In the southern sea between Nohr and Hoshido was the small island nation of Notre Sagesse.

According to Peri, it was originally a Hoshidan colony before gaining its independence peacefully through the Treaty of Louvre around two-hundred years prior. Since then, it had become a theocracy under the worship of the Dawn Dragon—the same deity that most Hoshidans were followers of.

Notre Sagesse was not large by any means. Its population barely reached a hundred-thousand and its economy was lacking. Its small size and relatively simple structure made governing it quite the easy task. It was one of the few countries in the hemisphere that had never engaged in warfare with neither Hoshido nor Nohr. Garon had expressed interest in claiming the territory in the past, but ultimately decided that there would be little value in it.

Atop the tallest mountain the land, dubbed Mount Sagesse, was the Sevenfold Sanctuary. The sanctuary was a temple in which the Rainbow Sage resided. The Rainbow Sage was a wise old man said to be able to grant extraordinary power to those who could survive his trial. To Peri's knowledge, only four people still living had been known to do so.

The first one to receive the Sage's power had been Kamui's own birth father, Sumeragi. He had done so whilst on a voyage across the sea as a young man when his ship stopped at Notre Sagesse to restock on supplies. The Sage himself had approached him and directed him up the mountain, and Sumeragi returned with an extra spring in his step and power bestowed upon him.

The second had been Kamui's other father, Garon. He had specifically sought out the Sage's power and had gone to Notre Sagesse before any of his children were born. Not much was known about his trial, for he never spoke a word about it to anyone upon arriving back at Nohr.

Third was an anonymous night rumored to also be from Nohr. According to locals and a few historians, he had shown up in full armor—a helmet concealing his face—and headed straight up the mountain. A day or two later, he came down and left on a ferry immediately. This happened not too long after Garon's trial, which came as a shock to everyone. Receiving the Sage's blessing was supposed to be a rare occurrence and here it had happened twice in quick succession.

Kamui could actually remember Xander at the time of his trial. She was ten years old, so that would make Xander fourteen. He had begun a vigorous training regiment in order to prepare for what he told the twins was a "special test". From when he awoke to when he went to sleep, he would spend the entire day training. This was during a visiting period, so it made Kamui sad that what little time she got to spend with her brother was being taken up by his training.

Once he had completed his training, he set off with Garon and Camilla for Notre Sagesse and returned days later, exhausted. When Kamui had inquired about what had occurred, he simply told her not to worry about it and that he was stronger now.

"It's national bird is the mallard duck, it's official language is Hoshidan—but practically everyone speaks Norse. Nohr's influence on the world is powerful, you know! Oh, oh! And—"

As Kamui stepped off of the ramp and onto the wooden planks of the dock, she held her hand up and gave a forced smile. "Thank you, Peri. I believe that's all the information I'll be needing. I must say, you have…quite an encyclopedic knowledge of Notre Sagesse."

Peri pursed her lips, thinking hard for a moment, before grinning widely and nodding. "That means I know a lot about it, right? Yeah! I'm pretty good at geography. I got a great education back home, you know! It's probably nothing compared to yours, though. You're a princess!"

As the rest of her army stepped off of the boat, Kamui chuckled. Peri was smarter than she gave her credit for, but her comment about Kamui's education was not entirely correct. While she had been a studious child and exhibited erudite traits, most of her learning was independent. Truly, all she had ever learned from were her textbooks and Gunter. She was still sheltered and knew that she could not rely entirely on what she had read out of books to get by in the outside world.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Silas placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with an inquiring raise of her eyebrow, to which he responded "Odin's got something to tell you".

The dark mage cleared his throat and stood with his fists on his hips. As he spoke, he moved his arms around and delivered several theatrical poses.

"Yes! Princess Kamui, I, Odin Dark, wish to inform you that a close companion of mine is currently stationed here with her partner! I do believe that it would be a wise choice to recruit her into our ranks at once!"

As Niles laughed to himself at Odin's extravagant poses, Laslow's eyes widened. "Wait, Selena's here?" he asked. "With Beruka? Why didn't I know that?"

"You were not informed? Lady Camilla herself told me. She claimed that she knew how close she and I were, and as such wanted me to know her whereabouts for the next few weeks. I suppose she did not see it fit to tell you."

Laslow frowned. "Seriously…? The three of us are like, the triple threat of Nohr's army. And Odin, we talked about that! Don't forget that—" Upon realizing that everyone's attention was on him, Laslow straightened himself out and coughed. "Ah, never mind." He gave a quick "we'll talk later" to Odin before Kamui spoke.

"Selena and Beruka. Those are Camilla's retainers, yes? You're right, it would benefit us to have them fight with us. Do you know where they might be?"

"Unfortunately, I do not," Odin responded with a grimace. "But fear not! I am sure that with enough time, they will come to us!"

Nodding, Kamui beckoned for her army to follow her and began to walk across the harbor. She found herself almost immediately next to Laslow, who looked down on her with a grin.

"Selena's the girl I mentioned to you a while ago, by the way. I heard things didn't go too smoothly with you and Peri, so like I said, if you're interested…"

With her cheeks slowly growing red, Kamui had to restrain herself from forcing him to the ground right then and there. "While I appreciate the offer, I'll have to pass. You may have time for your love triangles with Odin, but I don't have time for anything of the sort."

"Love triangle?!" Laslow exclaimed. "No no no, that's not what I was talking about!" He sighed, smoothing his hair back before exhaling to relax. "It's just…she has someone back home, alright? At least, she had . I don't know the details much, but they split and I don't want things to go too far with her romantically just in case; I'm only joking when it comes to you. She and Odin have been kind of touching on the whole relationship thing and that has me worried. That's not a crime, is it?"

"Of course not. Frankly, I would say that it's none of your business," Kamui put bluntly. "It's their relationship, not yours. I wouldn't get involved."

Laslow inhaled through his teeth and scratched at the back of his head. "Yeesh, you don't pull any punches, do you…"

"I understand your concerns, but if the matter does not involve you then you should stay out of it. It's fine to have your opinions, but don't try to interfere. If they want to be together, then let them." As Kamui finished speaking, she suddenly stopped and surveyed the area. They were approaching the beginning of a road, which she figured a foreign army should likely not be marching through. When she stopped, Peri bumped into her and nearly knocked her over. Luckily, Silas reacted quickly and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back and preventing her from falling.

"Oops!" Peri exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Sorry! I didn't realize we stopped!"

"It's fine, Peri." Kamui noticed that Silas' hands were still on her waist and slapped them away, eliciting a chuckle from him. "Though…I must admit that I don't really have any clue where we're going."

Elise raised her hand to get her sister's attention. "We're supposed to take control of this territory, right? Let's try to do that without any fighting. We should probably talk to whoever runs the place, right?"

"That would be my first guess, yes, but there is no one in such a position in Notre Sagesse. The country runs itself; it's basically in an anarchist state." Kamui placed a finger on her chin and thought for a moment. "I suppose the highest official would be the Rainbow Sage."

Mozu gasped and covered her mouth. "The Rainbow Sage?! Does he really exist? Why, back home, he was only a legend!"

