"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it" - Albert Einstein

Finding Gerome was no easy task.

Well, I knew it wasn't going to be. I'd only caught a glimpse of him going off in the direction of the front palace doors. He could have either left already, or was still in the castle. The former was the most likely. He was probably out in the capital.

I dreaded the capital. Not that I had a whole, 'holier than thou,' complex, or thought I was better than, 'mere peasants,' but the people scared me. I hadn't been out there in sometime. The only times I was forced to go outside was when the council proposed it a good idea for me to make public announcements, relating to the war or anything that would greatly impact the country. I wasn't like Emmeryn or Dad who would go out and see their peoples personally, I was secluded because I made it that way. I was scared of the people because I was afraid they would shun me for not being a better Exalt. It was another failure I was constantly reminded about. They'd probably throw rocks at me…

Even so, I promised Frederick, and I refused to go back on my word.

I dashed out the giant, front doors, wood and iron to the marble. I covered my face, crossing my arms over it protectively, and felt something wash over my entire body that hadn't felt in a long time. Fresh air.

"Is that the princess!?"

"What is she doing out here!?"

"After her!"

I almost forgot about the guards at the gates. Before I noticed, I started laughing. I felt so free! As the guards chased after me, I slipped out of their reach. They couldn't grab me, I was way too fast for them. They ran after me for sometime, and would not give up.

"Geez, let up guys! You won't reach me!" I cackled. Then adding in a deeper and lower voice, I added, "You'll never catch me coppers!" I could see the black and white, and hear the gunshots and police sirens now!

It was the memories the words I spoke accompanied that really set me off. I remembered how there was someone who always wanted to watch old timey movies with me, and how we'd reenact them as outrageously silly as we could, with cushions as our makeshift car, and pretend windows. I was ducked in a small alley and an airy breath left my body. "Wow, I can't believe that worked," I said to myself as I watched them run down the street. The guards weren't as smart as I thought they were. A possible sign for new staff?

Moments later when I was sobered up, I'd curse myself for not being sensible enough to just ask them if they saw a brown haired boy running out, instead of performing my own chase scene. Now there'd be guards and soldiers all over the capital searching for me when I was searching for Gerome. I really could be an idiot.

"This is going to be a pain," I muttered. I started searching for Gerome at a slow pace. He couldn't have gotten that far, could he? He was only maybe a year or two younger than me, and he couldn't have ran as far as I did.

I quietly exited the mouth of the alley and walked down the road, head turning to each and every sight there was, from more alleys, to small houses. The houses, small as they were, looked cozy and snug, with exteriors of golden brown bricks, and roofs of a darker shade. They looked tiny, containing at least only one room, and no more.

It was strange. The entire capital felt so tiny and miniscule compared to everything in the palace. It was like the palace was a city on its own, while the actual capital was a small village, population filled to the brim. An unbearably large city to a cozy little village; it was almost tempting in a way to just run away from all the royalty to be a normal city dweller, but I knew better of myself and the world around me.

I strolled further down, warily looking out for a random guard or two. If note of my absence was somewhere in the air, they could find me in about an hour, tops. I didn't spot any guards in the first few minutes, but someone did spot me.

An elderly looking lady, sweeping the front of her house, noticed me almost instantly. We maintained eye contact, and I anxiously thought how much of an uproar this could potentially cause. She looked up from her chore for a moment, rubbed her eyes as if there was still an ounce of sleep in them, and they widened. "No…" She whispered, a hand covering her mouth. The old lady walked towards me uncertainty, entertaining the idea I was even there. "Are you-are you really the princess?" She asked.

Not knowing what to say, I merely nodded.

Slowly, she removed her hand from her mouth, letting the other hover over my cheek, like she was scanning me. A smile lit up on her wrinkly face, showing off her yellow and missing teeth. Then, cupping her mouth as to amplify her voice, she shouted to the capital, "Our princess is back!"

