SPOILER ALERT FOR FIRE EMBLEM FATES CONQUEST, BIRTHRIGHT AND REVELATION ROUTE AND PERHAPS ALL DLC. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Edit 8/16

Paper Dragons

PART II

A History of Hoshido and Nohr

Princess Azura of Valla watched with mild interest as the two dragons began their duel; she smiled slightly when the Hoshidan dragon wished the Nohrian one good luck before they started.

A small crowd formed around the dragons, Nohrians at one side and Hoshidans at the other. Behind them, Izumo guards stood, possibly to make sure that the crowd didn't get too rowdy. The Nohrians were the loudest of the bunch, a few crying out in excitement or clapping when their dragon gained the upper hand. The Hoshidans, on the other hand, did not share their enthusiasm. They just stood there, silent, not even cheering nor clapping when their dragon caught the Nohrian dragon unawares. The Izumo guards behind them showed more enthusiasm for their dragon than the Hoshidans had and they had seemed to already pick a favorite (or they probably felt sorry for the poor thing when her countrymen didn't cheer her on).

Azura had already picked her favorite, but still kept her distance, moving slightly when one of the Nohrians covered her view. She smiled to herself when her favorite outwitted the older dragon, taking him by surprise once or twice throughout the duel, earning applauses from the Nohrians and Izumo guards (never the Hoshidans, however). The princess was unable to hide her disappointed when the Nohrian dragon, at last, disarmed the Hoshidan and forced her to forfeit. Her favorite had lost.

The Hoshidan dragon took her loss quite well, however, unlike the glaring men and women behind her. She was quick to congratulate the Nohrian dragon with a big smile and a shake of hands. She complimented his sword skills and wished to fight once more in the future. The Nohrian dragon took all these compliments with a straight face, smiling only slightly when she asked for another fight later on.

Before he could say anything, the Nohrians behind him took him away, a few congratulating him on his win while a few others nodded in greeting to the Hoshidan dragon before they followed their prince. The Hoshidans quickly dispersed, not even acknowledging their dragon as they left her behind; at least the Izumo guards were kind enough to congratulate her before they went back to their posts.

Azura finally allowed herself to frown as the Hoshidans and Nohrians disappeared.

She didn't like how the Hoshidans were treating their dragon; the Nohrian dragon's behavior, as well, left a sour taste in her mouth. Azura was not really surprised, however, considering the ugly history between Nohr and Hoshido.

Before Valla opened trade between the two countries, their disputes had been legendary.

Difference in cultures had escalated from simple misconceptions to war. Unlike her people, the Vallites, who had lived, scattered about in their land and alone with their own beliefs before finally finding common ground and uniting, the Nohrians and Hoshidans didn't even try to understand each other. If disagreements broke out between the two, they either insulted each other or they massacred one another.

Centuries back, conflicts like that hardly affected the people around them but as time moved and they gained allies, the people of those countries argued for peace. Izumo, a longtime ally of Hoshido, argued for neutrality, followed close behind by the artist's country of Nestra and the isolated Valla. Even the people of Mokushu, destroyers of the land of Kohga, argued for peace and neutrality and allied themselves with Nohr in order to not leave them hanging. It was this peace that forced the Nohrians and Hoshidans to realize that they couldn't keep on with their conflicts out of spite.

At least, the current rulers of these countries were much more reasonable men than their ancestors had ever been but they were no fools. They had yet to forget the history between them and the air of distrust still lingered among them.

King Sumeragi of Hoshido was known as a fair and valiant man but for all his fairness he couldn't keep the clans in Hoshido from arguing with one another. These constant fights between Hoshidans and his inability to stop them made them seem weak, at least politically, to the other clans and even towards his allies in the distant Wind and Flame Tribes.

Hoshido was a land blessed by good fortune.

Crops grew year round no matter the weather. Their land had very few natural disasters and those it did have didn't cause too much damage. Diseases were put down as quickly as they arrived. And their wealth, oh their wealth! They had amassed thanks to the merchant clans and their unending resources that they would trade for gold or goods. Unfortunately for the Hoshidans, it was their wealth that would cause most of their troubles.

