Prologue) The Fall

In an age long past, darkness flooded the land. Evil creatures, monsters with twisted forms, ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. In that despair, mankind appealed to the heavens and they answered with blinding light, and searing hope. They granted humans the Sacred Stones, gems of crystallized divine might, which held the power to dispel the evil and its ruler, the fierce Demon King. The Five Heroes, led by Grado, took this gems and the Sacred Twin Weapons, and sealed the Demon King away. With the darkness imprisoned, light shone upon the world once more and peace reigned. For over 800 years, that peace remained on the continent, named Magvel, an old word for 'restoration'.

The Sacred Stones were passed down from generation to generation, and nations were built around their legacy. In the center, the only landlocked country on the continent and known for its knights, was Renais, ruled by Fado, the peerless Warrior King. To the northwest, with its vast plains and pegasus knights, was Frelia, ruled by Hayden, the venerable Sage King. To the east, with vast deserts and an army of mercenaries, was Jehanna, ruled by Ismaire, the Queen of the White Dunes, regent in the absence of her son. To the northeast, known for its strong beliefs and stronger light magic, guardians of the Darkling Woods, was Rausten, ruled Mansel, the Divine Emperor. To the south, largest of the nations, known for its wyverns and dark magic users, was Grado, ruled by Vigarde, the stalwart Silent Emperor. These Sacred Stone nations are joined by Carcino, the smallest and youngest of the nations after the previous one was overthrown by civil war, which is ruled by a council of merchants, currently headed by Lord Klimt.

In times of peace, the epic conflict of the Five Heroes and the Demon King has passed into simple legend, a thing to celebrate and pay respect to, but nothing more. However, in the year 803 Magvel, everything changed.

In an unexpected act of atrocity, the Grado Empire invaded the Kingdom of Renais, without warning or mercy, under orders of Emperor Vigarde himself, long known for his peaceful ways. The attack shook the masses, and Grado's forces easily devour Renais, piece by piece, leaving behind blood and corpses in their wake, and Renais was unable to mount an offense that did more than stall Grado. Peerless warrior king he might be, but King Fado cannot counter a blow he never saw coming. It is well known how deeply Renais and Grado are tied; King Fado and Emperor Vigarde have long viewed each other as best friends, and the friendship between Princess Eirika, Prince Ephraim, and Imperial Prince Lyon is simple fact, just as the sky is blue and grass is green.

Compounding King Fado's worries is his feckless son and heir, Prince Ephraim, who disappeared shortly after the assault, likely to charge headfirst into the battles he loves far too much. As such, King Fado is stuck trying to rally the army alone, though General Seth and Princess Eirika do what they can to help. But Grado's momentum, unimpeded by anything, brings them right to the gates of Castle Renais itself. Renais will fall. It's inevitable.

At least most of my family and my friends are already gone. I only have one more person to lose.

The rain began when word came that Ivroria was surrounded, with the heavy knowledge that the capital of Renais, and Castle Renais itself, would fall before long. Grado had won its campaign long before it began. Now, we were just waiting for it all to end and we figure out what Grado planned for us.

"Emma!" Helena's voice broke me from my thoughts, and I looked up from the muddy ground to see her waving at me. "Goodness, child, what are you doing out?" she demanded, gesturing for me to come to her. She was wearing a nice dress, so I knew she didn't want to risk mud staining it. "It's pouring!"

"It's lighter than earlier," I replied with a shrug. I held up my basket of various foods, freshly bought from the traveling merchants. "I ran low."

"Dear, you could've just asked for something. You know I always make more than enough." She huffed, sulking at me. Looking at her, it was hard to believe she was old enough to be my mother. "And, well, I'd love to take care of you. We'll be evacuating soon."

"I heard you were in the next group." People had been trickling out ever since Serafew fell, and Grado came. Some went to Carcino, while others went to Frelia. We weren't far from either border here. "Stay safe."

