Chapter Five

"Alright, I am here. Is she-" Tamaki said as a maid escorted him to where Michael and Genova were.

"Holy shit! You got big!" Michael whispered.

"Yeah I guess." Tamaki said shrugging. "Is she ready?" He asked.

"Almost. I don't think that she will have had time to change her clothes." Genova said. "Do not stare and your man is to keep silent." He said looking at the man next to him.

"Why do you say that?" Tamaki asked.

"Lets just say that she has improved a lot and anything that you say may set her back." Genova said. Michael nodded his head.

When Arabella made it down the stairs she found the Commander and one of his men waiting for her. Her hand subconsciously covered her stomach. Tamaki looked away from her and maintained normal conversation with Genova. None the less, he could not hide the pain in his eyes at seeing that scar. The soldier with him unfortunately was caught completely off guard and ended up gawking at her. Arabella's feet halted when she felt him staring at her. She closed her eyes to avoid the look in his eyes. She squeezed her hands into fists and took a deep calming breath. When she opened them she found Michael, Genova, and the Commander glaring at him.

"Lady Arabella, if it's too much for you, I can wait for you to change." The Commander said. Arabella took a shaky breath and smiled gently at him.

"No. Like I told Genova and Michael earlier, I need to get used to things like this." She said squaring her shoulders.

Tamaki nodded his head. His heart couldn't help but squeeze when he saw how she pushed herself. Arabella took a few halting steps before her resolve all but slipped away. When she reached the bottom of the stairs her legs could barely support her. Tamaki and Genova rushed over to support her as she joined the men.

"Are you ready, Miss Arabella?" Tamaki asked.

"Yes." She said. "Thank you, Michael for the clothes and the sparing match. It was a lot of fun. It seems that I can still whip you any time I want."

"You're quite welcome." He said with a laugh. "I believe that I will want a rematch when you feel up to it as will Genova." Genova nodded.

"I will see you in a few days." He said bowing to her.

"What? You're not coming with me?" She asked looking worried.

"I cannot come with you this time but I promise that I will meet you there." Genova said. "Michael and I are going to bring men to help with the situation. Until then I promise that you can trust the Commander. He will be with you no matter what." Arabella looked sadly at Genova and her legs shook a little. Tamaki's heart twisted with pain. However, he knew that it would be a normal reaction for someone who had lost everyone she ever knew except for her only childhood friend.

"I promise that I will keep you safe." He said bowing to her. Arabella nodded her head. Michael and Genova walked them outside the estate and bade them farewell.

"So how did you get here so fast?" Arabella asked a little confused.

"Spatial jumping." He said. Arabella's eyes widened.

"I-I Can't do that." She said with a hushed voice.

"It's okay. I got you." He said scooping her up into his muscular arms. Arabella shrieked.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"The only way that I can guarantee that you will safely make it is if I carry you." He said.

"Can't I ride on your back?" She asked.

She had already taken notice of his size and knew that he was more than capable of giving her a piggy back ride. When Tamaki heard this he nearly fell over laughing. There were times that made him feel like she hadn't changed at all.

"The Commander cannot guarantee that you wont fall off. It is safer to carry you." The soldier said with an annoyed tone.

"Knock it off." Tamaki ordered. "I used to give a little girl in my village piggy back rides all the time when I was younger." He said. "However, I cannot let you ride piggy back while we spatial jump." Arabella's face fell a little.

"Oh. Well, then that's okay." She said with a small smile.

Tamaki opened a spatial portal and they jumped through it. As they raced along at mind blowing speeds Arabella giggled. It was like she was a child again. She had a feeling that she had done this before. Tamaki smiled as she laughed. He had a feeling that it had been a long time since she had done something like this. Still he noticed the attitude that his soldier had as they raced back to the village. He could tell that he was unhappy having her along.

"Oh yeah," Arabella began. "What's your name?" She asked looking up at Tamaki.

"My name?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said smiling up at him.

"I'm Tamaki." He said.

"I am sorry that I didn't ask before." She said shyly.

"It's fine. You were dealing with a lot, right?" He asked. Arabella nodded.

