Chapter 7
Exactly one week passed since the Shepherds departed for the Plegian border. The march would end with the army and Gangrel's final vanguard facing off for the final time. Everyone was ready to fight for the peace that Ylisse deserved... At least, almost everyone. The army's tactician was excluded from this confrontation so that he could recover from his wounds. Despite his efforts to convince Chrom to at least have him accompany the Shpeherds, Chrom didn't wish to risk the chance of even bringing his dear friend anywhere close to Plegia. The truth of the matter is that Robin was on a blacklist. Simply put: Kill on sight. Not even the chance of being abducted, simply put to death the second his face showed up anywhere on Plegian soil.
Thankfully, Lissa stayed behind as well to watch over Robin, though she was just as upset as he was to be left behind. Had Robin been in good shape to fight, she would be along with the others, without a doubt, but someone had to stay behind to make sure he was taken care of. Libra had gne with the Shepherds, as he was proficient with an axe, and Maribelle... Well, if she had stayed behind, Robin would probably be covered in bruises once the others returned.
Though, even with the princess keeping him company, Robin's mind was still fixated on his friends. He wondered if they would be alright without him. Plegian soldiers were no pushover, and the only reason they made it this far was because of Robin's expertise. He had full confidence in the strength of his friends, but it tore him to bits on the inside not knowing whether his friends were okay. Most of the time he spent while recouperating was staring out a window, hoping everyone would return unscathed. His entire week was like this. He knew he should have been resting, Lissa would always remind him to lie down and to have faith. Though at the very least, he had someone to converse with while he waited for his companions' return.
As per his daily routine, Robin sat with a book unfurled on his lap by the window of the medical barracks. He had just about read every book in the building. Although that wasn't saying very much as the number of books available could be counted on one hand. He looked up from his book when he heard the door to the barracks close. Lissa walked in with a trey of food, as she always did while looking after the tactician, coupled with light conversation while he had his meals. Since most of the army was away fighting in Plegia, Lissa made sure to get Robin all of the good stuff: various meats and desserts that he favored, and in good supply, too. The princess layed the trey before Robin on a crate and sat across from him, a gentle smile on her face that always helped Robin feel less tense.
"Hello, Robin!" Lissa chirped. "How's everything going today?" The tactician looked up to see the sprightly princess and foldes his book close.
"Afternoon, Lissa. Everything's fine." Robin graciously accepted his meal and began eating, occasionally stopping to chat with his companion on whatever activities she busied herself with since they were holed up in Ferox for the passed seven days. Usually, all he sees of her is when she brings him his meals and even that's only for a little while until she goes off to tend to whatever else she planned for herself that day. When he finished eating, he noticed there seemed to be an envelope slipped just under his plate. He looked up at Lissa, silently asking if it was she that placed it there. His only response was a cheeky smirk; all the answer he needed.
Tearing the top of the envelope open, Robin pulled free a folded missive addressed to him from Chrom of all people. His eyebrows raised in enthusiasm at seeing his signature scrawled neatly across the page. He unfolded the note and read it aloud.
"To Lissa and Robin,
I hope this letter reaches you safely. At time of writing, I wish to convey that we have successfully toppled Gangrel's army. Surely this letter has reached you before our return to Regna Ferox, and if this is so, expect our return within a short matter of days. I would also like to take this time to sincerely apologize for excluding you from this final battle, but you must understand, I did so for your own safety. You may be the Shepherd's master tactician, and let it never be said we made it this far without your help, but no amount of glory from the result of this battle would ease the pain in my heart if I were to lose such a dear friend to war. Please find it within yourself and Lissa to forgive me and may Naga speed your recovery.
Chrom"
As he read the letter aloud, Lissa felt an enormous weight lift from her shoulders. Now she could stop worrying about whether or not Chrom would come home alive. Most importantly, Emmeryn had been brought to justice and the war was finally over. Even Robin took a breath of relief. "So, it's finally over, huh? I'm happy that we brought peace back to the realm, but I have to be honest, I wish I could have been there to see everything happen for myself." he lamented.
Lissa got up from her seat and gathered together the trey , cups, plate and all. She didn't have to say anything, but she did share his sentiment. She had spent just as much time as Robin worrying about the safety of her friends and family. It actually reminded her of when she first met Robin over a month ago and how Maribelle exclaimed how she was worried sick. Now that the boot was on the other foot, she could understand why her noble friend was so worried about her.
