No. 1
"Only a few remained unbroken, but none unscathed."
-After the curtains closed-
On the day we finally defeated Nohr's enemies there was not a single person without fear. We may have overcome the biggest obstacle of war, but the consequences of it lay waiting at our feet. Starvation had crept up behind us and almost the entire kingdom was engulfed with brigands. Humble farmers with no land turned to thieves, villages with hearty alliances had crumbled to the ground from the bickering and mistrust. The war was responsible for deaths not only in the battlefield, but also in the heart of Nohr's people. Everyone turned against everyone. It was only after the help from the queen of Hoshido, Hinoka, one of my older siblings, that Nohr pushed forward. With the peace treaty finally signed, the political part of the war was over. Hoshidans and Nohrians still hated each other but both of them slept with their bellies full now. As part of the treaty a Nohrian regent had to be established in Hoshido. Hoshido still had their independence, but only while supervised. I did not agree with that condition but the people of Nohr insisted. Hinoka was hesitant for a while, it took some convincing, but she finally agreed to it. Both nations were still restless and it was a fragile peace, but peace is peace and all was well.
†
Finally, the day of Xander's offivial coronation was upon us.
The flutes and harps resonated within castle Krakenburg. The celebration of Xander's coronation was still afloat even though it was past midnight already. I was ready to part from the festivity, leaving the curtsying to my brother Leo, when Azura grabbed me by the elbow. I turned to face her, readying myself for a conversation, but she did not utter a single word. Her breathing was rasped and she could not look me in the eyes. Her gentle blue hair was sticking to the sweat on her brow when she finally had enough air in her lungs to speak.
"Your boy, Kana. He's been…"
I pull her close to me and force her to meet my gaze.
"Where is he? What's happened?"
Azura pulls herself together and speaks as clearly as she can.
"He's trapped; assassins have cornered him in the throne room."
I forget my exhaustion and immediately head out with my hand on the hilt of Shadow Yato. Assassins this far after the war? I know I've made a lot of enemies for being part of it but they have nothing to gain from killing Kana. I'm starting to regret taking him from the deeprealms.
"No." -I tell myself.
I knew the consequences of bringing him to my world. He's strong, I know he is. I have to believe in him or else I'll worry myself dead.
"Corrin!"
Azura calls from behind me and I stop in my tracks. She hurries to my side and quickly steadies herself.
"You didn't wait for me to finish. It won't be possible for you to enter the throne room alone. They've barred themselves with magic barriers."
Azura says between breaths.
"Call every available mage in the castle and assemble them all there. Inform Xander of the situation, and avoid chaos among the people if possible. I'll distract the bastards if they take the bait."
I say diligently.
"I will refrain from letting the people know but don't do anything reckless, to have the both of you gone…"
I gently nudge Azura on the shoulder. "Go."
Azura turns and heads in the opposite direction of me.
After a few turns and a long hallway, I find myself right in front of the throne room. The huge ebony colored doors were wide open, but in between them was a bubbling layer of magic. It covered the entire gap of the door frame, lazily glowing a hazy purple. I restrained myself from hacking away at it with my sword. The thought of time counting down the odds against Kana's survival irked me to the core and my right foot tapped impatiently.
"Kana!"
The barrier trembled at my voice, and its edges started fading, like lighting a paper on fire, until it was no longer there. For a moment I stood there in a timeless void, empty of acceptance. Then I realized I was sitting on a metal hard chair surrounded by strangers holding golden jeweled cups. A gooey red liquid overflowed the cups, staining the floor. I was about to complain but my voice never came out. My throat felt like a desert, with the sun at its feet. I tried to stand up but the handles curved themselves around my arms, chaining me to the chair.
Everyone was laughing and dancing and ignoring my existence, the party raged on without a single fault. The people poured their drinks over me, one by one taking turns. I felt like gagging but I couldn't move anymore, the drinks were suffocating me and whenever I got the chance to breath my throat burned right through to my head. Dizzy and gasping for air I started to lose consciousness.
"Corrin, Corrin, Corrin, Corrin."
Voices strangle my heart until it's impossible to breathe and with open eyes I see this world disintegrate into nothing.
†
Consciousness seeps in little by little.
The crackling of the fire slowly reaches my ears, and my eyes fully adjust to the brightness of the room.
"You've been sleeping for a long time."
Azura caresses my cheek and her cold hands wake me from my trance.
"Where am I?"
"Castle Krankenburg. You took a heavy poison when you drank from the wine at Xander's coronation. It's been at least a week now."
Realization hits me like a rock. I'm still alive.
"Is Kana safe?"
Azura's hands pull away.
"You still need more rest."
"Azura." -I said with the same pleading tone I always use on her.
Azura moves away from the bed, her eyes still locked on mine.
"He became hysterical after hearing you were bedridden. He tried to search for the culprits but…"
I gulped.
"Don't worry, he's safe now. Xander stopped him before he could do anything reckless."
"Does everyone know about what happened to me?"
"Only the royal family knows and I hope no one else. There could be an eruption of chaos because of this."
"I'm sorry, Azura. All I ever wanted was for peace, I can't even begin to imagine who did this to me. I must have countless enemies after the war."
Azura recoils at the mention of the word 'enemies'. She must loath this never ending cycle of death, as would anyone.
"We must make amends with whoever wronged you."
"Don't worry, Azura. If I cannot make them see the peace we finally obtained…"
Azura sighs deeply.
"I don't want any more bloodshed either, but who would you rather suffered? Us or them?" -I say with unwavering resolve.
Azura only blinks.
"Azura?"
At the mention of her name her body suddenly begins to melt. She looks at me, screaming and rambling some language I don't know about. I jerk back and tumble out of bed down to the floor. I wriggle on the floor, trying to move but the carpet slows me down. I look back at Azura and her upper body has already vanished. I try to scream but my chest feels hot and constricted. My hands search for my chest, searching for whatever is binding me, but I find nothing. I look down and see my chest swollen and angry red, as if something was trying to dig its way out of my heart.
I gasp for air and I wake up, again.
This time I'm sitting on a small wooden chair with rope wrapped around my arms and legs.
"Where…"
Someone whistles from the shadows.
"You've been hallucinating for quite a while now, buggy."
I lazily turn my head in the direction of the sound.
"Who are you?"
My mind was fast to think of words but my mouth could not keep up.
"Well I ain't sayin' who I am exactly but…" -The person comes out of the shadows, a man I presume. He has white colored bandages covering his face, except his eyes, and shabby shirt and pants.
"Ya can call me Unkei. Just came up with the name me self just now. I'm real smart like that."
My breathing became rasped and my chest felt like it was melting.
"Not again." -I mumble.
"Not again? But ya looked like ye was havin' so much fun. I was almost'a gonna join ya." -His voice crackled at the beginning of his laugh.
"What…Is this?"
"It's a game. Ya guess what's real and what ain't, and every time ya lose I get to do somethin' fun with ya."
"What is it you want?" My voice roared throughout the giant empty room.
He laughed vigorously, his voice crackling all the way through his laugh.
"Come'er, boy." And Kana walked to him from behind my chair.
"Kana?! Stop, please don't hurt him!"
"I wonder… Why's ya boy trembling so much? Didn't ya raise him with more backbone than this?"
"Don't hurt him." I say, threatening him with my eyes.
"Ma…Mama." Kana's little voice wavers and a piece of my heart falls to the pit of my stomach.
"You are a dragon, my son, you cannot let him hurt you!"
As if on cue, my boy falls on his knees with a gash on his throat stretching from ear to ear.
The man giggles and I fall into a million pieces.
"And we haven't even touched the surface." He said.