Operation Blind Vanguard: Target(s) The Queen And The Healer [CLOSED]

"Ahhhh!" A terrified shriek echoed through out the house, followed by a strange and loud thud. "Serenity?" a gentle voice sounded as Helena, Alain's mother, stepped into the room to see what happened. "What's going on in here?" a stronger voice followed as Magnus, Alain's Father, too made his appearance. The first thing the couple would see is a massive pile of clothing laying on the floor with a large container on it's side. With the open closet next to the pile, it wasn't hard to figure out that it had fallen out of the closet and spilled the clothing. But where was Serenity? Magnus pointed passed his wife toward the pile of clothing. It began moving and a tiny hand popped out from it.

"A little help?" a muffled voice could be heard coming from the pile. "Oh... Dear." Helena tried not to laugh at the sight as she stepped forward and grabbed onto Serenity's hand. With a little help from Magnus, the two were able to rescue the small woman from her clothing burial. "Serenity, what in Rydia's name are you doing, dear?" Helena asked. Serenity looked up to the two of them, blinked a few times, and the brightest of smiles appeared on her face. "The Queen is coming to the Winter Festival! I almost forgot. I'm looking for the dress she gave me. I have to wear it!" Helena and Magnus looked to each other and back to her, Helena speaking, "So you really are friends with the Queen?"

"Yep! Ah-ha!" Serenity finally found the dress she was looking for and pulled it out. She stood up and placed it against her body. Helena smiled sweetly and giggled, "Honey, that's a very formal dress. Don't you think wearing it to the festival might be a little silly?" Serenity blinked and looked down to it, holding out to look at it. "Yeah, I know it's a little silly, but I have these warm leg things and boots I got while I was in Zakat to keep me warm... And these gloves I got in Aria to match it that still fit. It will all go together perfectly! Lillianna will love it!" she explained happily, setting everything out on the bed. Helena nodded and agreed with the statement, shooing Magnus from the room.

"Alright. We'll meet you in the living room in five minutes to head out. Don't take too long." Helena said since she and Magnus were already ready. Serenity nodded and began getting ready. Once she was done, she looked into the mirror and felt like something she hadn't felt like in a while: A Princess. She even had a little tiara the Queen had given her years ago. How all of this still fit, she didn't know. It just made her realize she was always going to be tiny. It was okay though; the thought even made her giggle a little. She stepped out of the room saying, "I'm ready!" Magnus and Helena looked to her; Helena smiled and Magnus was as hard to read as he had been since they met.

"You look beautiful, dear." Helena said and Serenity smiled, "Now let's get going! Alain is waiting on us." Serenity nodded excitedly and hurried along with them. It was a bit of a walk in her overly formal dress, but she had other reasons for it. As they made it into the festival, Serenity got a few people pointing at her, laughing, and a few children looking at her like she was a princess in a fairy tail. She and Alain's parents made it to the stand they were supposed to be meeting Alain at, but he didn't seem to be there just yet. During their wait, a mother asked if her daughter could take a picture with her. Some even recognized her as 'The' Serenity Verdant and understood the outfit a bit more.

"There he is!" Serenity pointed toward Alain as she saw him walking in their direction. Serenity understood that it was possible that her choice of outfit would be looked down on, but she was too excited to care. Everyone else was dressed in sweaters and scarfs. Sure, she did keep herself warm with a few extra items under her clothing, but the puffy queen dress was likely a little odd for most to understand. Once Alain was close enough, she hopped excitedly forward and hugged him. "Hi! When is Lillianna supposed to arrive?" she asked, her eyes shining and twinkling with a happiness that was both contagious and seemed completely unnatural for some people, "I can't wait to see her!"

Serenity gave a disappointed look when he made her let go, but she understood. She placed her hands behind her back and stood there all cheerful and excited. As Helena and Magnus left, Serenity waved to them, "We'll meet you later!", and then looked back to Alain. It was then that his comment about her dressed registered in her mind, "Lillianna gave it to me. She had this made for me when I attended a ball with her. She told me years ago that every time she goes out, she has to dress in these puffy, over done, formal, uncomfortable dresses that make her feel very out of place. Because of that, I'm going to wear it too and keep a smile on. By doing that, it'll make her feel better."

"So... is there anything you want to do? Most of the food and game carts aren't open until after Opening Ceremonies, but I can give you a tour if you'd like." Alain asked and recieved an instant nod. Alain held his hand out to her, "So, shall we go?" She glanced to his hand and back to him, pushing up a sweet smile and gladly taking it. This time, he'd not feel her soft skin against his, but a silk glove that she was wearing. "Is there any place that I can get a little something to eat? I kind of forgot to..." she said with a sheepish smile, her cheeks slightly red, "I was rushing to find the dress and get here before Lillianna and make sure you wouldn't be waiting here for us too long, sorry..."

