AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, hello. Yes, the wait for this chapter was a bit longer than usual. The last chapter had some awesome feedback - some of you loved some things about it, while some of you hated some things about it. I wanted to incorporate a lot of that feedback into this next chapter... and yes, I stole a lot of your ideas, so, thank you! Feel free to let me know if I still didn't quite "get there," this story is a work-in-progress after all.

But it just makes me appreciate all of your comments and feedback even more. Some of you have been here since Chapter 1, which is just humbling, and some of you are new readers who binge read this crazy, long story, which is just as humbling. It really amazes me, so I want to offer my sincere thanks to everyone. For those of you that have accounts I always try to respond, but if you don't have an FF account don't think that your feedback means any less to me, I just don't have a way to PM you about it.

(Chapter title inspired by the song "The Noose" by A Perfect Circle... but I was really tempted to name this chapter after "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles, heh... those of you who are Sacred Stones fans might understand why prior to reading it :P.)

Chapter 10 - The Noose

It'd been so long since Ephraim had last been in Renais, and the state of his kingdom when he finally returned nearly broke him. Many of the once peaceful villages in his beautiful homeland were now in ruins, having been ravaged by some combination of Grado invaders, brigands, and demons. Yet, Ephraim knew that he needed to bear part of the blame for their destruction as well, since his people would have likely been counting on his protection… protection that had never come.

When Ephraim had initially charged off to Grado during the early stages of the invasion, he would have never, not even for a moment, thought that Renais would fall and his father would be killed. Perhaps if he'd stayed and focused on the kingdom's defenses instead, then things would have played out differently. Ephraim had thought at the time that attacking Grado in their own empire would force the redirection of their troops away from Renais, but it'd ended up being a grave tactical error on his part.

Or, was that really all there was to it? A part of him wondered if it was just a thirst for glory that had driven him to rush headlong into Grado while his homeland was under attack. He remembered the thrill, the excitement as he'd gone off to battle, finally having a chance to shine at the one thing he was born for, to emerge from his father's shadow as a hero of Renais.

And now, the effects of the decision he'd made… his father's death, the destruction of Renais, all of the lives that had been lost... were a burden that he would have to shoulder forever.

As for Castle Renais, it wasn't in much better shape than the villages he'd passed, and seeing his childhood home in such a state only incensed Ephraim further. Orson, a former knight of Renais who'd turned traitor for Grado, now ruled the desolate kingdom from its crumbling castle… but Ephraim would personally see to it that he was removed from the throne.

At least it wouldn't be too much longer now. Without the support of the people or an army behind him, Orson's mercenary forces hadn't been able to keep Ephraim's soldiers from entering the castle, and the siege had therefore been quick. Now that they were inside the keep, Ephraim had faith that the mercenaries remaining to hold it would be put down quickly.

"Ephraim!" a voice called out to him just after he'd speared through an armored knight with his lance, Reginleif. He looked over to see Leo riding toward him hurriedly.

"Leo," Ephraim greeted, watching as the Nohrian prince casually plucked a purple light from his tome. A nearby enemy fighter was soon impaled by a growing tree, which then disappeared just as quickly when the man fell dead to the ground.

That tome… every time Ephraim saw it in action, he couldn't help but be slightly awed by it. He'd never professed to be an expert in magic, but he would wager to guess that there was none of its ilk in Magvel. He kept meaning to ask Leo about the strange tome he carried, but they'd often had more urgent matters to discuss, like tactics and strategy. Not that their time hadn't been well spent, however, as they'd yet to find themselves at a disadvantage in a battle. It may have been an unfortunate circumstance that had caused Leo to end up in Magvel, but Ephraim was more than glad to have the Nohrian prince on his side.

"Ephraim... most of the enemy forces in the castle have been neutralized," Leo reported after scanning the nearby area for any additional threats. "There are a few soldiers still putting up a resistance, but the majority of those still alive are surrendering. However, the man holding the throne, Orson, refuses to lay down his weapons."

