The next morning was silent, as expected.
Save for the occasional rustle of chains or crackle of the fire, Kamui had not tried to escape at anytime throughout the night.
Instead the princess had stared at the sky. Watching with no real attention as the colors morphed from navy, to lilac, to orange, and so on.
During each shift change the Nohr siblings, save for Marx, had tried to speak to their sister.
Camilla attempted to coax out a retort with patient tones. Leon had softly asked numerous questions. Elise had begged for one good reason to her choice.
Each was met with a glare colder than ice.
At one point, Leo had sworn he could hear the dragon blooded girl softly humming a strange tune that he felt as though he remembered from his youth.
But the song was ended like a stomped on ember. Abruptly and with a sullen huff once the princess had realized he could hear her.
The evening turned to dawn soon enough.
Marx was the first to speak after Leon and Camilla had finished packing up what remained of their breakfast.
Kamui had outright refused to eat.
"Your choice to remain awake was foolish. We will not be resting again until we reach home, sister."
The eldest prince's tone was not as harsh as it could have been. Rather, it sounded tired and almost a tad bit remorseful.
As though he didn't already know that Kamui would suffer from this choice.
Like she would with all her most recent choices.
"Eating nothing was also a mistake."
"Bringing the one you claim to love to her own execution seems like a fucking mistake as well. But who am I to judge..."
Marx's bruise from last night stung bitterly, as though Kamui's words had landed another blow directly against the hand shaped mark.
The other's continued on with their packing. Pretending as though each of their stomachs hadn't dropped at the word "execution".
Marx turned to remount his horse in silence.
The princess kept her gaze locked onto her feet once the group had begun to move forward again.
The same rope from yesterday had been reattached to her neck and the holster along the younger prince's saddle. Keeping her bound by the throat, literally, and forced to keep up.
A noose for the cattle she had become rather than another prisoner of war.
None of the royal family could deny the dark feelings of dread that tugged at the back of their minds. Forgiveness was a rarity unlike any other with Garon. Mistakes were bound to happen when growing up, but outright betrayal was a call for death.
And with so many witnesses...a whole army's worth. The excuse of foul play or magic would be nearly impossible to get past.
An hour or so in Kamui's breathing became noticeably labored. Camilla feigned worrying about the horses needing a moment to rest due to each carrying two bodies. Marx nodded and allowed them all to stop for ten minutes.
Kamui sneered the offer of water away and remained tied to Leo's steed.
The younger prince was about try and argue with her until a sudden voice called out from the right of the traveling group.
"The troops were being lead south though!"
Every body froze.
"I don't care, the princess was last seen being taken with a small fleet to the western half of the forrest. Im positive."
Two voices. One young male. One older female.
"Commander! If they've already crossed into the Nohrian border we'll get slaughtered for even coming close!"
Only a couple yards out. The boy was closer to their location.
"Then I guess we better hope we get lucky before then huh?"
The woman was farther out.
Kamui's head had been ready to shout, but Leo's hand had clamped over the princess's mouth not a second later.
The white haired girl shook her chains as harshly as she could while her teeth bit into the leather texture of the blonde's gloves.
It was no use. They were too far out to hear the light thudding of the metal against soft earth. Nor her muffled calls.
Marx and Elsie remained as still as stone while Camilla gently slid her axe off into her grasp before silently making her way into the forrest.
"Commander, even if the Nohrian's were to reach the southern- HALT! Who goes-"
The sound of choking, followed immediately by a horrifying gurgle once steel met bone was enough for Kamui's adrenaline to spike.
With an unforeseen amount of strength the princess threw her head back hard enough to headbutt Leo's nose.
A quick swear and loose grip have Kamui a blessed two seconds to scream at the top of her lungs.
"RETREAT! LEFT FLANK! LEFT-"
Leo's hand clamped back over top of Kamui's mouth quickly, but the sound of rustling and a sudden jolt through the tree's lining revealed a pegasus knight. It was the woman, whoever she was, she had heard the call and gone skyward.
The boy's voice had since turned to silence.
Leo struggled to send a blast of magic for the knight's head, but the woman was quick to swerve out of the way. Not a moment later, she noticed Kamui.
"PRINCESS!"
With wide eyes the Hoshidian soldier turned her attention to the dragon blooded girl's captors.
It would be a fool's gamble. The royal family stood at the ready. The strongest Nohr had to offer vs one single air born soldier.
She mine as well have been outnumbered 1000 to 1.
With a regretful grunt, the knight turned her pegasus mid air.
"Please hold on princess! Help is coming!"
With a singe gust of the creature's wings, the soldier retreated back towards Hoshido.
Undoubtably ready to alert everyone that she had found the captured princess not even an hour's flight out.
Kamui nearly sobbed in relief. Or at least she would have, had a very angry set of footsteps not sent her blood running cold.
Camilla reappeared out of the forest lining. In one hand was her axe. Dripping red with the unmistakable stench of copper and death lingering to the weapon. In her other she held what Kamui could only guess was what remained of a archer's bow.
It too was stained dark red. Droplets flickering down to stain the soil like rain.
