With how Frederick was determined to march so early, I thought we were very close to reaching the capital, but walking through the forest for an hour proved me otherwise. My feet hurt from the accumulated walking with my heels, and on top of having a bear, which couldn't count as a light meal, made me tired.

Very tired.

I let out a yawn before fiddling with my feet to shake off the irritating itch that was my lack of stamina before Lissa turned to me with a sad frown. "You haven't slept well, have you?"

"No, if anything, I didn't sleep at all," I replied, hunching forward a little. "Not to mention these heels. I know I already said it once, but it feels like they are drilling holes into my feet."

"Yeah, I know how they can be a pain too, but you do have something else to wear, right?" Lissa asked.

"Sadly no," I said, before pointing at the rod strapped to my belt. "What you see on me is all I have."

Lissa's frown turned into a devious smile. "Well, I guess I know what's going to be the first thing we do when we get to Ylisstol then."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"To go shopping of course!" She proclaimed while throwing her hands into the air.

"I…" That was not what I was expecting, although I knew where she was going with it. "I'm sure there are other things we need to do before we fix my wardrobe problem."

"No, that's exactly the most important thing we need to fix," Lissa rebuked with crossed arms. "Besides, we can't have you walk around in the same garment all day."

"I'm fine, really. I don't want to drag you down just because I have nothing else to wear."

"Don't worry, I'm sure my brother will understand," she said smugly before shouting, "Hey, Chrom! Do you have a moment?"

Chrom, who was at the front quite far away from us, turned back with a quizzical look. He said something to Robin before halting his stride. Once we reached him, he asked, "What is it?"

"Would you mind if we skip the pleasantries with Emm and help Theresa get new clothes?" Lissa said before gazing down at my feet. "And boots too?"

Chrom let out a hum, turning to me with an expectant look, but all I could do was shrug. I didn't know what these pleasantries were anyway.

Chrom let out a sigh. "Very well, but I would like it if Theresa would meet Emm once too."

"Oh I'll make sure she will, but we need Theresa to be comfortable first," Lissa said before eyeing me with a smile. "Right?"

I breathed a tired sigh. "If it makes you happy, then sure. Why not?"

"Alright! Oh, I'm so excited! It's been ages since I went shopping again!" Lissa exclaimed, making Chrom snort.

"Didn't you go shopping right before we left for Southtown?" He shot back, making Lissa pout and crossed her arms.

"I'll have you know that it was to make sure we had everything for the journey. It was my first mission after all." She then put her hands on her hips. "And I think I did admirably."

You, definitely. Me, not so much, I thought bitterly. Although at least I could blame my entire situation for being more than abnormal.

"And those frogs were what then?" Chrom shot back, and the dumbfounded look I had on my face was palpable, to the point I turned to Lissa with a questioning brow.

"Frogs?" I asked, creeped out, to say the least, and Lissa immediately put her hands behind her back before whistling innocently.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said. "Besides, you can't just buy frogs."

There were so many things wrong with that, but I wasn't keen on continuing this conversation, so I shook my head before turning to Chrom. "How long will it take before we reach Ylisstol?"

He was certainly thankful for the sudden change of topic and offered me a smile. "It shouldn't be that far. Although it'll still take some time."

I let out a groan. "I just want this hike to be over."

Looking down at the heels that kept digging into my feet, I just wanted to throw them away as far as I possibly could, and…

Huh.

I stopped my stride, much to the siblings' confusion before I bent down.

"Uh… Theresa? Are you okay?" Chrom asked.

"Yeah, just give me a sec," I said before unzipping the leather tied to the heels and promptly removing them from my feet, and the bliss I entered was indescribable. Sure, the cold ground filled with twigs and leaves was a bit annoying, but compared to the heels, this was nothing.

I let out a content sigh. "So much better."

"Is this really that much comfortable?" Lissa asked, not really keen on letting me walk in the woods barefooted.

"Trust me, it is," I replied, looking down at the heels with a frown before readying myself for something I wanted to do for a long time with these boots.