"Orson…" Ephraim sighed, wishing he understood why the man had betrayed him.

"General Seth and Princess Eirika are with him now. The general seems eager to put an end to him, but the princess keeps trying to convince Orson to abdicate the throne without any more bloodshed. I don't believe she'll succeed, though," Leo surmised.

"You might be right," Ephraim replied. "Whatever led Orson to betray Renais would be something important enough that he wouldn't want to surrender now. I don't think he was motivated by anything as simple as a lust for power. Orson was never like that…"

"Forgive me for saying so, but do his motives for betrayal even matter?" Leo asked, although his tone was more cold than curious. "He is a traitor, correct? I've been reading up on Renais law and, similar to Nohr, the punishment for such a transgression is clear - by which, of course, I mean death."

"Is everything always so black and white to you, then, Leo?" Ephraim wondered, unsure whether he should envy or pity his friend.

"Not everything…" Leo retorted, his eyes growing dark.

Ephraim gave him a sympathetic smile. "Well, I can promise you that I'm familiar with what Renais law says on the matter. But my people have already suffered greatly from my impulsiveness, and I won't let that happen again. Orson will be removed from my father's seat, Leo, mark my words. But if he dies this day, it will be because he gave me no other choice. Knowing Orson, compassion likely won't change the outcome here, but regardless, I must not see it as a waste of time. My actions must reflect the kind of king I wish to be, the one that my people deserve."

Leo tilted his head thoughtfully. "That… makes sense," he finally conceded. "At the very least, it's quite noble of you, Ephraim. Personally, I've always thought that having compassion for one's enemies was foolish and merely a reflection of weakness. Lately, though, I'm not so sure…"

"I don't proclaim to know all the answers," Ephraim replied with a shrug. "But my father always told me that the people will look to their king not just for strength, but also for hope. I want my actions to instill those kinds of feelings in my subjects." He then chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "Ah, but if Seth could hear me now… although, that's enough rambling for the moment, Leo. We need to get to Orson."

Leo nodded, and the two quickly headed toward the throne room.

Right before they entered, Ephraim noticed that Leo's attention was focused elsewhere. Following his gaze, Ephraim could see that he was looking intently at Princess Sakura. The princess was kneeling next to a dead body that had two arrows sticking out of it, laying one of her hands on the corpse's chest. Her head was slightly bowed with her eyes closed, and Ephraim wondered if she might be in prayer.

Once her eyes opened again she spotted Leo, who was now blatantly frowning. Sakura offered Leo a smile in return, but to Ephraim it seemed slightly strained. In fact, it appeared to Ephraim as if she were quite tired, like she hadn't slept well in days.

Glancing once more at Leo, Ephraim half expected him to be scowling at this point, but instead the prince's features had softened. In fact, the expression of such open tenderness on Leo's face greatly surprised Ephraim, and feeling as if he were intruding on a private moment between the two, he quickly darted his gaze elsewhere.

Matters of the heart had never interested Ephraim, and if anything, the thought of such sentiments only made him extremely uncomfortable. Still, there could be little doubt over what he'd just seen, and Ephraim wondered if Leo even realized that he was in love with the girl.

However, it wasn't Ephraim's place to involve himself in their affairs, and besides, he currently had more pressing issues to deal with.

Set on his task he entered the throne room, soon followed by Leo, who had to duck a bit under the archway while on his horse. There were only a few places in the castle that his cavalry soldiers could actually enter while remaining on their mounts, but fortunately, the throne room was one of them.

Seth and Orson were also currently on horseback, but Ephraim's eyes first sought out Eirika. Although he knew that Seth would never let any harm come to her, he was relieved to see for himself that his sister was unhurt.

"Ephraim," Eirika greeted tensely upon his arrival, "I'm glad that you're finally here. Perhaps you'll be able to get Sir Orson to listen to reason."