"Yup," Silas responded. "He's as real as the hair on your head, Mozu. He should be in the Sevenfold Sanctuary, right on top of Mount Sagesse. But where exactly is that…"

Before anyone could respond, Elise had already beckoned for a local elderly woman to approach them. She was short and frail, a wary expression on her face. The dozen or so Nohrian soldiers wearing armor and wielding weapons would of course intimidate her. Not even Elise's naturally soothing smile calmed her down.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Miss, but would you be able to tell us how to get to Mount Sagesse from here?" Elise asked.

The woman's eyes grew darker as she looked towards the ground. "Yes, I can…" She slowly raised a spindly finger and pointed to her right, north. "The trail starts right over there. I only ask that you try not to cause too much destruction."

"Destruction?" Elise tilted her head and pouted. "We're not here to destroy anything, we swear! It's a diplomatic visit."

"Really? I assumed you were here to deal with the Hoshidan soldiers stationed at the sanctuary."

The atmosphere among the soldiers shifted immediately. There were Hoshidans here. Kamui figured that after the battle at the border, they had sent troops to guard the Rainbow Sage just in case. Of course they knew that Nohr would start making advancements on other territories. She supposed that she had to admire their foresight.

"We were not previously aware of that," Kamui told the old woman. "I thank you for your help. Would you perhaps like something in exchange?"

The old woman shook her head. "I'll have to decline. I'm not trying to give you an advantage, I'm only telling you what's what. I don't want any fighting." Before anyone could respond, the woman sighed and shambled off, leaving the Nohrians at once.

"Looks like there'll be a fight pretty soon, huh," Silas said as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Think we should go fetch our horses from the boat?"

"No," Kamui said quickly. "Let's try to do this without any combat. We'll just…explain to them the situation and ask them to leave."

Niles chuckled. "Oh yes, peaceful resolution. The Nohrian way."

"We could at least try…" Mozu mumbled.

"While I may not believe that that will go entirely smoothly, I will follow whatever you wish to do, Lady Kamui," Jakob said with his eyes closed.

Giving a nod, Kamui continued marching on with her soldiers behind her. Well, this is just wonderful. She thought. Why wouldn't there be Hoshidans here? Just my luck. Hopefully Corrin isn't among them…no, they wouldn't just station him to guard someone. He'll likely be among the main army. So, as long as we don't run into them…

The princess chose to focus on the task at hand as opposed to remaining lost in thought. The marching order was the same as it had been every other time they had marched. Kamui led with Jakob on her left and Silas on her right, Peri standing directly behind her. On either side of Peri were Laslow and Odin, and Elise stood behind her, of course having her retainers next to her. Finally, Mozu was in the back, only having Niles next to her, shaking with fear and constantly looking over her shoulder for danger. Silas felt bad about her being with him and suggested that they all march in pairs of two, but Kamui adamantly declined.

The order was intentional. Kamui trusted Jakob with her life and Silas…made her feel safe. That did not mean anything, of course. Peri also made her feel safe, which is why she was directly behind her. Laslow and Odin were close friends, so it made sense to put them in the same row. Elise had her retainers, and Kamui felt that Niles' off putting personality might help Mozu to become less meek (though really it just seemed to terrify her).

It did not take too long for the party to reach Mount Sagesse. Kamui wondered why it was rumored to be so perilous, as the path before her appeared to be fairly safe. Upon realizing that it would take quite a while for them to reach the top of the mountain on foot, Silas groaned.

"Man, now I wish we'd gotten Agro, Cottonbelle, and…hey, Peri. What's your horse's name?"

"She used to be called Marion, after my mommy, but I changed her name to Kamui!"

Silas, Laslow, and Niles erupted into laughter as the aforementioned princess' face began to burn hot. "That's adorable!" Silas said. "When's the wedding? Can I be your best man, Kamui?"

"Silas, one day, I swear to the gods, I am going to beat you so badly your descendants will be able to feel it for generations. Actually, I redact that statement. You won't be able to produce any descendants."

Instead of the terror most people would feel upon being threatened by Kamui, Silas only smirked. "You're cute when you're mad."

"W-we should move forward!" Effie shouted before Kamui could transform her arm into a lance. "It's a bad idea to waste time like this, right? Let's get a move on."

Despite wanting to argue, Kamui swallowed her pride and nodded. "You're right. My apologies."

As Silas snicked to himself, Kamui once again resumed her marching with her soldiers in tow. She remembered just how respectful Silas once was to her, when they had first met. His attitude was exactly what would be expected of a knight addressing a princess. He was courteous, spoke eloquently, and treated her with the utmost respect. Their conversations became more casual as time went on, of course, but since they had reunited he had seemed to forget the differences in their social status. Silas may have been a noble, but he was also a knight, and as such he was meant to serve the royal family. To treat Kamui as if she were somehow equal to her annoyed her to no end. The fact that he seemed to take pleasure in annoying her also got on her nerves. She could easily discipline him if she wanted to, however…it was Silas. Punishing him for being himself would be like kicking a puppy for barking. Not even Kamui would do something so cruel.

Nearly an hour later, the party could see Sevenfold Sanctuary ahead. "Finally," Elise groaned as she used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "Man, that took forever!"

While the mountain was not nearly as tall as the most perilous peaks in either Nohr or Hoshido, it was the trail that made it so dangerous to climb. Steep angles, narrow paths, and sharp turns made it extremely difficult to march through, and as such the party had to break formation numerous times.

"Man, it's a actually good thing we didn't bring our horses. No way we would've been able to make it with them with us," Silas said as he squinted at the sky. It was noon now, so the blazing sun was at its highest. "We should hurry this up, Kamui."

The princess sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'd like to not be rushed just once today. Is that so much to ask?" Kamui took a step forward fully intending to walk straight to the Sanctuary doors, but was stopped by Jakob placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Let us not forget the Hoshidans stationed here, Lady Kamui." Jakob said as he gestured ahead. Immediately, the Nohrians took a few steps back upon seeing a man in Hoshidan armor wielding a spear and leaning against a pillar. He appeared rather tired, his eyes half open with deep purple bags under them.

Kamui felt Niles tap her on the shoulder. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I can take him out from here. Just say the word."

"No. Remember, diplomacy first." Kamui continued to walk onwards, slower this time, until the spearman noticed them and his eyes widened.

"H-hey!" he shouted behind him and through the open doors of the sanctuary. "There are Nohrians here! Kamui is among them!"

Not moments later, dozens of Hoshidan infantry spilled out of the doors and stood with their weapons at the ready before the building. In the center stood a rather tall woman with her hair pulled into a short brown braid. She wore plated armor with a unique looking symbol on her chest, so Kamui assumed that she was the leader of the company.

"Princess Kamui! Or should I say Commander Kamui? State your business at once or go back from whence you came," she demanded, speaking in a commanding tone.

Kamui took a deep breath followed by a long exhale. "We mean you no harm. My soldiers and I have come to take Notre Sagesse under Nohrian rule and we would like to consult with the Rainbow Sage in order to make that as smooth a process as possible. I'd like to avoid battle if possible, so…I ask that you withdraw your troops."