Azura had heard stories about the Hoshidans and their vast wealth; Hoshidans, especially nobles and some merchant clans, prided themselves with being superior to their allies. They figured they had been blessed by the gods and, if they could get away with it, ridiculed the Nohrians for their bad fortune.

This attitude had made them terrible traders, at least, beyond their land, as it was through Valla's interference that Hoshido could trade their goods with their neighbors properly. The Hoshidan merchants were a little too greedy, however, and would ask a lot for their products. The merchants were fair to their allies but not to the Nohrians.

Merchant clans in Hoshido controlled most of the trade, Azura knew, and therefore had a say on what to trade and what not to trade and what was needed or required. They also had power in the Hoshidan court and used this influence to either stomp out competitors or make life miserable on Nohrian merchants who were looking to sell their wares. The clans, however, had lost some power years back when a group of them planned to eliminate the Hoshidan Royal Family because they had decided to start trading with the Nohrians.

Despite the failure of the coup, the merchants still had power in the court and found ways to annoy the Nohrians by raising their prices or buying Nohrian goods at a lower price. A few Nohrian merchants had fallen to their dishonest practice while a few smarter ones took their business elsewhere, mainly to Valla or Nestra where they were given a fair price or just Nestra were their gems and gold were worth more.

Still, despite their problems with their clans and lack of respect for their allies, Hoshido prospered while Nohr was another business altogether.

In contrast to Hoshido, Nohr was in constant need of crops and food and was attacked by bad weather and diseases whenever they weren't looking. Due to their need of resources, the Nohrians had understood long ago that in order to prosper they had to conquer and so, they began to lay claim to nearby countries, earning a yearly tribute of crops and gold in order to keep on going. When conquest wasn't enough, the mines of Nohr were worked harder than ever, producing metals and gems to sell and trade and replenish the riches lost on conquest.

Yet, many misfortunes plagued the Nohrian people and the recent years had not been kind to the poor nor the rich. Nohr soon became a haven for the unlawful and the wicked. Constant conquest and war and misery from years back had finally wormed its way to many nearby cities and transformed them and even a few places in the capital into something more. Many families were forced on the streets due to Nohr's lack of food and jobs and many others let their misery turn them into thieves and murderers to get by.

The current King of Nohr, Garon, was a very different man than Sumeragi, and he was constantly trying to solve the crisis in Nohr and return the country to its former glory. He and Sumeragi were only different in attitude, as they were known as valiant and fair men, but in the recent years, King Garon had begun to be unpredictable. He was a well-known womanizer and had sired many children with his many lovers but his love for them had caused a tragedy within the Nohrian court that all were familiar with; fights broke out between his concubines and they dared to drag the children into them. It soon turned into a bloodbath were only the dragon and two brothers and sisters remained.

The tragedy had affected King Garon in many ways and he had become crueler, less patient, less forgiving. Yet, he was surprisingly reasonable when the situation demanded it, much more reasonable than even King Sumeragi in some instances. Unlike the Hoshidan King, he ruled his court with an iron fist, vetoing foolish notions and executing or imprisoning criminals or traitors to the crown.

Garon put order in his court while Sumeragi let his run rampant behind his back but despite all this problems they had yet to declare war with one another…yet.

It was a good thing that Valla stood between their need of war; they were the middle men, Azura's mother had once told her.

Like Hoshido, Valla had been blessed with good harvests and even better weather than their neighbors. They traded gems and metals from Nohr with food and clothes that had been traded from Hoshido, while they traded simple things with everyone else.

It all ended and started with trade or rather; it could end swiftly with the dragons.

Azura turned to stare at the remaining dragon who was staring at her with a smile, before sending a small wave her way. The princess of Valla blinked and then, smiling, waved back and watched as the dragon went on her way, running to catch up with the other Hoshidans.

She watched her go with a smile and then wondered if this peace would last and if the dragons would be the beginning of it all.