Forrest: Your Highness, are you awake? *sigh* No, not even a bit. Of course. Your Highness, wake up!
Krista: Wait! Grab my- H-huh?
Forrest: You were dreaming, milady.
Krista: O-Oh... Uh, good morning?
Forrest: "Good afternoon" is more appropriate.
Krista: Oh, lunch time!
Forrest: Yes. Then, it's time for lessons.
Krista: Maaaan. Do I gotta? They're so boringgggg.
Forrest: Yes, you "gotta". As future queen of Medeas, you must be knowledgable in many aspects. Not just combat,
but also history, mathematics-
Krista: "And literature and theology to ensure a well-balanced mind, body, and spirit befitting a proper ruler
of Medeas." Man, I've lost count of how many times I've heard that spiel.
Forrest: I wonder why that might be.
Krista: Anyway, I'm too hungry to argue about it. Let's head off to the dining hall.
Forrest: As you wish, milady.
Krista leaves.
Forrest: ...
Forrest, thinking: What was she mumbling about just now? Could it be that nightmare?
Forrest: Your Highness, it is time for- Ah. Still asleep, as per usual.
Krista: E-Ervan... No...
Forrest: Your Highness?
Krista: Don't... Wait, please... I...
Forrest: That nightmare again, is it...? Your Highness, wake up!
Krista: Gah! I'm up! I'm up! Oh, Forrest, it's just you.
Forrest: You were having that nightmare again.
Krista: O-Oh... ...
Forrest: Milady, you shouldn't blame yourself for-
Krista: I don't wanna talk about it, okay?!
Forrest: ...
Krista: S-Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I just...
Forrest: It's fine. But please understand, if you ever do wish to talk about it, I am always willing to lend an ear.
Krista: I know.
(The A Support and S Support contain spoilers and will not be shown this early on in development.)
Kai: Excellent work, Your Highness. Your swordsmanship has been improving steadily.
Krista: Thanks! You're pretty good yourself, as usual.
Kai: I believe we deserve a break after such a good spar.
Krista: Sounds good to me!
Scene change to inside the castle.
Kai: Say, I've been curious about something.
Krista: Yes?
Kai: Your sword skills are decent, but what about other weapons? I heard that Medeans of the royal bloodline
are trained to use weapons of all kinds.
Krista: Yeah, that's true, but... Forrest tried teaching me how to use a lance. And back when Sam was around,
he tried to teach me stuff about axes. And don't even get me started on magic. That venture didn't even get off the ground. Even
though none of those things stuck with me, I was pretty decent with a bow back in the day. Though, it's been a while since I've
used one.
Kai: The bow? Who taught you archery?
Krista: Oh. Um. Prince Ervan, actually...
Kai: Ah, the former heir to the Fuegsol throne, was it? I knew Medeas and Fuegsol had good relations. Though,
I didn't know the heirs to their royal families were close.
Krista: Y-Yeah... haha. Um, anyway! I gotta, uh, help Forrest with a thing! Talk to you later!
Krista leaves.
Kai: Hm... So those rumors I heard... Was there some truth to them after all?
Kai: So that's how arranged marriages work in the Medean royal family... Fascinating.
Krista enters the scene.
Krista: Got your nose in a book as per usual, Kai?
Kai: Ah, Your Highness. I'm surprised to see you here. What brings you to the castle library?
Krista: Forrest says I gotta brush up on my history knowledge. He caught me in a "no study" mood, so I'm not
gonna bother. The least I can do is PRETEND to study.
Kai: ... I see.
Krista: But enough about what I'm supposed to be doing but not actually doing. What are you up to?
Kai: Just doing research on something that caught my attention.
Krista: Cool, cool. Hey, wait a sec. That's a book on the Medean royal family! You should've come to me if you
wanted some info. Get it straight from the source!
Kai: The source who devotes no time to studying her own continent's history?
Krista: ... Okay, fair. Still, I can probably help with your research! Even if it's something small.
Kai: Hmm... Well, since you're offering, I'm curious about the arranged marriages within the royal family.
