It was about a day before Corrin and Felicia arrived at a large Hoshidan camp; their hands were bound taut and were led by a single soldier while ninja silently stalked behind in the shadows. Beige tents of all sizes sprawled along the grounds with weapon racks, crates, and barrels scattered everywhere. The camp was large, but not very active: a small number of soldiers roamed about, tidying and training the day away. The two soon arrived at a far more ornate tent - guards were posted around what looked to be a commander's tent. One of the ninja following the group entered before them.

"Bring the prisoners in." A stern voice echoed out. Corrin and Felicia were ushered in. Atop an elevated platform, a man in a strikingly red kimono sat on his knees. A well-defined face and strong physique denoted his skill. If his physical presence wasn't imposing enough, a set of crimson armor was mounted on a nearby stand while a katana with white wrappings in an equally white scabbard rested on his left – handle facing forward with the blade pointed away. His long brown hair fell behind him in an array; from behind, you could say it resembled a lion's mane.

"So. You are the ones who trespassed on our grounds. A noble and his servant no less!"

"It was not my intention to trespass."

"Bah. It was. Why else would you enter a Hoshidan fort except for some scheme?"

"N-no! Not at all. I was only sent to scout, nothing more!" The man seemed to take note of what he said.

"Hmph. Then, if you were sent on a 'scouting mission,' why did you attack our men? With a double agent no less." He grabbed the sword on his left.

"The one who attacked your ninja was not on our side! He engaged us as well, preventing us from leaving!"

"A likely story…"

"It's the truth!"

"What proof do you have?"

"I…don't have any. You have my word though that I did not intend to engage your soldiers, and the man is not affiliated with us."

"That's not much proof; your word, I cannot trust." He rested his sword on the ground. "But of my men, I do. Their report matches your account. That, and my intuition is rather good for this sort of thing." All the tension left Corrin's body at once; his body bowed forward. "Tell me one thing though, noble."

His spine again tensed. "Y-yes?"

"Why not lie? You could have done so easily."

"I-I didn't see any reason to lie. I want my retainer and I to leave unscathed. In fact, our chances of survival decrease if I lie."

"That stands to reason. Unfortunately, you won't be leaving our company anytime soon. You've trespassed on our territory and were involved in an attack on my men, regardless of intention." The man turned over his shoulder. "Lock them up."

"At once." A soldier stepped out from behind a corner. A look of shock crossed his face when he turned to face Corrin and Felicia. "I-it's you!"

"You know them?"

"I do, my liege! That man is the one who saved my life. The woman is his retainer." Corrin's eyes widened; apparently, this was the man Corrin had spared back in Castle Krakenburg.

"He is the man that spared you?"

"Yes. I was supposed to have died. However, as you know, I was spared, tended to by healers, and secretly released by the order of the crown prince. All of which was prompted by the actions of his younger brother; he is that younger brother."

"Isn't that a little too convenient…?" Corrin said under his breath.

"You're a prince?!... Tch. We have a problem then…" The man sighed deeply. "We've just captured a Nohrian royal…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll handle that issue later. There is one matter I must deal with immediately. Tell me your name, princeling. I wish to thank you properly."

"E-excuse me!?" Aren't you supposed to lock me up and have me tried for trespassing or espionage or what have you rather than thanking me?!"

"That is true. You may be my foe, but you've unknowingly done me a great service. This man, which you have saved, is the relative to a close ally of mine. We had presumed him dead for a while; about a month and a half as of today."

"Err…" Corrin was dumbfounded. It was never really wise to reveal much about oneself to an enemy...but he was in no place to decline either. "R-right…My name is Corrin."

"Then, Corrin, yo-…" His pause was unnaturally long. "Yo-…you…"

The man's stern expression broke: His eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He stumbled onto his feet, knocking around a few things near him.

"I-i-it can't be…! Glimpses of recognition started to shimmer in his eyes. Corrin and Felicia shifted back.

