"I feel like this is bad idea." said the soldier.

"This is an excellent idea." said the archer.

"Come now, you're the one who told me our own being here is going to mess up the things. Why would we mess things up even more, on purpose?"

"Trust me, I'm the master of the heart."

"We're not supposed to be being here, come, drop it and let us run like winds."

"Never!"

The banquet was in full swing around them. Nobels were dancing to and fro, many more upper class citizens were adorning the tables, drinking and having a merry time. Mounted pegasus knights were at every entrance and exit to the hall. The two men on the roof continued their conversation.

"Look! He's heading for the south exit, just like Miriel predicted he would! Astounding!" said the archer.

The soldier squinted towards the hall, "How can you even make with the seeing from this far?"

"Archery, my good fellow. It sharpens the eye!" said the archer. He notched an arrow with a rope tied around it, and aimed for the window. "Now, don't mess this up. We're being paid handsomely for this, after all! Sir Matthew and his group have agreed to give us free tips for singing!"

"I do not want to be singer…"

"But I do, my good sir. So get going!" The archer let the arrow fly and it stuck just above the open window to the banquet hall. The soldier gulped and started to shimmy down the rope, dangling above the courtyard. All the way he thought about how stupid of a plan this was, and how he didn't even want singing lessons. He wanted nothing really. He was a simple man. A nice evening by a fire with some friends and some booze would do, yet somehow he was roped into this. He made it to the window, took a deep breath, and jumped through.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, in the air as he fell, causing many a head to turn and gasp. "Behold, I am the evil man! I am taking away the lord of Ylisse and-" he was cut off by the fact that he had to land. He hit the ground hard, hearing a pop as his knee took the brunt of the force. He whimpered, but didn't cry out. He didn't want to look more like an idiot than he already did. "...right. The urm… Ah! Yes! The lord of Ylisse. I am taking him. Yes." , the soldier began to hobble over to the lord who had been dancing with a lady in a grey gown. He blinked in surprise.

"Um… Oh no!" The lord began, falling to the ground dramatically. "I have been hit with an arrow!" He cried, clutching his leg which was arrow free. Silence reverberated through the hall. Everyone stared in confusion. "Uh…", the lord tried again, louder this time. "I've been HIT. WITH. AN. ARROW." More silence. The soldier was still hobbling into his direction. Someone coughed. Suddenly, through the open window, an arrow came in and struck the lord in the thigh. He sighed in relief before letting out a pained cry. "Oh no!" He cried. "I've been hit with an arrow and cannot defend myself against even the weakest of opponents! Whatever shall I do!" He shouted.

"A-Aha!" The soldier shouted through his pain, voice cracking slightly. "I shall now take the lord! My boss will be happy, no?" He gritted his teeth and made his way to the lord. The lord didn't move. Moments passed. Finally the soldier cried in pain as he squatted down to pick up the lord.

"O-oh no!" Shouted the lord, repeating himself yet again. "I'm being taken away!" He said, helping the soldier up and putting his arm around his neck. The lord started to carry the soldier out of the hall, with the soldier limply saying thank you very quietly. The lord limped over to the exit. "Somebody stop him!" He shouted. No one moved. "Uh… pegasus knights! Protect your lord!" He tried. None of them moved. Finally, one with flowing red hair awkwardly stepped forward from her post. She walked across the floor, her boots echoing across the silent hall.

"Yes perfect!" Shouted the soldier. "But you'll have to catch me OW- er, outside! Yes! For I am making the fastest of getaways.", the soldier weekly said, while being slowly carried away.


My eyes opened to the darkness of my quarters. Besides the faint light of the moon shining through the open window, I was in pitch black. I instinctively reached to my right, before remembering I didn't have a bedside lamp here. Or electricity, for that matter. I didn't have heating pads for my sore muscles and I didn't have Advil either. No internet, no air conditioning. Nothing that I was used to, except maybe an uncomfortable bed. And then there was the matter of the mark on my arm. I wanted to go home. It's not like people were unkind to me, though. Other than Saizo, Oboro, and Prince Takumi, no one was glaringly hostile to me. And yet I felt imprisoned. Ryoma commanded that I could not be allowed to leave the castle after finding out that Hana had taken me out during training. Sakura would still provide me with anything I asked for from town, but knowing that I was being confined made me feel like a captive.

