{MIHO'S POV}
"Miho!" Mom calls, running out of the pharmacy and tackling me as soon as we get within eyesight. "When the guards told me there was an intruder and you were taken hostage, I—are you hurt?"

She looks so relieved that I wish I could smile and tell her I'm alright. But that's impossible, so I shake my head instead. Just having Shiro and Akegi escort me to the pharmacy has calmed me down.

"Your neck." Mom's pharmacy teacher, the head of the Wilant pharmacy, Ryuu is perceptive as always. Because he had trouble expressing himself when he was my age, he's comfortable with silence and I don't feel pressured to talk. The pharmacy has always been a safe place for me.

Ryuu bandages my neck with some green herbal gunk as I patiently allow Mom to fuss over me. I'm finally about to escape when Dad practically breaks down the door and I have to go through a second round of fussy parent. I'm secretly pleased, not that you'd see it on my face.

After I finally escape my worrywart family, I head to another safe place of mine: the library. The librarians all love me because I'm respectful to the books and never make too much noise.

I look around to make sure nobody is watching before going to my favorite section of the library, filled with books about past wars and war strategy.

Why would a princess known only for her beauty be interested in war? Perhaps I should explain. See, I'm not awful at politics or swordsmanship or studying. I'm just not a genius. I'm average, which looks bad in comparison to talented people like my big brother and sister. But I have my strengths.

Take swordsmanship for example. I couldn't do squat as a four year old, but that's partially because I found the practice swords too big and clunky.

I'm nimble, more so than Shiro and Akegi even. My sword of choice is a rapier, a thin and light blade made for stabbing. My fatal weakness is defense. I can run and dodge, but I get so focused on attacking that I sometimes forget to defend.

For experienced opponents like Mitsuhide or Dad, who can follow my movements and are able to parry, they counter quickly and I lose.

Back to war books. I've had a strange passion for war strategy ever since I found the treasure trove of info in the library when I was seven. I don't like to mention it because Clarines is a peaceful country.

There are wars between the eastern kingdoms of the continent of Fortissia, but the furthest western kingdoms like Clarines haven't been to war for centuries. If certain people learned that I enjoy the art of war strategy then they might accuse me of threatening the peace.

War strategy fascinates me. And I have skill in it. I can analyze a situation to see what the armies did wrong and how I can fix it so my side comes out on top. A dangerous part of me wants there to be a war so I can show everybody who calls me worthless exactly how useful I can be.

Maybe I am a threat to peace.

I shake my head to clear it of these dangerous thoughts. Such selfishness will end up hurting my family and kingdom.

What I really want is not to be worthless. I know Dad tells me not to ignore them because what they say doesn't affect me, but in the end the negative opinion of me reflects badly on the royal family.

Sometimes I think it might be better if I disappear.

I'm not talking about killing myself. That's selfish and cowardly and wouldn't help anything.

I'm talking about disappearing and going on a journey, like a hero in a fairy tale. If I went out into the world and earned a better nickname for myself, I could come back home with my head held high.

No longer would I be Miho the Doll Princess, scorned young royal of Clarines.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more running away sounds like the perfect solution. The only thing connecting me to this place is my love for my family. Mom, Dad, Shiro and Akegi, even Uncle Izana, Aunt Haki and my cousins in Wistal. I'll hurt them when I leave, and I don't want that.

This country is the root of my trauma. If I want to heal, I have to separate myself from the source.

If I want to look my siblings in the eye, and speak to them as a proud and worthy princess of Clarines, I have to heal first.

My mind is made up. I've been running away from pain my entire life. Running away from a country can't be that much harder. Hey, Mom did it!