"Princess Eirika... if anyone could understand my feelings, I thought it would be you," Orson said woefully. "For the one I love, I betrayed everything. My country, my lord and master… everything. There's no going back from that."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ephraim saw Leo flinch at Orson's words. But those words, they didn't even make any sense...

"Have you truly gone mad then, Orson?" Ephraim asked, pitying the man despite everything. "It is well known that your wife died many months before this war even began. Do you think she rests peacefully in her grave now, knowing what you've done?""

"You're wrong, Ephraim. Monica is alive and happy. We are so very happy now," Orson replied, sounding quite deranged.

It was clear to Ephraim then that the man had completely lost his senses and there was no point in trying to reason with him. "Orson... you will move from that place," he demanded, gesturing at the throne. "That was my father's seat, and it will now be mine and Eirika's. You've no right to it. Surrender now and I will spare your life."

"I won't let you come between us, Ephraim," Orson responded, ignoring the order. "Monica and I will live happily here together. Forever…" There was a far off look in his eyes, but he was smiling.

"So be it," Ephraim said, readying Reginleif and getting into an attack stance. Orson had showed no remorse for his betrayal, and his grief over losing his wife must have driven him to insanity. Death would be the kindest punishment that Ephraim could offer to him.

The battle was over quickly, as even the paladin's advantage in experience couldn't match Ephraim's skill. Perhaps if the knight had been of a complete mind then it would have been a closer duel, but with Orson's facilities so compromised his fighting prowess had also suffered. Ephraim did everything in his power upon issuing the killing blow to make the man's death as quick and painless as possible.

"Monica..." Orson whispered with his dying breath before shutting his eyes forever.

And just like that, within an instant, Ephraim became the uncontested sovereign of Renais.

Ephraim knew that he should be happy to finally reclaim his father's throne, but the victory felt hollow. Lyon was still out there, after all... his best friend who'd started this whole war to begin with, the one responsible for killing his father. As much as the thought of battling his friend made him feel ill, Lyon was in possession of the Dark Stone and needed to be stopped. Only then could Ephraim work to usher in a new era of peace.

Not much time had passed before a soldier came running up to him, reporting that they'd found the room Orson had holed up in - his father's quarters. Apparently, there was also a woman currently resting there who was in very bad health. Ephraim planned to search the room for any documents or letters that might shed some light on Lyon's plans, but it seemed he'd need to bring a healer with him first.

Ephraim's first thought was to find L'Arachel for assistance, but she'd been avoiding him ever since he'd shown her the scar on his shoulder. He found himself oddly missing her presence, since things were almost too quiet without her around, but he'd give her some space for now. It had only been a silly misunderstanding, after all. He certainly hadn't meant to offend her delicate sensibilities, and she'd even been the one who had requested to see his shoulder to begin with... so she was bound to get over it sooner or later, wasn't she?

"Would you like for me to get Sakura?" Leo then interjected, and Ephraim recalled that Sakura had been right outside of the throne room when they'd entered.

"If you think she'd be up for it," Ephraim nodded. "I thought she wasn't looking quite… well."

"Don't worry. Healing people… that's the part that she enjoys, the part that comes natural to her," Leo said with a sad smile.

After Ephraim nodded in agreement, Leo hopped off of his horse and asked a page to bring the animal to the stables. As he left, Ephraim looked over again at Eirika, noticing that her eyes were now shining with emotion.

Yes, they were finally home again, finally back in Renais. Ephraim vowed to himself that he would set right the wrongs that had been done to their kingdom, for Eirika and for his people, no matter what it might cost him.

Even if that meant killing his best friend.

Sakura stared at the dead soldier lying next to her, the one whom she'd killed earlier. As she knelt next to him and studied his features, she surmised that he likely wasn't much older than her brother, Ryoma.

Hoping to find something to distract her after the battle had ended, she'd gone to assist with the healing efforts. However, Princess L'Arachel had quickly sent her away, stating that there weren't many injured and she had things under control. Unsure of where else to go, Sakura then found herself returning to the body of the man whose life she'd taken, unwillingly drawn to this particular place of torment.