"Absolutely not!" the woman responded immediately. "You think that I am as cowardly to allow the enemy to simply force my men to abandon their task? Despicable. Either you turn around or you face us in a battle that you are sure to lose."

The princess bit her tongue. She was not fond of stubborness. If she were her brother, she would have continued to plead with the woman until they won her over and retreat if they could not.

But she was not her brother.

"Niles."

"Gods, I thought you'd never ask." The next moment, an arrow zipped through the air as swiftly as it was drawn before lodging itself in the shoulder of the woman.

The Hoshidans attacked at once. Several of Kamui's soldiers were still on the sloped path upwards to the sanctuary, so she ran forward to allow them to move on. As Odin's bolts of lightning jumped from body to body, Kamui decided to throw in her own magic. From inside of her cape, she produced an incredibly thick tome with a light blue cover. The pages were worn and yellowed from years of use by a young Leo, but were still legible enough to be used by Kamui.

The princess flipped open to the center page and read the ancient words printed on them. Focusing her mind on the incantation, the print began to glow blue and she started to feel the enchanted tome's power flowing from the pages and into her body. She felt her blood chill and let out an icy breath, a blue mist beginning to emanate from her red eyes. When she felt the power culminating in her body, she finally called out the sacred word and unleashed its power.

" Fimbulvetr! "

While Flora and Felicia had been gifted with the ability to manipulate ice and snow due to their tribal blood, others had to rely on tomes for their magic. However, the power of a tome was far more than either of the two could ever hope to do. Dozens of large, sharp spears of ice erupted from the stone ground, both blocking a large portion of the Hoshidans from advancing as well as impaling many. It was a fairly grotesque sight that made Kamui grimace. Many of those that had been caught by the spears had been hit in non-vital places and were left screaming in pain. One soldier had been particularly unlucky and had been twisted into a horrifying shape, being several spikes piercing his legs, arms, and abdomen. He groaned, unable to scream, before his head went limp, his eyes remaining open.

Despite the horrible sight before her, Kamui had no time to dwell on it. She heard a grunt from her left and reactively raised her hand to block an attack. A thick and wide circle of ice formed in her palm and blocked the club from hitting her. The shield dissipated instantly and Kamui jumped back, then spinning around with her arm extended. Dense sleet followed her hand's movements and knocked her assailant to the ground. Aiming her hand at him, a beam of light shot towards him and began to cover him in ice. He attempted to scoot back in order to get away, but his legs were already frozen solid. It only took a few moments for him to become completely encased in ice.

With a shaky breath, Kamui shuddered as she felt the power leaving her body. She warmed up and the mist vanished from her eyes. She had used magic before back at the fort made from the fallen dragon, but this…this was an exhilarating feeling. She felt so powerful , producing something from nothing and using it as a weapon. She instantly understood why Leo vastly preferred magic to the blade.

However, despite the rush she had just gotten from using magic, Kamui was still a swordswoman. In one motion, she returned the tome to its pouch in her cape and drew the Yato from its holster, instantly clashing with an enemy samurai. This one did not take too long to dispatch, as Kamui cut directly through the wrist of his sword arm and then through his throat before he could shout. Two more came at her from either direction, though she luckily was assisted by Silas, who shoved a spear through one of them and forced them away. With a smirk, Kamui slammed the hilt of the Yato into the nose of the enemy, dazing him and causing him to stumble back. Then, she stabbed forward and slashed to the side, cutting through the midsection of the Hoshidan soldier. His eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood mixed with the dirt on the ground.

Taking a quick glance at the rest of her soldiers, Kamui found that they were doing just fine. Laslow and Peri were fighting quite literally back to back, covering each other's blind spots and moving together as a unit. Their form reminded her of how her and Corrin used to sometimes train.

These particular soldiers did not seem to know how to deal with heavy armor, as Effie was having absolutely no trouble at all. Every attack that came her way bounced off of her armor and allowed her to swing her lance around to cut down anyone in her way. Arthur and Elise stood close behind her, with the former protecting the latter from any attack with the vigor of a mother lion protecting her cubs. He had been opposed to Elise joining the Nohrian army since unlike the rest of her siblings, she had no way to protect herself. She was strictly a healer, and as such had to be prioritized over others. Due to this, Arthur rarely left her side in battle unless commanded otherwise.

As for Odin, Kamui took note that while he was indeed good at magic, there were little things that made him seem quite…amateur. Small mistakes. While he was a master at calling out incantations, the magic bestowed within him would flicker out far sooner than it would with your average mage. He also seemed to be more focused on the theatrical aspect of magic than the practical one.

Niles, being an archer, of course kept his distance from the main fight. He stood a ways away and casually fired arrows at enemy Hoshidans, making his mark nearly every time. He seemed quite calm, something Kamui found mildly disturbing. Who could be so calm in the middle of a battle like this?

With Silas at her side, Kamui noticed that that meant that Mozu would be by herself. Scanning the area for the poor girl, the princess was surprised to find her holding her own impressively well. She had traded in a lance for a sword and seemed fairly adept at handling it. While she had been clumsy and awkward with a lance, her swordsmanship was admirable. She did not swing it around recklessly like many beginner swordsmen did, but instead seemed to know how to use it as an extension of her arm. She jabbed, slashed, parried and countered nearly as well as Kamui did when she first started out.

Satisfied with how her soldiers were performing, Kamui figured it would be best to eliminate the commander at once. She found her quickly, fighting among her men a stone's throw away with the wound in her shoulder having been healed. The princess wasted no time, immediately gripping her dragonstone and transforming. Her armor, sword, and tome all vanished and were replaced with the large scaled beast. She dug her claws into the ground and charged forward.

Using her antler-like horns to easily bulldoze through the enemy forces, Kamui finished off her initial dash by taking one soldier into her claws and tossing him aside. He was flung with enough force that he slammed into the sanctuary wall and bounced off, then lying limp on the ground.

Kamui continued to move forward, lowering her head before quickly whipping it upwards. Just as she had intended, she managed to impale one of the soldiers on her horns. Cutting off his scream, she whipped her head once more and sent him flying over the edge of the mountain.

She had not felt it before, but Kamui suddenly noticed that she was being attacked. She looked back and found that several men were slashing, chopping, and stabbing at her with their weapons. They did not seem to be making any progress, seeing as how her scaled body was incredibly dense and hard to pierce. The expressions on the men's faces ranged from confused and terrified to angry and eager to kill. She was sure that if people knew of what happened in the Hoshidan square, then people knew of her ability to transform into a dragon. Really, they should have been prepared for this. This only proved to her the ineptity of the Hoshidan army.

Knocking her adversaries aside with her tail, Kamui soon came face to face with the Hoshidan commander and stared her down. She wielded a long club in one shield and a shield in another, the Hoshidan crest inscribed on it.

"And so I stand before the beast…this form—a monster—is what you truly are," she said, tightly gripping her weapon and tensing her legs just in case. "A monster masquerading as a human. Your own mother…you disgust me."