A tsunami of people came from all of the houses, crowding up the side of the capital. I hadn't realized how barren the half of the city really was until then. It hadn't felt right before now. City people of all shapes and sizes rushed me, forming a circle of limbs reaching out. There were thousands of people, and I was reminded this wasn't even the entire capital, only an eighth of a sixty fourth. Or less. A village to a city, with the capital as the village and the palace as the city, that wasn't right anymore. This was on an even larger scale. The capital was a country.

The ground below my feet disappeared, and I lost track of what was happening. The people were chanting loudly, something almost alien. Their words were lost on my ears, and it all blended together as my name. They were chanting my name. And there were hands pushing me up. I could only assume they were carrying me.

I started to panic. Where were they taking me? I turned to one of the men on my left who was supporting my body with lean muscle, and asked him.

"Why, only to the greatest of establishments for our Exalt!" He responded, then went back to carrying me and chanting with the other folk.

While the offer was more than generous, I needed to find Gerome, especially before the guards came for me. I didn't want to deny them their elatedness of me finally being in the city after so, so long, but I really was only there for a sole reason.

I wriggled uncomfortably on all the hands on my back, my legs, my arms, everywhere. "Please let me down," I whispered repeatedly, and with every time I spoke it, my voice rose among their loud chanting until I was screaming.

The man on my left, the same one who I had asked earlier, thankfully noticed me and directed the people to put me back on the ground.

Murmurs broke out among the large crowd I had attracted (more people were coming out of their houses)(go back in, go back in, please). Is she okay? What happened? Was the Exalt just screaming? Where are her guards?

"Um, I-I'm very sorry everyone," I announced awkwardly. At once, the people's gazes were firmly locked on me. None of them were talking amongst each other. It was dead silent. Intimidated hadn't begun to cover what I felt. "I know you must be excited to see me, as I haven't made very regular visits into town," It had been almost half a year now. "but, I-" I became tongue tied, I couldn't think of anything to say. It was like I was breaking all of their hearts. "but I-I only came to the city for personal matters…. It must be disappointing and I'm so sorry." Every word I spoke sounded fake to myself, even though I knew I spoke the truth.

I ran off in a random direction, barely letting out a 'goodbye.' That was horrible, I was horrible. I covered my ears as I went off to keep from hearing them call out desperately for their Exalt, and I shut my eyes tight to keep myself from looking back.

A disaster. It was a disaster. From my core, I was shaking. They would lose trust in me. I wasn't like Emmeryn or Dad, they were better Exalts than I could ever hope to be. And they were dead. The words dead and disgrace resounded in my head. They were dead, I was the disgrace. I was no Exalt, I couldn't speak to the citizens naturally unless I had a script the council provided me with. I was a fake, a phony.

I came back to yet another quaint, little alley, pieces of trash lining its two walls. I stumbled like a drunkard all the way to the back. The town seemed more quiet, like it was completely abandoned. In the uneasy silence, I curled up into a ball, and slowly fell asleep, thoughts of failure swimming in the background.

It wasn't long before I awoke to the harshness of reality once more. I had no idea of what the time was, all I could guarantee what that is was within the first hour; the sun's position hadn't changed much. Guilt snuck up on me, capturing my stomach. What was I doing this whole time? I was supposed to look for Gerome. I cursed myself. Damn it, how daft could I get?

I brushed off my clothes, making sure I wasn't much of a mess. When I stood up I was a bit dizzy, and had to support myself with one of the walls. My eyes hurt, my throat was dry, and my arms and legs were itchy. I hated it.

"Lucina?"

"What?" I snapped at the entrance. I didn't care anymore, I thought as I rubbed my wrist.

Through my bangs I could see the city resident, although shade covered their face as the sun shone on their back. They held a woven basket. It was covered, and from the angle I was at, I wasn't able to see what was in it.

"Are you okay?" They asked hesitantly. I was tired of hearing that question. So often had I heard it. It was sickening.

