Interlude - Estate

Surprisingly, especially considering it was us, the best case scenario was what happened. We made it to Duessel's estate with minimal fuss, and there were no soldiers save for Duessel's own, who had escape the capital to take refuge here and welcomed us with smiles. As warm of smiles as the ones the servants gave us, who quickly and efficiently had us all bundled up in warm clothes and everything before we could even blink. It was weird. I honestly wondered how we'd pay for such a stroke of luck. But, for now, it's resting and gathering information. We have a straight shot to Grado's capital, Lekikya. If we secure victory there, then the war with Grado would be over. But that is only going to be the beginning of our troubles if the Demon King…

Yeah, we were going to pay for the good luck. And I had a very bad feeling about it.

I breathed in and out, settling my thoughts. I focused on my 'wish', that my friends would make it through this war alive and functioning, and then I slowly expanding that 'wish' to include things that I knew they wanted. With each added 'growth', my mind calmed and my breath steadied. The ever-present weight of the war and all that we had to accomplish lightened, and when I opened my eyes, finished with the Valega, feeling calm and centered. Then Brynhildr leaned around to nuzzle my face, finishing up getting me into the perfect mood.

"You're just the sweetest," I giggled, leaning back against her. She folded her wing over me to protect me from the sun, and giving her version of a hug. "Yeah, staying here was definitely the best decision."

We were outside, somewhere in the rolling lands behind Duessel's honestly massive estate. Seriously, you could easily fit four houses into the building alone, not even going into the stables and garden and salle and… other places I didn't know the technical terms for. It seemed horribly large for one man, even if there were many servants to tend to the place. It made me wonder if Duessel had a large family, and was now just the last one surviving, but I wasn't sure how to ask that. I supposed I could be blunt, but that seemed a little too personal.

Regardless, though, the estate was beautiful, with the buildings made of dark wood and shining-white stone, and the lands carefully tended to. There was plenty of space for everyone to run around and have their own space. And there were so many servants that all of us were being spoiled, especially the mounts. They needed advice for how to tend to the pegasi, but they learned with smiles and laughter, making it all just fun.

And speaking of fun and laughter, from where I was, sitting with Brynhildr, I could see something that I hadn't seen in a very long while. People in our army playing. Neimi, Amelia, Franz, Forde, Ewan, Ross, Lute, Artur, Tana, Dozla… they were all rushing around with soldiers I didn't know, playing tag and laughing brightly. Not far away, I saw Duessel, Garcia, Gilliam, Seth, Moulder, and Gerrik enjoying a drink while they watched the others wear themselves out. It was so bizarre to see, really. The last time I really recalled seeing anyone playing was in Jehanna, before we learned of Carlyle's betrayal. Sure, we had fun at different points afterwards, but just taking time to enjoy some games? I only recalled that village in Jehanna, before the ruins and the sandstorm. So, it was bizarre to see it.

And that wasn't even going into what would happen over the next few days. Slowly, we were making preparations to attack and fight Vigarde head on. And when we did… when we got there… we would learn the truth. We would finally learn what had happened to Vigarde. A man going mad? A man being corrupted? A corpse being puppeted? Something else we didn't consider because it was so outside our realm of possibility? We would get the answer to that.

Then, of course, there was finding Lyon. And thinking past the emotional and personal things, there was negotiating the end of the war and reparations. Figuring out the Demon King and the like. Deciding what to do. Maybe even make a trip to Myrrh's father to ask if there was a way to replace the broken stones? I had no idea. It all depended on what happened, I supposed. It all depended on what we found out. And, given our sudden stroke of good luck, I was terrified that things were going to be horrible. Because that's how it always seemed to work.

"Emma?" Myrrh's shy voice weaved through my thoughts, and I looked up to see her standing by Brynhildr's head, absently petting her nose. "Um… do you mind coming with me?" she asked with a small smile. "Innes wanted to see my dragon form, and… well, Saleh is there, but Innes can be scary even though I know he is a good person… and Ephraim and Eirika and Joshua are also there, but so is L'arachel, and she is sweet, but loud and-"

"There's no need to give me an explanation, silly," I chided, already standing. Brynhildr nuzzled both of us before taking to the air, returning to the patch of land set aside for the wyverns to nap and spread their wings. "Of course I'll be there." I took her hand and she beamed at me. "Should we fetch Tana?"

"Tana wanted to stay with the army to get a better feel for morale and the like. Because she's so approachable, she's better suited for it than anyone else among the royals. Even Joshua."

