As the sun began to set behind the horizon, Roy walked through the camp his troops had set up outside of Ostia, the capitol of Lycia. Having retaken the city from rebels earlier that day, Roy had not wanted to keep his soldiers within the city at the moment, to keep the citizens from fearing them as conquerors taking advantage of the chaos that had ensued after Hector's death, the former ruler of Ostia. Currently, the young leader's thoughts were focused on finding someone in particular, someone he had rescued from Ostia earlier that day.

"Ah Lilina, here you are. I was wondering where you would be," Roy said, sitting down next to the girl alone beside a campfire. "I didn't want you to be alone after everything you've been through."

"You always were a great friend Roy, ever since we were little," Lilina replied, giving her companion a shaky smile. With dark blue hair and bright blue eyes, she bore a strong resemblance to her father, Marquess Hector. It was clear that she had been crying recently, as the news of her father's death was confirmed after her rescue. "I couldn't stay in the castle. It doesn't feel the same without…my father there."

"I was with him at the end," Roy said quietly, glancing at Lilina with both sadness and determination. "I made a promise to him which I will now make to you. I will keep you safe Lilina. No matter what we face or what choices we make, I will protect you. As long as I live, I will protect you forever."

Fresh tears started running down Lilina's face, and she threw her arms around Roy in a fierce hug, sobbing uncontrollably as he gently held her, letting her vent all of her grief. After a few minutes, Lilina slowly pulled back, giving a small shake of her head as she attempted another smile. "Th-thank you Roy, for being there for my father and for me. I know my mother would have loved hearing what you just said as much as me."

Surprise and guilt overcame Roy, as he chided himself for his lack of tact. "I'm sorry Lilina, I should have remembered about your mother. I hear she led some forces to reclaim Sacae from Bern."

"Yeah she did," Lilina said sadly, a wistful look crossing her face as she gazed into the fire. "The way she told me stories, about her tribe and her homeland, always filled me with joy and excitement. She would take me to visit every summer, and I came to love the plains as much as the castle my father raised me in. I once heard my father argue with her about how silly those trips were, but my mother said it was important for me to understand where I came from, and he eventually relented. Even though they would argue with each other often, I could tell they loved each other very much."

"Really? I never heard about this before," Roy said, raising his eyebrows as he glanced at Lilina. "Do you have any other stories to share? I would love to hear some tales about the famous Lady Lyndis."

"Oh don't be silly, you met her plenty of times," Lilina responded, giggling as she nudged Roy in the shoulder. "Everyone knows she was the granddaughter of the previous Marquess of Caelin, and that she saved her grandfather from his tyrannical brother. Not to mention she willingly gave rule of Caelin to my father, not that he didn't lead all the territories of Lycia already. Despite whom my parents were and what they achieved, they never took me for granted. My father was always firm but gentle with me, while my mother was nothing but passion and love. She often joked that my father always wanted a son, but found it much more of a challenge raising a daughter. He would always get so embarrassed when she said that, he'd do nothing but sputter afterwards."

"Ha, that must have been quite the sight," Roy chuckled, imagining the towering Marquess Hector sputtering. "It sounds like your mother was amazing. I wish I had known my own mother. She died when I was young."

"I'm sorry Roy, that was so careless of me," Lilina apologized, sending her friend a guilty look. "Here I am talking about how great my mother was, when you didn't have nearly as much time with yours. Do you remember anything about her?"

"A little," Roy replied, frowning as he gazed at the campfire. "She was very beautiful, with ice blue hair and eyes the color of rubies. I remember when she held me it felt like she was the sun, warming me with her love and serenity. She would always hum a certain tune, a lullaby that her parents had sung for her, or so my father always said. Before she passed away, she gave me a stone and said as long as I kept it with me and remembered her she would always be there for me." Reaching for a pouch he carried on his belt, Roy pulled out a stone that appeared like a giant sapphire. "I still carry it with me even now. It sometimes feels warm, as though it was kept near a fire."

"Wow it's beautiful," Lilina exclaimed, staring at the stone in Roy's hands. "That's a wonderful keepsake. Did your father ever tell you anything about your mother after she died?"

"Yes," Roy said, putting the stone pack in his pouch. "He mentioned that she was a dancer of great renown, and that many people would come to see her performances, be they noble or commoner. Her name was Ninian and she was of great support for my father during his adventures. While he never spoke about his grief, my father would always become sad after talking about her. I imagine if I had grown up with her still alive, she might have been similar to your mother in how she would have raised me. Recently he has fallen ill, which is why I was sent to lead our forces in liberating Lycia from bandits and forces from Bern."

"I see," Lilina sighed, staring into the campfire once more. "My father always said the Bern Empire was the strongest kingdom in Elibe, and that it would take the combined forces of every other country to win against them. After what I saw, I feel like that has a ring of truth to it."

"I agree, we need all the help and allies we can get," Roy mused, frowning as he considered his options. "Any possible advantage, no matter how small, might be the deciding factor in how this war plays out. I'm open to any suggestions on how to proceed if you have any."

"Well, I do have one idea," Lilina said slowly, "one I hope Bern hasn't pursued yet. The Divine Weapons, used by the Eight Heroes, might prove valuable if we can obtain them."

"That's an excellent idea," Roy declared, standing up in excitement. "We should focus on collecting as many of them as possible. Do you know which one would be closest to our current location?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Lilina replied, standing next to Roy. "There is one that was placed here in Ostia, the legendary blade Durandal. I can lead us to its location tomorrow. Now though I could use some sleep. Thanks for cheering me up Roy, I really needed it."

"Of course, it was my pleasure," Roy said cheerfully. "Well, I'll find you tomorrow morning to begin our mission to obtain Durandal. Until then, sleep well Lilina."

With those words, Roy set out for his tent, looking forward to the mission tomorrow and the eventual end to this war.

Well hey everyone, it's been a while. With all the personal drama going on in my life, including having to move to a new house, it's been hard to find the motivation to write more stories and/or chapters. However, I finally cranked this one out, a little follow up to my previous Fire Emblem story, expanding some more on the characters that I know and love. As always, this is simply my interpretation of the characters, with a few changes to fit the pairings that I went with in this chapter. Reviews are appreciated, and sadly I can't make any promises on future content at this point. Hopefully things will settle down soon, and I can get back into my writing groove. Also it's a great time to be a Fire Emblem fan right now, and here's to hoping for a Binding Blade remake. Until the next chapter, peace out.