Perhaps she should be relieved then, that she'd only had to kill one soldier in this battle? Unlike the skirmish in the desert, her Sun Festal had been in higher demand here than her bow, but she'd still had to use the weapon at one point to help protect those trying to breach the throne room.

But he was just one man in the sea of bodies around her. His death shouldn't be any more upsetting than those of all the other soldiers, right? There was nothing to set him apart.

Only… there was. She'd been the one to decide that this man's life was worth less than the lives of the ones she cared about. Yet, maybe somewhere out there, there was someone who cared about him just as much. Someone who'd never see him again now, all because of her.

The guilt weighed heavily on her, but she kept her feelings silent. If everyone else could do this without falling apart, then she wouldn't let herself be the weak one. Nightmares disturbed her sleep sometimes, and that was out of her control, but at least her restlessness didn't seem to wake Neimi. And the migraines...

"Sakura," a voice called softly to her, and she looked up to see Leo approaching.

It was silly, but even his mere presence comforted her, and she offered him a grateful smile for the distraction. Whenever he was near, it just seemed so much easier to face everything, to breathe in the sea of pain that sometimes threatened to drown her.

"Hello, Leo. I'm so g-glad to see that you're safe," she responded, sending a quick prayer of thanks to the gods.

"Well, of course I am," he scoffed, and as he looked away from her she wondered if she'd offended him somehow.

Before she could say anything further, though, he continued. "Prince Ephraim requires your services," he told her, causing her eyes to widen nervously. As he returned his gaze to her he must have noticed her apprehension, so he elaborated further. "There are reports of someone injured in the castle."

"Of c-course," Sakura said readily, and was about to stand when she saw that Leo had offered his hand to help her up. He must have taken off his gloves after the battle, and she shyly clasped her fingers around his now bare ones. It seemed to take only a moment before he'd pulled her upright, and as he removed his hand from hers she found herself foolishly wishing that he hadn't let go.

Doing her best to bury such frivolous thoughts, Sakura grabbed her Sun Festal from the ground and tied it to her side using the makeshift straps she'd sewn into her dress. But as she took her bow and attached it to her quiver, just like Neimi had shown her, her thoughts drifted again to the dead man beneath her.

"It's not good to keep royalty waiting, Sakura," Leo chastised, and Sakura's attention immediately shot back to him. Even though his words were cold, his eyes were sympathetic, and she wondered if he was just purposefully trying to get her away from this place as soon as possible.

"R-right!" she replied anyway, just in case. Clearly she shouldn't be dallying while someone was injured and needed her help, regardless.

"Go on then," Leo ordered. "Ephraim is in the throne room. I'll be right behind you, I just need to see to something first."

She nodded, but as she scurried toward the throne room her curiosity got the better of her and she looked back over at Leo. He was whispering to a nearby page who had a bewildered look on his face. "Just do it," Leo hissed sharply to the boy, which finally spurred him to action.

Sakura had no idea what he had ordered the page to do, though, because in an instant Leo was at her side again, guiding her into the throne room.

"P-Prince Ephraim," she greeted with a respectful bow as she entered, noticing that Princess Eirika and General Seth were with him too. She gave them each a bow as well for good measure.

"Come, Sakura, there's no need for that," Ephraim said kindly, smiling at her. "Let's go then," he commanded to the party.

Ephraim, Eirika, and Seth led the way, expertly knowing their way around the castle, while Leo and Sakura closely followed. When they arrived at their destination, a room in the back of the castle, the vile smell coming from it was the first thing that Sakura noticed.

"That smell…" Seth said, and Sakura saw Leo tensing next to her. Strangely, he almost seemed ready to stop her as she followed the others into the room.

It was a large bedroom - the king's quarters, perhaps. Seeing a sick woman writhing on the bed, Sakura couldn't imagine why she would want to remain in a place that reeked so terribly. Her first order of business after tending to the woman's illness would be to have her moved to another room. Yet, as Sakura got a better look, she realized that it wasn't actually a woman on the bed at all. She looked like a... corpse… in a dress.

