While the sun hung high above the Shirasagi town square, hundreds of Hoshidan citizens gathered around the gallows that had been erected right before the reconstructed fountain, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their royal family. Almost the entire population of the capital was in attendance, from women to children as well as the elderly. The colossal crowd was rather dense, making it easy for a particular group of outsiders to blend in with the assistance of burlap cloaks.
"Ten minutes to noon. Do you think they're going to make it?" asked a delicate looking woman in a hushed tone. Her most notable features were her long blonde hair and her rather prominent bust, which was noticeable even beneath her dark cloak.
Nyx stood by her side and nodded with her eyes closed. "They have to. Remember, Charlotte, we're only to act if things don't go as planned. The instant we see Kamui's face, we strike."
"Let's try an' keep the damage to a minimum, yeah? We don't want to go hurtin' nobody," Mozu added. She had matured greatly over the years, her body as well as her face both appearing far more developed than they had been when she first joined the Nohrian army. Her voice had also gotten more womanly and less childish. "If we gotta make a move, just watch where you go swingin' that ax, yeah?"
"Of course! I may be almost as reckless as Peri on the battlefield, but I know how to tone it down when I need to." Charlotte placed her hand on her thigh where a magically shrunken ax had been strapped courtesy of Nyx. All she had to do to call it to full size was will it so, though she hoped that things wouldn't come to that. If all went well, then the trio of women would be leaving Hoshido without having to lift a finger.
Of course, for that to happen, the other half of their team would have to do their job properly.
Beruka had been raised as an assassin, so covert operations came naturally to her. She had not seen much action in the last five years and as such took the opportunity to stretch her muscles without question. She had not grown much at all over the years in terms of height, which contributed to her already natural stealth.
Alongside Silas and Siegbert—a boy who greatly resembled his father in both appearance and mannerisms—she quietly skulked around the halls below Castle Shirasagi, sticking to the shadows and stepping lightly. Gaining access to the level wasn't difficult at all, as all it had required was for Beruka to take out the single guard posted at the rear entrance with a toss of a hand ax. After that, it was just a matter of avoiding the numerous other guards that patrolled the lower levels themselves.
"Our top priority is to locate Kamui while also avoiding guards. If everything goes smoothly, all we should have to do is break her out of her holding cell," Siegbert reminded his partners in his boyish voice. He was a young adult, but still appeared rather youthful.
"You don't have to remind me. Remember, I once did this for a living," Beruka said. The covert operations she underwent in her younger years usually involved more bloodshed, though. "Keep your voices down."
Silas pressed his lips together and progressed as quietly as he could, not wanting to alert any Hoshidan guards that could be nearby. While he would fight with everything in his power to get his beloved wife back, he did wish to avoid any unnecessary conflict. It was just his nature.
Beruka raised her hand and stopped when they reached a corner, prompting the boys to do the same. She slowly leaned forward and peered past the wall before drawing back and glancing at her partners with a dissatisfied expression.
"Four congregated ahead. They are blocking our path. We can't wait for them to move—we don't know how long that will take and it will leave us exposed to being flanked." She wrapped her fingers around the handle of the throwing ax strapped to her waist and closed her eyes. "We have no choice."
"Wait," Siegbert said as he held out his hand. "Perhaps there's an alternative route we could take. We should double back and see."
Beruka shook her head. "No. Too risky. If we're caught, the entirety of the castle guard may be alerted. We must advance."
Silas bit down on his tongue and reluctantly went for the short-sword at his side. As much as he hated to admit it, Beruka was right. If all was to be done without major complications, they had to take out anyone in their way. With that thought in his mind, he drew his blade from his sheath and stepped forward with his companions, ready for whatever was to come.
Meanwhile, a prince was making his peace.
Corrin stared down at his sister with pitiful eyes while a pair of guards stood off to the side, waiting to receive their orders. Kamui looked pathetic. She was kneeling on the cold ground with her arms hanging limply at her side, her mouth hung slightly open as if she had gone catatonic. What caught Corrin's attention most were her eyes. Her usually striking and vibrant red pupils seemed to have lost their color and were now a muddled mahogany shade, as if life had left her completely. Her cheeks were sunken in and even her hair appeared to be falling out. Despite his sister's sorry state and the fact that she would be dead in less than twenty minutes, Corrin held no pity.
