The council chamber had never been a place for lightheartedness. The air amongst the seated magistrates was so stony it was a surprise the round table between them didn't collapse under its weight. No one displayed impatience as openly as Magistrate Gustine. His long fingers rapped against the oak, causing an awkward echo to bounce about the room.

"The Exalt is late. ...Again," Gustine said. "Hmph! He approves of a money squandering idea like this migration without the council's permission, then he proceeds to be late to every meeting concerning the issue. What cheek!"

"Cheek is disgracing the Exalt in his absence like some intoxicated gutter trash at a tavern," Magistrate Maribelle retorted.

A few snickers were heard around the table. Gustine glared at Maribelle. He and the young noble had not gotten well in the past year. Things started off on a bad foot when, after becoming a magistrate (the youngest in Ylisse's history to date,) she began exposing corruption among Ylisstol's nobility. Fraud, smuggling, bribery; several crimes of these natures were thrown out into the public, and several well-known houses were shamed when their heads were jailed. The latter events struck a special chord with Gustine, because some of those lords were his political allies. His influence in Ylisstol had been cut in half in only a year thanks to this uppity new magistrate.

"Don't think just because you come from a highborn house, you can afford to be lippy with your seniors in the council."

"Lippy? I chastise you for slandering Chrom, so now I'm lippy? My, you come up with more obtuse slang than my son. You don't have to worry about my house's status going to my head. While it's true that I was born with class that no commoner or laymen could comprehend, my... lippyness derives from my own accomplishments. Something I'm sure you're unfamiliar with, Magistrate Gustine."

A vessel bulged on Gustine's pale forehead as he slammed his fist into the table.

"How dare you condescend me you little-"

"Enough."

The entire chamber went silent. All eyes aligned on raven-haired, middle aged man sitting in the second highest chair in the room. It was the seat for the High Magistrate, the second-in-command after the Exalt. Sitting there was Edington Lopus, the greatest commander to ever service Ylisse, and the former right hand of Chrom's late father. His sharp eyes peered up at Gustine.

"You dishonor our Exalt by spouting complaints in his absence, Gustine. You would do well to watch your tongue," he threatened.

Gustine's bit his lip and looked away. He began rapping the table again.

"And you – Magistrate Maribelle. Your resume is impressive, true. But your tone is too tall for a newblood in this council. Learn to respect your constituents."

For once, Maribelle held her tongue. She need only look into Edington's eyes once to know not to defy him. She nodded. Edington lowered his gaze again, and the chamber was filled with quiet until Chrom arrived.

"Glad to see you finally made it, Exalt," said Edington when Chrom entered.

Chrom made a face. "Well, excuse me High Magistrate. I had to pull myself away from my family just to attend."

"All of Ylisse is your family, Exalt. And right now, they need a good father."

Chrom snorted and sat in his chair. It was the tallest and was parallel to Edington's chair, which he disliked, but it was also adjacent to Maribelle's which he was more comfortable with.

"So? What did you call this meeting for, Edington? Are you going to harass me about destroying the kingdom's budget again?"

"No. I think that would be Magistrate Gustine's duty, Chrom," jested Maribelle.

Gustine scowled.

"It's about the recent rebellion in the East, Exalt," Edington said.

"You mean Lord Brent? I thought Sully and Kjelle already stomped that out."

Indeed they did. Lord Brent was the lord of an old family in Ylisse, stretching back to the kingdom's origins. After the Grimleal War, he tried to start a rebellion in the East, presuming that Chrom and his Shepherds would be vulnerable after their fight with Grima. He was wrong. Sully and Kjelle easily routed his conscripted army, and Lord Brent was slain while trying to escape.

Edington folded his arms. "Brent's rebellion – if such a pathetic attempt could be called such – was stopped. His accomplices are still at large, however."

"Accomplices? Brent and his house weren't working alone?"

Edington looked toward a servant holding a stack of papers. The servant nodded and walked over to Chrom, sitting the stack down in front of him.

Chrom held it up. "...These are?"

"Names. Hundreds of them," Edington said. "All of them are suspects for conspiring against the Exalt."

Maribelle was shocked. "Why would anyone conspire against Chrom? He defeated Plegia and their Mad King. He thwarted Walhart's conquest. He even destroyed Grima, for Naga's sake!"

"He also failed to stop the previous Exalt's execution, resulting in her acquiring permanent brain damage and a broken memory. While fighting Walhart, he left Ylisse vulnerable to Validar's intentions, and his defeat of Grima is nullified by the fact that he helped summon him – inadvertently or no."

Maribelle bit her lip. She watched Chrom flip through the list names until he stopped with an alarmed look on his face. He looked at her.

"Maribelle... Your father's name is on this," he said dismayed.

"What?!"

Maribelle snatched the list and read it. Her father's name was clear as day. What is more, Ricken's father was on the list as well. Maribelle glared at Edington.

"What's the meaning of this, you?!" she barked.