As the two were walking around, a few younger children of Colburn were walking passed them with wide eyes and dropped jaws. Serenity could hear one of them asking their Father, "Daddy! Is that a real prince?!" This caused Serenity to have to hold in her giggling and look up to Alain to see his reaction. She knew he could hear the children; they weren't exactly shy about what they were saying. "I hope being holding the title for a day doesn't bother you too much, Prince Maldoc-Ryence." she said in a slightly flirtatious tone, though she wouldn't notice it herself. She wrapped an arm around his to pull herself closer to him, "There. Now show off that gorgeous smile like the Prince they think you are."

Serenity had every right to be a little bit of a brat. It also didn't help that for the time that his parents were here, Helena had been putting all these ideas in her head that she didn't really think to much on before. She had started looking so much closer at Alain. When he smiled at her, she blushed. When he talked to her, she became happier than normal. And when he was gone, she was sadder than normal. She looked forward to when he'd return from work and she could have dinner sitting on the table for him. All of these things possibilty even became obvious to him over the past couple of weeks, but that is something she wouldn't have noticed. So when he picked her up...

"Eep!" she queaked a little and immediately brought her arms  up around his neck. He called her his princess and caused her cheeks to turn a bright red. She wasn't going to argue! "You're so silly. I-I was just trying to pick on y-you! You don't have to carry me around!" she leaned in and whispered in his ear, obviously wanting to be put down. The two of them made it to the stand and he ordered some egg-less funnel cakes. "Ohh, I've never had one of thos-." she said and then blinked a couple times when she realized, "Hah! You remembered." She smiled and placed a short kiss on his cheek without thinking. The moment she did, she had to hold back a blush and act like nothing happened.

Yes, he had put implications on being the princess, but she was actually really happy he automatically remembered that there were certain things she couldn't eat. "How come you ordered yours without it though?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. The entire time, Alain seemed intent on not letting Serenity down, so she laid her head on his shoulder and pretended to be asleep. "If you're going to be a brat, I will too... At least what I was saying before was just between you and I." Serenity spoke in a whisper with a pouting expression, but kept her eyes closed. "Give her a kiss." a child suddenly said, causing Serenity to tense, "That's what you're supposed to to; Give the sleeping princess a kiss."

Serenity wondered what Alain would, but decided she'd rather not chance it. There were only two outcomes: an awkwardly forced kiss that would be taking her first, or rejection that she knew would make her sad. Instead of putting either of them through that, she opened her eyes and looked down to the child, who was licking a really big lollipop. "I'm not sleeping, sweetie. I was just walking for a really long time and hurt my ankle. The Prince was being a gentleman and letting me rest it..." she explained and the young one smiled. "Ohhh. Okay bye!" the child giggled and ran off. "Awkward." Serenity muttered and then glanced to Alain, "I won't bother you anymore... Let me down."

Assuming that he understood that she actually was serious about that, Serenity straightened out the skirt of her dress. At this time, their attention was caught by the man making the funnel cakes. They went over and got theirs, Serenity taking her first bite and giving a thumbs up to the cook as she chewed. Once she finished, "Oh this is wonderful." she said and took another bite. The two would take part in some normal conversation, finish their food, continue walking around, and avoiding children at all costs for a bit until finally they would take their seats. Serenity would often be caught looking around, wondering if Lillianna had arrived or not, but never able to catch a glimpse of her.

And finally....

"Yes, I'm ready." Lillianna pushed up a smile. She wasn't expecting to have a good time, not when she had to be so damn uncomfortable. She stood up and turned to Krsia. "Do you think this is alright?" she held out her arms, presenting herself wearing a large white dress that could be used as a child's tent. She wore white gloves that matched and as usual her crown. Beyond that, she was as ready as she'd ever be. She pulled up the front of her dress, adjusting the massive amount of cleavage that this dress enjoyed letting free. Making sure she was covered, she took in a deep breath and stepped over to Krsia. "No, no. I would like you to sit beside me tonight, as a friend, not bodyguard."

A few moments later, the announcements started and she knew it was her time to enter the spotlight, again. She smiled to Krsia and headed passed her until she made it to the side of the stage. It was like everything was perfect timing for her. As she made it there, the announcer bowed to her and introduced the Queen to the audience. "Please stand, for your Queen enters!" as the audience would stand, a few other people pulled up a throne as she stepped out and waved to the crowd. Many cheered, many waved, many stared... Lillianna did as she knew she had to and waved back to them all. She quickly sat down, knowing that most would not sit until she had sat down before them.

