Ylisstol castle was abuzz with life, nobles and noblewoman moving to and fro through expensive looking rooms and hallways. Noella watched scuttle about, silently taking note of how they looked at her as they passed her by. Two or three looked at her with contempt, as if she was pitiful and belonged under their heel. Then there were those that had a certain glimmer in their eyes when they saw her, like she was some kind of hero; a saint.
She wasn't quite sure why they worshiped the very ground she walked on. Then again, all these people were just nameless faces, people she didn't recognize or know,on a personal level. Maybe there was a reason for their seemingly strange adoration, or maybe it was just a mistake. Perhaps the glimmer in their eyes was merely the lighting's fault, giving rise to a trait that never existed.
Because after all, she had done nothing to garner such emotions from these people that she didn't even know. But none the less, many offered kind words and their support whenever she began to feel ill, or needed a breather.
"How are you feeling, Noella?"
The brown eyed woman felt her heart beat faster with the mention of the name; a name that felt oddly –familiar to her. And although she didn't know who this person Noella was, her body acted as if she were her as she spun around, coming face to face with a blue haired man that found her lying in a field a week ago.
He smiled, awaiting her answer which she had failed to give him. "I'm fine, milord." She bowed to the man before her remembering he was the Exalt, a man of power and nobility far above everyone else.
The warm, gentle smile on his face faded quickly. "You're a shepherd and a dear friend, Noella. You need not use such titles with me." He lightly touched the bewildered woman's shoulder, gently allowing her to stand straight up and meet his gaze like an equal. Everything he said to her was strange, calling her a shepherd when she did not tend to a flock of sheep, and referring to her as a friend.
The silver haired woman pursed her lips, struggling to remember his name. "Yes... Mi- Chrom." She squeaked, feeling a strange sensation in her chest as if the name alone was important, like she had heard it before.
A week ago was the first time she saw this man, along with his sister Lissa back in some unknown field. Since then, they continued to confuse her to no end. When they first met, they smiled and hugged her as if they were close friends. But the truth was Noella did not know these people who were smiling and crying as they embraced her. Their names were familiar, but their faces weren't. Like the nobles that walked inside Ylisstol castle, they were just faceless people that bore no real relevance to her.
They were just shadows that danced and spoke to her in a strange language.
Chrom, Ylisse's Exalt, was only one to take her hand. She could still remember his grinning face, as if he just caught the biggest fish in the world as he pulled her up off the ground. She stared at him blankly, rattled and confused as she awoke in a strange place while three strangers, all of whom she did not know, talked to her as if she were some long lost friend. It was Chrom who rattled her the most, saying something strange that struck a chord deep within her.
He said to her, "Welcome back. It's all over, we won."
Noella just stared at him, as she did now, completely dumbfounded and unsure. It wasn't until she opened her mouth and told them she didn't 'understand' and who are you three, that their bright smiling faces fell. They tried to explain to her what had happened, that she was a shepherd, a dear friend that had disappeared nearly two years ago in the final battle with Grima. And while nothing they said made sense at the time, pain blossomed in her skull and cut their chat short.
After that, the three strangers guided her back to Ylisse, to Ylisstol castle where she could regain her memories in peace. She followed them, whether it was because she had done so in the past or just because she had nowhere else to go, she wasn't quite sure. But deep down, deep inside her something told her they wouldn't lead her astray. That Lissa, Chrom, and Frederick were all good people that simply wished to help her.
Chrom patted her on the back gently, shaking her from the only memory she had since she awoke. "Remember anything?" Noella hung her head low in response. He frowned but patted her back again in a comforting way.
"I'm sure you'll remember in due time."
She knew he was attempting to cheer her up with his smiling face, and soothing words. But she couldn't bring herself to smile or lift her head up. She was lost and confused, unable to laugh with the people that she had supposedly fought and bled with. It was a daunting thing, to forget all these people who clearly knew you like the back of their hand.
