Chapter 20) The Frozen River

Even with small… antics aside that make the army laugh, we continue to march on. It isn't long at all before we reach central Ilia, and the thick forests that characterize it. Our progress slows to a crawl as we try to navigate the trees, and more of us fall ill by the day.

This journey isn't easy, and I cannot shake the feeling that the worse is yet to come.

War was a mix of fighting and politics. Whenever you weren't fighting, you were planning, and those plans had to involve playing politics, so that you could reconstruct without stepping on too many toes. This meant a lot of meetings. Now, meetings were all well and good; they helped ensure that while leadership was Roy's, the full burden wasn't his. He was the strong and respected general, but he wasn't put onto a pedestal, like the heroes of the Scouring. He was 'one of them', who just happened to have a few weird powers and more responsibilities. By working with everyone, that extended to Elphin and myself. I was the borderline-insane, but respected tactician. Elphin was the calm strategist, who ensured Roy and I could perform our 'miraculous' feats with the maximum efficiency, and he was also the kind king who listened.

It was good. But the amount of time these meetings ate up was enough to make me grumble quietly about them anyway as I left a Leadership Meeting with Roy and Elphin to head to my tent and prepare for a War Council. Scouts had already been sent ahead to check the area based on rumors of a Bishop-Turned-Commander of Bern operating in these parts.

I sighed as I entered my tent, closing my eyes for a brief moment to simply rest them. Then I shook my head and turned to my desk, prepared to work. I smiled, though, when I saw one of Klein's love notes resting on top of a carefully stacked pile of paper. A quick check proved that the papers were everything I needed for the War Council. He had taken the time to organize it for me so that I could actually have a break. So, I smiled softly and picked up the note to read it.

Another reason why I complained about the meetings was that it left me less time for all of my loved ones. Klein and I might have confessed and were a couple now, but we'd barely had time to say two words to each other, and there were just times where we did have a few moments, but we felt like we were neglecting our other loved ones. So, we started simply exchanging letters, left on our desks whenever we had enough of a free moment.

Mine always ended with a little Sacaean proverb or some silly anecdote from our past to get him to laugh. His always ended in poems, probably because that was the traditional way to court someone in Etruria. They made me smile.

When I finished reading it, I tucked it into my treasure box, the one I'd 'inherited' from Dad. I'd moved the ribbon into there, as well as Mom's earrings and the notes from her. It just felt right to keep them all together.

This did lead me to a minor problem. I actually had free time. I hadn't had any in so long that I had no idea what to do. So, first, I composed a reply to Klein, and went to drop it off in his tent. I knew he wouldn't be there; Elphin had wanted to talk to all four of his generals after our Leadership meeting, so he'd be there. From there, I went to check on Roy, Lilina, Sue, Clarine, Rutger, and others in the group. Most of them were busy, so I left them little notes too and went on my way. Before long, I found myself at the practice grounds, and saw that Tate and Miredy were drilling the fliers. Miredy handled the physical weapons; Tate handled the magic.

I waited until there was a break and then walked over to talk to Tate. "Hey," I called, waving. She instantly smiled and waved back, before drinking some water. "How's it going?"

"Everyone seems to be doing well," she answered with a little shrug. "Miredy and I figured out a way to combine the drills Ilia and Bern use. It helps the Bernese soldiers move a little faster and helps we Ilians in putting a little more power behind physical blows."

"How are the mounts handling the magic?"

"The wyverns balk a little more, but since they're more vulnerable to it, it makes sense." She pointed to Zeiss, who was chatting with Miredy. "Zeiss seems to have gotten his wyvern to cooperate the most, and he's showing the rest the tricks he uses."

"That's good to hear." Flying mages were definitely one of our biggest advantages. "That the wyverns dislike it certainly does favor Zephiel not getting his own fliers to cooperate."

"Miredy says she doubts Zephiel will be able to get most of our unique tactics because Bern is very prideful at being 'the best' at warfare." She rolled her eyes and I snickered. "So, while the soldiers closest to Zephiel might switch because he makes a compelling argument, the soldiers outside his direct influence likely won't."

"So, essentially, we're likely to be fine until we're actually in Bern." By that point, we hopefully would have ways to counter it. "Oh, right, this all reminds me. Didn't you switch to light magic recently?"

"I did." She nodded, smiling slightly. "I have an equal talent between light and anima magic, but I prefer the former. It's sharper, faster. I can cover my people better."

"That works for me." I smiled back. "I just have to keep track of who wields what. I don't want to give you an order to fireball when you don't have a fire tome."