Kamui growled. I could take you down in one shot in this form, she thought, but no. I'm going to show you who I actually am. The princess reverted back to her normal form with a scowl on her face, an act that surprised the woman before her.

"What, you wish to face me honorably? And with a legendary weapon no less. Fine, I'll play along." She grinned and extended her arm, aiming her club at Kamui. "I, Yuzu, will put an end to you, princess of Nohr!"

Kind enough to give me a name before I kill her. It's not like it matters , Kamui thought before drawing her sword. This will be over quickly.

The woman called Yuzu made the first move. Launching off of one foot, she lunged forward and raised her club above her head. Using her quick thinking, Kamui's eye glinted and she sprouted two small wings from her had just finished the modifications to her armor that morning and was looking for an opportunity to see how her wings could be used in combat. The princess took a small hop in the air and gave a powerful flap, moving her back about a meter. Yuzu's club simply slammed into the ground and caused dirt to fly up in the air.

She seemed caught off guard by this development, because Kamui had no trouble taking a long step forward and delivering a kick that split the woman's chin. Yuzu was knocked on her back, but quickly got up and wiped her bloody chin with the back of her hand. Kamui, however, had no intention of letting her recover. She rushed forward immediately and swung down the Yato, and she would have cut right through Yuzu's head if it weren't for the Hoshidan's helmet. The force from the blow was enough to knock Yuzu's face into the ground.

Kamui could have stabbed right through her armor at that moment, but for a reason she herself did not fully understand, she allowed Yuzu to get up and back away. She figured that she had something to prove.

Yuzu, now with blood flowing from a fresh wound on her forehead, glared at the princess and charged forward once more. Bringing her club upwards, her strike was blocked by Kamui curling her wings around herself. They were quite sturdy, which likely contributed to her inability to fly, but also meant that they made for good shields.

The blocked attack did not stop Yuzu from continuing her blows. She relentlessly swung her club at Kamui, coming at her from every angle. Kamui braced herself and prepared to attack when Yuzu inevitably faltered, but she did not expect her opponent's club to be slammed into the back of her knee.

The princess cried out in pain and was brought down, kneeling down before Yuzu. Smirking, the Hoshidan warrior flourished her club before raising it high in the air. She swung the heavy weapon down, but no contact was made with Kamui's head. Instead, Yuzu found her mouth wide open as she gawked at the princess' hand around her wrist.

Kamui slowly raised her head to meet the eyes of her adversary, then baring her teeth and giving a beastly growl, striking fear into Yuzu's heart. She tried to pull away from Kamui's grip, but to no avail. The next moment, she let out a scream of agony as she felt her bones snap and splinter.

The crunching sound surprised even Kamui herself, though she was more shocked that she was able to crush someone's wrist so easily. It seemed like her draconian strength had carried over even in her natural state. Yuzu crumpled once her wrist was released and reeled in pain as Kamui stood up, putting just a little less weight on the leg she was struck in.

As Kamui raised her sword, Yuzu looked up at her with wide eyes, horrified. She had been bested, and now her life was about to come to an end. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a sharp breath, and yet death did not come. Opening her eyes slowly, she was shocked to find the same silver haired knight that was fighting with Kamui earlier standing behind her, holding her raised wrist in his hand.

"Silas?" Kamui turned her head and scowled at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Let go of me at once!"

"Kamui." Silas simply spoke her name once and used his free hand to gesture to the surrounding area. Looking around her, Kamui's expression softened. Spread all across the area were the bodies of Hoshidan soldiers, some living, others barely holding on. A handful of soldiers were injured, but would probably not be dying anytime soon. It seemed like these ones were spared by the more benevolent members of Kamui's army.

"Oh. I…I see. It seems I let myself go for a moment," Kamui said to Silas, biting her lip and looking to her feet. "You'll have to forgive me."

"Don't worry about it," the knight responded. "Just try not to get so carried away, alright?"

Before Kamui could respond, Yuzu bared her teeth and began to shout. "I don't believe we're done, monster! Look at what you've done here. You've slaughtered my men, crushed my wrist, and left me lying here on the dirt, humiliated. You think you're just going to send me back to Hoshido?" She scoffed. "No. Finish the job, or I'll get right back up and we'll pick up where we left off."

Kamui squinted at the woman on the ground, lowering her sword. "You want me to kill you? Why? There's no reason to; the battle is over. You've lost."

"I know you Nohrians know nothing of honor, but I have been bested, and as such I must fall here." Yuzu closed her eyes and lowered her head. It looked like she was groveling at Kamui's feet. "Now, do it. Slay me."

"I'm not going to kill you," Kamui said, almost disgusted. "You still have men alive. Cut your losses short and return to your country. There is no need to throw your life away. Hoshido is supposed to be a good natured country, yes? I'm sure you will be forgiven."

Yuzu opened her mouth to speak, but could not, for the wind was knocked out of her. Peri's boot slammed into her back and she was instantly flattened out on the ground, struggling to breathe as Peri pressed harder onto her spine.

"No one's going to kill you, got it?" Peri inquired sternly, glaring down at Yuzu. "Kamui won't kill an enemy who's already defeated. She's nice like that. So don't argue, got it? Or I'll hurt you some more."

As Yuzu wheezed in response, Kamui stared at her friend with a concerned expression. Peri's one visible pink eye glinted with…something. Kamui could not quite put her finger on exactly what feeling that was, but she did not like it. It seemed different that Peri's usual jubilant attitude during battle. It was almost sadistic.

Yuzu bit down on her tongue, clenching her fists tightly. "I…fine. I surrender. You'll have your way, Nohrians."

With her signature childlike grin, Peri removed her foot from Yuzu's spine and allowed her to slowly rise to her feet. Kamui frowned. She had once looked so powerful, so regal, but now she stood before them covered in dirt, blood, bruises and cuts. She glared at the Nohrians for a moment before turning around, limping over to go assist one of her men.

"Woo hoo!" Peri cheered, raising her fist to the sky and hopping in the air. "Another victory for Team Kamui! As if we could ever lose!"

Gradually, a tentative smile appeared on Kamui's face. "Y-yes. We haven't lost yet, and I don't see that happening anytime soon. As long as we keep it up, we should continue to triumph in all of our endeavors."

"Well, you lost at the border, but that was just you and not the rest of us. Though, I guess you'd count Elise in that—"

Silas was silenced by Kamui pinching his lips between her fingers. "You know, I would expect someone of your social status to have been raised with better manners."

He grinned as best he could. "I only do it because it's you," he said, muffled.

Shortly, Kamui and her soldiers gathered before the front doors of the Sevenfold Sanctuary. They were more modest than Kamui expected from a place of such high prestige. They paled in comparison to the doors to her father's throne room and even the front doors of Castle Shirasagi. Nevertheless, Kamui still felt somewhat uneasy as she reached her hand out to open the doors.

Much to her surprise, the doors opened without her fingertips ever making contact with the wood. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced back to her subordinates for confirmation that she saw the same thing that they all did. Judging from the expressions on their faces, she had.

