<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #40BF80"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Gregorio Pescari</span><br/><span style="font-size: 120%; line-height: 116%;">The Lord of Euganea</span></span></span></div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o793/Galvin_Fugazi/53cd9d89-d20b-452d-91a2-9d91f5ba5abc_zps00e843d7.jpg">[ img ]</a></div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: justify;">Gregorio could see how astonished Danielle was, that he admitted it all so openly. But what else could he do? He was pretty sure that Edward thought the same about it as Yakari did and that he warned Marina of right now. So he may have to be open with Marina and tell her the truth too. It didn’t make him a bad man, he had ambitions and he wanted Marina’s lands that was true. But the young girl didn’t leave him cold and he remembered the pang of jealousy he had felt when he had seen Alexander with her. So maybe it was more than the desire to get her lands that made him target her.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #80FF00">“Do you believe Alexander may reconsider me? I know that I have hurt him deeply…”</span><br/> <br/>The voice of Danielle was insecure and trembling and Gregorio put his hands on her shoulder and squeezed them. It was obvious that Danielle clung to that idea, as she may believe that it was the only way to appeal her father.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“The way to Alexander doesn’t lead over apologies what you have done, Danielle. As a man I can tell you, that he still got feelings for you and that he is wondering right now, if history would repeat itself. He has seen the ugly side of you and that is stopping him. He fears that the ugly side comes up again, if you get angry with him one day. He compares your behavior to the sweetness of Marina and that makes him shy back from you.”</span><br/> <br/>Gregorio could see that Danielle hung at his lips, that she wanted to know how she could win back Alexander. But she had not seen the main issue with that at all.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“Danielle, let’s sit down over there and then I ask you the questions Alexander will ask himself and it’s my good advice that you take your time to find the answers for yourself, before you try to convince Alexander of your new intentions.”</span><br/> <br/>Danielle looked at him with big eyes, but she followed him to a bench and sat down next to him, half turned to him and her small hands in his big ones. Gregorio had seen her naked last night and he knew that she was a truly beautiful girl, but he had to admit that looking into her big eyes made it hard not to fall for her, as those eyes brought out the protective knight in him.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“The one question Alexander will ask internally over and over again, is whether you are serious or just clutching at straws? It is obvious that if you manage to marry Alexander your father will be appeased and will forgive you. Alexander is the big prize in the game Damian is playing. And you are extremely desperate now, your world is tumbling down and you want to save it. You have shown yesterday that you may be unscrupulous if you want to achieve something. So Alexander will count one and one together and even his feelings for you won’t stop him from getting two out of it. He may start to believe that you try to trick him into a marriage to save your ass and once your ass is saved you come back to bite his. So instead of trying to win Alexander over, you should make up your mind, Danielle. Do you really want Alexander?”</span><br/> <br/>Danielle looked at him, but before she could answer he shook his head, silencing her.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #FF8000">“No, no quick shots here, Danielle. Take your time, reconsider it. The man has his faults and you will have to live with them. He may have shown you yesterday a side of him you had not expected. I know how you spoke of him in the dungeons. But it is only one side of him. There are others, the uglier ones. We are all far from perfect, Danielle. If you love him, you will be able to accept those faults and look over them. If you only pretend to love him, as it fits your plans, those faults will make you crazy and the quarrels will start. Alexander is no idiot, he knows that. And I guess he is like me, when it comes to that. He will admit it, if you speak openly with him. But you have to speak openly with him, Danielle. Don’t fix yourself on winning him over. Try to know him better, see the whole package and then decide if you love him or if you won’t be able to live with it. You can tell him that you want to do it. He will understand it, will be thrilled by it probably. Because it means that he has the same chance to learn more about you. If it works out, he may indeed propose to you. If not, then you both know that it was for the better.”</span><br/> <br/>Danielle sat there for a long time, thinking about his words and finally she nodded and placed a small kiss on his cheek.<br/> <br/><span style="color: #80FF00">“You are a true friend, Sir Gregorio. And your advice is one I will follow. It was what I always wanted, to be married to a man who loves me and whom I love. If it will be Alexander, then I have to take it slow or he will always believe I tricked him into it, even if I didn’t. Thank you, again. I would like to talk with you again some other time, as speaking to you helps me, but for now I need some rest. Would you please help me to my room?”</span><br/> <br/>Gregorio nodded and helped her up and none of them noticed the person in the shadow on top of the stairs, who had watched them all the time while waiting for Lady Marina leaving the room of the Reeve.</div>