can i stay here with you... I'm getting worried for everything that's been going on." Damir pleaded as he snuggled up to his daughter.

"No!" Oriana shouted and pushed him off, "I'm fifty six years old! I can take care of myself..." she turned away from her father since she knew what he was going to say.

"Oh?" he asked, "And how would you explain this?"

She flushed and glared over her shoulder, "See what happens when you pressure me into being with someone."

Oriana nodded, and closed her eyes, while Damir pulled her back into his arms, "Sweetie, Please let me stay here... or at least hire some sort of bodyguard... Your big teddy bear is imposing, but i don't think he would last long against many of the threats now a days. Plus, Isn't that crazy scientist of a mayor acting up again... I don't want you to be home alone with that psycho on the loose..."

Damir looked over at Auren, "If this dog can get along with you... you are not a monster; not at heart at least. I believe you to be a good man, and if you are interested in defending her... It is of her to decide... As for the price... I will pay in any currency you'd like, but i shall mention one thing... I do find it interesting that you would mention that you do not seek her hand in marriage... because if it were true... would you have mentioned it?" he suggestively raised an eyebrow at him with that comment, then laughed, "Ah my Dear... I leave the choice to you, when you have decided I'll be up in your study enjoying a glass of brandy."

She looked at the floor blushing, Good god... I seem to attract the members of this "Moonlight Organization"..., she sighed, Maybe that's why i was such a night child?

Oriana stood there, right where her father had left her. She had never felt more like a child then now. the mutt walked up to her and sat by her feet. she patted his head and walked passed him to the kitchen sink and began doing the dishes.

unable to tolerate the silence she glanced over her shoulder noticing his wings, "Was that an accident of yours? your wings?"