Nerezza gave her papa a smile. She could tell he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her so she didn’t know exactly what he was planning. “I know Papa. Maybe that is why I seek a different path now.” Her mother had been enlightening one way or another.

The words from his mouth left her in a bit of shock as she tried to think about it. “Mother wouldn’t reverse something like that! That’s hardly a punishment. I thought you were going to exile him or something.” She wasn’t mad but she was in shock.  There she stood more dumbfound then any other time in her life. All her life she had come up with a response for just about anything thrown at her and now she just stared at her father mouth agape.

“Of course, Papa whatever you say.” She left Kaiser and wrapped her arms around her Papa and smiled at him. “You are the best Papa though. I’m always going to be your little girl and surely we can spend more time together now that you aren’t Lord of the Shiras.” She kissed his cheek and looked back at Kaiser. “You’ve chosen finely compared to some of the other noble fathers I’ve watched over these last few months.”

She was trying to be mature about it but she was scared. Would she even know how to be a good wife? “Do you think I could be good at it? Being a wife, that is?” It was an odd question for the girl to ask. She kissed her father’s cheek again and stayed close to him. “I love you Papa so much.” She wanted to remind him of that. “I’m always going to be here and if Kaiser screws up you don’t have to worry about you getting to him.” Nerezza gave him a kind smile. “I’m sure I am strong enough to handle that.” She was teasing Kaiser now.

They were both flabbergasted. Good, it seemed as though he hadn’t lost his touch in surprising others. In truth, he wasn’t planning on murdering the poor lad even if it had been true of some unsavory things occurring between him and Nerezza. He wanted his daughter happy but also safe. There was enough corruption in the realm and he didn’t want it to spill onto his children, and Kaiser seemed like a good individual with a fine head on his shoulders. He hadn’t let him down yet, and he was banking on his decision being the right one. His gaze toned down as he looked onto the couple, “I don’t know what goes on in your mother’s head. To be frank, I never did and I don’t think I want to. You know her better than I, my sweetheart. And I don’t want to take away someone that makes you happy. I can’t be that cruel.” He had to start over again and make amends for his past doings, and this felt like the first step of many.

“And I know you will, Kaiser. You are a honorable man, and I doubted that the stories were true. I just had to make sure. Now you remember to treat her the way she should be. All he had to do now was inform the Goddess of this plan. He might actually need a drink or two for that pending moment. He allowed his daughter to embrace him in her enjoyment while Kaiser looked on sheepishly. “And I look forward to that, princess, he spoke with a sad smile. He almost felt like tearing up as he watched his grown daughter’s future become clearer. She wouldn’t remain that little girl forever; in fact she would be enjoying a life with someone that would be by her side. A fate he was slightly jealous of, but was happy for her nonetheless.

“My dearest, no one is the perfect wife or husband at first. To become such takes time, but remember to value each other no matter what and stay faithful. The rest will come to you in time, he suggested. Although he had never been married himself, he drew up an analysis from his longest relationship, and especially of what not to do to give his daughter and the man some insight. “I love you too, with all my heart”, he whispered before drawing a kiss on her face. “You heard that? You won’t have to worry about me after all- a woman’s scorn is a most dreadful thing to deal with. Believe me, you don’t want any part of that”, he advised Kaiser, a hint of a smile was on his face. “And do let everyone back at your home know of this, the bloody story is going to be out one way or another around here.”

If he hadn’t been sitting down, then surely Kaiser would have fell upon the floor. Had this been Raeguel’s plan all along? Given that he hadn’t planned on right out killing him showed that this was a far different man from the one that his family made the deal with. He felt a bit more at ease about the situation but the decision was still surreal to him. He looked to his newly gained fiancée and gazed at her in almost a trance like state. He hadn’t planned on calling her his student one moment and then his bride the following moment. Still, a deal was a deal and he wasn’t upset by this. In fact, he found himself ecstatic about the news. He let Nerezza and her father interaction continue on to the end, and which case he afterwards rose to his feet and came over to her. “I will, my lord. I owe her too much to let her down. I will make sure that she coveted greatly by myself”, he promised as he kneeled down and took her hand.

“Nerezza, don’t worry about such things. Like your father said, everything will come in time for us. Know that I will not bring any harm to you, I swear my life to it. It was something he planned on keeping to her for as long as he lived. Kaiser couldn’t also help but to feel as though Raeguel was also hoping to stop the illicit rumors between the two by having them become formally engaged. Even if he was no longer Nemesis, he doubted that anyone wanted to anger the elder on purpose. He looked to her with a questioning look to her own proposal. “Of course, though I don’t think I have to worry about that. I have a good feeling about that”, he returned with a bright smile towards her.

He stood up and looked to Raeguel and humbly bowed, "I thank you sir for this precious gift you bestowed upon me…upon us."    

Nerezza gave her father a sly look. “Oh, we could say the same about you. Gossip is what we do best.” She chuckled a bit as she seemed like she was hiding something from her father for the moment. She gave him a smile as he said he would never hurt her and that was refreshing to hear from the elder vampire.

She clung to him for a moment or too and smiled back at Kaiser. It would be different now since they had never really had a romantic moment, more so the feelings but Rosenites were no fools and could tell. That was probably what led to the rumors. For once, she wasn’t mad about it. 