"I see." That did make sense. I only had to look at how she played tag with the rest without anyone showing the slightest bit of hesitation to see that. "In that case, where are we heading?"

"A bit off to the side, where there is a large area, and no one to accidentally fire an arrow at me. Hopefully."

On that lovely note, Myrrh led me to an open area, where Ephraim, Eirika, Innes, Joshua, L'arachel, and Saleh were all standing on the edge, Saleh being noticeably apart from the others. I ruffled Myrrh's hair to reassure her and gave hugs and kisses where applicable to everyone before going to stand by Saleh, while Myrrh went to the center of the area (which might've been a meadow actually) to gather up her nerve for her transformation. Or whatever it was.

"Why is it that you came by me?" Saleh asked me quietly. Thankfully, he had made a full recovery from using Excalibur as he had, though I had heard he was still on rest, since he had pushed himself dreadfully during the fight with Selena's forces. "Typically, you stay near King Joshua, King Ephraim, or Eirika."

"One, it provides a single convenient spot for Myrrh to run and hide if she gets overwhelmed," I explained, smiling slightly. Myrrh held her dragonstone between her hands, biting her lip. Poor girl was terribly nervous… "Two, non-royals should stick together."

"You will not be a non-royal for much longer." He nodded to Ephraim for emphasis and I tried, and failed, to not blush. And instantly thought of a way to retaliate. "So…"

"And what about you?" I smirked when his expression locked up. "You and I need to have a good long talk, methinks. After all, Eirika is my best friend."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Myrrh does~" I giggled, and Saleh just looked away. "Relax, relax. It's not going to be bad or anything. Just something like if you make her cry, I will feed you to Brynhildr."

"Wyverns do not eat people." His face was actually turning a very faint pink, and this was absolutely hilarious. "I know this."

"She'll make an exception for those who make Eirika upset." I shrugged. "By the way, Brynhildr thinks you and Eirika need to go ahead and kiss." And Saleh choked on a yelp, coughing. I winked when the others glanced at us in confusion. "I'm just teasing Saleh and it's working better than I expected. Don't mind us." Eirika frowned a bit, eyes narrowed suspiciously, and began walking towards us, no doubt to interrogate me.

However, the wind suddenly picked up and all of our attention centered on Myrrh. A bright light flashed from the stone and she began to glow with a faint green-white light. She floated in the air, just enough so that the tips of her feet barely brushed the grass, and concentrated, eyes closed. Then there was another flash, and Myrrh's eyes opened, revealing that her eyes had changed color, from red to bright green, and that her pupils had changed, from the more-human circle to a more-reptilian slit. Then there was a third flash of light, and Myrrh's wings wrapped around her like a cacoon. The wings shimmered with that green-white light from before and slowly unfurled again, lengthening and growing. But the wings were no longer 'attached' to a small girl. Instead, they were attached to some giant… reptile… thing with golden scales that matched the wings. Black claws, matching the spikes on the wings, dug into the dirt and a long tail whipped around, accidentally striking a tree and knocking it over without a second's pause. The eyes were the same bright-green, slit-pupil that Myrrh's had been just before the wings enveloped her.

'Think Brynhildr but bigger' she had said. I'd been imagining just a little bigger. Not, you know, something with the wingspan of a house! Well, maybe that was an exaggeration. Maybe. But she was big enough that I was certain Brynhildr could fly on her. And that she could pick up a horse in each claw, no problem.

"Does it make more sense now?" Myrrh's voice echoed through my head, sounding distant, but otherwise the same. "I am a manakete, a dragon. This is my draconic form." No sound. Just silence as we all stared. "Umm…"

"I believe you made your point quite clear, Lady Myrrh," Saleh replied, with some amusement. He was the only one not surprised, probably because he'd seen it before. "Perhaps you might give them a moment."

"Oh… okay…"

Of course, no one really knew how to react. I saw Ephraim open and close his mouth a few times, no doubt trying to comprehend how this giant being that could probably kill us on accident was also the sweet little girl he saved. Joshua seemed incredulously amused, and I could practically hear him say 'well, I can admit that I actually have not seen anything like this'. Even L'arachel was silent, gaping open-mouthed and half clinging to a stoic and tense Innes. Eirika, amusingly, was holding onto Saleh, frozen.

