AN: Because of the holiday season, Mickey and I decided to upload the chapter sooner so that we can take Christmas off. We'll get back to uploading every Tuesday afterwards. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Chapter Four: Ashes of Memories

Naïveté did not always equate to lack of observation skills. This was especially true for Florian. Few people gave her the credit she deserved, and she had certainly been catching the shift in tensions that had occurred several days prior. Her mother was not looking her father in the eyes, and many times now, she had caught Frieda wiping a tear from her eyes when she thought nobody was watching. Her eldest sister had also spent more time than usual "training" in the crystal caves, returning nightly with puffy eyes. They weren't the type that came from shifting back from Titan form, or so she had been told. As of yet, she hadn't actually witnessed this particular phenomenon for herself even when Grisha attacked. Her mother made sure of that.

Now, though, Frieda was on the move, heading towards the stables. She wasn't dressed for horseback riding, so that meant she would be taking a carriage somewhere. The way she carried herself, something was wrong.

Florian hiked up her skirt just enough so she could run after her. "Frieda, wait!" she yelled once she got close enough.

Frieda paused, turning to look at her sister. "What is it, Flo? Did you need something?" she asked, quickly wiping the random tear that had slipped down her cheek. Damn these emotions flaring up again.

Panting a bit, Florian composed herself. "Where are you going?"

"I-I just need a break from everything going on here. It's feeling so stifling. I can't think straight. I'm going to the farmstead for the day." She paused and eyed her baby sister. I haven't spent much time with her and she's certainly not as grating as Abel. "Would you care to join me?" she asked softly.

Florian's eyes widened a bit. "R-Really?" Huh. And here I thought I would have to convince her to let me come along. "Sure. I mean, if you really want me to."

A slight pained expression flashed across Frieda's face. I forgot how many similarities Flo shared with her… that's just how she used to respond to me. "Of course. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want your company."

A brief conversation with one of the drivers had them on their way in a matter of minutes. Frieda sat in silence for nearly the entire trip, her gaze locked out the window. They even passed the Wall border of Sina, entering into Wall Rose's territory. It prompted her to finally turn to her sister and ask, "Did you already finish your studies for the day?"

She nodded. "Handed over my essay to the tutor this morning. He was quite impressed with what I had written down." She seemed quite proud of herself.

"What's Mother had to say about your progress with the tutor? I hope she hasn't been as hard on you as she was on me." Frieda grimaced at the painful memories.

"Pretty sure Mom wants me to start eating books," Florian noted with a chuckle. "Maybe she just wants to look good at the dinner parties." She adopted a faux-accent. "Why, yes. Take a look at my brilliant children. Look how smart they've been raised. That makes me Queen Smarty-Pants. I'm so smart I don't even wear pants."

Frieda cracked up before adding another quip of her own. "Trousers are for men, or only during times of combat. One mustn't show their undergarments, even in the midst of conflict." She adopted a similar mocking tone. "It's not becoming to a woman, and we must strive to maintain an air of propriety at all times."

Florian giggled. "Mom would kill us if she knew we talked like this."

Frieda sobered slightly. "Well, she wouldn't kill us, but I'm sure there'd be 'punishment fitting to the crimes' or some such nonsense." She snorted and looked at Florian, beginning to giggle again. "I used to try and push her buttons to the edge of punishment but stop short of actually receiving any. It was fun, until she caught on. Then I was grounded for a month."

Florian grew quiet for a moment, fiddling with her fingers. "I doubt she even has a sense of humor."

"I wouldn't go that far. Yes, she is harsh but I've seen her laugh occasionally. Take note of what causes it when it happens though, because of how rare it is." Frieda replied gently. She exhaled softly and gestured to the window. "Flo! Look. We're nearing the farm."

The road had gone from being surrounded by buildings to the more open fields of gold and green, laden with crops that were ripening. The trees were also beginning their annual color display, vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and green dotting the gentle hills. Frieda opened the window of the carriage and took a deep breath, relishing the sweet air and serene nature that was the smaller countryside estate.

Florian soon joined her, a grin adorned on her face. "It's been so long. I haven't seen the leaves change in years. I think it was four years ago. You and Urklyn competed to make the biggest leaf pile imaginable. Remember that?"

Frieda threw her head back laughing. "Oh gods. I almost forgot about that. He was so desperate to win that he tried to sabotage my efforts. So I shoved as many leaves as I could down his shirt and pants."

