The Fancy Estate – Abrupt Clash!
Éponine
~Bull shitting Nina into a Male Corrin and Niles relationship. Don't know how I'm going to do Kana yet, but let's be perfectly honest – Niles probably had past flings. Nina is not related to Corrin, so she would be his step-child.
Premise:
After Revelation (Could also work for Conquest's Path), the war is finished, but there is plenty left to do in both Nohr and Hoshido. Corrin, Prince of both nations, spends his time rebuilding and rekindling relations. Nohr is more heavily damaged by the years of war and lack of food, so Corrin – with the help of Niles, Jakob, Silas, Felicia, and Lilith – are fronting the efforts in Nohr's most oppressive settings.
Their astounding performance precede them and Corrin is contacted by the owner of a wealthy estate owner to protect his fortune and prized collection from a group of bandits, said to be targeting him next.
Silas assures the Estate Owner that Niles – a man with a past history of break-ins and criminal activity – would be able to locate and detain the group before any damage is inflicted.
End of Premise: Basically, the same plot beginning as Abrupt Clash, but with a bit of a twist.
Story Start:
Niles laughed to himself – the look on the face of whoever came through this opening would be priceless. Silas and Corrin waited nearby for his signal – same gig as usual. They managed to bring in and rehabilitate several outlaws and criminals, punishing them only slightly for their crimes and providing them stable jobs to find honest living – all fine and dandy, but this part was still his favorite. Apprehending the small group and capturing them all in one go – they never see it coming.
He heard rustling from the outside – perfect, it was just about time to begin. He raised his hand up to alert the other two, but then waited for a visual.
A couple of knives came flying out from the entrance instead.
Caught off guard, one knife scathed him barely and he dodged the other one.
"What the hell?" Niles called out. From the shadows, he saw a flicker of movement before someone covered in black flew at him. The assaulter had a set of dual knives, and was very skilled. Not to mention fast.
"Niles!" Corrin shouted, running to aid him. Silas was right behind him and the three of them cornered the lone thief.
"Hahaha! You've gotten soft!" The thief said, "Who would have thought that you, of all people, would have become complacent? Come, now, did you expect every job to be a cake walk?"
"Wait a minute . . . That voice . . ."
The thief took off her headdress, exposing a woman with light pink hair, emerald eyes, and a dark skin color. She grinned at Niles, who was taken aback by this sudden development.
"Three against one? I've dealt with worse odds than that."
"Éponine?" Niles exhaled.
"In the flesh, my dear. I heard that you had taken this job, and I couldn't resist. The look on your face is priceless! While you boys were busy dealing with me, you forgot to check a different entrance. A tad more difficult to swing, but it got at least three of my guys in undetected. As I said – you are getting soft."
"Éponine?" Corrin repeated, "You've told me about her, I think."
"Never mind that," Silas interjected, "There are others that breached the Estate. We should go find them."
"As if I'd let you, dear child. So young, so amusing. Let us dance, shall we?"
"You're outnumbered. There's no way you'll win," Silas said back to her.
"Wait. Don't approach her," Niles said, "She's not just a thief . . . her skills rival the Hoshidan Assassins when it comes to hand-to-hand combat and shadow play. Do not underestimate her."
"Really?" Corrin asked, "So we need to work together to capture her."
"Oh dear. I believe I've given you the wrong impression," She moved around lithely, "I wanted to test your skills – not kill you or harm you. This talk of assassinations is just not me. Sure, I may have similar traits, but murder is not my trade. Well, not primarily, anyway."
". . . Then what do you want?" Niles asked. There was no trace left of amusement in his demeanor – seeing Éponine again made him uneasy.
"I've come with a simple warning. Take this," She handed Niles a document, "That is a contract I managed to wrangle from an old friend of ours. An assassination contract. For you."
Niles read the contract over. Sure enough, someone took a contract out for him and his party.
"It seems like you've pissed off some very important people in the chaotic webs of our little underworld. I haven't been able to figure out who put out the hit – not yet – but I've been tracking it for a while now. When I learned of your whereabouts, I thought I'd give you a friendly heads-up. As well as to make sure you haven't been getting lazy. Had I been the one handed that Contract, you would have died."
"I don't need you watching out for me," He closed his fists, crumbling the contract in his hand.
"Is that so? I wonder . . . how true that actually is . . ." She vanished from sight and Niles immediately scanned the area to pinpoint her location. She managed to get behind him very quickly, kick the back of his knees so he stumbled forward, and caught him with a knife to his throat.
"Dear . . . you haven't seen nothing yet." Corrin reacted, but she put up a finger.
"If I were your enemy, that would be twice now. You would have been dead twice over," She took back the knife and pushed Niles into Corrin, then disappeared from view.
"Are you okay?" Corrin held Niles until he regained balance.
"I'm fine," There was a look in his eye that Corrin had never seen before. Niles could be a hothead at times, but that look . . .
"I understand that you are still upset with me. I did not expect any different. I had my reasons for leaving, just as you had yours."
"It took me a few years to realize it, but I know why you left. That's not why I'm angry," Niles said, "I did search for you, though. I never found even a trace of where you went. If you could find me so easily, why didn't you?"
"I had my reasons, just as I have my reasons now. It was better to never be seen again."
Niles visibly tensed up. He recalled the conversation he had with Niles, about people in his past that he didn't mind. Éponine was one of them, though he didn't say too much about her specifically. Corrin knew of her position, though, so he decided to speak in Niles' place.