Now cautious, the Nohrians stepped through the doorway and into the sanctuary. The interior design was distinctly Hoshidan, with wooden pillars colored gold and a red ceiling. The doors were traditional sliding doors, something Kamui had only ever seen in person during her stay at Castle Shirasagi.

Somehow, they had all managed to overlook the old man sitting in the middle of the main room. He wore simple beige robes and had a long white beard. He sat with two incense candles burning on either side of him and had his hands in his lap. The moment he was noticed, he stood up and opened his eyes with a smile.

While Mozu yelped in surprise, Kamui simply stared. The elderly man seemed unnaturally calm considering the situation. There was no doubt that he had heard or perhaps even bore witness to the battle that had just occurred, and now a group of soldiers wielding weapons had entered his sanctuary. He should have been terrified. Instead, he stepped towards Kamui and smiled.

"Why, hello there. You must be Princess Kamui. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Kamui pursed her lips awkwardly. "You could tell by the sword, right?"

"No, no. I have been expecting you here for quite a long time. Come, come."

Before Kamui could respond, the old man turned around and began to walk towards the back of the room and towards the door. Despite his old age and weak appearance, he walked at an impressive pace. Not sure of what else she could do, Kamui decided to play along and follow him without protest.

"As you have most likely guessed, I am known as the Rainbow Sage. I know your intention in coming here, and do not worry, I will not fight you. However, now that you're here, there is something I must tell you." The sage waved his hand and the door slid open, revealing that it led a balcony overlooking Notre Sagesse.

"There is?" Kamui asked as she stepped onto the balcony with her companions. The view of Notre Sagesse was quite appealing. It was not the land itself, but rather the beautiful blue sea surrounding it. Kamui continued. "Um…what is it?"

"Your sword, the Yato. It is the key to unlocking the Seal of Flames, an object said to be destined to bring peace to the world. You know this, yes?"

"Why yes, I do. I have done my research on the sword that chose me, after all," Kamui responded. "Although, I know not of exactly how I'm supposed to go about unlocking the Seal of Flames, or if I'll even be the one to do it. The Yato has had wielders before me and none of them have managed to do it, so perhaps I'm not destined for that."

The Sage smiled, almost as if he were laughing at Kamui's naivete. "I assure you, young dragon. You will be the one to unlock the power of the seal. To do so, you will need the power of two—or perhaps even three—young heroes."

"Wait, perhaps three?" Kamui asked, perplexed. "Which is it? Two or three?"

"Only time will tell. Patience." The sage put a finger to his mouth and shook his head, making Kamui frown. She did not like to have things kept from her. "Now then, it appears we have more guests."

"Why, yes! I believe we do!"

Kamui's heart stopped in her chest as the color drained from her face. She knew that voice. Turning around, she was shocked to see the advisor to the king as well as Nohr's grandmaster tactician. Iago bore a sinister grin on his face as he stepped forward, but that was not what scared Kamui.

"Hans," Jakob put flatly. "I see you've returned to service."

He did not speak to her, but Kamui felt Hans' eyes boring holes into her soul. They were dark eyes, the kind that one would only find on those with malintent. The wounds Kamui had given him had healed completely, much to her dismay. She had hoped they would scar.

Hans grinned. "Why yes, I have. I got a bit roughed up when we sieged that fort, but it didn't take me long to get back up to full health. I'm ready to get back to what I do best," he said, patting the handle of the ax at his side.

Kamui's fear turned to anger and she tightly clenched her fists. "You—" she began to shout, but stopped herself…she couldn't. She couldn't tell anyone what had happened over the Bottomless Canyon, no, not here. She knew that her companions would believe her, but if she were to reveal it here in front of Iago, he would relay the information to Garon. Hans would undoubtedly deny all of it, and she had no doubt that Garon would take his side in the matter. She'd be branded a liar, a traitor, and be promptly put to the guillotine or perhaps the blade of her own father's ax. No…she had to remain silent, at least for now.

"What's the matter, princess? Cat got your tongue?"

Stifling her fury, Kamui took a deep inhale and closed her eyes. "No. I was simply about to say that you'll be a great asset to Nohr's forces…what position will you be taking?"

"I'll be leading the second company. So, in terms of authority, I'm right under you." He spoke smugly. He knew how much it enraged Kamui to hear that. Hans had not displayed any skill in the art of war and yet he was promoted to second-in-command immediately. She would have to ask Garon about this when she could.

"Why are you here?" Elise asked firmly, pouting. She hated Iago, so seeing his face where it did not belong upset her greatly.

Iago put his hand on his chest in offense. "My my, Princess Elise. So much hostility in your tone. Fear not, I only come to send a message from your father. It is a decree from the king himself."

Now Kamui was interested. "What does he wish?" she asked, leaning in somewhat.

Iago pointed a long, white finger past Kamui and at the Rainbow Sage. "The Rainbow Sage. You must kill him."

Immediately, outrage erupted among the soldiers. As for Kamui, she simply stared at Iago and squinted, confused.

"What? Why? What reason is there for me to do such a thing?"

The tactician scowled. "I do not know, girl. When the king asks something of me, I do not ask questions. You would be wise to follow in my steps." When Kamui responded simply with a steadfast stare, he rolled his eyes and groaned. "However…if you were to wish to hear my opinion, my best guess would be that he wishes to prevent our enemies from receiving the Sage's power as you presumably have."

To Kamui's surprise, the Rainbow Sage himself spoke up. "If I may. Prince Ryoma of Hoshido had my gift bestowed upon him years ago, not long after Prince Xander did."

"Ryoma has received your power already…then it would be senseless to take your life," Kamui proclaimed. She was not aware of Ryoma ever coming into contact with the sage and usually would have been upset by this, but now she was only relieved.

"Be that as it may, there is still the matter of your twin as well as the other Hoshidan royal children. Even if they were not a factor, a decree from the king is still a decree from the king. Now." A sinister smile crept across Iago's face. "Do it."

Kamui felt her hand twitch. She aimed her eyes at the ground, biting her lip, until she felt a hand on hers. Looking up, she found Silas to be at her side.

"Does it matter who gives the order if it's unjustified?" he asked Iago with a determined expression. "Look, he's an old man. Why should we kill him? Because the king said so? Don't you think that—"

Suddenly, a loud slap sounded throughout the room. Silas was left on the floor, a bright red handprint on his cheek. Mozu gasped and immediately knelt down, placing her hands on Silas' shoulders. The knight bore a look of intense pain, touching his hand to his face and wincing when he made contact. Kamui tightened her fists until her knuckles were chalk white, glaring at Iago.

"Know your place, boy. You were not spoken to, and yet you address me as if I am your equal." Iago upturned his nose in disgust. "Another slip up from you and I promise, you'll be left as a burnt stain on the floor. Now. Princess. I won't ask again."

Her eyes softening, Kamui turned to face the Rainbow Sage, whose smile had not faded. "Fret not, young dragon. I am an old, old soul. Perhaps I have long overstayed my welcome in this world. My work here is done. Yours, however, is not."

