Author's notes: Baaaaaack!

I needed some help with this one, got it, and it's good. :3

My birthday's coming up... Methinks the wedding will be up by then. Pi day, that's when you should get it.

This is gonna be fun. In the mean, enjoy this chapter. Kinda short, but there you go. I decided to fuck the script.

Oh look, clouds. Not too far above me.

I bet a trained pegasus knight would be able to judge exactly how far it is, and then there's me, I just cheated and snatched my dead comrade's mount.

I really need to spend more time with Cordelia. That is, if she isn't being monopolized by Storm.

Anyways. What the hell was I thinking? I'm just rushing into a riot to calm it down... Well, yeah, can't be too hard. It's a simple test of charisma, I've rped this shit with Shio all too often. I guess I'll just, eh, use that one persona. Lita. Yeah.

Like acting, except I have no fucking script and shit could reeeaally go south. Oh, hell, if it gets fudged, we can always... what would we do? I don't even know.

Yeah just... don't mind the pressure... If I had the costume, I'd feel much more comfortable.

I really should make that outfit next Fanime. Problem is that I'm too short.

"Whoa!" What, Donnel? Whoa. Whoa. Okay, we just went from green grassland to tan wastes. Parts are black... like charcoal. Wow.

Uh. I just. Wanna try and ignore the scenery. But I can't. It's like a big scar on the earth– a physical scar on Ylisse itself.

I guess it's a good thing I'm seeing this before I marry the exalt, then. Give me an idea of what I'm getting into. This is the bullshit where I help the land and people to recover.

So this is my trial by fire.

Merde.

Also is the work that needs to get done before the wedding can happen. So, then, good thing I'm starting on it now.

But seriously... beneath us is salted earth and barren ash. I can just imagine the smoke and the mess that happened– as if soldiers are running beneath us right now, holding torches and sowing salt.

I actually have to stop myself from reaching for my Bolting.

"Look, a village!" Oh? So there is. Right there. People outside their homes, shouting angrily. We land... dirt kicks up, and half the crowd turns to face me.

Almost uniformly.

I straighten my spine and fix my eyes on a point in the distance. No, better idea, shut them and collect your thoughts.

I begin with "People of Ylisse!" and from there I'm just spouting out words. Well, okay, no. I ask them of their plight, and a leader steps forth and answers.

After that, it becomes a heated argument where I pull out all my logic, and Donnel throws in his input as well, but honestly, I just remember certain phrases like "the gift of humanity is our resilience" and making use of Ghandi's "an eye for an eye, making the whole world blind." Donnel pulls out some clever ideas that ring of Elibe in a few ways– it's like he's trying to invent the knights of Ilia all over again.

All in all, it ends with the leader being ignored as the people shift over to believe me, and they've calmed their shit. Essentially, we're going to have some new recruits in the pegasus knights, and we're going to need to watch our borders more carefully.

I swear that's all I remember, I was dying of anxiety. Very distracting. Urgh. I just want to land already– I mean, get home. Whatever. I'm tired. Sun's going down.

Fuck this stress.

Yeah, I got on my pegasus and flew off, and I asked Donnel to help me stay awake, because I feel like Elincia's rocking me to sleep. I just...

I have no clue.

Fucking hell, this trip got sprung on me and it felt like there was all this buildup, and now after everything's said and done I feel like it was just another performance, and I remember jack shit like I would after a performance. Well, except for the tricks I used to stay calmed and keep my logic straight. Shutting the eyes helps, focusing on the task at hand is good too. (if I can psych myself into 'deal with this shit' mood, I can kill the anxiety.)

Well, okay, there's one bit I'd have trouble forgetting. Someone tried to pull a knife on me, but it did fuckall because I have years of dodging people's hands. My dad likes to initiate random games of tag with me, I have serious experience dodging him, and that also taught me to be wary at all times.

... He normally likes to tag me on the rear. I have years of experience dodging that. Wow.