"See, see..." Serenity whispered to Alain as they would be allowed to sit, "She hates wearing those dresses." Out in the audience was a very excited young woman that leapt to her feet the moment the Queen was being announced. She cheered and waved, but many others did as well. There was no way that she was going to be seen out in this crowd, let alone recognized. "I'm gonna go see her now." Serenity said and attempted to rush off from the audience. Yes, she was about to run on stage, but her wrist was grabbed. It was then that Serenity sensed it, the actual intent to take her life.

Serenity's eyes widened, her heart started racing, and it felt like everything was going in slow motion. She turned her head toward Krisa, hoping that her old friend would realize quickly that something was very, very wrong merely by seeing the expression she held. She could of screamed, but that would have caused a panic that Serenity didn't want Krisa to have to deal with just yet. Serenity continued turning after looking toward Krisa and looked down to Alain. She feared that he might be caught in the crossfire, especially if he stood, so the first thing Serenity did was send a pulse of her energy through him. If anything were to hit, it'd be completely deflected, but...

Everything was happening so fast. Seeing Krsia make such a sudden move put Lillianna on guard. Lillianna watched the knife, well tried to, fly over the audience and into the crowd. Lillianna's eyes widened and she immediately moved to her feet. "Serenity!" she shouted, both in fear and relief when she realized that there was an attack, but it was prevented. It was within half a second of this that Lillianna's body was forced to the ground by Krsia and two arrows missed them by a good three feet because of it, but would have been right on point if there was any more hesitation. The guards began surrounding Lillianna as Krsia ordered them to get her out of there.

"No, wait." she said as she tried to stand, but had men surrounding her with shields being held in all directions to protect her, "Serenity!" Lillianna kept calling out to her friend, knowing the young woman was no way ready to protect herself. Lillianna had more battle training than that poor girl did. Krsia understood how close to two were, so Lillianna felt a large amount better when Krsia went out there. She kept glancing back, but hurried along with the guards behind the stage. As she made it back there, she angrily ran her fingers through her hair, "My people are in danger, I can't just stay here!" She tried to get passed the guards, but they pleaded with her, convincing her to stay there.

Out in the audience, Krisa made it to Serenity's side and the green haired woman smiled widely at her. "Yeah, I'm fine! Nice throw, as always." she said sincerely and with a little too much cheer, at least until Krsia and Alain began interacting with each other. Serenity's entire expression changed. She stood there watching them, confused about the tension between the two. Did they hate each other? How did they even know each other? There was trust there though, which caused Serenity to look at Alain with an expression that just leaked "you lied to me", as if he had instantly lost trust. She immediately looked away, not paying attention to the conversation until Magnus spoke.

Serenity even looked at him confused, like she wasn't sure she wanted to go with him now, but didn't feel like she had a choice. She nodded and kept silent, giving her hand to Magnus and allowing him to lead her back to where they were supposed to be going: to Lillianna. As they would make it there, not without two arrows beind shot at Serenity's back of course, Serenity shouted, "Blue moon and tree thing!" and hurried over to Lillianna. The guards did raise their swords, knowing that was not the right password, but Lillianna hurried passed the guards and up to Serenity. "Serenity!" Lillianna pretty much picked the young woman up and spun her, "I've missed you. Are you hurt at all?"

Lillianna began checking Serenity to make sure she wasn't hit. "Yes, Mom." Serenity said sarcastically, "You're not that much older than me, you know!" Lillianna smiled and giggled at Serenity. "Age wise, yes." Lillianna stood straight again, returning to her more 'Queenly' demeanor now that she knew her friend was safe. As this happened, six men dressed in all black and holding crossbows and swords appeared on each side of them. The guards instantly surrounded Lillianna and Serenity, but only cause of how close Serenity and Lillianna were standing. "What is the meaning of this?!" Lillianna shouted angrily, but the total of twelve men just charged or began firing.

Everything was happening too fast for Lillianna or Serenity to keep up. Lillianna didn't notice that Magnus was the one traveling with Serenity. "Oh my goodness, Magnus!" Lillianna smiled and bowed back to him, "Please, I'd be delighted to have you by my side for this. I am, however, worried about who their target is..." Lillianna looked to Serenity with s worried expression, "The first attack was on you..." Serenity nodded in reply. Serenity kept looking back and forth between Magnus and Lillianna in confusion while all hell broke lose. Magnus began fighting to protect them all and was surprising Serenity with every move he was making. She figured he had to be a military man of some sort because of how serious he was, but to know that he had once protected Lillianna made her a little more impressed, which is why she kept watching him as he fought.

