You were pulled away from your dreams by a loud knock on your door, followed by two other knocks. "Princess (Name)." Even in your groggy state you could make out the voice of your most faithful knight, though it was odd that he'd be waking you up.

'Either something's happened or I've slept in. I certainly hope it's the latter.'

"Come in, Rai." You sat up straight with a slight yawn. The door opened, revealing the familiar silver haired knight.

"Excuse me for intruding," he said politely as he closed the door behind him.

You watched his expression to see any warning signs of bad news. With Rai it was always subtle, just the quickest aversion of his eyes, or maybe a slight twitch of the right corner of his lips. If you hadn't known him for so long, you doubt you would be able to make heads or tails of him.

Finally, you broke the silence while rubbing your sleep heavy eyes. "Is something the matter? You know you needn't wait for me to prompt you to speak."

"Thank you, Princess (Name), but I thought it would be fair to give you time to collect yourself after rousing you from your slumber. That being said, I must apologize on disturbing your much needed rest. I do not come bearing bad news."

A relieved sigh left your lips as you slouched slightly. "Rai, I swear that you're going to give me a heart attack one day looking so serious. So why did you wake me?" If you were sure of anything it was that Rai wouldn't bother you without a reason.

His aquamarine eyes softened slightly as he saw you relax. "I merely came to wake you for the evening meal. You slept past your morning and afternoon meal after all. Honestly, I'm surprised that Myde hadn't already woken you."

"Ah right, our sunrise routine," you mused as you thought of the blond haired bard. "I saw him last night while I was training because he went to get a glass of water. He told me he'd let me rest tomorrow since I was still up so late." You covered your mouth as a yawn escaped and then stretched your arms above your head.

"How is your training with the Tempus Crystal?"

"My ability to use Tempus is still shaky, perhaps worse than before, and even Howl admits that it may be some time before I am proficient with using it. I don't understand why, I go through the steps like my mother showed me, but then..." Your words trailed off as you summoned the crystal. Tempus was a spherical crystal that could easily fit into the palm of your hand. The crystal itself was filled with milky white mist, making it impossible to see the intricate detailing within. When your mother possessed Tempus, it glowed a bright blue color and contained a dark blue clock-face within.

"Perhaps it is just not accustomed to you."

Your voice was barely a whisper as you looked down at the milky white orb hovering above your hands. "Perhaps Tempus misses my mother as well."

The bed shifted slightly as Raito sat down besides you. Carefully, as he was wearing his armor, he wrapped his arm around you. You let the crystal dematerialize as you leaned into Rai slightly, ignoring the goose bumps the cold metal gave you.

"She was a great woman. There are many people still mourning the loss of the king and queen, myself included."

"They did love you. They cared for you as they cared for me and I was just happy to have someone my age around to spend time with."

Rai smiled slightly as the two of you reminisced. "You mean to get in trouble with?"

"No, Myde was my partner-in-crime," you corrected. Even as a child, Rai was more mature than most and kept out of trouble fairly well. In contrast, your other childhood friend conspired with you on a regular basis. "You always just insisted on tagging along and then taking the fall with us to lessen our punishment."

"I enjoyed our misadventures as well. They are some of the fondest parts of my childhood."

"Even when it led to you getting scolded?" You teased. It was almost never Rai's fault when the three of you got in trouble. He was more the victim than anything, since he usually tried to talk you and Myde out of whatever scheme you'd come up with.

"Even if it led to me getting scolded," he chuckled. "Though, I'm still convinced Myde never took any scoldings to heart."

"You're probably correct in that regard."

As if on cue, the sounds of a lute being played from outside your window could be heard. You and Raito looked at each other, knowing that it could only be one person. The two of you separated, getting off your bed and making your way towards the double doors that led to the balcony attached to your room. Below stood the familiar blond-haired, blue-eyed boy strumming away on his lute.

"Good morning princess, you are looking radiant as ever- wait what's Rai doing there?"

Rai smiled with a hint of amusement glimmering in his eyes. "Thank you for the warm reception, Myde. It's good to see you as well."

"You guys were hanging out without your favorite bard? I have been wounded. Right in the heart. I demand compensation for this injustice."

"Did you have a purpose for being outside my room asides from jesting as usual?" Both your arms were folded on the railing as you leaned forwards to get a better view of the boy one story below you. Your room was on the second floor of the castle, facing the east where the sun rose.