Yeah, it probably was a serious help that instead of getting all offended like some noble would, I just grabbed the guy and disarmed him and looked for someone else to regard as a leader. One individual is not a representative of everyone else.

I wasn't really sure of what to do with that douche, but the people were so willing to deal with him for me, so I left him there. I'm going to need to head back and check on that later so it won't bite me in the ass, but unless these people are serious actors, they probably held true to their word.

All right, there's Ylisstol. Kill time with the people or go straight to the palace? ... Better drop off Donnel first.

Chrom's point of view.

"Brother, are you all right?"

"Yeah," I rub my head. Perhaps I need a bath... something smells. "I'm feeling better." Wait, perhaps? Of course I need a bath. I'm certainly functioning better, at least.

Ooooogggg.

... Food, or bath? ... Food.

I exit my room and open the door. Lissa's still there. "Hey! You do look a bit better..."

Do I? I can't tell. "I think I'll feel even better than I am now if I eat. Is lunch ready?"

Lissa nods. "It's been waiting in the mess hall. The chefs are working on dinner now." Wait, they are? I'd better hurry and eat, then.

"Excuse me." I dart past Lissa, down the hall, slide down the banister– I remember when all three of us would do that together. Emm, me, then we'd both catch Lissa.

Banister-sliding may seem childish, but it's much more convenient than walking. Everyone should do it. It's a fun ride, too.

At any rate, I'm downstairs, and the mess hall is a few doors on my left. It's a large door, hard to miss. Let's slam them open.

WHAM!

The nobles ate a long time ago– at least, those of them who like to eat our food. So, I know that the mess hall only has a few Shepherds in it. Sully and Stahl interrupt their conversation to look at the door, then nod at me; Frederick was eating a ham with gusto up until he saw me and nearly coughed it up from surprise. Virion seems to be in deep thought over a letter, and there's Va–

Ahahahaha... I think he belongs in a medical ward. Nowi is standing over him, shouting for "Vay–Vay" to get better, and the noise of it seems to be worsening Vaike's condition. "Nowi," I approach and put a hand on her shoulder, "shouting isn't good for him right now. He needs to rest, then he'll be okay."

She frowns. "But Vay–Vay promised to help me get my memories back!"

So she still has amnesia, I didn't realize. ... I should have, given that she isn't wearing her usual, erm, cape. Instead, she's got a corset on and a skirt... It's very strange to see her like this. She's still sunny, but... She's not quite the same with her old outfit which rather boldly showed her body off.

My mind is presented with a sudden and vivid image of Shanzira wearing it. I... I need to sit down and eat. Fast.

As I clamber down to a bench and start grabbing some turkey off a plate, I respond to her. "And he's not... in a good state to do so. Let him rest." Mm! This is good turkey, I've missed the chefs' work. Then again, having Robin, Sully, Lissa, and Miriel as cooks every now and then hasn't been good for me.

On the other hand, Eldrad is surprisingly good at it. Perhaps he and Stahl should always be on kitchen duty.

Just focus on the food, Chrom, that's the thing to do. And then run off and have a cold bath. Wait, this turkey's har– Oh, I hit bone. Okay! What's next? Chicken! Very well, then! Mm! Good chicken!

Okay, stomach's full! I'd better sprint! I really wish I was wearing armor! It might actually hide my problem right now!

My hair is sopping wet, but I'm clean and hopefully I smell tolerable. I should be nicely dressed for when Shanzira returns... Perhaps a vest? No, that's... Actually, that seems like a good idea. A tunic– missing the right sleeve, of course– under a vest, and a good pair of pantaloons... I'm just missing gloves and boots. Or perhaps loafers...

Agh, this isn't going so well, is it? Let's just try again. A light shirt and a tunic. Some loose pants... Yes, loose. I'm not going to try anything tight. And shoes... Oh, fine, the loafers it is.

I look like a mess. I supposed I ought to get on washing my normal clothes– wait, I'm in the palace, I can have a servant do it. No need to exhaust myself. Good.