"Did you just come here to warn us about the contract?"
"Hm? Are you the Prince of Nohr that my informant told me of?"
". . . Yes. But that doesn't matter."
"They want you captured alive. Ransom for King Xander. You did not do a very good job covering your tracks and identity."
"That was never a priority of mine. But what I'm concerned about is who set this up? You are tracking them?"
"I am. I know that it must be someone in our shared history – someone who has taken this life to the far extremes and has made a living off of people's suffering. Your operation thus far has threatened his very lively hood. I thought the contract's assassin was targeting me – it was complete luck that I stumbled onto it, though I feel like it's a shared enemy. Just my intuition."
"I see. So my life has to be threatened before you stop by and say hello? I see no reason why we have to collaborate," Niles said.
"Niles . . ." Corrin stared at him pleadingly, "This is serious. If someone is targeting us, we better learn who and quickly."
"This is one of the job hazards," he rebutted quickly, "We knew of the dangers before we began. This information doesn't change that fact."
"You are being stubborn," Éponine sighed, "I am sorry for intruding on your job, clearly you are handling yourself quite well. Well enough to keep your pride intact and endanger one of the princes you've sworn to protect. This contract does not only affect you – Prince Corrin is a major target in this as well."
Niles didn't answer her. Silas, Instead, chirped in with his own questions.
"Well, standing here doesn't change the fact that we are on a job, evidently we are being targeted by assassins, and there are at least three other members of your group in the Estate. Why exactly did you feel the need to break in if you were just on a social visit?"
"Oh, that. I have my reasons," Éponine responded.
"And like everything else, you won't share what those reasons are," Niles shrugged almost dramatically, "I'm starting to think that's your answer for everything."
". . . Maybe it is. What of it?" Éponine shook her head, "I haven't decided whether or not to explain the whole situation to you. Not the contract, that's an easy one to figure out. Everything that has happened since I left and the reasons why I decided to leave in such a rush. However, continue to act like this and I will only see the child that I helped fumble his way through the streets of the slums."
"I am not a child. And I don't need your help."
Corrin and Silas made eye contact, then both sighed at the same time.
"He's your husband," Silas reminded.
"I know," Corrin laughed softly.
"Husband?" Éponine repeated in genuine shock. Of all the things that Corrin and Niles did decide to hide was their marriage. Because of the political upheaval after Xander's return and the people's natural suspicion of Corrin's motivations, they decided it was best to keep Corrin's love affair a secret from public eyes.
"I wasn't sure that you'd ever settle down. Though he is your type, isn't he?" She laughed.
"I'm surprised your network of spies didn't tell you that."
"Ha . . . Right. Anyway, before you get too worked up, here come my guys," She pointed behind the three of the them. Three more men came from the shadows.
"Ma'am. We found it," The middle one came forward and handed her some documentation.
"This is the other reason I came here. This man is a counterfeit. He gets his funding from crushing the efforts of honest working men, forcing them to the streets and lining his own pockets. He's no better than the Nobles who pay workers next to nothing for back breaking labor. And these documents can prove that."
She handed them over to Corrin. Silas and Corrin began looking at the documents – sure enough, they were what she claimed them to be.
"Look around yourself. I'm sure you'd find more of it stashed away, but all I needed was enough to prove his guilt. I was contracted by one of his victims to sort this out and hopefully repay the families robbed of their lively hoods."
"This is worth investigating," Silas said to Corrin, "If these documents are true, then . . ."
"Then we would be protecting the same kind of man we are trying to rehabilitate . . ." Corrin sighed.
"Not everyone is who they claim to be," Niles said, "Which is why I still don't think I should trust you. You just happened across a contract for my death and are working for one of the families allegedly destroyed by this man? If that's true, then how are you getting paid? It's not like that family would have anything to offer you."
"Cynical as always. Is money the only reason to do anything anymore? If so, then why are you doing this? Apprehending criminals, converting them to the path of righteousness, and dethroning corruption? How much does that pay you? The underlying problem has nothing to do with how I came about your contract – it's that we are being targeted by the same man for doing about the same thing. Some would call me a vigilante, though you are doing the exact same thing now that I've been doing for nearly two decades. The only difference is, you are sanctioned by a prince and I am following my gut and my heart."
"You are doing this out of the kindness of your heart?"
"No. I want revenge as much as I want justice, but helping people is a good bonus. I make money other ways. Some legitimate, others not so much. I do what I have to to survive and to . . ." She paused. It wasn't like her to stumble on her own words, " . . . to protect the one that I love. That's all."
"'Love', huh?" Niles shook his head, "And you were surprised when I 'settled down'. So who is he? One of those jokers?"
"How typical. I say love and the first thing that pops into your head is a romantic interest," Niles looked at her questioningly, though he said nothing else.
"Well, we should probably find more evidence and lock this case down," Silas sighed, "Guess this turned out to be more complicated than we thought."
"Right. Niles?" Corrin asked, "Are you coming with us?"
"No. I will watch her."
"Fine," Corrin relented, "But just be careful?"
"I will be. Watch his back," Niles said to Silas.
"Of course."
"I am not going anywhere."
"Yeah, last time I heard you say something like that, it ended up with a knock out poison and three hours of nausea when I woke up. I ain't buying it."
"That's because you were being persistent. And I made up my mind. If you recall, I offered to take you with me. I was leaving, no matter how much you protested – you had the option to come with me, and you chose to stay behind."
