Chapter 14: Curiosity

"How was the first day of the festival?" Lucina asked over breakfast.

Severa, stirring sugar into her mug of tea, shrugged. "I suppose that it went acceptably."

"Only acceptably?" said the Exalt. "Why would that be?"

"Because I was walking around on my own, probably," said Severa. "Not that I really expected company. Noire and Kjelle both have jobs to do, and I doubt I'd be able to keep up with Cynthia." She winced, remembering how Cynthia had returned to the castle shortly after she had. Apparently she'd run into Ellen at the festival as well, for the younger girl was behind her, laden down with what seemed like dozens of parcels.

Lucina smiled. "I hadn't really thought about it, but it makes sense that having company would make a difference," she said.

Severa took a sip of her tea, clicked her tongue disapprovingly, and reached for the sugar again. "I guess that I'm just not used to doing things by myself anymore," she said with a self-deprecating laugh, stirring in another spoonful. "I've become a real team player, haven't I?"

"I'm glad," said Lucina. "Though, somewhat confused. It always seemed like you worked well with others to me."

"Well, I certainly worked well with you, at least," said Severa, grinning. She took another sip of her newly sweetened tea, this time nodding in satisfaction. "But as far as the others went… I guess that I never got along with them as well as I could have. Laurent and Gerome and I spent half the trip to Plegia arguing, and a good bit of the way back, too."

"I hadn't heard that," said Lucina.

Severa rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "We, uh, disagreed in some respects as to the best method of returning to Ylisstol."

"Oh?"

"I wanted to rush back straight away, by the fastest route possible, and get the Gemstones to you at all costs. Gerome and Laurent thought that it would be better if we moved slowly and cautiously. Since it was two to one, we did it their way." She sighed. "It was a good thing, too. If they'd followed my dumb advice, we'd have run straight through the middle of an army of Grimleal. We wouldn't have realized they were there until it was too late."

"You hardly could have known that at the time," said Lucina. "And it warms my heart to know you were willing to risk your life for me."

"Hmph, are you honestly surprised at all?" Severa raised her eyebrows at Lucina. "Any one of us would have done that. Gerome and Laurent were just smarter about it than I was." And if mother and I are any indication, being in love doesn't exactly make for clear judgment. She took another sip of tea.

"I'm just glad that all three of you came back safely," said Lucina. "If any of you had—"

"Hey, none of that," said Severa hastily. "Come on, Lucina, it's a festival week. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves."

"I suppose you're right," said Lucina.

"So," said Severa, "what would you like to do today, Your Grace?"

An eager note entered the Exalt's voice "I thought we might be able to go down to the festival, actually! I wanted to go yesterday, but I didn't want to put too much pressure on my bodyguards."

"That's a good point. Paula's pretty intimidated by your rank, and Renee is intimidated by… well, almost everyone."

"I noticed that she didn't talk much… was that why?" Lucina actually looked thoughtful. "Hm. Maybe I should put some thought into cultivating a more approachable image…"

"Well, going down to the festival certainly is a good way to start," said Severa. Her meal finished, she stood and moved back from the table. "Before we go down, though I need to talk to Cynthia. I did promise her that I would let her pick out a dress for me when I went down, after all."

"Maybe she could pick one out for me, too," said Lucina. "I don't want to draw too much attention to myself, and my choice of attire seems to be quite eye-catching."

Oh, thank the gods, Severa thought, relieved. Since the war had ended, she'd discovered that Lucina's fashion sense was indeed "eye-catching"—though perhaps not in the way that Lucina thought. Her princess had no eye whatsoever for fashion, frequently choosing clashing colors and patterns that almost literally hurt the eye.

"I'm sure that Cynthia will be able to pick out something nice for each of us," said Severa. She nodded to Lucina. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Half an hour later, Severa leaned against the wall outside of Cynthia's room, arms crossed, drumming her fingers impatiently on one bicep. She was dressed much more "festively" now: a pale green skirt and brown bodice over a white blouse with flowing sleeves. Cynthia's excitement at getting to "play dress-up with Sevvy" had paled in comparison to her glee at being asked for fashion advice by the Exalt herself, and once her outfit had been chosen, Severa had been quickly forgotten.

