I can't believe I'm going through with this. Ashton thought. He was in another carriage, but this time he was traveling back home and he wasn't alone. He certainly hadn't been bored on this trip. He and Claude had been talking and getting to know each other better and trying to figure out why two people who barely knew each other could get along so well. Claude had already settled into his role as Ashton's guard and Ashton into the role of being protected, but the two still acted more like close friends that would watch each other's backs.

They shared some things in common, like the inability to understand women, but there were just as many differences, such as Ashton's strange fascination with barrels. But differences were what made life interesting. At least, that was what Ashton's mother had said. Right now, after a good, long ride, Claude had fallen asleep for the last leg of the trip. He leaned against the side and was snoring softly. He assured Ashton that if something should occur, he would wake up in time, but for now, he didn't see the harm in a quick rest. Although Ashton was a bit disappointed that he and Claude wouldn't be able to talk anymore, his little nap did give Ashton a chance to think.

I said I would never get a personal guard, yet here I am. Riding in a carriage back home with a guy named Claude who is supposed to be my guard. He doesn't even look like a guard! I wonder if he's any good or if it was all talk? I just took Bowman's word for it and hired him on the spot. Bowman, a man I hadn't even known for an hour, and I took his advice without thinking twice. I've never been known to do something like that before. So why did I start then?

I suppose I could battle Claude to find out for myself how good he is... But even if he sucks, I like having the guy around. He;s a good person to talk to and he;s been one of the few people who don;t treat me as a rich kid. Unlike my family.....

Who else treats me like a normal person? Lets see... There's Celine, Queen of Cross, Rena, the Landford's daughter, Precis, our inventor, Noel, Rena's boyfriend, and Gyoro and Ururun. Rena's guard doesn't seem to like me too much, but at least he treats me like I've seen him treat everyone else. Except Rena, that is. She said it had something to do with an event that happened a few years ago. Wonder why they won't talk about it?

That guy travels everywhere with Rena anyways. I wonder how close they are for her to be comfortable with that? How long did it take them to get that way? Maybe I'll ask Rena that next time I see her......

I wonder if Claude and me are ever going to be that close? We already started this friendship off on the right foot; it can only continue to go uphill, right? True. It wasn't a normal way to start a friendship, but I guess things like that just sometimes happen.

Everybody says a person and their guard often develop a strong bond after being together for a while. I heard it had something to do with being able to trust that person with your life. That, and traveling together everywhere and every single day probably has something to do with it.

Ashton looked away from the passing landscape and studied Claude. Ashton smirked and reached over to brush away a stray lock of hair that had fallen onto Claude's face.

He's sort of cute when he's like this. Ashton thought. He didn't necessarily see anything wrong with being attracted to other men, but he hadn't been in a situation where he found another man attractive yet, so he really wasn�'t in a position to judge anyone. To be honest, he hadn't really looked at anyone besides Rena, but that had just been a crush. They had both known that and accepted the fact and didn't let it interfere with their friendship. It had passed after a while, just as they knew it would, and Rena started dating Noel. He, on the other hand, had like Rena for a while and no one thought it was just another crush. After all that, Ashton hadn't bothered to look at anyone else in that sense. He didn't see the need, what with his mother and father trying to find him a suitable, in their eyes, life partner.

I can certainly see why Shin wanted to hold onto him. Claude has the looks to attract a lot of people, and what with the market for blond males nowadays. I wonder if anyone has gotten his eye? Deep in Ashton's gut, he felt something clench at the thought of Claude with someone else, but he was too focused on his thoughts and staring at Claude to try and pry something out of his sleeping form to really take note of it.

Ashton's eyes caught the gleam of Claude's pendant when it caught the sun's rays and appeared to be winking at him, and he gently picked it up to examine it.

The pendant was a circular disk with strange markings, pictures, and symbols on the front. It was a light blue with purple tinted edges and an off-white bluish, splatter center. It had a tie-dyed sort of look to it. Ashton turned it over so he could see the back. Maybe there would be something there. There was! Engraved in the back was a short message.