"You should see the way you look right now," he said, slowly blinking. "You always cared far too much about your looks, you know. Always so prim and proper—like you were trying to impress someone who wasn't even there. I was always jealous of your diligence in that area, but now I realize that you were only trying to make yourself look better for Gunter. Garon would have been disappointed in you if one of his reports said you were slacking on your royal manner. I suppose he wished for you to be ready to greet the public when the time came. Yet, he never seemed to put the same amount of care towards me."
Kamui did not respond. She did not even blink. She simply stayed idle as Corrin unlocked her cell himself with a sigh and stepped forward, casually approaching her before kneeling down and raising the key to the lock on her collar.
"Don't even bother trying to attack me, I could subdue you without lifting a finger. Unless you want your last breath to be taken in a cell, I suggest you comply." When Kamui once again remained silent, Corrin shook his head and inserted the key into the lock before pulling. Instantly the collar came apart and revealed sickly looking red and purple bruises all around her neck as well as along her clavicle. Corrin frowned when she did not even stand up. "You don't care about your dignity at all, do you? You're supposed to be a princess. Have some damn respect for yourself."
He waited, and when his sister didn't move a muscle, he glared at her before snapping his fingers and beckoning the guards to come to him. They entered the cell at once and each took one of Kamui's arms before hoisting her up to her feet, her head limply hanging to the side and her expression unchanging. Corrin's scowl deepened when he saw that her feet were not even planted on the ground.
"Tell me, what's the point of this act? Just to annoy me? You're being childish, Kamui. Have you truly lost your last semblance of pride?"
Nothing.
The prince bared his teeth and growled as his hand became clad in scales and grew in size. With the tips of his now clawed fingers, he squeezed his sister's face and forced her to meet his gaze. He was prepared to begin screaming everything he could at her, but his shaking clenched fist suddenly became idle when he noticed something. Despite the sharp claws digging into her face, Kamui did not bleed. She didn't react at all.
Slowly, Corrin released the being before him and took a step back. The guards noticed her lack of blood as well and exchanged confused glances. Corrin stared with a furrowed brow.
"Drop her," he demanded.
"But, Sir—"
"That's an order."
Reluctantly, the pair of guards simultaneously released their grasp on the prisoner and she fell to her knees before crumpling limply to the ground, her face right against the cold stone floor. Corrin's heart began to race while he took his draconian hand and transformed his entire arm into a long lancelike appendage and took a single step forward.
One of the guards grimaced. "Prince Corrin, don't you think that this is rather extreme? What will we tell the civilians?"
"Be quiet." Corrin thinned his eyes and raised his lance arm in the air, gritting his teeth and letting out a grunt of effort before thrusting forward and piercing his prisoner's back without a second thought. He withdrew his weapon and returned it to normal as his eyes widened in shock as well as despair. There was not a single drop of blood to be found.
The guards stared in horror before Corrin spoke. "No. No, this isn't possible. No magic is possible here unless it's from me or Orochi." He grit his teeth and began to lightly pull at his hair as his eyes grew even more intense. "She's gone, she's…find her. Find her now!"
Idling for a moment, the guards frowned at their boss' sudden change in demeanor before receiving a harsh reminder of their directions. Corrin cracked the stone wall with his fist and gave both of them a gaze that would render even the most lionhearted warriors terrified.
"I SAID NOW!"
As the guards scurried out of the cell and took off down either direction of the hallway, Corrin found himself breathing heavily and absentmindedly kneeling down before the husk of his dear old sister. He grabbed it by the neck and raised it in the air with a single arm before staring into its lifeless eyes, his rage growing with every passing moment. Finally, he cried out in frustration before slamming its head into the wall. Its head was left dented, as if someone had accidentally squashed the head of a clay model. Corrin was not satisfied. Again and again, he shouted while repeatedly bashing the creation's head against the hard stone surface. He prepared to do so one last time before its artificial skin cracked all across its body. One by one, the pieces began to flake off and reveal a black void beneath that promptly faded into nothingness once the final fragment drifted away.