"We'll try." She reached out and cupped my cheek, careful to not dislodge my hood. "You are more than welcome to come with Sam and me. Gods know that you've spent enough time in this house when Mary was alive."

"You're very kind." I tried not to flinch. Mary had been my best friend, and her eldest. But she'd died two years ago, after a particularly cold rain that fell while we were trying to bring in crops. I'd gotten a cold. She, and many others, got pneumonia, and it had been a particularly nasty type. The local church, healers that serviced at least ten other villages, had been overwhelmed, and so, a lot of people had died. "But I'll remain here."

"If you're sure…" Helena gave me a worried look. "If you change your mind…"

"I'll let you know." I smiled tiredly at her and walked away, back towards my house on the outskirts of the village. Dad had built it himself, since Mom had joked that she wanted to build her own home after retiring from being a mercenary. At one point, it had been a bright, cheerful place, but nowadays, it was just a brown house with stuff inside.

The lack of cheer had been a slow deterioration. Dad had been a knight for Renais, often away, and then one day, when I was about three, while defending King Fado from an assassin, he'd died and never came back. Mom had held onto her life and cheer, but when I was ten, we'd had a flood and Mom had drowned while getting some kids to higher ground. My sister, Monica, had raised me after that, and things held steady. They'd even grown a little brighter, with my friends and I growing up, Jacob and I shyly dating, her marrying her longtime boyfriend, Orson.

Then the pneumonia came and killed Mary, Jacob, and most of my friends. Monica and Orson had supported me all they could, but Monica had always been frail, and the stress of everything finally took its toll on her, and she'd died six months ago, in miserable pain, though she continued to smile.

I only had Orson left now, but he wasn't here. He was missing, alongside our idiotic, irresponsible crown prince. For all I knew, he was dead. He could even be dead by his own hand; I'd stopped him from committing suicide soon after Monica died, after all. I doubted Prince Ephraim, or his 'loyal knights', would get their heads out of their asses long enough to worry about him, much less stop a suicide attempt.

The thoughts made me tireder than usual, and by the time I reached my house, I was tempted to just skip food all together, and just go straight to bed. I paused, however, when I noticed something odd. My door was slightly ajar, but I knew I had firmly closed it when I left for the market. I had gone back to make sure of it, since I hadn't wanted the rain to seep in. So, carefully, I pushed the door open and walked inside, wondering what I'd do if there was an intruder. A year ago, the answer would've been obvious, but I was just so… tired.

It was still dark in my house, no thanks to the clouds blocking what little light there should've been. However, there was still enough light to see that there were two people in front of my fireplace, a girl with turquoise hair and a man with Jehannan-red hair. Both wore armor, and as the girl whirled to face me, I saw she wore a very short skirt, and that her armor was colored gold.

I knew her, or rather, I knew of her. More importantly, I had a good idea what her presence here meant, even if I wondered why Princess Eirika was in my house.

"I'm so sorry! Is this your home?" she babbled, voice breathy. She was drenched, likely caught in the earlier bad rain, but I could still see the streaks of mud and soot on her face and clothes. "I just… it didn't look occupied, and his injury and…" She gestured to the man, and I knew him as well. General Seth, half-Jehannan like me with the hair and eye color to prove it, struggled to get to his feet, but he looked pale, pained, and the armor on his side was cracked, hinting he'd taken a bad hit. "And I think he's got a fever, but he won't let me look, and… and...

I blinked at her, certain that if I blinked enough times, she'd disappear. However, she remained where she was. "Clothes," I whispered. She gave me a weird look, likely because I wasn't freaking out. But I couldn't find the energy to care. I just wanted to go to bed. But I was also scared of what the cold would do to her. Colds and pneumonia were common this time of year, and there would be even less healers now. "You need to change into dry clothes, the both of you." I set my basket down and hooked my cloak on a pin by the door before slipping off my muddy boots. "I'll get some for both of you."