"And the Great Leaf war began," Florian continued. "Innocent, fallen leaves crushed beneath the feet of the combatants, their broken bodies used as weapons against your face. Truly, a tragic day for all leafkind."

"You know, if you keep up your creative descriptive skills, you would make a pretty awesome storyteller, Flo." Frieda looked at her sister with a warm smile, her mood lifting from the dark place it had been the past several days.

"I was thinking more along the lines of poetry," she admitted. "I'd love to give that a try. Think about it. Any person, any place, any thing, any concept up for grabs, like why we haven't come back here for the past four years."

The carriage came to a slow halt in front of the the left, the cottage sat nestled between the barn and the hay fields. A lush vineyard stretched over the hills to their right. Frieda jumped down from the carriage and offered her sister a hand down, stretching slightly as the carriage pulled over by the barns. The driver knew from experience bringing Frieda out here meant there would be several hours to give the horses a break before they would return to the main estate.

"I don't think I've been to this area before," Florian said, looking around. "It's so quiet over here."

"It's been several years since Dad has brought the whole family out here." Frieda stopped short, and turned to Florian. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Like how you took the last cookie and framed Abel for it?" Florian asked. "I think I can keep another one."

"Not quite like that. I mean, swear to me, truly swear to Goddess Ymir that you won't tell anyone this secret. Can you promise me that you will keep what I tell you a secret?" Frieda pushed, her tone suddenly serious.

The youngest member of the family nodded. "Unless you tell me otherwise, I won't tell anyone."

Frieda let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Let's take a walk. There's a reason that Father hadn't brought us out here in several years."

Florian looked confused but she caught up to her sister within a couple of paces. "You mean it was more than just Mother wanting us to focus on only our studies?" she asked slowly.

"I wish it was as simple as that. But the reason that Father didn't want us out here was because… of Historia." Frieda whispered her name.

"Historia?" Florian questioned, the name foreign on her tongue.

" Yes. Historia Reiss." Acknowledging her sister's look of utter shock, Frieda's voice remained low as she began the recount the memories to Florian.

Six months had passed since Frieda had taken the serum and become the Coordinate Titan shifter. Day after day was spent in the crystal caves, with Rod pushing her through the grueling task of mastering the Titan form and familiarizing herself with the abilities it contained.

As a reward to mark the completion of what Rod deemed to be satisfactory training, he took her to the farmstead for several days' respite. Frieda always enjoyed the farmlands her father owned, especially in autumn, but she enjoyed the tranquility of this place more so than ever. It allowed her to put the burdens of the world off her shoulders and truly relax. Fate had other plans.

She had been passing by the cottage on her way back to the orchards after several hours of riding, but an unusual sound had her lingering more than she should have.

"Rod! Your daughter is here. You don't want her hearing us and coming to investigate, now do you?" The woman's tone held plenty of lust mixed with a touch of scolding.

Frieda froze in her place. She hadn't heard that voice in years, but it was unmistakable who it was: Alma, a former maidservant in the Reiss estate. The woman did her duties well, but she didn't like the children. She saw them as bothersome thorns in her side. Frieda wasn't fond of her and shed no tears when Alma was let go eight years ago. The only one who seemed to miss her was her father… who Alma called by his first name.

"You worry too much, Alma. She's a teenager. What's the worst that can happen? She's already had her education on what happens when a man and a woman love each other. Something you don't need any lessons in." Rod's lecherous tone was unmistakable as the repetitive thunking noise continued.

Bile rose in Frieda's throat as she put two and two together. All the times her siblings were over here, Rod vanished for long periods of time. It became clear what the real reason for these visits were about. Covering her mouth to keep herself from making a sound, she raced back toward the field of haystacks, finally vomiting by one of the fence posts.

"Miss, are you okay?" a soft, young voice asked behind her.

Frieda fought to regain her composure, her stomach finally easing its heaving. She leaned on the fence post to keep her weak knees from collapsing, and glanced over to find the source of the voice.

Standing with a half-full basket of apples in her arms was a small girl with blonde hair and silver eyes, wearing a plain gray dress and simple apron. She looked far too young for Rod to have hired her on, meaning she must have been the child of one of the servants on the property. Her eyes held concern and she frowned slightly at Frieda. "Did you eat something that upset your stomach?"

