Hello! I'm super sorry about the last chapter! To anyone who read it and had no idea what was going on, for some reason, fanfic deleted my asterisks! So it reads really badly... Whoops. I've replaced them with lines now, so you can go back and it'll be all fine. Sorry again!

The air was getting warmer as April turned to May. Krista was walking down the path to the town to meet Sasha, admiring the rows of daffodils and the explosions of pink and green from the fully blossomed trees. It was a beautiful morning, with hardly a breeze in the air; the sun warmed her face as she walked, bouncing off of the green pendant of her mother's bracelet. She wore the charm around her wrist at her father's request; he had said it reminded him of her mother, and that made Krista smile.

Her father had been trying incredibly hard over the past few days. He had managed to come down from his room for every meal, much to Krista's delight. Briefly they had talked of when Bertholdt would come to dine; the letter had been sent and Bertholdt would be arriving with Reiner and Annie in a few days. It was not that her father seemed better, as such. It was more as if he was making a greater effort to make sure that she was not becoming like him.

That morning, Krista had received a letter from Sasha. Her tone was excitable and urgent. Krista could almost hear her jollity as she read.

Krista! She had written. You must meet me today in the town! I have the most wonderful news!

Krista was overwhelmed with joy at the prospect of company from her best friend. As she walked, she wondered what the news could be. She was happy that whatever it was was good, for she loved to see her best friend with a wide smile plastered onto her face. Previously, she had expected that her day would consist of some piano practise and perhaps a turn in the garden, but she was happy that her simple plans had been interrupted, for she had missed Sasha's company very dearly. Something about her constant joking and merriment never ceased to make Krista feel warm, and she was eternally grateful that she had a friend like Sasha, for her days would be bleak without her.

As she crested the hill, the village came into view. It was a busy day; people lined the streets, bustling in and out of shops. Krista could see all manners of people; women, children, officers - it seemed as if every resident of the village had come out into the splendid weather of late spring.

"Krista!" Came a shout. Sasha was running towards her, expression ecstatic. When she reached Krista, Sasha pulled her into a tight embrace, giggling incessantly.

"It is so good to see you!" Krista said to her, who had begun to laugh too. "But what is the nature of this abrupt meeting?"

Sasha said nothing, simply extended her left arm. There on her finger was a sparkling diamond ring. It gleamed in the sunlight, casting tiny spots of light onto Krista's dress. Krista threw her hands over her mouth.

"He proposed?" She exclaimed.

"Yes, just last night!" Sasha's face was flushed and her brown hair was slowly coming undone from its plait as she jumped up and down.

"Sasha, that is wonderful news!" Krista was immensely happy.

"And the wedding is in just one month!"

"One month? But that is so soon!" Krista was shocked. She knew her friend was prone to rushing into things, but even this came as a surprise; Krista supposed that Mr Springer was every bit as in love with her as she was with him. "Are you sure you are ready?"

Sasha took Krista's hand. "Never have I been more sure of anything, Krista." Her happiness seemed to radiate from her. "If I could spend my whole life as happy as I am right now, then I am sure my life would be nothing short of perfect."

Krista looked into her eyes. "Then I expect an invite very soon." She grinned and hugged her friend again. "Now, you must tell me all about it."

"With pleasure! Well, he turned up so unexpectedly that I thought that something was very wrong; that he was leaving for London again sooner than expected. But no, he simply asked to walk with me, and he looked rather nervous, which I thought was odd, because he had always appeared so confident in front of me! Anyway, yes, the sun was just setting and we talked of its beauty for a little while, but then he suddenly stopped. I was so very confused, but I scarcely let myself hope that he might ask for my hand, so I kept my excitement at bay, but then! Then he got down upon one knee and pulled this ring from his back pocket," - she admired the ring on her finger, smiling as she did - "and he proposed to me right there under the setting sun! Of course I said yes straight away, and he took my hand and kissed it before he placed the ring on my finger, and oh, Krista, everybody should feel this happy! It is like the light from the Sun shines inside of my heart!"

Krista laughed quietly. "Well, I wish you even greater happiness in your marriage. Now. Come into the village. I will buy you anything you desire."

The girls walked the town for several hours, laughing and buying various things. Sasha talked about her plans for the wedding over the lunch Krista had bought her, for food was what she desired for a gift. They had gotten a variety of cheeses and some bread, and were sat in a sunny field near the church. Sasha ate ravenously. Krista watched her, happy that her friend was happy. But then, something dawned upon her.

"Sasha?" Krista asked quietly, mid way through one of Sasha's sentences.

Sasha stopped talking about the food they would have at the wedding and looked up at her friend. "What is it, Krista?"

"Will you… be going back to London with him?"

Sasha cast her eyes to the grass, avoiding eye contact. "Yes," she said, her voice soft and sad.

"Straight after the wedding?"

"...Yes."

Krista felt a pang of pain shoot through her stomach. She was losing her only friend. Her mother, her father, her grandmother, Ymir, and now Sasha. How many more people would leave her all alone? Was there even anyone left? She struggled to smile, trying to seem as if she was alright, but it was incredibly difficult. She blinked, pushing back tears. How could she cope, now? She had just one month with her friend before she left for London. Then she would be even more alone.

