"Lissa, treasure, you're nearly a grown woman and of marrying age! You really ought to learn to brew your own tea," Maribelle's body language did not match her tone in the slightest. She strode about the glass table and arranged the biscuits and treats, but not before pouring Lissa a cup from the teapot. She was almost motherly in how she fussed about.

Neither wore anything close to their Shepherd uniforms. Lissa wore a simple dress, similar to the one she wore when she introduced Robin to Emmeryn, and Maribelle wore a frilly, poofy dress the color of lilacs.

"But I can never make tea like you do," Lissa said. She took one hurried sip and let out a happy sigh. "Plus you're much better at picking the flavor, I always get lost." She took another sip. "You always know how to surprise me."

"Lissa, that's the same blend I always brew," Maribelle said. "Ylissean Herbs and Citrus Aroma. It's your favorite!"

"Oh!" Lissa studied the cup. "Oh." She shrugged and took another sip. "I guess you know me better than I know myself."

"That, or all this Shepherding has worn away at your higher callings," Maribelle finally seated herself. "What has it been, nonstop assignments for a whole month?"

"Not nonstop!" Lissa said. She plopped a biscuit into her mouth. "It was a few days after we brought Robin back when we went to Ferox, and we were gone for… three weeks? Then a week after that we brought Donnel back with us… I guess that is all month. Oh! Did you hear how he and Robin are getting along?"

"The bumpkin and the… well," Maribelle tossed her hair before having a drink. "I'm not surprised those two have a lot in common."

"Donnel's been showing Robin how to catch little animals. He thinks if the Shepherds learned to catch more food during our marches we could save some coin on supplies."

"Do you picture yourself eating squirrels and rabbits any time soon, Lissa?" Maribelle asked.

Lissa sank into her chair. "Well, no. But the others eat wild stuff all the time, and Robin really loves weird food, like bear meat. Donnel caught a wild boar the other day and Robin barely had a bite because it wasn't gamey enough."

"You manage to pivot the conversation back to that one rather often," Maribelle said.

"Who, Donnel?"

"The tactician I mean."

"Well yeah, he's like my newest best friend!" Lissa took another biscuit and washed it down with some tea. It was cool enough to gulp now. "Donnie is too, kind of, but he's too shy to talk to right now."

"It seems every Shepherd is your new 'best friend,' when will it end?" Maribelle was smiling.

"You're not jealous are you?"

"Of course not! What we have needn't have a silly label like 'good friends' or 'best friends.' We're practically sisters… but we're not. We're, we're…" Maribelle held her chin. She tasted a treat and savored it just long enough before taking another sip of tea. "Heavens, maybe a label would be nice."

"I got it! First Friends! Because you were my first real friend!" Lissa sat up in her seat.

"Do settle down, treasure" Maribelle smiled with her eyes shut. "But I do like the sound of that."

"Ooh, ooh! Do First Friends get to be maids of honor at their weddings?"

"That's a lot of plurals, Lissa," Maribelle poured herself another cup. "But I think I understood. I'd love to have you as a maid of honor at my wedding. Or rather, picture me your maid of honor at your own wedding, and you in a beautiful dress! You'd be a proper lady."

Lissa stopped smiling. She set her cup down. "Just like Emm?"

"Yes, of course, but that will be a long time from now."

"Believe me, I know," Lissa stared up at the towers of Castle Ylisstol. Her fingers barely brushed her teacup.

Maribelle set her own drink and leaned forward. "Now darling, you can't compare yourself to someone like Her Grace…"

"Damn straight," Lissa set her chin on the table and sprawled her arms out.

"...Language, treasure." Maribelle poured a second cup for Lissa and slid it over to her. "Do try this, it will lift your spirits!" It was a darker blend with cream and a touch of spirits. Lissa didn't seem to notice.

"Every time I remember how different we are… it hits me like a bag of bricks." Lissa turned her head and set it down. "I'm never going to be like her, am I?"

"You are plenty different, that much is true," Maribelle rested her hand upon Lissa's. "But nobody expects you to be exactly like her."

"Why not?" Lissa frowned. "Nobody thinks I can ever do it?"

"More like…" Maribelle patted Lissa's hand, but with her other she held her chin. "More like… You really ought not to."

"But how will I learn to be a proper lady if nobody keeps me to my word?" Now Lissa's face was buried in the table. "They just treat me like a kid. A loud, scatterbrained kid." She let out another deep sigh. "Chrom's the worst of all."

"The captain has an unenviable plate so to speak," Maribelle said. "What with Ferox, the Risen, and Plegia… And for all his shortcomings, he does take your plight seriously. Do give your brother some grace, even when you cannot see his own. That is one first step to becoming a proper lady."

Lissa turned her head and watched the garden. She picked herself up and had a sip of the new cup of tea. "Atta girl," Maribelle said with a laugh. "That's what Sully says, isn't it? Atta girl."

Lissa smacked her lips at the tea's peculiar flavor. "We should invite her next time!" She said with a smile.

"Er… Sometime yes," Maribelle bristled. "But maybe we should hold off for someone a little more becoming."

"Oh, like Robin!"