"Wait, Theres—" Chrom exclaimed but that didn't stop me from throwing them as far as I could. The boots landed squarely at a tree trunk, letting out a satisfying thud before they disappeared in a bush with a quiet rustle, never to be seen again.

I cleaned my hands from those damned heels before putting my hands on my hips. "There, now they are where they belong."

"B-But they were your only shoewear!" Lissa shouted. "Besides, they looked valuable!"

"Lissa," I said, staring at her with half-lidded eyes. "I hated them."

Chrom gave me an unamused frown. "Theresa, those were just boots, and I don't think they deserved such a response."

"Trust me, Chrom. This was something I wanted to do for a long time." I clicked my tongue. "Like with everything my father ever gave me."

The siblings' eyes widened, before settling down to crestfallen frowns, making me feel a little guilty they had to see me like this. My expression fell as well.

"Sorry," I said, tugging one of my bangs behind my hair. "I usually keep these things to myself."

"It's not your fault," Chrom said with a shake of his head. "At least now I understand why. If anything, I think I would have done something similar if I was in your shoes."

He looked down at my feet. "Well, metaphorically speaking anyway."

Both me and Lissa couldn't help but let out a snort. At least he knew how to elevate the mood, which I appreciated.

"Really?" Lissa said. "Of all the things you could have said, you settled on that?"

Chrom scratched the back of his head. "You know I'm not good with words."

Could have fooled me.

"Hey, guys! You're lagging behind!" I heard Sully shout from the front, almost unseeable through the thick forest if she weren't in that horse of hers. "We're almost there, so pick up the pace!"

We all looked at each other before I said, "I guess we have no time to lose anymore."

"Yeah," Chrom agreed before marching forward. "Come on you two."

I started to follow him at a steady pace, but then suddenly Lissa grabbed my arm and started to sprint ahead with me in tow. I let out a yelp while desperately trying to keep up with Lissa's jog while she kept giggling her way through.

"Lissa, what are you doing!?" I asked her.

She tilted her head to the side before saying, "If Sully is right, you have to see the city immediately!"

"But I don't want to spray anything!"

She gave me a sly smirk. "Not now when you don't have your heels!"

Unbeknownst to me, we already breezed past the group that was in front, dashing our way through the forest at speeds that I wasn't used to. My breaths were labored, and I could feel sweat start to settle on my temples. I gritted my teeth, and bared through the thick branches that I occasionally stepped on with soft crunches while cool air toyed with my hair.

God, I wished I had a headband right now, and Lissa not having such a strong grip.

She kept giggling the entire way until I saw the end of the forest, but nothing was visible at the end, the light of the sun too harsh to see anything beyond. That didn't stop Lissa's jog however, and we eventually passed the last trees before the rays assaulted my eyes once again.

I brought a hand up without even noticing Lissa slowing down until she stopped fully and let go of my arm. Once I grew accustomed to the light, I lowered my hand, spotting Lissa gazing forward with her arms behind her back. She then turned around with a small spin before throwing her hands towards the scenery.

"I proudly present to you, Ylistoll!" She exclaimed, making me tilt my head forward, only to let out a gasp.

I was expecting a lot of things, but the city right in front of me was beautiful. So beautiful in fact I almost missed Lissa giggling into her hand.

"That's people's first reaction alright," she remarked, but I was too preoccupied with the sight right in front of me. I took a step forward, only to realize we were on a small hill that was high enough to see the city completely.

An elevated white castle adorned the middle of the capital, surrounded by homes for people to live in and buildings of all kinds, churches, stalls, pubs, and workshops with chimneys, signaling the forges had been lit. The city had multiple levels, each being separated by a wall, with the most outer one reaching incredible heights. The small port on the side felt a little out of place with how small the shore was.

"So, first impressions?" I heard Chrom from behind me, making me turn to him.

I didn't know how to answer at first, glancing at the city behind to marvel at the infrastructure. "It's beautiful."

Chrom nodded. "Yeah, and to think from what previous state Emm had to bring it back up from makes me proud."

My eyes widened. "Wait, previous state?"

