***A Few Years Later***

"Crystal! You can not be doing this m'lady!" Stuart, Crystal's undercover guard, scolds her as she slips her hood on.

"It'll be fine Stuart! Besides, I'm only visiting the orphanage! How dangerous can it be?"

"Trust me m'lady, you have no idea. You've never lived in one!"

"Well, exactly! Because I have no idea how it is to live there, I have to help improve it!"

Stuart sighs as he shakes his head.

"There is no beating you, is there m'lady?"

"Well, I am a princess. I get what I want," Crystal says with a smirk.

"Again, trust me: you act nothing like a princess."

"I shall take that as a compliment!"

Crystal and Stuart walk out of the castle, and walk on the road that leads into town.

There had been rumors going around that Sinnoh was planning to revolt against Johto's Royal Family, so as a precaution, he has everyone in his family be in disguise when they leave the castle.

"Crystal, please, don't run," Stuart whispers as Crystal takes off down the road and takes a left into town.

The two then approach worn down building with the wood planks nailed to the windows.

"Lyra, hi!"

A little boy of around five years of age, wearing old, raggy clothes smiles as he runs up to Crystal.

"Hey Sebastian!"

Crystal runs towards him and he opens his arms. He is then thrown to the ground, and a sword is being pointed at his throat.

"What do you think you're doing?" Stuart yells, standing over the boy.

"Stuart! He's one of the boys that lives here! Stand down!"

"Sir, can you please get off me? You're very heavy."

"I apologize," Stuart says, putting his sword away as he steps off the boy.

"It's ok, as long as I can give Lyra a hug," Sebastian says, and Crystal picks him up in a hug.

"I missed you Lyra! Why haven't you visited in a while?"

"Sorry Sebastian, I've been busy with family issues, but I'm here to help move your stuff out of your room like I promised!"

"Yay! Let's start!" Sebastian yells and grabs Crystal by the hand and leads her inside, with Stuart following them.

~~~~

"Where were you?" Crystal's father, King Bran, asks as Crystal and Stuart walk into the castle.

"Doing my royal duty as princess, which is to serve my people," Crystal answers, taking off her hood, causing her auburn hair to fall down on her shoulders.

"I do not appreciate that tone you are using young lady!"

"I apologize Father. I am still upset about Stuart tackling a poor child and pointing a sword at him!"

Crystal's father looks over to Stuart in disbelief.

"You tackled a child?"

"Y-yes sir. I confused a hug with an attack."

King Bran chuckles.

"Go on to dinner Stuart. You're dismissed."

Stuart bows and makes his way deeper into the castle. As Crystal is about to step away, her father grabs her arm.

"Not you. We need to talk."

"Ok. What about?" Crystal asks, as she grabs a brush from her pocket and begins brushing her hair.

"You no longer will be able to go visit the orphanage."

"What! Why? I follow every single rule you gave me! I gave them a fake name! I wear this stupid hood everywhere I go outside the castle! I-"

"It's not that I'm forbidding you to go. You simply won't have time to go anymore."

"That doesn't make sense. Why won't I have time anymore?"

"Because you're going to Kanto first thing tomorrow morning."

"Kanto? Why Kanto? There's nothing there!"

"Because you're getting married with their eldest prince, Red."

"What?"

Crystal throws her brush across the hall, shattering a mirror.

Her father sighs, and orders servants to clean it up.

"I am not getting married with Red! I've only met him once, and it was 12 years ago when we were four!"

The king simply shrugs.

"I will not marry someone I do not love."

"Oh, you will."

"And why is that?"

"It'll ensure peace for all our peoples for many years to come."

The King walks away, leaving Crystal speechless and unsure what to feel.

She would do anything for her people, especially to keep them safe. But would she go as far as to marry a stranger?

Then she began to recall the uprising in Unova, and how much bloodshed it took for Hoenn to regain control. She could only imagine the destruction two waring Royal Families can cause.

"What will I do?" Crystal asks out loud, as she silently begins to sob.