I tumble to the grass below and the lance falls from my hand. Daphne leaps away slightly and lowers her lance to her side, "Ah! S--sorry! Katarina, are you alright?"

I nod as I struggle to get up with one arm. My left shoulder throbs from the hit I just took from Daphne's lance attack. We were in the defense technique sets and Daphne was my opponent.

I hear footsteps approach softly from behind and then I feel a hand on my back, "Are you hurt, Katarina?"

Ophelia's voice reaches my ears and she gently helps me to my feet. I find her gaze and nod up at her worried eyes, "Y--yeah... I... I'm just sore,"

She studies me and finally nods, "Alright..."

"Katarina!"

Lady Nova rushes up to us. She swiftly checks me over and finds my gaze, "Are you sure it's just soreness?"

She looks at how I hold my left arm and I nod again. She places a hand on her hip, "Well... alright. That was a good start, young one. Let's get you some rest and you shall try again tomorrow,"

I nod. Lady Nova turns to Ophelia, "Go with her to the clinic's quarters and get her a check-up right away, captain,"

"Yes, my Lord," Ophelia bows.

"I'm just sore, Princess,"

She snaps her attention up to my gaze, "You can get rest there, young one. Go on now,"

"I... uh... understood, my Lady,"

She smiles at me as Ophelia motions for me to follow swiftly. I turn and follow her up the staircase and inside to the halls. She gives me a quick glance before proceeding to lead me to the clinic's quarters, down the hall where I haven't been yet.

When we reach the door. She turns to me for a moment, "It's just going to get tougher from here. Are you sure you are alright?"

I nod, "Yes. Thank you,"

She nods, "Okay. See you tomorrow, Katarina. I will let Lady Nova know you made it,"

She makes her leave and I turn to enter the door. The room is a simple clinic's office and the nurse looks up when I enter. She gets up and hurries over to me.

"How may I help you?"

She helps me to the cot and I sit down, "Hello. Today was my first day training and my arm is sore. Lady Nova insisted I come for a visit for a check-up I assume,"

She smiles, "Ah. Lady Nova is a protective one. Let's have a look then,"

Her blonde hair is pulled back into a bun and she wears a simple white uniform with an apron. She walks over to her counter and picks up a tool before walking back. Her name tag says 'Dr. Anne'.

"So Katarina has decided to visit my clinic,"

"Y--yes. It seems everyone knows me,"

Anne nods, "Well, I have been the royal nurse for quite some time. I was around when your father was serving,"

I nod as I watch her, "I see,"

Anne checks my arm and shoulder, puts pressure on it in many places and uncomfortable throbbing persists, "Hmm,"

She has me rotate my shoulder a bit, "It's that sore huh? It doesn't look to be just from training. Here, let me help you take off your armor so I may get to it better,"

Anne then helps me take my shoulder piece off, leaving the rest alone, "Oh,"

She looks up at me and sees my shy expression, "What happened here, Katarina? You can't hide something like this from a nurse,"

I nervously giggle a bit, "Oh that? Just a small injury from an attack on my village last week,"

She smirks at me, "Mhmm, it's still recovering. But you are right though, it is mostly healed up, you just need rest,"

She gets up and turns around, "I have something just for this,"

She rummages through her cabinet and brings me a tube of some kind of cream, "Rub this cream on your shoulder and it will help it heal and recover from soreness,"

Anne sits next to me and hands me the cream. She smirks again when she sees me take it hesitantly. She tilts her head, "Why did you hide this from Lady Nova?"

I look up at her as my face flushes a bit, "I, um," I slowly remove the cap and push some cream on my right hand and begin to spread it over my shoulder, "I don't want to feel helpless," I reply in a whisper.

Anne softly smiles at me, "Your secret is safe with me," She then shakes her head and laughs, "No, Lady Nova wouldn't think that. But you are new to this sort of thing so it's okay to feel like this sometimes,"

She stands, "Rest here as long as you like. I will be here if you need anything. I will just let Lady Nova know that you require rest and I will release you tomorrow,"

I smile up at her, "Thank you, Anne,"

So she knows my father... then she must also know my mother...

Anne starts to pull the curtains closed, "Anne?"

She looks down at me, "Yes, Katarina?"

I look back at her for a short moment, "Did you know... my mother?"

Her mouth opens slightly to my question, "Ah, miss Roxanne," She smiles warmly and holds her hands in front of her.

I look away slightly, "Will you, um, tell me about her?"