"M-milord!" The warrior moved to support his commander.

"Y-you! Corrin, it's you! Hahaha! It's really you!" The man pushed the other aside and dashed forward to embrace Corrin.

"E-e-excuse me?!"

"I've missed you so much! I thought we lost you forever! This is…!"

"Wait, wait! What?! Slow down!"

"O-of course! Release Corrin and his retainer!" The soldier moved quickly and cut the rope bindings.

"No, no, no! Who are you?!"

"C-Corri-"

"I've never met you before!"

"It's me, your brother, Ryoma…"

"Brother?! W-wh- I'm Nohrian royalty!"

"N-no! You are not, Corrin! You are Hoshidan!"

"I am a Nohrian! What drivel are you spouting?!" Ryoma pulled back. "…I see…" He picked up his weapon and turned to address the soldier. "Prepare some horses!"

"At once."

"Corrin. You are to come with me. There is someone you have to meet. Everything will become clear then."

"I still don't have much choice in the matter, do I?" Corrin eyed the katana in Ryoma's hand.

"Not at all. Now, prepare. We make for the capital shortly."

The entourage departed. Corrin's head buzzed with confusion. He thought it was impossible that this man was his brother; he was Nohrian through and through. It was about a day's journey – the dead of night by the time they arrived. Unlike their arrival at Windmire, the scenery was brighter and more vibrant accompanied by the soft hum of life as they moved through the streets; a few people poked their heads out to see the arrivals. The castle-town was built around a square, as opposed to the winding streets of Windmire, centered on the castle; the houses were made of red, brown, and white woods. The soft green grassy path leading to the castle was lined with sakura trees – rivers crawled around them, forcing bridges to be built over the landscape. The castle itself was atop a lush, hilly plateau. A grand combination of pagodas and tenshukaku burst into the sky with vibrant yellows, reds, and whites, scratching the clouds above. Waterfalls spewed out from rocks, likely from natural springs within the mountain, into lakes far below.

"Wow…it's beautiful here..." Felicia commented.

"Isn't it? It's even more so during the day." Ryoma replied. "Welcome to Castle Shirasagi."

The party arrived at the stables, dismounted, and entered the ornate structure. There wasn't much to see in the darkness, but it was still clearly grand. A woman was there to greet them – Ryoma stepped up first. Two guards with torches flanked her.

"Welcome home, Ryoma."

"Hello, Mother. Have you been well?"

"Indeed. Even better now that I received your message. The others will arrive tomorrow."

"That is good, they will be happy to see him as well."

"Ahh! Is that him, behind you!?"

"Yes."

"Let me see him!" She ran up to the young prince; it was her turn to embrace Corrin.

The woman had long flowing black hair; she tied her hair directly on the back of her head into a long ponytail. A tiara with the visage of the sun was threaded behind her head using that ponytail. She wore a thick regal white kimono – a large white cloak with a flared collar hung around her shoulders. As she approached Corrin and Felicia, her fair features became abundantly more visible.

"C-Corrin. Sh-she…!"

"…!"

"You're a spitting image of her!" Felicia took several double-takes.

"Haha…I can hardly believe it…it's been sixteen years since I last saw you. I've missed you, Corrin." The woman smiled gently and placed her hands on Corrin's face. Her light red irises that scanned him teared. "You've grown so much. So handsome now!"

"W-w-huh?! N-…!" While he enjoy the attention and compliments, this was incredibly uncomfortable for him.

"Hmm…it seems like you still don't like to wear shoes…" she said as she peered down at Corrin's feet. "No worse for wear though." She beamed at him. In his mind he denied it, but every fiber of his being was screaming out that this Hoshidan lady in front of him was his mother.

"Th-this is impossible…impossible…my mother… died at childbirth…"

"Hmm? Oh dear…" She sighed deeply as something caught her attention.

"Yes, Mother. It appears to be the case. Do you have a clue?"

