Are you bound by blood?
I can hear the beating of Ryouma's heart through his armor, I can feel his arms wrapping around my body tightly, I can feel feel the warmth of his hug.
"You're finally home..." Ryouma says, and I can hear the emotion in his voice, all of the love, relief, fear, everything. It's overwhelming, really, and it makes me feel like I'm about to choke.
Or are you bound by loyalty?
"You made the right choice." Marx says as he takes my hand and leads me through the double doors of the throne room, where I see all of my family is gathered.
Camilla gives me the most beautiful smile, and it makes me feel better. Leon, ever his quiet and emotionless self, nods his head at me, but I can see relief in his eyes. Elise is crying and smiling at the same time, and it doesn't take a genius to know that she was scared. Garon's reaction, however, is what truly surprises me.
"I'm glad that you picked us..." Garon says as he pulls me into a hug, the furs of his coat and his long, white beard tickling my face. "My daughter."
Do you side with the peace-loving Hoshido?
"Of course we don't emwant/em the war..." Ryouma says as he smooths out a wrinkle in the map before looking over to me at my place beside mother.
"But they've given us no choice."
Or do you side with the glory-seeking Nohr?
"Tonight!" Marx begins as he faces the legion of soldiers waiting for his command. "We will win this war, in the name of my father, in the name of our emKing/em, but more importantly, we will win, for our kingdom!"
"Forward! For glory! For honor! For Nohr!"
This is your choice...
Ryouma is panting hard as he falls to one knee, burying his katana deep into the castle floor to keep upright, then he looks at me with not hatred, or pain, nor sorrow, but with love.
"Kamui... Think of the people... Of your people!" The flames are flickering all around us, leaping from banister to banister, carpet to carpet. "Is this... What you really want?!"
To choose who lives...
"You are a traitor!" Marx roars as he strikes his sword, wreathed in dark flames, against my sword, causing me to strain to keep my balance. "We were your family!"
He keeps striking at my sword, blow after blow, blade against blade, until I finally lose my grip. My sword clatters to the ground beside me and his sword bites into my shoulder, drawing a cry of pain from me.
Marx pulls it out and watches me silently. "If you choose to be a traitor..." He raises his sword up in an arc. "Than you will die like one!"
And who dies...
Takumis bow falls from his hand as he pulls his last arrow from its quiver, holding it in a reverse grip. He charges at me, swinging the arrow as if it were a knife, while I dodge out to the left, forcing a frustrated growl from his lips.
"Why won't you die?! Take your death like a true traitor!" He screams as he lunges forward, aiming the arrow at my neck, but all I do is hold my sword out and let him impale himself on it. His eyes go wide and the arrow falls from his grip, clattering onto the ground below.
"B-big sister..." Takumi says as he grab my shoulders with both hands, blood dribbling down his chin and onto my armor and the ground below. "You...heart...less...traitor..."
Your choice...
"Queen Kamui! Rightful heir to the Hoshido clan!" Ryouma screams to the people of the country, a large smile on his face as he holds my hand up triumphantly in the air.
"Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!" The country screams back, ecstatic to have its queen back, joyful that the war is over, and happy that peace has returned.
"Smile. I gave up the crown so you could be Queen. The least you could is smile."
...will make a difference.
"My queen..." Marx says from beside me, his fingers intertwined with mine, as we look over the country from the top of the castle. "We will change this country together."
"I would say that we've already done that, but..." I say as I feel him wrap his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him, close enough that I can smell blood, shampoo, and ash all over him.
"Shut up." And with that, he presses his lips against mine, effectively silencing the retort that I had prepared, but I lean into it anyways, just letting the rest of the world fade around us, as I finally feel happy.