The Second Princess [indefinite hiatus.]

Lost In History | 9

I don't own Fire Emblem.

I've been so out of touch with TSP that I forgot about Diana's brand. Seriously. I'm dying inside.

...

"...it's not here."

Diana turned to Margaret in horror. Her best friend looked back up at her with equally startled eyes, a hand over her mouth as she motioned to the drawer.

Margaret was right. Other than some papers that were crumpled at the bottom of the wooden drawer, it was completely empty. The girls looked at each other, panicked and started to scour the rest of the office. They pulled the place apart bit by bit, desperate to see even a page or a glimpse of the cover. But it was to no avail. The Book was gone.

...

Odelle eyed her father from across the dining table.

"Are you going to put those papers down, Papa?" She inquired, setting her teacup on her saucer.

Her father actively flinched, as if he was startled by that simple question. Odelle frowned and exchanged a look with Lissa, who actively raised an eyebrow and simply shrugged.

"I will in a minute, darling," Octavius told her as he quietly continued to write.

She bit back a sigh. Odelle's teacup clattered against the porcelain saucer as she set it down. "Father, we're having breakfast. You can work in your office later."

Octavius mumbled something inaudible.

Odelle's frown deepened, but she sighed and ignored her father. When she looked at her fiance, he was absentmindedly eating quietly, face blank.

Hm, that was odd. Chrom didn't even react to her father's words this time...was something bothering him?

...it was probably about Diana, Odelle had to guess. And she was probably right too.

Diana was bothering everyone at this table, and for very good reason.

Despite the vindictive attacks that she had launched at her father the day before, Odelle didn't feel angry. She just felt confused. She didn't know where the anger fostered in Diana toward her father had come from, or the grudge she had openly declared during her court session. She didn't understand it.

All in all, she found herself in a very problematic middle ground.

Stand with her father without hesitation, her beloved father who has raised her and loved her as a father should? Or follow her gut and accept that something was very wrong?

She nearly became as motionless as her future husband. The silence that followed was exhausting, but carried on throughout the rest of breakfast without any sort of disturbance.

Chrom went straight to his room for something that Odelle didn't know, and not surprisingly, her father disappeared the minute he set down his fork. Lissa drifted away to go handle Lucy, and left Odelle all alone.

The soon to be queen drifted back to her room, stifling a yawn with her hands. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Margaret just as moody as everyone else. Her Lady in Waiting was barely doing her chores with the energy Odelle had seen every day.

"Something wrong?" She asked as she shut the door.

Margaret turned to look at her with weary eyes, which made Odelle blink. There were clear bags underneath Margaret's eyes, with just pure exhaustion that Odelle had never even seen before.

"Nope," was her response. "It's peachy."

"Are you sleep deprived?"

She gave Odelle a tired smile. "My duties exist far beyond your bedtime, my lady."