Tales of the dragon slayer

Chapter 21: Season 1, Chapter 13

Disclaimer.

I don't own High School DxD, or any of the other copy right stuff that may be included in this story.

I don't make any money off of it and only write this for my own enjoyment.

If criticism of religion bothers you, please don't read this story. Also, why are you reading DxD, a story which makes heroes out of devils, if criticism of religion bothers you?

Sona awoke the next morning, draped over her equally naked lover as if she were his living blanket. She let out a sensual moan as she felt his fingers lightly trace up and down her spine.

"Good morning." Sona tiredly mumbled with a satisfied smile as she recalled last nights prolific activities.

"Good morning, my love." Ambrose replied with a smile of his own. "You were wonderful last night. And that thing you did with your wings so that you could rock back and forth was amazing."

Sona grinned in response and couldn't help but let out a delightful sigh at the memory. "Mmmm. How about an encore?"

Ambrose groaned in both pleasure and frustration as she began to pepper his skin with soft sensual kisses. "We can't… We have company and I need to be a good host to your peerage. I'm not sure if we have food for breakfast here… or even a kitchen for that matter."

"Not sure if we have a kitchen?" Sona thought as she took a moment to observe her surroundings.

Her brow furrowed as she failed to recall any details about their new home, the only thing they both had paid attention to when they arrived last night was their passion for each other and locating the first available bedroom. She recalled that the griffin had landed in a courtyard and from there they had went upstairs to the first bedroom they could find, but other than that they both were too blinded by their lust to actually pay attention to their new home.

While still laying in bed with Sona on top of him, Ambrose looked around at the plush and luxurious room they were in. "I think this is the master bedroom."

"We can't be too sure." Sona commented as she sat up, straddling him. "Devils are known for their lavish excess, this could be just another guestroom."

"It seems we have to explore our new home in addition to preparing breakfast." Ambrose embarrassingly admitted, "I also think we both need to wash up and I have no idea where the bathroom is."

"Well then." Sona seductively smiled at her lover as she rocked herself on top of him. "I'm sure we could find a bathroom big enough for the both of us."

As it turned out, the bedroom that they had spent the night in did, in fact, have a lovely bathroom attached to it. After a lengthy bath, which left the couple feeling not only rejuvenated but allowed them the opportunity to sate their lust for one another once more, the pair looked out the window to get a better idea of where they were and the home they now owned.

"A palace?" Ambrose said in wonder as he looked across the scenery. "We own an actually palace?"

To say that their new property was idyllic would be an understatement. It was a large three story palace, built in the Neo-Renaissance style of the late 19th century; which suited Ambrose's taste just fine. In front of the palace gates was the large snowy mountains of Mount Ose where rivers made from the melting snow would run down through the lush forests, and supply the crystal blue water for the Lake Seere. The rear of the palace held a parterre with rich colored flowers and a set of stone stairs which lead to the lake docks. All in all, the breath taking scene was straight out of a fairy tale and both Sona and Ambrose couldn't help but marvel at the sight before them.

"This is the Underworld?" Ambrose asked in wonder as he gazed out at the land that was now theirs.

"Welcome home Am-chan." Sona said, smiling at her lover's awe.

"Welcome home, my love." Ambrose replied before they kissed once more.

Despite the initial surprise of finding out that they were now the owners of an actual palace, there was one benefit it provided; it allowed Sona to know approximately where they would find the dining hall and kitchen. The Sitri Clan owned a number of homes and they all held the same general lay out; while the dining hall would be somewhere near the main hall; the breakfast room would most likely be adjacent to the dinning hall, somewhere near the kitchens. From there, it was a simple matter of navigating down the stairs and then finding the central area where a large number of guests might gather.

It was after the couple accidentally found a large ballroom that they noticed the delightful scent of breakfast that wafted their way. Following their noses, they managed to find the dinning hall which lead them to the breakfast room where Sona found her peerage was already present, enjoying their morning meal.

They also discovered, to their surprise, that that had an additional guest.

"Ms. Grayfia?" Ambrose astonishingly asked.

"Good morning to you both." The maid and [Queen] of Maō Lucifer greeted them with a bow.

"What a surprise to see you here." Sona couldn't help but say aloud, privately wondering just why the 'Strongest [Queen]' would be here at all.

"Maō Lucifer has ordered that I see to your needs and provide you with whatever you require for tonight's celebration." Grayfia humbly replied to Sona's unasked question. "To that end, I have prepared breakfast for you all."

"Thank you." Sona said to the maid. "Though I'm certain you're also here to ensure that we actually attend the party."

"Yes… thank you Ms. Grayfia." Ambrose replied, looking a bit uncomfortable at being waited on. "Sorry you had to make breakfast for us. We didn't exactly plan on staying overnight in the Underworld, nor did we plan on attending a party."

"It will be my pleasure to see to it that you, Lady Sona, and her peerage are prepared for tonight's event. In the meantime, please enjoy your meal." Grayfia smiled at Ambrose, gesturing to the seat at the head of the table.

Ambrose held Sona's chair out for her before taking his own seat and was then served a plate of apple pancakes. With a quiet "Itadakimasu" the pair soon began to enjoy there meal.

As she took her first bite Sona marveled at the taste, "Grayfia is certainly worthy of being the maid of Maō Lucifer. Still, I never understood why she was content to be just a maid. She's rumored to be quite skillful on the battlefield and she is his wife… Why not accept the title of the wife of Maō Lucifer?"

Her thoughts were interrupted when Grayfia suddenly spoke up, looking at Ambrose with worry. "Is there something wrong with the meal?" She asked with concern lacing her tone.

Curiously, Sona looked to her fiance to see him slowly chewing his food while giving his pancakes the strangest look. He looked as if he didn't quite know what he was eating or what to think about the pancakes in front of him.

"No… It's just…" Ambrose trailed off after he swallowed his bite. "What kind of apples are these? I've never tasted anything like them before."

Wondering what her fiance was talking about, Sona stole an apple slice from his plate before slowly chewing it. "It doesn't taste different from the apples on my plate..." She thought before the answer dawned on her. "It's a bapple."

"A what?" Ambrose asked, unfamiliar with the name.

"A bapple." Sona explained to her fiance, "A specific breed of apple that is grown in the Bael Territory, here in the Underworld. They're quite famous for it."

"Do you like it?" Grayfia asked, almost concerned at Ambrose's reaction.

"Actually, I love it. It really is quite delicious, Ms. Grayfia." Ambrose said, smiling at the maid of Maō Lucifer before giving his breakfast another look. "I honestly can't recall ever eating an apple so tasty."

Grayfia smiled back, almost looking a bit relieved to hear his answer as she watched him eat.

"If we're going to attend tonight's party, we should probably go shopping for dresses." Tsubaki commented aloud, causing all of the girls of the Sitri peerage to excitedly make plans for their outing.

"Oh no." Sona thought, internally cringing where this conversation would inevitably head to.

"I suppose I'll have to find a bank here in the Underworld." Ambrose commented after wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"I'm afraid you might be out of luck when it comes to that." Sona apprehensively admitted. "There aren't really banks in the Underworld, per se; at least not ones which transfer funds with the human realm. The Pillars maintain and look after their own financial interests."

"Surely some form of banking exists." Ambrose replied, genuinely confused how such a thing had come to pass. "Not every devil is a member of the founding families; they would need loans, wouldn't they?"

"There is a banking alliance that lends money for interest that the common denizens of the Underworld use." Sona explained to her fiance. "It was originally founded by 14 of the riches Pillars; however, today only 7 of those families still exist."

"Is the Sitri Clan one of those families?" Ruruko, Sona's [Pawn] asked.

"No, the Sitri Clan is currently involved with the Underworld's medicinal needs." Sona replied, skirting around the whole 'Information Brokering' aspect of her family's fortune.

"Currently the banking alliance is maintained by the Vassago, Barbatos, Paimon, Purson, Astaroth, and Gremory Clans." Grayfia informed the group. "The Seere Clan was once a member, regretfully they are now extinct."

"The Maōs aren't involved with the nation's finances and interest rates?" Ambrose asked in confusion.

"The Maōs only collect taxes." Grayfia explained. "After the reformation of devil society, following the civil war, it was deemed that the Maōs would have too much power if they directly controlled the economy."

Ambrose suddenly smiled, as if he had figured some sort of secret out. Seeing Sona's confused look, he then explained what he found so fascinating. "It occurs to me that since devils gain power through contracts, every individual transaction could be seen as a contract. That would include taxes as well."

Sona's eyes grew wide as she suddenly realized the implications.

"You mean, the Maōs are gaining power whenever someone spends money in the Underworld?" Tomoe asked in disbelief, her mind boggling at the number of contracts that would produce daily.

"That is correct." Grayfia replied, giving Ambrose an appraising look. "Although this fact is not a state secret, most people are unaware simply because they haven't made the connection."

"I imagine that the Banking Alliance gains power through loans as well." Ambrose pointed out. "What about normal contracts that devils do? It's likely that some of the humans would wish for money. Devils have to have some business interests on Earth. They'd need to transfer funds back and forth. There has to be a way to withdraw some of my own funds somehow."

"The Pillars have been doing business in the human realm for centuries, using gold, jewels, or the money they've earned through contracts and then depositing it in human banks." Sona replied, following his line of thought to answer his unasked question. "The two economies are completely separate. Currently there is no way to transfer any funds between the two realms."

Sona watched helplessly as Ambrose's eyes grew wide and the gravity of their current situation began to set it.

"That's not good..." Ambrose stated with worry. "We're currently have no funds available while we're in the Underworld."

"No big deal." Saji dismissively replied, unaware of the implications. "Sona's family is rich so we can still get what we need for tonight's party."

"Here we go." Sona thought, bracing herself while silently cursing Saji in her head. "That isn't exactly possible. You see, I've unofficially ran away from the Sitri Clan."

Sona's entire peerage held looks of wide eyed disbelief, all except Ambrose and Tsubaki who were the only ones who were previously aware of her current situation.

"Kaichō… ran away…?" Momo asked with a confused look on her face, no doubt trying to reconcile the concept of Sona doing anything that would seem rebellious.

"Yes." Sona embarrassingly admitted, "Suffice to say, the Lady Sitri didn't approve of Ambrose or I meddling in the affairs of the Gremory and Phenex Clans. She demanded that I break my engagement and my pact with Ambrose; I refused. Nevertheless, despite the fact that Rias won and we, as a peerage, are better off because of it, my current status as heiress apparent is up in the air at the moment and thus the funds of the Sitri Clan are unavailable."