He shook his head. "A story for another time. For now, let's go inside. I'm sure Emm is probably doing one of her parades again."

Every time somebody said anything, my mind was always filled with questions I wanted an answer for, but with how Chrom was determined to reach the city, that had to wait.

While the rest of the gang moved down the hill, I was glued to my spot, still admiring the city from far away. My hands suddenly felt cold, my thoughts filled with anxiety that refused to leave. With how out of place I was, it felt like I would only stain the city with my presence.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to tilt my head to the left and spot Robin with a neutral expression on his face.

"Do you want to go?" He asked pointedly, making me look down at the ground.

"I'm not sure. I don't think I even belong there," I said, nervously touching my elbow.

"We can still run away if you want to. We can go to the city whenever you feel ready," he offered, but that only made me whip my head towards him.

"Why would you even suggest that!? We can't go back on our words now!"

Robin let out a sigh. "To be frank, I'm not keen on going there either. Though my reasoning is quite different from yours."

"Is it because you're from this Plegia country?" I said, and Robin shrugged with only one of his shoulders.

"You could say it like that," Robin admitted. "Even though it's not entirely the reason why."

"Fine, keep your secrets. But I need to know one thing." I narrowed my eyes. "Are you doing this just for my sake or not? Honest answer only."

"Yes, and no. But whatever choice you make, I'll not judge you for it," he said before I gave him a flat stare.

"What a way to get around my question," I said before removing his hand from my shoulder. "Are you always this secretive?"

"Can't tell you my life story right from the start, now can I? You probably know more about me than I know about you right now," he said with the faintest of smirks.

I wanted to retort so much, but I just couldn't think of anything on the spot, making me huff. God, how did he know how to rile me up? "Whatever, let's just go. Nothing is going to happen if we'll just sit here and talk."

"Right, right," Robin said with a pair of nods before incidentally peering down at my feet, one of his eyebrows shooting up. "What happened to your boots?"

"Long story short, I threw them away."

"Ah, so that's why you were suddenly able to keep up with Lissa."

"Shut up."

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

Once we reached the city, our party split into small groups, each having a different task in mind to fulfill. Sully and Frederick went to the barracks of the Shepherds to do… stuff, while Robin, Chrom, and Virion were on the lookout for Emm and her parade. Again, so many terms were thrown around and I had nothing to associate them with.

The feeling I didn't belong here grew stronger with each passing second. The crowd that kept staring at me didn't help either.

I was with Lissa, doing exactly what she promised me we would do, but the people around us made me want to just crawl to the darkest of streets and make everyone forget I even existed. The fact that a girl with a princess-like attire was walking around with a barefooted nobody, having clothes that were radically different from the norm, made for an unforgettable sight to them.

Whispers from all sides, from men and women, reached my ears like irritating gusts of wind, with children pointing with their fingers and asking their mothers questions that made me want to tear my ears off. All the more of a reason to just bury myself in a hole and die of embarrassment, but the cold rocky roads kept my resolve in check to actually acquire a pair of new shoes.

Lissa took notice of my furrowed brow and lowered head. "Hey, you alright?."

"How can you ignore them so easily?" I whispered, darting my head from side to side to spot the ragged-cloth-wearing crowd. Lissa touched her chin before offering a smile.

"That comes with practice I guess. Someone like me had to get accustomed to it eventually," she said. "You're not used to having all the attention, are you?"

"Are you always this perceptive?" I remarked, a bit bitterly than I intended, but Lissa let out a giggle instead.

"No, but I can always take a guess." She turned around before letting out a small squeal, pointing at one building made out of stone and wood with a sign resembling boots.

"There it is! Come on!" Lissa urged, and I eagerly followed her inside from the prying eyes before the smell of leather invaded my nostrils.

I had expectations of how the shop would look, but it was surprisingly cleaner than I expected, and thankfully empty. A comfortable wooden floor, shoes of all kinds neatly lined up in their shelves, some more refined than others and with a single unoccupied counter gave off a minimalistic but professional feel.

Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be.