"That is alright," she said quietly, struggling to keep her voice from wavering.

"You could come and visit at any time," Sasha said hopefully.

"I would like that very much," Krista replied.

The rest of their conversation felt strange and forced, and Krista was so unhappy that she considered faking some variety of illness so that she could go and cry without having to feel even more guilty than she already did. She felt so selfish that she was upset at her friend's engagement. How dare she? She should be happy for Sasha, not upset.

After Sasha had finally finished eating, they decided that they would go and walk around the town for a little while before Sasha returned home. It was around three o'clock when they were approached by Jean Kirstein, who was brandishing a newspaper and shouting to anyone who would listen.

"Mr Kirstein, whatever is the matter?" Sasha asked incredulously.

"Miss Blouse, Miss Lenz," Jean bowed. "There has been an arrest in the town over!"

"My, who was arrested? And what for?" Krista asked, grateful for any news which could distract her from her sadness.

"Two men have been accused of buggery! Sodomy!"

"And in Stohess!" Sasha cried.

"Yes! A supreme defiance against our great Lord, do you not believe? Any man or woman who acts in such ways must be punished justly! May these two defilers be punished in the name of the law! The newspaper states that these men claimed to be in love with each other. Have you not heard a more ridiculous claim..."

Krista was silent, tuning out his words and letting her thoughts take over. Supreme defiance? For simply falling in love? Krista was not sure of exactly what they had done, but she could not understand the hatred coming from Jean's voice and words.

Sasha seemed entranced, but quickly began talking of her engagement. Krista was too deep in her mind to pay much attention to what the pair was saying. Was it so much of a crime to love someone of the same gender?

She thought of Ymir; those feelings… so close to what Sasha had described.

Would it be a crime to love Ymir in the same way that she was supposed to love Bertholdt? But no. That was impossible, ridiculous! It could never be. Krista laughed to herself at the prospect, trying to ignore the turbulent thrashing of her nerves at the thought of touching Ymir.

"Miss Lenz, are you alright?" Jean asked; he looked concerned.

Krista jumped. "Of course! I am fine!"

"I am glad to hear of that. Will you be at the service on Sunday?"

"Most certainly."

"I look forward to it." He bowed, then turned to Sasha. "Miss Blouse, if you would, please tell Mr Springer to make an appointment with me regarding your marriage at the church; arrangements, and such."

"Mr Kirstein, I believe that I would be more suited to making the arrange-"

"Do not be ridiculous, Miss Blouse. Let the men take care of the important things."

Sasha looked defeated, but agreed.

Not long after their conversation with Mr Kirstein, Sasha turned to Krista, an expression of revelation on her face.

"I have just had the most wonderful idea, Krista!" She exclaimed. "You must be the one to design my dress! It would be perfect!"

"Are you sure that is the best idea, Sasha? I have never designed such a dress…"

"Nonsense, I know anything you designed would be impeccable! I shall send you my measurements tonight so that you may start as quickly as possible."

"Very well," Krista smiled. At least now she would have a point of focus, and the design sketches would be something to remember her friend by when she left for London.

That night, Krista sat, waiting for the letter to arrive from Sasha. She thought of her conflict with Ymir, all those days before. In her loneliness, she had never actually stopped to consider the reasons why Ymir had been hiding in the cupboard. She had been so angry that her perception was almost rendered blind; Krista had never stopped to realise how strange it was that Ymir had just run away for no apparent reason.

She thought back to the day. It had been when Bertholdt was coming over. Was it custom, wherever she had come from, to leave the room whenever someone of a higher class came in? No, that was ridiculous; she had been fine when her father entered, and she had never been dubious around Krista. Then what about Bertholdt was it? Why was she so desperate to not be seen by him? Had he done something to her? Krista doubted it; he was one of the kindest people she had ever met, and she doubted they had ever even met before.

No matter how much she reviewed the situation, she could think of no reason why Ymir would be so desperate to get away from him, or why she was so angry when Krista has asked. Each time she replayed the scene in her mind she became more confused.

Marry him then.

Was Ymir… jealous? It seemed impossible, but Krista remembered it in her tone; it was as clear as still water. But why? When Krista had tried to get closer to her, she ran away, and had not seen her since… so that could surely not be the case, could it?

"Damn! She is still making me question her! She told me that there was no reason, so why can I not just let it go?" Krista muttered angrily to herself, agitated that she had let the maid consume her thoughts once again. She was not even angry at her any more; all Krista wanted was answers. It had been so nice to talk to her as a friend, to find things out about her. Krista wanted more. She needed more. She almost felt as if she was going mad; the constant questions never seemed to relent. Every answer was met with two new questions; it was an endless cycle of confusion.

She could not keep doing this. Krista went to her music room and did the only thing she knew - play music. The level of concentration that came with skilled playing was the sole thing that allowed her to be free from her thoughts. But within every rest, within the gap between each phrase, she found herself glancing over her shoulder, wanting and wishing that Ymir was listening at the door.