However, after a moment, my curiosity got the better of me and… well, it was just yet another weird thing to deal with. So I walked closer to Myrrh, careful to avoid the claws, and poked her in the side. She was as warm as Brynhildr, but the scales were harder, not giving nearly as much. Interesting, truly, and I looked up to study her wings. Then I shrugged and actually climbed onto her back to look more closely at them. Because what was impulse control and sense?

"Emma, I do believe most people do not climb onto a dragon within five minutes of seeing the true form," Saleh noted with a touch of dryness. I had a feeling he was exasperated. "In fact, I'm not sure people climb onto a dragon at all."

"Meh, big dragon or little girl, Myrrh is Myrrh," I replied, sitting by the wing joint. The muscle underneath was much more developed than Brynhildr's, probably because it had to lift such a larger bulk. "And Myrrh can tell me to get the hell off if she wants." I paused, thinking. "Well, not 'the hell' off. Myrrh doesn't curse. But still. Myrrh, if you're uncomfortable, tell me. I just wanted a better look at the wing."

"Oh, no, you're fine," Myrrh reassured. There was a bit of happiness in her voice, like she was glad that someone, at least, got close. "You're really light, actually. I barely noticed."

"I bet." I leaned forward a bit, frowning. The wings were massive and very much like a wyverns, but I saw one key different that made me worry. The membrane between the ridges was thin, much thinner than on Brynhildr's wings. With the sunlight shining down, they almost seemed transparent, and I could see the little veins and arteries branching through. "Hey, Myrrh?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a problem with arrows like other fliers?"

"Yes and no." Myrrh shifted under me, and I felt all the muscles bunched and move, very reminded that Myrrh could literally crush me right now. "My wings are very much the weakest point, but between my size and my power, I can normally deal with arrows. Or will once I remember how to use utilize my strength. It has been a while." There was a bit of a 'gasp', and I could easily imagine her startled look. "Oh, but I can fight well still. In fact, the fire I breath is also particularly effective against monsters, just like the Sacred Twins." Something told me that wasn't a coincidence. I'd ask later if I remembered. "Though, um…"

"Hmm?"

"I'd like to transform back, so…"

"Getting off now." I jumped down and took a few large steps back. Myrrh's form glowed again, surrounded by light, and shrunk down until she was back to looking like a little girl with wings, though with a more exhilarated look on her face than normal. I supposed having something so vital to her back did that. "Um… so, um…"

"I no longer have qualms fielding a child," Innes finally deadpanned. That made the rest of us start laughing, though I saw L'arachel wince. "Mostly. I am going to assume that you cannot suffer that much damage."

"When compared to Lord Morva, no, Lady Myrrh cannot," Saleh confirmed. Myrrh smiled shyly and ducked behind me. "I do ask that we be careful."

"I am always careful." Innes almost sounded insulted, but L'arachel kicked his leg, so he nodded. "But I get your meaning, I believe." He smiled very slightly, and looked to Ephraim, who seemed a bit more conflicted, but resolute. "This will be interesting."

Well, it seemed like Myrrh would get her wish. I just hoped she could hold up under the whole 'killing' thing, because war wasn't… it wasn't kind. So, I worried. But Myrrh, at least, seemed happy, skipping over to Saleh and Eirika with a smile. That would be enough, I suppose.

Duessel had insistent, strongly, on people replacing their weapons and their armor, and even if we thought about refusing… well, his servants all-but-stole old weapons and armor. I ended up with a brand new lance before I could even blink twice, and a new quiver for my saddle. Thankfully, I managed to stop them from taking my armor, since I loved it so and it was perfectly fine. Just needed a bit of mending which… the servants did happily before I even finished the sentence. It was almost ridiculous how eager they were to help out.

Regardless, though, it resulted in Eirika and Ephraim getting replacement armor. And they were… interesting? Ephraim's was very blue, he apparently finally decided that the cape should go under the shoulder guard things. It had the 'fade to gray' parts like his previous, but they didn't look as off due to the blue used and because the cape he had being a similar blue-purple-gray on the outside, with the inside a rich red. Eirika's was somewhat similar to her previous one, though with far more blatant wing imagery, including a wing ornament on her belt and little wings above her knee guards. She had a cape very similar to her previous one, and a ribbon tied behind her waist that was very long and had tassels on the end, like a tapestry.

End result? Me doing my best to not laugh at them and failing miserably.

"I suppose royals have to focus on looks?" I finally suggested, voice wobbling from holding back laughter. I'd already had to sit down on Ephraim's bed because I couldn't focus on both standing and not laughing. Even then, I swore I'd cracked two ribs already. "They look very impressive." Which they did. I just severely wondered on the practicality.