She had been secretly glad of the opportunity to leave: her friend had been a little too enthusiastic about lacing her into the bodice, and it had been difficult for her to breathe before she loosened the garment up. Besides, Cynthia's idea of playing dress-up involved a great deal of getting undressed, and she didn't trust herself not to gape at the Exalt in her smallclothes. Even thinking about it made her blush. If Cynthia wasn't so focused, maybe both of us would be… She put her fingers to her forehead, shaking her head. No, no, stop right there.

The latch clicked, and Severa straightened up, speaking before the door had finished opening. "Are you ready to go, Lucina?"

"I think so," said the princess, stepping out with a beaming Cynthia behind her. "How do I look?"

Severa found herself at a loss for words, and merely stared. Cynthia had found Lucina a light blue dress with elbow-length sleeves that nicely brought out the color of her hair. Her shoulders were covered by a matching shawl with darker blue embroidery along its edges. Unlike Severa's own garb, Lucina's skirt fell well short of her knees: instead, her legs were covered by thigh-high stockings in the same dark blue as her shawl's embroidery. Severa's eyes were drawn to the bit of bare leg between the top of Lucina's stockings and the hem of her skirt, but she forced them up to Lucina's face, blushing.

"You look… um, nice," said Severa lamely. "Nice." Ugh, gods, is that the best I can do? She took another look, telling herself it was only for the sake of thinking of a better compliment. "Huh. That looks kind of like a pegasus knight honor guard uniform, actually…" Her mother had owned a similar outfit, though she had rarely worn it. There had been precious few occasions for celebration back then.

"That's because it is!" said Cynthia, skipping out of the room. "And take a look at the embroidery on the shawl: it's the Brand of the Exalt!"

Severa squinted. Sure enough, there it was, repeated over and over again. "Whoever made this had too much time on their hands," she muttered.

"I think it was your dad, actually," Cynthia giggled.

Severa shook her head. Why am I not surprised…

"So, are we ready to go, then?" said Lucina, smiling.

"If you're sure that you won't get cold in that outfit," said Severa, letting herself believe that her second glance down at Lucina's legs was pointed rather than appraising. "I'd bring a cloak, just in case."

"I'm lucky to have you to look out for me," said Lucina—an echo of the words she had spoken to Severa on the castle wall, watching the sun rise those few months ago. Severa rolled her eyes.

"I guess I should consider myself fortunate that you have actual sleeves," she said in a long-suffering tone.

Her Exalt merely laughed in reply.

As the sun reached its height, the Exalt and her bodyguard moved through the midst of the markets, Lucina moving from stall to stall as the fancy took her. Severa kept a few steps behind Lucina, shadowing her, ever on the alert for anyone who might intend her Exalt harm. She judged the odds of that to be tiny, but as her father had often said, there was no such thing as too much caution. Next thing I know, they'll start calling me "Severa the Wary." Won't that be something…

There were frequent shouts of "It's the Exalt!" and "Your Grace!" as they made their way through the streets. Despite the reservations that Lucina had expressed earlier about interacting with her subjects, she seemed perfectly at ease—greeting each one with a cheerful wave and a few words of greeting before smoothly moving on. Severa was reminded of Exalt Lissa: she had always remained friendly and approachable, even in the midst of the chaos following her brother's death. Lucina had always been compared to her father—brave and courteous, always ready to lead her comrades into battle—but there was a great deal of her aunt in her, as well. Not that I would expect anything less of Lucina. She's a natural leader.

Watching Lucina exchange greetings with a young man selling flowers, Severa remembered the tsubaki pendant, still stowed away in her newly repaired purse. She hadn't worked up the courage to give it to Lucina that morning. I suppose today's the best chance I'll get… and hopefully Kjelle doesn't remember too much about last night. Otherwise my gift might be awkward to explain. Severa shook her head. But… not now. Later. Definitely later.