It seemed he had pushed it past its limits.
"We had better speed things up a tad. Now would be about the time they take her out of her cell."
Moving at a brisk pace down the hall, Shiro, Kotomi, Selkie, and Rhajat remained in a circular formation, obscuring the princess between them. Kamui was finding it a bit difficult to maintain pace with them and she was feeling cramped being surrounded on all sides, but she knew that it was necessary. The original plan was for Rhajat to cast an invisibility spell on them all, but unfortunately, she was unable to procure the materials needed in time.
"Remind me once more why we did not just do this before dawn? It would have made things far more simple," Kamui inquired.
"Father started having every entrance to the dungeon bolted shut at night. We tried having Asugi pick one of them, but not even he could do it." Kotomi sighed and shook her head. "He didn't make this easy for us at all. If it weren't for Rhajat, I don't think we would have been able to pull this off."
"Remember, once you leave through the rear entrance, Matoi will be there to bring you about halfway to the border. It's a long flight, so make sure you thank her. She's not entirely on board with the idea of freeing you being a good thing, you know. Once you reach that point, you'll have to find your way home on your own."
Kamui nodded. "And my sword? Will it be returned to me safely?"
"Of course! Asugi swiped it from the vault last night; it should be with Matoi by now. He said it wasn't hard to get to at all." Selkie frowned and shrugged. "I guess Corrin cared more about you than he did a legendary weapon."
Kamui pressed her lips together and aimed her eyes at the ground. He was willing to lock half a dozen of his guards underground for an entire night simply to keep her secure, but when it came to an object spoken about in legends, he was lenient on security. Did he really hate her that much?
Before Rhajat could add anything, Shiro twisted his body just in time to avoid a small tomahawk racing directly at him. It hit the ground several meters behind him before skidding across the stone. The prince looked forward with wide eyes and witnessed three strangers standing a ways away from him.
"I missed; rush them!" Beruka called, immediately beginning a sprint towards the group. Siegbert and Silas followed close behind with their weapons in hand.
This was bad—Rhajat and Selkie were the only ones that could defend themselves, and not one of them was on guard. Shiro braced himself for impact before Kamui pushed past him with her mouth agape, her heart pounding in her chest.
Immediately, the trio of Nohrians skid to a stop in shock. Silas stared for several moments, unblinking. There she was standing right before him. After being gone for a week, she had finally returned to him. His dearest wife.
"S-Silas. Beruka, Siegbert, what are you—"
Silas dropped his weapon without a second thought and pulled Kamui into a tight embrace, squeezing her as if she would disappear if he were to let go. Neither of them were much for such explicit physical affection in front of other people, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that they were together again.
A smile broke out on Kamui's face and she wrapped her arms around her husband in return, resting her head on his chest. While the couple embraced, the others simply stood and watched. Shiro nervously glanced back down the hall to check for any patrolling guards before clearing his throat.
"Look, we've got to get going. This is a time sensitive operation."
"What are you doing with Princess Kamui in the first place?" Siegbert put on a stern look and aimed his blade on the Hoshidans, immediately making the hair on Selkie's neck stand straight and a scowl take over Rhajat's face. "Answer at once."
"It's fine, Siegbert! They're helping me escape. Without them, I'd be well on my way to the gallows by now." Kamui let her arms fall from Silas' side and gave a small smile to her nephew. "They're all on our side."
"See, listen to the adult here. This reunion is sweet and all but like I said, we've got to get a move on." Shiro let out a sigh and closed his eyes, scratching at his head. "Okay, change of plans. You three must have come in from the back entrance. Take her there and get out of here. Please, make sure you're not seen. Girls, we're done here."
Silas nodded and took Kamui's hand in his own. He had a plethora of questions that he wished to ask, but now was no time to dawdle. "Right. Each of you has my gratitude for this. Thank you."
Just as he turned around with Beruka and Siegbert in preparation to take off, a chill was sent down his spine by a blood curdling scream sounding out behind him. Kamui too felt the blood drain from her face.
" KAMUI! "
She wished she could just close her eyes and make all of this go away, but she knew that she had to face reality. There was no escaping this situation on just hope alone. With a look of terror, Kamui turned her head and saw the man she once knew as her brother standing at the end of the hall.
