Marth, Prince of Altea, stood alone.

But, Abel reflected, he usually did. It wasn't that he wasn't able to get along with his troops or hold a conversation. He was a prince and things were different for him. It was the bane of royalty. He wasn't quite one of them, at least not yet, but he had their utter respect. It was a difficult position to be in, especially after losing everything.

Abel looked away from his commander, back out to sea, as the ship rocked beneath them. They had just escaped their invaded country. Marth's father, their king, had been killed by enemy forces. Princess Elice had stayed behind and no one knew what would happen to her. And they had left behind Frey, one of the bravest fighters Abel had ever known. To say it was a blow to the heart wouldn't be strong enough wording.

It was the shame, Abel decided, that was the worst. They ran. Fled. They lived to fight another day. However you wanted to word it, they ran away. He hated it. Sure, it was necessary perhaps. If Abel hadn't been ordered to get Marth out, he would have fought until his last breathe to protect his country. He easily could've been one of the fallen soldiers, if not for his assignment to Marth. It was weird to think of it that way, although it was true.

"He's had a tough past few days, don't you think?" Cain voiced as he came up beside Abel, holding on to the ship's railing in front of him.

"I'd say," Abel retorted, looking over at his cousin. Cain's red hair was brushed back by the wind coming across the sea and the slowly-healing gash on his forehead was plainly visible. It was one of many painful reminders of the battle where they had lost their king, and Marth his father.

"Who would've known," Cain said quietly, "that it would turn out this way." There was a moment of silence in which neither knew what would be appropriate to say. However, it didn't feel like some things needed saying.

But there were more pressing questions at hand, questions that Abel could not ignore. "Do you think he'll be enough?" He asked, nodding his head toward the grieving prince. He liked Marth. He was a good prince, but would he make a good commander? The future was too uncertain right now. During their escape, he had been too stunned sometimes to lead them. There were conflicting emotions in the way, but obviously that was understood after going through what he did. He was still younger, younger than Abel, and it would be expected.

Cain nodded confidently. "He'll be more than enough. I have a feeling that he'll exceed everyone's expectations."

Abel paused for a moment, his doubts still not quelled. He hadn't fought with the king like Cain had. He was no paladin like Jagen. He didn't sacrifice himself for Marth as Frey had. He had not been of huge importance back at the palace. But now he had a chance. He had a chance to plan and perfect and strike back when the time was right. He wondered how he happened upon this chance, out of all the other people who could've. When Cain convinced him to join the cavalry a few years ago, he had never pictured himself as doing this. All he knew was that if they could pull this off, it would be worth every moment of their miserable escape. "How do you know that?" He asked, unsure.

"Frey," Cain said simply with a stroke of sorrow.

The explanation was so simple, yet so effective. A single word completely explained Cain's unmoving faith that Marth was someone they could all count on and even look up to. If Frey believed in the prince enough to sacrifice his life, than the rest of the group could too. Frey and all the others who lost their lives or their freedom would only serve as motivation. Until they took back Altea and put Marth on the throne where he truly belonged, there was no peace of mind for the warriors.

Abel realized all this in silence, as Cain glanced back over at the prince. Still, he stood alone, against the backdrop of a cloudy sky and Cain realized what a picture he made. Today was one of the bad days, but he could suffer through all the bad days if they could just have their day, their one day, the only one they really needed. The day they would free Altea.

So, what do you guys think? As the summary said, I'm planning on doing a series of one-shots of things that happen in between the stages and maybe some during the stages as well. And I always saw Cain and Abel as related somehow, so I figured cousins ought to do it. I've only played Shadow Dragon, as far as the whole Fire Emblem franchise goes, so if I make a few mistakes here or there, just let me know. This is just a short little something, but they'll most likely get longer. However I feel at the moment, I guess. Hope you enjoyed! Bye!