"Two rooms, please," Reiko said to the kind lady behind the counter.

She didn't so much as look at the unsuspicious traveler when she passed him two keys.

"See," he said, turning to Cecily, "simple. Next time, do it yourself."

She glared at him, but turned to get the others anyways.

---

Reiko plopped down on the comfy couch. The other four had already gathered in the single room they planned on staying in until late.

"So much for roughing it," he sighed, popping open a can of soda.

He caught Cecily's eye following his movements and raised his eye in question. She simply shrugged, turning away.

"I vote we go out for dinner tonight," Reiko continued, looking at the prince. "Some kind of last night, huh? You know, just in case."

Zephyr nodded from where he was standing behind the couch. "Of course we will. It's tradition."

"Damn, the oldies real made some good traditions, huh? Where're we going?"

Zephyr shrugged. "Wherever you want. I have no preferences. Money isn't really a problem right now, you know? The palace funds."

"How about somewhere nice?" Alma suggested. "I mean, you know, somewhere peaceful."

Reiko let out a snort. "How about somewhere loud? Somewhere that feels normal."

"A bar," Cecily said.

They looked at her.

"Our Saint's too young," Orion said.

Cecily looked at the little Saint and Reiko swore he saw the girl shudder under the gaze. "The legal age around here's eighteen. She can pass."

"Or," Zephyr offered, "she just doesn't drink."

"I like his idea," Alma said. "Besides, are you old enough?"

For a second, Reiko thought he saw a smirk dance on her lips, but only for a second. "I'm twenty-three."

A blink was the most surprise she got out of the assassin, but Alma's jaw actually dropped a little.

This time, there really was a smirk on Cecily's lips. A cute, dangerous little thing. But beautiful. none the less. Everything about the cunning murderer was.

---

As much as Orion hated to admit it, going to a bar was a great idea. He shared Cecily's sentiments exactly and thought he had a pretty go idea about what she was thinking.

A good time. That's what she was after, whatever her idea of a good time was. However many years she spent in that prison, he doubted she ever had anything verging on a good time. And when she got out, she was given something near a death sentence. He'd be asking for a good time too, if he was in her shoes. Well, he was close.

As they sat down in the loud bar, he wondered what she'd consider a good time. Sex? No, not after that prison. Gorging herself? Maybe. He heard they were cutting foo supplies in the prison to cut back on prisoners. Still, if she really was ass skilled as she made him believe, he doubted she'd worry about taking food. With her, things were just too confusing.

Still, he was curious. He watched her sit down at the table, back turned to the wall. He'd noticed her speed up just to get to the seat that had her back against a wall.

The bar was dark, but loud. People stood up to dance in the center of the room across a brightly lit and constantly changing dance floor. He caught the gazes of more than a few people. guys and girls alike, sliding over the small group. Cecily specifically.

He felt a small smile playing on his lips at the prospect of what the quiet murderer would do if someone tried to flirt her, or worse grope her.

"What's so funny?" The little Saint asked.

"Just waiting."

"For what?"

"Someone to flirt with our red headed friend." He'd whispered it, but still caught Cecily's gaze on him when he said it, like she'd actually heard him over the blaring music.

He caught the small smile on Alma's thin lips when she said, "That's cruel."

---

Zephyr could feel the buzz starting to reach his head when he downed the third cup of whatever the hell he'd ordered. The awkward chair he'd sat on was starting to feel strangely homely. He finally looked up to notice that both Cecily and Reiko were gone.

"Where'd they go?" He asked the assassin who, he noticed, had faint color splayed across his cheeks.

Huh. Zephyr would've taken him as a dedicated prude.

Still, Orion gave a tip of his head towards the flashing dance floor. An uncontrolled snort came from the princes throat, one that almost had him laughing even harder than he already was.

Cecily dancing...

Another snort.

His eyes wandered. First, he found Reiko, talking with a group of girls and guys. Suddenly the little group started laughing. Rei could flirt with a wall and get it to laugh when he was drunk. Sometimes, even sober. That's just who he was.

Zephyr found the black eyed girl next, and was surprised. She was in the back, nearly out of view, probably on purpose. Some guy was next to her and they were...dancing? Is that what you called this jumping and swaying thing?

Honestly, Zephyr never once found himself at a place like this. It was a bit too...undignified for his tastes. Everyone always seemed excessively trashy and whorish.

Still he caught sight of a single, radiant girl. She was the definition of intoxicating. This...stranger.

What the hell was in his drink?

But he was already halfway across the dance floor.

His hand was already reaching for her waist.

And he was already pulling her away from the guy.

"The 'ell you think you're doing?" The drunk man asked, glaring at Zephyr.

"Sorry," he said, leaning into the beauty's neck, "but she's mine."

Her smell, just like the rest of her, was intoxicating.

"The hell she-"

The girl was already on him, leaning into his ear and whispering words he couldn't hear.

And then what could've, maybe should've, been a fight was over. The man went from giddy to ecstatic as he stumbled out of the bar.

"What'd you tell him?"

The girl smiled, revealing perfectly white teeth. "To wait for me outside. That I'd go home with him."

And the prince suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders. "Then you better get going, I guess?"

And her laugh... "But I have you."

And the weight was gone. His hands were around her waist and-

---

Alma woke up with a shooting headache and a terrible need to vomit. She was already dashing for the hotel bathroom.

"You okay?" Orion asked from the other side of the door.

"Yep," she replied, spitting once in the toilet. "Just grand."

She swore she heard a light chuckle from the stoic man. "I warned you."

"Well then, apparently we both lack in the listening to instructions department."

There was a silence for a minute and then the door was opening. Orion was walking in with a cup of water and a pill.

After nearly immediately identifying the pill as a simple hangover "cure", more or less, Alma downed both the water and the pill.

"How are the others?" She asked, leaning backwards against the close wall. "All hungover?"

"I wasn't sure when Cecily got a drink last night, but her breath was absolutely horrid. Unfortunately, she's not hungover. Passed out, more like. On our couch. As for the other two, they're splitting their own toilet."

Alma let out a little chuckle before closing her eyes. Her legs came up, tight against herself. Her head fell on her knees and her arms served as a rest between the two.

---

Orion had the faintest idea that she was crying but not the faintest idea of what to do. Normally, he didn't have any sort of relationship with whinny little things like this other than killing their parents.

This? This was all knew territory for him.

---

Alma didn't know why she was crying. Well, she did but she didn't know why she broke out in tears so suddenly. In front of an assassin no less.

"If you were so scared of dying, you shouldn't have come." His voice was deep and stern with no reassurance what so ever.

But that's what she expected from this group of rag tag killers plus one perfect prince.

"I'm not scared of dying," she managed without so much as a crack in her voice. "I see people die everyday, most of which are rarely my own patients, thank you."

He was quiet for a second. "Why did you agree to come?"

Now it was her turn to be quiet. "Saints. Who knows? I just felt like it was something I had to do, you know? It's-it's not something I think I can explain to you."

She heard him slide down next to her. She felt the warmth of his skin, which was nothing compared to her prince, but still, it was there. "Try me."

"Fine, but you don't get to make fun of me." She took a deep breath. "I-I felt like I had to."

"You said that."

"I know! I just-I felt like it was something the Saints above wanted me to do."

"Like...like your gods?"

She nodded then scoffed. "We live in the same country, stupid. They're our gods."

"I choose not to believe in higher powers."

Again, she scoffed. "That explains a lot."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. But I'm sure Cecily probably shares your sentiments about my Saints."

---

I love you all,

~Q