"Serenading you was my first priority, of course. However, Howl and Ed are currently at a stalemate in the dining room and I have a feeling you'll have to put an end to it."

"What happened?" You rose a brow in curiosity, glancing over to Rai to see if he had heard of any of this. Rai simply shrugged in response to your silent question.

"Ed spilled some milk he refused to drink onto Howl's outfit and you know how Howl can be about those kinds of things. So Howl's solution was to keep the food out of everyone's reach until Ed drank all of his milk, which would happen the same day I'd take up a sword and become a knight. I'm pretty sure Howl will stop if you come to eat since you haven't had any food yet today."

You could only laugh at Myde's analogy.

Rai was the one to respond, "While Myde is insufferably carefree as usual-"

"That hurt, Rai. I thought we were friends."

Rai ignored Myde's complaints, still facing you. "I'll leave you so that you can change. There are a number of tasks I must attend to." Rai, despite being so young, was one of the highest ranking knights in the castle. That was thanks to his diligence and partly because he was one of your knights. Since your parents had passed, your knights were ranked among the top as you were the only successor to the throne.

"Thank you for stopping by to wake me up."

Rai's next statement was a low and filled with raw emotion. "Taking care of you is my most important task..." His eyes crinkled at the corners slightly as he let his guards drop and smiled. "(Name)."

You couldn't fight back a smile, as you always did in the fleeting moments where he addressed you without your title. It reminded you that he was one of your closest friends and not just your knight.

He regained his usual composure as he bowed slightly to you. "If you will excuse me, Princess (Name)."

You rolled your eyes as he turned and walked out. 'Well, those moments are nice while they last. It would be out of character if he just dropped all formalities with me after all.'

Myde coughed, reminding you that he was still standing in the lawn below your room. "So (Name), after you change, are you going to jump into my arms so I can carry you to the dining room in a manner fit for a brilliant princess such as yourself?"

"That's an idea, or I can take the door and use my legs like the independent princess I am." You laughed as you saw him pout. "Rai's right. You truly are insufferably carefree."

"No princess!" Myde stumbled back, as if your words physically wounded him. "You cannot let that knight's cool demeanor sway your heart!"

"Remind me again why we haven't made you court jester yet?"

"I am glad to know that I can bring a smile to your face." Myde instantly recovered from his shock, grinning up at you as if it never happened. "However, I must admit I am cross with you."

You rose a brow at his declaration. Myde rarely got cross, and simple teasing would never be enough to truly ruffle his feathers, so he must have been teasing you as well. "Oh do tell. I wouldn't want to offend one of my closest friends."

"Alas! I cannot trust the melodious flattery from your deadly lips. You sleep past our usual sunrise routine due to training with Howl, and when you rise you spend extra time with Rai alone. My poor fragile heart just might burst."

"Oh no, anything but that! Please, let me know how I can make it up to you!"

"This lowly bard dare not ask much of a princess such as yourself, a simple kiss will suffice."

You laughed at the two-person play that you two enacted, snapping out of character. "You're so silly, I truly should have you made court jester." Words asides, you knew that Myde wouldn't give up until you gave him what he wanted. You pressed your fingers to your lips and then blew a kiss down towards him.

The blond haired boy suddenly jerked, stretching his right hand out to the far side and closing his palm quickly. He brought the fist to his heart and glanced up at you with a serious look. "Your kiss, the wind tried to steal it from me." Somehow, he managed to keep a straight face. "But do not fret fair (Name), for I have received the token of your affections. It is safe now."

You couldn't stifle the next laugh and doubled over slightly at Myde's usual behavior. He had been there for you just as long as Rai has. Who would have guessed that the quiet boy left at the castle gates would grow into such an exuberant ball of sunshine? It was hard not to smile when you were around him. His affectionate words came naturally, yet with an air of sincerity that made him impossible to doubt.

The door to your room flew open and crashed against the wall, stopping your laughter instantly. Rai stood there with a severe expression on his face.

"Princess (Name)." His eyes were serious, no hint of the mirth they held only a few minutes ago.

You straightened out and turned your back to Myde to look at Rai head on. "What happened?"

"You are in danger. The assassin who murdered your parents has returned."

Those simple words were enough to make you dizzy. You leaned heavily against the railing behind you, feeling your heart race spike with the mention of your parents' murderer.

