Lucina was roused from her sleep from Marcus, who suggested that they should draft marching plans. She complied and they made their way to the command tent.
Lucina felt so much better after giving a good cry. It felt as if an invisible weight was lifted from her shoulders.
Once they arrived at the command tent, they immediately planned their next move.
They would pass by Laus. The country was rumored to be ruled by a traitorous Marquess, named Erik. If they had to, they would investigate. However, their main plan was to stay incognito as best as they could.
They finished the marching plans and Marcus sought out Merlinus to spread the word of their imminent departure. Meanwhile, Lucina was just finishing putting her tent into the storage.
She was approached by a cautious Wolt, who looked as if he wanted to say something that he had forgotten about.
"Uh... Hello, Lucina." Wolt said, standing as far away as he could.
"Hm? Oh, hello Wolt. Did you need anything?" Lucina asked, wondering why he looked so nervous.
"Ah, well... It's just that... I promised to help with your humor, right? So I was wondering if that was what you wanted to do on the march." Wolt said.
"I see. I will consider it." Lucina said. Thinking that it may not be for the best if she did at the moment.
"Very well, thank you. M-miss Lucina." Wolt said, running away.
"Farewell...?"
Lucina shrugged and went to see if she could talk with Roy before they went to march.
o - o - o - o
Roy was struggling to walk. Even though Ellen told him to stay in bed, he didn't want to feel so useless. So he kept trying to walk. Maybe it wouldn't hurt as bad if he kept trying.
But he was incorrect.
If anything, it hurt more. He gave a frustrated sigh and laid back down on his bed. He rubbed his eyes irately.
The only reason he was able to stand when the Risen pack showed up was because of adrenaline and the will to survive. At the moment, he had neither. But even then, it still hurt like hell.
'Stupid poison... I can't sit all day while my allies have to march... That isn't fair to them. But... I suppose they might understand.' Roy thought with conflicted opinions.
Roy heard footsteps from outside the tent. Before he could open his mouth, a voice spoke.
"Roy? May I come inside?" It was Lucina.
"Of course, come on in." Roy responded, slightly worried about her because of their last few conversation.
Lucina walked in and sat on a chair next to his bed. They were both silent for a moment.
Finally, Lucina spoke. "I feel I should apologize to you for last time. I was afraid, and I should not have walked off like that. Please forgive me." She said apologetically.
"No, don't worry. I completely understand why you did. I was just a bit worried. I have wanted to talk with you ever since, but as you can see..." Roy attempted to stand and he failed. "I cannot walk very well..."
"Roy... About that..." Lucina started. But Roy interjected.
"I just don't want to feel like a burden. If I cannot pull my own weight, then why am I here? I guess I am just dead weight." He said with a somber tone.
Lucina's eyes glinted. "Y-you... Don't ever call yourself that again!" Lucina shouted.
Roy was greatly taken aback. "H-huh?! Luci-" Roy was cut off.
"You are so much better than you think you are! You helped me through a tough time, you are leading the Pherae army, and you are fighting in a war that could be the death of you!" Lucina said, lowering her voice, but not her passion.
"Don't think of yourself that way... I know all too well how that feels... A-and it isn't good. Tell me, if you give up now, how do you think this war will end?" Lucina asked.
Roy scoffed. "The same way it will even if I die! You don't need me. Hell, you would probably be better off without me. I am inexperienced, terrible at tactics, terrible with swords, terrible at conversing, and gods awful at leading!" Roy said, angry at himself for being so worthless.
At this point, Lucina has had enough. She balled her fists in preparation for what she was about to do.
"Forgive me Roy, you leave me with no choice. I have heard stories of my father doubting himself heavily, and my mother helped him. I think it will help you too." Lucina told him calmly.
"Uh... What are you-" Roy started, intimidated. He was cut off by Lucina's fist across his face.
Roy saw stars. His cheek was burning up.
"Listen to yourself, Roy! You sound as if there is no point in you living! Everyone has purpose! You are no different. You don't give yourself enough credit, you are an amazing leader. You Inspire us, Roy! You inspire me! D-don't be like me... I felt like I would go insane from the amount of death that occured in our minuscule army..." Lucina stifled a sob at the awful memories.
