Mostly in the hours of prepping and dressing up, which I still hate, I finally made it down to the party, with Ain alongside.

Throughout the week, our friendship has grown but we did not love each other. Both of us agreed to still be betroth, mostly to get our mothers off our back. In simple terms, it will benefit both of us.

For me, it was also an excuse so that Nate can't hook up with me. He's still royalty and he still cares about that. Now, that is...

Ain looked nervous, "Are you ready?"

I smiled dryly, "As ready as I will ever be."

And standing behind the double doors, they finally opened up to reveal cheering though some sounded false.

Congratulations were the main word that reached our ears and we were just gracious in accepting them.

We had acted accordingly to etiquette and nothing went amiss. Afterwards, through the required dances, we can finally do our own thing.

"Thank God," I said after a short farewell with Ain to do my own thing. I, of course, headed to the buffet table, only to be barged to the floor by my oncoming friends.

I groaned and stood up to my eager friends. "What?" I asked.

"What do you mean by 'what?'" That was Fiona saying.

"How's your love life with Ain, that's what!" Elly said.

"There's no love life," I said quickly, "Think of it as friends with benefits."

They were all blushing, I don't know why.

"But aren't... aren't you too young?" Selena asked, and finally it hit on me to what she was referring.

"No, no, I didn't mean that! I meant it gets both our moms off our backs," I quickly said.

"Oh..." They said. We talked some more and I walked away when they were whisked off to dance and I once again headed to the buffet table.

Only for Greg to stop me this time.

"Will I have the pleasure of this dance?" He asked.

I sighed but did not object. Greg spoke first.

"So how do you like the betrothing with Ain?" he asked.

"It could be worse," I said.

"But better if it was someone you love, no?" He asked.

"Well, like I said, it could be worse. And since you aren't betrothed yet, I guess you couldn't find a certain someone, hmm?"

"Well..." Greg was a bit flustered, "Ever since I came out, I have to be betrothed but no one stands out," he said.

I know this from the otome game blog about the need to be betrothed already, but I needed to know his thoughts, see where this is going. Talk his thoughts out...

I mused, "Picky, picky, huh?"

Greg smiled dryly, "You can say that."

"Maybe one day you will find someone. All it needs is an event to trigger it, and you'll have no doubts that you will be together," I said.

Greg laughed, "You believe that?"

"Fate works in mysterious ways, and if your heart agrees, it must be right."

"How about the girl Fate chooses?" Greg mused.

"She will love you back," I said with no hesitation, "True love is not true unless you have a mutual wanting to each other with absolutely no doubts."

"You really are a romantic!" Greg said astounded.

"That's just me. Good luck, you will find someone, I'm sure."

Greg was looking at me, but I really couldn't tell what he's feeling. I tried to peer through his eyes to his soul. Murky and conflicted, but I have no reason to worry now.

We disengaged from the dance. My other worry was...

"Hey, Ro, can I have this dance?" It was Nate. Right on time.

I obliged and Nate started talking about the stuff we will do after this. I smiled. It's nice to have a prank buddy.

Then he sobered, looked at me and asked, "So, how's your betroth with Ain?"

The same question that Greg asked and I gave the same answer.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows, "How 'bout of you were betrothed with someone you love?"

"I don't have anyone like that," I said.

"Are you sure?" Nate was leaning into me now.

"Very," I said dryly.

Nate simply nodded, and after a moment of silence, he spoke.

"I enjoy hanging out with you. Who knew you had all that spunk?" He chuckled, "But I was wondering..."

"Wondering..." I prompted.

"Who do you like better: me or Greg?"

And here's the question that we've all been waiting for. It was asked too in the original otome game due to Nate's inferiority for Greg.

Thank God, I memorized the questions and normal answers for Nate's route.

"Does it really matter? You are a prankster genius," I laughed at that, "and Greg is the perfect gentleman. You are both so different that there's no telling whose better!"

"Seriously?" Nate asked.

"Hmm... I speak truth. What's better anyway? There's no such thing in this world. Greg is great and you are awesome, so that's what it is..."

After that, there was silence.

The reason that was a normal answer is because I never answered his question properly, complimenting them both, so Nate cannot feel any love swell for that.

He disengaged and I thanked him for the dance.

Next up was Alex.

If you are wondering what a demon was doing in a fairy castle is that everyone's trying to ignore prejudice over who's who, and prove that. In fact, there were a smattering of demons here.

When I danced with Alex, he started with, "You are really getting down with the Oslo brothers."

"So? They are our friends, right? Like you," I told Alex. I'm not very ignorant of Alex's feelings but if I do this carefully, I can avoid the end of the world.

"Sometimes, it amazes me that you are so popular," he laughed.

"What? You say I can't be popular?" I pouted.

"Not that, but the way you have with people... it's astounding," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you," I said. "Hey, for you, how it's going?"

Alex shrugged. "Dunno, OK, I guess, but with you and the rest, it's much more fun..."

I laughed, "Yes, we do have a knack for trouble together, don't we?"

Alex said solemnly, "I think you just jinxed it, Ro, considering all of us are together..."

"Hey, hey, it's nothing like that, alright?" I said, completely forgetting how superstitious he is.

Alex shrugged and we disengaged. Same for Ain and a girl that I can see was Suza. He looked calm but his eyes darted to me frantically and greeted me.

Then, he murmured, "You have weird friends..."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, that Suza... she was like... saying that 'Ro's a good person and don't do anything to her because that's my job'," Ain said, then continued, "Is she really your friend? Sometimes I think she doesn't like you."