"I'm just glad I don't have to worry about fighting anymore. Or you getting carved up any worse, for that matter!" Lissa joked. On her way out of the building, Robin was able to stand upright.
He walked over to Lissa and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Lissa, let me help you out for once."
The princess looked back at Robin, a tinge of worry painted across her face for a brief moment. She worried that he would be pushing himself, he still needed some rest. However, unlike his last attempts at moving, he didn't topple over in pain. Perhaps he was finally getting better? "Well... I mean, I can take care of this. You don't have to trouble yourself, Robin." she responded.
"It's no trouble. I know it's been hard for you keeping me healthy this past week while I just sat on my rear the whole time. At least let me take care of the dishes today." he insisted. Lissa would have objected further, but she knew her friend really wanted to help out for once. She turned to him and handed him the trey of empty plates and allowed him to help her out just this once, though she still accompanied him, just in case he needed a hand himself.
Just passed the border to Regna Ferox, the Shepherds were marching away from their victorious battle abainst king Gangrel. The army returned to the frozen lands to retrieve their tactician and princess. Along the way, everyone spoke of what they would do with their freedom, now that they had all the time in the world.
Among the many soldiers in the Shepherds company, one particular noblewoman simply wished to continue her dream of becoming a judge advocate. A dream that was no small feat, yet had the passion to see it through. As they marched toward the eastern castle of Ferox, Maribelle wondered how Robin fared after havng this time alone to himself, after all, it was her word that Robin should stay behind. Even if she didn't openly show it, she did genuinely care for Robin's safety. He was one of the Shepherds after all, and in small increments, was becomeing something of a friend to her. As she grew up nearly freidnless, save for Lissa, she made it a responsibility to look after anyone who would care to put up with her and call her a companion.
"Are you well, my dear? Such a clouded brow ill befits one of your beauty and status." a voice rang behind Maribelle as she marched. Of course, Virion had walked beside her. Who else would speak with such flattery? In truth, she had grown used to it. And if he ever went to far with his 'idle flattery' she knew she could just as easily counter with her learned plainspeech.
"Greetings Virion. Enthusiastic as always I see." she responded. Her eyes ramined forward on the snow covered road they marched. "Well, if you must know, I have simply been occupied since our departer over Robin's welfare."
Virion looked upward to the falling flakes, in almost the same manner how Maribelle kept her gaze before her. "I see. You wonder day and night if the boy suffers from his grevious wounds, cold and alone with none to hold by his side on these dreadful passing nights, no?" he teased. He actually managed to break her stone gaze, albeit her eyes simply rolling in indifference rather than looking anywhere else.
"You know very well I do not share the same salacious mindset that infects your frilly head." she spat coldly.
"Such venomous words. I only jest, my dear. Please, why not speak of how bright the future shall be with peace at our shores rather than reflect on our able tactician? You know as well as I a simple wound shall not cradle him to the grave so easily."
"Can you fault me for being worried of the well being of someone I can call a friend, Virion? I may be cold to Robin at times, but understand that he has proven to go beyond the ilk of a mere commoner on many occasions."
Virion raised his chin at the almost defensive tone she copped. If she truly was concerned for Robin's health, she was certainly selling the part. Though, truthfully speaking, Virion couldn't really blame her for her behavior towards him. Not many looked in their direction, but the archer knew that Maribelle and Robin have had a friendly encounter on several occasions. At something like this, he would have teased the noblewoman of her feelings for Robin being more than what she shows, but he preferred to withhold his jokes for now. He was well aware of how sensitive the matter was on friendship when it came to Maribelle. It probably wouldn't be the smartest thing to mock her on such a tender subject. No, instead he kept his mouth shut and continued to march through the ever thickening snow, simply glad that the war had come to a close.
In Ferox, Robin and Lissa accompanied each other to the mess hall of the Feroxi army's garrison, cleaning their plates together. It wouldn't be long before Chrom would arrive to retrieve the two, so they opted to while the time away by doing a meager chore or two on the side. Oddly, Robin had stayed quiet the entire day. Lissa took note of this, always looking in Robin's direction, as if to analyze why he barely said a word to her the entire day. He didn't vocalize any opinions, think anything aloud. He didn't even speak with Lissa in casual conversation. He just did what he had to do and said nothing.