"Thank you…" She smiled slightly, just… accepting that I was going to be weird. "Oh, I'm being rude. I'm-"

"I know who you are, Princess Eirika." Even if I didn't, her demeanor and clothing gave her away, easily. "Oh, let me get a fire going for you two first."

It took me a couple of tries, mostly because the wood was damp, but it wasn't long before I got a roaring fire going, and I gave them blankets to dry off with as I headed to the back to find them some clothes. As I walked through, I absently glanced around, not blaming Princess Eirika for thinking the place had been abandoned. When Monica died, Orson and I had packed up most of the personal belongings, with the plan of me moving to Ivroria with him. Most of my things were there, actually, in his little townhouse. All that was here were the barest of essentials, like some rugs and curtains, some cooking utensils, and some old clothes we'd planned on bringing in with the last bit. Of course, Grado's invasion happened prior to that, so I was stuck in a rather impersonal house.

I made it to the back room, once my parents' room and now just a storage space, and looked through the piles, hunting for clothes I thought might fit. General Seth and Orson were about the same size, so I grabbed some of his clothes, briefly wondering if Orson would mind. I figured quickly, though, that he wouldn't. Orson had always talked fondly of General Seth, and would likely have loved the chance to help him out.

After I picked out clothes for General Seth, I wondered what clothes to pick for Princess Eirika. I hesitated for a moment before picking out some of Monica's old dresses, thinking that they'd fit her better than my own clothes. Monica definitely wouldn't have minded; she probably would've already had them in my hands and ushered me out the door to them.

Clothes picked, I returned to the living room, passed them the dry clothes, and retrieved my basket to begin making dinner. I'd have to make a larger amount than expected, and it was so… strange to have bits of murmuring in the background as I cooked again.

If I closed my eyes, I could pretend they were Orson and Monica. But I kept my eyes open, because there was no use in pretending away reality.

About two days after Princess Eirika and General Seth took refuge in my house, we got word that Castle Renais had officially fallen. There was absolutely no word on King Fado, and even less on Prince Ephraim. I listened closely to what bits were there, after all. Princess Eirika would like to know.

"You've been buying a lot more these past few days," Victor noted cheerfully. He was Carcinoan, and like most, was a merchant. Specifically, he was part of a group of traveling merchants, and their group had been visiting the village for the past few years. "Not that I'm complaining, of course, but it's a noticeable difference. Has your appetite returned?"

"Even if it did, I doubt I could eat this much," I replied, laughing a little. The sound sounded hollow in my ears, and not simply because I was tired still. I was also worried, because he'd noticed. I bought for three people. "No, I am simply stocking up. With the war, I imagine prices will jump."

"Sadly, true." He sighed a bit, but I already knew he was rapidly thinking of how to make a profit without taking advantage of people. That's just how merchants were. "...You know…" He coughed awkwardly, and his face turned red. "The offer of you leaving with us is still open…"

"...You're very kind." I smiled at him, and pretended I didn't notice the blush. He had a crush on me, but I just… wasn't interested. "But I will remain here."

"Okay…" He sounded a bit disappointed, and I knew it wasn't just because of his crush. He was a genuinely kind person, and was worried. He had been when I first met him, three years ago, and that had never changed. "If you change your mind…"

"You'll be the first to know." I gave him a small smile and went on my way, carrying my basket of food back to my house. I passed Helena's house on the way, but this time, there was no little scolding for walking in the rain. Helena and little Sam had left yesterday, giving me hugs and whispering prayers that I would remain safe. I'd seen them off with a smile, but their departure made things all the clearer how few people were around. The only life in the village came from the merchants, and they would be gone before long.

I made it to my house in record time, and walked in, setting my basket down to hook my cloak on the knob and take off my boots. As I did, I noticed Princess Eirika was up and about and… attempting to sweep. But she held the broom oddly, and she looked so incredibly confused as she more pushed the dirt and ash this way and that, attempting to get it into a pile, but failing miserably. The sight was so ridiculous that a giggle bubbled out of my throat, and even as she squeaked and whirled, I realized that it was the first time I'd giggled since Monica died.