Krista: You got it! Lucky for you, I actually know a lot about this. I'm sure Yondo's other royal families got
the whole arranged marriage thing too, but Medeas has a whole system on how to choose the heir's partner.
Kai: Oh?
Krista: You probably noticed when looking down the family tree, but there's a cyclical pattern going on with the
betrothed's home nation.
Kai: Yes, I did notice that. I assume this has to do with Medeas' public relations?
Krista: You got it! My ancestors figured out this system so that one nation wouldn't be favored over the other
when it came time for a political marriage.
Kai: Interesting... So, according to this, your father married a priestess from Foliaga.
Krista: Yup! With Foliaga being the previous nation in the cycle, that means Fuegsol would have been next in
line.
Kai: So, Prince Ervan was...
Krista: ... Y-Yeah.
Kai: ...
Krista: S-Sorry, uh. Anything else you needed, Kai?
Kai: One last thing, if you don't mind.
Krista: Uh-huh?
Kai: About Prince Ervan, what was he to you?
Krista: He was everything to me, Kai. I loved him more than anything. And I miss him so, so much.
Kai: I see. Thanks for your time, Princess. You've been a great help.
Krista: I'm glad. I'm gonna get going. Talk to you later.
Krista leaves.
Kai: So, Ervan and Krista were close. That much was true. But accusing her of murdering him? Merely the common
folk spreading outlandish rumors yet again. Disproving that does get a load off my mind, though.
(The A Support and A+ Support contain spoilers and will not be shown this early on in development.)
Krista: Trevor! Just the man I wanted to see.
Trevor: Is there something I could assist you with, Your Highness?
Krista: Yup! I got a huge favor to ask. It's something that's been on my mind for literal years.
Trevor: Intriguing! Whatever could it be?
Krista: Could you teach me how to do magic?
Trevor: I... suppose? It is not that simple, however. Do you have any innate magical potential to begin with?
Krista: See, that's the thing. My mother was a priestess from Foliaga. So you'd think that would mean I could do
magic myself.
Trevor: I am guessing that is not the case?
Krista: Not even close! I can handle enchanted swords just fine, but that's as far as I can go. But...
Trevor: But?
Krista: I wanna test a theory. I'm thinking maybe I'm just a late bloomer. And here's where you come in with this
little experiment.
Trevor: I will guide you through the basics of magic and see if something happens?
Krista: Exactly! So, you in?
Trevor: I don't see why not. This could prove to be an enlightening experience.
Krista: Great! Just lemme know when you're free then we can get this rolling.
Krista: Alright, you ready?
Trevor: I believe so. I was thinking we should start with a simple fire spell. Fire is the easiest element to
control as well as the easiest to monitor.
Krista: Got it! So, just gotta read from a tome and do the thing?
Trevor: Oh, if only it were that simple. Remember what I said about innate magic ability? That applies here.
A tome does nothing if there is no energy to work with. Think of tomes as amplifiers of one's inner magic.
Krista: An amplifier, huh...?
Trevor: Yes, Your Highness?
Krista: Ah, nothing. It's just that you reminded me of something an old friend of mine told me a long time ago.
She said something similar to that when explaining magic to me, if not that exact thing word for word.
Trevor: Oh...? Who was this friend of yours?
Krista: House Valoria's daughter. She was the one who was supposed to teach me magic in the first place.
Y'know, if magic was actually passed down to me.
Trevor: I... see...
Krista: Now that I mention her, I can't for the life of me remember her name. It's been a while since I last saw
her, so that might have something to do with it. I hope she's doing well.
Trevor: I... I'm sure she is, Your Highness.
Krista: You doing okay, Trevor? You got quiet all of a sudden.
Trevor: Worry not. I am quite alright, my lady. Although, I would like to ask something about House Valoria's heir.
If you do not mind, of course.
Krista: Go for it.
Trevor: At the time when she did try tutoring you in magic, what did you think of her?
Krista: What, go a crush on her or something?
Trevor: My lady, please! I feel nothing of the sort!
Krista: Haha! Sorry, just wanted to tease ya. In all seriousness, I really liked her. She was my best friend. I
didn't really have a lot of friends my age growing up besides Prince Ervan. When everyone noticed that magic wasn't a thing for
me, House Valoria stopped sending their daughter to the castle. When mother and father told me she wouldn't be coming anymore, I
couldn't stop crying.
