I loved writing Vaida because she really stands out in the Fire Emblem crowd. Everyone else is so polite, while she… isn't. It's a nice change of pace.

This is where I start to feel unsure about the plot's strength, so please, don't hold back if you so desire to review!

Chapter 4: The Choices That One Must Make

When Lucius awoke with the sun, he could only understand the note that had been left to him.

…But while he may have been able to understand what Priscilla was doing, how was he to accept it?

His head began to swim. What was he supposed to do? Continue his course to her brother and bring him into the search? Or not waste any time and search for her on his own?

Only one thing was for sure.

He had no time to be pondering such things.

He would have to decide while his horse sprinted down the dirt path. After all, she couldn't have gone too far yet.

It didn't take long for him to realize that the speed in her overwhelming desires were no match for what he could do in his urgency.

His decision was made.

With a contact of his teeth to his lip that caused a pool of blood to form on his skin, Lucius changed his destination to Araphen.

-IV-

The travel was rather uneventful for Priscilla besides the burning hole in her chest that demanded she see Heath.

Once she had made it into her first of Bern's towns, she immediately enjoyed it. She simply couldn't resist the energy radiating from every living being that walked by, from the tallest human to the smallest mouse.

A few inquires to the rather polite and joyful townsfolk gave her the information that this city had been deeply affected by the war and almost destroyed. However, its natives had banded together with pride in their home and create what she saw now.

Priscilla now realized what she had missed out on in her whole life as a noble. Her surroundings had always been prim, proper, and dully quiet. For a brief moment, she was able to forget everything… and just take in the sights, sounds, and smells of civilization, the lives of the average worker.

It was only after seeing a small army of wyvern knights in training did she remember what she had come to this country for.

Heath.

Suddenly, the name didn't bring her the pang of pain that it once had.

A jolt of realization shot through her.

Maybe what she thought she had needed… wasn't what she had needed at all.

Maybe all that she had needed was a life of her own, a life that she could enjoy not because she was put into it, but because she chose that life.

However, she immediately put the ideas outside of her mind. She had come here to find her love, her life, Heath… and that was what she was going to do, because that was what would make her the most happy in life.

Right?

Priscilla just shook her head, unwilling to allow renegade thoughts infiltrate her otherwise enjoyable time in Bern.

Whatever peace that she attempted to have in her life was ended when the wyvern knights caught sight of her passing by. Well… it wasn't the wyvern knights that noticed her so much as it was their leader.

"Well what do you know…" Priscilla freaked out as a wyvern and a flash of red armor stopped her dead in her tracks, "It's that girl."

"Um…?" Was all Priscilla could muster. Her horse cried out in a shrill whinny and took a few steps back all while trying to look tough.

"Hm. That's funny. You don't know anything about me, yet I know all about you." The woman jumped off her winged mount to fall gracefully on the sharp heels of her boots. She began to study Priscilla without any regard for the noble's sanity.

Priscilla tried to keep a straight, unaffected face. "Excuse me, but I am looking for someone."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all about that. Heath wouldn't stop whining until I agreed to give you any and all help I could if you ever landed yourself in this country."

Priscilla's ears perked up at this bit of dialogue. In response to the reassuring words, she petted her horse to get it to calm down. "Then… please forgive my frankness, but what information can you give me?"

The woman cackled at Priscilla's request. "Don't ever say anything like that to me! I'm all about being frank. Come with me and I'll tell you what little I can. I promise that it will be useful information. Vaida."

Priscilla's cheeks flushed red, as they always did when she was introducing herself to someone. "Well, I suppose that you already know me well enough, so… nice to meet you, Vaida."

Vaida remounted her wyvern and ordered it to fly away. Priscilla took this as a gesture to follow her home and proceeded to do so.

Meanwhile, half the members of her wyvern knights in training army all stared at each other dumbfounded as they realized that their trainer had completely abandoned them. The other half cheered and proceeded to enjoy their first lazy afternoon since they had been assigned under Vaida's control.

-IV-

Once the two were settled at the dining table, Vaida presented Priscilla with a hot drink.

Ignoring her burning taste buds, Priscilla quickly downed the liquid.

"I didn't expect you to be so thirsty, so I didn't make any more than that."

"Oh, it's fine, Vaida. You're gracious enough to give me what you have so far." Priscilla bowed as best anyone possibly could while sitting at a table.

"Don't bother me with any more of that politeness. I was never fond of it."

Priscilla simply nodded.

"Now, here's what I know. It's good news and bad news. Good: I know where Heath is. Bad: he's no longer in this country. He could only find work in Ilia as a mercenary."

Priscilla's body went cold. Her heart dropped like a glacier.

"Don't worry. I know exactly what guild he works for. It's a good place, I recommended him to them. Just show up on the doorstep and name drop."

Priscilla nodded. She felt strong despite the tears falling from her eyes.

"That's all I know. Yes, I could have told you that while we were standing there. But Heath insisted that you were to be well fed and cleaned before you set off for Ilia."

Priscilla stared at Vaida, blankly, finally realizing what this all meant. "He… knew I would come after him?"

"Looks like he knows you better than you know yourself, girlie." Vaida reached behind herself to grab a fruit bowl. She presented it to Priscilla with the only smile she knew - a cruel one. "Enjoy a little something while I make a real meal. And get comfy. You're staying the night."

Priscilla nodded once more before grabbing a pear and taking a large bite out of it.