"Protested? More like you wouldn't tell me what was going on. Go figure, nothing has changed. If you had told me then what I figured out after a few years of investigation, perhaps I would have gone with you. I know why you left, I just don't know why you wouldn't talk about it."
"You were what, seventeen at the time? A child living in the worst of scenarios, barely able to keep himself alive. What I had to tell you would have only burdened you. And I had to make a decision quickly. To be honest, I knew you wouldn't have come with me, even if I offered. You were too scared to leave the only thing you knew. You may not have realized it at the time, but it was better that we went our separate ways. What I had to do would have only made you bitter. The less you knew, the better."
"Stop treating me like I'm a kid. Stop pretending like you knew a god damn thing about me. Would it kill you to give me a straight, honest answer?"
"As if it were venom. A poison that would have killed me inside if the wrong people knew. Even now."
"What the hell are you even talking about!?"
"Of course, you have a right to know. But . . . I had my suspicions for a while now. I thought there was a traitor among us – seems as though they keep multiplying – and that's why I specifically picked you three."
"What?" Niles turned around to her lackeys.
"Of course, I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. Seems I was right on all three accounts."
"Two against three, Éponine. Surrender or this will get ugly," The one in the middle said.
"Funny . . . I was thinking the same exact thing. And we both know these contracts end in death, no matter how you view it. Surrender now to be executed later? I don't think so."
"Some friends you have," Niles scoffed.
"I figured they'd reveal their true colors once the two of us were alone . . . seems I was right," Éponine sighed, "I was just hoping I wrong on at least one of them. Too bad. Seems like more senseless death to me."
"Kill the two of you and kidnap Corrin," The leader of the lackeys said, "Those were our instructions."
"You lay a hand on him – "
"Easy. Don't get angry. Let's take these morons out and get back on track," Éponine instructed.
"Tch. With pleasure."
While Corrin and Silas searched the Estate for further evidence, proving the owner's guilt, Corrin couldn't help but think back to his conversation with Niles about Éponine. He only spoke of her once, as most of his past usually made Corrin squirm, but it almost seemed like he admired her.
After Corrin and Niles became a couple, the ex-outlaw tried to think of stories he could share with Corrin that were a little more his speed, though there weren't very many. Some of the things Niles told him were out of necessity – to learn as much about this world to fix the problem in Nohr. Corrin really had to start growing thicker skin to stomach the things he learned of.
The conversation he had with Niles about Éponine happened after the war was over and Corrin was researching Nohrian economics and corruption of Nobles.
"Hey Corrin . . . Do you have a moment?" Niles asked upon entering the room. Corrin smiled at his partner.
"Of course. What do you need?"
"Well . . ." He sat down next to Corrin and placed a hand on his thigh, "I think I finally know a story I can share with you – minimal violence, nothing too bloody . . . It's something I haven't shared with anyone, really, but you are ever the exception."
"I will gladly listen, but if it's too painful . . ." Corrin gently caressed Niles' hand. It was funny how the two of them worked – Corrin needed the emotional bond, whereas Niles craved physical intimacy. They blended their needs well, surprisingly enough.
"I will be fine. Like I said, minimal violence. Shocking, I know?"
"Heh. Okay. What's this one about, then?"
"Well, as you recall, I was adopted into a small den of thieves when I was barely able to walk, talk, stand, or understand the world around me. I was fed and that was about where that compassion ended. Then I was expected to find ways to feed myself. So I was trained to pick-pocket, open locked doors, steal . . . We would either partner up – 2 or 3 maximum – or go about it solo. Well, when I was probably about 10 or 11, I met the leader's daughter. She was about 5 years older, but she was beautiful. It's actually hard to imagine where she got her good looks from – her father was a hideous piece of work. Anyway, her father taught her everything he taught the rest of us. She was very skilled. Her name was Éponine."
"I see. So this is about her, I assume?"
"Yes. Lord Leo once asked me if I ever had any fond memories before working under him. I told him no . . . but that wasn't strictly true. Despite being around the family since a young age, I never met or knew of her. She lived with a local brothel – a whore house. She came around looking for work – not prostitution, her father wouldn't allow that. That's the first time I remember meeting her. Hah, as a young boy, her looks had virtually no effect on me. I actually thought she was annoying and didn't want anything to do with her. Eventually I did start talking to her and I learned some valuable pointers while training under her. She was rough, despite looking delicate and weak. If I made even the slightest mistake, she would pin me down and go through a "worst case scenario" list. If I made a certain mistake, I could have lost my hand. Or I would bleed to death. Or I would have been caught and thrown into a prison cell to starve to death. She certainly knew how to make you think."
". . . And this is a pleasant memory?"
"Haha, it was constructive criticism. I don't think I would have survived, if not for her "tough love". I went on a few outings with her. Out of everyone I met, she had the most attuned moral compass, even if it was still broken. She spent a lot of her time raising the poor bastard children of the whores, so I guess that nurtured her maternal instincts. Lost infants, abandoned puppies . . . you name it, if it was cute, she would take care of it. She kept busy, that's for damn sure."
"Did she think you were a cute, lost little puppy?" Corrin snickered.
"Haha, laugh it up," Niles reached for Corrin's sides and started tickling him. The younger of the two fought back – when Niles discovered his vulnerable spots, he made use of them.
"Stop it!" Corrin laughed, then leaned forward and embraced Niles.
"Why is it that when you want me to stop, you come closer? That doesn't seem like a smart tactic to me."
