Hearing someone speak with a raised voice just around the corner, Xander slowed down and approached silently – which was easily done, considering that the floor was soft, and he was wearing socks.

It was still a strange thing to him to not wear any shoes or boots inside, but it worked well enough.

" - shouldn't carter to the needs of those Nohrians! It is very unseemly for a princess of Hoshido."

A male speaker, Xander noted, but no-one he could recognise.

"I do not 'carter to their needs', as you put it", a woman's voice replied – Sakura's. "I merely offer solace to those who might need it. Everyone is welcome. Why don't you come tonight, too? It might do you some good."

"Offering solace to the people who conquered us! Absurd!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that I might be doing this for my own sake as well?", Sakura asked, her tone suddenly less pleasant. "Have you ever been to a battle, or seen the aftermath of one? Watched people being b-butchered right in front of you? Trying to save every single life, even though you know you won't be able to, but you still have to try?"

"W-well, no, but - "

"Then don't you dare to assume that you know what it's like for me, how I feel. Music helps me just as well as anyone else. And whether the Nohrians are there or not doesn't affect anyone else. So this is a moot point."

"I see. Forgive me my outburst, Sakura-hime."

This seemed to be the end of the conversation, and for a moment, Xander feared the man might walk in his direction and spot him – however, luck was on his side.

After a while, Xander cautiously peeked around the corner (after having made sure that no-one was watching) and spotted Sakura standing there, her back to him, fists balled at her side. It was a very unusual sight, and Xander assumed that she was very upset.

He straightened himself and approached her.

"Princess Sakura?"

Even though he had tried very hard not to startle her, she spun around with a gasp.

"Prince Xander! I didn't realise you were there."

"Sorry for having eavesdropped", he replied with a grimace. "I was just walking down this corridor, and - "

Sakura shook her head.

"It's not your fault. Anyone could have heard. And it's not like we were discussing secrets of state or something."

"You are upset", Xander stated.

"Yes", Sakura admitted, looking unhappy about it. "Princes Elise and I tried so hard, and then he goes and accuses me of – of the things he did..."

"Don't take it to heart, especially if it's helping you cope. You made an excellent point, though. People who haven't been to war cannot truly understand what it is like."

"True..."

"Still, you might want to keep an eye on him – and people who think like him, too. They could cause trouble – especially if they begin to doubt your ability to be a good regent. You have to make it abundantly clear that you will stick by your decisions, and won't allow anyone to undermine you."

"I see. It's just, I'm still so new to all of this, and often-times, I don't even know what I should do..."

"Ask questions. As many as you possibly can. If someone demands an answer of you, and you aren't sure what to say, delay them. It is better to potentially upset someone by delaying your answer than giving the wrong answer. Depending on what the question was, that could have disastrous effects."

"Oh dear... Thank you so much for telling me all of this, and for having been so patient with me... I hope I wasn't too much of a burden..."

"You really need to give yourself some credit, princess", Xander replied with a smile. "Considering your situation, I think you are doing a marvellous job."

"Th-thank you."

"Not at all. Would you like to learn more about the ancient art of combating meddling and power-hungry nobles?"

Sakura chuckled.

"I would. I would like to be able to tell Hinoka-onee as much as possible once she returns – she's just as clueless about these things as I have been at first."

"Good. You should tell her everything – everything that has happened, everything you've heard or seen. She'll need to know these things, or she will be taken advantage of. You are very perceptive – I believe you will do a fine job."

Sakura blushed.

"A-anyway, you wanted to tell me how to deal with those pesky nobles."

Xander chuckled at her antics, but readily obliged her, telling her about the intrigues and plots of the Nohrian nobility, and what he and his siblings had usually done to combat them.

Sakura listened attentively, sometimes nodding or even laughing at the more absurd stories.

Xander was thoroughly enjoying himself. Sakura's company was refreshing and pleasant, in fact, these last few days, ever since the recital, he had started to seek her out, just to talk about anything that might come to mind. Sakura had thought nothing of it, as she still deemed it necessary to work on her "people skills" and so Xander had a perfect excuse for being around her even if they didn't have anything of substance to discuss.

She had grown noticeably bolder in his presence – though she was always polite and proper, and sometimes, she would smile or laugh in response to something he said.

It made Xander happy every time he managed to pull that off.