"What's your name?" She asked looking over his shoulder. The soldier looked up in surprise.

"Me?" He asked pointing to himself.

"Yeah." She said. "What's your name?"

"Jack." He said.

"Well, Jack, I am Arabella. It is nice to meet you. I am sorry that the both of you had to come all this way to get me." She said softly. "Still, thank you. I don't know what Genova told you but I do know that we were in a hurry to get there." She said.

"So what exactly is going on?" Tamaki asked. "He didn't say much."

"Well, it seems that the Council hired people to go undercover as refugees to Hiroki Village." She said sadly. "Because I asked the Grand Elder to let the refugees in the village is in danger."

"You did what?" The soldier asked angrily. "How were you able to even get close enough to ask her such a thing?" He demanded. Arabella flinched under his harsh tone.

"Jack!" Tamaki growled.

"No. It's okay." Arabella said. "It would be my fault if the village got attacked after all. To answer your question, I was raised by the Grand Elder since my mother died when the village was attacked." She said softly. The soldier glared at her.

"You were raised by the Grand Elder?" He asked.

"Yes." She said frowning.

"That explains why we needed to come get you. Still that doesn't excuse you for making such a request. Even if you are a useless Vosat why would you still feel that it was wise to invite strangers into the village? What is wrong with you?" He asked.

"I felt bad for them!" Arabella yelled. "Do you know what it is like to have no home? To lose your parents because of the Council?" She asked.

"No I don't, but I do know that our people are suffering because we lost both our queen and princess. Apparently that is something that you didn't consider." He said with disgust.

"I know that I got this scar," She said placing her hand on her stomach. "The night the village was attacked." She said. "Even if I was useless I still saved the life of a boy in my village. I had no power and nearly died to save someone and the sad thing is that I don't even know who he is." She whispered. "You can criticize me all you want. You can tell me that I am useless but only I can say that even without power I put myself in the most dangerous place of all while people like you ran. People like you run and leave innocent people to die with no hope to cling to. You sit on your high horse while people like me who have been looked down on try to give others a fighting chance." She said.

Tamaki looked down at her. The sadness on her face nearly broke his heart but the thing that nearly killed him was the anger and pride on her face. Anger towards people with power leaving the powerless to suffer and pride because she knew that she would never turn her back on those people.

"So," She said. "You can mock me for being powerless. You can judge me for being different but you have proved my point."

"Which is?" Tamaki asked.

"When you look past power you can see a person's true heart. I live to help those around me no matter who they may be. Can you say the same thing, Jack? I don't keep that which was given to me to myself. I may not have power but I can use my own strength to protect those around me when they can no longer fight. I don't need to be protected because I am powerless. I am powerful because I protect those who have been hurt. That, Jack, is the meaning of true power. You can have all the power in the world but when you look down on those who have none then you, my dear, are no better than the Council. These swords are not just decoration as you have doubtlessly assumed. Neither is my bow. I am a master of both but I do not use them heedlessly. Nor do I neglect them. They are my extension. They are my will and my strength."

Jack blushed furiously under her demeaning tone. She who was without power had made him feel as if he was powerless. Could having power mean nothing in the face of true strength? What did she mean by true strength? He found himself wondering.

The rest of the trip passed quietly. There was no laughing or conversation to be had. Arabella was lost in thoughts of the past and present. While Tamaki once again pondered the life that she had. The many facets of her personality that she had shown had caught him off guard. On the other hand, Jack questioned himself as well as the Vosat. They had cut themselves off from the rest of the world in the pursuit of their own safety abandoning the people that needed them. Had they done the right thing? He wondered. He had never questioned himself or the Vosat before yet this girl who was powerless made him doubt his very self. Who was she that she could make such a request of the Grand Elder? He wondered. Why was she even allowed to leave the village. Who was she that a Vosat general accompanied her wherever she went. The questions continued to pile up inside of him until he felt anger begin to boil over in his chest.

When they arrived at the village Jack had only more questions about this young girl. Tamaki found himself at a loss for words when she climbed out of his arms and wondered away. They watched her walk away without so much as a word. When Tamaki was sure that she was gone he grabbed Jack by the hair on his head.