Corrin was not himself, that enough was clear. Just like he had been during the ambush, he had taken on several of his draconian attributes, from the horns to the tail and even his hands. The walls were just barely far enough apart to fit his fully extended wings. While his sword was in its scabbard, the way he held his claws in front of him showed that he was more interested in ripping and tearing than slashing. He was hunched forward with his legs bent and his mouth hanging open, filled with teeth much larger and sharper than usual. Of the twins, only Kamui had beastlike teeth, so to see it on her brother disturbed her greatly. Most concerning, though, was the faint purple aura emanating from his body.
Time seemed to slow down when the prince tensed the muscles in his legs and prepared to kick off. Kamui was trembling, the Hoshidans were gazing with wide eyes, and Silas was preparing to run.
"FATHER!" Kotomi cried, but it was too late.
Corrin was soaring towards them the very next moment at an astonishing speed as he roared with fury, and within seconds, he had blown right past his own comrades and reached his target. He brought his claws down only to make contact with Siegbert's blade as opposed to the flesh of his sister.
Rhajat began to manifest dark energy in her palm, but Shiro quickly grabbed her by the wrist and looked her in the eyes before shaking his head. "Go!" he called, and he took off down the hall with his partners. Rhajat and Kotomi were the only ones to look back, but while Rhajat was eyeing Kamui, Kotomi was focused on her father.
A million thoughts ran through Kamui's head in a single instant. She couldn't fight. She had no weapons, no armor, and both her magic as well as her dragon abilities were disabled. She was far too weak after days spent in a cell with barely anything to eat to attempt to face Corrin with only her fists, though she was sure that it would go poorly even if she were in peak condition. All she could do was rely on her allies to protect her.
"Kamui, run!" Silas demanded. Corrin slammed his feet down on the ground and screamed as he wrapped his hand around Siegbert's arm and snapped it without a moment's hesitation. He knew who the boy was; he was Xander's son. But that meant nothing. He was in Corrin's way, and so he had to be dealt with.
The young boy let out a cry of agony before being raised in the air and thrown down the hall, landing hard on the floor and sliding across it. "RUN!" Silas repeated, squeezing his sword and beginning to swing on the man he had once called a friend. Beruka drew the last hand ax she had available and assisted Silas in his attack, but both of them knew that there was not much they could do. In this state, Corrin's skin seemed practically impenetrable, and that combined with the armor he was already wearing made any attack against him almost worthless.
Kamui stood frozen for a moment, but she knew that she had to act. She turned her body around and began to sprint away as fast as she possibly could. Her fists remained balled and she kept her eyes forward despite how much she wished to look back. She had to escape, and fast.
"DON'T YOU RUN FROM ME!"
With his attention entirely focused on his fleeing sister, Corrin's reptilian arm shot out in front of him and raced towards Kamui. The princess yelped as his claws tightly seized her hair and stopped her in her tracks. He was trying to pull her back towards him, but she used all of her strength to keep her head forward and stay on her feet. If he got her on her back, it was over.
"Hyaah!"
Silas was not sure what had come over his old friend, but he was grateful for the fact that Corrin's attention was entirely on Kamui. He had to make sure that she was able to escape. Raising his sword high in the air, he brought it down with all of his might onto Corrin's arm and silently prayed that he was strong enough to protect that which he loved.
A moment later, Kamui nearly fell forward when she felt the pull on her hair suddenly become slack. Behind her, she could hear her brother draw in a sharp breath before letting out a scream that chilled her to the bone. Without thinking, she grit her teeth and looked behind her with her wide eyes. While Silas, Siegbert, and Beruka stared, Corrin was tightly gripping his bicep just above where his arm had been severed. The severed limb shrunk more and more by the second until it had reached its original size. It did not revert back into a human state, instead remaining clad in scales.
Hoshido's oldest prince began to hyperventilate as his entire body trembled. What remained of his arm was not bleeding, but what it was doing was shaking far more than the rest of him. Even far up from where his wound was, an intense pain pulsed throughout his forearm. What was strange was that it felt as if it were internal and not related at all to the injury he had just sustained. Corrin's head pounded and his vision reddened as the pain gradually grew more and more intense until it finally seemed to reach its peak.