Lucina and the man finished exchanging pleasantries and, with a last wave, the princess moved on. Severa followed, still glancing to and fro. A growing noise from up ahead made her frown: a crowd had formed, blocking off almost the entire street. There was cheering, and chanting, but she couldn't make out the words. One thing was certain, however: it wasn't Lucina's name that they were shouting. She sped up, moving up to Lucina's side and putting her hand to the dagger that hung at her side. "Stay behind me, Lucina," she said as she stepped up next to the princess.

"Is something wrong?"

"I just… don't like crowds." Severa grimaced. "Whenever I see one, I always feel like something bad has happened…"

Lucina put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "Don't worry, Severa."

"Worrying is my job," said Severa, but she gave the princess a smile nonetheless.

They were on the outskirts of the crowd now, and the few people whose attention wasn't focused inward quickly noticed the Exalt's presence. Shouts of "make way!" and "clear a path!" went up, and in short order an aisle of sorts had opened in the crowd, conducting Lucina and her bodyguard through towards what must have been the center of the crowd's focus: a diminutive girl in a fine dress, her short, bright-green hair unmistakable. She waved to them cheerfully.

"Lucina! Severa! Nice to see you!"

"Nah!" said Lucina, stepping forward to wrap her friend in a hug. "I should have expected to find you here!"

"I wouldn't want to miss the festival, after all," said the manakete, stepping away. She glanced over Lucina's shoulder, looking at the crowd, and continued in a low voice. "Of course, it's hard to move around when everyone wants to worship the ground I walk on…"

"Life must be so hard for you," muttered Severa.

Nah giggled. "I suppose that I shouldn't complain."

"You suppose. Right…" Severa looked around at the cheering crowd. Thankfully enough, the townsfolk seemed inclined to keep their distance and let their idols talk to each other in relative peace.

"I'm surprised to see you two wearing dresses," said Nah, looking them over. As usual, she was wearing a dress of her own, covered with enough ruffles and lace for someone twice her size.

"What do you think?" said Lucina, adjusting her shawl self-consciously. "Is it… strange?"

"Well, it's not what I'm used to, but you both look cute," said Nah. With a giggle, she added "Though you have a ways to go before you catch up with me."

Severa rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "So, where were you yesterday? Obviously not at the festival. I think I would have noticed a commotion like this."

"At re—" Nah very clearly faked a cough and shook her head. "At the Shepherds' barracks. Owain and Inigo asked for my help, and I couldn't say no." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Actually, the reason that I chose to show up now was to help them out, too. Laurent asked me to create a distraction."

"A distraction?" said Lucina, puzzled. Nah shrugged.

"Just to get people focused somewhere else. He's trying not to draw attention to himself."

"So what, he throws you to the wolves with no back-up?" Severa rolled her eyes. "Ugh, how typical."

"I never said I was alone," said Nah. She put her fingers to the sides of her mouth and whistled sharply. Almost immediately, a pair of figures detached themselves from the crowd to step to her side. Severa didn't recognize either of them, but she assumed by their garb and bearing that they were more new members of the Shepherds. She waved a hand toward Lucina and Severa, somewhat dismissively. "You can introduce yourselves, people."

"As the Lady Voice wishes," said the first, a tall and white-haired man wearing the robes of a Chon'sin swordsman. He put a hand to his heart, giving Lucina and Severa a formal half-bow. "I am Jun'yi of Chon'sin, dispatched to be sword and shield to Naga's Voice. I am honored to meet with those who slew the Fell Dragon."

The woman next to him was also wearing robes, though hers—a deep purple to his grey—left significantly less to the imagination. Her hair, a bright orange color, was pulled into a trio of braids at her back. She gave her comrade a sultry grin, speaking up in almost a purr as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Jun, darling, you're so uptight. 'Honored to meet them?' Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?"