"That sounds like a backhanded compliment," Eirika retorted, huffing a bit. Ephraim snickered, smiling in amusement. "Suppose it's my fault. I don't know what I was expecting when I asked you to look at the new armor with Ephraim and me."

"Neither do I!" And I lost the battle with my laughter, laughing hard enough that I fell on my side. "They do look good at least?"

"Rawr." Eirika sulked and I just laughed harder. Ephraim continued snickering. "Oh, wait, by the logic of 'being royals', you should also have fancy armor." She smirked when I blushed, and she laughed when she noticed Ephraim was blushing too. "Actually, that is a fun thought…"

"No way. I am half-Jehannan and I shall stick to my Jehannan armor, thank you very much!" I pointed to the wing ornaments. "Besides, my armor would have to take into account aerodynamics or whatever the word is. I would lose very critical speed with those bits slowing me down."

"I think you're just trying to talk your way out of it." She crossed her arms and pretended to be mad for all of a second before giggling. "Hey, speaking of flying, where is Myrrh?"

"Last that I checked, she and Saleh were talking with Moulder and Natasha about her health and things that are normal for her and not?" I nudged Ephraim with my foot, and he nodded, confirming that. "She's got a different baseline for 'normal body temperature' among other things."

"Ah, I see. And L'arachel isn't…" Eirika gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh, shoot, I was supposed to show L'arachel and Tana." And ran for the door. "Emma, we're having dinner together, right?"

"Last I heard?"

"I'll see you then!" And she left, shutting the door behind her. That was…

"It is hilarious when she forgets stuff," Ephraim laughed, amused. He began taking off his armor, and I simply sat on the bed, enjoy the impromptu 'show'. "I thought the new armor was better than the old, personally."

"Well, the coloring makes more sense, as does the cape," I teased. I would never really understand why their armor was so flashy, but it was certainly fun to joke about it. "And it does look nice."

"Always important to look good for my dearest love."

"I… you…" I blushed, and growled under my breath, irritated that he could make me blush so damn easily. All the more when he laughed. So, I tried to think of some way to get revenge, and came up on one pretty quickly. "You know; I think this is the first time I've ever been in your room at… any of the places we've stayed at." I looked around, noticing it was rather simple, all things considered. Ephraim kept most of his stuff packed up. "Is it similar or different than your room in Renais?"

"I could tell you, but I'm sure you'll see it before long." And he just got me right on back, though he did blush. He tried to hide it by putting up his armor, but I still saw it. "Um… because well… um…" He went even redder, but he turned back to face me. "It might… be yours too…?"

"Oh." And I was back to blushing badly. All the worse because that was the third comment about marriage today. "Um… what are you thoughts, actually?" The words felt like mush, and I couldn't look at him at all if I had any hope of actually saying them. And the question filled me with so much nervous energy that I had to stand up. "On marriage? Do you have any?"

"I've a lot. I've thought of it quite a bit." He walked over and caressed my cheek, smiling at me. "And I think the first step is… well, a proper courting."

"Proper courting?" I gave him a skeptical look, even though my face was burning. But it was fine because he was blushing too. "We better not be talking poems or love letters."

"Fun as it might be, I have no intention of inflicting bad poetry on you. And I'm sure I'm bad at it." He laughed and I did have to smile. "No, just… well, a lot of time and funds needs to be spent in fixing Renais. Weddings are time-consuming and expensive, royal ones even more so."

"That is true…" I remembered Monica and Orson's wedding. It had taken forever to prepare, and even though I had loved every second of it… "Proper funerals and memorials, reconstructing villages, training new knights…"

"Exactly. And then there's…" He hesitated a bit before kissing me, a tad desperately. "I want… I want you to be certain you'll be comfortable, Emma. In the court. As queen."

"Ephraim…" I had to smile, touched that he would think of that. That he would know me well enough to know that was a sacrifice I was making. "Well, becoming queen isn't something I would've chosen exactly. I like my quiet." Before he could say anything, though, I leaned up to kiss him, lingering when I pulled away. "However, I decided that I would likely be happy, because I would be with you." I smiled warmly at him, laughing when he just stared at me in wonder. "So long as that remains true, you don't have to worry about be going anywhere. I do appreciate you considering that, though."