On a somber note they parted, Chrom leaving to attend to important kingly matters that couldn't wait any longer, while she just wandered through the castle with any rhyme nor reason. As she wandered, Noella met a pink haired woman by the name of Olivia. She seemed extremely shy, dressed up in a revealing pink and cream outfit that reminded her of a dancer. Noella greeted her with a smile, something she did with everyone she met, regardless of status. The woman turned red and smiled back.
Olivia wished to talk to her and Noella obliged for she was Chrom's wife, the Queen of Ylisse. A fact the amnesiac had come to find out the second day she had been here in Ylisstol castle.
Noella bowed low, much like how she greeted Chrom an hour ago. "Greetings Milady." The queen turned a brighter shade of red for some strange reason, nervously fiddling with her hands that did not befit her status.
"Please, Noelle, stop that!" The woman sputtered, placing her hands closer to her chest as if attempting to make herself appear smaller, and less noticeable. Noella immediately stood straight up as the sound of footsteps echoed in the halls. A noblewoman approached them, greeting Olivia in a respectful, lady like fashion that spoke volumes about her character. Her words were polite, her brown eyes staring straight into Olivia's while her hands daintily held a pink parasol.
Noella observed the woman who wore a strange frilly, outfit made of pink and white cloth. The noblewoman spared her a brief glance. An elegant smile spread across her face once their eyes met.
"Noella, it is good to see you again! My dear Lissa told me they found you not to long ago, but I dare say work kept me from visiting you." The woman turned to face her, ignoring Olivia's presence completely. "That reminds me! I promised to make you tea when you came back!" The blond haired woman gently hit her palm with the pink parasol.
The silver haired woman tilted her head at the unknown noblewoman, completely baffled as to why she was even speaking to her.
Thankfully, Olivia chimed in to dispel the strange awkward silence that would no doubt come between them. "Um… Maribelle, Noella doesn't know who we are. She lost all her memories…" The shy queen squeaked and Maribelle blanched at the unexpected news.
"Oh my! What an absolutely horrible thing to have to go through such a thing twice!" The woman closed her eyes, still unusually pale in the face.
Noella just continued to stare at her, pondering the meaning behind her words. Twice? Did that mean she had lost her memories once before?
"Well then," Maribelle snapped her eyes open. "Maybe a cup of tea will help you remember. After all, it would do you some good to learn the proper way to be a lady." The blond winked at her as she continued to hold onto her pink parasol.
Noella politely declined, feigning a sour stomach and a fierce headache. The noblewoman looked crestfallen, but accepted her lie easily enough; most likely thinking it was a side effect of losing all her memories. Maribelle left them alone, claiming she had to attend court to settle some absurd dispute, and see her husband Ricken who was wandering around in the castle. Both Olivia and Noella bid her farewell, falling into a strange sort of silence once the blond turned around the corner and continued on her merry way.
It was then the Queen shifted nervously in place, fiddling with a brightly colored gem studded ring on her finger. The ring was obviously an engagement ring, marking her as a married woman.
The very sight of it caused Noella to look upon the ring that rested upon her ring finger. The band was thin and made of silver with a large, iridescent opal set in the middle with two smaller purple colored stones on either side. Sliding off the band she saw an inscription inside the band, unseen and unknown to her. It read, you are my sun, and I pray you shall never set for as long as you draw breath.
The meaning behind the words were lost on her, leaving her thoroughly confused. But deep down, she had the feeling this ring was given to her as an engagement ring, by someone who loved her before she lost all her memories.
But who was the person that bestowed upon her this ring? Noella shook her head when no one came to mind and slipped the ring back on her ungloved finger. "Do you recognize the ring?" Noella looked at Olivia, having forgotten she was right in front of her.
The young woman shook her head, "No I don't recognize this ring." And just like Chrom, Olivia's face fell.
"I'm sorry…" The pink haired queen looked like she was about to try for some odd reason.