"Couldn't you ask Maō Leviathan for help?" Tsubaki asked, hoping to find an easy solution to their current problems.

"I'd rather not get my sister involved." Sona quickly explained with as much dignity as she could muster. "This situation is my own fault, and I'd like to avoid bothering her with my problems."

It was at this point that Grayfia cleared her throat and addressed the occupants of the table. "As I said earlier, Maō Lucifer has ordered me to see to your needs and what ever you might require for tonight's celebration. It will be our pleasure to provide you with the appropriate attire for tonight's festivities."

"Would you be so kind as to send me the bill?" Ambrose asked the maid, clearly uncomfortable at the thought of being dependent on anyone's generosity or charity. "I had promised Sona that I would take care of the needs of her and her peerage, and I don't want to fail in the promise; especially since I only made it yesterday. I'll be able to repay Maō Lucifer once I have access to my funds back in the human realm and I'll make arrangements to ensure that this doesn't happen again."

"That won't be necessary." Grayfia firmly insisted. "As I said, we would be more than happy to see to your needs."

"I'm really not comfortable accepting charity." Ambrose began to explain.

"Then please consider it a gift." Grayfia insistently retorted.

Ambrose had opened his mouth, no doubt to argue back but Sona interrupted his protests before it began. "Thank you, Grayfia-san."

Sona gave Ambrose a look, which effectively ended any potential argument for the moment. She knew that her fiance was fiercely independent and took a great deal in pride in the fact that he managed to provide for himself so well, despite his youth. That pride now extended not only to Sona, but her peerage as well.

"It probably aggravates him to have to rely on someone so soon after promising to take care of all of us." Sona privately thought.

Knowing her lover the way she did, she had no doubt that Ambrose could raise the money they'd need for tonight's activities; however, she also knew that they were currently pressed for time.

"Whether or not Maō Lucifer will accept Am-chan's offer to repay him can be settled later." Sona reasoned, wanting to maintain some sort of propriety. "It's inappropriate to argue about money, especially in front of others."

"If you all have finished with your breakfast then I shall escort you all to the City of Lilith, once I've finished with the dishes." Grayfia offered.

Ambrose unexpectedly snapped his fingers, magically cleaning and stacking the dishes on the table.

"Honestly Am-chan." Sona thought in bemusement as she rolled her eyes, recognizing this subtle power play for control over the situation. "You're going to have to grow comfortable with the idea of accepting help, sooner or later. We can't maintain such a large estate on our own."

"Thank you, sir." Grayfia replied, appearing more amused than anything. "If you would gather your things, I'll make the arrangements for our transportation and meet you at the front gate."

While Sona's peerage had brought very few personal items with them, they all, nonetheless, wanted to freshen up so that they could be presentable when they went shopping. Although she and Ambrose had already made themselves fit to be seen, she still found herself being escorted back to the room they had previously spent the night in.

"I know you're not happy with Grayfia funding our outing, and I'd really like to avoid an argument. Especially after the wonderful night we just shared." She delicately began as soon as they were alone, hoping she could stave off an altercation, "Honestly Am-chan, we don't have the funds and I doubt even you could raise what we need in such short notice. Ms. Grayfia is offering to help and we don't have another option at the moment. Besides, I don't like arguing about money in front of others, it's tawdry."

"Just… save the receipts so I can pay it all back. I don't like being indebted to anyone, especially to a Maō." Ambrose said with a frown.

"With any Maō or is your problem about this specific Maō? You never acted this way when it came to my sister." Sona queried, wanting to broach this sensitive topic as carefully as possible.

"I've never borrowed anything from your sister, besides I trust her motivations." Ambrose explained, avoiding the main subject she wished to address. "Her sole goal has always been ensuring your safety."

"We don't even know Maō Lucifer's motivations. Perhaps it's something else about Maō Lucifer that bothers you?" She continued to press.

They hadn't had the time to really discuss Ambrose's realization that he and Maō Lucifer shared the same visage. Judging by the sour expression on his face, she was right not to ask directly.

"You won't even entertain the possibility?" Sona asked, raising an eyebrow. "There could be benefits if it turned out to be true."

"Like what?" Ambrose broodingly asked.

"Reuniting with your lost family, for one." Sona said, stating the most obvious answer. Truthfully, she was a bit shocked he hadn't come to that conclusion on his own.

"Sona, my love, every orphan dreams of being reunited with their family. They hope that one day they find out their abandonment and isolation was all a big mistake. Sooner or later, they all have to put those childish dreams aside and face the real world." Ambrose pragmatically explained to her. "I laid those childish dreams to rest a long, long time ago. Instead, I choose to focus on the family we'll have together, rather than the family I never knew."

"You've seen Maō Lucifer. You have to admit, it's at least possible." Sona pressed on.

"It's not possible." Ambrose stubbornly maintained, "I have [Sacred Gear], I wield holy power; a pure blooded devil can't have either. I'm already worried enough about the Maōs reaction to the holy power that I have. Unless you can provide a suitable explanation as to how and why I could be a pure blooded devil while wielding holy power and [Sacred Gear], then I'll entertain the possibility. Until then, it's mere conjecture."

She frowned, knowing that she wouldn't get any further headway in this conversation. Truthfully, she held her own doubts, though they tended to change back and forth. She couldn't help but see him as her fiance, the man she loved more than anyone; other times she would watch him when he wasn't looking and be struck by how similar he looked to Maō Lucifer.

"I just want answers, Am-chan. Why don't you want them too?" She couldn't help but wonder to herself.

"Excuse me." Grayfia called out from the bedroom door, startling the couple. "Our transportation has arrived, and Lady Sona's peerage is currently waiting in the courtyard."

"Thank you, Ms. Grayfia." Ambrose said, offering his arm to Sona as Grayfia lead them to the courtyard.

"I wonder how much you overheard." Sona thought as she looked at the [Queen] of Maō Lucifer. "Is all of this simply out of gratitude for what Am-chan did for Rias, or do you believe he's your son?"

Unfortunately, no one but her seemed interested in the answers.

After a short trip to the city of Lilith, the capital of the Underworld, the party was then split into two groups. Sona, along with her peerage left for a famous boutique which would cater to their needs for tonight's events. Meanwhile, Grayfia was currently escorting her son and Sona's [Pawn], Genshiro Saji, to a tailor which catered to men's apparel.

Despite Grayfia's serious and stoic nature, she was currently finding it difficult to keep herself from smiling. At long last, she was with her son. Of course, it was far from perfect. Judging from the private conversation she had overheard, her son held some reservations in regards to this relations with the Gremory Clan. Her heart broke with guilt when he had spoken of his abandonment, and it took all she had not to rush in the room to assuage his doubts. His concerns were valid and he was right to question his origin; she and her husband held many of those answers, but not all of them. They had only theories when it came to the holy power that he was rumored to have. Still, they only needed a few more pieces of the puzzle before everything would be laid bare, and it was then she would find out if her family would be fully reunited at long last.

"Soon, my son." Grayfia promised herself, "Very soon, we both will have all our answers. I can only hope you'll forgive your father and I, and we can be a family once more."

Grayfia gently shook her head, trying to banish her fear that her son might reject her and her husband for their past actions. For now, she simply consoled herself by enjoying this treasured moment of shopping with her son.

"So, Saji, we haven't really had much time to talk." Ambrose casually said as Grayfia lead them to their destination.

"I don't think we have anything to talk about." Saji curtly replied as his eyes narrowed in frustration.

"I don't know, I thought we could get along and try to be friends." Ambrose offhandedly mentioned as he continued to look at the shops they passed, unaware of Saji's growing temper. "Currently you're the only male in Sona's peerage, and since she and I have a pact we could at least get to know each other."

"I'm not really interested in getting to know you." Saji replied with a glare.

"Excuse me?" Ambrose asked, turning to look at the [Pawn] while raising an eyebrow in disbelief at what he said. "And what exactly is your problem with me?"

"I don't have a problem with you, you are my problem." Saji heatedly answered. "You've brought nothing but trouble ever since you sauntered into Kaichō's life and forced this engagement on her."

"I didn't force this engagement on her, quite the opposite in fact." Ambrose clarified. "I had no idea that defeating her in chess would result in our engagement."

"You don't seem too broken up about it." Saji jealously pointed out.

"Why would I? Sona's a wonderful girl, any guy would be lucky to find himself engaged to her." Ambrose explained.

Saji stubbornly turned his head and began to pay attention to anything and anyone but the alchemist.

"Oh, I see." Ambrose said in realization.

"Shut up!" Saji whirled around and yelled at him, drawing attention from the nearby devils. "Don't you dare mock me."

"I wasn't mocking you, I just said 'I see'." Ambrose said, surprised that the [Pawn] was so angry.

"Ever since you showed up it's been one problem after another." Saji continued to rant, unaware or unconcerned that he was drawing attention from curious pedestrians. "First the Fallen Angels, then this mess with the Gremory Clan. I hope you're happy that your little stunt got Kaichō kicked out of her Clan."

Grayfia frowned, not only were they beginning to air out private Clan business, but they were also causing a scene.

"For your information, it was Sona's idea that I get involved with Gremory's engagement problems. I wanted nothing to do with the entire mess; in fact I strongly argued against helping her, multiple times." Ambrose explained, defending his actions.

"Well aren't you Mr. Perfect. If you were so against it, then why did you help Gremory at all?" Saji argued back.

"Because that's what couple's do." Ambrose sharply replied, "I told her my reasons for not wanting to help, but in the end a couple has to support each other; even if we think they're making a mistake. She and I both tried to minimize the repercussions, but neither of us predicted any of this would happen. Do you honestly think either of us would have helped Gremory if we knew this would be the result? In the end, leaving her Clan was Sona's choice and hers alone. The best, and only thing I can do right now is to continue to support her, which I've promised to do."

"That's some promise." Saji scornfully pointed out. "Here we are, flat broke, and dependent on the kindness of Maō Lucifer for help. Great job."

"It's not my fault that the banks of the Underworld don't exchange money with the human realm." Ambrose frustratingly replied, "We never planned on being here for an extended amount of time."

"Gentleman." Grayfia said, interrupting their argument. "If you please, the shop is around the corner."

