Chapter 1

The sound of the rain was loud outside. The sky had grown gray in just a matter of minutes. Even though the rain was thundering, the sound of the ongoing shower was drowned out by the hooves of the horses galloping across the unfamiliar land they were in. In the midst of the crowded carriage sat the prince, his head lowered. The gaze of the blue eyes seemed to focus on the floor covered in mud and grime from their escape. Just hours before, they were fighting to protect the life of the one most important to them and the symbol of what they all treasured so much.

But she was gone.

Chrom's mind was running across the same scene over and over again. The sky was blue, but it wasn't comforting. If anything, it made the weight of his failure worse. They had fought through harsh deserts, traveled through cruel sands and took the lives of those that had wronged them. Risks were taken, lives were lost. Yet, they were for naught. Looking at the one whom he treasured most go away destroyed the very essence of his soul. Her body lay lifeless in front of him, lacking the radiance she had. The smile on her face was gone and instead replaced by a mess of blonde strings. He failed. He failed her, his sister, and his kingdom.

Just days before she was smiling. Just days before he was having dinner with her without a care in the world. Her reassuring presence would never grace him again. He wanted tears to come out, he wanted to curl up and cry but the only feeling that crept up was the numbness. It was odd. Even though fright took his mind and anger clouded his thoughts, all he could do was sit there wallowing in regret.

As if to mock him even in his mourning, the face of the one who did it flashed in front of his eyes. The sly smirk on his face turned into a hysterical laugh. Was he satisfied? How could one be so satisfied upon taking the life of another? How? His palms scrunched into a first, curling the glove he wore on one of them. Right then, there was only one thing in the world he wanted: to see the same face contort in horror, to speak words that begged for mercy, to see the eyes slowly lose their light…

"Chrom! CHROM!"

The prince's head moved upwards with a jerk. As he turned to the side, Chrom realized how wet his body was. Rain crashed upon the cloth that gave them shelter from its cold icy grip, even if the wind wasn't completely prevented from spreading the chill. It was...comforting. But he didn't want to be comforted. Chrom wanted to soak in the sea of anger, to let it fester and seeing the concerned look of his friend's face was the last thing he wanted. A slight hint of pink was the only thing that stood out among the gray of the clouds though the gust and constant bucking of their carriage kept moving it out of sight.

"We've almost reached Ferox." Robin's voice was a whisper. He looked as worn as Chrom himself did, but even in this dire time, his concern was of others. Perhaps that was natural; Emm meant little to a stranger after all. The prince said nothing and returned to where he once was. But this time, he couldn't get back to even that sight. It was just Gangrel.

The look of those around him didn't help. The urge to yell kept overtaking his thoughts. It was an eternity in which he struggled to not lose his temper before the carriage seemed to stop. Even the sky in Regna Ferox seemed to be mourning the loss, even if word had yet to spread. Dull grays painted the sky in its colorless presence. Chrom alighted the carriage without delay. The white cape on his back flew with every step of his boots. Even in the distance he had managed to cross, he could her the bawling of his sister. With a sore throat he kept going, knowing his actions were wrong.

His steps echoed as he made his way through the ornate halls of the castle. The warm and welcoming halls had become daunting. Once small, it now seemed towering and the paths never ending – almost as if he was no longer welcome. The looks of the castle staff suffocated him; their wide eyes and stunned expressions were prying. How could he tell them about his failure? So many of their comrades – families and friends even – spent and for what? As soon as he reached the room, the door slammed behind him – though not locked.

Night couldn't come nor pass sooner. Chrom stayed by his bed, gripping the blanket tight. Images of the same scene played and replayed again and again and again in his mind. The smile he had turned to for comfort and guidance now haunted him. Rain crashed against the windows, but none fell from Chrom's eyes. Not even the moon made its appearance, as if to mock their plight. A knock on the door made him turn though the sight of his sister, Sumia and Robin did nothing to help him. The white haired man, his fastest friend even in this short time the two had known each other, moved towards him but a hand from the prince stopped his advance.

"Chrom..." Robin started hesitantly. "I'm sorry. If my plan had worked maybe..."

Chrom realized his tongue wouldn't listen to his mind. In his vision, he saw Lissa gripping the arm of the pegasus knight tight in her need for support. It should've been him but there was little he could do – or wanted to. The company left upon the prince's dismissal and the door shut after their departure, leaving Chrom with what he wanted: his own sadness and regret. All through the night, the clouds swirled and the storm outside only grew more intense. The blue eyes saw the clouds depart, and the sweet rays of dawn spread from the gentle sun of the early morn.

As much as he would rather sit there, standing up was his duty. The spot where he sat was covered with mud and a trail of it marked both his steps and the ones his friends took just hours before. The halls seemed calmer though the silence was suffocating; an air of mourning took over the confusion from last night. How would he ever address the people? When he entered the meeting room, guided there by the maids and soldiers who he came across his path, the Khan of Regna Ferox and the three from last night stood there waiting. The rest of his companions littered the room, comforting each other the best they could though it all seemed to be wasted.