"Hehe, it worked, didn't it?" Corrin looked up at Niles with a wide grin.
"I see. You're playing me. And it's working . . ." Niles kissed his forehead and held Corrin for a moment.
"So I'm guessing you were close to her?" Corrin asked, finally starting to settle back down. Niles let Corrin go and nodded.
"I eventually got there. If nothing else, it gave me someone to talk to. Her father didn't like her getting close to any of us. I'm sure if he could find and afford a chastity belt, he would put her in it in a heartbeat and throw away the key. Not that it really would have mattered, since anyone worth their salt knew their way around a locked door."
"How do you go to the bathroom with one of those things on?"
"Corrin, always asking the important questions. Completely oblivious to other allusions I was making."
"Oh, no, I caught them. I just ignored them. Continue."
"My wit is wasted on you."
"Sorry," Corrin shrugged unapologetically.
"Your mouth says one thing, your body language says another . . ." Corrin giggled some more before Niles just sighed and continued.
"Her father didn't like all the time she put into the whore's children, so I'm guessing he didn't want her getting pregnant. She would most definitely keep her baby and he would have to spend more resources on another "deadweight" as he so affectionately put it."
Corrin's once happy expression dropped at that last part.
"Is this still too much for you? I can talk about something else, instead. Or we can do something else. How quickly can I get you out of those clothes?"
"Niles, focus. We can have sex later. I'm fine with this conversation, I just still have a hard time wrapping my mind around that attitude towards children."
"Yeah, it's a terrible mindset to swallow. Speaking of swallowing – "
"Niles. Focus."
"Y'know, when you say 'have sex' like you did a moment ago, it makes it sound like a chore," Corrin gave Niles a look to which he responded with a laugh.
"Okay, okay. . . . It's disturbing to think that a young, new life meant very little to these people. If you can't feed yourself, adding another to that mix who cannot pitch in was, in all honesty, deadweight . . . many orphans starved to death or were killed for stealing or worse – left to rot in a jail cell with open, festering wounds – "
"Niles! . . . Ugh, sorry . . ."
"I'm thinking that's enough. You look ill."
"I'm . . . I'm okay. I'm sorry, I just can't imagine . . ."
"You know . . . I think the problem is you CAN imagine, and you DO picture every detail until the pain is as real for you as it was for me or for them. You're a very caring soul, but you put too much emphasis on other people's pain. You need to desensitize yourself to it if you want to clean up the slums. I believe you can do it if you really want to, but you'll need thicker skin for what you'll witness."
Niles lightly touched Corrin's chin and smiled. Such a beautiful person, inside and out.
". . . All right . . . I'm ready. Please, continue."
"I love you," Niles said earnestly, still admiring the man before him. Corrin smiled, "I love you, too."
". . . Well . . . anyway, I spent a few years with her off and on. We would go on jobs together and eventually became something like friends. Against her father's warnings, though, we started spending several nights together. I actually don't remember how that started, but she and I grew very close."
"So what happened to her?"
"You're amusing. I'm talking about a past romantic encounter, and yet, not a touch of jealousy from you. I don't know whether to be happy or worried."
"Should I be jealous, though? It's in the past, so it wouldn't change anything even if I did feel upset about it. Like you said before, I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry you."
"Oh Corrin," He shook his head, "Anyway, what happened? One night she just left."
"Left?"
"Packed her bags, gave no explanation, and was gone by morning. I was more upset than I thought I'd be. Especially because . . ." He trailed off.
"Because . . .?"
"Hmm. Maybe I'm not as ready as I thought I was. Her leaving was upsetting and it took a few years after that to fully understand her reasons. I knew something happened between her and her father, and that she was furious and hurt, but no one knew much or said anything about it. A handful of years later, I found out that he was . . . No, this part will definitely be too much for you. I should have known better. I can't get through a story without explaining all the background details."
"No, finish your story."
"I don't think that's a good idea. You probably don't have the stomach for it . . ."
"I need to grow a thicker skin, right?
"Not that thick, and not that quick. Just know that something really bad happened and she left because of it. She loathed him for it."
" . . . What did he do?" Corrin pushed.
"Corrin. You really don't want to know. Trust me."
"I need to know," Niles shook his head and refused to speak on it any further.
"Niles. What has happened in the past and what is continuously happening right now . . . I need to know about it so I can stop it . . . so please, tell me."
". . . Ah, you're so cute and innocent. I want to protect you from the sins of that part of the world, not so pretty or innocent. This is against my better judgement, but . . . hold my hand and squeeze it tight if you need to. And remember, I tried to warn you."
"O-Okay."
"He hit a rut in finances. In fear of losing money and food supply, he networked with a separate gang. He made a few deals with a different part of that web. He also had pull in the whorehouse because of his daughter and his weekly contribution there. A few deals later, he started selling the older children into forced slavery. That included labor, gang fighting . . . and often times sex. It was child trafficking, basically. The younger of the children he killed off. Any infant – new or a few months old – he killed. If there was a pregnant woman, he would throw her out and it basically ended in her death as well. He made a huge profit over the children that Éponine helped raise. I doubt many of them survived to adulthood. At the time when she left, I was hurt. Now I understand, though I really wish she would have talked to me. But words meant nothing. There was nothing I could have done."
After his words finally sunk in, Corrin felt ready to vomit. How there were people like that, who make their living off other's suffering . . . it made him sick to no end.