The two young men glared at each other for a moment before ignoring one another as they arrived at their destination.

"Boys will be boys." Grayfia privately thought, "Though at least their argument didn't devolve into a fight."

The store bell gave a little jingle as the trio entered a suit and tailor shop, one which Grayfia knew her husband preferred. Although her husband was too busy to personally shop for himself, the store would send their private tailors to the castle so that Maō Lucifer could be outfitted in the latest fashion. Incidentally, this was not the same shop that Lord Gremory used, who preferred more flashy and, in Grayfia's opinion, garish styles.

"Ms. Grayfia, welcome." A shop attendant greeted her with a respectful bow. "Will Maō Lucifer be requiring our services again? We can send someone immediately to attend to his needs."

"Not today, ma'am." Grayfia replied with a polite greeting of her own, "I'm here to ensure that these two young gentleman are properly attired for a small formal gathering this evening."

She gestured to the two boys, who were about as far away from each other as possible. Her son was busy inspecting the fabric selection while Saji was seemed to be interested in the leather accessories.

"Ma'am." The attendant suddenly spoke up, sounding a bit unsure. "Is that..?"

Grayfia looked a the young girl, who's wide eyes were currently focused on her son. "He is someone important to Maō Lucifer and currently an esteemed client of yours. I trust your store will continue it's utmost discretion and service."

"Of course." The clerk said, straightening up with pride, "We, as always, endeavor to provide the highest quality in clothing and service."

With that, the boys were separated into private tailoring rooms while Grayfia, unwilling to part from her son, accompanied Ambrose. She quietly watched as the tailor took in his measurements, privately musing on how much he had grown since he was a child. With a subtle suggestion to the tailor, an outfit was soon selected for him. A white shirt, with a frill collar, gray vest with matching pants, and a long crimson and gold jacket; the colors of Clan Gremory. Privately, Grayfia had chosen this specific outfit as her son often wore something similar when he was younger.

Now however…

"I don't think this will do." Ambrose said with a dissatisfied look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" The tailor politely asked, "We can rush any alterations you may need..."

"I'm not a fan of wearing red." Ambrose replied, "It clashes with my hair."

"Funny, considering that's your Clan's colors and one that your father favors." Grayfia thought, hoping that this wasn't some sort of omen.

"Do you make any suits in the fashion of the human realm?" Ambrose asked the tailor.

"Of course sir." The tailor replied as if it were obvious. "We are one of the finest tailors in all of the Underworld and are capable of creating any suit from the human realm in any style."

"Excellent." Ambrose said with a smile, "I'd like a bespoke evening tuxedo: peak lapels, two buttons on the jacket and four on the vest."

"Trousers?" The tailor asked.

"Tapered."

"While tuxedo jackets are made from wool, here in the Underworld we don't use sheep for wool." The tailor explained as he presented a sample fabric for Ambrose's inspection. "Here, we use the wool from a camphruch. It's an amphibious creature, so its wool is resistant to spills and stains. And like the wool from sheep, it is well insulated, breathable, and durable."

Ambrose lightly ran the fabric through his fingers and thumbs before giving a nod of approval.

"Very good, sir." The tailor said with a smile. "If I may, this is a preview of what your suit will look like when finished."

With a snap of his fingers the fitting jacket Amborse wore, along with the rest of his clothes, changed into a perfect representation of the suit he ordered. Grayfia watched in amusement as he turned around a bit so that he might see his reflection in the mirror. While looking at his reflection, he noticed that her attention was focused on him.

"Too 'human' for tonight's party?" Her son unexpectedly asked her.

Quite honestly, she thought he look rather stylish. Unable to resist the temptation, Grayfia slowly approached him, worried that he might find her proximity a bit too intrusive. As calmly as she could, she reached out to brush an imaginary bit of dust off his shoulder and then 'innocently' ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head as she adjusted his collar.

She hadn't touched her son in over a decade.

"You look quite handsome." Grayfia said, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice while simultaneously snipping off a few strands of his hair from the back of his head as stealthily as she could manage.

"Shall I send it to the palace as soon as it's finished?" The tailor asked, breaking the mood.

"That won't be necessary." Grayfia replied as she took a step back, "I'll return on my own later today in order to pick up both outfits."

"Please, send the bill my way." Ambrose suddenly said to her.

"As I said earlier, please consider this a gift." She insisted, wanting to at least do something for her son.

"I promised I'd take care of Sona and her peerage. While my funds are currently tied up in the human realm, I am by no means impoverished; quite the opposite in fact. I ask you, please don't make me break my promise to my fiance, especially when I only just made it yesterday."

Grayfia frowned in reply. While she was technically exceeding her mandate to ensure that both her son as well as Lady Sitri and her peerage attended tonight's party, both she and her husband were eager to dote on their long lost son. As much as she wanted to fawn over him, she was loathe to deny him this at the cost of his pride and a promise he made to someone he loved.

"As you wish." Grayfia regretfully replied, "I suppose I'll have to find something else we can do for him."

Unfortunately, this proved more difficult than she originally intended. She had hoped that she could use their outing as a chance to have lunch together, perhaps even build up a rapport. Saji, however, was still brooding over their earlier argument and his surly attitude would not only put everyone off of their lunch but also any conversation she might have with her son.

It was with a heavy heart, full of regrets, that the trio soon joined up with Lady Sona and her peerage before heading back to Seere Palace.

"Soon, we can be a family once more." Grayfia thought as she patted the pocket that held her son's hair.

As it turned out, spending more time with her son proved easier than she thought. When the group returned to the Seere Palace, all of Lady Sona's peerage had went to their rooms while she provided a tour for her son and his fiance.

As she escorted them through the palace halls, she couldn't help but feel amused that her son wound up engaged to a devil, and a fellow peer as well. She had always liked Lady Sona. Even as a child she was serious, well behaved, and diligent in everything she did; often keeping Lady Rias's immaturity in check.

"I wonder if Lady Sona remembers the time she spent with Millicas when they were children?" Grayfia wondered before dismissing the thought. "Most likely not, they were both far too young."

Grayfia took this as an opportunity to see how well the two interacted. It was clear they both loved each other, but judging by the small argument she had over heard they still had a few kinks to work out in order to be completely cohesive. Despite their private disagreement, they publicly presented a united front, moving as one once a decision had been made. While she did approve of her son's choice, or lack their of given the nature of the infamous chess match condition that Lady Sitri set, she knew that she never really had any say in who her son was going to marry.

"That matter is decided by Lord Gremory, although I doubt he'll protest against my son's engagement with Lady Sona. However, I don't know if Lord Gremory will add an additional fiance to their home. I can only hope he's more tactful than he was with Lady Rias's engagement." Grayfia privately thought before setting that uncomfortable issue aside.

Grayfia continued her tour of Seere palace and her son's new home, making a note to educate them on the estate's previous owners as they passed their portraits. As it turned out, Lord Zeoticus Gremory's mother was a member of Clan Seere and thus, he inherited this territory when the Seere Clan died off after the last great celestial war between the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils. She tried to hide her amusement that her son was currently walking through these halls, unaware that it was the home of his great grandmother.

While they had dined in the breakfast room, Grayfia made sure to show them both the dinning hall, ballroom, office, and lounge. Lady Sona was, of course, enraptured with the two story library, though her son soon asked a question which put a damper on his fiance's mood.

"I assume we'll have to make arrangements for the Gremory Clan to retrieve their belongings." Ambrose logistically pointed out as he looked around the library.

"Doubtful." Grayfia privately thought. "It isn't as if your grandfather would want you to live in an unfurnished building, nor would he want the palace altered from its original state."

"I'm certain we can discuss that at a later date." She replied to her son, deftly avoiding the issue for now.

"Where's the ward stone?" Her son unexpectedly asked.

"Bellow us, past the wine cellar." Grayfia immediately answered.

"Wine cellar?" Both Sona and her son asked in unison, although her son seemed more interested in that room than she would have liked.

"Perhaps some items should be removed from the palace." She privately mused. "I certainly hope you haven't inherited my low tolerance for alcohol."

"You're interested in wine?" Grayfia couldn't help but ask her son.

"Oh yes, I've been crafting wine for a while now." He cheerfully explained with a pleasant tone, "I hope to eventually turn the grounds into a winery."

Grayfia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that remark, though when giving it a second thought she shouldn't be too surprised. Alchemy and alcohol making often went hand in hand.

After they traveled through the kitchen and down the stairs, Grayfia gave the a brief tour of the wine cellar before showing them the secret room where the current ward stone was housed.

"Please remember that you can't take ownership of the wards until you're granted the key to the ward stone, which will be presented at tonight's affair along with the deed to the property." She pointed out. "If that will be all, I shall prepare you all a late lunch."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to help out." Ambrose unexpectedly asked, though Lady Sona didn't seem to be surprised at all.

Rather than object, Grayfia had to keep herself from agreeing too eagerly. "I would welcome your assistance."

Her son smiled at her, and her heart melted at the sight.

Soon, she found herself alone with her son in the kitchen as they prepared a simple yet filling meal for Lady Sona and her peerage. The motions of meal preparation came second nature to her, so she spent much of her time watching her son.

"You seem quite comfortable in a kitchen." Grayfia couldn't help but remark, wondering if her son had eaten well during his time away from her. "Do you prepare a lot of meals?"

"I mostly cook for myself, though lately I'll make a bento for Sona for our school lunch." Ambrose absently said as he prepared the ingredients 'mise en place'. "I had to learn how to cook at a young age."

"Oh?" Grayfia asked, probing for more answers to her son's past.

"My mentor in alchemy, Gargamel, often made me cook after I complained that his skills were subpar. He would often yell at me, saying that my taste in food surpassed my own culinary skills; so I made an effort to improve, if only to shut him up."

"Did your mentor yell at you a lot?" Grayfia worriedly asked, concerned about her son's upbringing.

"Well, he was practically deaf, so yes." Ambrose replied in amusement.

"So, your mentor raised you?" She continued to probe for more answers as she heated the skillet.

"Partially." He casually replied. "Before that there was the orphanage; I would often help the nuns cook dinner there as well."

"The church raised you?" She couldn't help but exclaim in alarm.

Surprised by her sudden outburst, Ambrose placatingly responded. "Don't worry, I'm not affiliated with the church. I only stayed with them for a few months before running away. We didn't part amicably."