"What did I say about keeping your tone balanced, Newblood?"

"I'll lower my tone after you tell me why my father has been branded a traitor! He's already been framed once, and I won't let it happen again!"

Edington sighed. "That list – flip to the last page."

Maribelle trembled in rage while doing so. Her eyes widened. On the last page, at the very bottom of the sheet, was Edington's name.

"I am a suspect as well," he said. "Everybody in this council is."

An awkward tension suddenly circled the room. Eyes darted from right to left, save for Chrom who looked only toward the ex-commander.

"Edington... would you really go so far to find who's responsible?" he asked.

"And more. I will sniff out these rebels no matter their station, no matter prestige, no matter their influence. I will not let the legacy your father left behind be tarnished! …You best keep that list close, Exalt, because your enemies will be even closer."

Chrom and Maribelle shared a glance.

"That's all I needed to inform you of," Edington said while adjusting the buttons on his sleeve.

Chrom nodded. "Right. This meeting is adjourned.


Lon'qu took a long look at the pond before him. It sat in the center of Ylisstol Park, and on most given days, it was surrounded by leisurely parkgoers enjoying their afternoons. Today, the pond were deserted. It was a rare opportunity Lon'qu planned to take advantage of. He turned from the body of water to face his daughter Nah. She held a swordsman's stance a few feet away with a wooden sword in her grip. Lon'qu sliced the air with his own then pointed it at her.

"Come."

Nah nodded. She kicked off the grass and bolted for her father; the tip of her sword aiming for his heart. Without taking a stance, Lon'qu lowered his sword then sliced up diagonally. Nah eluded the strike by an inch, then countered by swinging at Lon'qu's leg. He blocked it and batted her sword away. Nah went to swing again, but felt wood at her throat.

"You're dead," Lon'qu said.

Nah pouted and backed off. She got back into stance and rushed her father again. This time she pulled a feint. She faked striking from the front, then weaved around and sliced at his side. She felt something push her stomach.

"You're dead," Lon'qu said again pulling his wooden sword away.

"Ghhrrr..."

Nah made an angry sound and jumped back. She circled Lon'qu like a shark, confusing him on which direction she would come from. She aimed for his back. Lon'qu reversed the grip of his sword and suddenly the tip was but an inch away from Nah's right eye.

"You're dead."

"Darn it! OK, this time I'm really gonna get you!"

Nah walked back in front of Lon'qu and took her original stance. She got angry when she realized that Lon'qu had not budged an inch since they began sparring, but she shook her head and focused.

"Alright, Father... This time you're mine-"

"Dead."

Nah tripped as she ran forward. She pulled her face from the ground and spit out grass. A face full of frustration (and dirt) was glaring at her father.

"How am I already dead? I didn't even reach you yet!"

"Exactly. It took you too long to decide a method of attack. I could have killed you twice over in the mean time."

Nah sighed and curled up on the grass. Lon'qu scratched the back of his head. It had been a month since he and Nah began sword training, and despite her constant lessons Lon'qu's half-dragon daughter was not showing a hint or clue of improvement. He wondered how he managed to father a daughter so inept with the sword. He sat down beside her (with a little distance between, of course.)

"Nah, how is it that you know nothing of swordsmanship? I would think my future self would make it a priority to teach you. Did I teach you anything?"

Nah nodded. "A little. You never taught me too much, though."

"Why? Did I not find time? Was I forgetful?"

"You died."

"Ah..." Lon'qu stared at the pond again. He had birthed an air of awkwardness.

Nah sat up. "I don't why you want me to learn swordsmanship anyway. I can turn into a dragon for Naga's sake! Who's going to harm me?"

"I don't know, and that's why I must teach you. Let's say someone attacks you while you're not in dragon form, how will you defend yourself? What will you do if your Dragonstone is missing? Poke them into submission?"

"I could probably defeat you like that. In fact... I owe you a little payback, don't I?"

Lon'qu made a face and inched away from her. "N-nah... Now you know to keep your distance, don't you?"

Nah crawled ever closer to Lon'qu who put his hands up in terror. Suddenly, her sharp ears twitched. She looked toward the shrubbery.

"Father, somebody's watching us..."

Lon'qu's eyes narrowed. He picked up his sword just as a pair of figures came rushing out of the bushes – one heavy and one thin. The thin assailant circled around while the heavy struck from the front with his longsword. Lon'qu blocked his blow, but at the expense of his sword's integrity.

"Nah! Get away!" he commanded.

"But Fa-"

"Go!"

Nah sobbed and ran off just as the second assailant was closing in on Lon'qu's rear. He rolled from underneath the heavy one's longsword and picked up Nah's wooden sword. He dashed behind the heavy, dark skinned mercenary and struck his hip and calf in quick succession. While he buckled, the thin one – a woman – lunged for Lon'qu's throat. Even with a wooden sword, Lon'qu was still able parry and duck into her space. He slammed his hilt into her stomach, sending her reeling backwards.