Trevor: Milady...
Krista: It's okay. I got over it eventually.
Trevor: Do you still think of her?
Krista: Yeah, I do. Sometimes I wonder how much things would be different if magic came naturally to me. She'd
probably be at my side along with Forrest and everyone else.
Trevor: ...
Krista: Something on your mind, Trevor?
Trevor: Ah, no. At any rate, shall we continue with the lesson?
Krista: Yeah! So, fire, huh?
Trevor: Yes. Here is how we shall do this...
Krista: Man, still nothing...
Trevor: Perhaps we should try something else? Like you said, you may just need some time. Let's try again
tomorrow-
Krista: Trevor, it's okay. I think we should stop here.
Trevor: Your Highness?
Krista: I probably wasn't born with magical abilities. Thanks for trying this with me, Trevor. But I don't think
we'll be going anywhere.
Trevor: ...
Krista: H-Hey, no need to look so down! It's not a big deal-
Trevor: Milady... No. Krista. I apologize. I have failed you years ago, and I have failed you now.
Krista: Huh? What are you talking about?
Trevor: All my life, I could not meet anyone's expectations. My family turned their backs on me. My duty as the
Valoria scion was unfulfilled. Then fate chose to bring me back to you.
Krista: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there! Trevor, you can't be suggesting... Th-There's no way...
Trevor: It is as you suspect.
Krista: All this time... YOU were House Valoria's daughter?!
Trevor: I stripped myself of that identity the moment I left home six months ago. I thought I was done with the
past. And yet, it has come back to haunt me. For a moment, I had the hope things would turn out differently. That I could redeem
myself of at least one failure. I was wrong. So, so wrong.
Krista: Trevor...
Trevor: I am a fool to think anything in my life would turn out right for me! Does Medea just want me to suffer?
To torment me with reminders of my shortcomings? This cursed past of mine... why can I not leave it all behind...? It is all so
agonizing! Oh, Medea, what have I done to deserve this?!
Krista: Trevor, stop that right now!
Trevor: K-Krista?
Krista: Are you hearing yourself? Saying all those things... It's breaking my heart here!
Trevor: But...
Krista: No buts! Trevor, listen to me. You didn't fail me in the slightest. I missed you so much. Like I said
before, I kept thinking about you. And here you are! You're back! It's all I could have ever wanted. The only thing I wish was
that I knew it was you sooner.
Trevor: Krista... I... I am so sorry...
Krista: You don't have to apologize for anything. It isn't your fault things didn't turn out the way people
expected. It's nobody's fault. Sometimes life is unfair like that. Despite all that, you chose to shape your own future. And I
think that's amazing, Trevor. You're not a failure. You never were.
Trevor: Krista... Even after all this time, you choose to be kind to me. I do not deserve this. And yet... I
thank you. If you believe in me, perhaps I can start believing in myself too.
Trevor: Your Highness- I mean, Krista. I... I mean... Erm...
Krista: You don't gotta be formal around me if you don't want to, Trevor. Now that I know who you are, I think it
would be nice if we could talk to each other like we did when we were kids, y'know?
Trevor: Ah, yes. Of course. You have a point.
Krista: So go ahead and loosen up already! You look like you're gonna collapse at any moment.
Trevor: Sorry, I just... Krista, there's something I need to say. Something super important!
Krista: What's up?
Trevor: Krista, I gotta be honest with you. I... I've loved you for as long as I can remember. When my family
introduced me to you, I fell in love at first sight. You were just so pretty and when I actually got to know you, I couldn't help
but fall for you more.
Krista: H-Huh? Trevor, this is really sudden! What brought this on?
Trevor: I did a lot of thinking, and I knew I had to tell you at some point. I knew I couldn't back then. Nothing
would've ever happened between us. You were to be engaged to a Fuegan noble. That's how things were supposed to go. And even then,
I was a girl. You had to produce an heir down the line.
Krista: Trevor...
Trevor: Even now, I think that what I'm about to do is stupid.