"Quite clearly. We shall remedy your condition immediately. Corrin, follow me." She walked off into the distance, towards a long spiral stairwell. Corrin unconsciously began following her; his distressed mind latched onto the strangely familiar gentleness. They ascended to the top floor. The way the fire bowls were arranged, the manner of the tapestries, aesthetics of the architecture: it was almost identical to the throne room in Castle Krakenburg except using Hoshidan styles. However, rather than have the throne openly displayed, it was secluded in a smaller space within the grand affair.

"We're almost there. Just a little farther." She gestured for the two guarding her: "Please go ahead and light the throne room." Once they had entered, the woman had stepped onto the throne's platform and pointed at the throne with her other hand on her hip. "Sit down, Corrin." It was humorously out of place for Felicia, who stifled her laughter: a high ranking official of Hoshido telling a Nohrian prince to sit on the throne as if a stool he were to be lectured upon.

"Y-yes…" This is only getting stranger and stranger… Corrin thought to himself as he sat down in the grand throne.

A sharp, searing pain rushed through his head as he did so. The back of his head felt as if a large drum was being pounded next to his ear. His eyes felt as if rocks were slowly being embedded into them. Corrin grabbed his head in a vain attempt to ease the pain. Fragments of images surfaced in his mind; they blurred in and out but no clear image could be seen.

"Ahh?! AAHHHRGHHH!" He struggled to stand.

"Shhh. Shhh. It's okay. The pain will stop momentarily." The woman put her hands on Corrin's arm. Eventually, the pain dulled and Corrin calmed.

"W-what...!? What did... you do to me?!"

"The throne has magical properties; there is a powerful enchantment that reveals the truth of those who sit on it. It's mostly harmless."

"Harmless…? That…hurt quite a bit…" He heaved slowly.

"Worry not. Everything will become clear to you soon, Corrin."

"Corrin…Corrin…Corrin" her voice quietly repeated. The image of the woman, his mother, flashed vividly. His head lurched at the sudden prelude to new information.

"Ahh! Corrin! Are you alright!?" Felicia rushed up to him. Corrin was stumbling badly – far worse than Felicia on her worst days.

"Felicia…! I…! I remember! Gahh! Queen…Mikoto…! Mother!"

"Move him to his room! Quickly!" the woman commanded.

"Corrin!" Felicia called. It was the last thing he hear before the world around him faded.

His slumber was restless. Corrin kicked about in his sleep while occasionally yelling out. Sweat poured profusely from his body. In his mind, the fragments aligned; the blanks of his youth filled with them and repeated over and over and over. Dreams of laughing in the sunlight, thoughts of a family long-lost to magicks until now, a sense of peace in his mother's arms, all of these erupted forth and flooded his mind.

Finally, one scene played out: he saw a man in silver Hoshidan armor being barraged with arrows – a white katana coursing with lightning in his right hand. He crumpled to the ground.

"You disappoint me, Sumeragi… I had expected better from you…you're too… trusting." A figure stepped into view. "Hmmm?" He wore dark plate and his hair was white but still had a majority of color. A wicked axe hung from his hand, bathed red from combat. It was Garon, and he stared at Corrin. "Haha. I see, Sumeragi. Unfortunately, your death is in vain. No one will come and save him."

"N-no…!" Sumeragi called out. His hand reached out towards Garon.

"Hoho. You're still alive. Tenacious as always…hmm… yes…!" A wide unnatural grin crossed his face. His pupils dilated as he took a deep breath. "Ha. I believe he will have a use for you."

"W-what are you talking about?!" He hacked up blood and struggled trying to stand up.

"Yes…yes! Hahaha! Yes!" He raised his battleaxe. "Farewell, Sumeragi. I shall see you at a later time."

"Gar-" Thwomp.

"Now…for you." He reached out, magic flaring from his hand, and grabbed Corrin. The visions stopped.