"Leading is not just about being able to fight, Roy. Leading is also about inspiring people and giving hope to others."
"If that is the case, you would be a better leader than I ever could." Roy said immediately regretting that after remembering what she had gone through.
"N-no... I could not... I had tried to give hope in my world, and it worked for the most part, but we were slowly losing hope after all of those deaths... I don't want to be a leader anymore, Roy..." Lucina said, tearing up.
"I-I'm sorry, Lucina. It was wrong of me to say that. You have been through hell. I should not ask to give you such a burden." Roy said.
"..." Lucina was silent.
"But... Are you really okay with me sitting around while you guys do all the work?" Roy asked.
"Of course. We know it wasn't your fault, Roy. You had no control over what happened. You have not faced such an enemy before. And besides, it will heal in about a day, so give yourself some time. I worry about you too..." Lucina said.
Roy gave a lighthearted laugh, which was her weakness. She couldn't resist smiling.
"Lucina, even though we only met a few weeks ago, I consider you one of my closest friends. I hope you know that."
Lucina gave a slightly more reserved laugh. "Thank you, Roy. You are a close friend to me, too."
Roy smiled idiotically, making Lucina laugh yet again.
"I appreciate the talk, Lucina. I feel a lot better now. I just hope that my leg heals soon, I have to get back into my training!" Roy said impatiently.
"There will be time later, I promise. Just let it heal. We don't want to see you hurt again... I am sorry that you must stay in the carriage, Roy..." Lucina said sympathetically.
"Yeah... It really sucks, but I know that if you guys get into battle, you will definitely win! There is not a doubt in my mind!" Roy said admirably.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Roy. I must thank you as well. You helped me deal with my past. I cannot thank you enough for that." Lucina said.
"Don't mention it. Just promise that as soon as I heal, you will train with me." Roy said.
"Of course, I would be glad to. Forgive me, Roy, I must be going now. We are preparing to march. Take care."
"Bye, Lucina. And thanks again for the talk!" He told her as she was walking out.
o - o - o - o
Narshen flew to Laus. He wanted to speak with Erik about current events and about the young woman that he captured.
When he arrived, Marquess Erik greeted him with a sinister smile.
"Good day, Sir Narshen. How are you faring today?" Erik said.
"Lord Erik. I have not yet complimented your decision of turning against Lycia in favor of us." Narshen said with a smirk.
"Hah! There is no future for Elibe if we are chained down traditions that are old and moldy, sir." Erik said with confidence.
"Well spoken sir, that is a wise way of thinking. Apologies for cutting to the chase, but where is the gift you promised me?" Narshen asked.
"Oh, of course, sir. I have her in a separate room. She is very naive, you see. We fooled her into thinking we could let her meet her brother, and she came with us without question. You! Over there! Bring her to us." Erik told a soldier passing by.
"Yes sir!" The soldier replied.
The soldier held her by the arm. She was a young blond noble.
"What is the meaning of this?! Where is my brother?!" She asked, looking around the room.
Narshen raised an eyebrow. He recognized her. "Hm... Greetings, Lady Clarine."
"And just who are you?" Clarine asked, annoyed.
"I am Narshen, one of Bern's three dragon lords, at your service. Hehehe... I will play with you instead of your brother." Narshen said, giving another sinister laugh.
Much to his surprise, Clarine started laughing also. "Hahahaha!"
"What is so amusing, my lady?" He said, annoyed.
"You, instead of my brother? Ha! Take a look at a mirror. Your clothing, your hair your speech... Every aspect of you completely lacks finesse!" Clarine said.
Narshen recoiled in anger. "Lacks finesse!? Me, lacking finesse!?"
"Comparing you to my brother is like comparing a turkey to a peacock!"
"Y-you... You wretch! Saying I lack finesse, of all things!" Narshen said, face flushed with anger.
A soldier nervously approached Narshen. "S-sir Narshen... I have just received a report that Castle Araphen has been retaken by the enemy."
This made Narshen more angry. "What!? What happened to Slater!?"
"Er... He has been killed in battle, sir. Apparently, their leader has been reported as Roy, the son of the Marquess of Pherae."
Narshen grumbled to himself in frustration. "... Lord Erik, would you mind locking the girl up in a cell? I shall have much fun with her when I return!" Narshen said.