"Welcome back!" Princess Eirika chirped, hiding the broom behind her. She glanced down at the floor and I found myself giggling, again, at how silly she was. "I… uh…"

"Attempted to sweep?" I supplied, feeling my face stretch with a smile. A wider smile. It felt stiff. "I can see that."

"Y-yes, well…" She coughed and reddened all the way to her ears. I'd noticed she didn't really blush 'prettily', like the princesses in the stories. Her blushes tended to be a dark red, mottling through her face until it reached her neck and ears. "I just… wanted to try and help a bit, but maybe I just made it worse."

"Weren't you taking care of General Seth?"

"He's asleep now, and his horse is nice and fed, hiding in your shed in the back!" Her smile widened. "I think his fever is coming down."

"That would be good." I found my smile widen further at that, even though it hurt my face to smile so freely now. "The infection wasn't too bad."

"The wound is, though…" Her smile faltered and fell, and she drooped a little. General Seth had, apparently, gotten the bad injury due to shielding her from a Grado General. "It's just…"

"Wounds heal, in time." I picked up my basket again and headed for the kitchen to begin making dinner. "Stew okay?"

"Oh, of course." Princess Eirika's smile returned, and she sat in front of the fire, right next to her awkward piles of dust. "I really can't thank you enough, Miss Emma."

"It's really nothing." There was something a bit… comforting… in having someone else to cook for again. "I'm just doing whatever."

"Not many people would take the sudden appearance of two random strangers so calmly." She sighed. "My poor people, though… everything is falling apart, and my father and brother are…"

"Honestly, Princess, so long as you stay alive, the people will hold onto hope." I set out the vegetables I'd bought on the counter, and took my knife to start cutting the potatoes into smaller chunks for the stew. "They've been hoping for a while that you'd take over anyway."

"What?" Her voice sounded strangled. "B-but Ephraim is the heir!"

"And he dodges responsibility, always has, and left us to be slaughtered while he chased after glory. Or he intends to skate by with his talent, as he always had, for some 'good fights', since only an idiot would assume they alone can turn the tide against an army." I put a little more force into cutting than necessary. "But you are kind and responsible. Naive, and maybe a little foolish, but that's what advisors are for. You do your duty, and so, the people hope that you'd become queen, and your brother would go die as a mercenary or whatever glorified nonsense he wanted to do." I paused, and then turned to face her pale, wide-eyed face with a wry smile. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't mention him being 'dead' or anything while he's missing."

"No, no, I'm sure he's fine." She sounded distinctly squeaky, though. "I just… never realized Ephraim was hated."

"Hate is perhaps too strong a word, though there might be many who hate him now for abandoning us." My smile turned more bitter. "It's hard to hate someone who cares nothing for you."

"B-but Ephraim does care!"

"Then he is too lazy to show it." I turned back to the vegetables and resumed my cutting. "What's your favorite vegetable?"

"I… carrots?" Her voice was squeaky again, likely from the abrupt subject change. "Um…"

"I'll put some extra in for you." I moved the chopped potatoes to the side, and went to chop up the carrots. "It's important to eat, especially when things are crazy." That was what Monica always said. I missed her.

"...Right. I cannot despair until I've reunited with my family." There was some rustling and, suddenly, Princess Eirika was next to me. "Is there not anything I can do to assist?"

I gave her a long, studying look, and sighed. "For now, separate the chopped things into dishes. They cook at different rates, so they'll go into the stew at different times."

"Okay."

Two days after we heard of Castle Renais fall, General Seth recovered enough to move. His fever had gone down, and his wound had closed with no signs of infection. I headed into the market to buy him some more bandages, and to get them both some apples for their trip. Apples were cheap right now, so I could get them a bit. No one questioned the odd bulk purchase; Victor and his group left that morning, before I'd bought anything.