Grayfia heart skipped a beat as she desperately tried to keep her fear in check. There had been some extenuating evidence which suggested that at one point, soon after his kidnapping, custody of their son had briefly passed to the church; Heaven had vehemently denied it. The Angels claimed that if they did have him, then rouge members of the church were responsible. Sirzechs had believed Heaven at their word; however, Grayfia was not always so sure. She didn't want to even consider the possibility that her son might have been indoctrinated by them.

"While Heaven and the church may be affiliated with one other, they're two completely separate entities; each governs themselves." Grayfia privately thought. "And the church is also full of their own rouges who operate outside of the Heaven's mandate. One day I'll find out who took my son from me and there will be a reckoning."

"What's that you're making?" Ambrose asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Oh, it's seafood curry on rice. One of Maō Lucifer's favorites." Grayfia explained, shaking her dark thoughts of vengeance away and offering him a piece of fish. "Here, try a bite."

"Wow, that is delicious." Ambrose replied, causing Grayfia's heart to glow. "What kind of fish is that?"

"A devil catfish, a large freshwater fish found here in the Underworld. You may be able to find them in Lake Seere." Grayfia answered with a smile.

"I'll have to see if I can catch one, if I ever find the time to fish again." Ambrose remarked with a smile that was so similar to his father's. "Think you could give me the recipe so I could make this on my own?"

"I would be happy to provide you with the recipe; however, you should give serious thought into acquiring a few servants of your own." Grayfia pointed out, thinking of her son's future. "It will be difficult to maintain such a large estate on your own."

"Is this your way of asking if I'm hiring?" Her son asked with a teasing smile.

"Now there's an interesting thought." Grayfia couldn't help but reply in amusement, finding the idea of spending more time with her son rather appealing.

"I don't think Maō Lucifer would appreciate it if I spirited you away from him." Ambrose said with a laugh, "Though to be honest, I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of hiring a maid."

"Why not?" She asked her son, curious as to why he had shown such reluctance to accept her assistance earlier.

"I don't know… Something about maids… The idea has always made me sad." Her son replied, looking a bit melancholy. "It's suppose to be a job, but you wind up giving so much of yourself at the cost of your own personal life..."

Grayfia's heart stopped; she understood his concern perfectly. It was something he always had trouble with as a child, making the distinction between the time when she was 'on the job' and when she was his mother. He would often call her mother while she was working and every time she would scold him, saying that he should call her 'Ms. Grayfia' while she was working.

"What I wouldn't give to hear him to call me mother once more." Grayfia sadly thought, recalling all the time she had lost with her son.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Ambrose hastily apologized after seeing her somber look.

"It's fine." Grayfia replied trying to hold back her tears. "I'd imagine that practicing medicine through alchemy requires you to give a lot of yourself as well."

"True, but it's about give and take." Ambrose explained. "Equivalent exchange and all that. I give of myself, but I receive something in return. What about you, what do you receive in return Ms. Grayfia?"

"I'm afraid that's a story for another time." She replied to her son, wanting to explain her past properly and in the correct context. "Something that can only be done once you've been officially recognized as my child."

"In the meantime, you had best call the others for their meal, and afterwards I'd imagine that you should prepare for this evening's event." Grayfia helpfully suggested.

"Right, I'll let them know that our late lunch is ready." Ambrose said, heading towards the kitchen door before pausing and looking back at her. "Thanks for all your help today. It was nice getting to know you."

"Indeed, I hope we can find the time to chat again, some time very soon." Grayfia sincerely replied, thankful to have had this precious moment with her son and hopefully a real chance to reunite as a family once more.

After their meal, the girls had all gathered to put on their makeup and their formal gowns for tonight's event. While Sona enjoyed this personal time with her peerage, with out the responsibility of being [King], she sorely wished she wasn't the only one who was in a relationship.

"So Kaichō, now that we all know you 'Am-chan' have done the horizontal limbo, tell us what it's like." Her [Pawn], Ruruko suddenly spoke up.

Immediately her entire peerage looked at her in interest.

"What makes you think we've done that?" Sona asked, trying to avoid answering the question.

"See? She's not denying it." Tomoe, who was always fishing for gossip, pointed out.

"Besides, both of you forgot to put up silencing spells." Reya said with a teasing grin.

Sona's face burned and she had no doubt she was as red as a bapple at this point. "I'm not saying anything."

"Your face says all we need to know." Her [Rook], Tsubasa, replied looking a bit lecherous. "It's not as if we blame you. He looked pretty damn sexy when he came off the battlefield, all scuffed up and dirty like that. I'm tempted to take a piece of him for myself"

"Excuse me?" Sona said, jealously narrowing her eyes. "Just what exactly are you implying?"

"Hey now, no need to to break out your claws." Tsubasa reflexively put her hands up in mock surrender. "I guess that means you're not willing to share him."

"Of course not." Sona declared, noting that both Tsubasa and Reya looked a bit disappointed at that announcement.

"Really? Why not? I thought devils were okay with harems." Reya asked in both disbelief and regret. "Judging by the sounds last night he might be a bit too much for one girl to handle."

"He's not a devil and I can handle him just fine, thank you very much." Sona replied, defiantly crossing her arms. "This is one instance where I hope he isn't a devil."

"That doesn't mean someone else can't turn him into a devil." Her [Queen], Tsubaki unhelpfully brought up. "Lady Rias could still try to turn him in the future."

"That's not going to happen." Sona strongly insisted. "Don't tell me you're interested in my fiance as well."

"Well… He is rather manly..." Tsubaki offhandedly remarked with a light blush.

"Et tu, Tsubaki?" Sona thought as her eyes going wide.

"Mmm, he sure is." Tsubasa remarked, her eyes glazing over at the memory.

"No need to ask what you think about him, Reya." Sona said as she saw her [Bishop] squirm in her seat. "Anyone else?"

"Too old for me." Tomoe casually remarked. "I've already got my eye on someone special."

"Shouta lover." Tsubasa said to Tomoe, teasing the [Knight].

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Tomoe shot back, sticking her tongue out.

"No need to worry about me, Kaichō." Momo remarked with rosey cheeks. "I hope tonight's the night I finally catch Saji-kun's eye."

"Hey." Reya protested. "I thought we agreed to share him."

"You both have to get his attention, first." Tsubasa carelessly remarked.

"Both of you are going to share Saji?" Sona couldn't help but ask aloud. "I knew they both had a crush on my [Pawn], but for two girls, who were once human, to reach such an accord..."

"Sure, why not?" Momo answered, as if it were no big deal. "We're all friends, and we would rather share him than let someone else take him away from us. Wouldn't you do the same if it prevented Lady Rias from turning him into a devil?"

"Would I do such a thing?" Sona asked herself, finding no answer. "It doesn't matter. Am-chan is quite satisfied with me and there's no way I'm going to let someone else take him away."

"So…" Reya said in a teasing tone, "Now that you've admitted to 'doing it', what's it like?"

"Maō..." Sona groaned in frustration.

After fending off the pressing questions from her servants, Sona and the rest of her peerage were finally ready for tonight's event. Quite honestly, the interrogation left her feeling both exasperated and irritated. It was also one of those instances where Sona sincerely hoped her fiance was not, in fact, a Gremory who were famed for having obscenely large harems.

She waited in the foyer with the rest of her peerage, wearing a modest blue dress with thin straps that went over her shoulders and a light blue shawl which wrapped around her shoulders and was tied in a bow to hide her small breasts. Truthfully, she had been rather frugal when it came to selecting this evening's attire, given the current state of their funds; however, she did allow herself the luxury of a small choker which seemed to currently be in style in the Underworld.

"Every time I see you, you are more and more beautiful." She suddenly heard her fiance call out.

Sona attention was drawn to the top of the stairs, where she saw her fiance descending and looking rather elegant in his tuxedo.

"You're rather handsome, yourself." Sona commented as she met him at the foot of the stairs.

They continued to stare at one another while everyone else soon faded away. Her hands reached for him as she smoothed out a non-existent wrinkle in his jacket while his arms went around her waist. It took all of her willpower to resist kissing him senseless.

"Ahem" Saji broke the mood by falsely clearing his throat with a bitter look on his face.

Although she didn't appreciate the interruption, she understood the sentiment behind it. She wasn't going to lose all sense of propriety simply because she wanted to ravish her fiance. Nevertheless, she did find some forms of affection suitable to be seen in public, so she pressed herself close to his body by hugging his arm.

"It seems that everyone is looking their best tonight." Ambrose said, complimenting her peerage. "Ladies, you all look quite lovely."

The girls thanked him for the compliment, with Reya looking especially pleased. Sona also couldn't help but notice that her [Queen]'s cheeks were rather rosy at the compliment; however, Tsubaki still seemed to keep herself under control. Meanwhile, her [Rook] Tsubasa seemed to turn as red as a bapple.

"Do you really think so, Ambrose?" Reya asked in a flirtatious tone.

"That.. I mean, I don't usually wear clothes like this but thank you for the compliment." Tsubasa awkwardly stuttered.

"No, no, no." Sona jealously thought. "It's not going to happen girls, so give it up."

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Grayfia called out, gathering the attention of the entire group. "If you all would gather around, I have our invitation to tonight's party which will transport us to the event location."

They all then assembled around the maid of Maō Lucifer before she activated the magic of the invitation which transported the entire group to the venue. With a flash of light they arrived in a posh yet comfortable waiting area, with couches for each of them to sit on until they were formally announced.

Grayfia broke off from the group and approached the door before turning to address everyone. "Please wait here for the Master of Ceremonies to announce you to our other guests. If you'll excuse me, I have other duties to attend to."

Curious as to where they were, Sona took a look out of the nearby window and was a bit surprised to find out that they had arrived at the Royal Castle in Lilith, the home of Maō Lucifer himself.

"This could complicate things." Sona thought, mentally preparing herself for any eventuality.

"Everyone, I don't know if you're aware but we're currently in the castle of Maō Lucifer. I don't believe I have to remind you all to be on your best behavior." She said as she took a look around the room. "Keep in mind that when any devils gather in great numbers tempers can sometimes run a bit hot; you may be provoked into a fight. Please, refrain from embarrassing yourselves and me during tonight's festivities. With all that in mind, do remember to enjoy yourselves."

Having said her piece, Sona returned to her fiance's side and grew concerned at at the worry he now wore on his face.