Lissa dashed through the small shop right to the counter before shouting, "Mister! Where are you!?"

I couldn't help but grimace. "Lissa, I don't think you should yell like tha—"

"Oh I'll be right there, missy," I heard from the back of the shop, the voice a bit ragged and tired. Quiet steps filled the room, eventually getting louder before a hunched man with his hands behind his back and closed eyes entered the room from the back.

He lifted his head before a smile radiating recognition adorned his features. "Now, what can I do for you today?"

"Not for me, but for her," Lissa said before involuntarily nudging me forward. "We need to find new shoes for her because she threw away her only ones into the woods."

"Oh?" The shopkeeper exclaimed before tilting his head towards me, lightly opening his eyes. "My, lady, that is not how you treat your possessions. The ones who made them would feel sad if they learned what you did."

Mass-produced shoes that were probably made in under a minute? No. I didn't even know the person who made them either.

"But if shoes are what you desire, then I will gladly help you. These old hands are still useful for something after all," he said.

"Yeah," I exclaimed, but I couldn't help but lower my head. "But I don't have anything to pay with."

"Theresa," Lissa said firmly, making me whip my head towards her. "I said we are going shopping. Not just you."

She then leaned her elbows on the counter and gave the shopkeeper a smile. "Could you help her find the right shoes? I'm sure she can choose herself once you show her around."

He bowed. "It would be an honor. Could you come with me, lady?"

"The name's Theresa," I said before shaking my head. "And I'm far from a lady."

"Very well, lady Theresa." I let out a sigh. "This way."

He lifted up the trap doors leading behind the counter before disappearing into the back of the shop. I turned to Lissa with an unsure frown, but she gave me an encouraging thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, he knows his stuff. You can trust him," she said.

I could guess that Lissa already was here several times over to get a new set of shoes, but with how I was used to buying stuff, the contact between the craftsman and the customer was completely absent.

To be frank though, I was probably prolonging something I didn't have to be afraid of anyway.

Taking a deep breath, I took one last glance at Lissa before following the man into his workshop, and I was met with him already sitting down on a chair with a meter already at hand. He put his glasses on and then lifted his head.

"Go on, sit down," he said, pointing at a chair right in front of him.

I gave him a small nod before gently taking a seat myself, fixing my long skirt in the process. He carefully extended his hand to measure my foot while trying to calm down his slightly shaky hands.

"Are you new around these parts?" He suddenly asked while never tearing his gaze from my foot, taking me back.

"Maybe," I said carefully, making him let out a small chuckle.

"Ah, well, I hope your first introduction to the city wasn't as gossipy as it normally is." He locked the meter with his thumb before lifting himself up. "Especially with the company you had."

I looked away. "It was something, alright."

He breathed a sigh. "That's to be expected. People of Ylisse don't take kindly to foreign people much."

"Are you here to interrogate me, or take my measurements?" I asked pointedly, and the shoemaker shook his head.

"No, of course not. I'm just trying to get to know you and choose what shoes you'd like," he replied. "Shoes can reflect a lot on what the person is like."

He reached his desk and wrote something down before coming back to me. "Now, how wide would you want your heels to be?"

"As wide as they can possibly be. If anything, I probably don't want to have heels at all," I said, crossing my arms.

"Ah, so something similar I made for prince Chrom?" He said with a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Yeah, something like tha—" It took a moment for his words to settle in before my eyes bulged out.

Did he just say Chrom was a prince!? I remember Robin talking about a prince once, but he was mentioning Chrom!? Now I felt bad for comparing that well-meaning dork to a zealot.

"Dear? Are you alright?" The shoemaker asked, making me shake my head.

"I'm alright, I'm alright. I'm not fine with the fact with how many times I've been asked that so far," I said, keeping that revelation to myself for now at least.

He smiled at me. "Very well, but you haven't answered me yet, dear."

"Oh yeah, sorry. Black high leather boots with the widest heel possible," I said, making the man nod.

"Good choice, although I usually think ladies like you prefer something more delicate."