Narshen pointed to a soldier. "You, close down the highroad leading to Ostia. This Roy person might pass by."
"Yes sir!"
"Do be careful Sir Narshen, there have also been reports of strange human-like creatures roaming the lands." Erik said.
Narshen raised an eyebrow. He had not heard of this. "Human-like creatures you say? Interesting... Very well. I must bid you farewell now."
He took his leave and Erik threw Clarine into a cell. He then prepared his troops for a potential battle against the Pherae Army.
o - o - o - o
The Pherae Army was finally marching to Laus. They had almost reached their destination.
"So... If someone says that they are sick of something, it means that they are tired of something, or are annoyed at something, got it?" Wolt told Lucina, who agreed to the 'lessons' and were already a couple hours in.
"Understood." Lucina said stiffly.
Wolt sighed at her behavior. She has been giving brief replies the whole time. The only people she would talk with without a problem are Cynthia and Roy.
"Listen, we can stop if you feel like it. I don't want to make you feel obligated to continue this." Wolt said.
"No... Forgive me, Sir Wolt. I have a rather difficult time speaking with people I don't know very well. It isn't your fault. Shall we continue?" Lucina said guiltily.
"Sure. Okay, tell me what a simile is."
"A simile... Comparing two unalike things with each other by using 'like, or as?'" She asked.
"Great! Now, give me an example of a hyperbole." Wolt said.
"That is easy: The box weighed a thousand tons." Lucina said.
"Good, now it gets harder. Hmm... Alright, what is an Oxymoron? Give me an example of one."
"Er... Forgive me, I cannot recall." Lucina said.
"That's okay, you don't really need to know about that anyway. So now that we've got that out of the way, let's work on some jokes." Wolt said excitedly.
"Wait... Are those... Soldiers? Wolt, let the others know. We may have to prepare for battle!" Lucina said hastily.
"On it!" He said, slightly disappointed they had to end the lesson right before they got into jokes.
Wolt rallied the troops, and they had fallen in around Lucina.
"It looks like they have the villages in lockdown. The people in that castle over there appear to be looking for someone." Cynthia said to them after visiting the nearest village.
"I see... Prepare for battle, we must investigate. If the rumors are true, we must not allow this treachery to continue any further." Lucina said.
"Yeah, the villagers said the soldiers were looking for someone named 'Roy,' sound familiar?" Wolt said.
"Then it confirms they have indeed turned. What a shame, the last Marquess was also a traitor, I was hoping this Marquess would be more loyal..." Marcus said.
"There are mostly Cavaliers, but I see a few Nomads as well." Cynthia said.
"Very well. Sir Marcus, you're with Sir Dieck, go pair with him. Cynthia, you're with Sir Wolt. Sir Chad, stay back here in the village." Lucina commanded them.
"But what about you, sis!?" Cynthia asked, worried beyond words.
"Don't worry about me, Cynthia. Have some faith, I don't plan on dying out there." Lucina said, trying to reassure her sister.
Cynthia looked like she wanted to say more, but didn't. After putting a hand on Cynthia's shoulder for reassurance, Lucina gave the order to move out.
o - o - o - o
In the castle dungeon, a blonde noble was pacing angrily in her cell. Clarine gave a frustrated groan.
"They will pay for locking me in here..." Clarine said, mood sour.
She then thought she heard a voice outside the room. When she approached her door, she could faintly make out the words.
"..Hey." The person outside said.
"Who goes there?!" Clarine asked while looking for a makeshift weapon.
The stranger opened the door and spoke to her. "I am a mercenary hired by Lord Erik. He would like to see you."
"Oh? Well, I refuse." Clarine said with indignation. "I do not wish to speak with lower class people."
The mercenary sighed. "Just get over here." He took her by the wrist and led her as forcefully as he needed to.
Clarine tried to fight back with actions and words. "Let go of me this instant! You will pay! Do you know who I am?!"
The mercenary was silent.
Clarine still tried to resist. "I said, let go!"
The mercenary rolled his eyes and continued to drag her towards the throne room.
o - o - o - o
The Pherae army was faring quite well. There were some minor injuries, but they have been getting by.
Lucina, being by herself, was rather uncomfortable. She didn't have anyone by her side, which was what she was used to having.