"Something wrong?" She carefully asked so as not to be overheard.

"I'm a bit nervous, to be honest." Ambrose whispered to her. "Considering the source of my power, I think you would understand why."

She did, in fact, understand why he would be nervous; given that he was about to walk in a large gathering of devils when he, himself, was the inheritor of the Biblical God's power. Sona wished she could offer him some words of comfort, but truthfully she had none to give. Starting a fight, or fighting outright, would be in poor taste and it would be quite foolish for anyone to do so in front of a Maō. Having said that, there were always exceptions to any rule and should Maō Lucifer, or any Maō in fact, give their permission for a fight to happen then Sona would be powerless to stop it.

"Just continue to keep it under a tight rein." Sona advised her lover. "No one will allow any fighting to happen, so long as there's no reason behind it."

"I just have to make sure that no one has a reason." Ambrose said with a frown, knowing that people could find just about any reason to fight.

"An individual would have the permission of Maō Lucifer in order to challenge you to a fight." Sona said, trying to ease his worry.

"Need I remind you that I could be seen as a loose end." Ambrose commented, "Think about it; I break Rias from her engagement at the cost of a large piece of land which has sentimental value to Lord Gremory. Having me out of the way would see that the land goes back to them, and you're not exactly in a position to argue the point."

"Perhaps we should get married immediately, that way I can be sure to inherit everything should the worst happen." Sona teased with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Cleaver plan, you lovely devil." Ambrose quipped back with a grin. "Lucky for me, I have a death flower on me."

Their conversation was halted by the Master of Ceremonies, who began calling on her peerage one by one. Sona often found such practices a bit outdated, one only needed an usher at the door, however decorum states that every [King] must pay homage to their host in the name of their Clan and their peerage.

They passed the threshold and entered the ballroom chamber when the Master of Ceremonies called out, "Lady Sona of Clan Sitri, and her fiance Ambrose the Dragon Slayer."

"At least, Lady Sona of Clan Sitri for now..." Sona sadly thought as she and Ambrose entered the ballroom. She quickly banished it from her mind and adopted the most sincere smile she could muster as she took a look around the room.

Normally, one could enter such an event without attracting too much attention; the large number of guests usually drowned out the Master of Ceremonies. This time was different. It wasn't as if there was anything special about her, or her fiance for that matter, but as they both entered the room Sona was struck at how vacant the area appeared and thus nearly every eye in the room fixated on both of them as they entered.

While there were a few people milling about the ballroom, they were sparsely scattered about in small clusters which made the chamber seem almost empty.

"Are we early, or is the attendance really bad for tonight's event?" Ambrose whispered to her while maintaining a smile as if everything was alright.

"We're not early." Sona said as she looked around the room as if nothing was wrong. "I think it might be something else."

"Anything I should be concerned about?" He anxiously asked her.

As they descended the steps into the gallery, Sona used the extra height to look at the other guests and came to a startling realization. "This party, a party held by Maō Lucifer, is a complete failure."

"There's no one here." Sona couldn't help but say aloud. "These guests, I don't know any of them. None of the other Pillars came to tonight's party."

"It was suppose to be an engagement party." Ambrose reminded her. "Isn't in bad taste to hold a celebration for breaking off an engagement?"

"That could be it." She replied to her fiance as they began to make their way through the crowd. "No one thought that Rias would actually win the match, the Rating Game was simply a formality in order to settle their dispute."

"And because of that, none of the other Pillars showed up so as not to show favoritism for one side or another." Ambrose concluded aloud, fully grasping the situation. "So who are all these people?"

"Middle class devils from the Gremory Territory, most likely people who do business with Lord and Lady Gremory. He's probably using this event to help foster his relations with the common people." Sona guessed as she carefully appraised the individuals that they passed. "There are no doubt members of Maō Lucifer's peerage in attendance, as well as Lord Gremory's peerage. That man there is Surtr the Second, Maō Lucifer's [Rook]. And see that gentleman over there? That's Agrippa, the vice-chief engineer of the Demonic Power Research Institute and the [Bishop] of Lord Gremory."

"That's strange." Ambrose said as he appraised the gentleman. "He doesn't look Roman."

Sona gave him an inquisitive look.

"That's not Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the Roman statesman and general who created the famed aqueducts and porticoes of Rome?" Ambrose asked in confusion.

"No, that's Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, the author of 'De Occulta Philosophia libri III', the three books of the Occult." Sona clarified, correcting her fiance in the hopes of avoiding a faux pas.

"Oh, how disappointing." Ambrose commented with a sad tone, "I would have liked to have met Marcus Agrippa, he always struck me as an interesting fellow."

"Come on, we should go and greeted our hosts." Sona suggested as she lead them to the largest gathering of people, where Maō Lucifer and the entire Gremory Clan were present.

Maō Lucifer was dressed in his full regalia and was seen quietly speaking with his father, Lord Gremory, who was wearing a white lounge suit with a number of buttons undone. Sona noted that their private conversation was brought to an abrupt end as soon as the couple approached them.

"There he is." Maō Lucifer excitedly proclaimed before she and her fiance could properly thank them for the invitation as decorum demanded. "The hero of the day."

Maō Sirzechs Lucifer then approached the couple, giving her fiance a friendly pat on the shoulder as if they were the best of friends. "We're so glad you could make it."

"That's quite the familiar gesture, Maō Lucifer." Sona couldn't help but think as she watched the unusual scene before her. She quickly shook the thought away and remembered her manners before politely bowing to their hosts. "Maō Lucifer, Lord Gremory. On behalf of my peerage, my fiance, and I; we thank you for your gracious invitation."

"Thank you very much." Ambrose continued, giving a polite bow of his own.

"We'll have none of that formality tonight, Sona." Lord Gremory said as he approached them with a pleased smile. "We've known you since you were a child. You're practically family."

While she could honestly say she had always had a pleasant relationship with the Gremory Clan, she had never been addressed so familiarly by Lord Gremory and it sent alarm bells ringing ringing in her mind. She couldn't help but apprehensively squeeze her fiance's hand a bit.

"Nevertheless, I wish to apologize to you, Lord Gremory. If I've upset you by helping Lady Rias in her endeavor..." Sona began, admitting that she was technically in the wrong for having any part in ending the engagement.

"None of that, now" Lord Gremory interrupted, waving off her concerns. "Rias was never really keen on the engagement, and Lord Phenex is actually quite pleased with how everything turned out. We just have one issue to settle..." He trailed off as he approached Ambrose, giving him an appraising look before introducing himself. "Zeoticus Gremory; a pleasure to me you, my boy."

"Likewise, sir." Ambrose respectfully replied shaking the offered hand.

As Sona watched this byplay between the two men, she was struck with a sense of déjà vu; although this time it was because of the similarities between Lord Gremory and her fiance. "I wonder if this is what Am-chan would look like with a beard."

"And this lovely woman is my wife, Lady Venelana Gremory." Zeoticus said, gesturing to the brunette woman who Rias took after.

"Hello, young man." Venelana kindly said as she looked at him with a touch of fondness. She gently offered her hand for him. "It's so wonderful to finally meet you."

"Charmed, Lady Gremory." Ambrose replied, grasping her hand up to her knuckles and bringing it to his lips, careful not to actually kiss her hand.

Sona watched with a bit of pride, glad that they had thought ahead to provide him with etiquette lessons.

"Such a handsome young man." Venelana commented aloud, causing both Sona and Ambrose to grow a bit uncomfortable, given that there were two other men present who wore similar visages.

"Ambrose, have you met my [Bishop], MacGregor Mathers?" Sirzechs cheerfully asked as he ushered in a rather distinguished looking gentleman. His hair was long and slightly wavy, colored in a mixture of black and blonde; however, his most defining characteristic was his long slit like sharp eyes that seemed so alert they offset the shallow smile he gave off.

"I don't believe there is a magician alive who hasn't heard of MacGregor Mathers, founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn." Ambrose pleasantly said as he shook the famous [Bishop]'s hand. "Your translations of the 'Lesser Key of Solomon' was invaluable in preparing me for my foray into the Underworld."

"Oh, you've read my work." MacGregor delightfully said as his smile became even more creepy. "And I, of course, have heard of your famous concoction, capable of curing lycanthropy. It's such a shame we haven't met at any of the formal functions of the magical society. Tell me lad, have you read any of my other works?"

"I've been trying to track down an original print of your studies in Norse magic, it's one of the few areas of magic that I need to brush up on." Ambrose explained, unaffected by the man's eerie presence.

"Perhaps I can provide you with personal lessons sometime in the future." MacGregor suggestively offered, "I might even offer those lessons for free, if you'd wish to make a wager. I know you've met Rias and you're engaged to Lady Sona; tell me, have you met all of the new up and coming devil [Kings] known as 'The Four Rookies'?"

"There will be no gambling." Grayfia ominously said, suddenly appearing behind MacGregor causing his normally narrow eyes to widen in alarm and his face to pale dramatically.

"Y-yes, of course." MacGregor stuttered in Grayfia's presence. "My mistake, Ms. Grayfia."

"Thank you, Ms. Grayfia." Sona privately thought.

While she respected MacGregor for his magical knowledge and knew that anyone could benefit from his tutelage, Sona was always careful around him. Not only did he seem to give off a limitless creepy vibe, but his fame in magic in the human realm was overshadowed by his infamous reputation in the Underworld; that of a renown debtor who seemed to always gamble his money away. His illicit reputation was so well known that very few devils were willing to extend him credit since he often failed to repay his commitments.

"I've even heard rumors that the sole reason he became a devil in the first place was because Maō Lucifer agreed to pay off his debts." Sona privately thought, vowing to warn her fiance of MagGregor's gambling addiction.

"Sona!" A familiar voice shouted out, causing her to turn and see her friend Rias rushing towards them, looking well dressed and more carefree than she had seen her in many months. "Sona, I'm so glad you came."

"Not that we had a choice in the matter, considering that Am-chan's payment is contingent on our attendance and Ms. Grayfia practically chaperoned us until we arrived." Sona privately thought, though honestly she was glad to see her friend looking so relieved. "Thank you for inviting us."

"And don't you look handsome in your tuxedo." Rias commented to Ambrose in a playful tone.

"You look nice as well, Lady Rias." Ambrose replied, maintaining his polite and civil demeanor.

