Chapter One

"Ugh…" Felicità felt her face burn as she stomped through some brush, her heels more a hindrance than any help, and she regretted being harsh enough with Fukulota to chase the little owl away. It was dark and cold out that night –not that it bothered her- and she could hardly navigate through all the dense brush without the light of the moon. It pulled on her clothes and snagged her hair in its branches, the occasional bramble that clung to Regalo's beautiful trees halting her progress.

Felicità was tired, and hungry, and she didn't feel worth very much of anything anymore.

"Milady!" Luka whispered harshly, looking around the corridor anxiously. "What are you doing up and dressed at this hour? Is something wrong?" Felicità looked down at her hands, feeling silly for letting Jolly shake her, and she felt a heat rise in her cheeks.

"Luka…" She whispered, swallowing around the lump rising in her throat. "may I come in? I want-" Luka interrupted her:

"Milady," He said seriously, "as your valet, I am to look after you, but here I draw the line on what is appropriate. Please return to your own room."

"But…" And then, to add insult to injury, her faithful servant closed his door on her. Felicità looked down at her toes, checked for any sign of another person, and crept back to her chambers silently. She resolved to leave the main house and go sleep in her old house tonight; perhaps there she could get away from her own thoughts. She quickly pulled on her boots, stocking her knives back into their belt, and used her wide window as a convenient escape from the haunting quality of the house.

Suddenly, a light flared to life behind her and she cursed herself for being so slow and clumsy in the woods. She hadn't thought that leaving would be easy, but she hadn't even considered that there might be ways that the security might locate people who had left or entered the grounds. She could hear a low rumble in the distance –was Dante awake?- and she flinched when her name carried on the wind.

Felicità kicked off her tall boots, grabbing one in each hand, and she picked up her pace with an occasional wince when she put her foot on something sharp. She refused to go back to the mansion house tonight –refused to be humiliated by facing her servant in the lights and company of the others- and Felicità rejoiced when she stumbled out of the trees near the town.

'Perfect!' Pulling on her boots again as she surveyed her surroundings, Felicità set off toward the busiest part of town at top speed. She could get lost in the crowds, maybe find a dark place to sit and lick her wounded pride, and she knew she would need to fix her appearance from tramping through the woods. Ducking into an alley, she paused within the shadow of the buildings and did just that, failing to correct her pigtails and eventually letting her hair hang loose.

"Princess?!" Felicità jumped when Libertà's voice rang out in the cheery city street and disrupted the nightlife bustling about. She ducked down, barely making it out of sight before the blond teen ran by with a silent Nova at his side. Her cousin glanced into the alley, his eyes clashing with hers in a way that made Felicità flinch, but he didn't see her and kept moving.

She went in the other direction, trying to keep to the shadows and maintain her speed. Where could she hide?! Everyone in the family would be looking for- Suddenly, Felicità collided with something she couldn't see.

"Ciao, Bambina," Drawled a familiar voice, "isn't it a bit late for a stroll?" Felicità shook herself lightly, watching as Debito's invisibility melted away and revealed the Hermit Tarocco's smug smirk; she was suddenly conscious of the supporting arm around her back.

"No," She claimed quickly, moving back into her own personal bubble and away from the arm. She didn't want to be cuddled and coddled anymore, not after that desire had caused her so much grief, and she knew Debito would just pet her like a child. "it's a perfectly fine time. I like walking alone at night."

"With your hair down?" Prodded Debito, managing to snag a strand and press it to his lips. "Although I must say the look suits you," Felicità felt her face heat lightly as the gold-eyed man sent her a smoldering look and released the red lock of hair, "everyone is looking for you, Bambina. Luka is-"

"I don't care about Luka!" Felicità snapped suddenly, stiffening and her hands making tight fists at her sides. "He's the reason I'm-" She checked herself suddenly when she saw Debito's silver eyebrows rise in surprise and looked away, ashamed to have lost control of herself in front of the Coins head. She heard someone call for her again and checked over her shoulder anxiously; she was stuck between a Coin and a search party!

"So, Luka's the reason Bambina is out so late…" Debito murmured, drawing close and placing a hand on her arm, "what did that stuffed shirt do now?" She looked up at him, unnerved by how quickly her emotions were besting her, and swallowed as she tried to go around him. "Hey, hey, hey- I hate to see a signorina cry." She felt the grip on her arm halt her and she tugged once at his grip to test it; she was stuck unless she fought him. "What's your hurry?"

"I need to hide." Felicità told him sternly, not facing him directly, "I don't want to be found." She swallowed around a lump rising in her throat again and glanced at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Debito, say you never saw me." She tugged again, more firmly this time, and bit her lip: "Please, help me hide."