"Are you okay..." I muttered scornfully. For the second time that day, my voice rose steadily. "if the princess was in an alleyway and you see her as uncomfortable as she possibly could be, would you bother asking if she was okay!? I'm not okay, okay!? I've been walking around the city for Gods know how long, been chased by my own guards, mobbed by other city people, emotionally degraded myself, napped in this crappy little alley for maybe fifteen minutes, and now you have the gall to ask me if I'm okay!? Well your answer is no! I'm not okay! I'm tired, I'm aching, I'm sweaty, and I still have to be out here because I have to find someone who's probably reached his right state of mind before I have!" I panted aggravatedly, chest heaving heavily along with my arms.

I hadn't noticed how I shifted into my sparring stance, only I was missing Falchion. My eyes widened and I lessened my stance, back again to standing normally. I would have attacked them. I fell to my hands and knees. "I'm sorry," I whispered, "I'm so sorry, please don't hurt me, I'm so sorry, please don't hurt me, I'm sorry," I repeated.

I expected them to leave, maybe leave a kick on my cheek, dirt thrown in my eyes, I don't know. I deserved it. What I didn't expect, however, was for them to lift me in their arms, saying a woeful, "Oh, child," under their breath.

From their shoulder, I recognized the long blond hair. "Libra," I choked. I cried in his arms for some time, not calming down until my breaths came out hard and shaky.

We were both on our knees, and Libra didn't let go of me until I was deemed, 'okay.'

"Have you calmed down?" He chose his words carefully, probably able to tell if he said the word 'okay,' again, I might have been set off once more.

I sniffled and nodded, rubbing my eyes with my knuckles. "I-I think so,"

"What are you doing out here?" He asked, offering his hand.

I lifted myself with it, back on both feet, and curtly explained my situation.

"Well," Libra said, "I can do more than pray you will find him. Let me help you."

I was quick to decline, yet Libra insisted, and no sooner than that, we were on our way in the town once more. I was still curious about Libra's woven basket, and as we walked I noticed there were dolls filling it to the brim. They were pretty diverse, with dresses or trousers, short hair or long, black hair to red. What would a grown man need to with dolls, I asked myself. Libra was a priest, so he could have been giving them to a charity of some sort.

Before I could question his taste in toys, he asked me why I seemed to have a breakdown. I responded truthfully. There was no need in lying to Libra. That man could tell a lie from a mile away, I swear. "I'm…. not a good leader. I haven't came to the city in over half a year now, yet the people treat me as if I've done amazing things. It doesn't feel…. right…."

Libra eyed me auspiciously, smiling a bit. A short pause passed by us both, and then he asked, "Do you mind if we visit my destination first?"

Libra was never a man to put himself above others, so if he wanted to go to his place first, it must have been important. Besides, we could have found Gerome on the way there, so there wasn't a reason for me to refuse. With a shrug, I said, "Sure."

On the way, we talked about the things that had come up in our lives since we last met (which was the funeral). I told him how Cynthia and I were doing, he told me how the church was getting a few less donations, but they were still pulling through.

"I might be able to give you half the royal vault," I said while Libra gave a soft chuckle.

"You've no need to do such a thing,"

Somehow, we ended up on the subject of history, something I was very enthusiastic to discuss. "The latest thing we talked about was Tellius lore. I think it was about Ike's campaign against Crimea." I paused, "Hey Libra... Do you think Tellius lore is actual history? You know, cause everyone just kinda rejects it."

There was a brief moment of silence where Libra thought of his answer. For me it felt like more of a test, to see if Libra would approve of what I enjoyed. His opinion was important to me.

"Well," he breathed, "there was light of evidence of Tellius' reality quite a few years ago, I see no reason why it wouldn't be, as you put it, 'actual history.'"

I smiled. Yeah, Libra wasn't one to be caught up in bias anyway. I'd come to really enjoy learning about Tellius, and in effect, everything else became a bit more interesting too. I was glad.