"Whoa! What are you doing, Commander?" He asked.

"Who the hell do you think you are that you can talk to her as you please?" Tamaki demanded.

"What do you mean? She's just-"

"Don't you fucking say it or it will kill you here and now!" He roared. "You will never ever talk to her in such away again or you will be added to the list of people that I am going to personally hunt down and kill. If you so much as breathe the wrong way in her general direction I will kill you." He said.

Jack flinched under his harsh words. He had never seen the Commander act like this before. He knew that he should keep his mouth shut but he'd had more than enough of her and the fact that even though she was nothing special she was treated as a princess.

"What the hell does it matter to you how I talk to her? She is nothing but a powerless Vosat. She shouldn't have even been allowed to live in the village." He said. Before he could think about the consequences of his words Tamaki's fist came flying at his face. Tamaki's fist slammed into his nose. Jack howled in pain as he held his nose. Blood seeped through his fingers

"Listen here, you piece of shit. That powerless Vosat, as you like to refer to her, is the very reason I am alive. I was that boy and she is not who you think she is. You had better watch what you say to her and how you treat her." He growled shoving him away.

"Who the hell is this bitch?" Jack muttered. Tamaki landed another hard fist into his stomach. Jack doubled over as the breath was knocked from him. His knees buckled under him.

"I don't have to tell you shit. You will find out along with everyone else." He said walking away.

"What the hell?" Jack muttered as he tried to stand up.

Tamaki walked into a building and found a little girl waiting for him. She smiled up at him as he walked up to her. Her blonde curls bounced as he patted her on the head.

"Nostace, did you prepare a room for our guest like I asked you to?" He asked kindly.

"Yes, Lord Tamaki." She said. "That girl that arrived with you went this way." She said leading him to another room.

"What is she doing?" He wondered out loud when he saw her sitting next to a fire. In her hand was book and she had already been taken in by its pages.

"Is that her?" She asked.

"Yes. That's her." He said softly. "You should get to sleep. After all, you are a child and you need your rest."

"But what about her?" She asked.

"Don't worry. I will show her to her room." He said kindly. She glanced at him dubiously.

"Okay but there will be no funny business." She said looking at him like a mother would her son.

"What do you know about funny business?" He asked letting out a loud laugh.

Arabella jumped when she heard the laugh. She didn't know that anyone else would be in there and had begun reading without any thought to her surroundings. She blushed and put the book away. When she was there earlier she had been delighted to find a library stocked full of books. So when they arrived she had wanted to read to clear her head of the unpleasant memories that had been brought up.

"I am so sorry. I should have asked before I came in here and started reading." She said softly as she bowed her head .

"It's fine." Tamaki said softly.

"I hope that I didn't disturb you."

"You were reading how could you disturb anyone?" He asked shaking his head. "It is us that should apologize to you. Nostace, this is Lady Arabella." He said making introductions.

"Hello. I do apologize for pulling your father away from you so late at night." She said to the little girl.

Nostace and Tamaki looked at each other and began to laugh. Arabella cocked her head to the side. She wasn't sure that she had said anything funny. When the two saw how puzzled she was they laughed even harder.

"I am not that big oaf's kid." Nostace said laughing.

"Indeed. This little smart aleck is my ward. When her parent's died I took her in." Tamaki said ruffling her hair. Nostace pushed his hand away. "I didn't want her to be alone. She is the best healer in our village." Tamaki said smiling down at her.

"I see. It must be hard without your parents." Arabella said. The little girl nodded.

"I have good days and bad days just like everyone else but thanks to Lord Tamaki I have something of a normal life. If normal is being a ten year old girl that goes on missions." She said shrugging.

"True it's not normal to go on missions at your age." Arabella said. "But you get to help people, so I think that it's worth it."

"That's the best part of it." Nostace said nodding. "But I wish I was like the Commander sometimes. He's strong and kind. He helps people regardless of who they are. I wish that I had that kind of power but at least I can help in my own way." She said.