"N-Not quite. I'm fine. But thank you for your concern." Frieda straightened, withdrawing a handkerchief to wipe her face clean. "I don't think I've seen you before. Are you new here?"

The girl shook her head. "No, miss. I've been here as long as I can remember. I was taught to keep my distance or hide when the lord of the land came visiting though because he's often cross when he comes to visit," she replied stoically.

Frieda grimaced, knowing the girl referred to her father. He wasn't known for having the best of moods, especially when it came to the servants. "And what might your name be?" she gently asked.

"Historia," she answered, giving a polite bow. "My mother is also here, though she doesn't seem to work like everyone else here does. She prefers to sit out and read under a tree. Unless the lord is here. Then she takes him into the cottage for tea and they talk for a long time. Sometimes, there's funny noises, too, but Mother says that's just him helping to fix the plumbing." Historia's eyes drooped. "I got scolded last time I went back after finishing my chores because he was still at the house. So now, I take extra time on the days he's here."

Frieda nodded slowly, her mind reeling from what she'd just heard and learned. She looked again at the face of the girl, recognizing now what her silver eyes meant. "I just passed by the cottage, and they are still having their discussion. How about I read you a story to help pass some of the time?" she found herself offering.

Historia's eyes brightened up. "I like stories! But… I don't know how to read." Her countenance dimmed once more and she picked up her basket to go.

"Don't worry. You can look at the pictures and I'll work on teaching you, okay? I helped teach my younger brothers and sisters to read, too." Frieda smiled and offered a hand to the younger girl. "What do you say? Are you willing to give it a shot?"

"Okay! I'll do it. But I don't know your name." Historia took her hand and looked up at her face with a beaming grin.

"Frieda. I'm Frieda Reiss. My father is the lord of the land here. And it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I spent the rest of the afternoon with her, sharing stories and teaching her how to read," Frieda glanced over at Florian to gauge her reaction. "You can imagine how Father reacted when he found me with her later that evening."

As expected, Florian was dumbstruck as she tried to digest these revelations. She knew her father wasn't a saint, but to learn that he had a mistress… it was sickening. When she managed to find her voice again, she said, "Not well, knowing Father."

"He ordered me to cease spending time with her, but I refused, choosing instead to swear I would keep her existence a secret. It still wasn't enough to satisfy his paranoia. Before we left the following evening, he forced me to erase her memories of me. He said it must be done, 'for the good of the family'." The words hung heavy in the air as Frieda leaned and then sat heavily against one of the fruit trees.

Florian followed suit, dropping her head into her hands. Her sister hadn't been kidding about this being a massive secret. She had another sister! And close to her age. Unfortunately, one detail gnawed at her. "Frieda, did you say you wiped her memories away?"

Seeing Florian's troubled expression, Frieda immediately responded, "Florian, I swear I have never done that to you or any of our siblings. It's just an ability I have thanks to the… holy inheritance." There was a subtle note of contempt in her tone on those last words.

Florian breathed a sigh of relief before focusing on the fact she had another sister. "Frieda, where's Historia now? Why haven't we seen her then if this is her home?" The question tumbled from her mouth unchecked.

Frieda's breath caught in her throat. She knew the question was inevitable yet it didn't make it any easier to respond to. "S-she's dead." Her voice cracked as she began to weep. "She died last week at the hand of a murderer." She hiccuped, tears flowing down her face and hands.

Florian suspected that was the case. The general melancholy in Frieda's tone gave it away. Still, it broke her heart that she lost a sister she never knew. Florian wrapped her arms around Frieda's shoulders, her own tears falling into the older girl's hair. "I'm so sorry, sister. I didn't mean to make you cry."

Frieda returned the hug, pulling her sister onto her lap and holding her tightly. "I spent a lot of time out here with her. I taught her to read and write, and what it meant to be a young lady. More than anything though, I wanted to tell her that she had siblings and a family. She confided in me that she was lonely." Her voice became venomous as she continued. "Alma never showed her affection. Historia never told me what the woman did, but I could tell she barely lifted a finger for her own daughter. Historia was always working and underfed. Alma didn't even bother to think about Historia's existence. I should have done something, damn it!"

Florian stiffened at her sister's raised voice. She knew it wasn't directed at her, but Frieda was always scary when she was angry.