Even now, as he recalled Niles' story, he felt emotionally disturbed. And this was the same woman involved in that story? It seemed like he carefully avoided specific details about Éponine, which was a bit curious. They did have something they needed to work out, though, before going on a job together again.
Silas and Corrin were able to find some more documents, proving Éponine true. They decided to double back to Éponine and Niles.
Niles and Éponine took out the three assassins pretty easily – there was a slight disadvantage, but nothing either of them had to worry about.
"So, you manipulated your suspected traitors into coming here, thinking they were luring you into a trap, when really this was a setup for them?" Niles shook his head, "Damn. See? This is why I can't trust you . . . How do I know you aren't leading me into a similar trap?"
"Are you going to stick a knife in my back? If not, then no, you and I have a common goal right now. 2, in fact. The first one being assassinate the assassins before they assassinate us. The second one being cleaning up the corruption of Nohr. I am being targeted for the same reasons you are."
Éponine knelt over the unconscious bodies of her traitors, then searched their bodies for something.
"Stealing? Now, of all times?" Niles scoffed.
"I'm looking for their contracts. Normally, those who hand out contracts use a specific code to designate who they are. If I can find their seal or any identifiable features, then I can find out who is tracking me. Or would you still prefer sitting on your thumbs?"
"Why would they put something like that on their contracts?"
"A message to other assassins, would one fall in duty. If they find and complete the assignment in their stead, they can find the contract holder and cash in on it. To a normal person's eye, the seals and codes are not noticeable. However, I am not normal and this is not my first go around."
"Yeah, you definitely aren't normal . . .So why now, of all times? Surely you could find me if you really wanted to."
"That is true. I could have made contact with you at any time. I kept tabs on you, after all . . ."
"So you were stalking me? If you went to that much trouble, the least you could have done was stop by and say hello. I don't care if you gave me an explanation or not – I already know what your father did – but why wouldn't you – no. never mind. You want to keep your mysterious reasons, fine, have them. Don't expect me to forgive you, though."
"Don't you think you're being a little over dramatic, Zero?"
"You don't get to call me that. Ever again. It was annoying back then and it will get you killed now."
"Haha, sorry. It slipped out. If you calm down, I can explain myself to you. But not here . . . I can't tell if we still have eyes on us or not – and the secret I have kept with me will stay with me if it means keeping my heart safe. You do have the right to know, though."
"What are you talking about?"
"Not here. It isn't safe to talk about it here. I've kept her from this life, and I want to keep her away from this. So please, be a little bit more patient. Once you know of her, you will agree with me."
"Her?"
"The heart of my life."
(A woman?) Niles thought to himself.
Silas and Corrin came around the corner.
"What happened?" Corrin asked, quickening his pace.
"Apparently, traitors," Niles answered.
"Traitors?" Silas asked, "What do you mean?"
"It means I suspected traitors were in my party, told all three of them to accompany me today, and the moment they saw that their objectives were in sight, they cornered Niles and me. Luckily, though, I am not as stupid as some continuously think that I am. I knew of their play, I led them straight to it."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Silas asked, "You could have gotten us killed!"
"Or I could have gotten the information I desire," She said, pulling out the contract, "I recognize this seal. I know where the drop off points are. Which means I can come up with a viable strategy to keeping us all safe and on the offensive at the same time. All we need now is a plan."
"What kind of plan?" Corrin asked.
"There are three drop-offs – without knowing the schedules, there are two decoys. Traps. One is a genuine drop-off point, the other two are armed with a trigger trap, which will be loaded with poisons and a man on station. You can expect to be interrogated by horrifying means, so we need to figure out which are the decoys, and which is the real one."
"So how do we avoid getting the crap trap?" Niles asked.
"I will have a few of my men look into it. There might be some intel on this that I haven't looked at yet."
"So more traitors? I don't think so."
"These were newer recruits, and I notice an information breech. I pinned down the suspects and lured them into a false sense of security – to which they took advantage of, which I predicted, and pretty much took care of themselves. They must have thought it was a heyday that all three of them got picked – when really, they should have thought the odds of that were a little stacked."
"You are manipulative."
"I pay attention to the people in my charge, that's all. It's not my fault that people are predictable to a fault," she shook her head, "My intuition has never led me astray before, why should it now? The ones in my charge – the ones that have been with me for years – I trust completely."
"You are the one who said to not trust anyone, because the only person one cares about is oneself. Everything else is either an obstacle or a boon, depending on how you play your cards."
"In the setting we grew up, that is true. Once you knock desperation out of men, the 'look out for only yourself' mentality weakens, and trust opens up. Which is what allowed you to give your life to two Nohrian princes, is it not?"
Niles did not answer.
"Besides . . . I was speaking mostly in broadened terms. It's not like I ever took my own words to heart – I was weary of most people and especially those who are capable of the unthinkable. But if you give people a reason and chance to, they will discard the life of an outlaw for the life of something honest. I don't think the majority choose this life."
"Then why are you still doing it?"
"To put an end to human trafficking. That is my goal. I have ruined many trades and crossed many powerful perpetrators. I am wanted dead by many, but so few have come close. If you stay with me until this blows over, I can tell how to find the one who wants your party dead and I can keep you alive in the meantime. The friends in my group are much like me – they had family taken from them – children, sisters, brothers, wives . . . You name it. We are after the common threat – the ones who lurk in the darkest, deepest shadows. We are in a war – a war that many people know nothing about, until it strikes their family and their loved ones are snatched in the darkness, never to be seen again."