Maribelle coughed on her tea. "I suppose I really ought to get to know him better. Though I don't see myself deploying any time soon…"

"Robin's really anxious to learn all he can about us," Lissa said. "I think that's why he's already spending so much time with Donnie."

"Well, let's make a deal. You bring the guests, I bring the tea, whenever the time comes." Maribelle's face twitched with a touch of mischief, which was strange. "I think Robin ought to like the blend we're trying right now. It seems to be up to his speed."

"Oh really?" Lissa stared at her cup. "What's in it?" She took another sip.

"It is a blend of black tea infused with the warm blood of an adult grizzly bear," Maribelle's smile stretched ear to ear. Lissa froze up and spewed out a mouthful of tea. Maribelle closed her eyes to protect herself from the sputter. She reached for a handkerchief as naturally as if her eyes were open and dabbed her mouth, nose and eyes. Her smile was gone. "And on the matter of being a proper lady… we ought to teach you how not to overreact to a joke."

Lissa found herself wandering the premises looking for something to do, only to Robin in the garden at the center of castle Ylisstol. It wasn't quite noon yet, and the towers offered ample shade from the morning sun.

"Watcha looking at?" Lissa squatted beside Robin as he ran his hand through the pond.

"How does the palace manage to keep such a picturesque pond within the walls without being overrun with small critters?" Robin gently prodded a lily and was careful not to uproot it. A dragonfly flitted about the surface.

"It's… a tiny pond Robin. I think every garden in Ylisse has one."

"Do the gardeners and caretakers tend to it?"

"I think you're overthinking it." Lissa held her knees and peaked up. From here she could see Emmeryn's study. "Which must mean you're bored out of your mind."

Robin slid his coat off, removed his gloves, and placed his entire arm into the water. "Oh, I'm not bored! I'm just killing time. I'm waiting on a report. Did you hear there's been a minor disagreement between the Ylissean and the Feroxi soldiers Flavia deployed?" Robin felt around like he was searching for a coin under a dresser.

"What kind of disagreement?"

"Something to the effect of…" Robin placed his head on the ground beside the pond to give his arm maximum reach. "Feroxi leaving messes when they camp for the night, Ylissean soldiers getting competitive, both sides getting stingy with supplies, that sort of thing."

Lissa sat on the grass. "You think the Feroxi will go home?"

"Nah, I'm told the arguing stopped for now, but I'm a little anxious… Aha!" Robin abruptly sat up. In his hands he had clutched a long, slippery thing that wriggled about. It leapt from his hand, he reached out with his other, but it splashed back into the pond. He tsked and resumed his previous position.

"Wuh… an eel? What do you need an eel for?"

"The cook's errand-boy said they can whip up a mean Eel and liver pie," Robin said. "And I've been anxious to try some for myself!"

"...Really? Of all the pies, of all the food in the palace you go for eel pie?" Lissa asked. "You're weird."

"Oh, we knew that from the start," Robin said.

"You really think an eel caught in a tiny pond will even taste any good?"

"I fashion myself an optimist," Robin said. "And considering I've spent the better part of three months trying to figure out who I even am… I think that's progress."

Lissa sat up and rolled her sleeves. "Here, I'll help."

"You sure?" Robin asked. "I mean, I'm grateful but I didn't think a princess would want to even touch an eel."

"Then you better check your prejudice, bud! I don't mind any animal… so long as it's not a snake." Lissa noticed a tuft of grass tremble as a frog poked its head out. She watched it for a second, and then spied Robin's empty coat beside the pond. A wry smile curled her lips. "Nope, don't mind at all."

The sun illuminated Emmeryn's desk and papers. Phila stood beside the door, still as a statue, watching nothing in particular as her liege hurriedly finished penning a letter.

"I didn't take you to be in such a hurry today, your grace," Phila said. She glanced at the pile of finished documents.

"Every time I so much as look away… My work only seems… to get bigger." Emmeryn could never speak and write at the same time for long. "No time for Lissa, or Chrom, or our friends…"

"The pile may be smaller than you think your grace," Phila stepped to the desk and started sorting the finished papers. "I thought you spent the better of part of the weekend with the Shepherds?"

"The stars seemed to align our schedules then," Emmeryn said. "Now… Chrom prepares his men for an emergency, should one arise… and I hurry to write… the same five letters over and over again… to appease our officers, counts and noblemen… Gods forbid I get any time to myself."

Phila produced a box of envelopes, and Emmeryn got to work folding and packaging each of her letters. It had been brought to her attention many times that a scribe or secretary might halve her workload, but she believed a personal touch was necessary in her line of work. However much she complained, she believed in carrying out this duty to the letter, so to speak.

Emmeryn addressed her last letter and pressed the final wax seal with a decisive blow from her signet. "And finished!" She passed it to the pile that Phila was sorting and leaned forward in her chair. "What next, Phila?"

"Funny you should say that Your Grace… That appears to be the last letter." Phila had gathered them all into a bag and prepared to send them to the postmaster. "That's all that remains for today."

Emmeryn bolted upright. "You jest! There was a mountain of paper in here this morning, where did it all go?"

"The gods guided your hand today. They are all here in this bag. You've nothing left to do.."

"Nothing," Emmeryn spoke the word with such horror. "There must be something I'm missing - Hasn't there been word of Plegia or the creatures?"