And then the carriage arrived. Lillianna grabbed Serenity's wrist and pulled her along. "Come on!" Lillianna said as she dragged her along. Serenity's first instinct was to try and grab Helena so she could come too, but she missed and was pulled along. The two ran as quickly as they could, but as they stepped out from under the stage to jump into the carriage, the two of them saw three men holding up cross bows and ready to fire. As the bolts were fired, Serenity actually put herself in front of the bolts. A sudden pulse of energy was exerted from her body three different times, completely deflecting the bolts. Before they were able to reload, Lillianna and Serenity were in the carriage.

"Drive!" Lillianna shouted at the driver and they were off. Serenity couldn't help  but look out the window to see if she could see Alain. She didn't know why, but this sinking feeling of worry was hitting her hard. "I left Alain back there..." she mumbled and Lillianna looked toward her, "What if he gets hurt?" Lillianna smiled and pat the back of Serenity's head. "Your friend will feel better knowing you got away safely. What did I tell you about making people worry by being on the battlefield without reason?" Lillianna asked and Serenity just nodded in agreement. "I like him..." Serenity said in a soft tone. "Oh really?" Lillianna smiled happily, "Finally. You need to get laid."

"What?!" Serenity replied in shock, "You've got nerve! You're even older than me!" Lillianna scoffed a bit, "Yes, yes. I need to settle down with a man and produce an heir... It's what Mother wanted at least..." The two began talking like they were completely out of danger, which they were. The carriage was reinforced with Arcana, so people couldn't knock this thing over without a crane, shoot it without a missile, or get in without the Queen's permission. "Where to ma'am?" the driver asked and Lillianna looked to Serenity. "Go to Alain's house... We'll be safe there and I can get dinner on the table." Serenity said, surprising Lillianna that dinner was what was on her mind.

Serenity went this way and that way, up and down, around in circles, left and right. She sat and stood, walked and ran, and probably ended up upside down at one point. Her pacing would not stop; with everything that had just happened, there was no way for her not to worry. Hours passed them by and Lillianna begged Serenity to calm down, but she really couldn't. There was only thing that had helped some of the nerves calm, which Lillianna had suggested in in the first thirty minutes of them being here alone. "Cook. You know that always calms you down." Serenity had been in the kitchen ever since. Any time something was in the oven or needed a decent amount of time to cook, that was when she paced and ended up making Lillianna dizzy at different times. Once she had at least fifty cookies, a cake, and a full on roast dinner laid out on the table, Lillianna finally grabbed her worried friend by the shoulders and stood her still.

"That is enough... You're going to cook them out of home." Lillianna said, brushing the worried girl's hair behind her ears, "Krsia is with them and so is Magnus. There is no way that anything bad will happen." "How could you be so sure of that?" Serenity replied in her worried tone, "I have this feeling in my stomach that something bad happened to someone and it's not going away..." Serenity lowered her head and sighed. Lillianna just smiled at her and lifted Serenity's chin to look toward her, "Listen, I'm sure th-..." And finally the door opened. Serenity and Lillianna stood there, still in their over-done dresses, and looked toward the front door. "Are you all right?" surprisingly, it was Lillianna who spoke up and asked that. Serenity sort of just stood there with a racing heart. She didn't know what to think right now. She knew something bad was going to happen and it did. Alain was hurt and Krsia was the one helping him in. She couldn't understand why she found herself clenching her fists.

"Why is this bothering me...?" she thought and glanced away. Most people would immediately recognize the feeling as jealousy, but Serenity hadn't felt it before. If she had, it was no way near as much as she was feeling now. "Come, lay him down on the couch." Lillianna motioned Krsia toward the couch. As Helena stepped in through the door, Serenity glanced toward her with a confused look that seemed slightly irritated. Helena was immediately able to recognize it and connected the dots that Serenity did not like what she was feeling. "It's fine, Serenity." Helena said, waving to calm the girl down. Lillianna glanced toward Helena upon hearing those words and then back to Serenity.

"Dinner's on the table." Serenity said and turned to walk back into the kitchen. Lillianna motioned for Krsia to come toward her, and whispered "It seems the little one is jealous of you. She thinks something is going on between you and him." "That's an understatement..." Helena joined in on the conversation with another whisper before she turned to her son, "Someone's got damage control."