Not a minute later, we reached Libra's destination. A building with the word orphanage, plastered on the front. To be honest, the building wasn't in picture perfect condition. It was a lazy building, not bothering to stand on its own legs, and instead chose to lean on the building beside it. It was made out of brick, like every other building, but darker, so the orphanage was a dark oak.

The environment didn't look healthy, especially for kids.

"This is it?" I asked doubtfully.

Libra nodded wordlessly and trailed inside the orphanage, motioning for me to follow. As he opened the door, a nurse was waiting for him. She looked around him, wide eyed, as her eyes were directly on me. Libra said something, I was out of earshot by now, the nurse nodded, and we were let in.

Kids immediately circled around him, paying not an ounce of attention to me. I was grateful for it. They bid him hello, all of them, and Libra responded with a hello of his own to each one of them. He dealt with the crowd better than I, that was for sure. He handed out his dolls from his basket and the kids took them from him happily.

I was hiding behind a little post, one of a few to keep the structure up (they needed funds desperately, I could tell). The scene was much too like what I experienced only moments earlier. It was painful. Only, I wasn't as charitable as the priest. I didn't have anything to offer back to the people except for a false figure of hope.

I sighed distastefully. Surprise coloured my face when Libra motioned for me to come. "Everyone, this is my good friend Lucina, she's royalty!" The kids clamored to find me, and find me they did.

"Wow! Your so pretty!" One little girl said, grinning at me through her missing front teeth.

You're gorgeous, I answered, you look like more of a princess than I. Her look of absolute joy was precious.

"How old are you?" A boy asked, hands on his hips and a questionable expression.

Probably not much older than you, I said, even though I knew the difference in our ages was very much apparent, he didn't know that though. He got dimples when he smiled wide.

They were the typical questions every kid asked when they met somebody new to them. There was one kid however, who stood from the rest.

"Fight me!"

A tiny, frail, little girl with pitch black hair, and ferocious mauve eyes. She looked like she was malnourished, most of the children did in fact. Was this how badly funded they were?

I smiled a bit smugly. This kid was a bit naïve, not to mention in the condition she was, she barely looked like she could bare to stand even now. "I seemed to have misplaced my weapons. Maybe another time? Besides, you're a bit young, aren't you?"

She huffed angrily. "I"m eleven!" She didn't look like it. "And I have wooden weapons under my bed, we can do this now!"

This time, I let my arrogance shine through. "Sure, if you think you can take me."

"I can!" She went off in another room, presumably to find her training weapons.

"Please don't mind her," The nurse approached me sorrowfully, pulling me aside from the other children. "her mother left her here quite a while back and hasn't returned. Ever since, she's been quite irritable and ready to fight with anyone."

"What do you do about her?" I asked. Surely they wouldn't leave the poor girl by her lonesome all the time.

"She somehow disappears on us at the most inappropriate of times, and not a second later she reappears! We don't know what to do with her." Either the staff weren't paying her enough attention or she really was a problem child. I felt pity for the poor girl.

I was drawn back in by the children and they tried to apologize, brushing her off as nothing but a rat, forgettable, annoying, and a pest. It was that moment as well that she came bounding back in quietly with the triangle of wooden weapons in her hands, eyes watering.

I glanced at her, then gave my attention to the children again. The pitter patter of her feet, and the sharp intake of breath… She was going to run off again. Before she could, I gripped her shoulder firmly and grinned. "They're right you know?" I whispered in her ear and she trembled. "You're like a rat, really quiet!" She glanced back at me questionally. "You're really stealthy! I hope you don't use that against me in our fight! Let's go to some clear space!" I could feel her dumbfounded stare on the back of my head as I passed her to the yard of the orphanage.

"So what do you have?" I sat cross legged as she laid out her three wooden weapons. They weren't as well taken care of, or as skillfully crafted as the training weapons back at the castle, (that was to be expected) but it was obvious they were held with care and had sentimental value.