The army inched closer to the castle, but they were still rather far away. Lucina noticed something chilling.
'What is that!?' Lucina's mind was racing.
She saw dark figures on top of a small plateau where one of the villages resided. Risen, presumably.
Her blood ran cold. She was too far away.
Seeing Cynthia was beset by enemies, as well as Marcus, they wouldn't be there in time. She sprinted full-speed towards the village, praying to Naga she would make it in time.
However, several Risen jumped down to intercept her.
Cursing herself for being so careless, she took out her sword, preparing for a quick skirmish.
She soon found that they were tougher than she thought. It was four against one, so the odds were in their favor, they were much quicker, stronger and their blows were more controlled than the Risen from her time.
Gritting her teeth, she started to fight back. She had to take her time, It could be fatal if she made a mistake, even for her.
She jumped out of the way of the first Risen's axe and chopped it's arm off. She finished it off with a thrust to it's stomach. Another Risen charged her and nicked her in the forearm. She used Aether to finish it off.
She heard screams coming from the village. She was already too late.
Out of anger and frustration, she finished the other two off with a horizontal slash. Seeing that they were finally killed, she ran up the the hill leading to the village.
It had already been destroyed.
'No! Damn me! Not again!' Lucina screamed in her mind. This brought back memories of one of many villages she had failed to save. She dropped to her knees in tears. She looked down, and she saw a flower. The flower brought back memories of a flower a little girl from her world had given her.
o - o - o - o
Ylisse, 1 year ago.
Lucina was walking through a village with her army. She was had terrible wounds and was gasping for breath. Her shoulder was cut deep, almost reaching her humerus. She had trouble moving her arm.
'Gods, what terrible wounds!'
'Will she be okay?!'
'Please be safe, milady!'
The townspeople were quite worried. One in particular called her over.
'Lady Lucina! Hurry on inside!'
Too tired to argue, Lucina obliged.
Once they were inside, the villagers wrapped the cut in a bandage and laid her on a bed.
'We're deeply sorry, but this village does not have much...' The man said.
'No, I am grateful to you for letting me rest here despite my sudden visit.' Lucina said, giving a polite smile.
'I will just rest here and then I'll immediately leave the first chance I get.' Lucina told him.
'No you won't, Lady Lucina!' Her soldier that was supervising said.
'Your wound will take several days to heal! Please rest here until then!' He said.
'But... Now that my father is dead, if I don't fight... Ngh!' A sharp pain emanated from her shoulder.
'Does it hurt, miss?' A young girl no older than six asked.
They gave each other an awkward stare.
'Does it hurt?' The girl repeated.
'Well...' Lucina started, unsure of what to say.
Then the girl's mother came and tried to drag him away from her.
'Please excuse her, Lady Lucina! My daughter is so impolite!' She said.
'N-no, I don't mind...' Lucina said.
'You have to call her 'Lady Lucina!'' The mother told her daughter.
'Lady Lucina!' The girl said while struggling against her mother's grip. 'I will take care of you, ok?' This only made her mother more forceful.
'What are you saying, now!?' Her mother asked incredulously.
Lucina gave a teary eyed smile. She was touched by the notion.
She gave a soft laugh. 'Just for a few days, okay? I'll be counting on you!' Lucina told the little girl.
The girl gave a giddy smile. 'Okay!'
Lucina didn't say anything else, but she returned the smile.
The next day...
'Lady Lucina, tell me a story!' The little girl said excitedly.
'Hmm... Let's see...' Lucina thought. She told her a story about her requesting sword training from her father. Her story was brief, as tears fell from her cheeks.
'Lady Lucina... Are you sad? Your face looked so sad...' The girl said forlornly. She then had an idea. 'Wait here, okay?' The girl ran outside.
'Um...' Lucina was a bit confused.
The girl came back with an object in her hands. 'Tada!' The girl held up the object.
'Huh? Flowers...?' Lucina questioned.
'Yup! You can only find them around here. My mom said they're really rare! Whenever my mom yells at me and I feel sad, I smell this flower.'
Ignoring that last part, Lucina leaned over to smell the flowers. 'Wow... It smells really nice.'
The girl let go of the flowers. 'Thank you, I feel much better now!' Lucina said.