It read;

To my son, Claude,
From the day you were born, I have always been proud of you.
Never forget it.
Ronixis J. Kenni.

The name 'Ronixis Kenni' rang a bell, but Ashton had to think for a moment, biting his lower lip in concentration, before he could remember just where he'd heard the name. Ashton's eyes went wide and he slumped back against his seat. A hand slapped his forehead in admonishment for forgetting a name as famous as that one.

Ronixis had been an expert swordsman in his time, and had been quickly gaining fame all over the country for his skills. His disappearance from the public and, it seemed, from the face of the world had puzzled many and some had even gone out to look for him with no luck. Then, just as suddenly as he had disappeared, he had suddenly come back from out of nowhere. Ronixis had immediately went and killed a group of bandits that had been burning small towns and villages, but that hadn't been his reasons for killing them. Or so the gossip said. What the gossip claimed was that Ronixis was seeking revenge for someone those bandits had killed, but who believed in gossip. Whatever the reason, he'd made his name know again. But.... While staying in Clik, an unknown assassin had snuck into his room while he slept and killed him. There had never been any word or talk, even with most talkative of gossipers, of him having a lover, let alone a son. Could Claude really be Ronixis' son?! If he was, then how did he end up as a slave? Ronixis wasn't the type to have ignored his son, nor not to teach him how to defend and take care of himself. So, it couldn't be true....could it?

Ashton closed his eyes and tried to guess how a son of Ronixis could have ended up where Claude did, but the brunette could come up with was a blank. He just didn't have that kind of imagination. Sighing, Ashton opened his eyelids and studied Claude in a new light.

Okay. Maybe Claude's a bit more than cute, but we're friends. And because we're friends, I should be able to ask him about his past, right? But I don't want to make him remember anything that might be painful... Besides, how can I ask him if he's the son of the renowned swordsman, Ronixis Kenni, who happened to die a few years ago by an assassin that still hasn't been caught? If that doesn't put a dent in our friendship with lack of tact, then noting I said could. Still, I better just let the matter surface in due time. With that established, Ashton closed his eyes and decided to try and sleep the last hour or so by.

"Ashton! Did you have a good time on your trip?" Ashton's mother, Cleo, exclaimed, as she rushed over to give her son a hug. She was an attractive woman despite her gray hairs and wrinkles. She had a personality that seemed to ooze affection and she constantly appeared to have a smile on her face. Even when she was making her son's life torture and not knowing that she was.

"Did you like the surprise we left you?" his father, Theo, asked. Ashton got a good deal of his looks from his mother, but his green eyes came from his dad. A tall, handsome man, Theo commanded a lot of respect. His only hope was that his children would carry on in his footsteps and continue the family business. His oldest daughter was doing wonderfully in fulfilling his dream. She excelled in her classes and a hobby of hers was helping her parents with their jobs. She had a head for trade and business, it seemed. Ashton, it seemed, needed some encouragement, however. His parents were determined to rid him of, what they thought, silly ideas of traveling the world, paying his way with his skills.

"The trip wasn't so bad," Ashton commented. "But I didn't like the surprise." Cleo released him from her bear hug and held him at arms length. She ran her eyes up and down his frame making sure that there weren't any injuries. When satisfied that there were none, she nodded and stepped back.

"That's a shame," Cleo replied. "She was such a good-looking one too."

"What's the matter with you, Ashton?" Theo inquired, letting his tempter slip slightly. This reluctance of Ashton's was the only thing that could get a rise out of him. "There doesn't appear to be anything that I can do to get you interested in the family business. Is there anything that you like about it?" Ashton opened his mouth to reply, but a loud voice calling his name stopped him.

"Hey Ashton! Where do you want your stuff?" Ashton and his parents turned to see Claude coming up the lane with another servant. The Anchors had servants, not slaves; something they were very well known for. The family had a history that never once had hired a slave and that's how Theo and Cleo were going to keep it. Claude held one end of the trunk, while the servant held the other end. They slowly made their way towards the family.