Trevor: But I have to try! If I don't, I'll never live it down.
Krista: "What you're about to- Trevor, is that a ring?!
Trevor: Krista, I... I can't see myself as a failure any longer. This is the final thing I have failed to do:
tell you how I truly felt about you. Accepting me, rejecting me... It doesn't matter to me anymore! Even being by your side merely
as your retainer will be enough, if it comes to that.
Krista: Trevor, stop right there.
Trevor: K-Krista?
Krista: That is no way to do a proper marriage proposal. Don't set yourself up for a rejection like that! Keep
your head high and propose to me like you really mean it, lover boy!
Trevor: You know what? You're right! Ahem! Krista, I've loved you for the longest time. I've forged my own path
in this life, and I'd be overjoyed if you chose to walk this path alongside me. So then... will you marry me, Krista?
Krista: Now THAT'S what I call a proposal.
Trevor: Um, does that mean "yes", or...?
Krista: It sure does!
Sam: Hey, Krista. We haven't had the chance to actually catch up on things.
Krista: Yeah! What happened with you all this time? You know, besides the whole bandit-killing thing.
Sam: Not much beyond that. But more importantly, what were you doing in Oregot?
Krista: Uh... things?
Sam: Things.
Krista: Yup. Things. Things that do not need any elaboration or detail whatsoever.
Sam: Come on, Krista. Be honest with me. No one goes to Oregot without rhyme or reason. Especially not in its
more bandit-infested regions. You have a lot more important stuff to deal with than that, right?
Krista: That's true. It's complicated though...
Sam: It can't be that hard to explain.
Krista: I can't believe I gotta actually say this to you. You remember how I got kidnapped by bandits years ago,
right?
Sam: How can I forget?
Krista: Y'see, the thing is that I... Dear Medea, how do I even begin to phrase this? After all that, I kinda...
liked it?
Sam: What.
Krista: I, uh. Liked getting kidnapped?
Sam: ... You know what? Let's put this conversation on hold. I need time to think.
Sam leaves the scene.
Krista: And this is why I didn't wanna elaborate.
Krista: Oh, great Medea, may your golden scales carry the weight of these sins-
Aqua enters the scene.
Aqua: Your Highness?
Krista: Aqua! You startled me.
Aqua: I'm sorry, did I interrupt your prayer? If so, I deeply apologize.
Krista: No worries. I was just... doing a daily prayer. Nothing incredibly sacred or anything.
Aqua: Nonsense! Any communication with your god should be treated with respect. Please, finish your prayer in
peace. We can talk later.
Krista: Alright. Thanks, Aqua. But really, you don't have anything to apologize for.
Aqua: I still feel bad about it. Hm... Oh, I have an idea! Why don't we pray together from now on? That way, I
won't walk in on you praying again.
Krista: Hm... Well, I guess that's fine if you're alright with it.
Aqua: Perfect! The next time you wish to pray, please let me know.
Aqua: Are you ready to begin, Your Highness?
Krista: I guess so. How do you suppose we go about this? Being from Foliaga, you worship Folia, right?
Aqua: Yes, that's right. While I'm used to praying aloud with others when I was with the clergy, I will be
alright with us silently praying.
Krista: Okay, good. I mean, uh, sure. Fine by me.
Aqua: Then, let us begin.
Time passes.
Aqua: ... Finished?
Krista: Yup. ... Hey, Aqua?
Aqua: Yes?
Krista: What kind of god is Folia like? Just curious.
Aqua: Ah, the Teal Wyrm Folia... He's a benevolent god, providing bountiful harvests and the beauties of
nature to everyone in Foliaga. He treats his followers with love and care, and never turns his back on them, no matter the
circumstance.
Krista: I see...
Aqua: And what about Medea? What is he like?
Krista: Hardy, all-knowing, and protective of Yondo as a whole. He strives for peace amongst his children and
provides guidance to his followers. My family-the royal bloodline-are decsendants of him, you know. We're expected to follow in
his footsteps. Be not only a good leader to those in Medeas, but to all of Yondo as well. Considering everything, I wonder if I...