"You're right. It is great to be able to help people like that." Arabella said. She suddenly felt bad about what she had said to Jack.

"What kind of powers do you have?" Nostace asked. Arabella looked away. Tamaki's eyes widened in shock. The last thing he wanted was for Arabella to feel like she didn't belong again.

"I don't have any." She said softly.

"I see. Then I guess that makes you a truly special Vosat." Nostace said. Tamaki's eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, unless you are born with great power your life is pretty much decided for you. But since you don't have any you get to decided for yourself exactly what it is that you want to do with your life. I think it's great to be able to choose exactly who you want to be." She said with admiration. "I also think that you must be strong and really brave since you don't have any power but you're out here just like us helping people. Plus not having power can allow you to see into the heart of a person without any prejudices."

"I never really saw it that way." Arabella said smiling softly at the little girl. "Thank you, Nostace."

"You're welcome. Well, I am off to bed as instructed. Lord Tamaki will show you to your room." She said skipping off to bed.

When they were alone Tamaki cleared his throat nervously. He didn't expect to be so nervous when they were alone. Tamaki's hands fidgeted at his sides as he wondered what to say. He had rarely been at a loss for words before.

"I think that I might owe you an apology." She said clearing her throat. "Those things that I said earlier. They were rude and I should have thought before I said them." She said looking down in embarrassment.

"I don't think that I am owed an apology." He said frankly. "You were absolutely right. There are Vosat like Jack that think that they are better than others because of their power. It was nice to actually hear someone say what I have been thinking for a while now."

"What?" Arabella asked looking up.

"No one should be looked down upon because they lack power. And you were also right about being powerless not making you weak." He said. "People like Jack need to be taken down a peg or two. No, it is I that owes you an apology instead." He said.

"Why?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

"Because he is my subordinate and as a result it is I that am directly responsible for the things that he says and does and it reflects on my ability as a leader." He said bowing to her.

"No. I think that you are wrong. Sure the things that he does might reflect back on you. However, to say that his way of thinking and how he talks to others reflects on you is wrong." She said shaking her head. "So please lift your head. I can tell that you do not hold the same views he has on power. So I cannot hold you responsible for the things he has said. Just as I am responsible for my rude behavior he is responsible for his callous attitude." She said smiling gently at him.

"Thank you, Lady Arabella." Tamaki said. "You are truly kind."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Most Vosat would have preferred that the refugees fend for themselves. I know that there have even been some protest over it. Still, from what I can see you have chosen to take pity on them and have accepted responsibility for their actions. Not many people would do that, not even people in leadership positions. Which is sad because that is the kind of leader the Vosat need." He said as he sat down.

"I see. I think that you are correct. The Vosat need a leader who is both powerful and kind." She said nodding her head. "Still, it would seem that finding someone like that will be next to impossible. It's a shame we no longer have a queen. I believe that she would have been that kind of leader." Arabella said wistfully.

"I think that one day our queen will be returned to us." Tamaki said as he smiled softly at her.

The two of them stayed up talking through the night. When they both realized it was morning Jack came bursting in through the doors. One look at his face had Arabella gasping in horror.

"What happened?" She asked running to his side.

"What? It doesn't concern you." He said shrugging her off. "But what I have to say does concern you. I don't know what it is that you think you can do but you need to do it and then leave. We have no need- Ouch!" He yelled suddenly grabbing his shin.

Nostace stood in front of him with both hands on her tiny hips. A deep scowl was etched on her face. Tamaki let out loud bark of laughter.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, you brat?" Jack demanded. Before the little girl knew what was happening Arabella stood in front of her with one of her swords pointed at Jacks throat. The hand that he had raised in the air trembled slightly as he swallowed hard. He looked at Tamaki who hadn't moved.

"I suggest that you lower your hand." Arabella ordered. "Or I will be forced to remove it from you." Jack swallowed hard. He looked again at Tamaki who had one brow raised in amusement.

"You seem to think that you can do whatever you want, don't you?" Jack hissed. "Alright fine. I challenge you to a match. It's about time someone put you in your fucking place, bitch."