"I already said it once, and I'll say it again. I'm not a lady. If I was one, then I would be acting differently." I crossed my arms. "It would be a hassle to keep up such a persona anyway."

The man hummed before shifting a selection of boots on one of the many shelves with a hand on his chin. Darting his eyes from one set of shoes to another, he eventually found a pair that immediately stood out from the rest to me.

He picked them up before sitting down and gently put them on for me, and they fitted perfectly. Sure, with no zip tie, getting into them was going to be a hassle sometimes, but with how they firmly hugged my feet and shins, I knew they were going to be a much better choice than those heels.

"Please, stand up," he said, and I complied.

They were so comfortable, if a little itchy, but after tapping the floor with the tip of my new shoes and without loosening a single inch, I was in awe.

"How? They fit perfectly," I said, gawking at the boots.

"After running a shop for a while, you tend to meet the same feet with different people," he said, looking down as well before looking up, sudden sternness in his gaze. "I presume you won't throw them away like with the ones before?"

I shook my head. "No, they fit too well for me to do anything to them."

His shoulders sagged with a relieved sigh. "I can feel you're a woman of your word." Another smile graced his features. "So, will you take them?"

I responded with a firm, "yes."

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

The checkout went as you would expect. Lissa took her sweet time exploring the shop, asking the shoemaker if he had anything new, stuff like that. I didn't know how much it cost, because we left the shop with more pairs of shoes other than just mine, but with how many coins I saw dropping out of Lissa's pocket, I could tell this wasn't a cheap purchase.

Once we left the shop however, there weren't as many people around as before, even though it was still the middle of the day. I wasn't complaining, but the sudden change made the city feel a little empty.

It was a nice change of pace, combined with the fact I had new shoes that were much more comfortable. Although that slight amount of guilt from relying on Lissa still left a bad taste in my mouth.

Then again, I shouldn't be complaining about the choice she willingly made.

"Well, how do you like your new boots?" Lissa asked with a big smile.

"They're nice," I said, glancing down at my feet. "Much better than before. Thank you."

She brushed it off. "It's fine. I can't let a new member of the Shepherds walk around barefooted, now can I?"

"If you say so." I gave Lissa a pointed look. "But when were you going to tell me you're a princess?"

She immediately stiffened up before nervously scratching her cheek while letting out a sheepish laugh. "He told you, didn't he?"

"He said a few things, yeah," I replied. "So?"

"I… like to keep it a secret and then surprise newcomers with it?" She half asked, making me sigh.

"That's not something you should keep a secret. No wonder people were staring at us throughout the entire way."

"Wait, but how are you so sure those people know me, huh?" She shot back, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you going to tell me now you can read minds or something?"

"No, but I have an eye for those kinds of things." I left one eye open while giving Lissa a small smirk of my own. "Besides, you're really bad at lying."

She puffed up. "Hey! That's not very nice!"

I shrugged. "Think of it as payback for dragging me through that forest."

Lissa blew one hell of a strawberry before snapping her gaze away with a huff. "This is the last time I ever bring you shopping, mark my words."

I let out a small chuckle. "Whatever floats your boat."

Lissa, instead of replying to my remark, kept her stride while I blindly followed her wherever she was taking me. We eventually reached the main plaza with a giant tree right in the middle, casting a pleasant shadow that cooled me down in this harsh noon sun. I thought the street would be filled to the brim with people and stalls but again, no people were in sight.

Maybe it was Sunday or something.

Lissa stopped, looking left and right before breathing a sigh. "I guess we're too late."

"Too late for what?" I automatically asked.

"My sister usually does these parades to see the people down here, and check how they're doing," she said before looking up at the palace above in the distance. "I thought we could get a ride up, but it looks like we're gonna have to walk towards the barracks."

Huh, that explained why there were so many people before. At least we didn't have any gossipers breathing down our neck now.

"Yeah, too bad we missed it then," I said. "Might as well get going, no? The sooner we'll get there, the better."

Lissa groaned. "I thought I've done enough walking."

"Hey, I feel you, but complaining won't fix the problem. Come on," I urged.