"Not one. They seem to be biding their time and we have nothing to act on, unfortunately - or fortunately if you prefer."

"Then the matter of the Feroxi soldiers?"

"I just received word," Phila said. "Both sides are already making amends. Apparently, Ylissean wine and Feroxi mead make for great problem solvers, as far as soldiers are concerned."

Emmeryn pursed her lips. "What of lady Themis? When must I see her off?"

"That's not until this evening, Your Grace. For the better part of today, your schedule is completely empty."

"Empty! What will I do with myself!" Emmeryn slumped back into her seat. She held her temple with one hand. "I'll die."

"Do quit being dramatic," Phila said. "You were just saying how little time you get to yourself."

"But today… today is the worst time for such a thing!" Emmeryn stood up and paced about. "Chrom is busy, Frederick is busy, I- I…" she wrung her hands and glanced out the glass window. "The weather isn't even agreeable for a decent walk outside! The palace is my prison once more…"

Phila tsked to herself as she prepared to hand off the sack of letters. "Nothing I say can placate you, unfortunately. Women many stations beneath you dream for such a day, and here you are complaining. You'll just have to find some way to entertain yourself."

Emmeryn leaned against the window sill and let out a great sigh.

A muffled scream made the two women flinch. Emmeryn peered out the window to the palace gardens below to behold Robin - flailing about with his coat on, face pale with fright - and Lissa lying on her back. She was holding her stomach, fighting back fits of laughter.

A tiny green shape hopped from the coat and to the grass below. And then another… and then another…

Phila stepped beside Emmeryn to watch. "Hardly princess-like behavior," she grumbled. "Not that I'm one to judge. I know these are peaceful times, but surely someone ought to start schooling her properly soon. It won't do to have such a wild princess loose in Ylisse…"

Emmeryn wasn't listening. Her eyes shone, and Phila spied a mischievous glint dancing inside of them.

Presently Robin was exchanging some very choice words with Lissa, who didn't seem to care much.

"I know how I will spend my day," Emmeryn said. "I will play a game with Lissa." She ran for where her shawl was draped over a chair and hurriedly slipped it over her shoulders.

"Sorry, your grace?" Phila couldn't take her eyes off the scene below.

"I'm bored and Lissa is in a good mood, so I'll play a game with her. It will be a funny little surprise."

That got Phila's attention, and an odd feeling of dread overcame her. "Play a game with or play a game with…" Phila muttered to herself. "Your Grace, surely there's a better way to spend your time?"

"It will be fine, Phila," Emmeryn made for the door. "I won't do anything rash, I just haven't had such inspiration in a long time! And with my work finished, its as though the heavens themselves parted a path for me this day."

Phila caught her liege by the wrist before she could turn the door handle - tantamount to heresy anywhere else in the castle. "Hasn't the poor girl suffered enough?"

Emmeryn made a face at Phila, something close to a pout. Phila could feel her heart sag. "We used to do this sort of thing all the time," Emmeryn said. She batted her eyes forlornly and looked to the door. "But then everyone got so serious…"

"Emm- Your Grace that isn't fair…" Phila set the bag down and held both of Emmeryn's hands. "You are not a princess, and neither of us are little girls any more. I'm a knight, and you're the Exalt, and it's my duty to ensure-!"

Emmeryn's expression melted into a smile. "Frederick has his hands full at the stables," she said. "Won't you go help him?"

Phila felt her temper spike. "You can't just-!"

"Your Exalt orders it." Emmeryn slid her hands free. "My thanks, Phila! You two have fun." She all but bolted out the door and disappeared down the hall.

Phila watched her go, and without a sound she retrieved the sack of letters and set off.

Donnel hefted the bag of soil in his arms as Ricken instructed. The two boys walked past the garden at a steady pace. Both of them heard the commotion. They both watched Robin storm out of the garden with a gulping eel in his arms. Lissa clasped her hands behind her back and trotted off the other way. Ricken insisted they kept walking like nothing had happened.

"Miss Lissa sure has a lot of fun out here," Donnel said. Ricken didn't answer. "But the way she picks on Robin, you'd think they was enemies! Why does she do that?"

"I don't know, Donnie," Ricken said.

"You don't think she's trying to get him to notice her that way, do ya? Usually it's boys chucking rocks and holding frogs 'n that sorta thing, but Miss Lissa is a young lady!"

"I said I don't know, Donnie," Ricken said again.

"Guess her mistress-ship has a carefree attitude 'bout her station," Donnel said to himself. "Say, what did miss Miriel need all the top soil for again?"

"Don't remember."

"Say, Ricken?"

"What is it, Donnie?!" Ricken spun and glared up at the boy a year and a half younger than him. "Sun up and sun down it's just questions with you! What's the point of me answering if nothing sticks? You're just gonna ask the same stupid things tomorrow."

"Would one more for today be fine?"

"I guess… what is it?"

"What's the Exalt doing out of her study so soon?" Donnel pointed. Ricken followed and saw Emmeryn gliding down the cobbled path on the other side of the garden. She wore a great, warm smile on her face, and for some reason it made Ricken's boots quake. "I don't see her take her afternoon walk till… well, the afternoon. It's barely lunchtime."

"Hide."

"Howzat?"