As Krsia stepped away, Lillianna smiled and watched her walk. With a nod to Helena, Lillianna stepped over to the white haired woman's side and set a hand on her shoulder. "You did wonderfully today, thank you." she said proudly of Krsia, "Not only were you able to do your job and prevent those arrows from striking me, but you went out of your way to save my friend. You have no idea how much that means to me... Thank you." Lillianna almost sounded like she was crying. Now that everyone had arrived, even though it was hours later, the rush of almost being killed finally caught up with her. A tear dropped down the side of her face and she quickly used her glove to wipe it away. She took in a deep breath and sighed it out. "I am curious, if you do not mind answering the question, of course..." Lillianna asked kindly, "What exactly was your relationship with that gentleman over there? Was it anything serious? I can tell there is some tension between the two of you."

Serenity had stepped away and stared doing the dishes when she walked off. She was lost in her own thoughts when the hand suddenly reached her shoulder. She jumped, startled by the sudden pull from her thoughts. She looked back to see Helena. If Helena noticed, she would have felt Serenity's body trembling, obviously more shaken about today than she was letting off. "I'm mad at him..." Serenity told Helena when she was asked to go talk to Alain, "I don't know why either. He just keeps making me mad for no reason." Serenity almost threw a plate, but caught herself. She set the plate down and sighed. "I don't understand..." she finally said. "Haha... Sweetheart, I can't blame you. It's not fun seeing the man you like have history with another woman, is it?" Helena said. "Nope." Serenity said in agreement to the statement, glancing away with her cheeks slightly puffed out. "That's called jealousy, I'm sure you've heard of it. Now go talk to him."

Serenity nodded and began stepping out of the kitchen to talk to Alain like she had been asked. As she stepped out, Lillianna would look over to see the nervous Serenity and tap on Krsia's shoulder. "Why don't we head into the kitchen to let the two of them talk?" she whispered to her, "Serenity's been baking for a while and it's been so long since we've had her cooking, we can use that as an excuse not to spy on her... or spy on her without her realizing it." Lillianna was obviously being playful. Krsia was one of the few people that Lillianna would plan mischievous things like that with, so she'd lead her onto the kitchen. Once they got there, Lillianna would pick up a cookie and bite into it, happily enjoying the taste. "I should have her bake a whole batch of these so we can take them back to the castle..." Lillianna said and then realized something, "Hey... When was the last time we've had a vacation? I think we should take one somewhere once we get back."

Serenity watched Lillianna and Krsia head into the kitchen and nervously stepped over to the couch. Standing behind it for a moment, where he could not see, she took in a deep breath and stepped around until she was standing in front. "You got hurt..." she said, stating the obvious since he was obviously in pain. She glanced to her hand for a moment, not paying attention to the fact that it was still shaky as hell and wondering if she could some how ease his pain, at least for a bit. Thinking on that, Serenity grabbed the skirt of her dress and pulled it out a bit. She dropped down rather gracefully to the floor, as if she had practiced that little maneuver many times before, and placed her hands in her lap. "Mom said that you wanted to talk to me about something." Serenity said, having been referring to Helena has Mom more often in the past couple of weeks because it was awkward to call her Helena, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I see..." Lillianna replied with an interested tone when Krsia explained what went on between her and Alain. A moment later, Lillianna found herself giggling at the concept. "That sounds like you." Lillianna reached out and brushed some of Krsia's hair behind her ear, "I wish you were able to be a little less serious, have some fun... and maybe even find someone to love. For someone who has such a beautiful smile, I'd like to see it more often." Lillianna said all of this sincerely, just before Serenity stepped out and they made their way into the kitchen. Lillianna knew that Krsia was going to be very hard on herself. Why Krsia felt the need to never ask for help, Lillianna didn't understand. "No, no... Maybe you're right..." Lillianna sighed as she finished a bite of her cookie, "And it hasn't been too long since our last vacation, so it's probably best to stay at work. One thing that will need to be done is finding out who exactly decided to orchestrate such an attack. I'm confused on why they would target Serenity first... And they completely ruined the Winter Festival!" Lillianna spoke that final bit in irritation. She may not like wearing the stupid dresses, but the attractions, food, and games were all too fun. It was upsetting to have it end so soon.

"Come, Krsia. Try a cookie, or something... Serenity cooked a little too much while waiting for everyone. If you don't want any sweets, she's got an entire roast dinner warm and ready to go, right over there on the kitchen table." "My... Did she really do all of that while waiting for us?" Helena blinked as she noticed the dinner. "She cooks when she's worried and she was particularly worried about the young man in there. It was cute. I haven't seen her like that, ever." Lillianna spoke happily and then turned to Krsia, "Now it's your turn. You find yourself someone to love next, kay?"