"Is he in possession of Astrum?" Astrum was Tempus's counterpart. While Tempus controlled time, Astrum controlled space. They worked best together, but they were devastating enough alone.

"It is believed that he is its new wielder."

You sucked in a breath. "He used my father's crystal to murder my mother and now he controls one of the two royal crystals? What sick jest is fate playing?"

"I am surprised to hear that you believe in fate, princess. It seems as if we have that in common."

'The door was closed, how could he?' Then you saw it. The black orb in his hand that was almost identical to yours. 'He is already that proficient with it?' You took in his appearance. From head to toe he was covered in a black cloak and you couldn't make out any of his features. 'He must be using Astrum to hide his features.'

Rai's sword was unsheathed, pointed right at the intruder's neck. "You will not harm the princess." His back was to you, so you couldn't see his expression, but you were sure it was deadly from the pure hatred in his voice.

The assailant chuckled. "Did I ever say that was my intent? I wanted to have a civil conversation with her. After all, if Astrum has chosen me as its wielder, that would make me the next king, would it not?" He turned his gaze on you, pulling his eyes away from Raito. You still couldn't see beneath the cloak he wore, but you could still feel his eyes burning through you. "And as the wielder of Tempus, it would appear that we have been put together by fate."

"You stole Astrum. You have no right to the throne after murdering the king. You will be put on trial, and surely your sentence will be death."

"I am speaking to the princess, not to you. However, your loyalty to her is touching, so I will spare you for now." He took a simple step back and before Raito could move a portal appeared at his feet, swallowing him whole before disappearing. "Now shall we finish this conversation on fate? I'm quite eager to hear your take on it." He stepped closer to you.

'He just made Rai disappear, but where?'

"Where's Rai?" You summoned Tempus despite its clouded appearance.

"Here's my perspective. I believe in making my own fate. Yet I have no use for a princess trapped within fate's hold. For the wielder of Tempus, that's a sad excuse to say the least." He took another step forwards, and you glanced down. There is a chance that you would hurt yourself, but as you saw Myde standing there with his arms outstretched and a serious look on his face you knew that you would be all right.

'So he hasn't noticed Myde yet.'

You put a hand on the railing, activating Tempus as he was in the middle of taking another step towards you. A bright blue force field surrounded him, though Astrum was still shining, which meant you didn't have much time. You jumped off the edge of the balcony, into Myde's arms.

"I gotcha." Myde smiled at you. "Good job princess. Now let's go-"

Myde took a step forwards just as another portal had appeared.

"Come back when you know how to use Tempus properly." You looked up at the balcony, seeing the shadowy figure watching you from above, surprised to catch sight of glowing blue eyes. "Don't keep me waiting."

As the vortex completely engulfed you and Myde, you created another time-field. The two of you were frozen in the center of the portal, in a place between time and space. The area around you was dark, and studded with stars just like the night sky. If you weren't forced into this portal by your parent's murderer, you would have been fascinated by the area around you. While the portal appeared circular, the area around you now was vast and endless, yet you still had the sense of being inside a circular tube.

Myde looked around. "Where are we?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say it was a portal created by Astrum."

Myde heard the strain in your voice and looked at you with concerned light blue eyes. "Are you all right?"

You shook your head, feeling the tug of the space all around you. "I can't hold this for much longer."

His expression softened as he wrapped his arms around you tighter. "I'm no knight, but I will still protect you with my life. Relax and deactivate Tempus. I won't let you go, (Name)."

You could only imagine how Rai felt going through a portal alone. Even with Myde beside you, you wanted to pass out from exhaustion. "Promise?"

"I promise."

You lost consciousness the second you deactivated Tempus, letting the vortex carry the two of you across space and time

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ღ✎Authoress's Noteღ✎: Heya!~ So Sophrosyne going to be a set in the past slightly, similar to the time period that Fire Emblem Awakening is set in (yet I'm trying not to kill you guys with Ye Olde English speech.) Though that does mean the days of knights and magic, ho-ho-ho.

I'm sure you guys have a bunch of questions, and hopefully you're interested enough to stay with me through this adventure!~ Though like I've said, Sophrosyne does intersect with the Sky Writers canon timeline eventually, so you're in for an extra treat if you can keep up with both!~

That's all I really have to say. Please do vote and comment if you enjoyed reading this to show your support!~