I have to hand Gaius a point. Fashion gives me a headache.

"Milord! Shanzira has returned!"

Well, what am I waiting for?! I've got to meet her! Down the banister, out the front gate– There she is! A little dirty, but that's her!

"Love!" I pick her up in a bear hug. She's back! I'll never tire of her... Only of her absence.

"Hey," she pants. "Don't ask me how it went, I remember practically nothing. Donnel can tell a better story."

What? How can she remember nothing? Well, I won't push her. "Did it at least go well?"

She starts and nods quickly. "Yeah! Calmed 'em down, they just need a way to support themselves, and we figured that out. If you paid attention to the stories of Elibe, it's like the deal with Ilia."

Wow. That's very clever! "Well done! I never would have thought of that. Ah, gods, this is who I'm going to marry." I put her back onto her feet and kiss her forehead, prompting a smile with her eyes tightly closed. She's smart, funny, strong, and pretty... She's perfect. But most of all, she stole my heart.

She could probably go on for hours, I run out of words quickly. I'm not that good at this. Let's just say I love her and that's it. Do we need to measure it? It's like comparing... I guess a knife to a sword. And we'd be the sword while normal 'love' is a knife.

"Could you at least get a room?" Huh? Welsh, oh. Uh... Well, we are out in the open, but–

"I get where you're coming from, Welsh, but... no?" What? This is the first time I've seen her be like this about what she believes in. She's... I'm lost.

I don't even know what I was thinking before. Umm...

Welsh sighs. "It's just some people might not like seeing two people kissing in public."

Huh?

Shanzira's face hardens. "Then grow up! People are gonna complain about every little thing we do, and while I understand you want me to be more sensitive to other people's wants, I'm sick and tired of not being allowed to care for myself. If you don't like the sight, then turn away."

That didn't take long. She's right back to her usual stubborn self, though I suppose she's a bit ornery about it. That might be a problem...

"Okay, okay. I don't personally mind it, just others might." Welsh backs off. "Anyways, good to see you're your usual self, at least."

I'm thoroughly confused, but I decide not to ask, and instead just walk back inside with Shanzy. Welsh behind us, we walk together– and Shanzy leans her head on my shoulder, just as I put one arm around her. We both grin.

We're together, and nothing can stop us. We ignore the leers of a multitude of nobles, knowing that together, we can take anything they throw at us.

Anything.

Welsh's point of view

She's going to get into really bad trouble. She's like, marrying the prince, right? And she's still as... well, she's her same old self. Tends not to care about the way she acts. And with nobles, their deal is 'oh don't offend us of we'll go after you because our egos are so sensitive'. She's going to be dealing with them pretty much on a daily basis, and...

I really hope she doesn't get killed. But this is exactly why I stay away from nobility and the like. They're really going to go after her for her cheerful attitude. But I can't really help her that much...

I'm glad I went with Panne. Everything works different with her, it feels more natural. The way society worked in California just... Ehh. Medieval society has its problems too, but hopefully Panne's way works better. She's a taguel, right? We're equals. We can make up the rules... Sorta. I mean, Panne probably remembers some traditions of the taguel, but if I remember right she wasn't raised by one.

Anyways, she'll be calling the shots, and I won't really mind. She's cool.

"Welsh."

Panne! Where– There. Behind me. Duh. I turned on my heel and went the wrong way, I'm not sure how that happened. Anyways, time to give my fluffy waifu a hug...

... She's so soft... And I get to sleep with this. Heh. And she isn't an idiot, she has sense. We really get along. Whenever I screw up, she can pull me back up.

That and she's surprisingly sweet when she wants to be. So yeah, I have the best waifu.

"You seemed irritated," Panne murmurs. "But you are calm now."

So? It's not like that kind of thing matters. "It's nothing. Nothing important. I have you!" I hug her again. Wow, her fur is so soft.