S-Sorry, Aqua, I started to ramble a bit there, huh?
Aqua: No need to apologize, Your Highness. It was interesting to learn about Medea, especially when you have such
a close connection to him. And if you don't mind me saying, I think you live up to be as good of a leader as Medea expects you to
be.
Krista: I wonder...
Aqua: ...
Krista: ... I'm done. You good, Aqua?
Aqua: Yes. I'm glad we can do this together, Your Highness. Despite us worshipping different gods, I found this
to be a pleasant experience.
Krista: Honestly, I agree. This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Aqua: What do you mean?
Krista: I wasn't completely honest with you the other day, Aqua. When you walked in on me praying, I wasn't
reciting a traditional daily prayer. I was asking Medea for forgiveness. I have been asking for forgiveness every day for the past
year for something... I'm not really proud of.
Aqua: Oh my... I'm so sorry. If I knew, I-
Krista: Like I said, don't worry about it. Praying together like this, and when we talked about our gods... It
all really put me at ease, you know.
Aqua: Really?
Krista: Yeah. For the past year, I always wondered if Medea would ever forgive me. If I was deserving of his
forgiveness. But I then I thought about what you said. How Folia always puts his children first and wants the best for them. All
the Great Beasts are siblings, so I'm sure Folia's and Medeas' kindness must have come from somewhere, right?
Aqua: Absolutely. And even if Medea doesn't find it in his heart to forgive you, I will. We're friends after
all.
Krista: Thanks, Aqua. I really appreciate that.
Krista: Hey, Semi! How're you doing today?
Semi: ...
Krista: So, uh, wanna hang out or something?
Semi: ...
Krista: We could sit around in the courtyard. Or maybe have some quiet time in the library? Or! We could eat at
the dining hall! I heard the cooks got some really good mutton today!
Semi: Can't you go bother someone else?!
Krista: And the boy speaks! It's a miracle! My offers still stand, by the way.
Semi: I'll use small words so you can understand. No.
Krista: Technically, that was only one small word.
Semi: For the love of... Why the hell do you want to spend time with me so badly?
Krista: Well, since we're working together and all, I figured we could try to be friends? Since-let's be
real-you've been hostile to me ever since we met.
Semi: Oh, so you finally notice.
Krista: Look, I just wanna know why. I haven't done anything to you.
Semi: It doesn't matter if you did anything or not. Just leave me alone.
Semi leaves.
Krista: Semi, wait! ... What's his problem?
Krista: Hi, Semi!
Semi: How many times have I told you to leave me alone?
Krista: I can probably count how many on both hands.
Semi: The correct answer is too many.
Krista: And yet nothing has changed. Semi, my friend-not-friend, we have reached a standstill.
Semi: Ugh... Look, if I tell you why I don't like you, will you leave me alone?
Krista: Can't guarantee it, but I might if the reason sounds valid.
Semi: Alright. Don't expect me to pull any punches here.
Krista: Not like you ever did with me in the first place. Go for it. I can take it.
Semi: Don't say I didn't warn you. I lived with my mother for most of my life here in Medeas. We lived out in
the countryside. She was a weaver and sold the tapestries she made to keep us fed.
Krista: What about your father?
Semi: He left us before I was even born. My mother never talked about him beyond that. My mother... She was all
I had.
Krista: ... What happened to her?
Semi: Arrested for blasphemy.
Krista: What?
Semi: You heard me. Thrown in the dungeons just because one of her tapestries depicted Medea wrong. I know his
body looked a little off, but that shouldn't be something someone should be arrested for!
Krista: His body...?
Semi: It doesn't matter now. Your family took my mother away from me for such a stupid reason! I can never
forgive any of you for this. She was all I had and now she's gone.
Krista: Semi...
Semi: And that's it. Everything I loved was stripped from me. And it's all your family's fault. There. Happy?
Krista: ...
Semi leaves.
Krista: Semi, wait! ... I'd better check out the dungeons.
Krista: Semi?
Semi: ...
Krista: About your mother... I talked things over with the dungeon guards. Long story short, your mother's a
free woman.
Semi: What?