"Well, I..." He tried to say something, but eventually gave up and pulled me close, clinging tightly. I returned the hug with all my strength, just to emphasize my words. "I will do everything I can to make sure you are happy, Emma. And to ensure that Renais prospers and feels a happiness akin to what I am feeling right now."

"And you never take fights you cannot win, yes?"

"Precisely." He pulled away just enough so that he could kiss me. "Besides, how can I lose? I've got you to prod me when I'm being stupid."

"That is true." I jumped up to kiss him, but in the enthusiasm, I accidentally knocked him over and I… uh… ended up pinning him to the bed. "Whoops?"

"...Well, this is a view I can get used to?" Ephraim laughed, smiling softly at me. I had to smile back. "Hey, I don't have any meetings for once. Not until the evening, at least. Do you have any plans?" I shook my head, now grinning. "Then, I'd like to spend the afternoon with you. That okay?"

I answered him with a kiss. I figured that was good enough to convey my feelings on the matter.

After dinner with Eirika, I decide to swing by Selena's room, just to check in. I didn't plan on going inside or talking or anything. I just wanted to see how she was doing, with my own eyes, instead of just asking people. I was the one who spared her, so I did feel some, minor, responsibility for her recovery. Most of the time, someone was sitting with her, basically doing a suicide-watch, so I rarely stayed long. I did find myself lingering a bit this time, though. Mostly because Cormag was with her and, from my understanding, this would be the first time Cormag had visited her since the battle.

"I find it so strange that you were the one that…" Selena was saying. She was laying down, probably because of her broken hip, but she was actually smiling. Cormag, meanwhile, was folding clothes. "You told Glen to keep his head down and to follow orders."

"Pretty sure that was closer to the beginning of this," Cormag countered, sorting through the clothes on the table. He held up a pink dress, frowning. "I thought you hated pink."

"Duessel said that it was my punishment. I had to endure one piece of pink clothing."

"That does sound like him. Eat your vegetables, wear a color you're not fond of…" Cormag laughed, and it was the warmest I had heard in weeks. "He always gives weird punishments."

"Yet strangely effective."

"That's also true." He hung up the dress and then went back to folding. "But, at the time, I had hoped there was some reason to it all. I still had faith. And I tried to hold onto it, even as our country slowly became corrupted."

"It has changed so much and…" Selena trailed off, frowning. "Prince Lyon is terribly ill."

"He's always been frail."

"Yes, but he's been coughing so much, hard enough that I'm surprised he didn't cough up blood. And sometimes, his mood would swing this way and that. Almost like he became a different person. It worries me." She sighed. From where I was by the door, I grimaced. That didn't sound good… "It worries me more because the only skilled healer in the capital now is Riev. Who I swear is…"

"You know; if you had said that instead of being stubborn, I'm about ninety percent certain everyone would've just let you go." Cormag gave her a look. "However, your pride kicked in."

"So it did. And now, I don't know what to do. The emperor I swore loyalty to is gone, apparently, and the prince I adore is suffering when I can do nothing." She fell silent, and Cormag didn't answer, just kept on folding clothes. "Cormag?"

"Yes?"

"When you and I last talked, we spoke about what 'loyalty' meant."

"I think we more yelled, but yeah, I suppose we did." Cormag attempted to smile, but it was more of a grimace. "I decided it meant living up to someone's ideals. But who knows what I would've thought if things… hadn't happened the way they did."

"How did you even end up with them?"

"Glen died, I lost it, found their army, Genarog lost it, and Tana managed just enough reason for me to second-guess everything."

"Tana… Princess Tana?" Selena laughed, and it was surprisingly warm. "That's the sweet girl who always manages to get you to smile, no matter how much you try to fight it, yes?"

"I… well…" Cormag narrowed his eyes. "You're leading into something."

"You're quite adorable around her. That's all."

"That… you…" Cormag sighed and shook his head. "I have no idea what I feel, but I do know that I am, by no means, stable enough to even consider romance. Much less a potential romance with a royal princess."

"Maybe after Valter is taken care of?" Selena used her elbow to push herself to the side a little, just enough so that she could reach and grab his hand. "Regardless, I do understand. Just don't close off the possibility, especially if you can be happy."

"Selena…"

"If I am being forced to live and recover, I am going to shove you down the same path." She smiled at him. "That's what big sisters are supposed to do, yes?"

"And apparently worry their little brothers about putting too much pressure on broken bones." Cormag rolled his eyes and helped her settle back in the middle of the bed. "I should be grateful you're not trying to walk around."