"You can try." She said putting her sword away. "But you will end up like the last guy that tried."

"Noon." Jack said stalking away.

Arabella sighed and turned to face Nostace. The little girl stood there staring at her in shock. Arabella got down on one knee a patted her head reassuringly.

"It will be okay." She whispered. "He isn't the first and he won't be the last." Arabella stood up and stretched. "Well, I think we might have found a way to detain them." She said without looking at Tamaki. "We should make this a public event."

"Are you sure?" Tamaki asked. His anger had faded away as he was filled with admiration. She couldn't have handled the situation any better than she did. However, he was worried that she might have bitten off more than she could chew this time.

"Yes." She said. "As much as I hate to admit it, he gave us a reason to keep them here longer. That will give us time to put somethings in place to locate who is spying for the council."

"Thank you, Miss Arabella." Nostace said bowing her head.

"Do not bow your head to me. I only did what should have been done." She said ruffling the little girl's head. "Still, it is better that I do it. Had your Master intervened I would think he would have needed to find a new soldier." She said winking at her. Tamaki let out a bark of laughter. She may not remember him but deep down she still knew him and somehow that made him feel better.

"I will tell the guards to spread the word around the village that everyone is to attend. Just be careful. I think that your guard would kill me if something were to happen to you." He said. Arabella nodded her head.

"Well, I am going to go get some sleep. Can you wake me before noon?" She asked Nostace. The little girl nodded her head.

Just as Arabella had asked Nostace woke her before noon. Tamaki had spread the word to the guards that everyone in the village would attend a match between Lady Arabella and Jack. The village was a buzz with excitement when Arabella woke up. She tied her hair back and strapped her swords to her hips. Nostace admired the way she was dressed. She still wore the clothes that she arrived in but somehow she seemed more confident than when she was talking. It was like she lived for battle.

"It's almost time, Lady Arabella." She said.

"Thank you, Nostace. Also I meant to say this to you earlier but could you please just call me Arabella. I am not one for polite titles and prefer to be on equal terms with people."

"But-"

"No buts. Come on. It's time to go." She said with a smile.

"Okay." Nostace said and followed her out of the room.

Nostace lead the way to the sparing arena. When they arrived they found that the arena was packed full. Everyone in the village had turned up as expected. Tamaki nodded his head at her when he saw her enter the arena. To Nostace's surprise when people saw her they began to make remarks. Many of the guards began to laugh when they saw how small she was. Even worse were the comments about the scar on her stomach.

Arabella's hand subconsciously smoothed over her scar. She took a deep calming breath and brushed the comments off. She knew that people would talk about her scar and had already prepared herself. Nostace frowned and tugged on Tamaki's hand.

"Can't you do something about this?" She asked.

"I cannot. She must handle this on her own." He said sadly.

"Why?" She asked.

"It is something that she must face and learn to live with." He said. He knew that Jack had requested a match knowing that she had nothing to change into and had done this to shame her. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"I see." Nostace said sadly.

Jack stood there smirking at her. He knew that she wouldn't be able to hide that hideous scar and also knew that she would be too upset to fight. He hoped that this would be enough to run her out of town. Instead what he saw shocked him. Instead when her eyes met his they burned with a quiet rage.

Arabella ripped the fabric of her pants into shorts. The design of the pants would just get in the way. She threw the fabric aside and glance at Jack.

"Are you done trying to humiliate me? I thought we came here to fight." She said.

"You still have the balls to fight me? Even as you are?" Jack laughed. "You don't have any power. It wouldn't be right." He said laughing.

"What? No power?" One of the guards asked astonished.

"Do you think that this is fair?" Another asked.

"Doesn't seem like it." A refugee said.

"It doesn't matter if she's powerless or not." A villager yelled.

"She beat the Council and drove them out of town. She didn't use magic to do it either." Another chimed in.

"Where did that ugly scar come from?" A woman asked in a disgusted tone.

"Why would she walk around like that? She should know that people don't want to see that." Another woman said.

"She got it because of the Council." A man said sadly.

