God... it feels like so long ago... I barely remember it, being a little girl that is. My name is Lyra Stronghart, I was born in the lower city of Terra; there are four Ventus, Ignis, Terra (my home), and Lacus. I have twin sister named Ella (19) and an older brother Andrew (24).

We were a happy family; me, Ella, Andrew, Mom and Dad, but then one day Dad left on a business trip and never came back. Andrew had to take the place of head of the family; because women in Valeria aren't allowed to be the head of the house hold and provide the main source of income for them. My sister decided to leave school, and help the family in any way she could by selling flowers in the market. on the other hand my brother decided to be....(drum roll please).... a lumberjack! I laughed in his face, of course, when he told me but he said that carpentry was a serious job and nagged me for laughing at him providing for us...

What about me you ask well.... I'm a self proclaimed thief; a trouble maker if I do say so myself. What can I say it runs in the family, my Dad was a information seeker, he would travel to Solis and Noctis (higher kingdoms/the capitals) and get scandalous info about the lords, ladies, and governors. Sending it to news paper companies for money; I found an old journal of his and occasionally send some info to the press for extra dough. It was enough money to live comfortably and I try to be like him but... lets just say my family's not very "approving" and I will admit that I may have a record with our governor, Wyatt Burkley (what a sweetie).

God I hate that man he doesn't understand what it's like to struggle for money and be a lower kingdom citizen, especially during a rebellion! Yes that's right I said rebellion, everything may seem fine and dandy but it's not... No one really knows what it's for, but there are many options; wages for one, I don't know if you can tell but not that many people live comfortably in the lower kingdoms. Making money is hard and people don't get paid much, there are strict rules for working and a lot of people are suffering. We lower kingdoms provide for the higher kingdoms and in return what do we get... nothing. Many people don't think it's fair, I don't think it's fair but I would go around doing what the rebels do. They go around mass killing people, giving them a choice of join or die, taking small camps along the border of Valeria hoping they can build up a big enough army to defeat the capitals. I heard that a band of rebels almost got to Solis but were then stopped by our powerful army (I was only two when that happened).

I try not to think about it that much though, "best to think on the bright side" as Ella always says and I believe her. Any way my problems take place now, not then and I am in quite the predicament.