Eyes ablaze, Corrin marched the Key Dragons out of the city and into the night. She was visibly shaking and had refused Azama's offers to heal the wound at her neck. She would not even say a word to Camilla or Xander until well into her march.

"Corrin, why would you turn into a bloody dragon?" Xander asked, exasperated. "You know we're meant to be undercover."

"What our brother is trying to say," Camilla said, with a reproachful look in Xander's direction, "is that was reckless, little sister."

Corrin's shoulders were visibly shaking. "You let him take me."

"Corrin, he grabbed you." Camilla was trying very hard not to sound as exasperated as she felt. "There was nothing Xander or I could have done to stop it, except perhaps read his mind."

"And what would you have had me do instead, Corrin?" Xander interjected. "Run in with Siegfried blazing? He would have killed you before I could even raise my sword."

"You didn't have Siegfried," Corrin said petulantly. "You just froze instead."

"Corrin, he had a knife to your throat," Xander said with excruciating diction. "I'm not supernaturally gifted; he simply had the advantage."

"It was a standoff," Camilla said, sounding like the epitome of reason. "We should be, yet again, thanking Takumi for his quick thinking."

"Oh, that's right," Corrin snapped, turning sharply away from her older siblings. "I have siblings who actually care about what happens to me!"

Xander's heart twisted in his chest. "Corrin!" he shouted after her as she stormed off, irritated and hurt and angry and unsure which one was most prominent.

"Takumi won't put up with that very long," Hinoka offered as she appeared in their midst. "There's only enough room for one petulant royal in his vicinity."

"Too true," Azama agreed. He then held up his festal in clear view of the Nohrian siblings. "Would either of you care for healing?"

"We're fine, thank you," Xander said automatically.

"See to Beruka, if you would kindly," Camilla added.

Across the way, Corrin was flitting between Hoshidan and Nohrian alike, not looking at anyone and not stopping no matter who tried to reach out. She eventually found her brother speaking with his retainers, and both Oboro and Hinata eyed her with terse wariness.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Takumi?" Corrin asked. "Privately?"

Takumi studied her for a moment, and then dismissed Hinata and Oboro. The samurai and the spear fighter took their leave, although they didn't take their eyes off of Corrin the whole way.

"What's up?" said Takumi.

For a moment, Corrin was at a loss. Takumi was easily the sibling who liked her the least, and was actively hostile and grumpy, to boot. He was nothing like the gallant Xander and caring Camilla, nothing like the valiant Ryoma and daring Hinoka. Takumi was surly and moody, like Leo, and had never once seemed glad to see her.

"Thank you," Corrin finally managed, "for saving me."

"I had to," Takumi said brusquely. "You're an idiot."

Corrin blinked—once, twice, thrice—uncomprehending. "I beg your pardon?"

"You are," Takumi repeated with excruciating diction, "an idiot, and you're lucky things didn't turn out worse."

Corrin felt tears sting the corners of her eyes. "What a thing to say!"

Takumi leveled her in a withering look, and began sticking out fingers to count his reasons. "One, why were you not fighting? I saw you using Kaze. What did you think was going to happen if you didn't defend yourself?"

Corrin opened her mouth to interrupt, but Takumi bowled right over her. "Two, you got your brother and sister into a standoff that, frankly, they couldn't really have done much better in negotiating. You're lucky that man didn't slit your throat anyway; Xander looked ready to murder him. And third…!" Takumi lowered his head to stare down his sister's ruby red, unnatural eyes. They always sent a shiver down his spine, and he could never pin down why. "…you turned into a godsdamned dragon. Normal people can't do that, Corrin! You just announced to anyone who cares to know that one of the royal families was in that bar. Why didn't you just punch the man?"

"He was trying to rape and murder me, Takumi!" Corrin shouted.

Takumi furiously shook his head, as if to clear it. "As if we would let that happen! You know damn well that if he'd dragged you out of that bar, Saizo and Kaze would have been on him the instant he turned his back."

Corrin was shaking, her hands balled into fists. She'd just come over to thank him, dammit! She didn't need yet another lecture. "I'm not some helpless princess!"

Takumi snorted derisively. "You could have fooled me!" He shook his head again. "But it doesn't matter. You were outmaneuvered, Corrin. You were never going to get out of that within your own power. You needed help."

Corrin's watery eyes narrowed. "I don't need your pity."

"Oh, I don't feel sorry for you," Takumi shot back. "I feel sorry for Camilla and Xander for having to deal with you!"

Corrin's lower lip trembled, and she opened her mouth to speak a few times before shutting it again, silenced. "I just came over here to thank you," she finally said, her voice very small.

"Well, don't," said Takumi. "There's nothing to thank, and you ought to think about what you're doing for five seconds before you do it."

Corrin finally burst into tears, and for a split second, Takumi felt guilt stab into his stomach. "Don't be such a brat," Corrin muttered before turning away, leaving without even saying goodbye.

Takumi huffed an annoyed sigh and kept walking. His head was killing him, and who knew how long this march was going to last? Corrin had been in a mood even before he'd just gone and made it worse; she might just push on through morning to spite them all. They were close to the Bottomless Canyon, after all. It was the last leg of this truce.

"That was indelicately put, Takumi." Xander's very low, very Nohrian voice cleaved into his headache like a greatsword.

Takumi shuffled uncomfortably. "She needed to hear it."

"You misunderstand my brother." Camilla's voice was far less like a greatsword, and more like a knife. "He's saying 'thank you.'"