"Prithee, do not stand so close," said the swordsman flatly, taking a step to the side and clutching the hilt of his single-edged sword like a security blanket.

The sorceress chuckled and nodded to the Exalt. "I'm Chandra. Late of Plegia, though the only thing about it I miss is the sun." She gave Jun'yi a sidelong glance. "Things are so much more… interesting here. Wouldn't you agree, Jun?"

The Chon'sin man put the fingers of his right hand to his temples, as if to ward off a headache.

Out of the side of her mouth, Severa muttered to Nah. "Seems to me like they need more protection from each other than they can afford to give you."

Nah shrugged. "Eh, they're actually pretty good friends, as far as I can tell. Besides, having them as guards is more for Laurent's peace of mind than mine. I can turn into a dragon!"

"Fair point," said Lucina with a laugh.

As Jun'yi and Chandra glared at each other in the background, Severa directed a glare of her own at the Voice. "So, are you going to tell us why Laurent sent you to create a distraction?"

"I would, but that would ruin all the fun," said Nah with a wicked grin.

"Gods, are all of you keeping the same secret?" said Severa in exasperation. "Kjelle was being just as tight-lipped about something with the Shepherds last night. Said that I'd be pleasantly surprised or something. But the longer I go without finding out, the more unpleasant I'm going to be."

"I'll pass that along to the others. Maybe one of them will take pity on you." Nah snapped her fingers, prompting the two bickering Shepherds to spring to attention. "All right, time to move along. I've got a merchant or two to meet with."

Jun'yi inclined his head gravely. "As the Lady Voice wishes."

His companion rolled her eyes. "'As the Lady Voice wishes,' he says. What did I just say about being formal all the time?"

Nah, for her part, ignored their antics. "Let's get going now, chop-chop." She waved over her shoulder. "Later, Lucina. Later, Severa!" With that, the trio moved off, Chandra throwing an arm around Jun'yi's stiff shoulders as they did. Most of the crowd trailed after them, an unofficial escort party for Naga's Voice.

"Well," said Severa after a moment.

Lucina looked at her. "Well?"

"Well." Severa raked her fingers through her hair. "They're certainly a… colorful bunch."

"Isn't that how the Shepherds have always been, though?" said Lucina. "They're no odder than you or I, really."

"I suppose so," Severa admitted. "From the stories that daddy used to tell me, our parents' friends were just as weird."

The Exalt grinned, remembering. "Like how, for the longest time, half of the Shepherds thought that Kjelle's dad was a ghost?"

"Or how Cynthia's dad spent almost all of his off-duty time looking for cakes and candies," said Severa.

"And her mom dropped a beehive full of bees on his head!" Lucina laughed. "I remember them acting out that story. There was a lot of screaming and flailing involved."

Severa snorted. "Well, when you look at it that way, I suppose that things could be worse."

"What exactly do you mean by worse?"

"They're not nearly as bad as we used to be, are they?" Severa winked. "I mean, come on! Owain's twitching sword hand? Noire constantly shouting? Inigo flirting with anything that moved?" She paused for a moment after the last one. "Actually, come to think of it, he had too much to drink one night and tried to kiss a statue of Naga. So 'anything that moved' doesn't quite sum it up thoroughly."

Lucina covered her mouth with one hand. "Did he really… with a statue?"

"…maybe?" She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I may have been drinking from the same cask of wine that he was." And I may have mistaken the same statue for you… and may have tried to kiss the same statue…

The Exalt laughed. "Well, I'd say that we'll all have plenty of stories to tell our children, wouldn't you say?"

Severa suppressed the urge to say that wasn't sure how she would have children and settled for nodding instead. "Yeah, I guess." Unsure of what to say next, she changed the subject. "I think it's past noon, and I'm getting hungry. Should we find somewhere to eat?"

Lucina smiled. "Sounds good to me."