Corrin's scream reached its crescendo as his arm involuntarily stiffened. In a split second, an entirely new arm had sprouted from his wound, already draconian in appearance and ready to be utilized.
"It grew back!" Beruka whispered in disbelief. Corrin too had not anticipated this, but there would be time to ask questions later. Now, he had a duty to fulfill. Silas was the closest one to him, and so he was the first one to be dealt with. With his new arm, Corrin tightly balled his fast and slammed it into the knight's side. While he had struck armor, the force was enough to send Silas crashing into the wall and severely cracking it. Warm blood trickled down the back of his head as he struggled to stand, but to no avail.
Nohr's young prince seemed terrified as his uncle turned his attention to him. Even though one of his arms was useless, he apparently still posed enough of a threat. Siegbert used his functioning arm to shakily raise his sword as he tried to keep on a brave face, but it had no effect on Corrin. Siegbert screamed as Corrin's claws dug into his face and he was raised in the air before being thrown forcefully down the corridor once again, landing hard on his back before skidding across the floor. Now that two of the people in his way were dealt with, Corrin only had one more obstacle to tear down.
The normally ice cold assassin was utterly aghast at the way Corrin looked at her. She had faced people stronger than her several times over the course of her career, but never had she been up against a monster. She prepared to swing her small tomahawk at him only to be met with sharp claws tearing right through her chest plate as well as her flesh. Blood splashed against the stone wall and floor as Beruka let out a silent scream and crumbled to her knees. The burning pain was almost unbearable. If he had slashed at her any lower, he surely would have pierced her heart and ended her life right then and there.
"Beruka!" Kamui called, reaching towards her. Struggling to his feet, Siegbert began to limp towards her as he tightly held onto his broken arm and shook his head.
"Auntie, we have to g-go! Now!"
Corrin whipped his head around and locked eyes with his sister. While hers were filled with concern, his were filled with fury. He fully turned his body around and prepared to take off in pursuit of her before a loud, familiar voice called out from behind and stopped him in his tracks.
"Corrin!"
The prince froze and grit her teeth. Here she was, attempting to obstruct him in his goals once again. He knew that he could easily deal with her just by chucking his sword in her general direction, but she wasn't important. All that mattered was Kamui. Kamui, Kamui, Kamui. With a growl, he twisted his wings so that he could zoom through the air, but just as he began to bring them down, he was suddenly petrified.
" Sing with me a song of birthrights and love; the light scatters to the sky above…"
With his head in his hands, Corrin's wings stiffened and he began to thrash about in seeming agony. Kamui's eyes grew misty upon seeing her brother in such a state, that combined with the distance between them making it difficult to make out Azura's face. All she heard was the singer shout "go!" before continuing her vocalization.
Kamui was finding it difficult to make her legs move before she processed the image of Silas making his way towards her with an encouraging smile. Despite this, the way he was stumbling and his low eyelids made evident the fact that his head wound was taking a toll on him.
The princess bit down on her tongue as hard as she could without severing it. Here she had two men who had come to protect her and had been wounded for it as well as a woman that Lilith cherished dearly who was far too out of her reach for her to do anything about. Now was not a time for indecision. Inaction could mean lives lost, potentially including her own. She had to move.
Kamui took a few strides forward to sling Silas over her shoulder before sprinting back the way she came and grabbing Siegbert along the way. While his arm may have been broken, the young man did his best to keep up with her pace.
" Dawn breaks through the gloom, hard as a stone, lost in thoughts all alone. "
Her brother's screaming mixed in with Azura's song would echo in her mind for the rest of the day.
The execution was now running nearly half an hour late, and at this point the citizens of Shirasagi had long since begun to speculate as to what could be the explanation. Murmurs sounded from the crowd and even the Hoshidan guards standing on either side of the elevated gallows were beginning to grow nervous. As for the trio of Nohrian soldiers, they were relieved.
Charlotte wiped droplets of sweat from her forehead and smiled. "Well, girls. I think it's safe to say that we got off without having to lift a finger. Looks like those three did their job."