"I did try, but I was stopped."

"Good!"

The two bantered back and forth, but I stepped back to not eavesdrop anymore. I did linger near, but that was mostly because I wanted to process what I'd overheard. And, for the first time, I began to understand why Selena was well liked. Just a little. But that little was enough to make me feel better about sparing her. Just a little.

"Huh? Emma?" Cormag stepped out of the room, and of course, I was right there in the middle of the hallway, so he saw me immediately. "What are you doing here?" he asked softly, shutting the door behind him. "Did you want to visit Selena? She just fell asleep, but…"

"No, I was just spying to see how she was recovering," I answered, smiling slightly. I was pretty certain I was the absolute last person Selena wanted to see. "Is it safe to leave her alone?"

"She's serious about recovering. I know everyone else worries, but I know her."

"In that case, I yield to you." That did make me feel better, though. "So, how is it that you got to fold clothes? Duessel's servants always seem to jump on things."

"They know me, and I told them I needed to do something while talking to Selena. They handed me the laundry."

"I see." I giggled, amused. "So, are his servants normally so eager to assist? They've nearly stampeded us a couple of times."

"They're normally bored. Duessel has no blood relatives, so he lives here alone. When, you know, he's not with the army or the royal family." Cormag laughed, amused. I wondered how many times he'd stayed here in the past, to know them so well. "So, yes, guests are normally swarmed. They love having something to do. Doesn't help that a lot of them have served in the family for generations."

"I think I get it." It was nice to take it easy, but too long, and you just got stir-crazy. "They can be a little over-eager though."

"You sometimes have to put your foot down. Easier than it sounds, I promise." He continued laughing before quieting, shaking his head. "But this is conveniently. I haven't thanked you yet."

"For…?"

"Sparing Selena." He smiled brightly at me, the brightest smile I thought I had ever seen him wear. "Thank you, for sparing her."

"Think you should thank the healers for saving her." And now I felt embarrassed. "I saved her for-"

"I know exactly why, because Selena told me what you told her." He smiled smugly and I sighed. Damn it all. "You were going to play it off as just selfish reasons. You always do."

"Yeah, well… um…" I had no reply to that. So I just changed the subject entirely. "So, next battle. Are you going to be okay?"

"About laying siege to the castle of the people I swore my loyalty to?" His voice went very dry, and I grimaced a little. "Never better."

"Not… not quite what I meant." More like I just went to the first thing I'd thought of, but I could bullshit my way through this. Hopefully. "There's a chance Valter will be there, right?" I made sure to look him in the eye. "So? Are you going to be okay?"

"There is…" Cormag trailed off, and there was a very long silence. "I… might need help. Making sure I don't go…"

"I'll watch you." I knew that was what he was asking. He was worried he'd lose his temper, just like before. "If nothing else, we can find a convenient body of water to jump into."

"Well, there is a moat." He laughed, and I couldn't help but join in. "Ah, anyway, I need to go see Duessel. He wanted to talk to me about a lance."

"I'll talk to you later then." I smiled and waved him goodbye as he left, before biting my lip, confused. Why would Duessel want to talk about a lance? But then I remembered the cursed lance Duessel kept and realized that had to be it. But I… I wasn't sure I liked Cormag knowing about it. It wasn't my choice or my business, but it still made me uncomfortable. Almost like… almost like Duessel was making sure to tell Cormag in case he died in the coming fight… or… something…

"Petal?" Joshua called suddenly, startling me. "Hey, you okay?" He frowned a bit and leaned down to peer at my face. "Got a pinched look to you."

"...Just some bad feelings is all, brother," I murmured. It wasn't a lie, thankfully. "So, is it just me or does anyone else think that this isn't…?"

"Oh, great, I was hoping it was just me." Joshua grimaced and I winced. Not good… "Mind helping me double check the current plans?"

"Of course." I just hoped Lyon would be okay. He had seemed so ghost-like, last time, and then there was what Selena had said… "Let's try and minimize everything we can expect."

"That way, it's the unexpected that kicks us in the ass." He kissed my cheek and started walking down the hall, and I followed him easily. "Answers in a few days. Can't wait."

This was going to be bad.

Author's notes: Bit of a break chapter after the last couple of chapters, and before the next one. Ephraim's armor is based off of his Legendary art, while Eirika's is based off her Gleipnir!Alt. Duessel shows Cormag the cursed lance in their A support.

Next Chapter - Father and Son