The day passed in a blur of laughter and music, far too quickly for Severa's taste. Nonetheless, she treasured each of the small memories she made—Lucina, laughing and offering Severa a handkerchief to clean up a small spot on her dress. Lucina, admiring a pair of fur-lined gloves at a Feroxi merchant's stand. Lucina, winning a prize at a ring toss stand and immediately handing it over to a little boy who had been longingly staring at it. Lucina, Lucina, Lucina…

Almost before she knew it, it was time for dinner. She and Lucina made their way to a section of the market where a variety of food stands were clustered, with open-air tables surrounding them. Lucina, sniffing at the air, made her way towards a stand with an awning-covered kitchen out behind it.

The woman behind the counter, sleeves rolled up to reveal the burly arms of a person who was no stranger to hard work. "Good evenin', Your Grace," she said, giving a nod in lieu of a bow. "Can I get ya somethin'?"

Lucina, surveying the painted wooden menu leaning up against the front of the stall, suddenly looked unsure. "Um, I… well, I suppose that… um. What would you recommend?" The princess scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "Sorry. I'm afraid I don't have much experience with ordering food…"

Severa, behind her, stifled a grin. Give her a sword and put her on the battlefield, and she's unstoppable. But put her in front of a menu, and she's overwhelmed by the choices. Although, to be honest, she'd eat pretty much anything. Lucina had suffered through failed attempts at cooking from every one of her friends, and never voiced a word of complaint.

The woman smiled encouragingly. "Let me see… we've some fine pork from this year's prize pig. That's prob'ly our best, but if ya have the taste for somethin' else, we've got baked potatoes and cornbread as well. And a fine, pale ale to go with."

"All of that sounds delicious," said Lucina. She looked back at Severa, as if pleading for help. Rolling her eyes, the Exalt's bodyguard stepped forward.

"We'll take some of everything." That'll save her the trouble of having to choose something in particular.

"Right you are, miss," said the woman. She turned around, barking an order over her shoulder. "Full meal for two. Get on it, Mattie!"

"Will do, ma!" came a young man's voice. After a bit of clattering around, the farmer from the previous day emerged, carrying two heaping plates. He nearly dropped them when he saw the Exalt standing there, and only his mother's hasty intervention saved the dinners from the ground.

"Ye gods, Mattie, be careful!"

"S-sorry, ma." The young farmer gulped and bowed. "Y-your Grace, i-i-it's an honor!" He set the plates on the counter, where they were within reach, and nearly hit his nose on the hard wood when he bowed.

"No need for that," said Lucina. "Right now, I'm not the Exalt—just another customer."

"If you s-say so," said Mattie, running a frazzled hand through his hair. He spotted Severa behind Lucina's shoulder and looked relieved for the chance to change the subject. "Ah, miss Severa, right? I hope that you and your friend were able to get set up all right?"

"Thanks to your help, yes," said Severa, taking pity on him. She turned to Lucina. "Noire and I were stuck on the cart yesterday morning, but fortunately he was able to clear a path for us to get through. It saved Noire a lot of stress."

"A truly honorable thing to do," said Lucina approvingly. Mattie blushed crimson and fled back to the safety of the kitchen, babbling something about checking on the potatoes. His mother watched him go with an affectionate expression, then turned back to the Exalt.

"I expect y'all will be wantin' some drinks as well, but I'll bring 'em out to ya. Y'all just go sit down and enjoy your food. And don't ya worry about payin'," she added as Lucina reached for her purse. The woman winked. "I reckon that y'all've earned a free meal or two, wouldn't ya say?"

"Thank you very much," said Lucina, giving a half-bow of her own. Severa watched her, raising an eyebrow. Gods, she's so sincere… I don't think I could handle that level of gratefulness.

She picked up the plates from the counter and looked over to Lucina, clearing her throat. "We'd better find a seat before the rush comes. Lead the way."

"Sure," said Lucina. She waved to the woman. "Thank you again!"

The pair found a small table tucked away between two unoccupied stands—the owners having apparently closed up for the night. It was the perfect place to observe the square without being gawked at, and Severa set down the plates with a sigh of relief. I was half afraid I was going to trip and drop them… Luckily, I'm not Cynthia.

