Shades of the Exiled

-Ten-

Left Behind

I can't leave her here, there's no way. If Gra killed my father, than I doubt they would hesitate to kill her as well. Why would she want me to escape without her? Does she know what she's doing, putting her life at such risk, all because of me?

-x-

"Where is my sister?" Marth demanded of Malledeus when he approached the encampment. "I left her in your care, did I not?" When it came to his sister, Marth took everything seriously, and to see her not there made him jump to all sorts of conclusions caused by such irresponsibility.

Malledeus inclined his head towards his liege. "Aye, sire, she was, but Princess Elice wished to stay behind and have you go on ahead."

There was silence as Marth stared at Malledeus, his face blank as it all sank in.

Elice is not coming with us.

"Have me go on ahead…? Without her?"

Malledeus nodded. "Yes, sire. She has opted to stay behind for the sake of the people. She said that, with King Cornelius gone, Queen Leeza unaccounted for, and you fleeing to Talis, it wouldn't be fair to simply leave the people behind to fend for themselves. So she is staying with them to ease their fear."

Marth shook his head, unable to believe his sister would do this to him.

"We can't just leave her." Marth began walking in the direction Malledeus had come from – the direction the castle was in. "She has to come with us. We can't leave her here, whether it is for the people or not! They might… Gra might…" He couldn't bring himself to utter the word that would complete the sentence.

"That is a risk she is willing to take! Your Highness—"

Marth refused to listen to anything further and took off running instead.

"Prince Marth, where are you going?!"

I won't let you sacrifice your life for me just so I can live.

He stopped abruptly when he felt two sets of arms grab him.

"Prince Marth, I know this news is hard to bear," said Jeigan, one of the ones holding Marth back, "but you cannot go back now! Look ahead, sire – there is freedom beyond here, beyond that prison up on ahead. We have come too far to return back to the castle now – they will see you and slaughter us all like cattle. Believe in your sister, sire. She would not do this in any normal circumstance – she is doing this for you."

Marth had stopped struggling long ago. "For me…?"

"Yes, Your Highness. You are the only one in this world who can wield Falchion now. With you dead, there is no way we can vanquish this darkness. Your future is entwined with the world's now. If you go back now, there will be no future – for any of us. But if you keep moving forward…"

Jeigan let Marth go; Marth looked to the horizon and saw the faint outline of Castle Altea, or what was left of it, in any case.

"…It seems my life is no longer mine to hazard, then."

And as much as it hurt him to do so, he turned around and headed for an abandoned prison not too far from the shore, with Jeigan and the rest of his army behind him.

Elice… Please be safe.