"I thought that might be your answer," Niles sighed, "Even so . . ."
"I thought my life would have only burdened yours. If you came with me, you might have come to resent everything I stood for . . . as well as the life and role you would have inevitably had to fill."
"What role? What do you mean by that?" Niles asked.
"I knew you were trying to find me. If someone comes searching for me, I can feel it coming. I thought about finding you sooner, but . . . in the end I chose not to. I had my reasons, I still stand by them, too, but I will tell you everything. Just not here. You should probably apprehend your criminal and we can then go to somewhere more secluded."
"Yeah, that's true," Corrin nodded, "But what about you? Are you staying here?"
"Yes. Consider this my present to you for being cooperative."
"That sounds shady," Silas commented. Niles nodded in agreement.
"Nothing shady about it, though – " Éponine was caught off by a crashing sound behind her.
"Ooof!" A voice called from the darkness.
"What the?" Éponine said, looking behind her. Not many things caught her off guard. This was evidently not a part of her overall scheme.
"What is it now?" Niles asked, though he didn't expect her to have an answer.
"I'm not sure," She went to examine with her weapons drawn. Was there a trap that she missed? Though that blunder made it apparent that she was not dealing with a professional.
"Show yourself," Éponine said, "Or I will cut you down. I slash first, ask questions later."
From the darkness, a girl with long pink hair, separated into two separate braids, stumbled out.
"Nina!?" Éponine said, "What are you doing here?"
"Mother!?" The young girl said, equally confused and surprised. Unlike Éponine's emerald eyes, Nina had bright blue eyes. Her skin was slightly darker than her mother's, closer to Niles' pigmentation.
"I won't ask again. What are you doing here?"
"Hmpf! You didn't even notice that I ran away from home a ways back! I had to pursue my true calling – that of chivalrous thievery!"
"Excuse me?" Éponine was getting really angry now. She was masterful at hiding her emotions – but right now motherly fury was written all over her face.
"That's right. Must I explain it to you?" The girl was sassy, not unlike her mother, "I steal from the rich. I give to the poor. The creep who owns this manor is one of the richest. So here I am. You wouldn't believe how he's gotten his hoard of treasures. Not that you'd care."
"Child," She grabbed Nina by the arm, "I am 10 steps ahead of you. Chivalrous thievery, you say? What happens to you when you get caught – because clearly you are so very stealthy – and end up with a javelin in your back from Nohrian Calvary? Did you ever think about that? There is no glory or justice in this, only vengeance and survival."
"You're wrong! It's justified. Not that I have to justify myself to you. Now let me go . . . Mother."
"No. You see these people behind me? They came here to round up a bunch of filthy thieves, hun. With a blunder like that, I'm surprised you didn't alert the entire neighborhood and have this place surrounded by more men like them."
"Fine words from one of the filthiest of them. I know what you do and you feel self-righteous enough to lecture me!"
"Keep it up, girl, and you will see how nasty I can get. Now, come with me, child, so we can have a long discussion on how and why I am beating you into next Tuesday."
"Back off! I'm not going anywhere with you! I'm on the side of right. Out of my way!" With her free hand, she struck at Éponine. In shock, she let go of Nina's arm and blocked the punch.
"You dare strike at me? You keep adding to your list of punishments. Apologize at once, and maybe I'll consider letting you off easy."
"You can't make me! And you can't CATCH me, either!" She ran off before Éponine could get a hold on her again. She ran after her daughter, leaving the other three in awe of what just happened.
"She has a daughter?" Niles asked.
"We should probably go after them," Corrin sighed, "Looks like things keep getting more complicated."
"Right. We better make sure that girl doesn't have friends." They followed Éponine and the two were still arguing.
"Nina, stop it. You've deluded yourself to think that this is a justified path."
"I've dreamed about this. Draining the coffers of the wealthy! Vindicating the poor! We're getting what we need, and then getting out. I leave you to your disgrace. What DO you do these days anyway!? Pfft! Don't answer. I don't care. Good bye, Mother."
Nina ran off again, meeting up with a decently large group who began looting the Estate.
"Damn child. If she does this, the entire operation is ruined. We could get the backlash of letting looters in and turn this into that man's favor. Idiot girl. Once I get my hands on her, a righteous beating will hopefully knock some sense back into her."
"I thought the people in your charge trusted you," Niles snickered, "I can tell she's just oozing with trust."
"Shut up. I don't care about the other twerps; you can deal with them as you see fit. I'm going to kindly correct my daughter on her chosen path."
"I think maybe you are the last person she wants to deal with?" Niles laughed.
"I wouldn't think this is so funny, were I you. The enemy doesn't know I have a daughter, but I bet they do now. Her life is in danger. If they don't kill her, I might."
"That's true. We should probably get to her first," Corrin said.
"I have an idea. Lord Corrin and Niles, you can go after her. Just tell her that you two are married and she will stop what she's doing and give you her full, undivided attention." Éponine shook her head, " I will try to clean up the left side of the Estate. You in the armor can take the right. Let's try to recover as much of the stolen goods as possible."
"Why would telling her that help us?" Corrin asked.
"You know how sometimes men will fantasize about two women together?"
"No," Silas and Corrin said at the same time.
"Yes," Niles answered truthfully, getting strange looks from his husband, "What? It's true."
"Well, she does the same thing with men. She'd stop dead in her tracks to ask you all sorts of invasive question, to sate her curiosity. It'll be a good distraction."