"And, of course, making sure the numbers are accurate help us with getting supplies." She shrugged. "That's another reason too. We have far too many anima magic users, and barely any light or dark magic users."

"That is true." Elen and Saul were learning, but they were permanently assigned to infirmary duty as our best healers. So, out of those who actually were on the front lines, we had Guinevere and a flier who used light magic. We barely had more dark magic users: Ray, Sofiya, and a couple of the fliers. Meanwhile, every other magic user in our army wielded anima. "We're running low on anima tomes."

"We do have some vendors further into Ilia that specialize in tomes. We can buy some then." She grew silent then, eyes narrowed slightly. "You know…"

"Hmm?"

"As we get deeper into Ilia, we'll learn who of Ilia sided with Bern." Her eyes grew hard as she looked to the horizon. "Some might be willing to trust the other countries, but I think many just think they'll be choosing between two tyrants."

"Some will then choose Bern because they're better at war." It was easy to fill in the gaps from there. More war meant more pay for a mercenary and Ilia depended on that system. "Tate, you have any idea how high tariffs are for Ilia?"

"I don't, but Zealot will." Her eyes lit up as she caught my thought. "Oh, we can work on lowering that! That'll lessen the strain on the mercenaries!" The unspoken words were obvious. 'Those that survive will not have to do five people's work to make up for those who died.'

"We do have many leaders here." I smiled warmly. "Most of us are 'on break' right now, but it seems like lately, our breaks are really making plans for peace, so do you want to go track down Zealot?"

"As soon as I finish this drill." She smiled back. "I don't want to skimp them."

"Of course. May I watch? We have time before the War Council."

"Of course."

Our first real battle in the cold was not as much of a disaster as I feared. However, it also wasn't going as well as I could have hoped.

"I wish I could say that you two have done enough," I murmured, smiling ruefully at Miredy and Zeiss. Not only did we have the cold to deal with, but the enemy soldiers were more than eager to burn down villages, meaning we had to move fast. So, all of my tactics had fliers handling the brunt of the assault. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but we had ballistae, archers, and status stave assholes who loved using fliers for target practice. "But unless your wyverns are experiencing hypothermia like some of the others, I simply can't."

"We'd be insulted if you did," Miredy reassured with a kind smile. She seemed perfectly fine, not bothered by the cold at all despite opting against wearing some more covering armor for warmth. "Zeiss and I are fine."

"Yes, we are," Zeiss agreed. Still, he gave her a sheepish look. "I'm sorry for earlier, though."

"It's okay, Zeiss. I'll keep you safe." Miredy's smile turned a little sad, and her eyes unfocused as if she was remembering something. But then she shook her head and turned her attention back to me. "So, your orders, my lady?"

"They're unchanged," I replied, curious about what happened. I decided that Zeiss must've gotten ambushed. "We still need to confirm that the villages are safe while the main army presses forward towards the castle. Shanna's group in particular was under siege. Prioritize her."

"Understood," Miredy replied. She bowed and moved to her wyvern. "Up we go."

"Good luck." I watched as her wyvern launched herself into the air, and then noticed that Zeiss didn't immediately follow, just gripped the reins of his own wyvern tightly. "Something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing," he immediately dismissed. I gave him a droll look and he sighed. "It's… nothing for you to worry about. I just… can't accept simply being protected. I want to become stronger so that I can protect her too, since she's already hurting so much."

"Is that so?" I murmured. I could understand that. That sad smile… "I wish I could promise you both more."

"We made our choices."

"You didn't get much of a choice."

"I could've left after you got me out. I chose to stay and see what vision Princess Guinevere has." He sighed. "I just wish things weren't so painful." He shook his head. "I'm heading up."

"Stay safe." I stepped back as his wyvern launched into the air, kicking up snow. It wasn't long at all before he caught up to Miredy and the two of them were back to the fight.

I watched them for a moment before turning my attention back to the army. The dense forests were slowing us down considerably, to the point that burning them had been considered a very serious option. Ultimately, we decided against it. The wind would make the fire unpredictable, and we didn't want the Ilians to think we planned on razing the country to the ground.

Still, the whole thing was almost boring. Most of the fighting was with the fliers. The rest of us tried to make it to the castle, fighting some soldiers along the way.

"Lady Irene!" Fiona's voice echoed through the trees long before I actually saw her step out from behind a trunk. "Last of the ballistae is seized," she informed me, smiling. "Fae got a little enthusiastic about it, though."

"Did she?" I asked, debating how to take it. I decided to be amused. After all, Fiona was smiling. "Is she okay?"

"Well, we had to pick out a few arrows." Fiona snickered. "She got really into a breath attack, lost her balance, and promptly fell on her butt, squashing a few of the enemy soldiers. So, their weapons got a little stuck in the feathers and scales."