I stretched and pulled off my thin blanket, rubbing my bruises and climbing out of bed. I'd gotten better at sparring, although I still wasn't really winning. Hana and Subaki were relentless in their fighting and there wasn't much I could do against the both of them. The bruises made it hard to sleep, so I had taken to waking up and watching out my window at night. My cage at least gave me a good view of the large lake outside the Hoshidan keep. The full moon reflected off the water, illuminating the clearing. The stars and the shadow of the keep would've given an amazing view if it wasn't a view from the place I was being imprisoned. I absent-mindedly started to hum to myself, it started tuneless, but started to turn into a melody.

"Green finch and linnet bird,

Nightingale, blackbird,

How is it you sing?"

This wasn't my vocal part by any means, but it felt fitting. I couldn't even reach the birds that sung below my window.

"How can you jubilate

Sitting in cages,

Never taking wing?"

I paused. There was a soprano voice echoing me in tune. No, not echoing me, singing its own song. I couldn't make out any words from this height, but I heard a tune. Something unusual seized me and I pulled on pants and pulled open the door quietly. I tiptoed down the stairs, avoiding the places I knew from previous times that Saizo and Kagero kept watch at. As long as I didn't pass the hallways leading to the room of the royal siblings, I wouldn't be spotted.

There was a small servant's exit that came out by the lake from the kitchen, so I snuck out that way, moving towards the sound of singing. As I approached the lake, I noticed a blue light bathing the little clearing. The tune of the song that I heard seemed familiar. As I walked closer, I heard the words clearly now as well.

"You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek

Life beyond these shores, just out of reach"

Azura, who I had only met briefly when she exorcised me, was standing in the water, up to her calves, and dancing. As she sang, I felt a tugging on the inside of my forearm: not uncomfortable, but something like an eye twitch. I didn't give it the thought to look at, thinking it was just some effect of the cold night air making my hair stand on end. Azura turned and saw me, abruptly stopping her song. The blue light in the clearing faded almost instantly with the end of her song, as did the tug at my arm.

"Oh, don't stop just because I'm here! I heard your song and wanted to listen to it…", I said. Azura seemed unimpressed. "You see, I uh...I'm a singer myself...and a dancer? I saw you and heard you and I wanted to… oh god, this is awkward, isn't it?"

Azura looked flustered by my interruption. "Oh, do not worry, I was on my way back in when you arrived." I knew she wasn't, but I understood why she didn't want people to see her singing. If someone walked in on me singing, I would usually instantly stop and pretend as if nothing had happened.

"What song were you singing?" I asked.

She smiled. "Oh, nothing important, just a song that my mother taught me. You said you are a singer, yes?"

She was trying to deflect and change the topic. I would have none of that shit. "Yes, I am! So how did you end up in the Hoshidan palace? You mention your mother, where is she?"

Azura's face went stony. "I live as a prisoner in Hoshido. After King Garon of Nohr stole Corrin, Sumeragi, the late king of Hoshido, kidnapped me from Nohr. My mother, Queen Arete, is dead."

That hit me like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry, Azura. I didn't know."

"Surprising: it seems my presence as a Nohrian spy is well known to all around the castle." There was anger and hurt in her eyes momentarily, but it faded. "Now tell me; what do you sing?"

I smiled and the tune I was singing earlier came into my mind. Apt, given Azura's situation.

"Green finch and linnet bird,

Nightingale, blackbird,

How is it you sing?"

How can you jubilate

Sitting in cages,

Never taking wing?"

The song felt more natural now, as if something in Azura's song had warmed up my voice.

"Outside the sky waits,

Beckoning, beckoning,

Just beyond the bars.

How can you remain,

Staring at the rain,

Maddened by the stars?"

The stars above were truly beautiful. Without any electricity to power light pollution, the sky was dark and clear, and I could see constellation after constellation. None of them were familiar, of course: I thought I recognized a bright red light that looked like mars, but it moved slowly across the sky. A magical satellite, maybe.

"How is it you sing,

Anything?

How is it you sing?"

I smiled and bowed slightly to Azura, who applauded quietly.

"Shall we return to the palace now, Jason?" She said, her voice sounding a twitch pained. I wasn't sure if this was from my song or from her memories, but it seemed to go beyond that.

"Yes, of course," I said. We walked back towards the palace, towards the servant's entrance I had come out through, the soft grass scrunching under our feet. "I guess we are both prisoners, aren't we, Azura?" I asked, quietly.

"Yes, I suppose we both are," she said, her voice calm, not betraying any shred of emotion in the statement.