She slid into her seat opposite Lucina and pulled one of the plates in front of her. "Well, let's dig in," she said, putting action to words as she brandished her fork like a sword and picked up a piece of pork. Her eyes widened as she took a bite. "Wow… this really is good. We're lucky we got out here when we did, or we might not have gotten a chance to have it before they ran out."

"You're probably right," said Lucina. She took a bite of her own, chewing in a thoughtful silence that Severa was reluctant to break. She was grateful when Mattie, a mug of ale in each hand, came up and placed the drinks on the edge of the table before scurrying away. Severa sipped at hers, feeling warmth rush to her face almost immediately. The ale was much stronger than she had anticipated… certainly stronger than what she'd been used to drinking over the past two years. She took another sip anyway: even if it was strong, it was good.

"So, what do you think about the big secret that Nah's helping with?" said Lucina, taking a sip of her ale. She seemed considerably less effected than Severa—something that her knight couldn't help but feel slightly envious of.

"Well, I'll admit I was a bit worried when Kjelle mentioned it last night," said Severa through a mouthful of cornbread. "Though I'll admit that was mostly because I heard Owain was involved."

Lucina raised her eyebrows at the mention of her cousin. "I had a similar thought, but it was easy enough to put aside. After all, both Kjelle and Laurent have good judgment, and if they trust Owain to do… whatever it is he's doing, then so do I."

"I just hope that we find out what their plan is soon," said Severa, shaking her head as she took another gulp of ale.

For the next hour, they talked as they ate. Most of what they discussed was little, inconsequential things: the food, the weather, and their plans for later in the festival. The level of the ale in Severa's mug steadily decreased, and she felt her tension gradually fading. She had spent so much time in her role as sub-commander, and in striving to follow in her father's footsteps as the Exalt's right hand, that she had nearly forgotten what it was to take a break.

She set down her fork on her empty plate. "Hey, Lucina?"

"What is it?"

Severa looked up, smiling faintly. "Thanks for letting me come out here with you. Well, at least…" She shook her head. "You know what I mean."

"Thank you for coming with me," said Lucina. "No matter what the situation is, you're always by my side." Her smile was radiant.

And by your side is where I want to remain for the rest of my life. Somewhat embarrassed, Severa looked away, staring into her mug. Her thoughts went once again to the pendant. I need to give it to her. Now, before I lose my nerve.

Severa managed to tear her eyes away from the few sips of ale left in her mug for long enough to make eye contact. "Um, Lucina…"

Lucina smiled at her. "Yes?"

"I had… I mean, that is… I… um…" Severa found herself completely tongue-tied. I should have thought over what I was going to say… oh gods, I'm going to make a complete idiot of myself.

Lucina's smile took on a puzzled cast. "You…?"

Just get it over with! Severa's hand went jerkily down to her pouch to pull out the pendant. "I bought this." When Lucina didn't respond, Severa plunged on with as much delicate consideration as Cynthia tripping into a hedge. "What I mean to say is that I saw this in the market and thought of you. So I bought it. As a gift. For you." Yep, there it is. Gods, I couldn't sound like more of an idiot if I tried…

Lucina took the pendant from Severa's hand, their fingers brushing against each other for the slightest moment before drawing away. She held it up to the light just as Severa had when she bought it, the plain metal sparkling yellow in the torchlight. "It's beautiful," she said simply, smiling.

"The flower's called tsubaki," Severa blurted. "The woman who sold it told me that it means longing."

Lucina blinked, and a flush that had nothing to do with the ale began rising in Severa's cheeks. Oh gods NO, did I really just… oh gods oh gods oh gods…

"Longing for… what?" the Exalt said slowly.

"A-a-a better future!" Severa finished hurriedly. "That's what we fought all this time for, after all! And now we finally have it!" Please say that worked… Oh, gods, I should not have done that…

Lucina giggled. "I hadn't expected you to get so flustered over giving a gift," she said. There was a teasing note to her voice: normally a rare occurrence for the normally straightforward princess, but something that Severa was becoming increasingly familiar with.