"Huh. That's . . . odd," Niles shrugged, "Whatever. Come on, love. Let's go."
"This is really weird," Corrin said, becoming embarrassed by the request, "I don't feel comfortable with this."
"Well, if you don't, then I will have to throw some poison at her. Your choice. I can go either way," Éponine said, "But we better decide quickly."
"F-Fine, I'll do it. Let's go, Niles . . ."
They split up into groups – Éponine took the left side and Silas took the right, while Niles and Corrin came up the middle to catch Nina.
She unlocked the door and headed for a vault – a couple of her men got in the way, but Corrin and Niles easily took care of them. Éponine ran into a locked door and opened it with ease, though Silas could not open his. He searched for a key or a way in, but could not find one.
Corrin and Niles blocked the entrance to the vault, closing her in.
"You creeps! You better move!" She shouted.
"Such a lovely young lady," Niles chided, "Much like her mother, with that sharp tongue."
"Ew – don't call me lovely, you perv!" Corrin was visibly uncomfortable with the situation, so Niles had to improvise. He was getting kind of agitated by Nina, though. What a lippy whelp.
"Sorry, but I think you have us all wrong. He's not into women, so he can't really perv on you, isn't that right, Corrin?" Niles smiled. Corrin looked at him furiously, but answered, "N-No. I'm not interested in women."
"Wh-what?" Nina said, "But if you aren't interested in women . . . that means you're interested in men!?"
"Y-yeah. Something like that."
"What?" Nina blushed a little bit. The corner of her mouth twitched with sudden delight, "Then . . . Then are you two a couple!?"
"Yup, we're married," Niles was enjoying this.
"Woah! Tell me everything! I want all the details! Teeheehee~~!"
"I will let Corrin here tell you everything you need to know. I gotta go help Silas. Looks like he's stuck behind closed doors," Niles scampered off.
"W-Wait! Ah, dammit! I'm going to kill him later."
"So, how did the two of you meet? Did your eyes meet and sparks fly? Was it romantic?"
"Romantic? Hardly . . ." Corrin shook his head, "I – I mean . . . He was a persistent flirt, so it was pretty obvious what his intentions were . . ."
"I knew it! He did look like a pervert."
"He really is. I-I mean . . . it's fine, I'm used to it . . ."
"You don't think he's cheating on you? Oh, the nerve! Do you want me to beat him up for you?"
"Huh? No, that won't be necessary! He just has a very . . . imaginative mind, when it comes to certain things."
"What do you mean by 'imaginative'? Do you have a kinky sex life?"
"U-um . . ." Corrin was definitely past "uncomfortable", now border lining feeling invaded.
"Do you have attraction to more men than just him, or is this situational?" Corrin cringed. She kept asking him question after question, not really waiting for an answer. She was filling in the blanks on her own; if it was true or not, she wouldn't know.
"Do you wanna be friends!? Oh, we can go ogle cute guys together, hehehe. What do ya say?" Corrin sighed heavily.
"Sure. We can be friends . . . can we just, maybe, change the subject?"
"Hm? To what?"
"Anything but my sex life, please . . ."
"But!" Nina frowned, "I want to know aaalll about it! Spill it all! I want no secrets!"
"Is that the first thing you ask people? Seems kind of rude to me," Corrin said earnestly.
"But . . . don't you get questions about it all the time?"
"Not really . . . Well, at first, kinda."
"See? It's so clandestine and mysterious, most people wanna know more about it! Like me. Have you always like men?"
"I-I'm not sure," He shrugged, "I didn't put too much thought into it, honestly."
"He didn't force you into it, did he? Some guys can be so pushy. He looks pushy, are you sure you want to be in this relationship?"
"(And the questions keep getting more invasive and rude . . .) N-No. I've never questioned this relationship . . . Wait, I thought the relationship thing got you all excited?"
"Sure, but I don't want you to be hurt. We can find you a different, hotter guy next time! Teehee!" Corrin didn't respond. On the one hand, it was nice that she had some sense of right and wrong, on the other hand, she just keeps saying some rude things.
Corrin took a moment to assess the situation – it looked like Niles, Silas, and Éponine had it handled. All he needed to do was keep the girl distracted until her mother came back. Except Corrin really didn't feel like revealing every detail about his relationship with Niles or their bedroom life.
"So what kind of men do you prefer? He seems roguish, so do you like the stern, thug look? You've got the cute, adorable thing going for you, so I imagine you fit a lot of other men's ideal type."
"What are you – Okay, look, I am not leaving my current relationship and I am not looking for another one. Okay?" Corrin was getting frustrated now.
"Okay, well, if you insist. By the way, what was your name again? I'm Nina."
"Corrin. It's a pleasure to meet you, Nina."
"And what was your husband's name?" She asked.
"Niles."
"Niles?" Her smile faded away – and one of horror replaced it, "That can't be. No, it's just a coincidence . . ."
"What is?" Corrin asked.
"How does he know my mom?" She asked abruptly.
"Huh?"
"How do you guys know my mom?"
"I don't – we just met. Niles knew her back in their youth, when they were with the same gang, I guess. Why?"
"No . . . No, no, no, no, no! That . . . that can't be . . ."
"Is – Is something wrong?"
". . . I never met my father. My mother told me stories of him and she . . . and told me his name. Other than that, I knew nothing else of him. Could . . . could it be. . ."
"Niles? Your – your father?" Corrin stated, following her line of logic.
"Him? Of all people? You have got to be kidding me. Well, at least I get a hot step-father out of the deal."