"Hide…! Hurry, let's get these to Miriel - but don't run too quickly! We don't want her to notice us-"

Donnel obediently followed Ricken and sped out of the garden.

"G'day sir!" Lissa stopped and saluted to a soldier guarding the entrance to the east castle hall. The guard dutifully nodded in acknowledgement, but was otherwise stonefaced. Lissa sighed to herself. The guards were no fun. They respected her too much. She was about to turn around and walk the other direction when a new voice joined the fray.

"Beg pardon." It was phrased like a question, but it was spoken with weight and authority. Emmeryn's voice. Lissa stopped in her tracks and turned around. Sure enough, her big sister had arrived and closed the gap between them. Presently the Exalt was facing the guard. "Beg pardon," she repeated. "But is that how you address the royal family of Ylisse?"

"Good morning -" The guard blinked. "Er, I'm sorry Your Grace?"

"I said…" Emmeryn took a step forward. "The way you just spoke to my sister…" The guard's face paled. "Would you call that appropriate behaviour?"

"I didn't… I didn't say anything - Your Grace."

Lissa covered her mouth. Had this man done something wrong? She couldn't remember the last time she saw Emmeryn so cross. She stepped as close as she dared to get a good look at Emmeryn's face.

She was perfectly expressionless, and her mouth was set in a straight line. The mark of Naga on her forehead creased ever so slightly.

"I didn't think it either… appropriate or inappro… appro…" the guard was losing composure fast and started sputtering. He tilted his helmet and kept mumbling.

In one motion, Emmeryn cocked her head in Lissa's direction, smiled and winked, and resumed her hard stare at the guard.

"You don't think it's inappropriate to treat my sister like a pariah? An outcast? The least you could do is say hello."

"I … I…! Hello, Miss Lissa!" The guard was sweating bullets. "It is indeed a good day!" he looked pleadingly at the Exalt, the way a prisoner under duress might.

Emmeryn said nothing. She closed her eyes and turned away… the guard dropped his spear in shock. The Exalt brought a hand to her mouth - and she giggled to herself. "My," she said. "My but you're so serious! Everyone knows I dote on my sister too much. You mustn't let anyone bully you around like that, how would you ever get anything done?"

The guard's jaw was slack. He was probably still processing if he would walk away with his job - or his life - intact.

"Ah, forgive me! Forgive me, it was just a little joke, here -" Emmeryn retrieved his spear and handed it back to him. "Pay me no mind. And alas, no Plegians or Risen here in the castle, yes? I think you've earned yourself a break. Why don't you go have yourself an early lunch?"

"Y-Yes, your Grace, as you command…" The guard shambled away, a husk of his former self.

Emmeryn held the side of her head and tutted to herself as she watched him leave. Lissa drew closer, still watching her sister's face. She glanced at Lissa, and her lips curled.

The two sisters broke out into laughter.

"I can't believe you did that! Gods!" Lissa said as she covered her face. "What did the poor guy ever do to you?!"

"I don't know what came over me, honestly," Emmeryn wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, I see opportunities like this every day, but I never once thought to act on it."

"Oh, oh! Let's go to the kitchen!" Lissa grabbed Emmeryn's hand and led her along. "I just thought of something you could do. Eeee! I can't remember the last time we did something together!"

"G'day your Grace!" the cook called out from behind the big brick stove. He ran a rag across his brow and stuffed it into his apron. He had a deep, friendly voice and a rotund body. The kind of man intimately acquainted with good food. "Just finishing up a batch of pies today. Anything take your fancy?"

Emmeryn glanced in the corner and saw Robin sitting by his lonesome. He was reading a book with a dour expression on his face. He was still in a bad mood after the frog surprise - he didn't even notice her come in. She decided not to test him today.

The Exalt cast a serious glance at the row of pies fresh from the oven. Their golden crusts were dusted lightly with flour, and their contents seeped slowly from the cuts on top. Emmeryn ran a finger across a pie and had a taste.

"And what do you even call this…?" she whispered. Lissa hung back a few paces behind her sister, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

"Why that there is the shepherd's pie! His two brothers are beside him, further down is the beef pie, the mince pie, fish pie - your tactician is waiting on the eel pie and that will be out in just a moment… You like the flavor, your Grace?"

"It is sufficient," Emmeryn rubbed her fingers together, and the cook's expression turned downcast. Never in his whole career had he been damned by such faint praise, and he'd been in the kitchen since Lissa was eight! Lissa knew this. She had to turn her back lest her giggles give away Emmeryn's plan. "And what of the eel pies?"

"P-Pies, your Grace? Plural?"

"As I recall, I ordered a large number of them for today's Luncheon in the banquet hall."

"That…" the cook rubbed the back of his head. "First I've heard of it but I'm happy to make due! I can certainly make a few more-"

"Three dozen," Emmeryn held up her fingers. "Thirty and six."

The rag fell from the cook's hand.

"And that must all be ready in time for the bell," Emmeryn said. "And this is a very important meal… I would say your job - even your career - depends on it!"

It was about twenty minutes from noontime.

"That's impossible," the cook whimpered.