Takumi visibly recoiled. "'Thank you?'" he repeated, shocked.

"Corrin wouldn't listen to our reasoning," Xander said, pressing his thumb and forefinger into his temples. "Perhaps she'll listen to yours."

Takumi surprised everyone when he said, "Do you have a migraine, too? I get them all the time."

"I'm so sorry," Xander said, with genuine feeling. It wasn't a feeling he'd wish on his worst enemy.

Takumi shifted from one foot to the other. He wanted to ask how the older man dealt with them, since nothing Takumi tried seemed to be working, but that felt so incredibly… intimate. Like a thing one would ask a friend, or a brother-in-law.

So he didn't.

-)

Laslow watched Lady Corrin stomp away from her older siblings in a huff, only to run away from Lord Takumi crying a few minutes later, and couldn't decide whether or not he felt sorry for her.

"Should we make sure she's okay?" Peri asked, watching the dragon woman nervously.

"I'm sure Kaze will," Laslow said.

"I dunno," Peri said. "He seems pretty mad, too."

Laslow glanced over to where the green-haired ninja was deep in conversation with his twin brother and not-sister-in-law. The three ninja had their heads bent together (such as it was, during a march) and were speaking in low, rapid Hoshidan. Kaze wore a look of deep consternation, and Saizo, as ever, simply looked pissed off. Kagero's face was tinged with both worry and annoyance, and Laslow had never seen her look so furiously animated.

"Hmm." Laslow studied the three ninja a moment longer before turning back to Peri. "I wonder if Corrin's good will amongst us has finally run out?"

Peri pursed her lips in thought. "I don't think that's it. I think they're just mad that she gave us all away."

Laslow's eyebrows arched, but before he could say anything, a short, blue-haired assassin appeared in their midst. "Laslow," she said tonelessly, "a word?"

"Of course." Laslow turned to Peri and squeezed her hand. "I'll be back in a minute."

Peri blinked as he followed Beruka over to a relatively private portion of the march. What in the world did Lady Camilla's scary retainer need to talk to Laslow about?

As soon as they were out of most everyone's earshot, Laslow opened cautiously with, "What can I do for you, Beruka, my dear?"

The assassin fixed him in a cold stare.

"Beruka?" he amended.

She smirked—and even that was a small, underused thing she likely learned from Niles. "If I say 'Chrom,'" she began, "do you know whom I mean?"

The name was like a blow to Laslow's ribs. "Of course," he managed.

"Right then." Beruka nodded smartly. "I think Selena ran because of him. He's Odin's uncle, correct?"

Laslow nodded, first slowly, and then a bit more firmly. He looked dazed.

"Selena also said her mother was in love with this Chrom, but ended up marrying her father instead. Is this correct?"

Again, Laslow nodded with that far-off look in his eyes. Beruka had never seen the man so lost.

"Then Selena simply remembered the family line, and bolted."

"But how would she…?" Laslow blinked—once, twice, thrice—and then said, almost as if cursing it, "The Brand!"

Beruka blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"There's a… tattoo that a lot of Odin's family gets when they come of age." It was as close to the truth as Laslow was willing to come. "Odin has it. His uncle Chrom has it. His aunt Emmeryn had it. His cousin Lucina even has it. I bet Selena noticed it after the fact, and panicked."

Beruka nodded, quickly digesting this information. "I agree. That sounds rash enough to be Selena."

Laslow huffed a tired sigh. "Well, at least we know the 'why,' even if it doesn't help the 'what.'" He squared his shoulders and flashed her a dazzling grin, and it suddenly occurred to Beruka that he might do that sort of thing on purpose, and not just because he was a womanizing git. "Thank you, Beruka, my… friend."

Friend? The word didn't process. He was trying not to call her dear, or darling, or dove, or any of the million other pet names he used for every woman from Peri to Lady Camilla, so Beruka could at least latch on to that. It was appreciated.

"I'm a professional," Beruka said. "It's what I do."

A silence descended, not quite pleasant, not quite unpleasant.

"We'll settle your debt when the time comes," Beruka added after a moment.

"I've no doubt." Something occurred to Laslow. "Does Lady Camilla know?"

Beruka stiffened. "Yes. Though I'm not sure how."

Laslow winced in solidarity. He shuddered to think of Lord Xander's response if the Crown Prince ever discovered the secrets his retainer was keeping from him. "Will you be sent off to the villas, then?"

Beruka's face twisted, just barely enough to notice. "Don't say such things."

"And I'd imagine Niles would still be with Lord Leo at Castle Krakenburg and the astral castle," Laslow said, tapping his chin in thought.

That particular thought had never occurred to Beruka, either. If she were sent to the royal family's villas as punishment for daring to become pregnant (as if it were a thing she could necessarily prevent), Niles would likely be enduring everyone's ire back at the castle alone, just as she would be enduring a difficult pregnancy, alone.

She shuddered.

"I don't think it would come to that, though," Laslow added hurriedly. "You know more about assassination than anyone else except maybe Kaze, and we're in the middle of a war. Even if you can't literally fight alongside her, Lady Camilla knows you're too valuable an asset to send off to time out like an unruly child."

It was, quite possibly, the nicest thing anyone had ever said about her, and Beruka had no idea how to process it.

"So try not to worry," Laslow added with a smile, when Beruka said nothing.

"Right," said Beruka, blinking something out of her eye.