Shades of the Exiled

-One-
Exiled

Farewell to my life. Farewell to my home. I can no longer call myself a prince - I am exiled, the prince of a fallen kingdom. There will come a day when I will return, I will reclaim you.

-x-

"Hurry up, will you? We have to get His Highness out of the castle before Gra invades it!"
It was a shame that it had come to this. The invasion, the war, the countless of innocents soldiers - gone. There was so much commotion, so many people running around, gathering last minute belongings, brandishing blades and spears, it made his head and heart hurt to think about what was happening.
"Sire... This way." The soldier gestured to the darkened corridor before them, the tapestries painted with such dark, depressing colours - greys and blacks and dark blues. He felt as if he were heading to his doom, the way the soldiers were talking to him, the way Jeigan and Abel looked at him, their expressions aloof with that same serious edge. They were going out the back way, the secret exit Gra didn't know existed - and for good reasons.

"Prince Marth, are you all right?"
Marth felt Gordon tug at his arm and pull him in the direction of the door. Too lost in his thoughts, too busy trying to make sense of Gra's betrayal...
Marth managed to snap out of his daze and smiled softly at Gordon's worry-filled face. "I'm fine, Gordon - I'm just tired."
What a liar you are, his subconscious hissed at him, but the Prince of Altea ignored it.
Jeigan shoved the door open, sword drawn and at the ready. They were outside the palace now, where their transport to Talis awaited them.

"There's the prince!" one of the enemy soldiers shouted, his spear at the ready. Jeigan's eyes narrowed as he pointed to the ship up ahead.
"Get Prince Marth aboard as quick as possible!"
All he heard were battle cries and the sound of metal clashing against metal as Gordon tugged once more on Marth's arm, their destination only feet away... Marth took one fleeting glance to his kingdom before stopping, not yet aboard the ship.

"I have to go back." His voice was firm; he would not be easily swayed. All around him, people were fighting, pitting their sword against another's, dismounting knights from their horses, the cries of the dying and the wounded rang out...
"Lord Marth! You can't possibly go - General Jeigan said for us to--"
"This is my kingdom, my country, my home." I have to find Elice... I have to find Mother... I have to...

He didn't realise he was on his knees, didn't realise that Abel and Gordon were trying to hold him back as the ship pulled out of the habour...
Those screams were his own. It had finally sunk in.
His kingdom was gone. He was the prince of nothing now, the prince of a destroyed and burning kingdom.

Exiled.

He stared at the retreating ruins with a solemn look in his eyes, his heart torn into pieces.
Farewell to my life... Farewell to my home.

-x-

Author's Notes: This is going to end up being a collection of one shots that are all about Marth. I'm doing this for the 365 drabbles challenge Kitten Kisses began fairly recently. I've been meaning to do something like this for awhile now, and this challenge gave me the opportunity to do it.