The Sage gestured to the sword on Kamui's waist and she placed her hand on it in response. He truly wanted her to kill him. Why? Kamui had never before slain an innocent person. She even refused to kill Rinkah and Kaze—prisoners. She wanted to absolutely refuse to kill this innocent old man.

And yet, she found herself drawing the Yato from its scabbard.

"Kamui…" Elise whimpered, her eyes filled with sadness. Her elder sister grimaced and shook her head.

"Look away, Elise. I don't wish for you to see this."

The princess did not avert her gaze. Instead, Effie slowly and gently placed her hand over Elise's eyes and pulled her close. Kamui could not look at her comrades. Instead, she stared with a grim expression at the smiling old man. Her sword remained raised above the Rainbow Sage's head, tightly held in her grasp. Her hands trembled and her knees began to wobble. She grit her teeth as she heard Iago yawn. Kamui could not even hear her own thoughts, for they were drowned out by the sound of her blood rushing and her heart pounding in her ears.

"Now, girl!"

The next moment, Kamui found herself crying out and bringing the sword down with her eyes squeezed shut. She had expected to immediately draw it back and turn around, but instead she gasped. Opening her eyes, instead of the Sage's body, she found…nothing.

Only the Sage's robes remained lying on the floor; not a trace of the old man himself was to be found. Even the Yato had not a drop of blood on its blade.

Iago sneered. "Which one of you did that? What, you think I—Nohr's grandmaster tactician—don't know magic when I see it?" his eyes found Odin, who stood frozen. "It was you, wasn't it? You're the only mage I see here."

"N-no, sir! Odin Dark, while he may be skilled in the arcane, doesn't yet know how to do anything of the sort! I swear!" Odin responded with a look of terror.

Iago raised his clawed hand and a red lightning began to manifest within it. "I do not like being lied to, boy. Tell the truth and I promise your death will be far less painful than it will be currently."

"He didn't do it!" Kamui shouted. Everyone in the room was shocked, including Kamui herself. The magic faded from Iago's hand as he turned his head with an inquisitive look. "He…he didn't do anything. I would be able to tell."

"Really, now? Do you have any proof of this?"

"Do you have any proof that he did?" Kamui spat. "Did you see him move his hands at all? Mutter any incantations? Place any runes? No, you didn't. The Rainbow Sage did that himself. Either…either he warped away at the last second, or his body disappeared when I struck him."

Iago smirked. "Then tell me, princess. Did your sword touch him at all? Yes or no. Did you feel contact of any sort?"

Kamui bit her lip. "Yes," she lied. "I know I hit something. He must have had an enchantment placed on him or something of the sort…likely to prevent desecration of his dead body."

Even though Iago nodded in agreement, Kamui could sense that he knew she was lying. She could see it in his expression.

"A likely explanation." The tactician shrugged his shoulders and turned around, gesturing for Kamui and her troops to follow. "Well now, that's over with. Come, we're taking you somewhere before you return to Windmire."

Kamui briefly locked eyes with her sister before returning them to Iago, squinting. "You are…? But what of our mission?"

"We've got that covered," Hans responded with a grin. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, princess. Just hop on the ship I've had arranged and get some rest, alright? You and your men surely need it."

Kamui furrowed her brow. This did not make any sense to her. She had been sent on a mission to take control of Notre Sagesse only to be told that it was no longer necessary when she was about to do exactly that? And now she and her men were being taken somewhere? In addition to that, Iago and Hans must have been sailing right behind them for the two to arrive when they did. She did not like the feeling she got about this at all.

Once Hans and Iago had left, Kamui turned to face her troops with a despaired look. "I'm…I'm sorry, everyone."

"Who were those men?" Mozu asked with a frown. "You're a princess! You shouldn't hafta listen to them…"

"The one who resembles a snake is Iago, the grandmaster tactician of Nohr. He's the closest one to my father…anything he knows, Father knows." Kamui grimaced and slowly put the Yato back in its scabbard. "As for the boar, that would be Hans. Father had him accompany me on my first mission to survey a fort near the border. As a matter of fact…he's the one that killed Gunter and caused my brief disappearance."

Elise gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "He killed Gunter?! Kamui, why didn't you say anything?"

"It's his word against mine, Elise. Anything I say would just be contradicted by either him or Iago. You already know Father's never had the best trust in me…"

"But what about now?" Elise walked up to Kamui and threw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "You've done a lot to prove your loyalty now! You didn't side with the Hoshidans, you subdued the rebellion in the Ice Tribe, and now this! He has to trust you by now!"

Kamui felt her heart sink. Seeing Elise be so concerned for her…a small part of her felt good about it, but mostly she just hated seeing her little sister like this.

"He should, yes, but I'd rather not take that chance. I'm sorry, Elise."

The younger princess did not respond. No one did. The band of soldiers turned around and exited the Sevenfold Sanctuary only to be met with a dense wall of gray smoke.

Coughing, Kamui squinted her burning eyes and ran forward to the edge of the plateau. "What?! Odin, get this smoke out of the way!"

"Got it!" The mage produced a wind tome from his cape and flipped open to the center, quickly calling out the incantation and casting the spell. From his hand came a strong wind that blew the smoke around them in every direction, clearing the way for everyone to see the destruction beneath them.

Laslow's eyes went dark. "Good Naga…"

Notre Sagesse was ablaze. Every merchant's stand, every bathhouse, every home was engulfed in a beautiful dance of orange and red. The streets were flooded with citizens fleeing the fire, many with children in their arms. Kamui could even see balls of fire quickly moving around sporadically. Those had to be people burning to death. On the harbor, all but one ship was burning, the lone ship left untouched being a large one protected by a barrier.

"S-Selena! Beruka!" Odin shouted. He took off sprinting down the path they had come up, going as fast as he could by jumping off of ledges.

"Odin! That's dangerous!" Laslow took off after him and Peri followed closely behind. Terrified, Kamui quickly beckoned for her soldiers to follow her as she began to descend the mountain.

While it had taken them an hour to reach the top of Mount Sagesse, it took them all not fifteen minutes to reach the bottom. Odin continued to call out for his companions with Laslow as Kamui felt her breathing becoming strained. She believed it was the smoke, but in reality, the situation was making her panic. She placed a hand on her chest and tried to steady her breath, but to no avail.

To her surprise, Silas took her hand and squeezed it. She looked at his eyes and started to calm down somewhat. Despite the situation, he was still so…composed. She was impressed.

"Kamui!"

Being suddenly dragged out of her own head, Kamui whipped her head around in order to find the source of the voice that had called her name. Silas half smiled, tapping her shoulder to get her attention and then pointing up. Turning her head to the sky, Kamui felt a blanket of relief drape over her shoulders as she spotted the familiar purple wyvern descending down, also accompanied by a blue one.

The wyvern touched down on the street and its rider dismounted in a hurry, running over to Kamui and burying her head in her bosom when she pulled the girl into a hug. "Oh, Kamui! I was so worried that you'd gone and burned up on me!" Camilla pulled away from the hug and gave her little sister a dozen kisses on the forehead, then grinning widely at Elise. "And you're okay, too, Elise! Oh, I'm so glad that no one is hurt!"