"Yeah and who cares if she has a scar?" One of the kids that was supposed to be culled yelled. "She got that because of the Council when she was a little girl and she still survived."

"Seems like you're just chicken shit." Arabella said. "I'll tell you what. You can use your magic against me." Jack laughed.

"If you die it's not my fault." He mocked.

"Arabella!" Tamaki yelled when he heard them mention of magic. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes. I do." She said. "Do not interfere." Tamaki sat down and tried to quell the fear in his heart. Would he lose her again, he wondered. "Ready when you are." She said.

Jack laughed and threw out his arm. A large gust of wind came straight for her but Arabella dodged it and began to charged at him. Jack clicked his tongue and shook his head. He turned his hands palms facing up and began to raise them. The ground beneath her began to shake and raise as he lifted his hands up. Arabella jumped off of the slab of land and continued to charge at him. He clenched his hands into fists causing the ground to crumble into large rocks. Everyone watched with excitement though most of the guards felt that it was a losing battle they still cheered her on. He blew into his hands and sent the large rocks flying through the air. Tamaki's heart pounded in his chest.

"I don't think that I can watch this." He mumbled.

Arabella jumped in the air and used the rocks as stepping stones. She jumped from the last one and forced Jack to dodge her attack. He rolled to the side and continued to attack with magic. His plan was to show her that no matter how strong her sword skill he could still beat her with magic alone. He threw his arm out in front of him as energy pulsed through him. Water leaped out from the palm of his hand. Large balls of water the size of boulders came hurling through the air at her. Arabella cut through them with her sword and continued to charge at him. Jack cursed under his breath. He had wanted to avoid using any fire attacks but it seemed like he would have no other choice. He didn't want to kill her but send her away. There was no need for a useless Vosat to hang around and he was the one that would show her that. Arabella attacked from his side. Jack barely managed to roll away in time. When he stood up she was charging at him again. He drew his sword to block her attack. He pushed her back a little. He felt energy pulsing into the palm of his hand. He threw his arm out and fire erupted all around her. Jack was sure that he had her beaten and sheathed his sword.

"You should just give up." He taunted.

"And you can go to hell." Arabella yelled. She backed up and sprinted towards the fire. She dropped to the ground and slid into the fire kicking up sand as she went.

"What the hell?" He demanded.

Everyone cheered in excitement when she emerged on the other side. Her clothes had been burned in some areas. Her bare skin was scraped up but she was still charging ahead. This time Jack had no choice but to pull his sword and fight back. He had hoped to humiliate her and make her leave the village but she was still attacking with everything that she had. She was like a demon that had been let off its leash.

"Give up!" He yelled.

"Never!" She said.

Her swords danced and slashed through the air pushing him back. Jack blocked with everything that he had but he couldn't find an opening. He knew that she had him beat the moment he was disarmed and her sword was pointed at his throat.

"I win." She said coldly.

Everyone began to cheer when the match was over. Jack, however, was not about to lose to some powerless Vosat. His face began to twist with anger. He could feel energy build up in the palm of his hand. The second her back was turned he pressed a ball of fire into the small of her back and sent her flying through the air. A scream tore from her lips.

When Tamaki saw her go flying through the air he opened a spatial portal and jumped through it. Everyone watched in shock as he leaped out in mid air to catch her. He tumbled to the ground with her in his arms. When they landed on the ground her shirt and pants were on fire as she screamed in pain. Tamaki smothered the fire with his cloak. Before he had time to do anything else everyone was screaming furiously. He looked up and saw that two guards had detained Jack. Tamaki wrapped Arabella up in his cloak and called for Nostace.

"She's nothing special! I told you! I showed all of you!" Jack raged as the guards escorted him from the arena.

"Shut up! She beat you fair and square." One of the guards said as they knocked him on the back of his head with the hilt of their sword.

"Is she going to be okay?" One of the villagers asked.

"Nostace is treating her now." Eric, one of the guards, said as they guarded the estate that Tamaki had been staying in.

"It's a shame that he did something like that." Joseph, another guard said.

"He just couldn't handle being beaten by such a small woman who didn't have magic. It's a shame too. She put up one hell of a fight." Eric said

"You can say that again."Joseph said.