Krista: Yup. They let her go. I told them what you told me, and they let her go free. Unfortunately and
unsurprisingly, your mother was in bad shape, so I'm having one of our clerics look after her 'til she gets better. Once she's
back on her feet, we're sending her back home.
Semi: You... you seriously did that?
Krista: Yeah, of course! She shouldn't have been arrested in the first place.
Semi: Why bother going through all that trouble, though? You did this for a complete stranger. A complete
stranger who allegedly was a criminal, no less.
Krista: It was the right thing to do. And I can understand what you went through. It's hard losing someone you
love too soon. I know the feeling too well.
Semi: ...
Krista: Though, unlike me, you have an opportunity to see her again. I wouldn't want to take that away from you.
I know this won't make up for the years she was gone, but now you'll have something to go back to once this is all over.
Semi: ...
Krista: Anyway, that's all I wanted to talk to you about. See ya later.
Krista starts to leave.
Semi: Krista.
Krista turns around.
Krista: H-Huh? Yeah?
Semi: ... Thanks.
Krista: No big deal. That's what friends are for.
Semi: Don't push it.
Krista: Sure, sure.
Joshua: Krista! I got a proposition for ya!
Krista: What's up, Joshua?
Joshua: Y'see, I've been observing your sword techniques, and I think I can help you get even better at handling
swords.
Krista: Oh? What did you have in mind?
Joshua: So, your defenses and speed are good. Nothing wrong there. What you DO need more of is raw strength.
Krista: And a big, strong, buff man like you is gonna get me all big, strong, and buff?
Joshua: You get it! How about we get the ball rolling now?
Krista: I'm down! So, what sort of training do I gotta do?
Joshua: No, no, no. We can't train 'til we get more muscle on ya.
Joshua: And to do that, we gotta get some food in you to fuel them!
Krista: H-Huh?!
Joshua: To the dining hall, Krista! Let's go, let's go!!
Joshua pushes Krista off-screen.
Krista: Wait! I just had lunch!! I can't eat anymore! WAIT!!!
Joshua: So, how do you feel? Feel the burn?
Krista: I feel something burning, alright. Joshua, I won't doubt your methods, but I feel like I'm literally
gonna explode. Or collapse. Or both. No, yeah, definitely both.
Joshua: No problem. We can take a break and pick things up tomorrow-
Krista: Could you hold that thought? Collapsing and exploding incoming.
Joshua: Wait, what-
Krista collapses to the floor.
Joshua: Krista?! You okay??
Krista: Urgh......
Joshua: Yeesh, that ain't good. Uh, let's pick things up in a few days instead?
Krista: Sure. As long as you can carry me to my room. Please?
Joshua: Deal.
Rembrandt: ...
Krista: Hey, Rembrandt! I- O-Oh.
Krista backs away to give Rembrandt space.
Krista: ...
Rembrandt: ... You may come over, Your Highness. I just finished.
Krista approaches him.
Krista: Sorry about that. I didn't realize you were performing the Fading Smoke ritual.
Rembrandt: It's alright.
Krista: Who were you paying respects to, if you don't mind me asking?
Rembrandt: Old comrades.
Krista: I see.
Rembrandt: If you would like, you may pay your respects to Prince Ervan as well.
Krista: I'm not sure if I... I mean, I just...
Rembrandt: ... Do you know the significance of this particular ritual, Your Highness?
Krista: Hmm... vaguely.
Rembrandt: Each aspect of the Fading Smoke ritual represents an individual's life and death. The bonfire itself
is one's life, burning with warmth. And the smoke that rises reflects how fleeting life is. It rises into the air and dissipates
as if it were never there.
Krista: Never there...
Rembrandt: Though, there are signs that it had existed. Like the scent of wood smoke, for instance. The bonfire
itself also remains until it burns out. Much like those who left us, there are still traces of them left behind.
Krista: That's true.
Rembrandt: Even so, everything has to end eventually. Like the bonfire, it must die out. Eventually, you must
let go.
Krista: ...
Rembrandt: I will not tell you how to mourn over Prince Ervan's death, Your Highness. However, you must remember
you cannot hang onto him forever.
Krista: But I... ...