Camilla though was far more terryfying a sight than any amount of blood. The purple haired woman was storming towards Kamui with the speed of a freight train. Leo only had a second to stand back.
"HOW DARE YOU"
With one hand Camilla grabbed Kamui's shirt and yanked the young girl a foot off of the ground.
"How DARE you give away our position and warn that useless waste of a life. What is WRONG WITH YOU, SISTER?!"
Never had anyone heard Camilla raise her voice so. Anger had always been passive aggressive in nature, with smiles and coy laughter being the only indicator of malice hiding below a well hidden storm.
But to see her now in such a monstrous light was something no one could have ever guessed could exist.
And at her precious Kamui no less.
Camilla's glare held strong as the young princess's feet kicked at nothing but air while her bound hands clawed ineffectively at the older woman's hand.
Kamui's face was turning redder by the second. Nothing but useless noises leaving her throat.
"You had no right! YOU. HAD. NO. RIGHT. I have half a mind to-"
"CAMILLA! LET HER DOWN!"
Elise was suddenly shaking her eldest sister's free arm with such urgency that the purple haired woman broke out of her rage filled trance to peer down.
Elise was practically screeching with horror unlike ever before seen in her eyes.
" CAMILLA! She can't breathe!"
The "leash" that had been previously keeping Kamui stationed behind their party was now strangling the life out of the white haired girl. No one had noticed that the noose had tightened sharply upon Kamui being lifted off of the ground. The other end now was strung taught against the side of Leo's saddle.
What was once a red tint to the princesses face was now clearly becoming an obscenely shade of purple.
Camilla's eyes widened in realization. She released her hold on Kamui as though burned.
The princess fell back onto the spoil with a thud. Desperately tugging at the rope around her neck until she was able to loosen the knot far enough for oxygen to return to her lungs.
With heavy gasps for air, the princess allowed a hiccuping sob to shake her entire form. Opening the gateway for tears to freely slide down her face.
Elise and Marx both tried to rush to her side, but Kamui threw her fist out as though to strike them.
A wheezing crackle of "don't touch me" was hissed past hoarse vocal chords that had nearly been severed.
Camilla was practically collapsing at the seams. There were tears in her eyes as well.
"I-...Kamui, oh sweetheart I didn't mean-"
The princess was still trying to regain her bearings, as nasty red and purple lined began to form a ring around her throat.
A bruise that would only worsen with time no doubt.
Kneeling down softly, Camilla tried to reach out her hand, but Kamui fell back in absolute horror. She scooted as far back as she could. With an appearance that resembled one of a caged animal.
Camilla's heart shattered.
"Ple-please Kamui I- I am so sorry I would never-"
Kamui began to cry harder. She had never looked so scared in her entire life. She was shaking from head to toe and couldn't wrap her arms around herself due to the chains along her wrists.
Several minutes past. Nothing but wheeze filled cries to echo against the now peaceful summer air.
Camilla was sobbing as well. The other's remained frozen in place.
Finally composing herself, if only the to the barest minimum, Kamui sat up. The tremors rattling her entire being could still be seen.
She was in shock.
"I w-want this off."
She gestured to the noose that had nearly taken her life. It hung limply now around her neck. Not tight enough to take strangle again, but not nearly loose enough to be slipped off.
"I WANT IT OFF!"
Elise took a deep breath before moving forward with uncertain steps. She reached up to gingerly pat Kamui's head, as though forcing with all her might any sense of comfort she could offer.
Then with practiced skill, the young healer mumbled a spell that tore through and tossed the offending piece of rope to the ground.
She didn't comment over the very thin layer of drying blood that stained the inside of the noose.
It hurt Elise too much to look at, let alone acknowledge.
Rather the youngest blonde gave herself a moment to heal Kamui as well as she could. The bruising would remain, as would the internal problems for now...but she still did her best to close what wounds she could.
If only to have a second of actual closeness to her sister to whom she had almost watched die.
Kamui voiced no thanks once Elise was done. Instead she stood back onto her feet.
Her sobbing returned. But quieter this time.
Leo spoke once his patience for standing in the thickest silence of his life finally wore down his resolve.
"They will most likely return to scout this area. I...estimate around midday."
Marx only nodded once, before turning away to subtly wipe away the tears that had suddenly clouded his eyes.
The oldest of the five felt as though 30 years had been taken from his life.
He was suppose to protect them.
They were suppose to be okay...
And yet here they all stood. None of them being in any right to offer comfort. Him especially...given that he had been the one to demand the leash.
Marx cleared his throat.
"We still have allies in the northern most valley towards the desert. We will head there to replenish our supplies and get them off our trail for a day or two."
The eldest prince paused for a moment before gently motioning for Elise to climb atop of his horse. She took the reigns silently, already understanding that he would no longer be riding along with them.
The blonde heir moved to stand at a reasonable distance from Kamui. Close enough so that he could stop her from running. Yet far enough away to prevent her from attacking him.
"Are you-"
"Don't."
The princess spoke with a dull voice. Her shoulders were still shaking from the adrenaline, but her demeanor was no longer frightened.
Worse yet...it had become hollow.
"Don't any of you dare ask me if I am okay."