"I don't believe I gave you permission to get all formal with me." Rias excitedly said before she grabbed Ambrose's arm and began to drag him away. "Come on, everyone's gathered over here."

"Excuse us." Sona hastily said to their hosts as she continued to hold on to her fiance's other arm and preceded to be dragged along with them. "What in hell has gotten into you, Rias?"

"Look who I found, everyone." Rias cheerfully said as she all but dragged the pair to where her peerage and a few of Sona's own servants had congregated.

Sona raised an eyebrow as she noted that Hyoudou chose to completely forgo any formal attire for the evening and was dressed in his usual school clothes, a red T-shirt and unbutton uniform. Next to him was the ex-nun, Asia Argento who looked cute but a bit out of place in a lovely emerald green dress. Akeno was wearing a traditional black yukata adorned with a white and yellow obi, while Koneko wore a cute pink dress with matching gloves.

"It seems Koneko isn't the only one who's wearing a dress tonight." Sona thought as she observed young Gaspar Vladi who was wearing a dark red dressed for tonight's event. To Sona's embarrassment, her [Knight] Tomoe had already found Gaspar-kun and was currently fawning over how adorable he looked.

"Oh, Ambrose. So glad you could make it." Kiba said with his signature smiled, looking rather dapper in his own tuxedo.

"Ara, Ambrose, you look quite suave." Akeno said, daintily covering her mouth to hide her smile. "Quite dashing indeed."

"You look nice as well, Himejima-san." Ambrose replied before asking, "Is that's a yukata that you're wearing?"

"Indeed it is." Akeno said with a teasing smile. "Guess what else I'm wearing."

"Ahem" Sona said, clearing her throat in an effort to keep the [Queen]'s claws off of her fiance. "I'd like to extend my sincere congratulations to everyone for your victory."

"Thank you for the compliment, but there's no need to be so considerate." Akeno said, forgoing her previous flirtatiousness and adopting a more respectful tone as she addressed Sona. "We all know who we really need to thank for our victory."

"Yes, I believe this calls for a toast." Rias suggested as an attendant brought a tray of champagne for them. They all took a glass and raised them into the air. "To you, Ambrose; my hero and savior. May we move beyond our past and look forward to our future."

"Our future?" Sona privately thought as she took a sip from her glass. "Here we are, having only just arrived at the party, and already I get the feeling that the Gremory Clan knows something we don't. If they know something then wish they would just come out with it rather than make us wait."

"Am-kun, you were awesome in the fight." Gaspar said to his idol, "I watched the replay again and you were all like 'You're Finished!' as you blasted Riser Phenex away. 'Boom!'"

"Thanks, little man." Ambrose replied, ruffling the dhampire's hair.

"Oh, Gaspar-chan. You're so adorable." Tomoe cooed as she pressed the dhampire's head into her bosom, causing his protests to muffle.

"Lucky guy." Issei jealously grumbled at the sight.

"You want to be the guy in the dress?" Ambrose teasingly asked, causing Issei to stutter in shock and the entire group to chuckle a bit. "Still, in all seriousness it was a group effort. We all did our part and did it well. Especially you, Hyoudou. Congratulation on unlocking the true form of the [Boosted Gear]."

"Thanks." Issei embarrassingly replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Issei-san did very well. He managed to take out three [Pawns] and a rather powerful [Bishop]." Asia pointed out, praising her friend.

"We're all very proud of him." Rias said to Issei who seemed to glow at the praise of his [King].

"Yes, well it was all thanks to my new technique, Dress Break." Issei proudly said, causing the girls around him to groan.

"Don't ever use that perverted attack ever again." Koneko all but demanded, "It's an insult to all women."

"What attack is that?" Ambrose asked, unaware of the development.

"It's a secret move I learned which blasts the clothes off of any girl I touch." Issei informed the alchemist. "I got the idea after the first lesson you gave me in magic, where I learned to peel an onion."

Ambrose suddenly rapped Hyoudou on the head, causing the [Pawn] to rub it in protest. "Don't lump me in with your perversions, you came up with that idea on your own." He said, scolding Hyoudou.

"Oww, you didn't have to knock my skull." Issei complained.

"You didn't have to strip three girls naked." Koneko argued back to her fellow peerage member. "They may be enemies, but they deserve respect."

"Here, here." Ambrose said to the group before dropping off his empty glass with a passing servant and taking Sona's hand. "Now, if you all will excuse us, I believe I owe this lovely lady a dance."

Grayfia's eyes were glued to her son, watching every moment and memorizing every detail of his mannerisms as he led Lady Sona out to the dance floor.

"They certainly make a lovely couple." Venelana commented to her as they both observed the pair dance.

"You wouldn't know it, but they're under a great deal of stress at the moment." Grayfia replied, sparing Lady Gremory a glance before focusing on her son once more. "It appears as if Lady Sona has been all but disinherited from the Sitri Clan for her involvement in ending Rias's engagement."

"No." Venelana's her hand covered her mouth in shock. "Empusa did that? She never said anything about it to me."

"Why would she?" Zeoticus asked, seemingly unconcerned with the news. "The Clans aren't suppose to involve themselves in each other's business."

"I may have been somewhat responsible for what happened to her." Venelana shamefully admitted, "When I heard that Sona had lent out her magician to help Rias, I immediately contacted Em-chan to see why they were getting involved and why they wanted the Seere Estate as payment; especially considering that the Sitri territory is over ten times the size of our lands."

"Since it was my son, who's engaged to Sona, that helped Rias, then I'd say that that makes it our business." Sirzechs casually mentioned to his mother, giving her a significant look.

"You're right, I should definitely have a talk with Lady Sitri." Venelana vowed aloud, promising to clear up this misunderstanding. After taking a moment to quietly watch her long lost grandson she turned to Grayfia. "You must have had a wonderful day today, spending all that time with him."

"Spending the day with him was a dream come true." Grayfia admitted to her mother-in-law before conspicuously admitting, "I made him bapple pancakes this morning."

Venelana covered her mouth and cooed, "Aww, how sweet."

"Why? What's so special about that?" Zeoticus asked in confusion.

"Don't you remember, Zeoticus? Millicas loved bapples as a child." Venelana reminded her husband. "They were his favorite."

"What I'd like to know is how he got so good at the Power of Destruction, despite the fact that he's received no training in the Underworld." Zeoticus wondered aloud. "It's obviously wasn't his first time using it."

"Perhaps he's been gaining power a different way." Venelana suggested to her husband. At his confused look, she elaborated further. "Remember my dear, devils gain power through contracts and our grandson seems to be quite the entrepreneur. Every potion he sells, every transaction he makes could be seen as a contract; he's most likely gaining power that way."

"While that may account for some of his power, it doesn't explain the potency nor his proficiency with wielding the Power of Destruction." Zeoticus explained to his wife, "He uses it more expertly than Rias-chan, who inherited it directly from you and the Bael Clan. That takes practice, someone had to have trained him, someone knew he was alive and neglected to tell us."

"It's just another one of the mysteries surrounding my son's disappearance and this unexplained holy power he's rumored to wield." Sirzechs said to his family, frowning at the unknown implications. He then turned to his wife, "Did he display any such power in your presence?"

"No, the only time he performed magic was when he cleaned the dishes." Grayfia answered her husband.

"You let him do the dishes?" Zeoticus asked the maid in shock.

"He did them on his own, in a show of defiance in order to prove he didn't need my help." Grayfia replied, defending her son's actions. "He's quite independent. He's also worried about our reaction to his holy power and seemed a bit suspicious about our motivations towards him."

"How can he have holy power if he's obviously Millicas?" Venelana asked as she watched her grandson and Sona continue their graceful dance.

"We're still gathering evidence." Sirzechs explained, trying to placate his mother. A servant then came to him and offered him the empty glass that Ambrose had previously used. Taking a moment to inspect it, he nodded in approval before handing it back to the servant who then parted with a bow. "We just need one more thing..."

"I've already acquired the last piece of evidence that we need." Grayfia told her husband, unwilling to let this uncertainty with her son last any longer than it had to. "While we were out today, I was able to obtain a small sample of his hair. I've already sent it out to be tested and the results will be available tomorrow morning."

"Excellent work, my dear." Sirzechs said, praising his wife. "Then tomorrow we'll make the official announcement and embrace 'Ambrose' as our son once more."

They all smiled in satisfaction as they watched the couple's dance conclude, where the pair then gave each other a respectful bow. Sona's [Queen], Tsubaki, soon came up and whispered a few rushed words to her which had the [King] briskly walk away to attend to some urgent business.

"It seems there might be something wrong." Venelana worriedly commented as she observed the scene play out.

"Oh dear, it appears my son has to face his first challenger for Sona's affection." Sirzechs said with an amused smile. "Let's see how well he handles it."

As their waltz ended, Sona and Ambrose gave each other a customary bow, thanking one another for the experience. Truthfully, it was all part of the motions of the dance they had just finished, but Sona found the tradition quite satisfying. The smile she wore was soon replaced with worry when Tsubaki apprehensively approached them.

"Saji's drunk." The [Queen] simply said. "He's not causing a scene yet, but he's currently hiding under a table and mumbling to himself."

"I suppose being a depressed drunk is better than being an angry one." Sona commented aloud, feeling a bit exasperated by the situation before turning towards her fiance. "I have to go and handle this. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll be waiting. Go be [King]." Ambrose encouragingly replied, unaware that he was currently being secretly observed.

"Now's my chance." Serafall Leviathan said to herself as she watched her beloved So-tan leave in order to tend to her [Pawn]. She wasn't planning on hurting the alchemist, "Sirzechs-chan would be so mad if I attacked his lost son. However that doesn't mean I can't scare him so that he'll break things off with my sister."

She approached her target as stealthily as she could manage, careful not to be noticed or seen until the time was right. It was important to catch him completely off guard and then probe him for a weakness. She had it all planned out, she would strike up a conversation acting as another unassuming individual, just another face in the crowd. When the time was right she would reveal that she was, in fact, Maō Leviathan and watch him fall over him self as he tried effortlessly to please her. From there, she would break his spirit and inform him that Sona was too good for him. "With any luck, I'll have So-tan all to myself tonight and 'Long Lost Millicas' can be content with his family. Lord Gremory will probably have him engaged to someone else within the week."

She was in position now, approaching him from behind where she gave a lite cough in order to gain his attention. "So, you must be the alchemist everyone's been talking about."