The mental image alone was enough to make me laugh. "Oh, Father Sky, I almost wish I had seen that!"

"Just almost?" Her eyes danced with humor. "Regardless, Fae is going to be making her way back to here soon, and she'll want a hug."

"Of course." I wasn't surprised. Fae appreciated hugs a lot, especially when things went a little… weird. Having to have arrows plucked from your ass because you sat on some enemies was definitely weird. "Should I stay here or go greet her or-?"

Fiona stiffened suddenly and lunged, dragging me to the ground and shielding me as the wind suddenly roared, whipping up the snow to blind us. I heard the sound of water freezing suddenly and wondered if Roy had done something. But when the wind died and I brushed the snow off my face and Fiona's arm, I decided it likely wasn't. After all, I was pretty sure Roy would've warned me before freezing the river.

"That was running water," I whispered, staring at the ice. Some of the braver, or more foolish, soldiers carefully walked across it, testing the weight. "It was freezing cold so we couldn't swim it, but it had been running." That was why we didn't have Roy freeze it in the first place. It took too much effort for him to keep it up. "A cold snap that could flash-freeze river should've killed us all."

"Not necessarily," Fiona murmured. She kept a protective grip on me even as we both sat up. "If a user of dark magic got hold of one of Aenir's spells…"

"Aenir?" That was Roy's grandmother. "She had spells?"

"Oh, yes, but most of them could only be used by other dragons. Someone of dark magic could replicate it, though." She bit her lip, thinking. "Aenir had one trick that let her pick and choose what her magic froze. She liked it best because then she didn't have to worry so much about the power of her spells."

"...Can Roy?"

"I don't know." Slowly, she let go of me and helped me stand. "Well, this will speed things up." She nodded to where a few mounted soldiers were actually leading their horses across. "Avoid the trees and cross the ice."

"That's assuming we can cross without falling on our faces or, worse, our weapons." I could see a few near misses already. "I need to go help with that. When Fae comes, tell her that I'll give her extra hugs when things settle."

"I will." She gave me a worried look. "Stay safe."

"We'll try."

Thanks to the frozen rivers, the castle was seized before long and we quickly set up everyone inside the walls, blissful to have strong protections from the cold. We sent scouts to check the place for anything and, before long, we found a prisoner in the dungeons. Roy and I met with her, leaving Elphin to deal with the aftermath of the battle.

"So, you are the one who used the spell," Roy murmured. Both of us did our best to be polite. The prisoner, Niime, was an old woman, likely as old as Yodel, and we both knew that a magic user that old likely knew thirty thousand ways to deal with rude children. "Why did you only freeze the rivers?"

"As I told Martel, there was nothing that suggested what the spell would do," she replied slowly. She shrugged, clearly having no cares about it. "There was a line about 'choosing targets', but he wouldn't listen. He wanted rain to flood the rivers. With how cold Ilia is, though, he would've only gotten hail anyway."

"That would've harmed both armies, though more-so ours than the enemy." The enemy had a place to retreat to. "But why would you join the army in the first place?"

"Bern has something I want to study." She paused, gauging our reactions. We made sure to be politely interested. "Ah, what good children you are. It's so nice to see respect for the elderly."

"We try, ma'am." Roy nodded. "Might I ask what you wished to study?"

"The dragons."

"...Is that so?" Roy kept his voice neutral. "And what have you learned?"

"Sadly, nothing that satisfies my curiosity." She shrugged, smiling slightly. "I do believe, though, that Bern has resurrected the Demon Dragon."

"We have determined this already. The presence of the War Dragons, artificial lives, proves it."

"Truly?" She sounded impressed. "I really must see what scholars you have. It took me ages to find even that much."

"We are very lucky indeed." Roy shrugged. "We have fought dragons before, and even had one help us in Aquelia."

"Interesting, very interesting." She chuckled, her smile growing. "I wish to learn more. Elder magic is the magic of knowledge. I am certain I can be of assistance."

"This is a campaign, not a simple trip of pleasure. So long as you are all right with that, I have no quarrel."

"Good, good." She laughed again. "I look forward to seeing your army's continued successes." She walked off then, clearly ending the conversation.

I waited until she was gone and the door shut before I deadpanned, "So, how long do you think we can keep Fae, Sofiya, and Fiona away from her?"