"Camilla! I'm so glad that you're here, but why? First Iago and now you? I—" Kamui's voice caught in her throat. "I don't know what's going on!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'll explain when we're somewhere safer. For now, let's just get to the ship, okay?"

Kamui turned her head and looked at the citizens of Notre Sagesse—fleeing and screaming and crying—with concerned eyes. "B-but what about the people? Shouldn't we help them?"

"They're far beyond help now, darling. Come, now."

Biting her lip, Kamui nodded and Camilla took her hand, Silas releasing her other one as she was led to the port. She saw that next to Odin and Laslow were two girls that she'd never seen before. One was a short girl with equally short blue hair wearing a black headband to keep her hair out of her face. Kamui could not at all tell what she was thinking by the neutral expression she wore. The other girl was a bit taller and had dark red hair set in pigtails. Though they were fleeing from a fire, she was for some reason yelling at Laslow. She figured that that must have been Selena, making the other one Beruka.

Soon, everyone arrived at the harbour and hurriedly boarded the ship that was waiting for them. It was quite large and accommodating, as if it were built for a king. In fact, Kamui would describe it as more akin to a yacht than a warship, which was what she expected.

Standing by the edge of the railing were Iago and Hans, looking out over the burning buildings with content looks on their faces. Kamui saw an ember flicker out from Iago's hand and her eyes widened in horror. She clenched her firsts with a glare and began to march towards the man, but Camilla stopped her by placing her hands on Kamui's shoulders.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Kamui asked in a thin voice, all of her breath having been exhaled in a frustrated huff.

With a forlorn expression, the eldest Nohrian princess shook her head. "I'm sorry, sweetie. A few days after you left, Father suddenly ordered the complete destruction of Notre Sagesse. We don't know why, but I'm afraid it can't be helped." She sighed and moved her hair out of her face. "You and your friends here had to march all the way to Dia's port, right? Iago just up and warped us and the ship there—us being the crew and I along with him and Hans. I insisted I come; I just had to see you again."

Kamui bit her tongue, her deep red eyes locked on the floorboards of the ship's deck. Why? Why had Garon ordered her to take control of Notre Sagesse only to order its burning only a few days later? It did not make any sense to her. She felt…utterly powerless. As if she were just a pawn in a game being played by Iago and her father.

"Oh, but you look so sad!" Camilla hugged her sister once again, this time keeping her in her embrace. "You don't have to worry, darling. Your big sister's here now."

Despite her dark thoughts, Kamui could not help but smile. Camilla's presence was always oddly comforting. Despite never having been too close with her siblings that lived away, Camilla was the one she felt the most kinship with. She looked up to Xander greatly and cared much for him, but at times he felt more like a combat mentor than her sibling. On the other hand, Camilla was always warm and loving.

Camilla was the closest thing to a mother that the twins had growing up. Even now, she still doted on Kamui just as she always had. Camilla would do her hair, cook her food, as well as bathe and dress her. Kamui had never questioned why she was like this; she figured that it was just in her nature. However, she did find it peculiar that while she loved all of her siblings dearly, she was only motherly towards her and Corrin. Perhaps she wanted to make them feel more like a part of the family? That seemed like the likely explanation.

"Um…Kamui?" Silas tapped her shoulder, prompting her to turn away from Camilla and look at him.

"What is it?" she asked. That's when she saw the hulking figure rising from below deck, bathed in shadows before coming out into the sun. He stood tall and strong, his baleful ax strapped to his back even now.

Kamui's father's stature had always somewhat intimidated her. She was so small while he was a goliath of a man. He stood at over twice the length of the Yato and was also incredibly burly. Kamui figured that he could easily render her unconscious with one backhand, though he had never struck her before (she had feared many times that he would, however). In addition to this, she had not seen her father standing in what seemed like forever. He was always sitting on his throne back in the castle. Chills ran down her spine as she pondered what could have prompted him to leave Windmire.

The king walked towards two of his daughters and Elise quickly joined them. Kamui could have sworn that every step he took rocked the boat. He stood before the three of them and looked down, only to be greeted with smiles.

"Father," Camilla began. "Forgive me for asking, but…have you been on the ship this whole time? I'm afraid Iago failed to mention that."

Garon nodded. "Yes. I haven't left my quarters until now." He then turned his gaze to Kamui, who froze as if she had gazed into the eyes of a cockatrice. "Kamui! It's good to see you, my daughter. Tell me, how did your assignment go? Well, I hope."

Kamui started to calm herself upon hearing Garon's friendly tone, much to her relief. "It ah…it was. There were Hoshidan troops stationed here, but we dispatched them. Afterwards, we met with the Rainbow Sage, and that's when Iago arrived with Hans. He told me to slay him, so…I did." She pursed her lips. "His body disappeared upon death."

"So it did, now." Garon nodded affirmatively and turned his head to the burning nation of Notre Sagesse. "I apologize for making you come all the way out here for what essentially amounts to nothing, but I had second thoughts on the usefulness of Notre Sagesse. In the end, I decided it would be best left destroyed."

Kamui could have told him that the trip had not been for nothing and that she had received the Rainbow Sage's power, but decided against it. It was likely for the best.

"I'll make it up to you, however." Garon patted Kamui on the back with a grin. "We're going to Cyrkensia to see a musical performance." His grin turned to a proud smile. "They're putting it on especially for me, you know."

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "We are? But…what about the war? Shouldn't we be moving forward with that?"

"Now now, Kamui. I would have died long ago from stress if I had concerned myself exclusively with war and conquest. You have to make time for the simple things in life, you know."

Elise grinned and jumped in the air, clapping her hands. "Oh, boy! I can't wait! I love seeing performances like that!"

"I agree; I'm looking forward to it as well," Camilla added. Kamui wanted to be as excited as her sisters were, but…had they forgotten what had just transpired? People were still burning within their vicinity as they spoke and it was as if they had not a care at all. She had expected Camilla to be apathetic, but Elise? Was she just putting on an act for Garon?

"Ah…" The dragon rubbed her arm and forced her eyes to meet her father's, her legs shaking. "Yes. I hope that it will be…enjoyable."

"Mm." Garon turned around and called out for his right hand man. "Iago! Tell the captain that we can set sail now! Full course ahead for Cyrkensia!"

"As you wish, sire!" With a flourish of his hand, the mage disappeared in a puff of smoke and not long after the ship began to sail away from the harbor. Kamui stared at the burning streets of Notre Sagesse as they grew smaller and smaller in her vision, until it was nothing but an orange speck in the distance. By this time, Garon had long since made himself scarce and Camilla had gone off with Elise. Kamui appeared to have a gaze that stretched for a thousand yards, a blank expression on her face, and likely would have stayed that way had she not been roused from her daze.

Peri jumped up behind her and placed her hands on Kamui's shoulders, startling her somewhat. "Hey hey, Kamui! What're you doing standing here? Come on and meet our friends!"

