"Mommy! Daddy! Come look at this pretty rock I found!" Sharena yelled running down the hall towards her parents and brother.

"Sharena, I don't have time for your games right now. I need to help Alfonse with his studies." Gustav said gruffly, before leading Alfonse way towards the library.

"Oh, okay... Hey mommy! Do you wanna see the rock?" Sharena turned her attention to her mother.

Henriette kneeled down to the little princess's level and patted her head.

"I wish I could, sweety. But with your father busy with your brother I need to get some things done for him. How about later, okay?"

"Uh, okay... but promise though!"

"Of course, dear. I promise." Queen Henriette smiled before walking off to Gustav's study.

When Sharena reminded them later, they completely forgot and still said they were busy.

-

"Lunge faster, Sharena!" ordered her father.

"Y-Yes, father." Sharena said in between deep breaths, as she took another lunge with her lance at another training dummy.

"Sharena stop slacking or you'll never catch up with your brother!" Gustav lectures.

"I know, father. I'm trying." Sharena said as she took the moment to wipe the sweat off her brow.

"No you're not, Sharena. Alfonse was able to master the sword before he was your age and here you are almost twice the age he was and you can't even wield your lance."

That stung quite a bit. She was always being compared to her brother and it was starting to take its toll. She had chosen the lance in hopes that this was something she could do without being overshadowed by her older brother. Yet here she was, still being compared to Alfonse despite the sword and the lance being completely different weapons.

-

"Hi, Zacharius!" called Sharena as she jogged towards her friend.

"Hello, Princess Sharena." Zacharius smiled. "I really must apologize, I don't have the time to talk today. There's something I must discuss with your brother."

"Oh, of course. He's in the library. Maybe some other time..." Sharena trailed off as one of her only friends left to talk to her brother instead of her.

-

She had honestly thought that the Summoner and her would become best friends. But the Summoner spent much more time with Alfonse then with her. Alfonse even lectured her on not befriending Heroes yet here he was, best friends with the Summoner.

"H-Hey, Kiran... would you like to have a picnic with me today?" Sharena asked one day when they were supposed to have the day off.

"I'm sorry, Sharena. I need to talk to Alfonse about some stuff. Maybe some other time, okay?" the Summoner apologized before going off to find her brother for the third time that week.

-

Sharena truly loved the Heroes. Unlike everyone else in Askr, these people saw her for her, and not just Alfonse's little sister. Unlike her parents, Zacharius, Kiran, and everybody else in the kingdom, they treated her as if she was her own person and not once compared her to her older brother.

"Sharena, I'm not going to warn you again. Stop trying to get close to the other Heroes. They're just gonna leave you." Alfonse told her when they were alone one day.

"No! I have actual friends now, Alfonse! They love me and want to spend time with me. Unlike everyone else in this dumb castle!"
"Sharena... I understand how you feel, but-"

"No, you don't! You've never understood how I've felt, Alfonse! You don't know what it's like to live in your shadow! It's horrible, but these Heroes treat me like I'm more than just your sister! You also can't talk when you've stolen Kiran's attention away from me just like you've done with everybody else we know!"

Alfonse was stunned into silence but Sharena didn't give him time to think of a way to respond, she just ran off.

-

Sharena could only sit in her room, legs pulled up to her chest, and try to control her breathing.

Alfonse was cursed to die and she so desperately needed someone to talk to but everyone had their attention on her brother.

She felt horrible for feeling jealous at a time like this. But it's just... she needs comfort too, she's just as scared.

If they couldn't find a way to lift the curse, then Alfonse would die and then she'd be forced to take the throne. She wasn't ready for that.

She couldn't go talk to her parents because they were too busy with her brother. Kiran and Anna had taken as many Heroes out with them to try and search for a way to lift the curse. While she was left by herself, alone with her feelings.

Just like every other point in her life.