Ambrose turned around and looked at her before giving her a rather charming smile. "You must be Sona's sister." He stated with complete certainty.

"How'd you know?" Serafall couldn't help but wonder aloud as she cutely tilted her head to the side. "He recognized me immediately. Did he see 'Magical Girl Levi-tan? Is he a fan?"

"You both have the same lovely eyes." He pleasantly replied to her. "They're the color of amethyst."

"This guy..." Serafall thought, frustrated that her plan had been foiled so soon. "Just because you're engaged to my So-tan doesn't mean you have my permission to marry her. I'll never let you take my sister away from me." She argued back, annoyed that he wasn't the least bit intimidated by her presence and that she had lost her cool as well.

"I would never separate you from your beloved sister, Serafall." Ambrose insisted, as if the idea was completely absurd.

Serafall couldn't help but notice that he said her name easily, as if he had said it a thousand times before.

"In fact, I want to be your Onii-chan." Ambrose confidently continued, looking right into her eyes.

"W-Wha-What?" Serafall stuttered in shock. "Could he honestly be suggesting what I think he's suggesting?"

"I said, 'I want to be your Onii-chan.'" He calmly repeated as he confidently approached her, causing her to look up in order to meet his eyes. "And I want you, Sona, and I to be together as a family."

"He's Serious!" Serafall thought in alarm, her face turning bright red as the implications ran through her mind. "The three of us… together…?"

"W-Why should I recognize you as my O… Onii… Onii-chan." Serafall demanded, cursing herself for barely being able to get the word out of her mouth.

"Sona's told me all about you. How she can always count on you for support. How you can always put a smile on her face, even if you sometimes embarrass her. She's told me how much she truly loves you. But the most important thing was how much it would mean to her if the three of us could be together as a family."

"So-tan said all that..." Serafall asked in astonishment, trying desperately to hold back her own tears of happiness. She loved her sister more than anyone else, some would even say she loved her too much. But Sona always had a difficult time expressing the deep love they shared for one another.

"But perhaps if it were the three of us..." Serafall wondered before an image of of them all sharing an intimate moment, ménage à trois, flashed in her mind.

"Onee-sama..." The Sona in her fantasy moaned in pleasure.

"Onee-san..." The Ambrose in her mind sensually whispered in her ear.

"No, no, no!" She immediately shook her head, trying to banish both the image and the rising blush that was spreading across her entire face. "So-tan would never agree to such a thing."

"Of course she said all that, she speaks of you a lot." Ambrose said, unaware of her inner turmoil. "And all while she was telling me how wonderful you are I couldn't help but think, 'I want to be her Onii-chan. I want her to be my Onee-san."

"I want her… Onee-san" The phrase kept repeating itself in Serafall's mind. "I want to be your Onii-chan."

"I… That is… You..." Serafall stuttered in embarrasement, unable to form proper sentence.

This was a disaster, everything she had planned for this meeting had completely fallen apart and she was left feeling rather confused. Suddenly the orchestra began playing again, signaling to the would-be dancers in the crowd that another round of dancing would begin.

"Someday soon, you'll be my Onee-san." Ambrose said with a confidence she found very attractive. He then politely bowed before her and before offering his hand. "For now, would you care to dance?"

"Okay..." Serafall breathlessly agreed and she soon found herself in his arms as they began to dance.

"How did this happen?" She couldn't help but wonder as they waltzed across the floor.

She had originally wanted to chase him away from her sister, yet now she found herself dancing in his arms and she was actually enjoying herself.

"He holds me as if he were completely comfortable with me." Serafall realized in surprise. "Most people are too intimidated to even ask me to dance, let alone feel so comfortable to hold me so close. When was the last time I was asked to dance or even accepted an invitation for that matter?"

While she did occasionally have admirers who attempted to woo her, Serafall had always rebuffed their clumsy and disingenuous attempts. They would shower her with false flattery, pretend to be interested in her television show, and pester her with questions on what it was like to be a Maō.

"They only want to be with Maō Leviathan. But this, this is different. He didn't call me Maō Leviathan, he called me Sona's sister." Serafall privately recalled. "He recognized me because he recognized So-tan's eyes."

Quite honestly, Serafall couldn't think of a better compliment than being addressed as 'Sona's Sister'.

"Is this why Sona fell in love with you? Is this the reason why she left her entire family behind in order to be with you?" Serafall wondered as her sister's fiance led her across the dance floor. "If so, I can see why she fell for you. It takes a pretty confident person to look me in the eye and say that he wants to be my Onii-chan; that they want to share both me and my sister together..."

After leaving Saji in a nearby waiting room, Sona let out an exasperated sigh at all the trouble her [Pawn] has caused her lately.

"Thank you for your help, Kaichō." Tsubaki gratefully replied.

"I didn't do much, he was already passed out by the time you brought the matter to my attention." Sona said, smiling at her [Queen]. "Still, I'm not going to let Saji ruin my evening. Momo and Ruruko can keep an eye on him, if only to make sure he doesn't vomit all over Maō Lucifer's furniture."

"Well, they did want to spend more time with him." Tsubaki lightly chuckled, "Though I doubt they had this in mind when they made their plans for tonight."

"Those poor girls." Sona commented, lightly shaking her head. "Part of me hopes that they get over him and find someone worthwhile."

"And the other part?" Tsubaki playfully asked.

"Wishes that Saji gets his act together and recognizes their feelings for him, if only so he'll get over me." Sona said, grinning at her best friend. Her smile soon fell as she considered her [Pawn]. "His antics are causing more and more problems lately and I'm at a bit of a loss on what to do with him."

"Do you want me to take over Saji's corporal punishments?" Tsubaki surprisingly offered.

"Would you do that, knowing he's a masochist?" Sona couldn't help but ask, looking at her [Queen] with wide eyes. "He might turn his attention to you."

"Mmm, perhaps we could have both Momo and Ruruko do it then." Tsubaki said after thinking it over for a moment.

"Do you think they would?" Sona whispered in a conspiring manner.

"After tonight's disappointment, they just might." Tsubaki replied with a smile. "And who knows, they might learn to like it and instill him with some discipline."

"So long as everyone behaves themselves." Sona commented as she looked around for her fiance. "Now where is Am-chan?"

"Fu, fu, fu." Tsubaki giggled, covering her mouth with her hand as she used her superior height to find him quickly. "It seems his charms works on all the Sitri women. He's out on the dance floor with your sister."

"Onee-sama's here?" Sona said in alarm, not only surprised that her sister was here but dancing with her fiance of all people. "Excuse me for a moment, Tsubaki. I may have to rescue my fiance."

Quickly, she weaved around the other guests and approached a throng of individuals who had congregated around the dance floor.

"It doesn't appear as if I need to settle anything at all." Sona realized in relief as she watched her sister dance with her fiance. Her heart glowed at the sight, thankful that Am-chan had managed to make such a good impression on her sister so quickly this time around. She often dreaded the thought of them meeting again for the first time and the effort it took for them to build their friendship. "It seems they're off to a good start."

She watched as the pair ended their dance with a formal bow, before Ambrose said something to Serafall while pointing out Sona from the crowd.

"So-tan!" Serafall cheered, causing Sona to stiffen in response to hearing that horrible nickname in front of such a large crowd. "So-tan, I've missed you!"

"Onee-sama" Sona helplessly protested as her sister embraced her tightly, "How many times do I have to tell you not to use that name when we're in public?"

"So-tan, don't be like that." Serafall cutely pouted, "I came here tonight just to see you."

"There's nothing quite as lovely as the bond between two sisters." Ambrose commented as he walked up to the pair.

"See? Am-chan doesn't mind if we're affectionate." Serafall softly murmured to her.

"While I'm thrilled to see the two of you getting along so well, could we please keep the displays of affection to a minimum while we're in public?" Sona weakly pleaded to her sister.

To her relief, Serafall finally released her; however, Sona noticed that her sister had adopted a rather odd look on her face.

"Don't get the wrong idea." Serafall suddenly said, adopting a rather stubborn look. "I was only dancing with him to be polite. This doesn't mean I accept him."

"And I look forward to the day where you do accept me." Ambrose replied, unaffected by the Maō obstinacy.

Sona noticed that her Onee-sama's face began to grow red, though whether from anger or embarrassment she couldn't say.

"Please excuse me Maō Leviathan, Lady Sona, Ambrose-sama." Grayfia suddenly said as she unexpectedly appeared out of the crowd. "I'm afraid I'll have to borrow Ambrose-sama for a bit, Lord Gremory will be presenting the title to the Seere Estate soon."

"Well then." Ambrose replied with a pleased smile. "If you're excuse me Lady Sona, Maō Leviathan. It appears I have some business to attend to."

"Levi-tan." Serafall suddenly spoke up, causing the group to look at her in confusion. "I'd rather you call me Levi-tan than Maō Leviathan."

"Levi-tan." Ambrose said with a charming smile.

"That doesn't mean you have permission to call me Onee-san." Serafall childishly protested with rosy cheeks.

"Perhaps you'll allow it someday." Ambrose replied before he and Grayfia departed their company.

Sona couldn't help but look at her sister with a fond smile.

"What?" Serafall innocently asked, pretending that nothing was wrong.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you two get along." Sona cheerfully commented, causing her sister to blush in embarrassment.

"I was just being nice to him." Serafall bashfully admitted, "It doesn't mean I like him."

"Well, I hope you eventually grow to like him." Sona happily replied. "The two of you are the most important people in my life, and I'd like the three of us to be together as a family."

"Y-you want the three of us to be a family?" Serafall asked as if she couldn't wrap her mind around the concept.

"Of course. He's going to be your Onii-chan one day." Sona earnestly replied causing her sister to turn crimson.

"Ladies and Gentleman." Lord Zeoticus Gremory loudly announced, gaining the attention of the entire ballroom. "I'd like to thank you all for coming here tonight. We've gathered here to not only celebrate my daughter's first victory in a Rating Game, but to also honor the individual who made her victory possible. In recognition of his efforts, I am proud to present the title and land to the Seere Estate to the alchemist famous in the human realm for his creation of the cure to lycanthropy. May I present to you Ambrose, the Dragon Slayer."

Sona couldn't help but applaud a bit more enthusiastically than she normally would. She was pleased to see that her sister, as well as the other guests, politely clapped along as well; though there was a bit of murmuring from the crowd.