Unfortunately, the Lupus joke did fly completely over Serenity's head. She blinked a few times in confusion as she sat down next to him. "You don't need to protect me, Alain." she said bluntly, a little colder than she normally spoke, "You were the one hurt, not me." And then when he continued on, Serenity's face softened. So he was finally going to tell her something about himself that was more on the personal side? She nodded and listened intently. The moment that Alain said they had a relationship, Serenity's eyes shifted toward the kitchen. She curled her lips and narrowed her eyes in a pout, apparently unable to control the obvious jealous that appeared on her face.

"I see..." Serenity said as she looked down to the palm of her right hand. She was listening to him, though it may not have seemed so. Though she was interested in the story, it made her feel better that Krsia was not his thing, so she wasn't bothered by it too much. What she was bothered by, was the painful tone that Alain held as he talked. Because of that, she was concentrating on something. She had never tried it on someone before, but she was hoping. Suddenly, her hand began to glow while laying in her lap. She narrowed her eyes a bit, almost looking angry, but soon the light faded. Well, it didn't fade, but it was more concentrated. She brought her hand to Alain's wound and placed her hand on it. The light would feel very warm and instantly at least half the pain he was feeling.

"Is it working?" she asked him, her tone hopeful as she looked to his eyes.

"As long as you will try, that is all I ask." Lillianna smiled happily to her friend and then looked to Helena, "Do you think they've had enough time to talk?" Helena nodded and Lillianna stepped out of the kitchen toward the living area. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something approaching the house. Her heart jumped for a moment, but she soon realized what it was. "The carriage approaches." Lillianna said and looked toward Krsia, "We will be leaving soon. We must get back to Aria to have this reported. I'd like to launch a full scale investigation of people planning to target Serenity and myself." Lillianna explained, whispering everything from 'I'd like' and on just to Krsia. "MOOOOM!" Lillianna jumped slightly when she heard Serenity shout out to Helena. She looked toward where the voice was coming from, but tilted her head when she saw nothing but the back of the couch. Stepping over, she looked down to Serenity and raised an eyebrow at her. "Do not yell across the house. What's wrong?" Lillianna slightly scolded Serenity. Helena stepped up after that. "I can't leave his side without the pain coming back." Serenity motioned toward her glowing hand to show what she meant. "Ah... I am sorry, hun. I didn't realize..." Lillianna spoke apologetically, rubbing the back of her head. "It's okay!" Serenity said with a smile, but then looked to Helena.

"He's hungry... Do you mind making him a plate of the roast and vegetables?" Serenity asked kindly. Helena merely smiled and nodded, heading back into the kitchen. "Oh, oh, oh! There's a plate I set to the side in the oven! That's Alain's, so you don't have to make an entire plate." Serenity remembered and then smiled happily as she began concentrating harder on easing Alain's pain. She even increased the power she was putting out enough to cause his clothing to wave a little, like a small breeze pushing them along. "That should be even better... right?" Serenity looked hopefully toward him. A few moments later, Helena stepped back out with the plate and set it on the table.

"You never change..." Helena shook her head and sighed. Serenity immediately giggled, knowing exactly why she said that. "It's only carrots!" Serenity said in defense of Alain. "And asparagus, and beets... and radishes..." Helena gave Serenity a dull look, as if she hadn't experienced it all yet. Serenity blinked a couple times and looked toward Alain. Her expression dulled a bit and she shook her head, flicking his nose with her unoccupied hand. "I have a reason to be a picky eater, you don't!" she told him, giggling a little and then bringing the plate over to sit on his stomach. It was still warm, but not enough to burn him. "Eat." she told him, going back to concentrating on his pain.

"So the carriage has arrived?" Lillianna asked and stepped over to Magnus, placing a single hand on Magnus' shoulder, "Thank you for everything you've done today, Magnus. I appreciate it greatly." Once Krsia spoke up, Lillianna turned to her and nodded. "Yes. Let's go, but first..." Lillianna hurried over to Serenity and hugged her as Krsia spoke to her, "Come to Aria and visit some time. I'll see you soon." Lillianna kissed Serenity's cheek. "Okay, I'll try. Nice to see you again!" Serenity smiled back, waving as Lillianna walked off and she and Krsia made their way out of the house. Serenity looked to Magnus with a smile, "I'm glad you made it back okay. I was begging to worry."

