Here it is, finally the next chapter! I'm sorry for the delay, but I hope you enjoy this. I'd like to read your reviews! ^^


Estelle was running through the streets of the city of Zaphias during the clear and lively morning. She was heading to the Lower Quarter to meet his friend Yuri, who was going to Dahngrest later.
The princess passed by the people who were walking on the streets or buying food in the markets. Some of them recognized her as the princess, and some other knew her for her book called "Tales of Vesperia", but no one dared to stop her. The hill that indicated the start of the Lower Quarter was a release of adrenalin for the pink-haired girl, who was excited to meet his friend.
When Estelle arrived to the fountain where the Aqua Blastia was, she encountered Hanks not too far away from there, and she ran towards him.
"Sir!" She exclaimed once she stopped to catch her breath. Hanks looked at her and raised both eyebrows.
"Miss Estelle? Are you okay?" He asked her with a worried tone.
"Yes, thank you… I'm sorry for asking this all of a sudden, but, have you seen Yuri this morning?" She said, more relaxed now. She looked around, searching for her friend, and Hanks rubbed his neck.
"No, I'm sorry Miss Estelle, I think he said he was going to Dahngrest today, you should ask at the Inn, maybe he left already…"
"It won't be necessary." A third voice interfered; Hanks and Estelle observed the newly-arrived person.
"Yuri!" Estelle mentioned, relieved of seeing him there along with Repede.
"Oh, so here you are, Yuri… I hope you didn't do anything reckless as to worry the young lady…" Hanks smiled, and Yuri placed a hand on his waist.
"Oh come on, I don't get in trouble that easily." The swordsman replied nonchalantly. Estelle and Hanks looked at him, hesitant. Yuri, slightly offended, looked away. "Well, not as much as before." He admitted. Hanks laughed midly and said:
"Well, I should get going. It was good to see you full of energy as always, kids. Yuri, have a nice trip, and come to visit us more often, okay? Goodbye!"
"Thank you very much, sir Hanks!" Estelle waved him goodbye. Yuri smiled to him, and after that, the old man turned around to resume his daily activities. Then, the swordsman looked at the princess.
"Were you running before?" He asked her with a mocking grin on his face. Estelle blinked, confused.
"Huh?"
"Your hair…" He pointed at it, and Estelle palpated her short hair, noticing that it wasn't as straight as before leaving the castle.
"Oh, yes, I thought I was late, and I didn't want to delay you more, so…"
"It's okay, you don't have to explain it. Besides, you're not delaying me; I'm here because I want to." Yuri interrupted her. "Now, I know a good place to chat, and it has a great view. Follow me, Estelle."
After those words, Yuri and Repede turned around and started to walk. Estelle observed his friend a few seconds, and after that, she did as he said and start to follow him through the Lower Quarter's main street.

Soon, they arrived to the second floor of the Inn.
"Here we are." Yuri mentioned.
"Your room?" Estelle asked, even more confused. Yuri did nothing but smirk.
"Nope, it's a place better than my room." In that moment, the swordsman looked at his hound. "Repede, wait for us here."
The dog barked, agreeing with his owner's statement. Then, the dog laid down in front of the door of Yuri's room, relaxing itself.
"Estelle, look." Yuri called her with a smile. After that, he started to climb to the Inn's roof with the help of the railing. Once he was safe up there, he leant out of the roof to see the princess. "Your turn."
Estelle nodded, and with a determined look, she started to climb with the help of the railing, mimicking the moves she saw on her friend, but slower. Yuri was used to do that, she was not. Furthermore, her dress didn't help her that much, but it was lighter and more comfortable that the turquoise one from the last night.
After a while, the young man extended his hand to help the princess, and she accepted the help. Yuri pulled her up, and Estelle gasped when she reached the roof. A few seconds later, both friends were lying on the roof, slightly agitated for the effort.
"Thank you, Yuri…" Estelle muttered while sitting properly.
"Well, what do you think?" Yuri asked her while sitting and placing his arm on his knee. Estelle observed the sight she had in front of her; she could see all the Lower Quarter perfectly from there, and the Giant Sword from the Imperial Castle looked majestic from that angle, guarding the city with the three quarters surrounding it at the same time.
"It's… beautiful. This view is even better than the one from the castle's windows." She finally said, captivated by the view. Yuri smiled, and focused his gaze on the clear sky above them. They were silent for a while, observing their surroundings and enjoying each other's company.
Estelle broke the silence instants later:
"Yuri… lately, I've been thinking about a lot of different things… And I realized that I have learned to take my own decisions. That wouldn't had been possible if I hadn't started that journey with you and the others. I'm so grateful for all the things I saw, learned and felt… no matter if they were good or bad."
"That's good." Yuri mentioned. "After all, you're the one who decides how to live your life, and no one else."
"Yes… Moreover, I didn't have a reason to fight for before. All of you, Rita, Judith, Karol, Raven… they all had a reason to act. I didn't."
"And I told you that you shouldn't worry, that you would discover that reason during your journey." Yuri added, still looking at the sky. Estelle nodded.
"That's right. And after all this time, I found the reason."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. Being with you, Brave Vesperia, is… the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me, Yuri. Having friends to fight for… and a world to care about… for the sake of the voices that don't reach the capital… that's why I fight."
Yuri gazed at her; she had her eyes closed, her intertwined hands resting on her lap. Her gesture was serene and kind.

