NO ONE KNOWS

Crow watched calmly as Bezel prepared to attack them. His focus was on Crow and Ceaser. How had Ceaser summoned those flames? He glared at Crow and thought of attacking Eve and Elizabeth who had a lower chance of evading his attacks. He made a mental circle around the two women and his flames immediately came forth around them. Eve was prepared and protected herself and Elizabeth from the scorching flames but using her long gown. Crow extinguished the flames and appeared in front of Bezel like a flash of lightning. Bezel was startled but he managed to evade Crow's claws and only sustained a scratch on his exposed rib then he moved away from Crow. While in that state, his bones were rather soft and easy to break or damage and if Crow hit the right parts, his not so visible heart could be pierced.

"You missed me." Bezel said.

"A scratch is all that I need."

At those words, Eve had a subtle idea of what was next.

"Total annihilation." Ceaser said.

Crow smiled and pointed at Bezel who was confused. Bezel felt a sudden wave of pain in his bones and watched as his flesh grew back with dark markings on it. As soon as the flesh was done growing back, Bezel started rotting. He screamed in pain with the ounce of life still in him. Elizabeth watched in horror because this was what Crow had planned to do to Eve. She hugged Eve, glad that they were on fairly good ground with Ceaser and Crow.

"What if someone saw?" Eve asked looking at Ceaser.

"They did. All the guards saw but they will remember something else." he answered walking towards the door,"Act sad when you go inside and don't speak to anyone right away."

Crow and Ceaser left the two women outside and went to the hall again like nothing happened. Elizabeth and Eve dusted themselves and tried acting like they were sad. The guards positioned outside looked normal and some of them were drunk but the were unfazed by Eve and Elizabeth.

Terra knew something was wrong when Ceaser and Crow walked back into the hall. Many ladies surrounded them asking for a dance or asking to speak to them for a few minutes. Many people knew Crow as Ceaser's advisor, Lord Raphael, a fake identity Julius had come up with to keep Crow a secret. Terra shifted her attention to Eve and Elizabeth who entered the hall via another doorway. She was confused at why Eve was crying silently while holding onto Elizabeth's hand for support.

"Are you alright, darling?" Rakka asked Eve while holding her shoulders.

Eve cried a little bit more prompting Rakka to take her elsewhere. When they were in an empty hallway, Rakka made Eve sit on the floor while she sobbed loudly.

"What happened to her?" Rakka asked Elizabeth.

Elizabeth shook her head as if the truth was too much to handle. Rakka looked at Eve feeling sorry for her daughter. One of the guards who had been outside saw Eve in tears and a false memory was triggered in his mind.

"Lord Bezel broke off his engagement with the princess." the man said.

"What?!!" Rakka exclaimed alarmed.

She twisted her neck to look at the man who just nodded and bowed. Eve cried even more and buried her head in Elizabeth's lap. Crow and Ceaser noticed that Rakka, Eve and Elizabeth were missing from the hall and tried to fight their way out of the sea of of women. When they finally squeezed past the women after giving a lot of excuses, they looked for Eve and Elizabeth. Crow didn't want to go but Ceaser insisted on him following. They walked to the hallway that would lead them to Eve and Elizabeth's room but stopped when they ran into Lucan.

"Where to?" Lucan asked raising a brow.

"Off to sleep." Crow said.

"You seem to have lost your sense of direction. Your room is on the other side." Lucan stated.

"We are off to see lady Elizabeth and princess Eve." said Ceaser walking past Lucan.

"What for? It is rather improper to visit an unmarried maiden so late at night." Lucan said.

"It's important." Ceaser said.

Crow rolled his eyes and looked at Ceaser's back as he looked through every keyhole because he didn't know exactly which room Eve and Elizabeth were using.

"You are being a pervert, sire." Crow said.

"You could help by just using your shadow to sneak a peek." Ceaser said turning around to face Crow and Lucan.

Crow chuckled and turned to leave the corridor to head back to his own room. He was mid stride when he saw Rakka looking at him wide eyed. Eve and Elizabeth also stared at the three males in the hallway that only had rooms for females. Lucan cleared his throat and walked away like he hadn't been there. Ceaser looked at Lucan's retreating figure and thought of how he would leave.

"I was looking for you, lady Elizabeth." Crow said trying to think of an excuse,"You left the hall so early."

"I...I was with Eve here. She had some... trouble."

"Trouble?" he repeated as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"I'm sure you are fine now, princess." Ceaser said from where he stood.

Eve nodded shyly and Ceaser smiled at her. Crow looked at Eve who's face was moist with tears and he was simply impressed by her acting skills. He bowed and walked to Ceaser and they both left to go to their rooms. Eve watched Ceaser walk away and wandered how he had managed to keep everyone else from knowing what had happened. She was certain that it wasn't Crow's doing because his abilities were known to her. It was also clear to her that Terra did not know exactly what her son was capable of doing because of how she had feared that they would lose to Bezel.

"I will leave you two to rest." Rakka said after escorting Eve and Elizabeth to their room.

She lit an oil lamp on the bad side table and smiled sadly at her daughter. Lord Bezel had assured her that he would marry Eve so she was beyond shocked at the news of his breaking off the engagement. The first person that came to mind was Terra. Rakka knew that despite their differences, Terra would still help her cousin save face. Rakka was delighted to see Terra alone in the corridor just as she was leaving the room.

"What's the matter with you? You look disoriented." Terra said calmly as she walked towards Rakka.

"Lord Bezel has left and he has broken off his engagement with Eve."

"Why?" Terra asked genuinely confused.

"I do not know how I will tell her father about this. He has been sharing the news of her engagement to the next king of Gorge." Rakka said in dismay without answering Terra's question.

"Just call him over privately." Terra said calmly in the quiet corridor,"When you are alone."

"He'll be so embarrassed that he won't be able to face anyone."

"Is it him or is it you?" Terra asked coming to stand next to Rakka.

"What?" Rakka asked quietly.

"I don't think Napoleon would be so ashamed that he would never face another person and he doesn't strike me as a gossiper."

Rakka turned slightly red at the statement. She remained quiet and soon Terra left her alone. Rakka thought of what she would tell her friends to whom she had bragged to about Eve's engagement. Lord Bezel had truely betrayed her by leaving Eve in that manner. She started walking to her own room which she shared with Napoleon. There was no way of even hiding the truth from him because he would see how worried she was.

"I hope the prince hasn't fallen for the Holt's girl." Rakka heard a woman whispering.

Rakka hid behind some curtains so she could eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Indeed. We won't sleep a wink with how her mother brags about her." another woman whispered back.

When the women came into Rakka's view she could tell from how they were dressed that they were palace maids. She was infuriated with how such lowly maidens were speaking ill of her but she stayed hidden and quiet so she could get the whole story.

"But I fear he might. He only danced with her and he has even left the hall."

"No one said he can only pick a dazzling damsel from another kingdom. I...his rightful soulmate, am right here."

The other maid laughed at her fellow who was dreaming big for someone of her status.

"What's wrong with you Fifi!" the maiden with short brunette hair said laughing at her friend.

Fifi glared at her friend, Elise, and shook her head in dismissal. Elise continued laughing as she followed her friend. When Rakka was sure they were gone, she came out from the curtains and smiled to herself. If Ceaser had shown interest in Eve then that was a plus for her. She composed herself and walked back to the hall with her chin up with pride. All these people who were making fun of Zeth would be her footstools with the future king of Dreg as her son-in-law. She searched for Napoleon with her eyes and soon found him standing with Julius and they seemed engrossed in whatever they were speaking about.