"I suppose it's to be expected. It is a rather unusual event." Sona privately mused as she tried to overhear the whispers.

Her attempts to listen in on the gossiping crowd was interrupted by her sister who softly whispered so as not to be overheard. "Hey, Sona..."

"Yes, Onee-sama?" Sona asked, turning to her sister to see a rather apprehensive look on her face.

"The truth is, I came because Mama asked me to." Serafall uncomfortably admitted, putting a damper on Sona's cheerful mood. "She wants you to come home as soon as the party's over."

"I assume she wants to settle matters officially." Sona guessed, trying to stave off the doubt and fear of being officially cast as a run a way, or worse a stray devil. She let out a sigh before adopting a resolute expression, vowing to accept the consequences of her actions. "I'll inform Am-chan and my peerage and then we all will head home… head to the Sitri Estate as soon as the party is over."

"He's not invited." Serafall stated in a manner which left no room for argument.

"She won't even meet him?" Sona despairingly asked, realizing that her fate was all but sealed.

"Don't worry Sona." Serafall reassuringly said, "I'll be there for the meeting too, and should Mama prove to be inflexible then I'll still support you. You won't be branded as a stray."

"Thank you, Onee-sama." Sona gratefully said before turning back to the stage where Ambrose was currently getting his picture taken with the entire Gremory Clan. "But that won't be necessary. Am-chan has already promised to take care of both me and my peerage. We're going to build my school on our new land."

"You're not going to break your engagement to him, are you?" Serafall asked, though Sona guessed she already knew the answer.

"Never." Sona resolutely replied. "I'm going to marry him."

Serafall gave her a small, sad smile. "I'll be waiting here until you're ready to go."

"Thank you, Onee-sama." Sona gratefully replied before she began making her way through the crowd in order to rejoin her fiance's side. She found him surrounded by the Gremory Clan, as well as Maō Lucifer, and pressed herself to his side as she listened in on their conversation.

"So, tell me my boy." Zeoticus said in a friendly manner, "What do you plan to do with your new estate?"

"Well, for one, we're going to build Sona's school on the grounds once we've finished college." Ambrose pleasantly replied as he gave Sona a welcoming smile. He then returned his attention to Lord Gremory before continuing, "I also hope to build a winery on the grounds. I'm in desperate need of additional land in order to expand my business."

"You need more land for your alchemy?" Lady Venelana queried before taking a sip of her champagne.

"Quite simply, yes. You see, I grow most of the ingredients I need and I hope to one day offer something special to the devils of the Underworld; provided their interested." Ambrose replied, giving Maō Lucifer a meaningful look.

"No doubt he's referring to his fertility enhancers." Sona deduced.

"And what is this special thing you're offering to the Underworld?" Venelana politely inquired.

"It's classified for now." Maō Lucifer answered his mother. "But we've already begun testing it and as I understand the results are promising."

"Keep your secrets then." Venelana playfully replied with a smile, slapping her son's shoulder in a mock attempt to scold him.

"I can tell you about another project I'm working on." Ambrose admitted, enjoying the opportunity talk about his passion. "I've created a plant call Plasma Fruit, whose juice is a perfect replacement for blood. I hope to feed the Vampire Nation one day with this, but I needed land to grow an orchid, as well as a sommelier to help taste the wines I make."

"I understand Gaspar Vladi has been helping you out." Maō Lucifer casually mentioned.

"Yes, thank you for your permission to unseal him. He's been a big help, but he's a minor and I only let him drink the juices I provide." Ambrose gratefully replied to the Maō. "While the juice will probably be a large portion of the business, I hope to create fine wines for the vampires with a more discerning palate. For that, I'll need to fine a pure blood vampire, someone with impeccable tastes."

"Excuse me, but did you say you made this plant?" Zeoticus asked in confusion. "As in, actually created it."

"I genetically engineered it." Ambrose admitted, causing both Lord and Lady Gremory's eyes to widen. "I also enjoy herbology and have genetically created a few different plants."

"The boy likes plants..." Zeoticus muttered aloud in an unimpressed tone.

"There's nothing wrong with liking plants." Ambrose said, defending his craft. "As I understand it, the Bael Clan is the highest ranked Clan in the Underworld and just today I had the most delicious fruit which I'm told comes from their territory."

"Oh, you had a bapple." Venelana said with a smile, proud of her former Clan's heritage.

"That's right, you were a Bael before you were married." Her fiance recalled, before turning to Lady Gremory. "Do you know if the Bael Clan allows others to grow their own bapple tree?"

"They've never granted permission before." Venelana admitted with a smile, "But I might be able to pull a few strings for you, provided you promise not to sell any."

"I don't think I can promise that." Ambrose admitted with an embarrassed grin. "I was thinking they'd make a wonderful blend for wines."

"Perhaps a licensing agreement could be worked out in the future." Venelana offered, sensing a business opportunity.

"Do you make wines for non-vampires?" Zeoticus asked, "I'm always on the look out for new wines and spirits."

"I do make wines as well as grappa." Ambrose admitted with pride. "Perhaps once we've settled in I'll provide my new neighbors with a sample."

"Oh, I look forward to it." Zeoticus pleasantly replied.

"Back to the matter of this plasma fruit, how do you intend to sell your wines and juices to the Vampire Nation?" Lady Venelana inquired as she considered the difficulty of such a task. "I sincerely doubt vampires will give up drinking blood for the sake of this wine, regardless of how good it tastes. They've come to view hunting humans as some sort of tradition."

"I don't, in fact I fully expect them to dismiss my product out right." The alchemist revealed. "But I plan to bypass the governing body of the Vampire Nation, sell it to the consumers directly from my shops, and advertise it with the seal of approval from my chosen sommelier."

"Which is why you can't use little Vladi for your official taste tester." Venelana said, following his line of thought. "He's a dhampire and you need someone credible, another pure blood vampire to vouch for the quality of your product."

"Exactly." Ambrose said, giving Lady Gremory a respectful nod in acknowledgment for her business acumen.

"While I'd hate to put a damper on this conversation, I'm afraid it's getting rather late." Sona regretfully interjected. "We have a train to catch tomorrow afternoon, and a few members of my peerage are rather tired."

"Oh, so soon?" Maō Lucifer said with disappointment. "We'll I hope we'll get the chance to see more of you, now that you're neighbors with my family."

"I don't plan on going anywhere." Ambrose said as he gave his fiance an affectionate smile. "I have a very good reason to stick around."

Sona couldn't help but blush at the praise, bashfully hugging herself close to his arm.

"Maō Lucifer, Lord and Lady Gremory, thank you for the wonderful evening. I'm glad we had this opportunity to get to know each other." Ambrose politely said.

"Thank you very much for the invitation." Sona added as she and her fiance gave them a polite bow.

"The pleasure was all ours." Maō Lucifer said with a smile. "We all look forward to the next time we meet."

With that, Sona and Ambrose left the company of their hosts and made their way towards the exit.

"Is everything alright with Saji?" Ambrose asked, no doubt wondering why they were leaving a bit early.

"He had a bit too much to drink and is currently passed out. Momo and Ruruko are currently taking care of him." Sona said as they made their way through the crowd. "The truth is that I've been summoned by my mother."

"I see." Ambrose heavily replied, the implications of such a summoning were apparent to him.

"Yes, and unfortunately you weren't invited." Sona shamefully admitted, hating the fact that her mother wouldn't even meet with her fiance.

"So that's how it is, then." Ambrose said with a frown. "You realize that if I don't see you on tomorrow's train I'm going to scour the Sitri lands in order to find you."

"I'm counting on it." Sona replied with a smile, feeling a bit better knowing that she still had his support, even if he wasn't there.

"I suppose I'll spend the night at our new home then." Ambrose said after a moment of thought, "I'll begin making adjustments to the wards so that it can be made into a proper sanctuary."

"Sounds good." Sona distractedly replied, her mind was too focused on what was to come.

She and Ambrose soon approached the exit of the room where Serafall, Tsubaki, and the rest of her peerage were waiting. Tomoe seemed to have trouble relinquishing Gaspar to Akeno, the little dhampire had fallen asleep on her lap. Sona couldn't help but notice that Ruruko and Momo seemed a bit unhappy, as well as Tsubasa who was using her [Rook]'s strength to carry the unconscious Saji.

"For your sake Saji, I hope you don't get sick all over Tsubasa." Sona thought as she gave her [Rook] an apologetic look. "She'd have your guts for garters and with the way you've been acting lately I just might let her."

"All set to go?" Serafall asked Sona after she and her fiance arrived.

"You're going with them, Levi-tan?" Ambrose asked.

"Of course." Maō Leviathan answered as if it were obvious.

"I'm glad to hear it, I feel much better knowing you'll be there to support Sona." Ambrose stated with a satisfied smile.

Serafall immediately blushed as she softly protested, "I'm not the one who got her into trouble in the first place."

"I got myself into this mess." Sona reminded her sister, standing up for both her decision and her fiance. "And you've gotten me into trouble many times. Or have you forgotten the time where you stole my swimsuit and then chased me around the house trying to steal my towel?"

Serafall embarrassingly blushed as she recalled the memory.

"Nothing wrong with skinny dipping." Ambrose suddenly spoke up. "Besides, I'm sure you both have bathed together before. Doesn't sound like a big deal."

"I know, right?" Serafall exclaimed, glad to have someone defending her.

"She wasn't trying to bath with me, Am-chan." Sona thought, unwilling to voice her sister's true motives aloud.

"We should head out." Tsubaki said, reminding them of their task. "It would be unwise to keep Lady Sitri waiting."

"Right." Sona resolutely replied before turning to her lover.

Although she normally disapproved of public displays of affection, she was unwilling to part from him with out giving him something to remember her by. With that in mind, Sona reached up and pulled him to her lips, giving him the most loving and sensual kiss she could muster. Her tongue lightly teased his before they both breathlessly parted and simply stared at one another.

"Woah, talk about a kiss." Tsubasa said in awe.

"Sona..." Serafall whined, but quite honestly Sona couldn't be bothered to worry about any them now.

"I'll be waiting for you at the train station." Sona vowed to her fiance.

"Not if I'm there waiting for you first." He replied.

With that, the couple regretfully parted and Sona, along with her sister and peerage, were then transported to the Sitri Estate, where the fate of her status as heiress apparent would be decided.