A strange bit of rumbling, however, caught my ears as I headed back for my house, and I turned to see some mud on the horizon, and some black dots under the storm clouds, flying easily through the rain that still fell. I wondered what it could be for a brief moment, but then I caught the flags whipping in the wind and recognized the black Wyvern Rampant of Grado on the flags. Grado was here, and I had little doubts why.

From somewhere, I found the energy to run, mud splashing up my legs and onto my skirts as I dodged puddles and ran straight through the door, not even bothering to take off my boots. Both Princess Eirika and General Seth looked at me, startled, from their place in front of the fire.

"Grado is here," I informed them, my voice shaky from the run. General Seth closed his eyes while Princess Eirika gasped. "You need to leave." I shoved my basket into Princess Eirika's arms, and pushed her towards the back door. "Quickly. Is your horse saddled?"

"Yes, we're ready to leave," General Seth replied. He winced subtly as he moved, still in pain, but he could endure. "We were waiting for you to get back from the market."

"Well, I'm back, and now you need to go." I got Princess Eirika out the door, and undid my cloak to put it on her. "Now."

"Thank you, truly." General Seth continued pushing Princess Eirika out the door, and I could see his horse really was all ready to go. I could also hear screams on the wind, hinting that the Grado forces were already here. "I'm sorry."

"Just go!" I shoved them both, as hard as I could, and closed the door behind them. Outside, thunder boomed, actually rattling the house. It was soon echoed by the thunder of hooves on the ground.

I took a deep breath and moved from the door, heading to my room and tugging a small pack from under my bed. I threw some random clothes and bits of fruit inside, not really paying attention, and slung it over my shoulder. The movements were completely automatic, and a sick feeling pooled in my stomach. I chose to not thinking about it, since I didn't know when my energy reserves would flag again, and I moved to the back door. I paused, however, and turned back, realizing the fire was still going. I hesitated a bit before going to it and banking it. It was a stupid move, and I acknowledged that even as I did, but even though this house was dreary and dark, it had still been 'home'.

But I shouldn't have done that. Someone actually kicked down the door and the lightning flashed behind them, casting them in an eerie shadow for a split second before they stepped inside. The first thing I noticed was the diluted blood streaming down their armor. The second thing I noticed was the blood matted in their stringy teal hair. The third thing I noticed was the madness in their dark eyes, and the sickening smirk on their face.

"Well, well, I didn't expect to see such a pretty thing here," they noted lightly. Their smirk widened. "I thought you might've run with them. Did they leave you behind, pretty one?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied automatically, finding the energy from somewhere inside. It took a moment, but my mind supplied me with a name, based off of Orson's stories. Valter, once one of the Imperial Three, had been a mad general who had been dishonorably discharged from the army for slaughtering civilians. Orson had told me he disagreed with their decision to simply imprison him, and it made me wonder now if Emperor Vigarde had simply planned on releasing the mad dog for the coming war. "Who are you? Why do you come so rudely into my home?"

"Well, pretty and defiant…" Valter chuckled lowly, and my skin crawled. "You are interesting. Hair of blood, eyes to match, and such wonder…" He stepped closer, and I wanted to step back. But fear and shock had rooted my feet, and so I accidentally held my ground as he stopped in front of me, and met his face impassively because while I had enough energy to talk, I was too tired to show any of the fear I felt. "We got word that General Seth and Princess Eirika escaped here, dear one." He reached out and ran a hand through my hair, twisting the locks around his fingers and tugging slightly. I gave no reaction and his smirk only grew. "Clever corpse, that man is. It's off the path, and the recent rains had covered their tracks so very well."

"Is that so?" I remained still as he leaned in a little closer and pulled my hair a little harder. I regretted letting it grow out after Monica had died. I'd simply been too tired to even cut it, so it fell to my waist now. "That's an interesting story."

"And we heard another interesting story as well. Something about a lone girl, living all alone, buying a lot of food. Perhaps, in fact, enough to feed three people."