'Yay! I knew you would love it!' The little girl jumped joyfully.
A few days later...
'Lady Lucina, will you be leaving now?' The woman asked.
'Yes, I would like to reach the next town before nightfall.' Lucina replied.
'I see... I am sorry we couldn't do more...'
'No, It is thanks to you that I could take the time to recover. You have my gratitude.' Lucina said truthfully.
The little girl walked behind Lucina. 'Lady Lucina... Are you leaving?'
Lucina knelt to her height. 'Yes... I am.'
'...Lady Lucina, you know... I started making a potpourri with this flower. So that the nice smell will last forever. I will give it to you the next time I see you... So come again, okay?'
Lucina gave a soft smile. 'I'll definitely come back!'
The little girl gave Lucina a big hug. After saying their farewells, Lucina and her army departed.
The next day...
Lucina and her army made it to the next town. Near the shops, she heard something chilling.
Two people were talking to each other. '...Have you heard that a village nearby was attacked by Risen?' The first man asked the other man.
'Is that true? Damn, so we aren't safe here either...'
'Yeah, we have to move somewhere else...'
Lucina wore a disturbed face. 'A town nearby...'
Lucina ran up to the man. 'Excuse me! The village you are talking about, are you talking about the one on the mountain!?'
'Er... Yes, I didn't see it myself, my son told me about it when he took a ride on his horse this morning.' He said with surprise.
Sprinting away, she jumped on her horse, with her destination being the village she recovered in. Her soldiers, caught off guard, started hastily following in their horses.
'Please... Please be safe...' Lucina thought.
When she and her soldiers made it to the village, she was traumatized.
It was in ruins, houses were destroyed and there were dead bodies scattered on the roads.
'Gods... If only I had taken one more day to recover... This wouldn't have...' Her mind trailed off as she reached the ruins of the house she recovered in.
'No...' She found the remains of the potpourri the little girl was making for her.
Lucina dropped to her arms and knees as she sobbed next to the remnants of the dried petals.
o - o - o - o
Lucina's vision was blurry. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She would mourn after the battle.
With rage, she sprinted to the Risen at the ruins of the village.
o - o - o - o
The mercenary and Clarine made their way outside the castle.
"I said, let go!" Clarine persisted.
"Shut up. You won't be able to escape with all the noise you're making." The mercenary told her.
"Huh? Then you're..."
"Yeah. I've prepared a horse for you over by that tree. Get on it and leave while you can.
"Why are you helping me?" Clarine asked.
"I have a grudge against Bern." He replied.
"Is that so?"
"That's none of your business." He answered.
"Putting it that way only makes me more curious." Clarine told him
"Haven't I done enough for you? Get out of here!"
"Hmph."
Clarine escaped on the horse. Upon leaving, she saw just exactly where she was.
"This is an active battlefield! What was that man thinking?! A proper gentleman should escort a lady to her mansion!" Clarine exclaimed.
She groaned. "I came all the way here on my own to meet my brother, and this is what I get?"
She decided to just wing it, so she headed towards the closest person...
o - o - o - o
The mercenary made his way back to Erik before he was discovered.
"Ah! There you are." Erik said, slightly surprising the mercenary, but he didn't let it show.
"What do you want?" He asked Erik.
"Our forces are having trouble out there. Take some troops and assist them!"
"Did you hear me? I said to go help them!" Erik said, losing his patience.
"I heard you. I will leave as soon as I am ready." The mercenary then left to gather troops.
"Hmph, he is not the friendliest of people... I suppose he makes up for it in skill with a blade."
o - o - o - o
Lucina had just finished killing all of the Risen when she heard a shout west of her.
"Pardon me, you over there!" A young woman shouted.
"..." Lucina was silent.
"Hey, I am talking to you!"
"What is it you require?" Lucina finally asked.
"Oh, nobility yourself, huh? You are the leader of this group, aren't you?" She asked.
"As of right now, yes. But I am a temporary replacement." Lucina answered, wondering how much she should tell her.
"I see... That is most convenient. Alright then, will you protect me?" She asked.
"Forgive me, but you could be the enemy, why should I trust you?" Lucina asked.
"Well, excuse me! I was locked up in that dirty old castle over there! That is good enough reason!" She exclaimed.