Estelle had changed.

She had just discovered the true world by herself after living 17 long years sheltered in a castle with the only company of her books, totally blind to the outside world. In just one year, she saw and lived a lot of different events during their journey, but thanks to those unexpected events, the Child of the Full Moon matured and comprehended the value of having a reason to do something.

That was a great advance.

The swordsman smiled, satisfied with her success.

"I'm happy for you, Estelle. You found the reason to move ahead. It was a matter of time." Yuri said after a while, and the princess opened her eyes with a smile on her lips. "Keep up the good work and fulfill those words."
Estelle nodded happily.
"Yes, Yuri, I'll give my best! Brave Vesperia works really hard bringing justice to the world. I want to do the same." Yuri laughed mildly.
"Then so be it."
They looked at each other for a few long seconds, theirs smiles still on their faces. In that moment, Estelle felt her cheeks reddening, and she placed her small hands on them, trying to cover them.
"Hmm? Are you okay, Estelle?" Yuri asked her, curious.
"Y-yes! Well, the thing is, there's something else I wanted to talk about…" she confessed, looking down. Yuri tilted his head to see her better and placed his chin on his open hand, part of his long hair falling to one side.
"What is it?"
Estelle gasped slightly.

She didn't sleep well two nights before, reflecting about her feelings and actions from the day they went to the Coliseum, searching in her books for words and definitions that could help her to define that strange sensation she had, that warm feeling she could feel every time she saw her friend Yuri (Because that didn't happen when she saw any other of her friends, like Rita or Karol), something she started to feel long ago, maybe just after discovering her role as the Child of the Full Moon.
Since Brave Vesperia finished their journey to save the world, Estelle didn't have the opportunity to see her friends as much as before, including Yuri, and that saddened her. When Estelle just returned to the castle, after finishing the journey, there were some occasions when the princess didn't want to leave her room nor see anyone, in order to think about her friends while writing about their adventures, but mostly, to think about Yuri.
Furthermore, every time the swordsman would turn up at Zaphias, Estelle would welcome him with a big and strong hug (Yuri didn't know about Estelle's strength until she hugged him like that for the first time) and she would later ask him if he was doing okay. Once the brief visit was over, the naïve princess would return to her chamber to concentrate on her novels. Every now and then, Flynn would find strange the commonly-happy-princess' silence, so he would pay her a visit to ask her if she was feeling ill or something similar. Then, Estelle would smile sadly and say: 'Yes, I'm fine; don't worry about me, Flynn'.

Maybe those responses and a certain situation would help Flynn to understand the real reason of Estelle's demeanor much later.

But then, what is that strange and warm feeling that Estelle is starting to notice every time she sees Yuri?

Since not too long ago, the young princess started to reflect on those feelings a lot, but it wasn't until a few days ago when she caught a glimpse of what it could be: That day at the Coliseum, when she was observing Yuri's fans giving the swordsman kisses and hugs… Estelle finally understood that she was feeling jealous at that moment.

Undoubtedly jealous.