"Buying in bulk is cheaper, especially right now."

"And where is that bulk?" He leaned in even closer, and I felt his too hot breath on my face. He was really far too close, leaning over me. "Might you show me?"

"I fail to see why I should show anything to someone who so rudely entered my home." I also failed to see why I couldn't just shut up. Monica had always warned me about my habit to talk first, think second, especially since I had a bad habit of being too honest as well. "Perhaps if you had entered my house like a proper person instead of a mad beast, I might've have."

He stared at me for a long moment before he started chuckling again. This time, it sounded so deranged. "I'd planned on savoring the hunt for Princess Eirika and that lovely defiant corpse, but you… you have whet my appetite too much!" He harshly pulled on my head, jerking it back, and then knocked my feet out from under me, sending me to the ground. He then quickly pinned me, using his greater weight to keep me from moving as he continued to laugh. "Ah, too tempting, far too tempting… I'm so bored…!"

My mind stopped, realizing what he meant, but my body reacted. My heart was too tired to care, and my mind was too frozen, but my body knew damn well what it wanted: to keep on living and to get away from him. He'd made the mistake of not restraining my hands, so I reached out and snagged a log from the fire. It burned and crumbled under my fingers, but I got enough of a grip to snag it and swing, hitting him right in the face. He screamed, and jerked back, and I scrambled out from under him, thinking distantly that he really was a beast. Threatening, but hated being hurt.

I left my pack behind as I stumbled out the door and into the mud and rain. But my treacherously long hair proved to be a detriment as Valter quickly caught up and seized it, using it to pull me back, and laughing all the while.

"Oh, you're so, so beautiful," he hissed in my ear. "Oh, how I want to break you, master you, make you scream…"

"I'm not much of a screamer, sorry," I retorted, trying to think of what Mom had taught me for self-defense. But my mind was frozen from fear, unable to find the energy to do much of anything except responses that likely made everything worse.

"I'm sure I can turn you into one…" He turned my face towards his, and his eyes were even madder than before, and not because of the blistering red marks on his face. Or maybe they were, but in a different way than most people. This man was absolutely insane. Why had he not been simply killed, back when he was convicted? "It will be so much fun to-!"

A rock, of all things, hit Valter square in the face, followed by a lance to the shoulder. Valter's grip on me loosened, and someone else snagged me. I nearly jerked out, but I recognized who it was as soon as I faced them. General Seth.

He dragged me after him, ducking into the nearby trees quickly and actually marking random trees. I wondered why before I realized that he didn't mark the trees that actually showed our path. He was laying a fake trail to confuse them, and buy us extra time to escape.

After while, we stopped to catch our breath under a particularly large tree, one I recognized easily. Monica, Orson, and I had often had picnics under it, since it wasn't far from the village's stables. I leaned against the bark and gasped greedily at air as my lungs protested the recent fear and exertions.

A gentle hand fell on my back, but I flinched away automatically. When I glanced up at General Seth, I saw guilt in his eyes. "I apologize for grabbing you so brusquely," he murmured. He deliberately brought his hand down to his side, and didn't try to touch me again. I was grateful for that. "I feared he might recover quickly."

"He did when I hit him in the face with a burning log." I straightened slowly, wincing as my legs screamed. They hadn't enjoyed the recent exercise either. I used to run around like a child all the time, but I'd been too tired. My legs showed that. "Why are you back?"

"Princess Eirika didn't want to leave you in danger."

"And you listened?" I gave him my most incredulous look. "Isn't her safety priority for you?"

"She's the stubborn twin, sadly." He smiled wryly. "Though, I had to admit, I did not much like leaving you in danger myself."

"That's… noble."

"I think it more selfishness. I am a knight and my duty is to protect, and yet, I can barely protect two people." He sighed, glaring up at the sky. The rain continued pouring down. "We'll rendezvous with Princess Eirika and figure out to do from there. Both of you can ride my horse."