"Don't be… Olivia. I just wish I knew who gave this to me." Noella pointed to the ring on her finger. Olivia nervously shifted in place, her face turning red all of a sudden. The Queen was indeed a strange person. But then again, so was she.
Olivia opened her mouth to say something, but ended up closing it instead. Whatever it was Olivia wished to tell her remained unsaid as a few more people came rushing down the hallways. Two soldiers, a woman dressed in red armor and a man dressed in green armor came barreling down the hallway, both smiling like idiots at her and Olivia. Noella sighed. No doubt those two were more people from her past, people who knew her as a shepherd and a close comrade.
She wasn't far from the truth as they introduced themselves. The woman in red armor was Sully; a living woman shaped battering ram with fiery red hair and a personality to match. Stahl was the man in green, always smiling and absolutely friendly. At first she thought Stahl was the one who gave her the ring. But as they conversed, it appeared that Sully and Stahl were married; nicknamed the Bull and Panther respectively.
Noella didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief, or feel dejected at the news. It was wonderful that she wouldn't have to explain to him that she didn't remember being his wife, or even his face. However this only meant that at some point, she would end up hurting the man who loved her when they came to find her. If he ever came to find her.
Noella felt her ribs break as the two giants embraced her in an earthshattering hug, bidding her farewell. Or as Sully put it, "Time to whip a couple of spineless grunts into shape." Noella thanked the gods that she wasn't one of those 'spineless grunts' that needed to be whipped into shape. Sully didn't seem to be the gentle type when it came to training.
By the time she and Olivia were done chatting the sun had begun to set, quietly giving way to darkness and bitter winds. The two said their farewells and parted ways, each going their separate ways. Olivia would be going to her room she shared with Chrom, as did many couples that were either newly married or had been married for a long time. And Noella walked into her room that Chrom had assigned to her. Noella paused as she stood in the middle of her room, quietly observing the lack of spider webs, dust, and dirt that should have littered the floor or at least the piles of books that rested on an oak table in the far left corner of the room. But thanks to the many maids in Ylisstol castle, there was none to be found that could mar the regal elegance the room possessed.
Feeling utterly drained all of a sudden, Noella stripped off her large dark colored cloak, black pants, tunic, and plated silver boots and slid under the covers as sleep began to take over her mind. She didn't fight it and simply let it lull her into a blissful, mind-numbing embrace.
But instead of darkness within her mind like so many nights before, she heard people shouting at her from within her dreams. One voice sounded like Chrom, but the others were lost for she did not have a face to put them with. There was one voice that stuck out from the rest, one that brought tears to her eyes while she slept. It was a man's voice, one that made her heart feel as if it was being torn apart.
"Noella don't leave!" Someone shouted for her, a faceless man dressed in strange clothes that didn't look native to Ylisse. Bits of dusky purple cloth fluttered in the wind, the edges frayed with the scars of battle and drenched in blood. A silver sword stained red hung loosely in his right hand as he ran towards someone, trying extremely hard to hide a very noticeable limp in his left leg.
And in her dreams, a woman that looked exactly like her except her hair was white and not silver, turned to face the nameless man with a warm smile upon her face as her body seemed to slowly disappear into purple dust.
"I pray we meet in a better time, goodbye." The woman appeared strong, resilient. But the tears streaming down her face showed just how fragile she actually was. Sadness reflected in her brown eyes, the same color eyes Noella bore, as she watched the man struggle to grab onto her hand.
But it was far too late. As soon as his hand was about to touch her's, it disappeared into purple dust, leaving him with nothing.
Noella wasn't sure why she was remembering this, or if this was a memory. It could just be a dream, something her mind conjured up to make her feel better in this strange world she didn't know.
And yet, she knew what she had dreamt of was real. That it had happened and shouldn't be forgotten. And Noella didn't forget the faceless man who tried to reach out for her, nor her last words to him.
She only prayed she never saw him for fear she would break his heart a second time. Because even though he knew who she was, Noella did not remember who he was.