"I see... Very well, you do not look like you could do any harm." Lucina said.
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean!?"
"So, I advise you to stay in the back with a man named Merlinus. He is the man with the carriage." Lucina said.
"I see. By the way, since you didn't ask, my name is Clarine." Clarine said.
Lucina gave a forced smile. "It is nice to make your acquaintance, Clarine."
"Hmph. Finally, someone with manners..." Clarine mumbled.
"Do you use staves, Lady Clarine?"
"I do. Do you have any wounded?" Clarine asked.
Lucina finally had something to breath a sigh of relief over. "Yes, we do. Please, Merlinus is carrying a wounded young man. I beg of you to help heal him."
"Very well, leave it to me... Oh, before I leave, what is your name?" Clarine asked.
"Lucina. My name is Lucina."
"Lucina... That is a lovely name. I will have to have tea with you sometime. Farewell."
"Farewell...?"
o - o - o - o
Clarine was making her way to Merlinus as she caught sight of a certain someone on the battlefield. "Hey, isn't that...?"
She approached him on her horse.
"Oh, it's you." Clarine said.
"You... What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? You abandoned me in a battlefield, and you have the nerve to say that? I could have been killed!" Clarine said indignantly.
"Well, you're lucky that you're still alive. Anything else you would like to say to me?" He asked.
"Hold on, are you just going to walk away after abandoning me? A proper gentleman should take responsibility for his actions." Clarine said.
"What? What responsibilities do you speak of?" He asked.
"If a man rescues a lady, that he must also escort her to her mansion!" Clarine said.
The mercenary sighed. "...I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Besides, don't you have something against Bern? Then you shouldn't have to fight us, who are going up against them." Clarine said.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever... Wait, what!? Hold on a moment. Is that true?" He asked.
"What?"
He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "The army you are fighting with, are they against Bern?"
"Yes, their leader is named... Well I dunno. You want to talk with a woman named Lucina. She is the temporary leader." Clarine clarified.
"...Very well." He said.
"Hmm?"
"I am going to be joining your army. Happy?"
"I suppose...?"
The mercenary ran off to meet with this 'Lucina.'
"Hey, wait! The most important thing is to protect me, not fight Bern!" Clarine yelled to him, but he was out of earshot.
o - o - o - o
After the exchange with Clarine, Lucina met with the village south of the battlefield, and cleared out some pirates coming from the southeastern area. The battle was almost over. She ran over to the castle entrance to fight the traitor, Erik.
"You fools are bound too tight around old and moldy traditions! I shall teach you the ways of the world!" Erik shouted to Lucina.
"What ways!? Greed? World domination? What are your goals!?" Lucina asked incredulously.
"Hehehe. Stupid girl, I will never tell!" Erik said.
Lucina charged him, but he managed to dodge the attack. He countered with a horizontal strike aimed at her lower body. Which is exactly what Lucina wanted. She jumped over the swing and slashed at the horse.
Erik was losing control of it, and it bucked him off. However, he managed to avoid serious injury and went back into battle.
He started with a feint. He managed to succeed, as she was not accustomed to feints; she only fought Risen, who were not intelligent enough to attempt techniques such as those. She rolled into his real attack aimed at her stomach.
It nicked her in the side, drawing blood. She decided to go all out, using Aether. The first strike he blocked, but the pressure from the blow made his arms weak. Lucina disarmed him, threw him to the ground, and kicked the blade away.
"So... This is how it ends..." Erik said, out of breath. "Hahaha... You fools... There is no future for those who try to oppose absolute power..." Erik spat out.
"You fought well, but your traitorous acts will not be forgiven. May Naga have mercy on you." Lucina said. She closed her eyes and stabbed him through the heart.
Afterwards, she conquered the castle. Merlinus managed to catch up with her after a while. "Lady Lucina, the remaining Laus soldiers are retreating!" He said.
"Understood. Tell everyone else to rest at the villages." Lucina replied.
Merlinus bowed. "By the way, someone wanted to see you, I think his name was Rutger. He was a mercenary hired by Laus. He can tell you the whole story, but apparently, he dislikes Bern."
"I see. I will meet up with him. Farewell, Merlinus." Lucina said.