She smiles and chuckles. "That is good. I still wish to know what bothered you, however."

What exactly was it? "Just Shanzira being silly, I didn't feel like playing along. It doesn't really matter." I can see where she's coming from... I mean, uh, when I'm with Panne, I don't feel like leaving to hide myself.

It also helps that whenever Panne walks up to me, I feel better, whether I want to or not.

But juuuust to be on the safe side... "Come on, let's go someplace where we can be together in peace." Shouldn't be too hard to find a cupboard or something in this palace, right? I mean, Lissa lives here. It's got to be chock-full of hidey-holes.

Ooh, a food pantry! That's even better! Then again, the smell of food might be distracting... Nah. If we get hungry, we can always–

Shit, shit, "get in the pantry!"

We both shut ourselves in just as two guys run in, one older, the other a servant. That's my guess. The older guy's ranting, he's mad at something. Something about the prince's fiancee– that's Shanz– being a pain in the ass... Okay wow, we could be in serious trouble.

This sounds bad. I'd better let Chrom know. This is probably some noble or another. Okay, as soon as he leaves, we're getting out of here. And quietly. I hope I don't screw this up.

"Perhaps, sir," says the servant, "it is not too late. Surely there is no one who can outfox you, not even the vixen the prince let in."

"Hmph!" For some reason I imagine this guy with a mustache. Like, a handlebar one. "Of course not. I only hope her interference fails to touch the chickens before we can oust her."

This sounds like some kind of tabletop RPG. Except in real life. Shit. Not good.

Gotta tell Shanz there's someone who wants to kill her– wait, this is nobility. Of course someone wants her dead. But still, better tell her.

"Your plan of action, sir?"

Time to listen.

"I shall devise one later. For now, I must ensure the consequences of her meddling are mediated as much as possible."

Dammit.

And footsteps walking away.

"You are worried," Panne whispers from beside me.

I almost forgot she was there, she was so quiet. That means they didn't hear her, thank god. I nod. "Yeah. She's a really good friend, and... Crap, I gotta tell Chrom about this. Someone wants to kill Shanz," I explain.

I'll bite the bullet myself so no one else deals with crap. I can be the hero for once!

Panne sighs. "Yes, so I could tell. That man was very angry. Is that the debt you owe Shanzira? She was a friend to you in the past?"

"She still is. It's a long story. But she made life not suck for a little while." I was kind of alone for a while, but she just started talking to me and I wasn't alone with my negative thoughts anymore.

"Hm. Very well." I can kinda hear her nodding. "We shall aid her. The two man-spawn are out of my hearing now. We can leave."

Okay good because we were running out of air. I open the door, we both stumble out– I really hope nobody heard that– and I turn back to the pantry. "Panne, can you try and track down Chrom with your ears?"

My snacks. They are mine now. But seriously, we really need to fine them. "Of course. Come."

I stuff the food into my pockets and follow her. I'm thinking he's on the bottom floor, seeing as I saw him by the front gate just a few minutes ago. I really hope we don't get caught.

Found them! Shanz was about to drag him into a room, glad we found them before she did. "Chrom! Shanz! Listen, there's a noble guy, I didn't see who it was, but he basically wants to have you killed. Just letting you know."

Chrom looks surprised, Shanzira just nods. "Are you sure?" Shanz glares at Chrom for interrupting her.

I nod. "Let me quote him: 'I only hope her interference fails to touch the chickens before we can oust her.' Yeah, I'm sure."

"Naturally. Thanks for the tip, Welsh, we'll both keep our eyes and ears peeled." Shanz is taking me seriously, right? Okay. Phew.

No more hero time for me, I guess. Well, it felt good to help someone out.

Well, let's go have some fun, right, Panne? ... Hopefully nothing bad happens.

Thanks to my friend for deigning to help me write his character! Welsh has more character development, I know him better now. He should be easier to write, with practice.

Anyways, that poll on my profile is still there. VOTE!