And even though Estelle didn't notice at that instant, the sudden desire to run towards him to get his attention was thanks to that jealousy she was feeling. However, the princess wouldn't dare to do that; she would feel selfish if she doesn't allow other people to congratulate her friend, to celebrate with him. After all, that was an important achievement to him. That is why, after seeing his friend enjoying the company of his fans, Estelle decided to wait outside. She didn't want to ruin Yuri's glorious moment. And with that resolve, Estelle turned around and left the Coliseum.
In Nordopolica, while Estelle was looking at the vast sea in front of her, she started to reflect on her feelings. That day she realized that, lately, the desire to feel Yuri's touch was starting to haunt her; the urge to hug him was intensifying, and once in a while, she would wish to have a subtle touch with the swordsman's hands or face. Aditionally, Yuri's features were starting to look more attractive than before, and that carefree smile of his was becoming irresistible. Estelle would use any excuse to start a conversation with him. Probably, the moment they were sharing now on the roof of the Lower Quarter's Inn was the consequence of her selfish actions for wanting to spend more time with him before he return to his work with Brave Vesperia; after all, she didn't know when she would be able to see him again.
The princess couldn't help but feel bad when she noticed that she might be wasting Yuri's time just to satisfy her wishes.

Nevertheless, it was now or never.

After long hours of reflection, and without the help of her books, Estelle finally found the right word to name the strange and warm feeling she was sensing:

Love.

Yes, Estellise Sidos Heurassein was totally in love with Yuri Lowell.

And she realized this yesterday morning at the tranquil castle of Zaphias, when she was arranging her wardrobe and found the bridal veil that fell from the tree of Halure thanks to the spirit of the imposing tree. The young woman observed the veil deeply, and unlike the last time she tried it on, she started to feel a strong yearning to use it while marrying the loved one.
After thinking about that, Yuri's face appeared in her mind immediately, lightning up her memories and making her blush:
That young man, so different from her, had captivated her heart. He woke up feelings inside her that she had never met before.
With those thoughts, the princess tried the veil on once again, and after seeing her reflection in the mirror, she imagined herself with a long and beautiful wedding dress, and she allowed her mind to play with her, daydreaming that she was walking between all of her loved ones with a long red carpet under her feet, heading to the altar where the person she loved with all her might was waiting patiently for her. To her surprise, the one that was waiting for her was no other than Yuri Lowell, with his long hair loose and wearing a black wedding suit that made him look even more handsome than he was already. He had a sweet smile on his lips, the same smile he shared with her when he was trying to save her from Alexei's control, when he jumped out to reach for her with that reassuring smile. Estelle was getting close to him, and he was just observing her with his curious eyes and that smile of his. Then, the happiness overflowed her and the princess started to feel the tears flood in, but Yuri winked at her to calm her.
When Estelle was back to reality, she blinked and looked at the mirror in front of her once again, noticing the bridal veil on.

And then, she was aware of everything.

She realized her strong feelings for Yuri as well as her inner whishes.

And she blushed.

"Estelle…?" Yuri's deep voice brought Estelle back to reality. She blinked, as waking up from a dream.
"Oh, I'm sorry Yuri." She observed him, and smiled shyly when she saw Yuri raising an eyebrow, slightly confused. "I'm fine."
"Well... what did you want to talk about?" He asked again. Estelle didn't look away. She looked at Yuri's dark eyes, and let herself be mesmerized by them.

Yes, it was now or never.

"I have to… confess you something." Her voice was almost a whisper. Unconsciously, Estelle leaned forward a bit; Yuri blinked, but he didn't move. "Yuri Lowell, I have to tell you… during all this time we've spent together, you have always been there for me. And I have realized… how important you are for me. I used to think that I loved every one of my friends equally, but I finally understood how wrong I was." Estelle looked down and gulped. "Yuri, you mean a lot to me…"
Yuri blinked once more.
"What I want to say is…" Estelle looked at him again, breathed deeply and continued: "I'm deeply in love with you."
And after those words, Estelle waited for a reaction. Yuri's eyes widened, astonished; he didn't expect that declaration. And then, he looked away, evidently nervous. Estelle looked at him, her heart beating quickly in her chest as if it wanted to go out. After a few minutes of quietude, the swordsman resumed the talk, still looking away:
"Estelle…" He coughed, clearing his voice. "I didn't see that coming. And… somehow, I'm glad you had the courage to tell me this."
Yuri smiled sadly, and said to himself:
"Heh, you sure have guts."
Estelle tilted her head slightly."
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear the last part." She mentioned, but Yuri shook his head and gazed at her thoughtfully.
"Estelle… are you sure of this?" He asked, ignoring her last comment.
"Huh? W-what do you mean?"
"You said… that you were in love with me, but… but I don't think I'm the right person for you." Clearly, those last words broke the princess' innocent and inexperienced heart, as her pupils dilated. "My hands have killed people, and my reputation isn't the best of Zaphias. I'm no more than a commoner, and you know that."
"But Yuri, that isn't…" Estelle started, but Yuri interrupted her.
"I told you once that I might turn my blade on you. I asked you if you were afraid of me…"
"...And I said no." This time, Estelle was the one who cut him off with her determination, to Yuri's surprise. "And I am not afraid right now. I told you that if you ever end up doing that, I was sure I will have done something to deserve it."