And then her smile dropped. She watched Magnus walk over to the back of the couch and look down to Alain. Magnus always made her nervous, so she was not sure what to do. The look on his face was always unreadable, something Serenity didn't understand. Since Serenity could sense no serious negativity from him, nor any intent to harm, it made his stern face even more confusing. But as he spoke to Alain, Serenity found herself staring at Magnus with the most disgusted look. Her mind began to travel in directions it usually didn't, and because of this the glow from Serenity's hand faded. Once the glow was completely gone, it sparked through out her palm and began smoking. Serenity seemed to ignore it though. She shot up from her place on the floor, stepped onto the couch to reach Magnus' height, and swung her arm around with all of her might, smacking him across the face with her smoking hand. Before she lost her balance from standing on the very edge of the couch, she stepped back off and stared at Magnus with an anger that distorted her face in a surprising way. Though the look probably wouldn't bother Magnus, it might Alain or Helena. The amount of utter disgust that Serenity looked at him with was over the top. Her chest was even raising rapidly, as if the amount of anger she had been feeling caused her to need to catch her breath.

Serenity finally felt the pain in her hand and looked down to see that she had burnt through the glove. The entirety of the glove that covered that side of her hand had burnt off, leaving the edges charred. And her skin was smoking, blistering, and red from what her powers had just done. She'd only had that happen once before... Either way, she pulled the gloves off and held them in her uninjured hand, looking back up to Magnus. "I cannot believe you... The fact that you would say something like that to your son..." her voice came out in a low hiss, sliding from her throat in seething anger, "... it is beyond disgusting. The only reason I am alive is because your son fought to protect me. And then he offered me a safe place to stay... I can't even comprehend how yo-..." Serenity stopped speaking and just stood there. She looked away from Alain and the rest, her heart racing as she tried to calm down.

Although it made her heart sink, Serenity knew that was coming. She didn't realize it yet, but with him saying those words, she was beyond heartbroken. She knew she was going to be kicked out and accepted that fact the moment she stepped up onto the couch and swung. He deserved it though; how dare he speak to Alain like that. If she had any ability to she'd... she'd... Ow. Serenity's entire body twitched and she put her arm behind her back, feeling her own power begin to tear up her arm, burning the white glove as it did. A moment later, Alain spoke up. Serenity didn't even realize that Magnus and Helena had spoke anything new. She looked up to Alain as he moved and tried helping him by keeping him steady as he stood, but the moment her hand touched his jacket, she winced, pulling the hand away without bringing to much attention to the fact. As Alain started to talk, Serenity's eyes just stared at him. She watched him, paying close attention to his expressions and words as he stuck up to his Father in her defense. Serenity's expression softened as she watched him, seeing the pain in his movements as he continued on. Serenity felt herself calm, her power calming as well, allowing her to regain control. Once Alain finished, Serenity was in awe, but one thing did stick in her mind. "He's killed before." she thought, staring at this man. As Magnus walked out of the room, speaking about Alain in a much nicer fashion, Serenity turned to him just in time to see that smile and her heart fluttered, a smile twitching at the side of her mouth. Once Magnus stepped out and Alain was able to relax, he fell back into the couch. Unsure of how his pain was doing, she tried to catch him to make the fall easier, but she wasn't strong enough. "Roll over." she said to him, speaking very sweetly. Once he tried, she'd help him onto his back and put her injured hand over him, starting to ease his pain again, in turn easing a bit of her pain as well. And there the two of them sat, Serenity brushing Alain's hair from his face and watching him closely as they waited for his parents to leave.

Serenity made sure to say goodbye to both Helena and Magnus, giving Helena a quick one-armed-hug without removing her hand from Alain's wound. She looked to Magnus, staring at him for a moment, bowing, and then turning away without another word. Once the two of othem were finally gone, Serenity couldn't look to Alain. Her body began trembling and she leaned forward until her forehead hit the side of the couch. She kept using her powers to ease Alain's pain still, but her concentration wasn't stopping her from crying. She tried to keep quiet, but a few soft sniffles were let out rather quickly. "Th-Thank you... Thank y-you..." she said to him, lifting her head and looking away from him so he wouldn't see her cry again, "I am so sorry for what I did. I wasn't thinking. H-He just made me so mad. I didn't... I didn't realize what I was doing." It all came crashing down.

