Most thought the borrowed Hoshidan princess was aloof and distant. Others thought her to be evil incarnate, just like the Nohrians she had been stolen from. Others still questioned if she was some rare breed of ice queen, who would thaw out once presented with a husband.

Azura wondered if she'd ever go home.

She ran a delicate hand along the water's surface. It was cold, a soothing contrast to the sun that bore down on her back as she knelt by the lake. Her silken kimono stuck to her skin- the humidity was the glue. Somewhere nearby, a cricket chirped. She itched to chirp back, but of course she didn't; that would have made for some interesting rumours.

"She's crazy! I saw her talking to the crickets!" Azura muttered in an exaggerated Hoshidan accent, swirling the water around with her hand. "The crickets, you say? The crickets?"

The grass behind her rustled.

"Sakura?" she smiled, but didn't turn around. "Do you want to hear another story? I thought of this really good one with a knight–"

A rough hand clamped over her mouth. Another grabbed her arm.

She twisted and turned like a hooked fish. Why was this lake so far from the castle?

He grunted with exertion. "Don't just stand there, you stupid boy! Help me!" he shouted. His voice was gruff.

Thud.

She went out cold.

The ground was uneven with bulging tree roots and suspicious puddles, yet Silas still urged his horse to gallop. Vines whipped at his face. They left red lines to match various shaving nicks. Galloping, galloping. Would he make it in time? Countless worries flooded his mind.

And then he saw her.

It was as if there was nobody else in the world.

Her red face was shiny with exertion, and her dark cape had tears in several places. Her sword swings were clumsy and slow- she didn't have much combat experience.

But when her silver hair flew around her like some sort of celestial aura, he knew he'd never seen someone so beautiful.

Corrin was definitely an angel.

Nearby her butler kept his mouth in a grim line. He executed twice the Faceless she did, despite being limited to daggers.

"Hello? Hello?" Silas yelled, waving his sword in the air. Drawing the enemy's attention wasn't a concern- he was confident in his fighting ability. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so cocky; even the smallest mistake can ruin a master. But alas, he was both a fresh knight and a young man. He held the world in his hands.

The princess paused, her sword buried deep in a monster's gut.

"Hey Corrin! Over here!" He rode forward to her, dancing around the undead and their brutish punches. "Phew! I finally caught up with you. You're faster than you used to be."

She frowned as she slashed. "Um, thanks. And you would be..?" Sharp breaths punctuated her words.

"It's me, Silas!" A Faceless fell to his sword. "It's been a long time, Corrin."

She didn't show a hint of recognition on her face. Silas told himself that it was just the battle that was blurring her memories. "A childhood friend? I'm really sorry, but I'm drawing a blank." She said as she aimed for another's throat.

He laughed. "No worries, it's been ages. Anyway," his sword lodged in one of the monsters' masks and he was unable to pull it out. Sighing, he swapped to his lance. "we can talk later."

"Everyone, hold your horses! I'm here too!" a young voice rang through the forest.

He whipped around. The girl sat atop her horse as though she was in the training yard back home. But then, Elise had always been like that.

"Elise?!" Corrin gripped her sword tighter. "You came as well?"

"Heehee, of course! That's what sisters are for, right?" Her voice had a bright sound, almost like a small trumpet. A small trumpet with a pink bow, of course.

"Thank you, Elise…" Corrin smiled, and Silas' heart fluttered even though it wasn't directed at him.

Shaking his head, he rode to protect the other princess; Elise didn't carry weapons. Jakob moved to protect Corrin. The butler's uniform wasn't suited for combat, but he was fine. Silas wondered if the other man was even human sometimes.

The second he was in earshot, Elise began her speech. "Silas, you're a real dummy, you know that?"

He skewered a monster that got too close.

"You're mean, too. Leaving a cute princess behind while you forge ahead. Shame on you!" She waved her staff around for emphasis.

"I-I'm so sorry milady!" He gritted his teeth as his arm started to ache. "But, um, don't you have your own retainers to look after you?"

"Well yeah, but- oh, behind you- don't change the subject! Speaking of, they should be here soon." She folded her arms and pouted.

He raised his eyebrows, even though she was watching his back rather than his face. "So what you're saying is… you left them behind to forge ahead. Right?" The sweat ran into his eyes, but he didn't have a free hand to wipe it away.

"Right!"

He sighed. Stealing a glance over at Corrin and Jakob told him that the pair were okay. Jakob was a genius, after all.

"There's nothing to fear! Arthur is here! The heroes of justice have arrived!" Arthur's voice, much like the man it belonged to, was far too big and ridiculous to be real. Yet it was.

"There they are!" she pointed as he dispatched yet another Faceless. Their ranks seemed to be thinning. "I told you they would come."

"I never said they wouldn't." his arm shook with the effort of holding his lance steady.

His bay mare was slowing down, and her muscular sides heaved. Sweat turned her coat dark and her mane stringy. Silas felt sorry for wearing his heavy armour, so when he could he gave her a quick pat.

Elise's retainer, Effie, was a different story. Unlike himself, who fought hard just to keep his lance off the ground, she cleaved through large groups of Faceless as though they were butter. It was obvious that her own much-heavier armour slowed her down, but it didn't bother her. She didn't even flinch when lumbering fists connected with her huge shield.

"Effie's amazing!" Elise spoke half to him, half to herself.