His silence was actually starting to put a bit of weight on the princesses shoulders. She kept wondering what it was that had him so quiet the entire day. Had she said something to offend? Maybe she wasn't paying as many visits to keep him company through their week together? Eventually, she began thinking that it was her fault. So many theories were swimming through her head on what she would have done. Maybe it wasn't even her at all? What if he was mad at Chrom for leaving him there? Every single time she went back to why Robin was so quiet, she came up with some new hypothetical reason why that is. None of those reasons made her feel any better.
The entire time Robin had been in the presence of Lissa, his expression was uneasy, in many little nuances. His head always seemed to be drooping, no matter what he did, and in conjuction with his silence the entire day, when Lissa wasn't looking, he would spare a single glance in her direction only to return to what he was doing. The reason for this was the sheer amount of guilt he held inside. It was eating away at him every single day since his return to Regna Ferox after the attack on Plegia castle. Where did the guilt stem from? One would think it was because of his inability to save Emmeryn from her death. In actuality, he had already made peace with that; All the preparation in the world probably could not have been sufficient to save her. She chose to end her life to save her people. That was not the origin of his guilt. While that did leave a knot in his stomach that was hard to live down, the thing that really prodded the edges of his mind was how he was unable to keep his promise to Lissa.
He could remember it as if it was yesterday, only because the memory flashed in his head practically every night he slept. He promised Lissa that he would save Emmeryn. He promised. And with all his effort, he failed. It was not her death that hurt him, it was that he failed to live up to Lissa's expectations. Since they had fought together in Southtown and he demonstrated his tactical ability, Lissa looked up to Robin as some sort of hero. A Miracle worker that could make any bad situation seem alright with just a flick of the wrist. Until that fateful day, everyone under his watchful eye had tasted victory time and time again without the sting of loss, or the pain of the death of a comrade. In fact, when it came for them to attack Plegia and rescue Emmeryn, Lissa had all but given up hope until Robin promised her that he would rescue Emmeryn. By his word alone was she able to continue fighting. That was a clear indication of her unwavering belief in him.
Robin rubbed away at the plate he was washing, staring into his distorted reflection. He wanted to see what Lissa saw: A hero. All he saw was a failure who nearly died due to his own overconfidence and recklessness. He was no Chrom, the real hero. He wondered if that was why Maribelle treated him the way she did. Was she angry because he was throwing himself recklessly into combat? Or because he showed vulnerability to the one person who practically saw him as unbreakable? He couldn't tell. But whether it was one or the other, she had every right to yell at him and beat him ten times over. The war may have ended, and Emmeryn brought to justice, but the feeling of letting those closest to him down was a pain that would take much longer to heal.
The tactician was pulled from his thoughts when Lissa tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. He turned his head to see her. Her expression was almost reflectant of his, worried and concerned about something on her mind. "Robin, is there something wrong?" she asked. "You've been awfully quiet all day. Is there something you want to talk about?"
As soon as she asked her question, Robin averted his gaze once again. He wondered if she had caught onto his mannerism. True, he barely said anything to her, it was no wonder she was worried. His eyes reluctantly returned to hers and tried to think of a way to put her concerns to rest. He thought about what to say to her. What could he say? 'Everything's fine'? It most certainly was not. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her, she was his friend after all. His eyes broke away from hers again, prompting another look of concern from Lissa. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her recoil a bit as if she was being pushed away by his very thoughts. His eyes turned again to the clean dish he held in his hands. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes in preparation for what he was going to ask.
"Lissa... Do you hate me...?"
"Huh?"
"Do you hate me..."
His throat burned at having to repeat his question. Why had he bothered asking in the first place? He could have easily told her he was still sore from recovery or something, anything else. He continued to stare into his reflection waiting for an answer. He couldn't even bring himself to look at her through the corner of his eye. Lissa turned her head from him in thought. Normally she would ask why such a silly question was brought up, but it wouldn't take a genius to know why he would ask. She pulled at one of her pigtails and inhaled sharply when contemplating her answer. Of course she didn't hate him. She could never hate him. After all he had done for them, she would have to be some sort of monster to even think of it. But she had to find an answer that not only put his fear to rest, but also apologize as well. For, in some small part, she felt responsible for what he was going through.
Taking her silence as an answer, the tactician gripped the plate between his hands so fiercely, it threatened to crack and break down the middle, almost an apt analogy for his heart. His trembling hands had urged Lissa to answer him, lest he drift back into the state of depression he had been the day he returned from Plegia. She rested her hands on the counter before her, knuckles pressed against the stone top.
