MelodyReiterLee, thank you for the review,I know that the second chapter was short,I'm sorry.

Miscalculation, thanks for the reviews, very encouraging and also, people have told me I'm a genius...despite their total awareness of my lack of common sense.

Chapter 3

Still don't own fire emblem, and I'm about to go into therapy for that!!(jokin')

3 days later,in the royal bedchamber

"Are you ready?" Joshua asked Marisa.

"Yup. I've got a couple of swords,including Shamshir of course. And I have a couple of vulneraries ,'cause its gonna be a long trip. Ya know? What about you,what are you takin'?"

"Audhulma."

"That's it. Nothing else. No vulneraries?"

"Nope. The way I'm gonna handle this, I only need a blade."

"Okay,but…sooner or later, Ephraim and them will find out that their assassin is dead. They'll be expecting you."

Joshua hesitated to respond,mulling over what his wife just said.

"I guess your right. But they'll be outnumbered. I won't need anything besides Audhulma."

"Outnumbered? What do you…?"

Marisa was cut off when a guard came in the room.

"Your Highnesses, A group of people is waiting outside the keep." He said.

"Send them in." Joshua ordered.

The guard left the room and minutes passed before he came back with three proud looking people behind him.

"No way!" Marisa said after an excited gasp," Gerik! Tethys! Ewan! Its,so nice to see you again! Well, the reason we're meeting again isn't so nice,but its still nice that we get to meet again. Oh my…Ewan, you've grown!"

"Yeah,I have!" Ewan said proudly, "A lot has happened since we last seen each other!"

"Anyway!" Joshua shouted quietly(heheh…oxymoron…I think,gee I really love oxymorons), "Lets get down to business. When we get to Renais,we'll have to move quickly and quietly. Remember, everyone in Renais will be aware that we're alive. If we reveal ourselves or get caught, we will be killed. Alright so when we get to the castle,we interrogate them and if that doesn't go well,we kill'em." Joshua announced.

"And then we head to Rausten and do the same thing,right?" Ewan asked innocently.

"Why would we head to Rausten?" Joshua asked.

"That's where Lady…er,um…L'Arachel is." Ewan replied…innocently.

"D'oh!! Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Gerik impatiently asked.

"I thought you guys already knew." Ewan replied quietly, looking down at his feet.

Joshua sighed and said: "Okay,new plan. Marisa.you take a small group and lead it to Rausten Court. I'll take a small group and lead it to Ephraim and his sister. When we finish our job, we'll send a message to your team and vice versa."

That Night

"Gerik, Tethys, Ewan! You will all sleep in our bedchamber tonight." Joshua announced to the mercenaries.

"Oh, I get it. You want me to make sure you don't do anything dirty the night before you and your wife part ways for a while." Gerik said to Joshua.

Marisa heard this, scolded Gerik, and then called him a perv, which he deserved.

"Um, no, actually. Its just that the room is big enough for the five of us and we can't waste precious time looking all over the keep for you guys." Joshua said calmly,trying to make it as clear as possible that he was better than Gerik, "Is everyone packed?'

"Sis,what did Gerik mean when he said "dirty"? Its not like there's mud or dirt around." Ewan inquired.

"Its best you don't know." Tethys replied.

"Alright,so the only thing left to do in the morning is get the messenger hawks ready and decide who's going with who,right?" Joshua asked.

"Yup." Marisa confirmed.

"Hey,Josh. Are ya gonna pass through Caer Pelyn on your way to Renais?" Ewan asked hopefully.

Joshua rolled his eyes and said "We can if your with me. Honestly, I'm in no hurry to risk my life with a strong,young king with a strong desire to kill me. I did enough near-dying in the war.

"Cool!!"

Finally,after moments of conversation,everyone went to sleep. But before Gerik actually fell asleep, he kept his eyes on Joshua.

Yet another chapter for this story. I was looking at it in Microsoft Word and considered it to be long compared to the other chapters. I've been really into updating these past...er,hours, but I don't think I'll have the fourth chapter up as soon. I'm thinking of doing the rest of the story like an Eirika's route/Ephraim's route except with Joshua and Marisa. I also plan to add a bit more comedy in later chapters but probably not enough to change the genre.