"I know that Tamaki said that we would have an important guest. I just didn't think that it would be such a small woman." He said.

"I guess she is the one that everyone has been talking about." Joseph said. "You know, the Vosat without any power."

"Doesn't seem like she needs any." Eric said. "She was kind of cool. It kind of makes a person see people without power differently."

"Yeah. I mean she fought back with the strength of ten men. I don't think I have ever seen a man fight like that either." Joseph said. Eric nodded his head.

"That girl is in a league of her own. I think her childhood friend is Lord Genova." He said. "I know that they said that one of the Lords is friends with a strange Vosat. Do you think that would be her?"

"I don't see why not. Heck she could give Lord Tamaki a run for his money."

"What are you talking about?" Tamaki asked as he came out of the house.

"Nothing, Commander." Eric said.

"How is the Lady doing?" Joseph asked.

"Nostace is still working on her. I sent someone to fetch another healer. The damage is pretty bad. At this rate Nostace wont be able to keep going." He said with a sigh. "When they come please escort them in. Also do not let the refugees leave. That was the whole reason for her visit to the village. If they leave then something bad will happen." Tamaki turned away and then turned back. "I may need to send one of you for her guard." He said and went back inside the estate.

Tamaki paced the floor as he mulled over how he was going to explain things to Genova. He knew that he had to tell him. They would be here in four days and then he would have his head taken from his shoulders. Tamaki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He stopped and looked out the window. He knew that he never should have let the match happen. He had been worried when Jack stormed in like he did. Tamaki continued to pace the floor when he began to receive a transmission.

"Tamaki," He could hear Genova's voice.

"Oh God." He said with a sigh. "Well, here goes nothing." He placed two fingers on his forehead and responded. "Yeah, what is it?" He asked.

"I have a message to deliver for Arabella." He said.

"What is it? I will tell her.

"Tamaki, is something wrong? You seem nervous." Genova said.

"Look," Tamaki sighed.

"What happened to Arabella?" Genova demanded. Tamaki sighed again. "Stop sighing and just tell me!"

"The soldier that came with me to pick her up last night attacked her." He said.

"What?" He could picture Genova raging. "What the hell happened? You assured me that she would be safe."

"I know! He was angry about the refugees being allowed into the village. When she went over why she was coming back to the Village Jack, the soldier, got angry. He became even angrier when he learned that it was her request to let them in and that she was a Vosat without power. Anyway this morning he barged into the estate and demanded that she leave the village immediately. My charge kicked him in the shin for his attitude towards her. When he raised his hand against my charge Arabella barely stopped herself from ramming her sword through his throat." Tamaki sighed.

"Let me guess. He challenged her to a match. He did everything he could to humiliate her and ended up losing anyway?" Genova asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Tamaki asked.

"Remember the Captain of the guard that I told you about?"

"Yeah. Same thing happened. Arabella ended up sending the guy to the hospital for two months. So what happened after that?" Genova asked.

"He launched a fireball into her back. He sent her flying clear across the arena." Tamaki said.

"Then there is nothing that you could have done about it." Genova said sadly. "Still, there will be a trial and he will hang. I will call the Grand Elder. She will sit in on this. I will be there as soon as I can. Do not let those refugees leave." He said. Tamaki nodded his head and ended the transmission. "Well, he will finally learn who she is. He is going to die before he can say anything to anyone about it though." Tamaki said to himself.

"What happened?" Michael asked when he saw Genova's worried face.

"Arabella was attacked by one of the soldiers." Genova said sighing.

"What?" Michael asked.

"Yeah. Apparently when she was explaining why she was headed back to the village to Tamaki she ended up admitting that it was she who had requested that the refugees be allowed into the village and that she was the Vosat without any power. It ended up causing an argument. From what Tamaki told me the soldier that was with them barged into the estate and demanded that she leave. When his charge heard how he was speaking to Arabella she kicked him in the shins." Michael let out a bark of laughter. "He was about hit the girl until Arabella got between them and nearly drove her sword through his neck." Michael doubled over laughing.