I was woken up by the sound of birds singing. A pair of robins- at least I think they were robins, all the birds in Hoshido looked like nothing from any field guide I'd seen- had made a nest by my window and woke me up every morning by singing. It was probably 6;30 or 7; leaving enough time to wash my face and hair in the basin of cold water in my room and go get something to eat from the kitchens downstairs before training. I was a little tired from being up the night before with Azura, but it wasn't something I couldn't handle. I washed my hair and tied it up and made my way downstairs, grabbing a roll filled with small sour fruits before heading out to the training yard.

Upon my arrival I was surprised to find the training yard empty. "Hana? Subaki?", I called out, "Where are you guys?". I walked to the armory. Nothing, just training weapons and scrolls laying out on the benches. Looking around, I realized there was something else. Stuck to the wall with an arrow was a note, addressed to me.

"Jason:

There was something urgent that Lady Sakura need us to do today in town. You have the day off of training: go have fun! If you would like to paint, Sakura said that Kagero recently got a large shipment of materials in- you could go ask her if you could borrow some! The kitchens are open, if you'd like to try cooking something. Also, as we know how interested you are in the history and natural world of Hoshido, we thought you might want to visit the royal library. Best of wishes,

Hana and Subaki"

By the time I finished the letter I was grinning like an idiot. "A whole day off," I said out loud. They had been so careful to make sure I felt at home and had things to do while they were gone! "I'm going to make the most of this: I'll go ask Kagero if I can use some paints and paper, set some muffins or something in to bake, paint while I wait- maybe I can go for a walk around the lake later!" I started towards the door out of the armory back to the castle. "Oh gosh, this will be great! I can get some books to read, do more research, and finally learn what birds those are outside my window! I'm going to have so much fun today-" I was cut off as a piece of shiny metal whizzed past my face and buried itself in the door frame next to my head.

"You will do no such thing, scoundrel," said a voice from behind me. I whipped around, to find myself face to face with a certain red haired ninja.

"Saizo," I hissed. "What are you doing here?"

His brow furrowed- an act which I did not think possible, considering how furrowed his brow was in disappointment at a resting state. "I have been commanded to administer your training by Lord Ryoma," he said. "Do not think that this means I care about your wellbeing, you spying scum. There are many things I could be doing right now that are more important than training you. For example, I could be guarding Lord Ryoma. Or cleaning out the toilets in the palace."

I winced. That was a good one. "Well I thank you for your service, Saizo. It is truly grueling work, keeping me from baking muffins for you and the rest of the guard."

"I would not trust your muffins, offal of Nohr. They would most certainly be poisoned, and probably very disgusting as well."

"And what might Ryoma- sorry, Lord Ryoma be doing today?" I corrected myself as another shuriken flashed past my head into the doorframe.

Saizo furrowed his brow even further. God, at this rate his forehead creases would have forehead creases. "Lord Ryoma is up to something far too important for you to know about."

"Very well," I said, sighing dramatically. "I guess scum like myself will have to learn from your amazingness, Saizo."

"Flattery and grovelling will get you nowhere, wretch."

"Thanks, I love you too," I said, walking back out towards the training yard. He followed me about 6 inches behind me, eyes boring into the back of my neck. It was kind of funny, him being shorter than me, because even in his displeasure he still had to look up at me.

I grabbed the cloth that hung over by the door and began to wrap my hands, but Saizo stopped me. "No," he said. "If you are truly committed to risking your life for Lord Ryoma, you will risk broken fingers training to protect him."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so I'm going to protect Lord Ryoma now?"

"No, that was merely a hypothetical assumption. If I was not being ordered to not kill you, I would kill you."

"Thanks, dear." I stepped into the small arena of packed dirt and sand and took a defensive stance: arms raised in fists, legs apart, ready to fight. "Shall we train, then? Or just insult each other?"

Saizo vaulted into the arena with me. "It is humorous that you think you would be able to put up enough of a fight against me that I would not be able to also insult you simultaneously." He charged at me, hands and feet flying in a flurry of blows, most being blocked by my arms but several kicks landing hard against my ribs. Nothing I threw at him in that exchange so much as grazed his body.

"Is that all you've got? By the way, I never asked- is the red hair natural, or did you change it's color with your sheer anger?" I charged at him, hopping side to side quickly and jabbing at his stomach, his neck, his solarplexus. He swung a punch for my face and I ducked, but his knee came up and smashed me in the jaw. I recoiled and spat out some blood.