"Right ya are, Char! Alrighty now, we're s'posed to meet up with them right on the outskirts of town. Y'all remember how long it took us to get here to begin with, so let's start headin' over now."
Mozu led the other two women through the masses while making sure that her hood remained up. While she may have been Hoshidan, Nyx and Charlotte would never be able to blend in. Charlotte's golden locks and Nyx's forehead marking would make them stick out like a sore thumb.
The women waded through the dense sea of Hoshidans, slowly making their way towards the end of it all, unless Nyx noticed something. The murmurs were beginning to die down. Soon, all was silent.
"What's going on?" she asked as she stood on her toes in an attempt to see past the people in front of her. "I can't see anything. Charlotte?"
The taller woman pursed her lips, stopping in her tracks when Mozu did. "There's…a carriage. It looks like someone's arrived."
Mozu dissuaded any concerns immediately. "Hey now, they had to get here eventually. They're probably just 'bout to report the news of what happened. Don't look so worried!"
Despite her words, even the little farm girl that Kamui had recruited all those years ago found her heart beginning to race. There was still the possibility that they had failed and the delay was just a result of the fighting that occurred. Perhaps Beruka, Silas, and Siegbert had failed? If that were the case, then the women were going to have to take action. People would undoubtedly get hurt, but they could not very well allow Kamui to die here.
Charlotte found her fingers making their way to the shrunken ax strapped to her thigh as she watched in anticipation as the carriage doors swung open. It was Nyx who was slated to make the first move, but she had to be prepared nevertheless.
Gasps erupted among the crowd as the king of Hoshido himself stepped forth from the carriage in all his glory. Those gasps quickly shifted to cheers. Ryoma's long brown locks were tied in a ponytail with a white ribbon and he donned a darkly colored yukata as well as a pair of dark wooden geta. He bore a small smile on his face, though his eyes matched the rest of his attire. Dark.
One by one, the Hoshidan royal siblings exited the carriage and were met with cheers. Each of them was wearing traditional Hoshidan attire that were usually worn for funerals, but this was a special occasion as well as an event that the nation had not seen for almost a century. What concerned Charlotte the most was the expression each of the royals bore. Takumi's eyes were cast in shadow, Hinoka's face was constantly shifting from a feigned radiance to a genuine ambivalence, and Sakura appeared to be on the verge of tears. And yet, the family was not complete.
Charlotte kept her eyes on the carriage door in anticipation and found her hands beginning to become clammy when she saw them close. Neither Azura nor Corrin were anywhere to be found.
Ryoma led his siblings up the stairs of the elevated platform and cleared his throat, taking a deep breath before projecting his voice over the now hushed crowd. "My beloved people of Hoshido, I come to you today with less than favorable news. As you all know, today was scheduled to be the day of retribution for our lost princess, Kamui."
The instant he said her name, boos erupted from the audience. They were at such a high volume that they made Mozu wince and cover her ears. Thankfully, they were quickly silenced by a raise of the king's hand.
"Years ago, we were ecstatic to have returned her to us after eighteen long years. For the brief period that she was with us, I do truly believe that we bonded…however, she showed that blood meant nothing to her when she drew her blade on her own twin brother on the day our mother was murdered—murdered protecting her. She took the side of those who stole her from her rightful family and killed both of her parents. Since then, she's both participated in and led attacks that have cost dozens of innocent lives. The burning of Notre Sagesse, the siege on Cheve. She even permanently crippled our beloved military leaders, Daimyo Yuzu. For this, I as king deem it fit that she be captured and promptly executed for her deeds." Ryoma closed his eyes and let his arms fall loosely to the side. He appeared to be…defeated.
"I regret to inform you that despite our capture of Kamui several days ago, it appears that she has managed to escape our custody. As such, justice cannot be delivered on this day."
While cries of outrage sounded throughout the crowd, the trio of Nohrian women looked to each other with smiles of relief. Their plan had been successful! Now, all that was left for them was to escape without being noticed by authorities and they would be home free.
"However!"