Before Kamui could give an answer, she was being pulled along the deck by the energetic girl. Standing by the staircase to the upper deck were Odin, Laslow, and the two new girls that had joined. Both looked at her and made the color drain from her face. The redhead scowled at her with her arms crossed while the short one seemed to stare right through her soul. How could these two be friends with Peri of all people?

The short one, Beruka, spoke first. "Hello. My name is Beruka. I hope I will prove useful to you," she said in a matter-of-fact fashion with a nod of her head. This one seemed blunt.

When Selena refrained from speaking, Laslow kissed his teeth and shook his head. "Kamui, this is Selena. She's that uh, friend I mentioned a while back, if you remember." Laslow winked, driving all sense of dread from Kamui and replacing it with an intense annoyance.

"So you say you don't want her to be romantic with Odin because of someone she has at home, but at the same time try and set me up with her? Laslow, are you daft?"

"What?!" Selena's face went bright red as she glared at Laslow with her fists balled, the swordsman raising his hands up in defense. "Gods, Laslow! Stay the hell out of things that don't involve you, especially if it has to do with me!"

"It was a joke, I swear! I wasn't actually trying to set you two up!" Laslow cried, slowly backing up from Selena as she walked towards him like a predator encroaching on her prey. Kamui came to Laslow's rescue (reluctantly) by clearing her throat, drawing the attention of both of them.

"It is a pleasure to meet you two. I am Princess Kamui, though you may call me simply Commander Kamui."

Laslow wrinkled his nose. "Commander? Come on, the only one who uses any honorifics with you is Jakob, and even then he just calls you Lady Kamui."

"Laslow, you're spending too much time with Silas. It's not good for your health to get on my nerves too much," Kamui said, deeply inhaling. Laslow took the hint and backed off.

Selena seemed to like her commander's attitude and smirked. "Silas? What, you have a boy that gets on your nerves too?"

Kamui responded with a nod, crossing her arms. "Indeed I do. We've known each other since we were kids, but he can be a handful sometimes."

"Just like Selena and Laslow! It seems my friends here have more in common than I would have initially thought!" Odin declared, holding his hand to the sky. To Selena's relief, he had refrained from commenting on the romance between them. "I, Odin Dark, believe that the two of you will become fast friends! I do believe you are similar in personality, after all."

"Right, right," Laslow began with a wide grin. "They're both ice queens on the outside but very easily melted."

Both women glared daggers at the mercenary who cowered in response. Kamui figured that Laslow must have always had trouble being himself—with his sly comments and what-not—whenever Selena was around.

"So," Kamui began, calming herself, "I assume that you hail from the same place Laslow and Odin do, yes? You've known each other since you were children, after all."

"Mhm." Selena nodded. "Longer than that, even. The three of us have been together since we were born." She bit her finger nail and looked to the side with a pained expression. "There are more of us, though. They're just…not with us right now."

Kamui frowned. "Ah…I can't say that I can relate to experiencing loss such as that, however—"

"They're not dead!" Selena immediately retorted, her face growing red afterwards. "They're just not with us right now, like I said. They're all back home."

"I understand…" Kamui did not understand, but she felt it best to not press further. "And you, Beruka? What might your story be?"

"It doesn't matter," the girl put bluntly. "My past is irrelevant to my purpose now. I am simply a tool to be used by Camilla and now you. Please, I ask you to refrain from getting attached to me."

Before Kamui could respond, Beruka simply walked off towards Camilla. Peri giggled and waved her off. "Oh, don't mind Beruka. She's even more weird than I am! She doesn't really talk to people unless they talk to her first, and even then you don't get much out of her. Laslow says she's broken."

"Broken? Maybe she's just experienced a lot of trauma. Laslow, how insensitive can you be?"

Chained in the bounds of Kamui's harsh words, Laslow simply threw his arms in the air and looked to the sky. "I can't win. Naga help me—I can't win." With that, he walked off, mumbling to himself. Odin called after him and gave chase. The remaining girls all laughed. In truth, Kamui was only joking, but she found a sense of morbid pleasure in bullying Laslow. She figured that Naga was the deity that Laslow worshipped, as she had heard him mention the name a handful of times before, though she did not know anything about this particular goddess.

"Alright Selena, I have to tell you about some of the new friends that we have! First there's Mozu, who's a little farm girl that we kind of forced to join us. I don't think you've met Jakob, Kamui's butler."

"Retainer," Kamui corrected.

"Same thing! Then there's Silas, her boyfriend—"

"Boyfriend?!" Kamui shouted in surprise. "Peri, do I look like a juvenile schoolgirl to you? I don't have boyfriends ."

Peri snickered. "What about girlfriends then?"

"No! A-and besides, Silas and I aren't even like that! Why does everyone say things like that?" Kamui groaned, tugging at her hair. She got the feeling that Selena could relate by the look on her face.

"Because you two make the perfect couple! You're childhood friends, he teases you all the time, you scold him, rinse and repeat! It's cute! At least, that's how Laslow explains it. I don't really know why you guys work well together; I can just tell! It's a gut feeling, you know?"

The way that Peri spoke so casually about the topic both confused and infuriated Kamui, her face as hot as the fires currently consuming Notre Sagesse. Peri herself was a confusing person, Kamui knew that, but this topic in particular struck a nerve in the princess.

"You're entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong it might be, but I would appreciate it if you kept that kind of talk from Silas. You'll do that for me as a friend, won't you?"

Gasping, Peri slapped her hands to her cheeks and grinned wider than anyone had ever seen her grin before. "Oh my gods! That's the first time you've called me your friend!" Realizing the responsibility that had been placed upon her, Peri's expression grew serious and she made her hands into fists. "Alright, Kamui! I promise I won't let you down!"

Despite not thinking that the request was all that difficult, Kamui could tell that it was very important to Peri, so she simply shrugged it off. "Thank you, I appreciate that. Now then, Selena. I have to ask, how exactly did you manage to earn the position of the retainer to she who is second in line for the crown? That's quite an enviable position."

"I was recommended personally by Laslow. Same for Odin over there. The king saw what we could do, and, well, here we are." Selena sighed and stared at the shipdeck, looking as if she was recalling back to a painful memory. "It wasn't easy, if that's what you're thinking. Odin was still kind of new to magic, so he had to put a lot into his practice."

"So he hasn't been doing magic for long? I'd assumed as much. What did he do before?"

"Swordsman." Selena said with a hint of annoyance in her tone. "I'd rather not talk about it; it was annoying."

"Well, in that case, I'll leave you to it." Kamui let out a deep breath, stretching her arms as she watched the smoke in the distance finally disappear from sight with a hardened expression. "I think I'll spend the rest of the day by myself. It was nice meeting you. Peri, if anyone not part of our party asks where I am, just keep giving them wrong directions."

And with that, Peri gave a soldier's salute as her commander turned around and walked away.


A/N: A few additional players have entered the fray, both new and old. Fun fact, I'm pretty sure that this chapter is the only one without any scene transitions. Next chapter is one that is VERY important going forward, so I hope you all look forward to that! Reviews sustain my life force, remember. Have a good one!