AN: Thank you to my first reviewer! I never update unless I get at least one review, and I got one. So for now I shall continue… I'm not sure where I'm going with this but that review gave me the direction for this chapter.

TWO

Aida was going to kill him. As the Adeshian left Sky's chambers, he rejoined the party with a wariness caused by the recent – and needless to say shocking – event that had officially ruined his evening.

Somehow, some way, Aida was going to find out what happened and blame him. Diego was sure of it. And if he was fearless in the face of an enemy's sword, he was slightly less so in the face of the hot tempered and protective rogue noble. He would be avoiding Aida in the near future, of that he was certain.

When his initial surprise and fear – surprise at Sky's actions and fear of Aida's wrath – faded, Diego was left with difficult questions to resolve. The main question was why did Sky kiss him? He knew it was the ale. But also… people's emotions don't change under the influence of alcohol. Their emotions intensify and take control. Or at least, that's what he was told by Tillie (a source he was inclined to trust). Assuming that it was true that alcohol plays on preexisting emotions, he would have expected Sky's behavior to be extremely hostile. In her right mind, she had come close to killing him. In a drunken state? Diego hardly expected forgiveness and kisses.

Contemplative, Diego retired to a corner of the party room. He liked Sky. She was beautiful, caring, vicious, threatening, stubborn, bipolar, and hateful. It was intriguing to him how she could be so sweet and loving towards good friends and wounded animals and the like, but to those unfortunate souls who she was indifferent to (or despised) she was cold and calculating and aggressive.

But, despite Sky's supposedly undying hatred reserved for the Eagles leader, she had saved his life on a few occasions, as he did for her (as the hatred was far from mutual). He thought long and hard about the girl, tossing the kiss aside and labeling it as unstable impulse, and focusing on the real Sky, the sober Sky.

She was definitely different. She was like Aida in some areas, like strong will and obstinacy. But she was more sensitive, more receptive, and more emotional. In his experience with women, he had always targeted Aida's kind. The hard to get girls who can simultaneously fight and flirt with the opposition. Dealing with Sky was like taking on a whole new subject. He didn't dare to make his usual passes, never commented on her backside (something that Aida would take with a smirk and a comment on how nice his own was). Hell, he wouldn't even use slightly crude terms to describe anything about her. He had some weird attitude towards Sky, treated her like a lady more than he did anyone else. Maybe it was because she was vengeful and slightly power-happy – she would definitely not mind decapitating Diego even if he vowed never to touch her. She would just accept the advantage. But really, he knew it wasn't fear, it was a deep sense of respect (surely not protectiveness…?). He didn't know where it came from, but it was there.

It was out of that respect that he tried to return to his normal ways the next morning, particularly when Sky emerged and joined him, Zander, and Aida at the breakfast table. Her movements indicated that she was feeling the effects of last night through a hangover, and Aida commented on it.

"I think I had a little too much ale," Sky conceded, stifling a yawn and she dumped some leftover potatoes and ham from the wedding feast onto her plate.

"A little too much ale… Sky you had at least twelve full glasses," Aida grinned, "I didn't think you had it in you to drink all that. Granted, you didn't hold it very well."

It was then that Sky snapped to attention, eyes panicked. "What did I do?"

"Nothing –" Diego started, trying to end this before it started, but Aida slammed a hand down on the table and swallowed her food excitedly to begin providing the details.

"Well, you were a pile of blubbering stupidity by drink number three, which tells us exactly how much you are used to," Aida said jokingly, "You couldn't say more than four syllables without getting totally tongue tied." Diego prayed that the explanation would stop there, but had no such luck. "Eventually Diego got you to your room."

Sky's eyes were locked on him in a split second, and he figured that it would be less suspicious if he met her gaze.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, he didn't stay up there long enough for anything to have happened," Aida assured her best friend, but her jovial mood disappeared in an instant when she looked over at Diego. "Right?"

He knew better than to hesitate, but he couldn't help considering honesty. He was a good liar, but when he wasn't sure if he wanted to lie, then he would trip up. Of course, Sky saw this, and narrowed her eyes on him while she furrowed her brows in thought. Remembrance was evident on her face in a minute, showing itself through a light blush that tinted her tanned cheeks.

This time when their eyes met, she was the one who obviously wanted to look away, from embarrassment. The only one of the other two present who noticed was Zander, but the moon elf wasn't a meddler and Diego knew that he wouldn't care since it didn't directly affect him. Even if the elf was a small source of anxiety for Diego, who had never liked affiliating with holders of crazy amounts of power, Zander wasn't nosy and kept to himself, and the Adeshian could appreciate that.

Sky burned through her meager portion of food, sparing quick and indiscreet glances over to Diego and causing serious degrees of what the man would classify as romantic tension. How did they even get here?

When the plate in front of Sky was empty, her exit was brisk and obvious. Aida stopped chewing for the first time in a long while, staring after the still swinging door.

"What the hell was that?"