"We'll leave it to them whether or not they wish to associate with her," Roy sighed. He rubbed his temple, and slowly relaxed his shoulders. "I, for one, don't want her to know I'm quarter-dragon, or at least talk to her about it. I'm sure she's a nice lady, but I have a feeling that when it comes to knowledge…"

"She'd think of you as an object to be studied, and not as a person who struggles." I had that same feeling. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was certainly uncomfortable. "I think I'll talk to Igrene. Sofiya and Fiona can hold their own, but I'm a little worried for Fae."

"I'll go talk to her, actually." Roy smiled. "Princess Guinevere wanted to talk to you."

"Is that so?" I wondered why. Was it our earlier conversation or something else? "Then I'll go find her. Tell Igrene that if she wants, Fae can stay in my tent."

"I will." His smile turned sheepish. "You mind making me something for headaches?"

"I've got a bunch of it already made." I shrugged. "I should just keep a steady supply. It's made from a lot of easy to find herbs, even here in Ilia, and I've a feeling most of those on the War Council are going to need it. It'll free up the healers, and I find the work soothing."

"I'll work with the others to figure out a good 'spot' in our camps after I talk to Igrene." He turned away, waving. "See you later, Irene."

"Try not to work too hard." I had meant it as genuine advice, but my tone make it sardonic instead, and Roy laughed at the absurdity of the thought. We were all working too hard.

So, shaking my head, I left the room too and hunted for Guinevere. Elen helpfully pointed me towards a balcony away from where the main group was congregated, and I found Guinevere there, staring towards the horizon. Based on how the sun was somewhere behind us, I realized she was looking towards the east, towards Bern.

"Hey," I called softly. She squeaked and whirled, smiling sheepishly when she saw it was me. "What are you doing here, freezing your ass off in the cold?"

"I am wearing a very warm coat," she replied with great dignity. Her smile softened. "Besides, I'm not that averse to the cold. It snows in Bern during the winter, especially when you head closer to the mountains. We have a Winter Ball every year in Bern, actually, as part of our Midwinter celebrations." She laughed, eyes lighting up. "Those are always incredibly fun. We dress up in masks and everything."

"I'm sure it is." I moved to stand beside her, looking down at the still frozen rivers. "Roy said you wanted to talk to me. Do you still?"

"Yes." She sighed, her breath fogging in front of her face. "Just… give me a moment."

"Of course." I waited in silence, looking up at the sky. But it was cloudy, just as it had been before, with a gentle snow falling down and dusting everything in sight.

Finally, though, she took a shuddering breath. "I've… been thinking on what you said," she mumbled. She still looked directly to the east. "About becoming queen."

"And what have you thought?"

"...I thought about how no one had ever offered me the crown before." Her hands shook as she crossed her arms. "Not even Father had… he offered the crown to my future, imaginary husband, but not to me." She hesitated before adding, "please do not ask about that part just yet. I can't…"

"Of course." I thought of the rumors Roy fretted over and all that I had heard. I could take a few guesses, and I could not blame her for wanting to avoid talking about it. "So?"

"I still don't think I can rule." Her voice was soft. "But… I can't avoid it… just because…" She shook her head. "I made the choice to go to Lycia in an attempt to end the war. I do not wish to run away from the consequences of that choice. I do not wish to leave reconstruction to someone else." Her eyes, however, were fierce. "I love Bern. I love my home. So, even if all of them hate me, even if all of them think that I was just an opportunistic bitch, a bastard child who subverted the laws to reach above her station… I will help them recover."

"Guinevere…" I might have said more, but footsteps caught my ear, so I turned instead and saw Wuotan walking up. "Oh, hey, Wuotan."

"Hello," Wuotan replied, bowing slightly in greeting. He smiled when Guinevere smiled. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear."

"Oh, no, it's fine," Guinevere reassured. She laughed a little, and I thought her face was red from more than the cold. "It's nothing I'm keeping secret. It's just Irene was the one who put the thought in my head."

"So, of course, you wished for her to be the first to hear your answer." His gaze became serious. "However, if I may point out something?"

"Yes?"

"Are you unaware of the old law of Bern that allows younger children to, legally, seize control of the throne from an elder sibling?" His smile became bitter as her expression blanked. "I see that you are."

"What old law?" She tilted her head, and I saw her shaking again. "What is it? Who set it up?"

"Ultimately, it was a law of the 'old' kingdom, the one that ruled the east before the Scouring. You won't know the name; it was forgotten within a few years of the Scouring anyway." He shook his head. "Hartmut, however, chose to keep it in specifically for circumstances where the eldest child, and thus the 'proper' heir, was not the best ruler for the country."

"What is it then?"

"It's a duel." Something about the way he said the sentence made my blood run cold, to the point that the snow felt warm. Guinevere outright froze. "As a child of Hartmut's blood, you hold the right to challenge Zephiel to a duel with the crown as the wager."