"Heavens above, I gave specific orders this morning! This kitchen ought to be swarming with eels, but it seems you've only caught the one! Phila heard me, Frederick heard me - Gods forbid anyone but my most trusted friends know what I want done around here. You heard, didn't you Lissa? …Lissa?"

The poor girl doubled over laughing. She rolled over, and the dusty-floury floor made her curly pigtails powdered white. She kicked up small clouds of dust as she gasped for air.

Emmeryn sighed and held her forehead. "...I suppose the rouse is up."

"Oh thank heavens," the cook leaned against a counter and sighed. "You're just playing games, of course! You two are sisters after all, your Grace! …pardon my saying that."

"Only if you can forgive my asinine nagging," Emmeryn held herself and sighed. "This takes me back… Did you serve in the castle the same time as my father? He had an aunt, or a sister or some sort, and she was always harassing the cooks! She acted like the queen, it was a terror to behold, but they always had the funniest reactions…"

"That was a bit before my time, your Grace," the cook's face wrinkled with warmth. "But I understand completely. Phew, I'm still reeling with relief, for a second there, I really thought-!" he laughed a little himself.

"Then I won't trouble you any longer, pray have a good day!" Emmeryn pulled Lissa to her feet and led her away.

The cook wiped his brow again and sighed. He pulled out the finished pie and slid it on the counter. The smell reached Robin. He closed his book and he was at the pie with a knife in seconds. He cut himself a small piece. "Who was that just now?" he asked.

"Who's next, who's next?!" Lissa asked excitedly. "Should we find Chrom? Or-Or Frederick? I think I saw Phila somewhere over there-"

Emmeryn already found her target.

A short walk from the barracks rested a large wooden crate, and someone was leaning against it, fast asleep. Stahl, in full armor no less.

"I guess he's still worn out from the drills," Lissa said to herself. "Maybe Vaike or Virion are nearby!"

Emmeryn walked up to the crate before Lissa could finish. She cleared her throat. "Sir Stahl!" she called with the weight and authority of an angry mother.

Instantly Stahl was on his feet. "Gah! Y-Yes, your Grace?" he stared stupidly at her.

Emmeryn smiled. "Good day, that's all."

And Emmeryn's victim relaxed, a familiar sight to Lissa by now. She snorted to herself.

"Ah, good day to you too, your Grace. Has Lissa got you roped into something?" he rubbed the back of his head.

"Something like that," Emmeryn winked at Lissa again.

"I assure you the Shepherds don't sleep on the job - not that I was on official Shepherd business or anything, I was just-"

"The Shepherds!" Emmeryn clapped her hands. "Chrom's little army, yes I had a few questions. When were you last deployed?"

Stahl blinked. "Er, my last assignment was to the Far Fort down south, but I mobilized with the others a few days ago to check on a Risen sighting; turned out to be a false alarm though…"

"And now your captain has left you with nothing to do?" Emmeryn asked, aghast.

Lissa was about to interject, but a strange dread came over her.

"I mean - Frederick hasn't said much either. Captain Chrom walked by earlier, and he told me to enjoy the downtime."

"Enjoy the downtime, indeed," Emmeryn said, her voice darkening. "Well, with the captain away, I think it's time I had a talk with the Shepherds… one on one."

"Emm?!" Lissa gasped. She felt sick. Emmeryn had been playing this whole time, right? She wasn't angry at anyone, and certainly not the Shepherds… right?

She was taking this prank too far.

"You might stay here, Lissa, I will be right back." Emmeryn stole off in the direction of the barracks.

"Wait! Wait! I uh…" Lissa panicked. Emmeryn paused in her advance and waited for Lissa to finish. "I left something at the barracks! It's super embarrassing so you're not allowed to storm through the doors until I say so, kay? Kay! Bye!"

And Lissa ran like a madwoman to the barracks.

Thankfully, the only ones inside were Sully, Virion, Donnel and Ricken. Ricken was arranging bags of soil for some reason, Virion was whittling a piece of wood with his Ylissean dagger, and Donnel was practicing spear pokes. Lissa swung the doors open and looked around at everyone.

"Woah woah lil sis, what's the hurry?" Sully asked. She had her cuirass off and had a bottle of beer in her hand. She sat at the table and had just finished pouring Virion a cup.

"Hide the weapons! Hide the booze!" Lissa ran over to Donnie and took the spear from him. The way she ran up and pounced him got him flustered.

Sully instantly hid the bottle under her shirt and retrieved a stuck knife from the table. "What, is it the auditor again?!"

"Worse!" Lissa messily stuck donnel's spear into the top of one of Ricken's bags of dirt, which earned her a look. She dove for an axe leaning against the wall and hid it behind a door. "It's the Exalt!"

"Come again?" Sully asked.

"Emmeryn's bored!" Lissa cried.

Virion and Ricken shared a look.

"Aw, screw that noise." Sully opted to avoid the door and slipped out of an open window. "Have fun, fellas. Was nice knowing you." She disappeared into the grass and trees surrounding the barracks.

"W-Wait!" Virion called after her. "What does this sort of thing entail?! And why is the princess so upset? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Either cast an invisibility spell on the barracks, or fly back to Roseanne!" Lissa said. "Whichever is easiest!"

They all froze at the sound of Emmeryn's impending footsteps.