"Fine," she said, deflated before straightening her back and headed out towards the barracks which, after asking where the place was exactly, was near the castle above. Now I knew why Lissa didn't want to walk up there, especially how hot it was, but I was able to take my time to look around the city.

It was surprisingly clean and well maintained, nor did it smell like urine and wheat like I was told. Buildings were mostly made out of stone and wood, with a few outliers that were colorful houses, signifying the status of people who lived there.

Patrols walked around the city with lances at the ready, making it feel much more guarded than Southtown was. They sometimes took a glance at us, but didn't seem to be bothered by our presence. In fact, most of them greeted Lissa, asking her if there was a problem, usually mentioning me as one of them before she politely shooed them off.

Once we were on the higher level, which involved Lissa complaining her way through while I had to wipe the sweat from my forehead multiple times, the place was still relatively the same. Although the amount of those colorful houses increased.

So, the higher up you are, the greater the status, I thought. Well, some things didn't have to differ from the norm.

"Finally," Lissa suddenly said, stretching her arms while letting out a content hum. "We aren't far away from the barracks now."

"Well, at least we'll be able to put all this walking behind us," I remarked before tilting my head towards Lissa. "Hey, has Chrom considered how I'll contribute to the Shepherds yet?"

I shuddered. "I can't help but think Frederick's words might be true."

"Oh don't worry about that. Chrom thought of something while you were sleeping," she said before her lips formed a frown. "Or at least tried to sleep anyway."

I perked up. "Really? Do you know what?"

She shook her head. "No I don't, he wanted to keep it a secret. Something about telling it Emm first before he decides for sure."

I gave Lissa a blank stare. "You two should think about keeping important information a secret."

"Ha hah..." She scratched the back of her head. "We'll work on it, I promise."

I let out a sigh. "What am I supposed to do other than to take your word for it?"

"Don't be like that," she said while nudging me with her elbow. "Stop being so nitpicky. You'd go insane quickly if you have to make every detail the way you like it."

"Hard to do that when you've been raised to leave nothing unturned," I replied before looking forward and spotting a building that looked a bit different from the houses around us. It was a lot bigger with all the ground being occupied with empty fields around the house.

"Hey! We're here!" Lissa exclaimed, suddenly regaining her energy and sprinting towards the barracks. "Come on! I have to introduce you to the others!"

I didn't immediately follow her, only gazing at the building with a weak stare, questions suddenly piling up like a sudden second page of a test. I stiffened, shuddering under the horrifying answers that permeated my thoughts like a veil. If I took that one step into the barracks, my body would tell me, there is no way back.

My mind however kept thinking about how I could go back to the place I belonged. How this was just a temporary situation that would eventually resolve itself on its own. Yet, no matter how much I tried to hide from it, how much I tried to bend the truth, I was somehow fine with disappearing… from my world.

This indecisiveness was infuriating, and scary at the same time.

I didn't know nor like this feeling.

All my life, I was always making decisions without looking back, never regretting my choices, but now? With the barracks right in front of me and thinking back if I made the right call taking up on Chrom's offer? I was getting into territory where nothing was certain, like a minefield where a single step could mean the end. Whether it was Frederick's high expectations that I had no chance of meeting, or feeling like a black sheep among the herd of trained soldiers without being able to find my footing, it didn't matter.

I closed my eyes while taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I didn't want another panic attack again, twice was enough in my life.

Lifting my head, I saw Lissa still running towards the barracks before she turned back, waving at me. "Come on! We don't have all day!"

I started a brisk walk and soon regrouped with her before giving her a nod, following her towards the barracks. The entrance wasn't guarded by anybody but the twangs of clashing iron in the distance told me this place wasn't as empty as it was from afar.

Lissa went for the doorknob and opened our way inside. She made an exaggerated bow while making a motion with her hand, begging me to come inside.

"After you."

"You don't have to go that far," I said with half-lidded eyes, making Lissa pout.

"Come on, let me have my fun and go inside," she said.