"Darling..." the corpse said as Sakura watched on in horror. But how could a dead woman possibly be moving and speaking? She knew that the Dark Stone had the power to reanimate the dead, as it had with the Grado Emperor, Vigarde. Still, this body was likely deceased for quite some time before it had been revived, and the flesh on her face was already rotting in decay.

"You, you're Orson's wife..." Ephraim stated in complete shock, and Sakura wondered what was going on. But nobody else seemed to speak.

"Darling… darling… darling… darling… darling… darling..." the woman kept repeating, making Sakura feel sick to her stomach.

"What? Brother, this… this is horrible," Eirika remarked, echoing the thoughts of everyone in the room.

It truly was, there was no doubting that, and Sakura needed to do something immediately to help this woman. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself and almost gagging for her efforts, Sakura then moved in closer, raising her Sun Festal in the air.

Before she could begin her spell, though, Leo grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her backward. "Sakura, don't..." he warned.

She shrugged him off of her and moved forward again, raising her staff once more.

This time Leo grabbed her by the wrist, yanking on her roughly so that she spun to face him. Sakura's rod fell to the ground with a loud clank, and Leo pulled her in closer until he was holding her in an embrace.

"L-let g-go of me, Leo!" Sakura shrieked as she struggled to get out of his arms, but he wouldn't release her. "She's… she's… I n-need to heal her!"

"You can't help her, Sakura," Leo told her solemnly, and as much as she didn't want to hear it, she knew that he was right. She finally ceased trying to get away and instead just sagged against him in defeat.

"Darling… darling… darling," the corpse continued to say without pause, making Sakura shiver. Leo tightened his hold on her, and his touch seemed to be the only thing that was currently tethering her to her own sanity.

"Leo is right," Ephraim confirmed darkly. "This same magic was used to control Emperor Vigarde. She's already dead, and her corpse was used to..." he trailed off.

"Who? Who would...?" Erika trailed off in disbelief, and Sakura could tell that she was also suffering from having to witness such a scene. General Seth was looking at the princess with a conflicted expression on his face, as if he were unsure whether it was his place to offer her any comfort.

"Darling… darling… darling," echoed around them, and Sakura was at least glad that Leo hadn't shown the same hesitation. She wasn't as strong as Princess Eirika to be able to bear something like this on her own.

"You two needn't look any longer," Ephraim hastily said to Eirika and Sakura. "Let's go outside," he commanded gently.

Sakura couldn't obey that order quickly enough. Untangling herself from Leo, she grabbed her Sun Festal and hurried out of the room, with the sounds of the woman's ramblings trailing her as she went. Only when Ephraim closed the door did blissful silence follow.

"You can't say that this... thing is truly alive anymore. I'll... see to it," General Seth offered stoically.

"No. I'll do it," Ephraim replied. "The two of them spent every day in here, did they? Orson was mad. But I think he was happy."

Sakura felt bile rising in her throat. It was all just so... awful, that someone would manipulate Sir Orson's grief in such a way. That someone would bring a dead woman back to life so that she could suffer like this. The thought of Ephraim opening that door again and having to hear that woman once more suddenly filled her with anxiety.

"Come, Sakura," Leo ordered, tugging slightly at her elbow as he likely realized this.

She nodded, and as the two began to depart she felt Leo's hand on the small of her back, propelling her gently forward. Despite everything, she couldn't help but notice the intimacy of the gesture, and she selfishly let herself enjoy the sensation so that she could block out everything else around her.

Truthfully, it wasn't as hard as it should have been. Her thoughts of him seemed to drown out everything else as of late, and even though she often tried to stop herself from indulging in any kind of ridiculous delusions of what she might mean to him, this time she actually welcomed the distraction.