"No." she finally answered. "I don't hate you, Robin. Never. But, I want to say I'm sorry for putting you through all this..." Slowly, Robin turned his head to meet her gaze. Her eyes were just as pained as his had been this passed week. Not that it came as a surprise. She had lost another of her already small family. "I'm so sorry. I knew how hard you worked for Chrom's sake and mine... Everyone always talked about how you tried your hardest when it came to us, but I... I should never have made you feel like you needed to be invincible."
Another heavy silence fell over the two. None of them found peace from each other's words. Lissa now felt worse than before since her fears of Robin's depression being her fault proved true in some degree, and Robin's mood hadn't budged as he now felt bad for making Lissa feel as if it was her fault. An emotional paradox, one that only served to confuse the two... So confusing that it was actually amusing. Despite himself, Robin couldn't help but crack a smile that grew wider until he let slip a chuckle. Soon he was laughing to himself at the situation the two had placed themselves in.
The small princess raised an eyebrow at Robin's shift in mood. Maybe just another step in his depression? Possibly denial of his sorrow had manifested itself into madness. And yet, something about the way he laughed was quite infectious. It almost made her want to laugh along with him, but she refused to, more confused than anything to even do so.
Nervously, Lissa rubbed her elbow and stared off to the side, hoping no one was watching. Robin eventually halted his laughing fit and rubbed his eyes of tears that formed. With an exhale that sounded content, he turned to Lissa, with that big smile still plastered on his face. "It's funny huh?" he asked rhetorically. "Here I am feeling sorry for myself, then, I made YOU feel sorry about yourself... and now I feel sorry for making you feel sorry for making me feel sorry!" Another bout of laughtere erupted from the tactician while Lissa's confusion only escalated.
"Uhh... Okay?" she answered. She really had no clue how to answer his statements. His second laugh trip wasn't as long as the first, and after he finished, his smile still didn't leave him. Was he really, genuinely better now after conveying his thoughts to Lissa? She sure hoped so.
"Hah... All this time, I thought you and Chrom hated me for not pulling through for you two. Then, when Chrom ordered me to stay behind, it only furthered my assumptions. But, it's nice to know at least one of my friends doesn't harbor ill feelings for me."
Lissa placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. His openness was refreshing to finally see after he had been so introverted with her for the past week. "I don't think Big Brother hates you either. You're not the one that caused Emm's death, Robin. So, stop dwelling on it, or else I'll dump another frog down your coat to make you feel something other than self-hatred!" she joked, finally having a laugh of her own.
The princess and tactician were finally able to laugh together, just like they used to. Both of them missed those times, when they could joke and tease each other before this mess happened. For all that Lissa had lost, she still held onto what she had. Robin being such a close friend, who she almost considered a second brother was one of those dearest to her, just like Maribelle. She only wanted both of them to be happy, no matter what. After they finished having a long overdue laugh, Lissa remembered the letter Robin recieved today. It would be soon before Chrom would return. Leaning against the counter, she turned to him. "Hey," she spoke up. "we should probably get our things together. Chrom will probably be here any day now."
Taking the now cleaned stack of plates and placing them in their proper storage, Robin dried his hands and walked with Lissa back to his room to collect his things. "Sure, I'm ready to enjoy my free time now that the war has ended."
The Shepherds had marched to the capital of Regna Ferox after many long hours of brutal chilling winds and snow pelting at them the whole journey. Everyone was looking forward to a hot bath and meal, and returning to Ylisse, where the weather was much more favorable. The noble pair of Virion and Maribelle had kept each other entertained through their exchange of stories. One of which was quite amusing, as Virion mentioned he had gotten lost in his own manor before, something that Maribelle could empathize with. The two nobles had formed a companionship that grew through their many talks over the course of their campaign, but now more than before, Maribelle grew much less annoyed at Virion's frivolous way of speech. At first, such talk would warrant a whack from her parasol, but she would learn to get used to it. He was who he was, and besides, she was not one to talk when it came to communication. She had been taking lessons from a commoner to speak more plainly around her companions!