"But I didn't." Frieda shook as she began to weep. "Every single time I gave her a happy memory, I took them away. I submitted to our father, and that beautiful girl paid the price."

There was nothing Florian could do to make Frieda feel better. She just let herself be held by her grieving sister. If there was a life after death, Florian hoped to meet Historia there. Until then, she would take care of her family.

When Frieda was ready, the two sisters walked down the dirt road, passing by a tall tree. Florian noticed a tombstone in front of it, promoting her to ask, "Is that where Historia is?"

"No," Frieda said in a low tone. "That's where Alma is laid for her eternal slumber. She was killed by the same murderer that killed Historia."

"And the murderer?" Florian added.

"Some dirtbag who wanted to get rich and thought he could do so by blackmailing Father, something about having knowledge of one of his secrets. Just before they could have their scheduled meeting to discuss this, however, the man double-crossed him." Frieda paused to choose her next words carefully. "To quote him directly: Alma was his first victim, then Historia was killed when she was trying to flee. Unfortunately, Father showed up too late to save them. He was able to eliminate their killer himself." Frieda replied with a cringe.

"So, that means…" Florian's voice trailed off when they came upon an apple tree that wasn't nearly as grandiose as Alma's tree. It was smaller, but it provided just the right amount of shade, and Frieda's paced noticeably slowed. "This area had meaning to you both, didn't it?"

"Yes. This is where we came and sat the day I met her. It became the place we could count on seeing each other if I was able to visit." Tears brimmed in her eyes once more. "They burned her body and scattered the ashes in this area, returning her to the countryside she adored so much."

Florian took her sister's arm and wrapped it around her own waist. "Do you have anything you want to say to her?" Her tender question had the tears falling freely down Frieda's face once more.

Mustering the small semblance of control she had over her emotions, she nodded and knelt by the tree. This time instead of the elder sister being the strong one, it was Florian acting as her comfort while the young Queen composed her thoughts.

"Historia, it's Frieda. I... you-you always said you wanted to be like me when you grew up. I knew you saw me as a sister." Frieda choked momentarily then plowed on. "I never told you, because I didn't want it to be a memory that would be taken from you, but I was truly your older sister, and I loved you, more than I could express." She sniffed hard, Florian's hand rubbing small circles on her back. "Fate took you from us far too soon. Perhaps in the afterlife I'll have a chance to make amends for all that I didn't tell you. But know this: you were worth more than you were ever led to believe. I pray that Goddess Ymir has mercy on your soul, and that someday, we shall meet again." The words hung softly in the air for a moment before a slight breeze picked up and rustled the leaves of the tree and the hair of the two girls sitting below.

Florian gasped softly, her eyes flying to meet her sister's. "It's no coincidence that the breeze picked up just then. The Goddess will relay your message to Historia for us," she assured Frieda, her faith strong and sure.

Frieda said nothing as two stood in silence, taking in this place.

When the sun started to sink behind the walls, Frieda guided them back to where the carriage now awaited. She doubted she would ever come back.

Taking the seat beside her sister, Florian rested her head on Frieda's shoulder and let out a soft sound. "I hope she's at peace, wherever she might be right now. Historia…" she mused. "I can see why she loved this area so much." A soft yawn escaped her, the emotions of the day catching up with her.

Frieda silently agreed, her mind scrolling through everything that transpired. She couldn't raise the dead, but she could make a vow. I won't let anything happen to Florian. I failed Historia, but I sure as hell won't fail my baby sister.

When the silent vow was complete, Frieda wrapped her arm around Florian. Fools like Grisha would soon realize the cost was never too high. She would do whatever it took to protect her family.

Crod42: I would like to take this time to point out that Mickey wrote most of this chapter. I just edited it here and there. Bravo!

MickeyTaco: *blushes* Thank you. It had its moments of challenge but overall it came together remarkably smoothly. I hope y'all enjoyed the bonding time that the sisters shared here.

TheDoctor: I'd like to point out that between the two of you, I actually noticed nothing that needed to be corrected while proofreading this time, so kudos.

MickeyTaco: And we want to say an extra special "Thank You" to TheDoctor for being an additional set of eyes to edit for us. It is greatly appreciated.

TheDoctor: What can I say except, "You're Welcome?"

MickeyTaco: Pfffffft.

Crod42: Let us know what you think in your reviews, and we'll see you all in the next chapter.