From the corner of my eye, I watch Anne slowly approach me and she sits next to me. I keep my gaze on the floor as I wait to listen to her words. I see her looking at me for a moment.

"Lord Zeke enters my clinic. He finds my gaze and he smiles his usual smile. He was a cheery man; always walking around the Castle halls checking up on all of us and bringing a smile to brighten up our days. He says to me 'Good morning, Doctor Anne. I would like for you to watch over one of my lovely Pegasus Knights'."

She pauses before continuing. Anne voice acts when she tells me what others say to her which gives me a half smile while listening, "So, I turn to face him and I say 'What's the catch my Lord?' and he just stares at me for a moment, making me worry for a bit before laughing at me. 'I don't pay you to catch them!' He approaches me, 'One of my experienced Pegasus Knights is eight months pregnant. I refuse to have her do anything until her labor has passed. I leave her in your care, my dear'."

" 'Ah, I see my Lord, leave her to me'. He bows to me, 'Miss Roxanne is a lovely woman, always making sure all of my needs have been done, but she works too hard. I ordered her to not worry of such things but she insists. So, keep her here until her labor passes. Please let me know when it does'."

Anne pauses again for a moment, "He takes his elegant leave from my clinic and I turn back to my desk to continue my work. Within five minutes, I hear someone enter my clinic so I spin my chair back around to greet them and the beautiful Lady Roxanne greets me. Her long and beautiful black hair hugs her shoulders and lays on her back while her sparkling purple eyes look back at me. She is in casual clothing. She walks closer and smiles warmly at me,"

" 'So, Lord Zeke is banishing me here. If I just disappear, warn him to watch his back!' She gives me a hearty laugh,"

I look up from the floor and find Anne's gaze with a smile appearing on my lips as a chuckle escapes my throat, "Mother said that?"

Anne chuckles with me and nods as her own smile appears, "I laugh with her and she takes a seat on one of my cots in the back. 'Yes, your secret is safe with me'. I stand and bow,"

Anne gets up and bows, acting it out, " 'I am at your service, Lady Roxanne'," She laughs a bit and studies me for a moment, standing there doing nothing. Her smile fades as she sits back down next to me.

"She wasn't always cheery like that, Katarina,"

Anne finds my gaze once again, "A week before you were born, she was fighting away an illness. I gave her medicine everyday. She was sick from worry, Katarina. Her fevers would come and go. She was always hot. She always mumbled of how your father was out there fighting without her. She never had the time to see him anymore. So, she could never tell him of you,"

Anne keeps studying me, "But, the best thing about her, Katarina, she was strong. She fought away those worries and overcame them quickly. Her body was weak from being pregnant with you but that didn't stop her. Not at all,"

A small smile appears back on her lips as she continues, "After you were born, I kept an eye on you for her as she went right back to your father's side, fighting with him. It was that dreaded day, the battle that she was not ready for, loomed before our Kingdom. She didn't let anything stop her though. She fought it all the way to the end,"

She pauses again, for longer than I expected, "An arrow,"

Her face changes as she looks at me. She tilts her head, "Hmm?"

I turn my shoulder to her, "An arrow,"

Anne's eyes widen slightly to my words, "An arrow did this to you?"

I nod and I slide my gaze away, back to the floor, "Just like what happened to mother... right?"

Anne stays silent for a while, her voice lowers to a whisper, "Yes... it was a fatal shot, knocking her from the sky,"

A moment of silence fills the room for a moment, "Thank you for talking to me, Anne,"

"Of course, Lady Katarina," I look up at her and give a half smile.

"I hope to be strong like her one day,"

Anne smiles at me, "You already are, my dear,"

She stands and leaves, closing the curtains behind her. I think of her words for a moment as they echo in my mind. I'm glad someone thinks so.

I look around the small room for a bit before slowly leaning back onto the bed as I cover myself up with the sheets. The next thing I know, dreamland has taken me.

~~~

"Katarina?"

I wake to Anne's voice as she peeks in through the curtains, "Are you awake?"

I sit up slowly and look up at her, "What is it, Anne?"

She steps into the space, keeping the curtain shut behind her. She leans down and feels my forehead, "You slept all day. Do you feel better?"

I nod, "Yes. The medicine you gave me helped a lot, thanks,"

She smiles, "Good,"

She stands back up, "Lady Nova is summoning you,"

"Really? Didn't you say it is nighttime now?"

She nods, "She says it is time for you to meet Phoenix,"