After so many hours of swapping stories, Maribelle elected to simply be silent for a little while. As it had been the entire week, her mind turned once again to Lissa and how she may have been doing while caring for Robin. The princess was an exceptional nurse when she needed to be, but the noble wondered if it would have been better to take her place and allow her to fight by her brother's side. At least in that scenario, she could continue her 'slang lessons' with Robin. The more she thought about Lissa, however, her mind drifted towards Robin. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. Lissa was usually her first priority when the two were separated for long amounts of time, yet since she established a companionship with Robin, always his image would creep its way into her mind whenever she tried to think of something else. She tried to put it out of her head, thinking that it was just her eagerness to get to know him better, but why, now of all times, did he become so prominent when he had been left behind while everyone else had to continue their fight? Plenty of times, her mind would go straight to thoughts of the tactician, completely disregarding her instinct to think of Lissa before anyone else.
Her thoughts would never last long however, as something else would always snap her out of her musings without fail. This time, she became aware of the army's arrival to the capital of Regna Ferox. The Khan's throne was rising before them over the snowfields, and just next to it, the barracks for the Feroxi army. Sadly those barracks would be less crowded with all the soldiers lost to the war, but at least it was an easy indication where Maribelle could find her friends. Soon, the carriage made a slow stop before the Khan's palace and Chrom went ahead of the others to have one final meeting with Flavia about what they should do with Plegia going forward, leaving the Shepherds to do what they will until his return. Immediately, Maribelle hopped off the convoy and walked through the snow to the barracks, eager to see the safety of Lissa and Robin.
She placed a gloved hand on the frosted wooden door that was the entrance and creaked it open, poking her head inside to see if anyone was here. The building was considerably warm, with plenty of torches lit, and a conversation was being held somewhere in the back, indicated by two muffled voices. No doubt, that was Lissa and Robin. The light, airy voice of the former was obvious and familiar to her delicate ears. With a smile reaching across her face, she stepped inside. As she walked through the building to the back, small puddles forming behind her from the snow caked onto the bottom of her boots, she listened closely to what the two were saying, not simply to be nosy, but to maybe add to the light conversation when they reunited.
"Okay, Robin. Just take it off, and we can start."
What? That couldn't have been what Maribelle THOUGHT she heard. The sound of fabric rustling came after that statement. "Ah, Lissa, you're not bad. Who taught you that trick?" Robin's voice rang from the halls. Maribelle slowed her steps when she heard the conversation. "Wait, wait... you're grip is a little tight..."
"Gods, Robin, you're so stiff here. I could just tell by looking at you, your body's been under a lot of stress." At this point, Maribelle had to stop completely. Her face was bordering between horrified and surprise. She didn't need to know how to speak perfectly like a lowborn, but she could tell when something was happening between two people. They had spent the entire week with each other. Alone. With no one to interfere... Gods know what behavior Robin was teaching the impressionable princess! She pressed herself against the stone wall and inched herself little by little to the corner to try and peek at what was going on. Her slow action continued to earn her more unwanted conversation in her hesitance.
"Yeah, I know. I've really needed this release for such a long time."
"Well, I'm glad I could help. I've been watching Maribelle do this for a long time, so sorry if I'm not very good at it... Okay, now just lean into me a bit more so I can get a little deeper." And right after that provocative statement, Robin uttered a deep groan and a sharp inhale. The noblewoman's eyes twitched at the entire event going on just behind her... and why in the world did Lissa bother mention her by name in the first place? She was a dignified woman, and never engaged in such things! And Lissa certainly shouldn't be doing such things right now. Gripping her parasol tightly, she fantasized about the extreme beating she would deliver... to the both of them.
Although it would pain her to no end to witness, even for a second, Lissa losing her innocence, she stepped around the corner, parasol raised... then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the truth of what was going on. Robin and Lissa stared back at Maribelle in an awkward silence, not sure of what to make of the odd pose the noble was striking. From Maribelle's viewpoint, she had been completely off the mark in what she pictured in her head from context only by the conversation from before. As it had turned out, Lissa had actually been giving Robin a massage on his upper back and shoulders. He had his coat off, yet his shirt was still on. From Robin and Lissa's point of view... They saw a woman ready to smack them silly with a miniature umbrella.
The silence between the three only escalated the awkwardness. Someone waited for the other to say something. Robin, being actually very surprised to see Maribelle returned made the effort to break the ice. "Welcome back?" he said disingenuously. He couldn't make his message come across very pure, as he was more confused as to her and her odd pose than he was ecstatic to see his friend return unharmed. Maribelle's eyes darted from left to right, hoping that someone else would come along so she could deflect some of the attention away from her. Slowly, she lowered her parasol to the ground like a makeshift cane and pursed her lips, trying to appear normal, as if nothing had just happened.