"Well, it's nowhere near your birthday, and the solstice festival isn't for another few months," said Severa. "This is a weird time to give it to you, I guess. But I thought an early present might be nice. You know, to celebrate."

"I'm touched that you thought of me," said Lucina. "Thank you, Severa." She undid the clasp of the chain and fastened it around her neck, letting the pendant settle against her chest. "So, how does it look?"

You look beautiful. Severa made a noncommittal noise. "Well, at least it won't clash with any of your outfits."

"Clash?" said Lucina, nonplussed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Uh, never mind." The noise in the square was beginning to get louder, and for some reason, a crowd was beginning to gather near the north end. Great, another crowd. Just what I needed today.

"What's going on?" said Lucina, leaning over in her chair to get a better look.

"I have no idea," said Severa. She stood, carefully pushing her chair back in. "But I'll bet it has something to do with what everyone has been talking about, and I think it's about time that we found out."

The pair walked together over to the northern side of the square, the crowd parting before them as the people spotted their Exalt. They reached the front of the crowd to find a large space cleared in front of them. A angelic-faced blonde woman, holding the reins of a white horse in one hand and a notebook in the other, was ushering a small group out of the way as two men stretched a rope between two pegs secured in the ground. Severa barely recognized Gerome without his mask, but the other was clearly Laurent, his wide-brimmed black hat as familiar as ever.

"Twelve feet for this stretch, Kira," said Laurent, straightening and rolling his shoulders.

The blonde woman nodded, making a note. "Yes, sir. Twelve feet." She spotted Lucina and nearly dropped the notebook. "Y-your Grace!"

Laurent turned, a hand going to the stem of his glasses. "Ah. Lucina, Severa. Good to see you."

"What are you doing?" Severa demanded. All three of the Shepherds turned to look at her.

"Making measurements," said Gerome, in a tone that suggested Severa should stop asking stupid questions.

"Yes, I can see that," said Severa. "But why?"

"A construction project," Gerome replied, his voice still insufferably smug.

Lucina blinked. "A… construction project?"

"We're building a stage," said Laurent, gesturing with one hand to illustrate the empty space.. "If I've calculated correctly, it will be finished a day and a half from now."

"I'm still confused," said Severa, putting a hand to her temple. "So you're building a stage. What exactly is the point of that?"

"What is the purpose of a stage?"

Severa glared at Laurent hard enough for him to take a step back. "Don't answer my question with another question. I don't take kindly to being needled."

The mage smirked, straightening his glasses. "My apologies, I will be forthright. The purpose of this construction project, as Gerome named it, is the facilitation of a dramatic production. The entire process has been funded and staged by the Shepherds, down to the devising of the drama itself—"

"You're putting on a play?" Lucina glanced down the line, taking in the wide rectangular shape of the potential stage.

"That's what he just said," said Gerome, crossing his arms. Laurent nodded in assent.

"Since when do the Shepherds put on plays?" said Severa.

"Since my raging quill hand has prevailed upon me to set down the account of our daring ventures!" boomed a familiar voice, as the rumbling of cart-wheels drew closer.

"Commander Owain!" Kira checked herself halfway through her salute, keeping the notebook from colliding with her forehead.

"Lo and behold, I have delivered the materials with which we shall construct the scaffold on which the great events shall play out!" Owain flourished his right hand, prompting cheers from the crowd. He's certainly popular with the commoners.

"Thank you, Owain," said Laurent. He turned back to his assistant. "Kira, see if you can find Kjelle and get the other Shepherds to help with the unloading."

"Sir!" Tucking the notebook into a pouch, she climbed up into the saddle and was off like a shot.

"You wrote a play, huh?" said Severa, raising an eyebrow at Owain.