The heavy one tried to strike his back, but Lon'qu held his sword's point between the man's eyes.

"If you don't want to get hurt, answer this one question: Did Basilio put you up to this?"

The mercenary was silent. He sighed and broke out in a chuckle. "It's good to see you still got it boss!"

The mercenary fell to the ground and started laughing loudly. The young woman sat up and felt the place that Lon'qu had struck her.

"Gods, boss... Would it kill you to hold back a little?"

"If you didn't want to get hurt, you shouldn't have attacked me in the first place. I never hold back in a fight. You two should know that."

"We do now. Urgh..."

The woman hugged her stomach. Her mercenary partner was looking around the park.

"Hey, boss. Where's that girl that you were with earlier?" he asked.

"She's probably ran home to warn her mother. You two scared her death with her little am-""

Lon'qu was interrupted by a weighty draft. Branches shook and water rippled. Lon'qu recognized the sound. It was the beating of dragon wings. Nah flew out of the woodwork in her dragon form.

"You two better stay away from my father!" she exclaimed.

Lon'qu waved his hands at her. "Nah! It's fine! I'm not in anymore danger!"

His warnings were pointless. Nah unleashed a blast of her dragon breath on all three of them. The explosion echoed throughout the park.


"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" Nah exclaimed repeatedly.

Her apologies easily numbered in the twenties.

The mercenary known as Grid kept trying to reassure her that all was forgiven. "Forget about it. It's pretty much our own fault for attacking your dad out of nowhere. Right, Niko?"

Niko didn't answer. She was too busy venting about her scorched myrmidon outfit. "Hey, boss. Mind filling me in on why your daughter can turn into a dragon? Or why she's already in her early teens?"

Lon'qu adjusted his burnt sleeves. "It's a long story. Besides, I'm not saying anything to either of you until you tell me why you're here."

"Well, as you guessed, it concerns Basilio. He wants you back," Grid said.

"I already told him I can't return. I have duties to uphold at the moment."

"Duties to uphold?" Nah snorted. "You haven't gone back to Ferox because Mother dislikes the cold."

Lon'qu blushed while his former subordinates snickered to themselves.

"You've become a real family man, boss," Niko jested.

"Bah! If you two are done, Nah and I are leaving."

Lon'qu turned his back on Grid and Niko.

"Flavia is no longer the East Khan," Grid said.

Lon'qu stopped. He glanced over his shoulder. "What did you just say?"

"Flavia lost her position as East Khan to a new khan called Teira. This new khan plans to defeat Basilio in the coming month's tournament and become the reigning khan of Regna Ferox."

"Aren't Basilio's men strong enough?" Lon'qu asked.

Niko snorted. "It's not even a contest. I don't know where this Teira woman got her champions from, but if they up go against Basilio's men, the end result is going to be a massacre. You won't even be able to call it a tournament."

"Hmm... This new khan sounds troublesome."

Grid nodded. "That's why we need you there. Basilio needs help, boss. If a new khan who has no standing relations with Ferox's neighbors takes charge, there's no telling how it'll affect the continent. Seriously, we're asking for more than a favor here."

Lon'qu thought about it. He looked at Nah who looked back. They both faced Grid and Niko at the same time.

"I know you two came a long way just to locate me, but I'm afraid-"

"He'll do it," Nah interjected.

Lon'qu's face froze. "I-I'll do what?"

"You'll go to Ferox to help Basilio. It's the only rational thing to do. The entire continent could be in trouble otherwise."

"Your mother is too stubborn to come with us to Ferox. She despises the cold."

"Then we'll leave her here. Despite her appearance and how she acts, she's still a grownup. She can look after herself for a while."

"If we go to Ferox we'll be thrown in the middle of both a political and militant war!"

"So? It's not like we haven't been through this sort of stuff before."

Lon'qu was getting impatient. He looked at Grid and Niko. "I'm not coming to Ferox. Tell Basilio that."

"Tell Basilio he's coming," Nah said.

"I'm not going just because you insist!"

Nah looked at her father. She folded her arms and looked away. "Fine. We won't go. …But if Basilio loses, and this new khan gets put in charge, I'm going to sleep next to you every night until I'm in my early hundreds."

Nah may as well have held a Killing Edge to her father's throat. The very thought of sleeping next to a woman for the rest of his life made Lon'qu's skin crawl. He looked down and stared at the grass for far too long. Eventually, he looked up at Grid and Niko.

"I... I will see Basilio soon. Tell him that," Lon'qu said shakily.

Grid and Niko didn't know if they should feel accomplished or not. They simply nodded to their former superior and left the park feeling pity for him. Nah was enthusiastic, at least. She grabbed the wooden sword Grid had snapped.

"Hey, Father. Let's spar one more time."

Lon'qu didn't respond. Neither did he look her in the eye. Nah took her stance. She ran over to Lon'qu then playfully bonked him on the head.

"Dead!"