"You can leave it there," Ashton told him. Claude nodded and prepared to drop the trunk right there and then. Ashton smirked. He wasn't finished talking. "...for now. You can help lug it back to my room after I've introduced you to some people." Ashton dismissed the other servant and walked over to Claude's side.

"Huh?" The blond had a bewildered expression on his face.

"Claude, I'd like you to meet my parents," Ashton continued before Claude could figure out what he was up to. "Mother. Father. I'd like you to meet Claude, my newly hired guard."

"Guard?" Cleo checked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't need a guard Ashton. We'd given up hope in finding one for you because you complained so much. What makes this one so different?" Cleo eyed Claude up and down while tapping a finger to her lips. Maybe she had been going at things in the wrong way.

Before Ashton could defend himself, Claude came to his rescue. "Because I've trained under Ronixis Kenni. He was my teacher until he passed away." That answer caused Ashton to raise an eyebrow. Did that mean that Claude WAS Ronixis�' son?

"Ronixis was taking pupils?" Theo questioned. He had never heard any news about anything like that; otherwise he would have requested that Ronixis teach Ashton. Claude shook his head.

"My parents made special arrangements to have me taught. It was more of a favor to an old acquaintance."

"I see, " Theo said. “Looks like you know how to pick them Ashton. But just to be on the safe side, I'd like to test him out. After all, anyone can SAY that they've been trained by the best, but they need to prove it."

"How?" Ashton asked. He hoped it wouldn't be a duel or something equally as stupid. But, by the look on his father's face, that was just what he was thinking of. Luckily, Cleo beat her husband to the punch.

"Oh! I know how you test this young man out. Your sister has recently taken a beau," Cleo declared cheerfully. "There's to be a celebration at the Landford's. Fillia has taken a liking to young Alan, and since he's a good friend of their daughter, they've offered to host the party. You're expected to attend since you are her brother. If Claude is as good as he says he is then he should be able to watch over you while you mingle. And if he isn't, there will still be others to watch your back."

Landford?! Rena and Dias' place?! Oh shit... Claude gulped and fingered the smaller pouch at his side without realizing what he was doing. Memories flooded his mind, but Claude tried his best to shove them aside. They were still too painful to deal with. He wouldn't be at peace with his conscious until he had a talk with a certain blue-haired person... Until then, Claude would just have to hope that in everything in heaven wasn't in the mood for a laugh at his expense.

"That will work," Ashton quickly agreed. Trust his mom to be practical.

"Now that that's settled, go unpack son," Theo instructed, hiding his annoyance at being interrupted.

"You never told me you knew Rena Landford," Claude remarked. Cleo had very nearly thrown out everything of Claude's but the shirt on his back. That, she had been planning to get when he took a bath. He was allowed, however, to keep everything, once she had been informed that Ashton had bought the clothes for Claude and the other things were his personal belongings, but Cleo had insisted that Claude take a bath right away. No servant of hers, or her son's for that matter, would be going to any party smelling like a barnyard. Ashton had bathed and changed as well, but he had done that without being asked.

He wore a long sleeved, dark purple shirt, black pants, and a black cloak with purple trims. It was dressy, but not that dressy. This was, after all, his sister's party. Plus, he and Rena were good friends. Ashton didn't feel he had to dress up for her or his sister too much.

"You've heard of Rena?" Ashton inquired. He was sitting across from Claude in yet another carriage.

"Sorta," Claude answered. He looked out the window and a picture of Rena popped up in his mind's eye. A picture of Rena with her blue hair and eyes and a content smile on her face made him think again of what had happened. She was a good friend... and he had let her down.

"But I don't think she even knows that I'm alive." It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either. He didn't have the courage to tell her he was alive after all this time and he didn't have the strength to face her pity when she found out what had happened to him. Dias on the other hand... Claude's throat went dry when he thought of the older swordsman. The blond had to swallow before he could speak again.

"Anyway, what about your sister, Fillia? What's the story with her?" Claude breathed a low sigh of relief when Ashton took the bait and lead the conversation elsewhere. He would deal with his past one person at a time.