"Took you long enough to get your ass out of that funk." Flavia stated, her tongue as sharp as her sword. Seeing her take charge made Chrom realize that is what separated her from him. Flavia was a true leader and took charge when he couldn't – though how could she feel what he did? With silence and hesitance, he approached the Shepherds. Sniffles left his sister along with vocal expressions of regret. It was difficult to watch the sight.

"It was all my fault she...she..." The prince was struggling to find the words to say what he wanted to but it seemed he didn't need to either. Robin gripped his shoulders tight and made Chrom look at him.

"No it's not! It's both our faults! Had...had I succeeded in my plans she wouldn't have died!" Remaining silent was all the Ylissean prince could do. "I was powerless too...completely alone without even a single memory of my past, but you showed me I had a place to call home as well!"

With a smile on his face, Robin looked at the room full of the Shepherds. Their noisy agreement to his words made Chrom smile a tiny bit though it faded soon after. "But...what if I can't?"

"You've failed once and you can fail again, but we'll all be there to help you up." Still smiling, Robin answered his query. At that, Chrom felt some ounce of hope resurface in the depths of his heart. It was...nice. He didn't want to feel this way still but it was hard to resist such smiles and cheer. In the midst, his eyes drifted off to the girl standing in front of the crowd.

Her pinkish hair was familiar; he'd seen it flowing wildly with the gale yesterday. In the rush, he hadn't taken the chance to ask her name but the way she took charge to save their lives and the power he felt exuding from the stern words stuck with him. It was only upon seeing her did he consciously think about them. In a way, he'd owed her so much. Looking at her now however was off putting; he hadn't ever imagined to see her so meek! Her smaller frame seemed to curl slightly as if to waste no time in protecting her if someone approached; yet even in this state, she had a radiance that made it impossible to look away. Seeing this made Chrom smile a bit wider; rarely did he get a chance to meet someone whose mere presence made him feel such comfort.

Stepping forward and snapping away from the sight after a struggle, Chrom took to the center right beside Flavia. Everyone seemed quiet, ready to hear what he had to say. While he had lead the Shepherds many times before, this felt different. Even though issuing commands and speaking in front of crowds was a part of his duty, this felt as if he were doing it for the first time.

"I apologize for my behavior earlier but I swear to never falter again. Shepherds, we've a duty to accomplish. The Mad King must be stopped lest we lose more to his war!"

Thoughts of doubt soon arose; perhaps it was a bit on the shorter side. As the last words left him, the whole room resounded once again with the voices of those he trusted most. The worry in his heart subsided for now and across his face was etched a smile as if he'd never smiled before. After more planning and word from Feroxi scouts regarding the situation in Plegia, Chrom was free to go. However, as his hands moved for the handle to the doors, Basilio stopped him with a strong grip. He was well built and scars from battles past marked his journey to reach such strength – something he was all too proud to show off.

"Where are ya goin'?" he'd spout, his voice was as one would expect: deep, loud and his language coarse. "This here's Olivia!" This time his arm gripped her shoulders. It was hard to believe her bones weren't broken if he was using even a fraction of his strength! A small yelp left her; she still looked so meek.

"You're lookin' at the best dancer in all of Regna Ferox! Hell, even all of the kingdoms! She's a treasure worth more than gems! So you better take care of her well Commander, or else you'll have to answer to me!" A laugh as loud as several horses galloping right in front of him left Chrom's ears deaf though he couldn't help but notice a change in vocabulary.

"Commander?" The prince asked, stunned. "I thought I was 'boy'?"

"Heh. You've earned that well enough I'd say. Now let Flavia and I prepare our soldiers and we can head to Plegia and show those little scorpions how we crack skulls!" With that Basilio gave a smirk showing his teeth off to the pair before leaving Chrom and Olivia alone. With him gone it seemed her gaze was to the floor away from his.

"I thank you for coming to save us. It must've been hard for someone such as you."Chrom said with the same smile still on his face. Upon a closer look, Basilio was right. She was striking. Her skin seemed flawless and the way she seemed to glow separated her from everything around her, as if she was the only one worth looking at ; even the blush on her cheeks stood out from even her body. But her answer turned away from his expectations.

"U-um, y-yes erm...i-it w-wasn't my idea. T-the K-khan s-said to do it..." she spoke. Her voice was soft, serene but a bit troubled. Was he really exuding such an aura of terror that she couldn't speak? Worried but confident, still riding high from the surge of confidence earlier, Chrom decided to press on. Perhaps it was just a simple misunderstanding.

"Ah...well, it was still you in the carriage and you who rallied everyone, so I suppose you still deserve some praise." But at this, both of her eyes seemed to move away even more. Olivia struggled to speak, muttering something under her breath. As the prince's lips moved again, his words were interrupted by her own.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" She squeaked immediately and ran through the doors, leaving Chrom by himself. A hand from him moved to push some strands of dark blue to the side. She definitely had a charm to her, the prince thought with a smile on his face. Maybe he just needed to let her adjust to his presence.