Serenity had actually hit someone; she hadn't ever, ever done that before. And beyond that, she almost got thrown out of the place she called her home. "I thought I was going to have to go, to leave here. I didn't think you'd want me to stay after hitting your Father." she explained, looking back to him as she wiped tears away, "I don't want to leave..." Serenity found herself clinging to Alain's shirt, her trembling fist clutching the cloth tightly between her fingers. She even set her head on his chest, closing her eyes while trying to stop crying. "Thank you for not making me go..." she said with a weak smile, "And thank you for protecting me... again." And after allowing Alain to speak, the moment he went quiet, Serenity's face would suddenly go 'serious mode' and she'd speak in her cute annoyed tone, "He deserved it. Jerk." And then, feeling a knot twist up in her stomach, Serenity looked worriedly to Alain. "So... you've killed before?" she asked, her expression showing the smallest bit of fear and curiosity, "You can't really lie to me since you said it before... So I'd appreciate if you just told me the truth... I think I have the right to know a little something about the guy I li-... am living with."

Alain was able to comfort her a bit with his words, but Serenity was still pretty upset. After a while, she was able to stop the tears and decided to ask him a question that was likely going to bother him a bit, but she really needed to know. And when he answered this question, her heart began to race. Was she sleeping under the roof of a ruthless murderer? No, that was impossible. His Father was a friend of Lillianna and his mother was too nice, but did that mean much toward Alain? Yes. Yes, it did. She was not going to doubt him now. He had protected her. He defended her from his own Father and fought for her to stay. She had never had anyone do such a thing before, so she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. While he explained though, she stayed pretty quiet and concentrated on keeping his pain as low as she could. She was just not expecting everything he had said; he had killed many people. Okay. She could handle that, right? He continued explaining and Serenity just kept staring at him, keeping her head on his chest, listening to his heart as he spoke. Although his heart seemed to be racing the entire time, there was one part that she noted it speeding up, "He doesn't want me to go..." This warmed her heart, but not enough to stop what happened next.

The tears returned. Serenity stared at Alain with her eyes pretty wide, tears practically streaming out and onto his shirt. With everything that he told her, he'd likely think she was crying over what he had done, but no. This was not that at all. She was crying for one thing he said. "You are not a bad person." Serenity forced out the words, choking slightly through her sobs when she tried to speak. She sat up and placed her free (left) hand on the side of his head, brushing his hair back. She shook her head at him, closing her eyes to allow the tears that hesitated to fall down her cheeks. "Alain, you... are not... a bad person." she told him, speaking as sincerely as she could, "With everything you've done for me, with everything you've shown me... There is no way you can call yourself a bad person. Good people do bad things, it happens. People make mistakes, it's a part of life. You're not a murderer. You're not a kidnapper, you're not a rapist or a child abuser... Even from what you've just told me, you're more of a guardian than anything. You protect people. So please..." she practically begged him while trying to not cry, "Please don't ever call yourself a bad person again. You're not, Alain. Thanks to you... I'm not alone anymore; I have a home again. A bad person wouldn't have given me that..."

"And Alain... For as long as you want me, I'll never leave you."

Serenity closed her eyes as he leaned in and kissed her. She let out a cute "Mm!" as his lips gently struck the middle of her forehead. She blinked a couple times when she opened them, wiping her tears away and trying to stop her crying. She smiled sweetly when he said he'd take her up on her offer, but it made her mind wander in many different directions. Continuing to keep his pain at ease, Serenity stayed quiet as he slept. Since he was hurt, she had no idea how long he'd actually sleep, but she was determined not to move. A bit of time passed them by and Serenity found her head bobbing up and down over and over again. She caught herself almost letting her hand down a couple times, but quickly shot her head back up before he'd feel his pain again. Soon, she gave in and laid her head gently on his chest, facing his wound, hoping that resting her neck would help a bit. As more time passed her by, Serenity found herself in a strange trance. It was like she was half awake and keeping her power going at the same time.

After he woke, he tapped her shoulder. It took her a bit to respond, having to come back into reality and out of her strange trance. She heard him ask her how she was doing and, with eyes that were obviously being forced open, she looked back to him with a weak smile. A bead of sweat fell from her forehead and down the side of her face, but she quickly went to wipe it away. "I'm okay. How are you feeling?" she asked him, her voice only slightly strained, but still as cheerful as ever. "You can go get some rest if you want... I think my pain is going down." Serenity just calmly shook her head. She brought her unused hand up and rubbed her eyes and yawned. "N-No... I'll stay awake..." she said. "If I go to bed and stop this, a lot of your pain can and probably will come back... I don't want that." Serenity didn't really even have the strength to keep her own head up at this point. She had forced herself to sit up straight, but she was weaving back and forth a little, as if she could pass out at any moment. "O-Once I'm s-sure you're... better... th... then I'll go... to..." And she was out. Serenity's arms fell to her sides and her body fell slowly in Alain's direction.