Yuri opened his mouth to refute, but said nothing.

"Yuri… I don't care about all those things. At this point, I know who you are and who you are not. I know the reason of your acts. I'm not afraid of you at all, and I don't care where you come from or what people think about you. I just know that your words, your acts and your presence touched my heart… and I couldn't do anything to avoid it. That's why… that's why I wanted you to know what I feel." The girl looked down, intertwining her hands. "I understand if you don't feel the same way as I do. After all, I'm not a very experienced person, I don't have a nice body like Judith's and I'm a little clumsy… but my feelings for you are sincere. And confessing this is enough for me."
Estelle gazed at Yuri for a few instants, and after that, she looked down once again.

Yuri was processing all of her words.

All this time, Yuri had thought that Estelle was a really kind person, nothing compared to the rest of Brave Vesperia. After all, Yuri grew up on the streets and killed someone with his own hands. That's why, he thought, he shouldn't be around her too much. And yes, he was a very experienced man despite of his youth; He has seen a lot of things already, things that maybe Estelle couldn't even imagine. Despite all these, the princess had chosen to stay by his side, by Brave Vesperia's side, until the end.
And she is a person loyal to her words.
"Here's to the road ahead" She told him once, when she overheard his conversation with Flynn about Cumore's death and his way of bringing justice. Nothing of that mattered to her; she just wanted to walk by his side.
And that's when Yuri realized that, in spite of all the misery in the world, all the injustice and misfortune, there was always a light shining upon people's hope, just like Brave Vesperia, the star, does with its bright light, bringing faith to the whole world.
"I'm so stupid. How can't I notice before?" Yuri thought. "Estelle's feelings… It looks like I'm not as experienced as I thought in some areas." He thought and smiled, satisfied.

Estelle was about to get up after finishing what she had to say, but a strong hand got hold of her arm, making her gasp.
"Yuri…?" She asked shyly. Yuri, with his look down, started to say:
"I'm sorry, Estelle. I'm sorry for not noticing before… I may not look like it, but I'm bad dealing with some things." The swordsman then looked up and observed her with a devilish look and a mischievous grin on his face. "Like expressing my feelings, as you can already say."
Estelle's eyes widened, not sure of how to take that. Seeing Estelle's confused gesture, Yuri's grin widened:
In the blink of an eye, Yuri pulled the girl towards him gently and embraced her, surrounding her little body in his strong arms. Estelle's eyes widened even more, amazed by his action. She never thought that the swordsman could return her feelings; after all, he never hinted a feeling more than friendship or brotherhood.

And yet, there he was, holding her tightly and telling her that he feels the same in a nonverbal way.

The princess placed her hands on Yuri's back, hanging on to his clothes to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.

Estelle was really, really happy.

After a while, Yuri freed her and gaze at her, curious. Estelle's eyes were glowing with happiness, and her face was all red because of the closeness of their faces. She then asked, still feeling like it was all a dream:
"Do you like me, Yuri?"
Her question was almost a whisper, but the intimacy they were sharing in that moment allowed Yuri to hear her perfectly. He smiled.
"Yeah." He replied.
"Really…?"
Yuri reflected on her question. Why had he fallen for the princess? That innocent, pure and kind girl. Totally opposite to him. Maybe it was her determination to help others and put everyone else before herself. Or maybe it was because of the Child of the Full Moon's pureness that dwells in her heart. Who knows?
What Yuri knows is that, the first time he noticed this feeling (it wasn't too long ago, for sure), he felt like a monster trying to capture a small and fleeting butterfly. A buttlerfly that looked so fragile… and somehow, the little bug transmitted him warmness and a strong desire to protect it. Since then, Yuri told himself that he wouldn't allow those feelings to flourish, for Estelle's well-being and to respect Flynn, who probably wouldn't agree with the idea of Yuri dating his dear princess.
However, in that moment those distant memories seemed stupid, and he threw out all idea concerning Flynn and possible reactions once he knows that the princess is in love with Flynn's childhood friend, the boy that only knew how to cause trouble.