"What, and you'll remain behind?" I groaned. I also decided that maybe Princess Eirika wasn't as good of a ruler as I thought she might be, if she focused so much on the smaller picture. "Knights! Always too damned noble minded!" That was why Orson was with Ephraim even now, damn it. "Head left."

"Pardon?"

"Head. Left." I kept my voice firm. It took all the energy I had left. "There's a group stable for the village not far from here if we head towards the left. It's set up there because there's fields that they can run in and everything. My brother-in-law's spare horse should be there. I doubt they passed it yet. I know how to ride." I hadn't done it since Monica died, but I could hopefully remember enough.

"Well, that makes things easier." He started heading that way instantly, and I tried not to slip in the mud. "Let's hope we can reach it easily."

"I think they're a little busy killing the villagers." I winced as I heard screams rip through the thunder. "He's not even pretending to look, is he?"

"...No, he's not. He didn't from the beginning. We were just an excuse." His eyes were dark as he looked back at me. "I'm sorry. This village is off the path. I'd hoped they wouldn't be able to track us until…"

"It's done. You can't bring back the dead." I shook my head. I was too tired to be angry at him. I felt too tired to do much of anything, now. "Let's get the horse."

"Yes."

We'd gotten lucky. The stables were still untouched when we arrived, and the tack was all where it should've been. Some horses were missing, evacuated with the others, but Orson's spare horse, lovingly named Peachblossom by my sister for some inane reason, was still here, whickering when she saw me. General Seth opened the doors to all the stalls as I saddled Peachblossom up, so that the horses could escape the coming chaos, and he gathered what extra supplies were left here, likely because he barely had enough to care for his horse, much less two.

After that, we met with a relieved Princess Eirika and rode for the Frelian border, stopping just short to make camp in a cave. The rain, surprisingly enough, had finally stopped after over a week when we did.

"We're almost there," General Seth whispered. I thought it was more just to remind him that this trial was almost over than to actually inform us. "Just a little longer." He turned to where Princess Eirika and I were curled up under a blanket as resting against the wall. Since I'd left without my pack, there was really only enough for two, but Princess Eirika shared easily and without question. "Once we cross the bridge, we'll be in Frelia, near Border Mulan." He managed a small smile, but it faded quickly. "It won't be an easy ride. But I think we can make it."

"I'm glad to hear that," Princess Eirika murmured. She slowly reached up to touch my shoulder. Fast movements made me twitchy, but she adapted with ease. "How are you doing?"

"I think I'll recover," I replied, unable to think of anything else to say. I wasn't fine, I hadn't been for a while, and it seemed stupid to lie so obviously. "You need not worry."

"How can I not, considering…?" Her voice caught and she coughed. I instantly felt panic worm through my heart, remembering the pneumonia. But, it quickly became apparent that she was simply coughing back tears. "Oh, gods…"

"Are you well?" General Seth asked, sounding a little panicked. He couldn't see her quite well from this angle. "You're pale, your highness. Are you ill?"

"No, it just… hit me, that's all," she mumbled, shivering. "This is war, isn't it? It's not like the silly games Ephraim and I would play with Lyon. I never thought…" She shook her head. "You read about it in the books, but it's so dry compared to everything. War is so… savage. Are words useless? Is it all about strength?" She laughed bitterly. "I learned some swordplay, but I've never been strong. I always focused on diplomacy. I'm useless, except as a beacon of hope."

"Princess…" General Seth seemed hesitant, and sad. "You…"

"No, don't give me that look, Seth." She looked at him, and smiled slightly. "I always relied on Ephraim to be the strong one. But that's just selfish, isn't it? To let him be the strong one, while I was the 'responsible one'? Well, my responsibility tells me to see this through. I am not broken, Seth, and I will not be. I will simply find my own strength, as Ephraim has." She became hesitant suddenly. "At least… I hope I can…"

"...I'm sure you can." General Seth smiled. "For now, though, you and Miss Emma need to rest."