Owain waved a hand once again, grinning. "I did indeed. But it was not from my own hand alone that this drama sprang, but rather, from the hearts and minds of all of us. Brady teased forth from the strings of his violin a veritable torrent of songs through which our voices may make the story told. And Inigo's nimble feet have guided our own to move as flowing water or roaring fire, grace in our every action!" He struck a pose at the end of his sentence, slightly out of breath, and held for applause. He was not disappointed.

"So you're putting on a song-and-dance show about… what, exactly?"

"What other than the heroics of my Exalted cousin and her companions?" the Shepherds' co-commander said with a broad grin. "With the blood of legendary heroes flowing through our veins, and weapons of yore clasped in our hands, we stood bravely against the Fell Dragon, and with the aid of heroes from—"

Severa stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar. "…you wrote a play about us."

"I wrote a play about us," agreed Owain.

Severa let out a long sigh, closing her eyes. After a moment, Owain cleared his throat.

"Will you let go of my collar now?" he said meekly.

Severa let her hands fall, shaking her head. "I… ugh." She waved a finger at him. "This had better not disappoint me."

"Rest assured, we shall do our utmost to assure you are satisfied," said Laurent. He turned as Gerome tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm going to go get Minerva. I'm sure she'd love to help us."

"An excellent suggestion. I shall accompany you." The two of them walked off, perhaps a bit too quickly. A moment later, Owain cleared his throat.

"Well, I must go… proof-read the script." He slipped off before Severa could get in another word edgewise.

Lucina put a hand over her mouth, stifling a giggle. "Well, that was something."

"A play." Severa smacked her forehead. "So that was their big secret. I should have guessed."

"Maybe, maybe not." The Exalt rubbed her hands together, looking as excited as a child. "Well, it's getting late, and I still have a few things I need to do before I turn in for the night. I should head back."

"Of course. I'll walk with you, if you don't mind."

The two edged their way through the crowd, and soon they were on their way back up the road to the castle. The evening was calm and quiet as they made their way up the hill. Lucina, still obviously excited about the play, walked with an extra spring in her step. The princess looked back at her, eyes shining. "I can't wait to see how it turns out."

"You're really looking forward to it?"

"Well, aren't you?"

Severa shrugged in uncertainty. "I guess. But… well, I'm… not sure."

"Not sure about what?" said Lucina.

"Well, we're basically going to be watching ourselves up there," said Severa. "Everything that we did together during the war. And I'm not sure I'll like what I see."

Lucina slowed her pace, putting a hand on Severa's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be fine. I'm more worried about how I'll look."

Severa looked askance at her princess. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"I mean… well, it's you," said Severa. "You're always so self-confident and poised… nothing like me."

"I suppose it might seem like that," said Lucina, letting her hand fall. "But not a day goes by when I don't wonder what my fa—what my parents would have done. How they would have won the war, had they… survived." There was an odd hesitation to her words, and Severa wondered why. "I compare myself to them, and wonder if I'll be found wanting."

"Lucina…" Severa considered her words carefully. "You're… Before you're anyone's child, you're your own person. Don't let what other people may think change who you are."

The Exalt's eyes widened slightly, and she smiled. "That's very kind of you to say. And quite wise, too."

Severa coughed slightly, embarrassed. "Well… I know that I'm probably the least likely person to say something like that, considering the way that I've always lived in my parents' shadow, but… I guess that if I see you making your own path, and moving forward from what's in the past, that can help me find the courage to move on, too. Being around you makes me feel… braver, I suppose."

Lucina gave her a sidelong glance. "So you're saying that you only said that for selfish reasons?"

"Yeah, something along those lines," said Severa, grinning and forcing a laugh. "You know me. I'm always on the lookout to get something back."

"Whatever the reason, thank you," said Lucina.

"You're welcome," said Severa.

They walked up the hill, side by side, in the deepening twilight. At every step she took, Severa wanted to reach out, to take Lucina's hand, to walk more closely to her princess and feel their fingers intertwine.

She didn't.

I told her that being around her makes me feel braver. That might be true, but I'm still not nearly brave enough.

I told myself that being by her side would make me happy.

Was I wrong?