Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem.

I wrote this mainly because Gaius and Maribelle are among my favourite characters in FE:A and god knows I'll need something to occupy my time until Fates is finally out in Europe. Also, I adore this ship and it hurts my heart there aren't more stories focusing on it.

Enjoy!

Dusky pink eyes scanned the fighting in the distance with an aura of forced calm, a girl sitting astride her horse as enemies continued to creep, inch by inch, into the castle. Still, despite her young age and lack of weapons, she did not waver.

Maribelle may not have had intimidating weapons at her disposal, but she was not the sort of girl to merely sit on the sidelines. Her healing staff was clenched in gloves fingers, gripping it perhaps just a little too tightly. Maribelle was no stranger to battles- as a Shepherd, she knew what to expect by now…and yet this was far, far closer to home than the girl had ever seen it and, to be honest, it scared her. To think that someone would be as brazen and depraved as to attack the Exalt in the castle itself...it shook the girl to her core. Perhaps this shook her even moreso than when she had been kidnapped personally by Plegian soldiers, along with the King and his horrible consort, or whoever that odious woman had been. Maribelle shuddered slightly at the memory. The King of Plegia had lost his mind, if indeed he'd ever really had much of one in the first place. Yet, even with these thoughts plaguing her, Maribelle determinately steered her horse and headed for where the fighting was loudest- she could her battle cries from Vaike and Sully from across the enormous room.

"Easy there, Duchess," Maribelle murmured to her mare, stroking her behind the ear, as the animal heard a dying shout from a nearby brigand and whinnied in discomfort, stamping her front hooves. "I'm right here."

Comforted by the sound of her mistresses' voice, the horse moved obediently, Maribelle worrying her lip as she scanned the surrounding bodies for Lissa and Chrom- it was the two of them she worried about most of all. Though she had no doubt they could defend themselves, if it came down to it, Maribelle would gladly lay down her life if it only meant the people she cared about would stay safe. Lissa would no doubt chide her for such thoughts, she knew, so she tried not to speak of it too much. Spotting some of her fellow Shepherds nearby, she hurried towards them, noting they looked rather ragged. The battle seemed to be winding down, but it wouldn't do for anyone to let their guard down- not just yet.

"Thanks!" Sully called as Maribelle raised her Mend staff high, the comforting aquamarine light glittering from the end as some of the knight's wounds knitted together.

Maribelle responded with a smile as Sully, no doubt feeling thoroughly invigorated, raised her lance and charged at an axe-wielding bandit, nearly bowling over Vaike in her eagerness to skewer her enemy. A smile twitched at Maribelle's lips as Vaike followed, his axe raised high. She hoped fervently that they had some sort of healing salve between them.

Maribelle allowed herself a few moments to catch her breath as she and the others began to file out of the castle, exhausted but still rather on edge. They had thwarted the enemy- this time. But who knew how many more attempts there might be on Lady Emmeryn's life? How long would Plegia continue its campaign to drag Ylisse into a terrible war? Lost in thought, Maribelle glanced around, searching for Chrom and Lissa when she noted that the Prince had fallen somewhat behind.

A man hung back from Chrom, looking off to one side as if only half-listening to something, but he nodded as Chrom spoke with him in an undertone. There was something about him that seemed...familiar. Maribelle might have scoffed as such an idea, a lady of her social status knowing a thief, but something about the red-haired man struck a chord in her. Even as she heard Lissa's footsteps fall in stride with Duchess, Maribelle couldn't tear her eyes away.

It wasn't until he, as if sensing her intense gaze, glanced her way, that she finally recognised who it was. A gasp crawled up Maribelle's throat and she only just managed to force herself into swallowing it back as green eyes locked with hers. She saw a look of understanding slowly creep across the redhead's face and she quickly looked away, her blonde spirals whipping about her face in her hurry not to maintain eye-contact. Suddenly, her relief that everyone had managed to get out of the ambush unscathed melted away to be replaced with another, all-too-familiar emotion: Dread.

"Maribelle?" Lissa's voice reached her, sounding concerned, cocking her head as she glanced up at her friend, who wore an odd, stricken expression, one hand wrapped tightly around Duchess' reins. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Maribelle said quickly, in a loud, steady voice, pointedly not looking back as she directed her horse to follow the Princess, sure that she could feel eyes on her departing back. "Nothing at all."

I know, I know, short chapter, but bear with me, it's a prologue and I'm setting the stage. Thanks for reading!