Truthfully, anybody snaring Edward's affection will never be forgiven, but we have developed a good enough friendship but sometimes...

I smiled and shrugged.

"Anyway," Ain ventured, "I'm thirsty. Want a drink?" He proffered his shoulder.

I took it. "Let's."

We then drank at the buffet and chatted. We all had nice presents for our betrothal and our rapport was good enough that we were comfortable to look intimate to each other.

Talking to each other was easy. And we were talking about a few books when I felt something on my arms.

I took a downward glance toward my arms while talking and noticed that the Pisces Bracelets were glowing faintly, no... a symbol was glowing faintly.

It meant only one thing: An Arceus Diamond was close by.

But where is it? I politely stopped the conversation with Ain and walked around, declining a few dances and felt the Bracelets getting hotter and hotter or slightly colder.

It felt like a game of getting warmer and all that.

When it was fiery, I was standing in front of a man, fairy with eagle like wings. He was as regal as the Queen but definitely not the Prince Consort.

He looked surprised seeing me standing in front of him.

"Well, hello, you must be Aurora Fate," Extremely polite, "Congratulations on your betrothal with Prince Ain."

"Thank you, sir," I curtsied.

"It's Duke Silverhart," He said. Lana's father...

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." I can see the resemblance, and slowly looking for... any... piece of jewellery.

Then, my eye spotted a bracelet and I can hear Black hissed in my head, "White..."

White... Black told me the names of all the trapped people of the Arceus Diamonds and White was the light Arceus Diamond.

"That is an interesting bracelet, sir," I said as he noticed me eyeing it.

"Yes, it is, isn't it..." he said fondly. "It's a family heirloom."

"Wow," I said softly, "What's it called?"

"White Lotus," he said. Appropriate name.

"It looks extremely valuable. I'm surprised no one wanted their hands on it," I said.

Duke Silverhart smiled wryly at that, "Actually, you are wrong about that. Criminals everywhere. It pays to have a good security system. There was even one time with Black Blood..." he looked at me, "But you know who he is."

Yes, I do, and I know what to do after this.

"Thank you, sir, I best be-"

SMASH!

Glass was shattering and people were screaming, running. They bolted to the doors but were blocked by two men... fairies with a winged tattoo on their necks.

More people like that came through, feathered masks and with the winged tattoos where anybody can see them.

These people, fairies to be precise, were rounding the people to the center.

"What is going on? What is going on?!" Queen Diana screamed.

People were shouting names of their friends and families and it was soon enough that mine was heard.

I looked to see Nate, Greg, Alex, Ain and Milan.

"Is everyone OK?" I asked.

They all nodded.

"What do you think is going on?" Alex asked exasperated.

I shrugged. His guess was as good as mine.

"Ro! Are you OK?" a voice asked.

That was Clover, accompanied by Riana and John.

I nodded at Clover, and looked to John.

"Do you have any idea who they are?" I asked hurriedly.

They were forcing us into a smaller circle and people were being knocked unconscious as there was some resistance.

"Maybe. These fairies with feathered masks and those winged tattoos are known in the criminal world as some secret organisation, so elusive that they are unknown to a lot, not even the name nor motives discovered. I only know because it was in one of the Sherlock and Co. files." 

"Ah, well..." I said and was about to continue before I was interrupted.

"There they are!" someone shouted. "Get them!"

And swarm of masked fairies were hurtling at us. I didn't think, I ran. Riana stood her ground and drew her lightsabers. The others hesitated but Nate, Alex and Milan followed me to safety, or at least more open ground. 

Greg and Clover however stood their own ground along with Riana.

"Where do you think you are going?" One of the masked man chuckled as he neared the four of us. Then, he stopped and looked down quizzically. His feet were covered in ice.

"That's not enough to stop us, you know..." he said.

'Ignore him,' I thought. 'Escape, find a way to escape.'

But there was no escape.

"You are coming with us, girly," a man caught up to me and I screamed, trying to fend him off with the staff, but the man was damn quick.

Though...

"Uhh..." The man said, before he was knocked unconscious and there was a shuriken in his back. Of course, it didn't kill him... so, I looked up at my savior: Nate.

I smiled, "Thank you."

He smiled back, but the moment was short lived.

More men surrounded us, the leader a bulky guy with eagle wings said, "You aren't getting out of this!"

We had no choice, we all drew our weapons.

We fought tooth and nail but we were outnumbered.

"Ahh!" someone shouted. It was Milan who was cornered by five men. She looked about done when...

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

It was Greg with his war hammer and he was looking at Milan worriedly.

"Are you OK?" he asked softly.

"Yes..." Milan looked at Greg shyly, "You saved me," she said softly. They were looking at each other that while I was clubbing down a man, I said, "Get a room!"

They both blushed and went back to fighting.

"Is it really time for jokes?" Clover asked, who made it with us along with Riana, Star, Vera, Fera, Sloan and Zelda.

"Makes me feel better about the situation," I said and resumed fighting. The rest of the gang pitched in and it felt like winning.

But...

"You are coming with us," a voice hissed, and I was held from behind while a rag was held over my mouth. Chloroform... I was blacking out...

"RO!" they shouted but it was no use...

As I was blacking out, I noticed my friends slowly being defeated but some managed to escape. The rest...? Another blacking out... The wings, Milan? And a boy? What did it matter now?

Alex was right...

I did jinxed it.