PROLOGUE: The Fall of Renais

"Your Majesty, I bear bad news."

This was never a good start to the day. Particularly when that day involved one of your closest allies launching a surprise attack.

The young, beardless soldier continued, ignoring King Fado's look of resigned despair. "The castle gate has been breached. Emperor Vigarde's forces are within the castle walls."

Fado already knew this. Magic flared outside the windows, tearing the marble walls of Renais Castle to shreds. Theirs was a garrison that had not faced attack for generations, and they had gotten lax. The screams of dying men made a terrible soundtrack to the day. However, he merely said, "I understand."

"The garrison has fallen. We've lost contact with Prince Ephraim and can expect no aid from his men. Your Majesty, what are we to do?" Sweat beaded on the young soldier's brow.

Fado may have said he understood, but he didn't. How could they have known? The peerless Warrior King of Renais, unable to predict the moves of a fellow warrior. Truly, he had gotten soft with age. "What else can we do? Lay down your arms." The soldier bowed, and hurried out of the throne room to deliver his message. He looked to the other two occupants of the throne room.

General Seth stood by his side as usual, dressed in plain steel armor and boiled leather, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. If the worst came to the worst, he would be able to stand and fight, though he did not know for how long. Eirika, however, was a different matter. The Princess may have had those damnable sword fighting lessons with Ephraim, but there was a difference between the pretty sport of duelling with rapiers and true war. If the soldiers of Grado made it in here, she could not last. It was time to put his plan into action.

"Eirika, are you wearing the bracelet I gave you?"

"Yes, I have it right here." Eirika lifted her slim white arm to him, showing the band of white gold set with pearls arranged in the shape of a crescent moon. "You still haven't told me – "

"There's not time, my child. Just remember this. You cannot let Grado's soldiers get their hands on it. Do you understand?" Eirika nodded slowly. It was plain that she didn't. And really, why should she? It was her ignorance that would keep her safe, at this moment in time.

He turned to Seth. "Seth, take Eirika and head for Frelia. King Hayden is an honorable man. I trust he will keep you safe."

The red-haired paladin nodded. "Understood. And what of Your Majesty?"

"Me? I shall remain here. We have long counted Grado among our dearest allies, yet now they attack? I must know why. Am I somehow responsible for this? Have I erred in my leadership? Renais is mine to guide… how could I have failed her so?" Fado was talking more to himself than to Seth at this point, and the paladin must have known it.

"Father, you can't stay! You mustn't! If you remain behind, then so shall I!" Eirika cried, stepping forward. She was an incongruous presence in the throne room in her short red dress, as compared to the two silent, grim-faced warriors dressed in full plate armor. When she woke up that morning, her heart so carefree, she probably thought it strange that Father had chosen to wear his old suit of armor that day. Truth was, it was rusting to pieces. It was more to look impressive when he met his death than anything.

He didn't have time to argue. "Go now, Seth! Ride! Take her to safety!"

"Forgive me, Your Highness," Seth said tonelessly, before dragging Eirika off to the stables to mount up. Her cries of fear echoed through the hall. Once the two of them were gone, Fado let out a slow breath. It was as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now, at least, one of the royal line of Renais could survive. But he could not think long before a troop of crack Grado soldiers, dressed in their red armor as usual, marched into the throne room, a motley collection of swords, lances and axes gleaming in the harsh light of noon.

Fado turned to the leader. "A new face among the Grado forces. I don't believe we've had the honor, Sir - ?"

"Tirado. Colonel Tirado, if you feel like being polite, though I have no reason to believe you do." Fado took stock of the man. His armor was enamelled deep red, and covered in pointless gilded edges and a pair of unnecessarily ornate shoulder pads. Those would just get in the way, if it came to a real fight. The gold-embroidered red cloak that he wore looked like it had been woven yesterday. The wicked seven-foot spear that he carried in one hand looked lethal, though. This was particularly true given that it was dripping with crimson gore.

"You killed defenseless men, did you?"

Tirado laughed. "That we did. They lay down their arms right in front of me, what d'you expect is going to happen?"

"I expect you to honor that. Emperor Vigarde should know better than to employ the kind of scum who'd kill an unarmed man."

"Scum, am I? Well, Your Majesty, let me demonstrate that to you." The soldier waved a hand carelessly. "Get 'im, boys. Hundred gold pieces for each wound you get on him! Five hundred for whoever gets his head!"

With that said, Fado leapt down from his throne and grabbed the broad-headed, unadorned axe that rested above the throne. It was a little rusty, but it would have to do. The Warrior King would not die peacefully.

A blast of dark magic came from the wall to his left. Fado flinched at that, away from the shards of rubble that flew through the air. If Tirado had snuck magic users into the palace, that could be very dangerous indeed. He ducked behind chunks of rubble, staying one step ahead of the magical attacks, heading towards the door where one of the soldiers stood guard.

The blood of Renais roared through his veins as he let the axe head slide to his hand, then swung the butt end of the shaft up towards his opponent's head. Stunned, the soldier stumbled back, unable to see Fado slashing his throat with the front edge corner.

Fado leapt over the dead body of the soldier and charged down the corridor, energy surging through his body, the soldiers chillingly close behind him. He had to find Tirado. These soldiers were nothing to him.

Soon enough, the sound of hoofbeats came thundering down the red-carpeted corridor. Two cavaliers, their lances levelled at the king, were bearing down on him. Horses in a castle? Now there's a… novel tactic. Fado, with hardly any time to think, ducked into a doorway, barring it with his weight. He found himself in a small stone antechamber, bare of any decoration. A fitting metaphor, he thought, for how he would die. Alone and unmourned. The sound of swords hacking at the wood of the door echoed through the room.

"No. Let me." Tirado. Fado backed away from the door, getting into a fighting stance. It would be worth it. Even if the Grado soldier slew him where he stood, it would be worth it. "Come and get me!" he bellowed, as Tirado kicked down the door with his heavy boot.

Feet planted firmly apart, body thrust forward, Fado came face to face with Tirado. He leapt forward, swinging his axe in a broad horizontal arc that would have cleaved an unarmored man in half at the waist. But it did not. Tirado's ornamented armor proved surprisingly durable, and the axe clanged off harmlessly. It flew out of his hands, leaving Fado, gaping like a fool, staring at the implacable knight. He was coming to realize that the battle truly was hopeless. His armor's too thick. I cannot defeat him like this, not with these other men all around me… ah, well. There's no point in playing defensive now.

Howling a battle cry, Fado grabbed his axe back off the floor and charged at Tirado again. Tirado, almost casually, lifted his lance and speared Fado through his abdomen, cutting through a weak join there.

Fado gasped in pain, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. "Take it out. Please… take it out." Tirado pulled his lance out, and left the room, his face unreadable. Plainly, it was not worth it for him to hear his opponents dying words. A man who could not do that was a man with no honor.

"Eirika, Ephraim… you must survive…" Fado rasped, as he closed his eyes for the last time.

A/N: Yeah, so this is going to be a pretty big expansion of the plot. I always wondered exactly what Fado did when they stormed the castle… go out in a blaze of glory, eh? I also made Tirado the leader of the forces who attacked Renais to make it a bit more personal.