Once I breathed a sigh, I walked inside and the first thing I noticed was how messy the main hall was. Papers littered the ground, no matter their importance, broken weapons were leaning on boxes that radiated an obnoxious smell and the single table in the main hall with many chairs was so dirty it made public bathrooms look pristine in comparison.

"Tada!" Lissa exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. "So? How do you like it?"

While I could lie to her and tell her it looked nice, this mess was, in my eyes, just inexcusable.

"Is this place always this messy?" I asked. "It looks like an explosion went off here."

Lissa glanced at the spectacle herself before letting out a sheepish laugh. "That's usually not what the first thing people notice."

"How can they not?" I said, glancing at the somewhat functioning kitchen that not only looked old, but was also messy. "And here I thought a princess like you would like a tidy place."

"Then again…" I sized Lissa up and down. "You aren't a normal princess by any stretch of the imagination."

Surprisingly, instead of an immediate chirpy remark, Lissa's shoulders sagged before shaking her head. "Well, I don't like going by the norm anyway."

I didn't like the way she said it, and the fact it was my fault again just went to show how I could run my mouth without me even realizing it.

Loud clanking interrupted us, making us tilt our heads towards one of the halls, revealing Frederick with his hands behind his back, still in his armor. He glanced our way before locking eyes with me and nudging his head forward and resuming his stride.

While I wasn't sure what he was trying to say specifically, the general idea wasn't lost on me. I gave Lissa a small apologetic wave before following Frederick down another hall. He didn't say anything, nor did he turn back, he just kept walking, passing through wooden doors that littered the place.

We didn't stop at any of them, reaching a set of stairs that led us to a single door before Frederick looked up at a sign hanging on the top. He breathed a sigh before turning to me, putting his hands behind his back.

"Lady Theresa, I got a word from milord," he began, his voice leveled as always. "With all the available roles we could have assigned you, milord decided this to be the most suitable one."

"Huh," I let out while tilting my head to the side. "That was quicker than I expected."

Frederick closed his eyes. "Then we share the same opinion. While I don't know if you are suitable for this role, I will give milord the benefit of the doubt. Even if the decision was slightly hasty."

"You sound like you don't like giving this one away," I pointed out, and surprisingly, Frederick nodded.

"You'd be correct. This was usually something I did myself, but with the increasing number of tasks I've been given, milord decided to ease my workload." He let out a small huff. "Even though I see no reason for it when I was doing an admirable job."

I let out a chuckle. "So you're a workaholic on top of being their bodyguard? Do you even sleep?"

"I sleep three hours a day. Enough to serve my lord," he stated, making me cringe.

"That's… not what I meant. And that definitely doesn't sound healthy."

"We're not here to talk about me, lady Theresa," he said with finality. He turned back before unlocking the doors. "After you."

I took the invitation rather than saying something about his dismissal of my remark, and stepped inside, revealing a room akin to an office.

Well, as much as this place could count as an office in this day and age.

The place was littered with bookshelves filled with papers and files that threatened to be spilled out with how stuffed they were. Books were stacked in piles that reached my hips, almost as high as the single table shined by the sun piercing through a single window that illuminated the room.

This room had seen better days though.

A single step I made brought all the dust settled on the ground into the shining light, polluting the air and almost making me cough. I reached the table and glided my hand against the smooth surface, only to be met by stained gray fingers.

I turned back to Frederick who was staring at me with an emotionless stare, waiting for me to take in on how this room desperately needed a renovation, or at least a thorough clean up.

"This place hasn't been used for some time, but milord thought this place should fit you adequately," he said. "Although I wouldn't be as far as to say you'd have to make it yours first."

"Yeah," I agreed before giving him a pointed look. "But you still haven't told me what I'm going to do here."

It was like he was prepared for my question, and took a deep breath. "Lady Theresa, under the command of prince Chrom, you will serve the Shepherds as the new quartermaster. Take pride in your new position."

A what now!?

AN: And here is another chapter that I tried to finish by the end of February. Yeah, I think I should get used to the fact that nothing will go as I plan it out to go. Anyway, hope you liked today's chapter and I'll see you again whenever I finish the next chapter.

God's speed.