Yet Arthur wasn't doing quite so well. In just a few minutes, he had managed to lose a boot in a small murky pond, trip on some vines that trailed across the muddy ground, and snap his axe clean in half. Silas prepared to run to his aid, but stopped when he saw the other man grab an axe that was strapped to his back.

The youngest princess shrugged at his raised eyebrows. "Happens a lot."

He stopped keeping track of the battle after that.

Effie finished the last monster with a lance through its thick neck.

Faceless were strange, vicious creatures. Burly, with decaying green skin and black metal masks, they aimed to inspire as much fear as they could. Their slow, deliberate movements posed no threat to the fighters however. Nohrian soldiers fought countless numbers of them over their training years. The ones they defeated today were probably leftovers from some dark mage's over-zealous superiority complex.

"Phew! It appears they're all gone." Corrin's eyes were wild and triumphant, framed by her unkempt and tangled hair. Black blood dirtied her intricate armour, but she let it stay. Instead she wiped her sword- a golden work of art he had never seen anywhere- with a frilly handkerchief Jakob had given her moments before. "Good work."

Elise had long since left her horse to check for injuries. "Yay! We did it! Go team!" When she reached Silas, she healed a cut on his cheek that he hadn't noticed.

She had always been a natural, but her skill surprised him. She hadn't even needed her staff.

"Thanks Elise." He dismounted as well to give Lucy a rest, keeping an eye out for his sword. It rested where he'd left it- stuck in a mask. He tried to lift it, but it wouldn't budge. "Now to make our way through this forest and head to the Ice Tribe Village." Effie, noticing his grunts, walked over and pulled out the sword easily. He nodded his thanks and hid his awe as she handed it to him.

"It's such a dark forest though…" Corrin brushed her hair out of her eyes and took in her surroundings. "I hope we don't lose our way."

Jakob stood up straighter. Silas noted with satisfaction that the butler also looked worn out. "Worry not, milady. I'm more than happy to guide us from here." He huffed with pride. "I've made it my business to know every inch of our kingdom like the back of my hand."

Silas resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Jakob, you never cease to amaze me." Corrin smiled. "Whenever you're ready, lead the way."

"It would be my pleasure. Please, follow me."

When Azura awoke, she felt as though there was an army of taiko drums beating their rhythm inside her head. What she assumed to be a woven blanket covered her from head-to-toe, and the heat from her breath stifled her.

She kept her eyes closed. Was she in a cart? It sounded like she was. Did that mean she had been captured? Most likely. They were probably planning to return her to Nohr- they wouldn't be the first. They also probably would leave her unharmed, as if they damaged her they were damaging the merchandise.

She couldn't stop a groan from escaping.

The blanket pulled away from her, and light hit her eyelids. Her head throbbed even more.

"Lady Azura? Are you awake?" This man's voice seemed kind, but she wasn't taking any chances. She didn't open her eyes.

"Of course she's awake- you just pulled her blanket away." She stiffened as she recognised her captor's voice.

"Ah! Sorry milady." The blanket returned, but it didn't cover her face this time. Gingerly, she felt around to check if she was tied up. She was. "Are you really awake?"

"Stop bothering her." She stiffened again. His voice replayed her kidnapping all over again in her mind- his hand on her mouth, on her arms. The searing pain in her skull. She felt dirty.

"Oh, sorry. Hey, Haitaka. Aren't we coming up to a village soon? What'll we do with her then?"

"Keep her in the cart."

"Aw, really?" The kinder voice sounded younger.

"Yes, really. Every righteous prick and his mother is out looking for her." Her heart soared, but it fell again –there was probably a reward. "Do you really wanna throw your life away because you feel bad for her?"

"…No."

"Exactly."

For a while, there was no other sound than the wheels on the road and the men's footsteps. Cautiously, she sat up.

"Oh look, she lives." Her captor- Haitaka- had been walking beside the cart. She froze under his harsh gaze. "What do you want?"

"Um… may I… well, it isn't proper for ladies to say it." She gestured towards the thick forest to her left with her head.

Haitaka's eyes widened in understanding, but then he became gruff again. "Hitoshi, go with her." He took a swig from a pouch that was usually on his hip. Water? Or was it alcohol? "Don't let her escape."

"Sure thing, boss."

Hitoshi lifted her out of the cart as though she was one of Sakura's fragile dolls. Her stomach clenched with nerves. They wouldn't have done anything to her, right?

As the pair entered the silent forest, she planned how best to remove her geta without alarming him. The Hoshidan shoes were impractical to wear in this situation. One protruding root, and her plan would be ruined.

"You won't run away, will you?" The deeper they headed into the forest, the more uncomfortable he became.

"Of course not." She smiled at him to ease his worries, but he looked straight ahead. He frowned.

"Um, I think we're far enough now, milady." He looked back towards the road and shifted his stance.

She smiled again. "I understand. Could you please cut these? It's just my kimono is difficult to manage with bound hands…"

"Of course, milady." He flushed and did as she asked.

"Could you also please turn around?"

"Sure thing, milady." Again, he did as she asked.

She took a deep breath and slowly, carefully, took off her geta. The forest floor felt strange under her bare feet.

Then she ran.

She remembered too late that her kimono would also hold her back. It restricted her movement, and its long sleeves caught on low-hanging branches.

"Lady Azura? Lady Azura!" Hitoshi shouted from somewhere behind her. She didn't dare turn around. He crashed through behind her, getting closer with every thumping footfall.

He was behind her. She could feel it. Her breathing was loud, and her heart thumped in her ears.

And then he tackled her to the ground, and it was all over.