"I…" Guinevere's eyes widened and she started trembling. "I…"

"Guinevere," I whispered, touching her shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin from fright, so I shifted to just look at her instead. "Guinevere, listen to me." I waited until she focused on me before continuing. "I will not ask you to do that. I will never ask you. So, do not feel forced."

"It is, of course, simply a choice," Wuotan added. He looked sympathetic. "Perhaps it is cruel of me to even offer the choice, but I feel it would be crueler to make the choice for you. You are an adult, capable of making your own choices."

"I…" Guinevere rasped. She coughed to clear her throat and finally settled on sulking. "I'm sure I'll thank you for it in a few weeks."

"That's rather quick. I expected a few months." He smiled warmly. "You should rest."

"Yes, I should." She turned to me. "This… doesn't shake my earlier resolve. For the record."

"I know," I reassured. She smiled in relief. "Go on. Talk to Elen or someone."

"Maybe I'll give Zeiss advice for courting Elen, actually." She giggled, and stepped away. "I'll talk to you later."

"Until then." I waited until I was certain she was out of earshot before giving Wuotan a droll look. "I know very well that your little comment was also directed towards me."

"Yes, it was," Wuotan admitted without hesitation. He moved to stand beside me, pointedly taking the side Guinevere hadn't been standing on. "It is, after all, your choice as well."

"I made mine." I sighed, leaning against the railing. "I'm giving my 'king' a victory, and I'm ensuring that my 'queens' are prepared to battle." The more I thought about it, the more I realized Lilina and Guinevere really were the 'queens' of the board. Both were powerful magic users, with Lilina having the raw power and Guinevere having the ability to use two different kinds. Both also gave the army legitimacy. The core, the heart, of the army of Lycian, and Lilina's presence showed that Roy had the support of that heart. Guinevere was the Princess of Bern, heir to its ruler. With her, you could argue that the army was 'saving' Bern from a tyrannical ruler. "I am ensuring that as many of my knights, my bishops, my rooks, and my pawns as possible make it home, and ensure that they devastate the enemy." Every one of us played an important part, even the people I only knew as faceless soldiers. I would never forget that.

"And then you will retire to Etruria with your lover and help rebuild the continent." Wuotan laughed softly. "It's admirable."

"Well, thank you, I suppose." I sighed, drooping. "I hate that I can think of everyone as chess pieces."

"You keep that they are human in mind." He patted my shoulder. "You're fine."

"I wish I could believe that." I wished I knew how I learned to think that way. Mom didn't; her logbook was testament for how she never could. Did I pick it up from Dad? Was it just something uniquely me? I had no idea. "But I need to keep moving. If thinking of everything as chess helps keep us safe, then I'll keep with it, even if it makes me uncomfortable."

"That is all you can do." He suddenly laughed. "So, we have another scholar?"

"Niime is rather impressed by what we know." I looked up at him. "When do I get to hear how you know a lot?"

"Oh, eventually, I'll give you an answer." He nudged my back. "Come, though. You have work to do."

"That I do." I looked over the land, and groaned at all the snow. "I hate the cold."

"You'll hate it more before long." He sounded so serious that I felt myself grow afraid. "Based on the weather, we're due for an early winter, much earlier than the Ilians originally anticipated."

The very thought made me freeze and it felt like it took forever to get my voice to work enough to ask, "How bad?"

"There will be a blizzard before long." His voice was quiet. "And if the Ilian knights who side with Bern don't take advantage of that, I'll eat my cloak."

"...The next battle is going to be rough." I had to get to Roy. I had to confirm this with the locals. I had… "I need to get to work."

Father Sky, please… please let us survive this and not get trapped. Please.

Notes on Niime

The Hermit of the Mountain, a wise and knowledgeable woman. Uncle Pent would freak if he heard. Her age, however, makes it harder for her to fight. Her greatest asset is her knowledge.

Apparently, she's Hugh's grandmother. This makes so many things about Hugh make so much sense.

Studying the dragons, and is impressed by how much we already know. It's enough to make me wonder who Wuotan is, really.

Author's notes: This is Chapter 18 of the Ilia route, one of the few times where a weather change in game actually helps your main army (though, it's often too late to help you reach the villages). In game, Niime is the one who first mentions the demon dragon, and that the dragons have returned, but we did that way earlier, so her job as "Miss Exposition of the main plot" isn't there. In game, you also get a different conversation with Guinevere detailing the past, but I'm saving all of those discussions for the Sacae route. Miredy and Zeiss's scene is based off of their C support.

Next Chapter - Bitter Cold