"W-Well, I see that you and Lissa are just fine, then." she stuttered. A forced smile that came off as quite creepy curled at her lips. "I suppose it no surprise for my good judgement that i assigned my dear Lissa to look after you. In that case, feel free to thank me at a later date! Until then, I trust the both of you are ready to return to Ylisse, we leave in an hour, and behave yourselves as we near our departure!" That air of superiority that irritated Robin was rearing its ugly head again. He would have called her out on it, but before he could say anything, the noblewoman had briefly turned her back to them with a dismissive wave, parting with her friends. No goodbyes, not even a hello in the first place. Just a quick in-and-out racked with silence and weird looks. And what in the world did she mean when she said 'behave yourselves'?
"That... That was weird." Robin said bluntly, pointing a finger at the doorway where Maribelle was currently walking out. "She's not always like that, is she?"
Lissa shrugged her shoulders in response. Even SHE couldn't tell what was going through the noblewoman's head that time. Most likely the stresses of war have gotten to her. Thank the Gods it was over now, and she wouldn't have to see such a worrying display again. "No, she's not. You'll have to forgive her though, she can get really weird when she worries about me. I've seen her take down a boar once just because I said I had a craving for pork..."
While Lissa continued to tend to Robin's aches, everyone else was already eager to leave. Chrom had just finished his meeting with Flavia and Basilio, and was helping Frederick to do a quick head-count of their troops before departing. Everyone began piling into the wagons, tired of their long march across the border. Maribelle walked briskly through the thick snow. Despite the cold, her face was hot and blushed from her embarrassing misunderstanding. She simply wanted to put everything out of her mind and return to her cozy manor to continue her studies. As she hurried to climb into the convoy, she jumped at feeling a hand on her shoulder. Clumsily, she dropped her parasol in the snow and immediately dropped to her knees to retrieve it. Normally, she would give an earful to someone who would go around startling people, but when she turned her head, her eyes fell to Chrom, who stood behind her, ledger in hand. "O-Oh, milord. Is there something you need?" she stuttered.
Chrom shook is head in response, "No, and I apologies for startling you. I wanted to ask if you've checked up on Lissa and Robin since we've returned. I know you're prone to overthinking and worrying yourself at times."
Of course. Just when she tried to put those mental images out of her head, someone had to pound them right back in. A ragged sigh escaped her, causing Chrom to wonder what had gotten her so out of shape. She rarely ever makes such a sound. The noblewoman ran her gloved hand through her blonde hair to regain her composure. "I have been to see them, Lord Chrom. Lissa appears to be just fine."
"And, Robin?"
Maribelle's eye twitched when she heard his name. "Also. Just. Fine." Her teeth were gritted, making her enunciate her words. Before Chrom could ask anything else of her, she quickly climbed into the rear wagon. Chrom scratched the back of his head. Her behavior sure had been erratic as of late. Taking it as a matter of exhaustion, he simply checked her name off in the book he held and went back to accounting for the others.
Just as Maribelle took her seat, she rested her head against the back, and was prepared to take a little nap. At least, she would have if she hadn't conveniently sat next to Virion, who was busy scribbling up a letter to his family back home about his impending return. He took a break from writing of his heroic ventures, and saving countless women across the Ylissean continent when Maribelle sat next to him. Placing his quill pen carefully across his lap, he assumed his familiar cocky smile. "So, tell me my dear, how fairs our princess and her tactician?"
'Her tactician'. That phrase prodded at Maribelle's mind. As if Lissa would even consider Robin as 'hers' in any way. Regardless of the amount of time they spent, it was madness to think someone like Lissa, a princess, would fall for a commoner. And frankly, she was beginning to tire of trying time and again to forget about what she was thinking. She gripped her parasol tightly in her hands, the leather of her gloves twisting with the fabric of her parasol. From the outside of the convoy, a sickening 'thwack!' was heard by anyone who was nearby, followed by a shrill cry from an unmistakably masculine voice...
A/N: Urrrrgh. Sometimes i hate myself when I write myself into a corner and get writer's block for weeks at a time. Trust me, I know how some of my fans feel, waiting day after day for an update for your favorite story. *coughLexofLightcough*
Aaaanyway, enough about me. Here's the next chapter for the story, for those of you patient and kind enough to wait for these updates!