"I know the sound - of a woman out for conquest!" Virion dusted off his pants and dove out the same window as Sully. "Virion, away!" Unlike Sully, his loud footsteps trailed off in the direction of the castle.

"W-why, your excellency!" Donnel said suddenly. Lissa had no time to think of anything else to do before Emmeryn's figure darkened the doorway. "Lissa wasn't kidding, you're on the move today aincha-"

Emmeryn locked eyes with Donnel. "What have I told you about ridiculous titles, boy?" Even Lissa shuddered at her sister's voice. The word boy left Emmeryn's mouth with such venom it petrified her.

There was a full five seconds of silence.

"Ricken, what do I say?" Donnel whispered. "Ricken?!" No luck. Ricken had escaped moments before Emmeryn appeared.

Emmeryn took a step forward. Instantly Donnel dropped his spear and prostrated himself on the ground. "I meant no disrespect! Please forgive me miss- miss- your-"

"Emm! You'll kill him like that!" Lissa ran up and held her sister back. "He said he's sorry, can't you let it slide?" Emmeryn glanced down at her. "Honestly I can't tell if you're serious or not. Are you stressed out or something? I-I know, let's find Maribelle and have some tea, that'll calm your nerves!"

"Miss Themis!" Emmeryn whipped her head around, as if Maribelle was just around the corner. "Having tea at a time like this?! Where is she-"

Lissa gulped. "I… don't know… where I last saw her…"

"She's relaxing at the veranda bythe garden," came Donnel's muffled voice from his position on the floor. "Opposite the stables with the horses, your Grace!"

And Emmeryn departed. "Emm, no!" Lissa ran after her. "Emm, Emmie, Big sister, please! This isn't funny anymore!" She felt the blood rushing to her face. Maribelle was probably one of the only Shepherds who wasn't actually afraid of Emmeryn - and she had such a temper! If she didn't like a joke or felt like someone was out of line, she would reprimand them nigh-instantly - Exalt or not! And if Emm's mood really was this bad, she'd spare Maribelle no quarter and have her punished or shipped off to prison or or- "Emmeryn, please don't! Don't pick on Maribelle. I'll die. I'll die, did you hear me?! Please…!"

When Chrom saw Virion dashing for the castle, he didn't think much of it. Perhaps some maid or noblewoman had caught his eye. When he saw Ricken do the same, he thought the two had some kind of plan or agreement going on. When he noticed a few servants and guards doing the same, followed by one or two more of his Shepherds, he knew something was wrong.

He set down his armful of hay bales and tried to flag down someone to talk to.

"H-hey!" a guard ignored Chrom's plea and kept walking, fastly, urgently.

Somewhere in the distance he heard the unmistakable sound of Lissa shouting.

Sully slipped by with an armful of beer bottles. "Sully, what the hell is going on here?! Plegia? Risen?" Chrom asked.

"Your big sister's going on another rampage," Sully said.

"What?" Chrom paused, and then he relaxed. He shook his head and cackled. "Oh, is that all?"

"Heads are rolling. I'd make for the hills while you still have one," Sully said. "I don't care one bit, mind you, but we have some new blood who don't know how the natural order of things and I'd to lose someone over something stupid."

"Robin, for instance," Chrom said. "Where is he?"

"Iunno, some crap about eel pie."

"If he's having his lunch then he's probably safe, he likes to eat alone anyway." Chrom glanced at another pair of fleeing servants. "I'd almost hate for him to miss all the action, though. It's nice, you know? Emmeryn hardly ever lets loose, I think it's nice to see her act like when she was younger."

"I don't. No sir, not me. Once was enough for me," Sully managed to salute without dropping her drinks. "So good luck to ya."

Sully left in the direction of the castle, and Chrom continued his delivery of hay to the stables.

It was too late. Emmeryn found Maribelle exactly where Donnie had said. She sat down in the shade of a tree and paged through a book. Beside her sat a platter of used plates and utensils from when she had her lunch. She had changed out of her dress and into her riding uniform - in preparation for the carriage ride home, perhaps - though that was still many hours away. She hardly noticed Emmeryn's long shadow fall over her.

Lissa stood back, mortified, horrified.

"Maribelle Themis," Emmeryn said icily.

"Yes your Grace? That is my name if I recall," Maribelle glanced up at her but otherwise didn't seem to care. "Pardon my manners. I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."

"So I've been told," Emmeryn said. "And do you know, Miss Themis, the purpose of Castle Ylisstol to the people? It is a place of training and enrichment. It is not a playground for Ylisse's privileged elite to while away the hours."

Lissa gulped. Maribelle hated interruptions, especially when she was reading, but maybe she was in an okay mood.

"Playground? That's rich," Maribelle's voice turned hot.

Lissa held her face. She was wrong. She was so wrong. The two were going to have a fight and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I've seen what your siblings do to pass the time, your Grace," Maribelle said. "The captain will take any excuse to go riding with his friends, or hunting, drinking - anything to get away from being a prince, really. And your sister! Your dear sister-"

"Watch your tone."