"Farewell..." With that, Merlinus took his leave.
Lucina sat at the steps until she caught sight of someone she wasn't expecting to see.
"Ah, Lady Lucina, are you well?" It was Princess Guinevere.
"Ah, indeed I am..." Lucina replied.
"I feel that I must apologize. If it weren't for Bern, you would not have to fight in this war. Roy told me we must not trust the other Marquesses. He also told me that there may not be a way to end this war peacefully with Lord Hector's death..." Guinevere said.
"No need to apologize. It wasn't within your control. Besides, you disagree with Bern, correct? As Roy might say, you have a place here with us." Lucina said.
"Am I really able to stay? I wouldn't be a burden, would I?"
"Of course not. You can stay as long as you like. Well... That is Roy's decision, but I know he feels the same." Lucina said truthfully.
"I see. You have my thanks. I do not hate my brother, but he always talked about liberating the world. It... Slightly angered me, you could say." Guinevere said.
That got Lucina's attention. "Liberate the world...?"
Guinevere nodded. "He said that this war will liberate the world."
Lucina was perplexed beyond words. It must have shown, because Guinevere gave a sorrowful smile.
"Trust me, I wish I knew as well... Anyway, I do not wish to waste anymore of your time. Farewell, Lady Lucina."
"Farewell... Princess Guinevere..." When Guinevere left, Lucina was pondering Guinevere's words.
'What could King Zephiel mean? He plans to liberate the world by causing death to innocent people and destructions of their homes?' She shuddered just thinking about it.
She decided to head back with the others. She also had to meet up with Rutger. She planned to find him first. It turned out to be easier than she thought it would be. It appeared that he was looking for her as well.
"Hey, you. Are you Lucina?" Rutger asked.
"Indeed I am. How have you heard of me?" Lucina asked, slightly worried.
"Clarine told me of you. I would like to join your army." He said.
Letting go of a breath she was holding, Lucina told him of Roy.
"I am only the temporary leader. You'll want to speak with Roy. Do you see the man riding the carriage over there?"
She pointed to Merlinus.
"There is a man with red hair named Roy in the carriage, he will enlist you." Lucina said.
"I see. My thanks." Rutger said.
He reminded her of Gerome somewhat. A man of few words. She wondered how they were doing. She only just met up with Cynthia a time ago. She still held on to hope. She knew they were skilled warriors.
She decided to head back to their camp that Marcus set up by himself, as usual.
She arrived at her tent and took out her cot. She was tired from the day's events. She remembered Roy's wounds and she decided to check up on him.
o - o - o - o
Roy was being treated by two hotheaded healers. It was quite irritating, but somewhat endearing with all the nagging he got. It didn't change the fact it was annoying, though.
After they had finished, they told him to stay in bed for another day. He could walk, but only walk a short distance. The poison was extracted and his leg still needed to get used to the weight on it.
He was about to get up and walk around until he heard a voice outside.
"Roy, may I come in?" It was Lucina.
"Oh, of course." Roy replied.
She walked in and sat down on a chair.
"So, how are you doing, Roy?" Lucina asked.
"Great, actually. Clarine and Ellen said I could continue my duties tomorrow. I also get to get back into my training." Roy said with a smile.
"Good... That's good." Lucina said, slightly mesmerized by his smile.
"U-uh... Lucina?" Roy asked, curious about her behavior.
"Wh-what?! Sorry! I didn't mean to..." Lucina trailed off.
"Y-yeah... I should probably get some sleep, Lucina." Roy said, heart aflutter.
"Right. See you t-tomorrow, Roy." Lucina said, rushing to get out of the tent.
Her heart was beating so fast it hurt. 'Gods, what is this feeling? I don't understand it.' Lucina left to her tent and tried to get some sleep. It was rather difficult, as the image of Roy's smile was burned into her mind.
She dozed off with a content smile on her face.
o - o - o - o
A/N: Sorry for the slight delay. It was procrastination, I have no excuse.
I was looking at my first few chapters. CRINGE. I will have to redo them sometime. They are filled with errors and awkward flow.
Sorry for the unoriginality. You may know what I am talking about. *COUGH, *COUGH, VILLAGE SCENE, *COUGH, *COUGH*
UNTIL NEXT TIME