When he awakens from a nightmare and walks towards the plaza, it's not Princess Celine he sees this time. Instead he sees pink hair undone from its usual complicated style and a fluffy pink bathrobe to match. She's hunched over in front of the fountain, and every now and then he hears a sniffle.

His heart breaks, and he reflexively looks away from her. Princess Hortensia is always so cheerful, so full of light and smiles and kindness, even in her more reflective moments she radiates joy. It hurts him to see her like this, and he can't imagine she'd be happy he noticed it, either.

It's not fair, he thinks, no one should have to suffer the way he did. Especially someone like Princess Hortensia.

A part of him wants to go to her and embrace her, to tell her he knows what she's going through. But does he have the right to after the last time he tried to talk to her, he ended up running away after waxing pathetic about how perfect she was and how much he hated himself?

And who do you think you are, reaching out to her just because you suffered in the same way? At least you didn't watch your father die before your eyes as someone laughed at your pain. The echo of his own voice in is harsh within his head. Even your nightmares are selfish, you came out here because her suffering reminded you of your own!

Alcryst swallows. It's true, in the moment he'd watched her end her father's life, he'd remembered Destinea Cathedral, how he'd longed to break down weeping but forced himself to soldier on as they fled for their lives.

It's easy to talk to Princess Celine about nightmares, but what Princess Hortensia went through today was real.

Just like what I went through was real, he thinks, but the voice in his head won't listen. Selfish, it calls him, just because Princess Celine is kind enough to humor your pathetic need to bond over mutual suffering.

Princess Hortensia sniffles again, and he turns away. She needs her big sister right now, or her retainers. Even the horses would be a better comfort to her than someone like-

"I know you're there." He freezes midstep.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, "I didn't mean to-I was just going for a walk, I couldn't sleep. I'll leave you-"

"Don't. Please..." He turns around, she's looking at him with tired eyes and damp cheeks. "I...I don't want to bother Ivy with this, and Rosado and Goldmary need their beauty sleep." She pats the step beside her. "Stay with me, Prince Alcryst."

He sits down beside her. Up close it's even harder to believe this is the same Princess Hortensia who attacked them at the bridge, who screamed anger at them for supposedly killing her sister, who told him it was okay that he was a pathetic mess of a person because she liked him anyway.

He tries to find a way to tell her he understands without making it about himself, a way that doesn't run the risk of upsetting her.

"Does it ever stop hurting?" she asks before he can open his mouth. Her voice is soft, but raw with grief, and Alcryst's heart twists in his chest.

If Diamant were here, he'd know just the right thing to say. Honest but comforting, wise and gentle, the balm for her broken heart. But instead it's Alcryst, for whom tonight's nightmare isn't even a new thing. Between nightmares of Diamant's death, he remembers that moment in the cathedral, the arrow flying, Father's last words.

In that moment, the nagging voice from before is silenced before it can speak again, its projected image of himself disappearing into the ether. Diamant's not here, but it's not Diamant she asked to sit with her.

"I wouldn't know," he sighs. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I just...I guess I thought you'd have some sage advice after what you went through, but I was just being selfish," she murmurs. "I just wanted someone to tell me everything was going to be okay."

"Like I did," Alcryst says. After they'd finally returned to the Somniel after their escape that day, Diamant had let him cry into his shoulder for hours, but even he couldn't say everything would be okay after that. They'd lost the Emblem Rings, Father was gone, Sombron was revived.

They're better off now than they were then, but nothing can bring back a lost father.

But I'm here, Diamant had said as he'd tightened his arms. I know I can't replace Father, but I'm here. I'll protect you.

She slumps against him, shoulders shaking as her tears wet the sleeve of his robe. Again, he freezes, but only for a moment before his arms instinctively wrap around her. The voice nearly scolds him, on instinct, before she pulls closer and clutches at the fabric. Her sobs are messy and gurgling, just like his own that night.

"I'm sorry." Her voice is stuffy, muffled by his robe. "I-I'm so stupid, going in there like a big shot to protect Ivy when she could've done it herself. She's so much stronger than I am, she had the courage to get away even before she joined all of you...!"

It's like looking at a mirror, albeit pinker and fluffier. But how many times has he thought the same thing about Diamant? He's stronger, smarter, braver, everything Alcryst isn't and can never be.

But it was still me who fired that final shot.

"Because you didn't want her to deal with that burden," he says. "Diamant could have easily taken Father down himself, but I wanted to protect him. Even now I wonder if I did the right thing."

"Of course not," she sobs. "Killing your father's never the right thing."

"And I don't know if it ever stops hurting. I wish I could tell you differently."

The only sound for the next few minutes is Hortensia's muffled sobs and gross sniffles, but he doesn't care that she's getting snot all over his robe. Diamant didn't care when he had to change into a different nightshirt. Alcryst just holds her, letting her cry, not even flinching when a few of his own tears escape.

Maybe it never does stop hurting.

"But I'm here," he whispers. After a moment, she looks up. He waits for the moment where she realizes what a mess she looks like, panics, and tries to run away. But instead she nestles closer, almost into his lap, and closes her eyes.

"Can we stay like this?" He nods, smoothing her hair away from her face. Truth be told, he's more comfortable like this anyway, even though the step is hard and his bed is soft. Within seconds, she's fast asleep, and he follows suit before he can decide whether or not to carry her back to her room.

His sleep for the rest of that night is calm and dreamless.