"True." Princess Eirika smiled back and, cautiously, leaned her head on my shoulder. When i didn't protest, she smiled. "We'll get you to safety, Emma. I promise."

"I'm touched, your highness," I replied softly. Mostly, I was startled. I'd expected her to burst into tears or something. But no, she simply kept her head high, and her resolve firm. "You don't need to go through the trouble."

"It would barely be more trouble than you sheltering us," General Seth pointed out. His expression faded for stoicism again. "Still, the road is likely to be dangerous. Do you have any sort of combat training? You clearly know how to ride, but…"

"...I know a bit of lance work, I guess." I almost shrugged, but Princess Eirika was already dozing. I didn't want to wake her up. "Some bits from my parents, some bits from my brother-in-law. It was never something I did recreationally, but I know some basics."

"My silver lance is likely too heavy for you to take, but I think I can snag you an iron one from one of the nearby villages." General Seth gave me a bitter smile. "I fear that you might need to defend yourself again. I'd rather you have a proper weapon for that. I'll give you some pointers when we next stop, and ways to not freeze up."

"My problem was that I couldn't resist being a smartass while afraid, but not freezing will probably be good." I yawned, though, and blinked slowly. I hadn't had a bantering conversation with anyone for a while, and it felt strange. "Well, for now, I'm going to pass out."

"Go ahead." He actually laughed a bit. "It's been a long few days."

"Yeah…" I was already drifting off. "War sucks."

If he said anything in response, I didn't hear it. Sleep closed my ears very quickly, that night.

Notes on Emma:

A 17 year old villager. Half Jehannan, and inherited the trademark red hair and eyes. Knows some lancework.

Suffers from depression due to the recent loss of her sister, Monica, and the disappearance of her brother-in-law, Orson, alongside Prince Ephraim. That Monica was her only family since her parents died when she was young, and that she was already trying to recover from the deaths of many friends, and her boyfriend, two years ago did not help matters.

Very honest, sometimes bluntly and brutally so, but finds it hard to simply send a person on their way without help. Despite her melancholy, she holds a strong inner fire, which catches people's eyes, for good or for ill.

Notes on Eirika:

The 17 year old Princess of Renais. Recently learned some swordwork.

Detests violence and is incredibly gentle, which is both her greatest strength and weakness. Due to a sheltered upbringing, she is incredibly naive and, worse, stubborn. Still, her attention to duty make the people prefer her over her older twin for the title of 'heir'.

Incredibly brave in the face of adversity, and determined to see her kingdom restored and to get to the root of the problem. Worries desperately, however, for her father, brother, and her dear friend, Lyon.

Notes on Seth:

The 27 year old Silver Knight, most famed General of Renais. Specializes in lances, but skilled in swords as well.

Known for being the youngest to hold the title of General, and for being the finest knight in the lands. He is also known for his devotion and loyalty to his country, and the royal family in particular.

Took a bad injury from fighting General Valter, mostly because he had to protect Princess Eirika from the blow. The injury became infected, leading to a fever and why he and Princess Eirika stopped in the village. Though closed, it does not seem as if the injury has healed yet.

Author's note: Welcome to Records of the Valiant, an FE8 novelization. The title comes from the name of the opening movie's music (The Valiant). Emma is an OC, the sister of Monica, and thus the sister-in-law to Orson, a canon knight of Renais. She starts as a 'villager', and is basically a 'trainee' class like Amelia, Ross, and Ewan. As for the criticism for Ephraim… I adore him, but the game doesn't quite dive a lot into his flaws at the beginning of the game, though he serves as a lovely deconstruction of 'the Ace' towards the end of it. I will note, though, that Emma in particular doesn't like him because he disappeared with the only family she has left, Orson.

This chapter is based off the prologue in game, but tweaked to allow for Emma's recruitment. There is no name for the capital city of Renais, so I substituted one in (thank you, fantasygenerators) for convenience.

Next Chapter - Escape!