Cloak and Scalpel

ABERLEEN ARC: Twenty Places

Amy returned a little after midnight, unsuccessful in her attempts to wrangle Cici into a more stylish wardrobe to her liking. To her surprise, she found all her siblings, along with Diana, in the sunroom. Apparently, Vassago had instigated a little family bonding over several bottles of wine—and juice for Sitri—as a little farewell party for Aamon, Diana and Gusion. Tomorrow, they would be leaving for the Cadia Riverlands, along with the sniper, Lesley Vance.

Diana had been playing their mother's old piano, and Amy felt a little bout of nostalgia at this. Their mother, the late duchess, had played piano as well, and she had played for their father, the former duke. Much in the same way that Diana was playing for Aamon.

"There you are, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Vas said as he shoved a glass of wine into her hands. "Cici gave you the slip again, eh?"

Amy rolled her eyes and took a sip of wine. "She looks so gaudy in her apparel—it makes me so mad!"

"It's what she likes, Amy," Vas said as he clinked his glass with Amy's. "Maybe if you try asking her nicely the next time? You know, like how a good friend should? You're nearly the same age, surely there's something you two have in common."

"Aamon is the only thing we have in common," Amy said snidely as she sipped at her wine. "And style isn't one of them."

Vas chuckled, and Amy huffed as she turned back to Diana.

She was teaching Sitri how to play a simple melody on the piano. Diana would press a key, and Sitri would follow suit, her face lighting up as she pressed each key. It was apparently a simple melody since her little sister had no problems following Diana's movements.

Her gaze drifted to Aamon. He was watching Diana and Sitri intently. Aamon had always been aloof and rather cold even among his siblings. His brusqueness and detachment was what made him such an ideal nobleman—it was in stark contrast to Vas's fiery and playful personality, or Berith's quiet and unassuming persona. It set him apart from Gusion's mischievous nature and Eren's sweet and open mien.

But every time he looked at Diana, the ice seemed to melt. The aloof gaze in his eyes was replaced by an expression of tender devotion. It was different from the dispassionate desire he'd had for his previous lovers, all of whom eventually grew bored of their relationship with the duke.

It was a fact that Vassago had lamented immensely.

Before Diana came along, Vas had tried his best to set up their older brother with a woman who could eventually become duchess and bear the duke an heir. After all, if something happened to Aamon, the responsibility of the duchy fell to him as the next-in-line, something Vassago hated.

It was thus understandable that Vas really adored the fact that Diana had their brother wound around her finger. In fact—Amy had caught Vas trying to spike Aamon's drink with an aphrodisiac once.

"The sooner they churn out an heir, the happier I'll be," Vas had said when Amy had caught him the other day.

"I seriously doubt you need to tamper with our brother's drinks to make him want her," Amy had replied. "Are you blind?"

"I suppose you're right," Vas had said reluctantly. "They should just marry instead of going on this ridiculous quest to the Cadia Riverlands. What if something happens to Aamon?"

"Then you'll be duke," Amy had replied. Though, of course, the thought of something happening to their older brother filled with her trepidation.

"I'd rather not," Vas had said.

Amy was snapped out of her musings now as she heard Sitri let out a loud laugh. "Big brother, look, I'm playing!" Sitri said happily as she looked up at Aamon with a toothy grin.