"You are not worth my training time, you insignificant little insect." He sent a spinning kick my way, which I dodged back from and sent my own kick into his chest.

"That's such a nice compliment- insects are amazing! Did you know that Dynastes hercules can carry 850 times its body weight? Or that Blatella germanica can live for a week without its head?" I punched Saizo several times, but he dodged all but one, which he blocked with his arm.

"I neither know nor care about this pointless information," he said, punching towards my face. His fist collided and I fell to the ground, wincing. He nodded above me. "Go take a vulnerary and some water and then return. We shall spar until the sun sets." I frowned. It could only have been 10 am, at the latest, and it was already oppressively hot and humid. Where the night before had been nice and cool, I was drenched in sweat. I almost felt bad for Saizo under his mask and tons of clothing, as I only had a sleeveless shirt and baggy lightweight pants. Almost. I grabbed a vulnerary from the cabinet they were kept in, downed it, and felt the healing magic course through my bruised ribs, my split lip, and my battered face. I filled the now empty bottle with water and chugged it, and then headed back outside.

When I walked back into the yard, Saizo was taking off the layers of clothing on his upper body, piling them over a fencepost. His mask lay on the ground below him, his back to me. He turned and frowned. "Are you ready to lose to me again, whelp?"

I shook my head, without conviction. Oh no, I thought to myself, He's hot. His face, marked with sweat lines from wearing the mask earlier, was the most obnoxiously beautiful face I'd seen. He ran at me and began the offense, throwing punches and elbows willy nilly. As I blocked and dodged and retaliated, I tried to fill myself with as much vitriol for him as I could. How much I hated his 'edgelord' attitude, how obnoxious and entitled he thought he was, the stupid furrowed eyebrows on his stupid gorgeous face.

"You seem to be tiring out, little rat. I can't help but wonder why Nohr would choose a spy as decidedly mediocre as you," he said, laughing dryly.

I didn't even say anything, just lobbing another punch at him. Just keep throwing punches and kicks and ignore the beautiful body that I was punching and kicking. He went to knee me in the groin and I moved away and took my chance. As his one knee swept up I kicked the other one out, and he started to fall. Turning my momentum against me, he grabbed my arms even as he spun through the air, knocking me onto my back and coming down hard on top of me. His forehead smacked into my nose and he landed on me, chest to chest, his face inches from mine. There was a moment of quiet as we looked at each other, and then he got up.

"Your training is done for today, Jason. I must go take care of important matters that actually matter. You do not matter, you are not a matter that matters," Saizo said, as he put his mask back on and pulled on his armor. He stomped away from me, his feet raising dust clouds.

"ASSHOLE!" I shouted after him, though he was probably long gone into the shadows from whence he came, or whatever. I propped myself up on my elbows, slightly flustered. "I think I'll go make some muffins now." I stood up and headed towards the kitchen, laughing to myself.


"MwaHA!" shouted the soldier. "If only you could stop me! Look how powerless you all are as I take your lord away!" He gauged the reaction. There was none. The pegasus knight was halfway to them, still walking at a normal pace. The soldier leaned into the lord ear. "Er, you may be wishing to walk the quicker pace yes?"

The lord grunted as he continued to haul the soldier out of there. "You're the one who is supposed to carry me out. I'm the one with the arrow in my leg, what do you want from me?!" he said in whisper shouting. They continued to move slowly forward. "What happened to you anyways?"

"I fell.", the soldier said plainly.

"Well, yeah, but what happened to your leg when you fell?"

"It become no good.", the soldier sighed. He looked over his shoulder. The pegasus knight was a few feet away. They were almost at the door. "She is coming closer, lord."

"I know that.", the lord said through gritted teeth. They reached the door and were just rounding the corner when the pegasus grabbed the lord by the collar and yanked him back. He yelped in surprise, fell on his rear, and began to be dragged away. The soldier slumped on the ground, having been dropped. He didn't bother moving. The lord was dragged back to the center of the floor and dropped there. The pegasus knight knelt down to the lord's face.

"Milord?" she asked.

"Um. Yes?" The lord said quietly.

"What was that?"

"It was uh…" the lord swallowed hard. Then he shouted: "Oh, behold, I have been saved by my loyal knight! Oh happy day!" Silence. Finally one other lord stood up from his seat.

"Lord Chrom!" He shouted loudly. Chrom jumped.