Those golden eyes stared at him with  mischief as she turned back from her glance towards Kaiser. There was something she wanted to challenge him too.  When Kaiser took her hand and spoke to her, she felt like a gem being greatly valued. It was true that Kaiser was raised with the old ways and it showed greatly by the way he talked to her in the past. 

“I know. It will be a learning experience and for once you are not the teacher.” She chuckled and wondered if they would be left to learn by themselves.  “Yes, thank you Papa.” She held Kaiser’s hand a little more tightly before holding up her finger like her father had once done to her.

“Speaking of rumors! There are about a hundred siblings running their lips that a certain man has been having private time and conversations with a clergy member.” She smiled at her father. “You are starting over and Melina is nice. Don’t be so hard headed. She helped all of us without question when we first came here and she does dote on you. Ask her to a picnic or something. I was planning on springing it on both of you eventually but since you had other plans I changed my own!"

The smile across his face lessened and his curiosity was stirred when his flesh and blood decided to turn the tables on him. Well, that was certainly proof that she was his daughter if nothing else. It was hard, but he had to let her follow her own path, even if it was to become bewed to her teacher. But like she had said, he could have picked worse than Kaiser to be by her side. At least he was a gentleman and was raised quite well as a noble, which meant he would be able to support the two of them somehow in case something was to befall either of her parents. He watched the way a father only could, eying the two of them with care and without judgement. At least now the rumors would die down and if there was any more gossip, then it would of the true situation they were in. Speaking of which, he suppose that he should inform Angela before she found out from the hearsay.

“Yes, yes. I know you are thrilled, that both of you are.” He waved it off before popping another piece of cheese into his mouth. Raeguel was about to question when they would think they would be ready to be wed when Nerezza decided to continue on with steering the conversation into a completely new direction. One that made him raise his brow and soon afterwards shake his head. “I haven’t been up to anything really with her. We talk about a lot of things and..” As much as he wanted to protest against whatever thoughts she had, Nerezza continued on and he simply watched her with narrowed eyes.

“Have you now? And here I thought I was the parent and you were the child. Well I am happy to know that you were scheming something, like your old man would.” His look turned to that of questioning as he sipped a bit at the tea. “And how do you know she does? I would have thought I’d caught on to it if that’s the case.” Perhaps he had been too much in his despair whenever she had showed her affections. Now his interest was piped, whether or not he was going to admit it. “Melina is a fine and intelligent young woman and everything, but I think she deserves much better than me”, he spoke with a sad smile and continued on with his brunch.  

“I might be more thrilled than Kaiser is.” She had a devilish look on her face. “I’ve only been chasing him since he showed up. He was always scared and telling me it was inappropriate for a lady.” Nerezza had a little smirk on her face. Maybe now the Lord would see where the rumors spouted from. “Would have to pardon me, I’ve been living among the Rosenites for too long now.” Though lust did run deep with vampires as well.

When it came down to Melina, Nerezza gave her father a smile and a genuine one at that. “Because if things were left up to you, you would be hiding for the next century and a half. People see things even when you try your best to be left alone. Besides the twins noticed it first and they asked me if you were seeing her. Then we had fun and we asked her about it. She got all red in the face and told us that it was probably nothing and about ran away.”

She clung to Kaiser’s arm and smiled. “No, I think you both need each other. Melina can’t leave the temple too much due to the curse and you need someone to be around as well. She likes you Papa and she is really nice and I think you need that for once. She isn’t crazy or demanding. She just about passed out to make sure you were alright when we first showed up. You both DO need this. I can tell she feels strongly about you but probably doesn't have the words to say it. She is a book worm and not too much of an adventurer when it comes to speaking to people.”

Raguel noticed Kaiser’s scowl at the mentioning of him being “scared” as his daughter had put it, but he knew that the young man was just trying to keep his word about not doing anything intentional with Nerezza. Perhaps now though he wouldn’t have to worry about masking his feelings for her, and he was starting to see where how these rumors came to be. For as long as he knew about her other heritage, the Rosenites were not subtle people at all, particularly the women. If he could recall correctly, he remember having heard that they reach maturity around 16 years, and Nerezza wasn’t an exception to that.

 An annoyed looked gleaned from him as chewed on the meat for a bit. Hiding? He wasn’t hiding now, was he? He had made it a point to come out of his shell by coming here, albeit it a slow process, but an attempt at least. “I can assure you that my days of self-ostracisation have been dwindling down as of late”, he spoke, rolling his eyes at her. He swear that one of these days, he was going to find a while to lock up all her siblings in a cage. The goddess’ home was not known for being private, and only a few places were likely so and out of his reach. He could only groan when he learned that they had embarrassed Melina. But he suppose that there must have been truth behind her reaction.

He ceased eating and thought about the whole thing; as much as he didn’t wish to admit it, Nerezza was right about him needing to around someone back there. He had gone far too long merely drifting from person to person and as much as it pained him, his first love wasn’t coming back. Raeguel had pined over her for too long even during relationships he took on afterwards. He had always compared whatever woman he was having his trysts with her and none would be able to measure. Even the vixen that had been closest thing he felt to loving wasn’t enough and in the end it was nothing more than an infatuation.

He wasn’t so sure if he was ready to love again, but at least he would seek out the girl as company for the time being. She was owed that much after looking after Nerezza and Lucian, as well as sacrificing her blood for him. After a moment of silent thinking, he rose up to his feet and looked at the couple. “I still think she can do better, but I guess I will find out for myself on what to do in this situation. You best be worried about your mama and especially what she’s going to do when she learns of this.”