"W-wait! Don't jump to conclusions . . ." Corrin shook his head, "Are you absolutely certain that he and your father are the same person?"
"No. I have no way of telling for sure . . . not until I speak to . . . my mother."
"Yeah, about that. Your mother came here with the intention of letting us know that the Estate Owner swindled families out of their life's work. If you had just spoken with her – "
"She already knew . . .? Oh . . ."
"Yes. We came here to protect the estate from burglary. Your mother came in and told us everything, as well as some other things pertaining to Niles. Why are you here, though? Did your mother know that you took up her life style?" Corrin asked, looking for a sincere answer.
"No. she's never home and . . . and I get lonely . . ." She shook her head, "She always leaves me in the dark! So I took matters into my own hands and I found out what she does and talked to the other children of her friends. We all feel the same way."
"I understand your feelings. Being lonely is really awful. But this is dangerous. Your mother owes you an explanation, but you need to talk things out with her."
"She'll just treat me like a child. She always does. Why am I not worth her time?" She crossed her arms, "I hate it! I . . . This . . . I chose this life and she can't tell me what to do with it."
"Just the same, you might want to hear her out . . ." Corrin sighed, "I doubt she's told you much, so you have no idea what kind of monsters she's facing, but you probably should stay far, far away from it."
"What are you saying? What exactly is my mother doing?" Nina demanded.
"W-Well . . ."
"Hey, we're finished," Niles said, "Silas and I cleared the right side. Éponine should be on her way back soon. So, how are you two getting along?" Niles chuckled.
"I think I just learned some life altering news," Corrin lead on, "But I'm not telling you until Éponine gets here to confirm it."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Niles frowned.
"Haha . . . Oh, just you wait," Corrin shook his head, "Well, Nina, are you holding up okay?"
"I-I think so. I guess I'll have to speak with her . . . and . . ." She looked at Niles carefully. Were they related? Was this her father, whom she knew hardly anything about?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Niles asked.
". . .How do you know my mother?" She asked hesitantly.
"What? Éponine? I knew her from a very young age. Haven't seen her in about 15 or 16 years, but that's life, I guess. Why?"
"Gods . . . I'm almost 16," She grimaced a little bit.
"Huh?" Niles started feeling unnerved.
"Did you . . . I mean . . . did you ever . . ." She didn't want to ask him that question. She would rather pretend they weren't related and ask about how he wooed Corrin. But those kind of questions seemed gross now.
"Did I ever . . . What? Spit it out, already."
"Easy, Niles," Corrin said.
"What the hell are you trying to ask me?"
Éponine and Silas came around together, speaking about how they were going to put the estate owner in prison then move onto the other problem at hand.
"Nina," She said harshly, though Nina had other things on her mind.
"Mother . . . Is this . . . is this the Niles you told me about?" Nina asked. Éponine's face went from anger to shock, then returned to normal.
". . . I see. Well, I guess I will be explaining myself earlier than I anticipated," she sighed heavily, "Yes. He is exactly who you think he is."
"What the hell is going on?" Niles asked, started to get really agitated.
"The reason I left in such a hurry, without so much as an explanation of why . . . is because I was pregnant. I feared for the baby's safety, I feared what my father would do should he ever learn of her existence. And I felt the less who knew, the better. I intentionally kept all of this from you. Both of you, I guess," She said to both Niles and Nina.
"What are you saying, mother?"
"My father . . . killed many orphaned children and sold the older ones into slavery. Had he learned of your existence, you would have probably been killed, Nina. And you as well, Niles."
"Why me?" He asked, though he was starting to put the pieces together. He was still in denial, though, so he thought a confirmation would be beneficial at this point.
"I was seeing you regularly, Niles. Don't act stupid. I was pregnant with your child, and deliberately chose not to tell you. If no one knew who the father was – even the father himself – then that would eliminate much knowledge that I chose to shred. I covered my tracks and found a family that I could safely raise our child with. I knew you were trying to find me – I wanted to reach out to you. But exposing myself like that might have led my father's men back to me – and to Nina. Her existence, above all else, I wanted to remain a secret. Though now that secret is out of the bag because of your idiotic actions, Nina. Still . . . Now I get to share with you both the whole truth."
"W-Wait a minute . . ." Niles shook his head, "No, that can't be . . ."
"Nina is your daughter," Éponine repeated, then let it sink it. Niles and Nina both looked at each other.
"I . . . um, I will see to the estate owner's arrest . . ." Silas said. Corrin nodded.
"I'll go with you . . ." He gave Niles a quick kiss on the cheek and squeezed his arm reassuringly. Niles barely reacted and Corrin left with Silas.
Niles looked at the two women carefully, trying to make sense of what he was hearing. He didn't even know where to begin. Nina was silent, too, unable to bring herself to speak with her father. She knew little of him – what she did know and what she saw wasn't favorable. From the look on his face, she could tell that he wanted nothing to do with her. Why would he? After all, Nina's mother couldn't even trust him with knowing of her pregnancy. Mother didn't want Niles to know of Nina's birth and life . . . That was enough to convince Nina.
But now she was thinking of her mother – this new piece of information. Was her grandfather dangerous? Sounded like it . . . Everything her mother did was to keep her safe?
She was confused. Niles was in a state of denial. Éponine waited for the tension to settle before she delved into her story.
"Shall I begin?" She finally asked.
"Yeah," Niles nodded, "Tell me everything."