"I would have payed money to see that." He said.

"Well, it's what happened after he challenged her to a match that is the cause for concern."

"Let me guess he tried to humiliate her and ended up losing." Michael said.

"Yeah. When he lost it was too much for him to stomach and he launched a fireball into her back. It knocked her clear across the arena." Genova said slumping down in a chair.

"What? Is she okay?"

"They have healers working on her now." Genova said. "But by judging how Tamaki sounded the damage is pretty bad."

"Does that guy by any chance know who she truly is?" Michael asked.

"Just Tamaki, you, the Grand Elder, and myself. Speaking of. I need to let her know what happened. She won't be happy to hear this." He said.

"Yeah. I can just imagine here giving him an automatic death sentence for nearly killing the princess." Michael said shaking his head. "Send your message. I'm going to pack. We're heading there now." He stood up and left the room.

Genova placed two fingers to his forehead. He took a deep calming breath and let it out slowly. Once he was sure that he was calm he began the transmission.

"Grand Elder," He called.

"What is it boy?" She asked in her motherly way.

"I have something that I need to tell you. I tried getting in touch with you last night but now we have an even bigger problem."

"Tell me what happened." She said.

"It seems that the Council got word of the refugees hiding in the village. They sent people to mix in with a group of refugees. I don't know what their aim could be except to destroy the village."

"I will instruct the guards to be on the look out for any strange activity. However, it seems like we may have a traitor in our midst." She said mumbling to herself.

"That's true, however, we may have an even bigger problem than that." Genova said.

"Something bigger than that?" She asked. She frowned the only problem bigger than that would have to do with Arabella. "What happened?"

"Well, a group of refugees made it to that village where we stopped the culling. We asked Tamaki to detain them until we got there. However, he made a point about not being able to force them to stay so we had him come fetch Arabella. For some reason she can sniff out people that work with the Council better than anyone, after all she was the one who noticed something off about that village. Anyway a soldier came with him to get her and they headed back. Everything seemed fine but apparently he is one of the Vosat that supports abandoning the refugees. So when he found out what was going on and why he became furious. Somehow Arabella ended up admitting that it was at her request that they be allowed into the village and that she didn't have any powers." He said. The Grand Elder sighed.

"What happened next?" She asked.

"There was a huge argument between them. The next morning he barged into the estate that she was staying in and demanded that she leave. From what Tamaki said, his charge over heard how he was talking to her and kicked him in the shins." The old woman let out a bark of laughter. "Then when he was about to hit her Arabella jumped in front of him with her sword pointed at his throat."

"I guess that it's safe to say that he challenged her to a match with the sole purpose of humiliating her but it didn't go as planned. She ended up winning and he did something in retaliation." She said.

"Yeah. He hit her with a fireball from he behind and apparently the force was so strong that it knocked her across the arena." Genova said.

"He did what?" The old woman demanded.

"He hit her with a fireball from behind."

"So he not only attacked someone from behind after losing a match but it was someone who doesn't have any power and it was the Princess?" She demanded.

"Yes, Grand Elder." Genova said cringing.

"You need to get to that village as soon as possible. There is going to be a trial. We will hear everything again. I want to be informed as soon as Arabella is awake. Until then I want to know who saw what and I want evidence." She said. "I am going to call Tamaki. In the mean time you have your orders." She said ending the transmission.

When the transmission was cut Genova ran to his room and began to pack his things. By the time he was done Michael was knocking on his door. Genova opened the door and slung his pack over his shoulder.

"You ready?" Michael asked.

"Just need to grab Arabella's things." He said.

"No need. A maid has all of her things ready to go." Michael said.

"Thanks. Lets go." He said.

The two headed out of the house with Arabella's belongings and set out towards the village. They would have to travel for four days to get there. Genova hoped that she would be awake when he got there.

"Hey, Genova," Came Tamaki's voice through transmission.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I just spoke with the Grand Elder. I am sending people to come get you so stay where you are." He said. Tamaki ended the transmission without waiting for a reply. Genova shrugged his shoulders and told Michael that people were being sent to get them.