"Yes lord Chadwin?" He said, looking at the lord from the ground.

"What is this spectacle you have just done? It isn't funny if that's what you think, and your leg has been seriously wounded! Now, we traveled to feast in your honor, and look what you have done. You are the leader of a nation, and with all due respect, you fall short so far in my expectations! You have made a mockery of this sacred tradition!" He threw down his napkin in anger. "We many have traveled very far out of respect for your status and your halidom! We were told that you had selected a bride, and that is a momentous occasion, so please do not belittle us with this charade!" Silence, and then a general rise in noise as lords and nobles leaned in to murmur their agreement with Chadwin's remarks. Eventually the noise level reached a hearty volume as people complained, got up from their seats, and shouted. Amidst this, Chrom sighed and let his head rest against the cool stone. He closed his eyes and layed there for a moment, taking it all in. He had really screwed up. Then he felt water on his forehead. He opened his eyes.

Cordelia was still kneeling next to him, tears rolling down her face. "You… never told me this was a banquet… where you've picked… a bride…" She could hardly get the words out. "You said you wouldn't marry anyone unless the country needed you too, an-and that we would be a secret until you gave up the throne to Lissa. Why did that change?" She muttered. Chrom stared blankly until a teardrop hit his eye. He blinked.

"N-No but that's just it!" He shouted, smiling at her. Her eyes were closed and she shook her head.

"... I guess that is it, like you say." She got up, wiped her eyes, and confidently walked out of the hall, and up the stairs towards the lodging area.

"No!" Chrom shouted, but she didn't hear him over the crowds. Chrom stood painfully and hobbled to the door. "Hey, Gregor, get up." The soldier groaned.

"Yes Chrom?" He said into the floor.

"Send off the emergency arrow." Chrom said. Gregor gave a sharp whistle, and moments later, Lissa ran up in her pajamas.

"Did she say yes?!" She said, bounding up to Chrom, healing staff in hand.

"I haven't asked." Chrom said sheepishly.

"Well then get going loverboy!" Lissa pouted. She pulled the arrow out of his leg and healed it up. Chrom sprinted up the stairs. He bumped into Virion.

"I say, milord, why ever are you in such a rush? Were my arrows not perfect for your proposal? A perfect shot, right to your leg, just as you asked." Virion bowed. "Well, not like you should be surprised, I am the archest of all archers, as it were." Virion looked around. "Say, where is the lucky lady?" Rather than answer, Chrom pushed passed him, forcing him to the wall. He adjusted his collar. "A thank you will suffice next time."

Chrom searched the entire upper floor for Cordelia but couldn't find her. Finally, he went to the roof. She was leaning against the railing looking at the sky.

"... The stars are really pretty." She said, without looking at him.

"Th-They're not as beautiful as you though!" Chrom said nervously, trying desperately to salvage what he could from his failed proposal. The plan was once they got outside, Chrom would be healed up by Lissa and would run off. Then, Cordelia would beat up Gregor, his 'captor'. Having felt that she had saved him, Chrom would then reveal that he wanted to get her alone and away from the prying eyes of the nobility so he could have the proposal that mattered to him. Then, he would lead her in and do it again, in the public setting. He merely wanted to have that private moment, and the only way to get away from the banquet would be to be forced out. But how could he explain all of that to her? She thought he didn't love her, and it devastated him.

"I'm sorry Cordelia." He said finally, and firmly. He truly meant it. This was not how the night was supposed to go, by any means. Cordelia sniffed, and turned around. She was smiling.

"Yes." She said simply, tears still in her eyes. Chrom looked at her confused.

"But… how did you know that it's for you?" he asked. Cordelia gestured him to the edge.

"I took a guess." She said. Chrom leaned over the edge. There, at the end of the courtyard where he originally planned his proposal to occur, were the flowers. He had no idea they could be seen from here, especially at night. It helped that they were on fire. Wait…

The flowers were ablaze, and four figures stood around it. The people he brought the plan to to make it happen. Robin, Matthew, Jason, and Maya all stood around it, waving towards the roof. The flowers burned the words into Chrom's and Cordelia's eyes. But just for clarification, Chrom figured he should say them out loud. He reached into the back of his coat and pulled out the small box.

"Cordelia." He said. She looked at him, crying silently, but with joy. "Will you marry me?"

A/N- I had so much fun writing the Saizo angry banter whoops. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, there are some things in it that lay the path forward to some ~plot devices~.