"Your dear sister runs around like a chicken with its head cutoff. No extracurriculars, no responsibilities. The instant she's finished training to be a cleric she's a menace to the castle." Maribelle glared at the Exalt. "But heavens forbid someone of common or noble blood dawdle for even an instant!" Maribelle slammed her book shut with a perfect thud and stood up. "I'll have you know, I was taking a small break from my own studies. I'm preparing to use staves built for the Mend and Rescue disciplines - but alas, I assume you think such meager spells very quaint, given what a prodigy you are at magic."

"Do you suggest that I do not know what goes on in my own castle?" the Exalt asked. "Or that my… esteemed position has left me blind?"

"Am I, your Grace?" Maribelle asked. "Or should I call you by name, seeing how informal we've become! With all due respect, who spat in your drink?"

"I've opened the castle to the common man, extended my reach to the people of Ylisstol, and in return I've received headache after headache - noise, Maribelle! Noise noise noise, from dawn to dusk! I'd excuse your silence if it weren't for your attitude!"

"We all have issues, your highness, but so long as we're sharing opinions, no Exalt of mine has any right to be this fastidious!"

"You speak like someone with a future wandering the wastelands to the west," Emmeryn hissed.

"What a great change that would make, seeing as it was your predecessors who stranded my family so far that direction in the first place! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

And what followed was a brief eternity of the two women glaring at each other. By now Lissa's knees had failed her and she grasped at a tree for support.

And then…

Emmeryn snorted. "Heavens." She looked away and covered her face. "Heavens! I can't do it anymore." She burst out into laughter, and Maribelle let out a sigh of relief. She fanned her face with her book.

"My father would tell you, you were the spitting image of your father just now, the spitting image! You sounded just like him - so the stories go, rather."

"Oh I hope not," Emmeryn wiped away a tear. "I really hope not. He really did have a terrible temper, I'd hate to inflict that on anyone."

"You came close!" Maribelle said. "I feared for my life for but an instant - I would have deserved it either way, but still… What's the occasion? I can't remember the last time I saw you crack a smile, let alone tell a joke."

"There isn't one. It was just meant to be a little game, but I fear I got carried away," Emmeryn said. "It was fun to pretend to be a different kind of ruler, if only for a little bit."

Maribelle banished the ghost of a giggle and peered behind Emmeryn. "Lissa? Treasure? Is everything alright?"

Presently, Lissa clutched her yellow dress as if she meant to tear it. Her face was beet red and tears streamed down her cheeks. She fought back sobs as she frowned at both of them. Emmeryn gasped. "Lissa?"

"You're both the worst!" Lissa spun around and dashed for the castle.

"Lissa, wait!" Emmeryn called after her." Lissa crashed into Robin a short distance away and kept running without a word. "Lissa?!" Emmeryn called again.

"Oh, don't worry about her, your Grace," Maribelle said. "She's just a little embarrassed. She'll get over it."

The sun was setting. Orange light poured into the windows of the little lounge where Lissa rested - sprawled out on a couch. It was the very same lounge that Robin was taken to for tea when he first came to Ylisstol. Just outside the window one could clearly see the front gate to the castle. Lissa's pigtails were down, and the edges of her hair were still dusted with flour from the kitchen. She sighed at nobody in particular and turned over.

A gentle hand knocked at the door. "Lissa?" Emmeryn's voice. "Love, are you there?"

Lissa didn't answer.

"The door's unlocked. I'm coming inside, is that alright?"

Still she didn't answer.

The doorknob turned and Emmeryn entered the room. She moved so swiftly and quietly that it seemed she made no noise at all, aside from closing the door. She glanced at the boots Lissa had kicked off and left strewn on the floor. She carefully stepped over these and knelt beside the couch where her little sister lay.

"Maribelle leaves in under an hour. I've got to go speak with Chrom, but afterwards I'll see her off. Won't you come with me?" Lissa squirmed and put her arm under her head. Her eyes weren't closed, but she didn't look at Emmeryn at all. Presently she studied the wall. "Are you still upset with me? It was only a joke - I was never mad at anyone, and you know I'd never do anything to hurt Maribelle, or any of the Shepherds."

Lissa rolled over so her face was buried in the couch cushion.

Emmeryn shook her head. "Melissa," she said. "You play jokes on your friends all the time, don't you?"

Lissa lifted her head ever so slightly. "I don't embarrass them like that," she said, her voice muffled and hoarse.

"Maybe not, and your friends know you mean no harm, but Lissa dear you're a princess. It surely must be hard on them - this I speak from my own experience, you know." Emmeryn's voice was soft and gentle, barely more than a whisper. It reminded Lissa of a time when she was much, much younger.

She rolled over again so that her back was to her sister.

"Lissa?" Emmeryn crooned. She stroked the side of Lissa's head. "I went too far and I'm sorry. Won't you forgive me?"

"...Sure."

The Exalt let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank you, sister." Emmeryn waited a minute before she rose to her feet. "Will you see Maribelle off with me?"

"I don't feel like it."

Emmeryn shook her head. "Don't let something like this come between you two," she said. "It was my foolish game in the first place, wasn't it? You forgave me, so why stay mad at her?"

No response.

"She'll be away in Themis for several weeks. What if the Shepherds deploy? You may not see her again for a very long time. What if you come to regret it?"

"I'll get over it, then."

"...Very well," Emmeryn left, and the door clicked quietly behind her.