'DARLING. DARLING. DARLING,' a voice then cackled in her head. 'Is that the kind of love that you seek, then, Sakura? Don't you secretly wish that Leo could love you as much as that man loved his corpse bride? I bet it hurts you that he doesn't. But why should you let him hurt you like this? Wouldn't it just be easier to accept the darkness and make all of the pain you're feeling go away?'

"No," she whimpered. Her feelings for Leo, they weren't something that could ever be twisted in such an evil way, were they? "Leo…"

"I'm right here, Sakura," she then heard someone say, and when she opened her eyes Leo was, in fact, still with her. Her head was hurting, and she hadn't even realized that she'd called out for him. "I'm sorry," he then apologized, abruptly forcing Sakura back to reality despite the lingering pounding in her head. "I should have checked that room first to see what the… injury was before coming to get you. There was no reason for you to have seen that."

Sakura shook her head. "There's no w-way you could have known. No one could have," she told him. "I j-just… sometimes I wonder…"

"What?" Leo asked, encouraging her to continue.

She looked up at him with troubled eyes. "I d-don't know how much more of this I can take, Leo," she admitted to him in a small voice. "The killing especially, that's the worst part. It would j-just be so much easier if I... if I didn't feel anything at all."

He sighed heavily, and his concerned eyes seemed to pierce into her. "I wish that you weren't hurting, Sakura," he whispered softly, but when he looked at her in such a way, she could somehow almost forget that she was. Was this normal, to be able to lose herself in him so easily like this? Did he even realize that he had such an effect on her?

"However, I must confess..." he continued, and she found herself blushing at the thoughts that he was thankfully oblivious to. "A part of me is glad that this has been so difficult for you."

"Wh-what?" she questioned, perplexed by his words. "But… why would you want that?"

"Because as long as it is, then that means this war hasn't changed you," he explained, smiling sadly at her. "Take me as an example, if you will. These same things that are tormenting you don't even affect me in the least. It's been a long time since I felt any remorse from killing an enemy, Sakura. While you abhor war and violence, I've simply just become accustomed to them."

"So, as the w-war goes on, I might just become used to it?" Sakura asked almost hopefully.

"Perhaps," Leo offered with a shrug. "Maybe each time you kill someone it'll become easier. Maybe your conscience will draw a line in the sand, but you'll keep moving it and moving it until you can one day kill, and watch others die, without guilt. And then, when that happens, you'll finally get your wish and stop feeling anything at all. But if I'm right, then you'll just turn into me and I… I don't want that for you. It wasn't until I met you that I even…" Instead of finishing his sentence, though, he only tensed and looked away in frustration.

Yet, even though he seemed agitated, she suddenly found herself smiling. "Thank y-you, Leo," she told him sincerely, but when he glanced at her again she could see that he was confused by her gratitude. "If being more l-like you is the worst that I have to fear, then I… I know I'll be okay."

"Sakura," Leo started with exasperation, but his cheeks were also starting to color. "I don't think you fully understand. My father… I've already explained to you why he must rule our kingdom in such a way, but some of the things that I've done, that I've been complicit in… I've done my best to manipulate situations when I can, to try and keep my soul in tact, but sometimes it's impossible. I've needed to adapt as best as I could, and there are times that you… you wouldn't even be able to fathom the cruelty that I'm capable of."

Sakura looked at Leo thoughtfully, considering his words. He suddenly seemed so fragile before her, as if he were simply waiting for her to condemn him for his sins. But how could she when she had blood on her own hands? If she'd had his upbringing, his father, she likely would have long gone insane. Leo, though, he'd somehow managed to push aside his demons and become a… a hero. Her hero.

"Maybe you're r-right, Leo. That might be a side of you that I haven't truly seen," she responded sadly, unable to even imagine what kind of horrible situations his father had put him in. He immediately stiffened and his eyes turned cold, and although she hadn't meant to elicit that reaction, she seemed to understand now that this frosty exterior of his wasn't his true self, it was only another layer of armor that he wore to protect himself from further pain.