Nothing of that mattered in that moment.

The only thing that he cared about was that he was there, with Estelle.

"Yes. I'm in love with you, Estelle." He then smiled sweetly, and the princess blushed even more. "Maybe you want me to say it more formal?"
Before giving Estelle any chance to reply, Yuri cleared his voice, and playfully got up and started to say with a royal and mock air at the same time:
"Dear Princess Estellise Sidos Heurassein: During this beautiful day in the city of Zaphias, I, Yuri Lowell, confess that I have fallen in love with you, with your graciousness and your clumsiness…"
Estelle covered her mouth with her hand to dissimulate her laugh.
"Yuri, you're so silly." She said, laughing.
"I suppose you have spread some of your clumsiness with me." He shrugged while sitting down again.
"Of course not! Moreover, you've shared some of your confidence with me: I don't think I would've been able to tell you how I feel if it wasn't for your help." She smiled warmly, and Yuri did the same.
"Now that I think of it, didn't you have a crush on Flynn?" He asked, teasing her. Estelle frowned, apparently insulted.
"I didn't, I don't and I won't have a crush on him!" She responded. Yuri blinked; didn't think she would take it so seriously. A few seconds later, she murmured: "I… I am in love with Yuri Lowell, and no one else…"
The swordsman smiled, satisfied with her response, and looked at her; the young girl responded to the visual contact with a timid smile. After looking at each other for a few moments without a single word, Estelle's eyes widened when she remembered something:
"Oh my! Yuri, it's so late, you have to return to Dahngrest! I'm sorry…" she apologized.
"Relax Estelle, don't worry about it; we're not in a hurry."
"Even so, you should leave or Karol will start to worry."
Yuri sighed.
"I won't try to deny that, you won't listen to me anyway." He murmured with a teasing tone on his voice, and after that, he got up and offered Estelle a hand to help her stand up. "Come on, let's go to the castle."
"Okay. Thanks, Yuri." She said while standing up with Yuri's aid.
After that, both friends got off of the roof and met Repede. The dog seemed to know what happened up there, since, with curious eyes, looked at the humans in front of it before whining slightly. Then, the three of them left for the Castle of Zaphias without talking much. It was already noon by then.
During their walk, Estelle searched for Yuri's hand shyly. Yuri noticed this and held her tiny hand softly. They continued their way to the castle like that, holding hands.
Once they arrived to the Castle's doors, Estelle freed Yuri's hand slowly and placed herself in front of him.
"Thank you for everything, Yuri, I am so happy. Give my regards to Karol and Raven. I will pray for you well-being." Estelle said. Yuri nodded.
"Thanks, I'll take care of that."
"Oh, and Yuri?"
"Hmm?"
"Come to visit us more often, please."
Yuri observed her for a few instants, and then, he smiled.
"I will."
The young princess smiled happily, excited for the swordsman's reply. After that, she approached Yuri and gave him a short but sweet kiss on the cheek. Yuri, who wasn't expecting this, blinked astounded and gazed at the princess. Estelle just smiled timidly, her cheeks reddening.
"Goodbye, Yuri and Repede. Have a safe journey." She murmured, and after that, she turned around.
"Yeah, thanks. Say hi to Flynn for me." He said, playful. He turned around and was about to start walking when she heard Estelle whispering:
"Yuri… I really like you."
The young man looked sideways at her. He then closed his eyes and smiled to reply with a gentle voice:
"And I like you even more, Estelle."
After those last words, Yuri headed off to Dahngrest along with Repede. Estelle stood there with her cheeks reddened, mesmerized by Yuri's last statement. She turned around to see the swordsman leaving the city, and with a big smile on her lips, she placed her intertwined hands in front of her chest to pray for the man's sake and return.