Chrom stood beside the carriage and held out his hand, and Maribelle hesitated. He took her hand into his own and gently pulled her up unto the first step. The sunset helped hide Maribelle's blushing face. "Some days you are no different from Frederick," she whispered.

"And other days?" Chrom asked.

"Other days you're either breaking something or acting like an older, wiser Lissa - which is to say: a pauper boy in a nobleman's body." Chrom laughed hard at that as he stepped away from the carriage and stood beside Emmeryn. Maribelle settled into her seat and reached for the door. "And to what pleasure do I owe the Exalt sending me off personally?"

Emmeryn smiled and shook her head. Her hands were clasped in front of her waist. "Every Shepherd deserves a good farewell - and especially the ones who endure my… games, shall we call them."

Maribelle smiled, but she couldn't help but glance about the courtyard. Several horses, several guards, Stahl, Sully and Virion were loitering around the fences, but no sign of Lissa. That is, until she spied a golden set of pigtails peaking up from one of the castle windows. Maribelle waved as ladylike as she could, but she really couldn't tell if the gesture was returned.

"I must be off then," she said. "Papa is waiting. He'll want to hear all about this, mark my words!"

"Not all of it, friend," Chrom gave a tense smile.

"Oh, let them gossip," Emmeryn said. "I don't care in the slightest what people say about me."

"At least give the story time to run its course here in Ylisstol before spreading it around," Chrom said.

"We shall see, I'm afraid," Maribelle said. Her expression turned serious. She pointed the tip of her parasol at Chrom. "But you mustn't hesitate to call on me should something happen! That's two… three missions you've gone on without me, and I received not one summons."

"Maribelle, I'm not going to send a message to Themis while you're spending time with your father each time there's an emergency!"

"Perhaps you ought to! Somedays I forget I'm even a Shepherd at all. Like… like… what's his name. The friendly gent in the armor."

"I guess we shall see," Chrom said. "Farewell Maribelle, and give your father our regards."

Maribelle closed the carriage door, and the horse driver flicked the reins. The carriage bounced and rattled away. Chrom saluted the Ylissean way, with a clenched fist to the heart, and Emmeryn bowed deeply.

Themis was thankfully not a far ride from Ylisse. Of course a horse carriage can only go so far, but three to four hours is a reasonable time to leave the capital, take the road west, and wind your way down the hills and cliffs to the dry, rocky territory where Maribelle lived.

It helped that most of the road west was downhill. There was a checkpoint about two thirds of the drive over where she would switch carriages. Her father often met her there.

Maribelle fashioned herself stern and dependable, like the rocks the homes of her people were built upon. Her time spent studying at the castle, coupled with her time being a Shepherd, had been eye opening experiences for her. She may think of herself as a reliable lady of the people, but she knew that she was still a highborn woman, and her own experiences accounted for a very narrow margin of life. She needed to rough it more, to know the world more, to go on more missions with Chrom if she were to understand hard work and true adversity.

But that was all for another time. When it was just her and father, it was time to talk and relax.

"Papa! It's me, how have you been?" Maribelle asked before she even opened the door to the second carriage. It was nighttime by then, and a lantern had been lit, but no duke of Themis waited on the seat for her.

Her hands dropped to her side in defeat. "His lordship sends his regards, Miss Themis," the coachman said. "He's been tied up in business since the day before and couldn't come out to meet you."

"Oh… that's fine. Treasure didn't say goodbye at the castle, either. Wouldn't want to break the pattern."

So she endured the last hour of the carriage ride alone. The moon would be high up in the sky when she got home. Father would surely be in bed by then.

And yet, he wasn't. Just outside the gates of the Themis property - a house dwarfed by castle Ylisstol but large nonetheless - just as the carriage pulled up beside the road to let Maribelle off, she saw torchlights, and she heard the sounds of men arguing.

She slid from her seat, grabbed her bag, and hurried to the gate. It was already open. She stepped inside and saw her father, a tall lanky man with a stern brow, locked in discussion with a man she didn't recognize.

The stranger was covered in light armor, and his hair was slick and greasy, judging by how it reflected in the torchlight. His eyes were small and dark, and when the flames flickered just right, the shadows made it appeared like he had no eyes at all.

"I won't stand for this, Orton!" Duke Themis growled. "Any other man would have called it an invasion."

"Invasion by whom?" the man asked. His accent was thick and westernly. "I'm just here to make sure no… upstanding citizens were found amongst the bodies."

Bodies?

"They drew first blood, so we did what we had to. You can't just show up when the damage is done and claim they weren't bandits!"

"Papa…?" Maribelle whispered. Both men jumped and looked at her. Orton glowered at her, but Duke Themis' face lit up.

"Oh child, it's alright. Just… business with the neighbors, you know." He reached out and hugged her.

Neighbors.

One of her father's favorite euphemisms. From the safety of her father's warm embrace, Maribelle glared daggers at the stranger.

She spied a familiar coat of arms on the man's shoulderpad - a horned helmet pierced by two pairs of spears. The Plegian coat of arms.

"Alas, I won't keep you two awake any longer," Orton said. "But do send for me in the morning. We have much to discuss." He bowed lightly and stepped away. He never looked away until after he reached the gate. And the whole time Maribelle could swear he was leering at her.