She kneeled in front of me and pointed out to each weapon. "So, I have a lance, a sword, and an axe. You can choose from the sword or the axe, the lance is mine." Clearly she wasn't going to share the weapon which she deemed hers, and she proved it well once she hugged the lance close to her chest.

"Darn," I laid my head in my palm. "how did you know I use a sword, you might beat me! That's not fair, you have a weapons advantage!" I griped jokingly.

She blew a raspberry at me and beamed. "Too bad! If you wanted fair you should have played house with Marie!"

"Ooh, I'm not really good with house…" I trailed, seeing the way the little girl's cheeks turned a bit pink from all the strain of smiling. "Anyway," I lifted the sword up lazily. It was almost comical how tiny it was. She needed some replacements. "you stand on that side and I'll stand on this side, yeah?"

She did as I asked and I almost forgot one crucial thing. "Oh wait, we never really introduced ourselves, huh? You must already know who I am, but just in case, I'm Lucina," I decided to leave out me being the Exalt, I didn't think it was important to her, "who are you?"

"I'm Kjelle! I'm going to be a knight one day!"

I whistled appreciatively, Kjelle was determined. She said it like it was going to be. "Alright Kjelle," I tested her name. Reminded me of something Baltic. "We don't stop until someone says, 'I yield.' Got it?"

"Yes! May the better soldier win!" She shouted confidently.

We charged.

As we sparred, I noticed the other orphanage children coming out, The nurse was desperately trying to lead them all back in, yet they stood there, transfixed by our movements. By a small tree with a swingset, Libra was there, basket empty, and holding a knowing smile.

Glancing back at Kjelle, I truly took in her fighting style. Using a lance, she obviously used the extra length she had to her advantage, however because of all the length a lance had, it was thinner and more fragile than a sword unless made with a sturdier material. Even with how small the training sword was in my hands, if I found a sweet spot with the lance….

With each blow we traded, on body or not, I steadily searched for her lance's sweet spot, somewhere underneath. Our weapons clacked against each other. Clack, clack, clack… There!

With a final push, I knocked Kjelle's lance right out of her hands, the wooden tip landing in the soft dirt.

I let the tip of the wooden sword land on her chest. "Do you yield?"

Kjelle was gnawing on her bottom lip, contemplating whether she'd give or not. Beads of sweat trailed down both of our faces, breaths coming out uneven, and we were quivering where we stood. Kjelle sighed defeatedly, "I yield," her eyes were welling up with tears again, and the orphans behind us cheered. They could tell we still had some to talk about, so they let us be. Even if Kjelle was upset about a loss, she shouldn't have been, so I worked fast.

I smiled and dropped the sword into my other hand to shake Kjelle's. "You're really good," I complimented her amiably, sensing her confusion already. "I wouldn't have beaten you if I didn't remember a trick I was taught."

"A trick?" Kjelle questioned. She was getting a bit riled up.

I quickly tried to amend her anger. "W-well, not really a trick, per se, it's more like a technique, you know? It only works for swords against lances, only lances of lower quality like iron or bronze. You have to find a weak spot under the area a soldier is gripping their lance." I said it all in one breath, and had to breath in right after the fact. I noticed my throat was dry.

"I see, you have disarming techniques?" She muttered. "That could prove useful…" Then with a booming voice, Kjelle fell to her knees in front of me, and begged, "Please teach me!"

I was appalled. Me? Teach? I mean, sure if it came to history, I was a whiz, but with weapons? I didn't even know how to use a lance! All I knew was a little trick that Frederick taught me! Not to mention, that trick took me weeks until I got it down.

I bit my lip nervously. On one hand, Kjelle was a bit of a special case. She was the most forgotten of all the kids, and it would mean the world to her if I accepted her into something. I could maybe have her join me with Frederick, but he was already busy teaching Cynthia full time, and me part time, and Frederick was also a full time dad. On the other hand, I didn't know if it was legal for me to just up and take her from an orphanage when her mother was going to pick her up.