"But, I can fathom the k-kindness that you're capable of," she continued, and his aloof appearance developed quickly into surprise. Beyond that, though, she could see his longing, as if he couldn't dare to hope that he was something more than the broken scraps that his father had left behind.

"L-Leo… I know that you spend countless hours every night working on our battle strategies to keep everyone safe. And when I watch you fight, I can see that you have less c-concern for your own safety than for the safety of those around you. Even just that f-first day in Magvel, when I was nothing but your enemy, you were willing to risk your life for mine. B-but beyond that, you're always freely offering your wisdom and support to others, without ever expecting anything in return. I don't even know where I'd be, if I'd even be able to c-cope with any of this at all, without you here to encourage me…"

She'd been hoping that her words would effectively convey her gratitude and appreciation for him, but instead they only appeared to make him uncomfortable. He suddenly started fidgeting, and she was instantly reminded of how he'd acted the other night in front of the healing tent, after the desert battle.

She was just always saying the wrong things around him, wasn't she?

"Don't w-worry, though, Leo," she added, wondering if the reason for his discomfort was that he was truly worried her conscience might deteriorate. "I promise that I'll never stop hating war, and I'll never be at peace with k-killing others," she assured him. "But when the feelings of guilt start to torment or overwhelm me again, at least I can take c-comfort in knowing that it means I'm still deserving of your faith in me. Because that's something that I'd... I'd never w-want to lose."

He abruptly grunted with amusement, and a wolfish grin then emerged on his handsome features. "Oh, I don't think you'll ever have to worry about that," he told her through hooded eyes.

The impact of his words seemed to paralyze her, and she suddenly had to remind herself how to breathe.

How was she even supposed to respond when he just casually said such things to her? Should she smile? Laugh? Thank him? None of those things seemed like sufficient responses to convey how she was feeling at this moment. But since she didn't quite know what to say or do, she merely remained silent, and the awkwardness between them soon returned.

Long before he cleared his throat, she knew that he'd soon make an excuse to leave her again, and the fact that their conversations kept ending this way saddened her. He just meant so much to her, more than she dared to even acknowledge, but because of that there were times that she no longer seemed to know how to act naturally around him.

"I'm afraid I have to go now, Sakura," he said predictably, and she did her best not to visibly deflate.

She nodded at him, but instead of leaving, he furrowed his brow at her, likely puzzled by her sudden gloominess. It wasn't his fault that she kept causing all of this uncomfortableness between them, though, so she forced herself to smile.

"I wish I could stay, but there's something that I need to take care of," he explained, and even though he sounded earnest she couldn't help but feel like she'd done something to push him away. "But I don't want to leave if you're still upset..."

"Oh! N-no, Leo, it's nothing like that. I'm fine, really, I was just worrying about something silly. Please don't let m-me keep you from your responsibilities," she pleaded. "I need to check on what medical reserves are here at the castle, anyway, since the army's supply is running low..."

He still looked conflicted, but he eventually nodded at her.

They then said their goodbyes and parted ways. And yet, each time he left her, it almost felt like he was taking more and more of her with him as he went. Parts of her that she wondered if she would ever even be able to get back.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ah, I don't feel like leaving a long note here, but here it comes. Sakura and Leo are clearly stuck in a place of awkwardness right now, but I promise that it won't last forever. I'm hoping that it's not getting too boring or repetitive, but I like doing these "getting to know you" conversations between them so that the strength of their feelings for each other have some sort of basis.

For those of you who haven't played Sacred Stones, was the Ephraim section brutal? I'm really trying my best to balance what FE8 fans are looking for with what those that haven't played FE8 are looking for, and it's pretty tough. It's much easier to summarize the events of the game and their impact through Ephraim than through Leo or Sakura, but truth be told I don't really know what I'm doing. Feel free to chime in if you hated that.

Finally... mounted units indoors? Haha, silly Fire Emblem. I did my best to address that, too, sorry if it was weird.

And, regardless, thanks so much everyone for continuing to read. It sometimes baffles me that you are, but I really appreciate it none the less :).