"I-I-"

"Please!"

My train of thought suddenly bounded back to Gerome. The whole day, and I still hadn't found him. I just needed to think of something on the spot, hopefully something that would be able to please both me, and Kjelle.

I sighed. "Okay, um, how about this?" She looked up at me from her spot on the dirt, brown ground with twinkling, hopeful eyes. It made my stomach twist with what I was going to do. "I won't be able to teach you," Her eyes fell. "but," Hopeful once more. "maybe we can work out a compromise. I'll come to the orphanage every other day after my sparring lessons, and we'll spar. I don't know much about lance handling, but you seem to have a pretty firm grasp on it. Maybe you can learn for yourself?" I fidgeted, wishing I had Falchion on my person.

Kjelle breathed, her head facing the ground. Her hands were by her side, clenched into fists. Her legs were spread, as if she was in her stance, although with what she might've been feeling, it could be possible. Her head shot up, "I accept," she said. "but you have to promise,"

"Of course, I promise!"

"No," Kjelle shook her head. She was totally laughing at me, I could tell. "you have to promise," She lifted up a pinky and I laughed.

I took out pinkies together and sealed our promise, that I would come spar with her.

I saw Libra nod his head approvingly, and I beamed in his direction. Knowing I still had a task, I said my goodbyes to the children, the nurse, and Kjelle, repeating my promise. Libra and I strolled along the streets, and I asked him why he brought me to the orphanage with him.

"To show you you're much more competent of a leader than you lead yourself to believe." He'd said.

His words had a deeper sort of meaning, there had to be. I wouldn't have understood what he really meant otherwise. I wanted to ask him to elaborate, because what could an orphanage show me on being a competent leader? Only, I didn't.

Because in a little alley we passed, there was a mop of dark brown hair, curled up into a tiny, black ball. My eyes widened. It was him, no doubt about it.

I rushed towards him, checking over every inch of him, and asking if he was okay repeatedly. I received no response. He was unconscious. I asked for Libra to help me carry him, and we got back to the council. The guards hounded me like dogs, and I apologized, though Gerome was our more pressing matter. Once Gerome was back in the castle, we brought him to the infirmary, and that was when Libra parted ways.

"I'm sorry it took so long," I told Frederick, who was sitting by Gerome's bedside. His wife was also in the room holding her son's hand like it was a lifeline.

"I am only glad he was brought back, whether you were early or late is irrelevant." Frederick sighed.

We all sat in silence for a few painful seconds until Frederick's wife, Cherche, spoke up. "He's exhausted isn't he?" She crooned softly. "He was out all day, damaged as he was. He must have been lost out there." She chuckled. It wasn't the funny kind. She laid her head on Gerome's small chest, breath in, breath out. "I'm sorry..."

I looked away. I was intruding in their matters. They needed to sort out something once he awakened. I left silently, and closed the door behind me with a heavy breath.

Whatever would happen next, I wasn't sure I would be so appropriately prepared for. As a leader, and a person, would I really be ready?

I honestly hadn't meant for this chapter to be so long, it somehow came out that way! So, in this chapter we see Lucina's freedom and her being trapped. She's in this cage of all her responsibilities and their all being thrown at her at once, it seems. Libra, great guy as always. Kjelle, good kid but her parents are dead. Will you guys be able to guess who her father is? I think it's pretty clear. And then, Gerome. The poor kid's kinda traumatized. I mean, you suddenly overhear one of the dukes of your country and your father discussing that the entire country you've grown up in is suddenly eradicated. I'd be bad if not worse.

Question: Which units besides the einherjar cards, did you use the least?

My answer: I think it was Yen'fay or Nowi? I'm not really sure, but I know they were the last on my little list of units. (I can't even check now because my 3ds is busted! _)

Reviews are love and motivation!