Ryoma's booming voice drowned out the displeased shouting of his subjects as well as regained the attention of Charlotte, Nyx, and Mozu. "I understand fully well that what the people of Hoshido deserve is a sense of retribution. You will not be going home completely disappointed today." Ryoma put his hand on Hinoka's shoulder and sent a shudder down her spine. "I'm sure you all have heard the news by now. Not long ago, one of my sister's beloved retainers was murdered at the hands of Kamui herself. Setsuna was her name, and she was one of the most purehearted individuals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Now, she is lost to us, but her death will not go unpunished."
Nyx's blood ran cold as she witnessed a figure descend from the sky and touch down next to the king. It was Corrin, of course, and his appearance was incredibly disconcerting. Not only was his usually tidy hair disheveled, but his armor was covered in fresh dents and slash marks. In addition to this, one of his arms appeared to be in its draconic state. This was not unusual at this point, but now, he had no reason to have it transformed like that. Despite this, the most concerning thing was not the prince's appearance at all, but rather the bound woman he held over his shoulder.
"Beruka," Mozu choked out as she raised her hands to her mouth and her eyes went wide.
"No…" Charlotte whispered, instinctively took a step forward. "They got her…"
Ryoma continued his speech while his brother stood there with an expressionless face and his wings still out, though hanging low. "The woman you see before you has been identified as a retainer to Princess Camilla of Nohr. She was captured barely a half hour ago after Kamui's escape. Seeing as how our own eldest princess' retainer was killed at the hands of the enemy, we only saw it fit that the same fate should befall Nohr."
Corrin knelt down and set Beruka on her feet, as only her wrists were bound with rope. While her head hung low, all could see that her face was a ghastly white and that her armor was both pierced and stained red. Charlotte found her hands beginning to tremble; they were going to kill her right here.
"D-do we attack?" Mozu asked, looking to Charlotte for an answer. "We were s'posed to act if we saw Kamui, but—"
"Give me a second," the princess blurted out as the crowd's volume increased. Mozu was right, they had been instructed to make their move only if Silas and his team had failed in their task and Kamui was revealed to the public. According to Ryoma, Kamui had escaped, but now it was Beruka's life on the line.
The assassin weakly raised her head to catch a glimpse of the massive audience before her, all cheering on her impending death. Charlotte's heart broke seeing one of her friends in such a state, then froze upon locking eyes with her. In the sea of bodies, Beruka had somehow managed to pick her out without any effort despite the hooded robe she was wearing. Charlotte could tell that she was on her last legs and would be gone in no time if she were not to receive any healing. The execution would only speed up her death.
Charlotte drew in a sharp breath when Beruka shook her head slowly. She understood immediately what it meant.
"No…" she whispered as she balled her fists. "Let's go. We're still leaving."
"We're just leaving her?" Nyx asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "But, what will Camilla—"
"She'll understand. Look, if we make a move now, that just means that more people die, and maybe one of us will be among them. We can't…we can't risk that."
Mozu looked like she was about to cry, but she was a good soldier. Even if she did not agree with them, she would never refuse an order. The farmgirl bit her lip and reluctantly nodded her head before continuing to shuffle through the crowd with Charlotte and Nyx, forcing herself to not look towards the gallows.
Meanwhile, Corrin was staring at the crowd with tired eyes as his eldest brother continued his speech. He was tired. He was frustrated. He was angry. Not only had he let Kamui slip right through his fingers, but he had seemingly lost his arm and was prevented from recapturing Kamui by a woman he once trusted with his life. He had failed in every definition of the word, but he would at the very least be allowed to enact his vengeance on Nohr. He had suggested executing Beruka in order to receive justice for Setsuna as Hinoka's retainer, but in truth, he simply wanted revenge. The fact that she was Camilla's retainer was just a convenient justification and he knew that.
After he had dealt with Azura, he had wanted to run right out of the Castle Shirasagi dungeon and pursue his sister, but it seemed her song had temporarily disabled his draconic abilities. If he could not fly, then there was no point in going after them by then. He contented himself with taking the life of one of Kamui's companions instead.
When Ryoma's speech about justice or something along those lines concluded, Corrin put his hands on Beruka's shoulders and began to walk her towards the rope noose that hung above them. He could have addressed his subjects, but he was far too tired to speak at the moment.
"Corrin," Beruka choked out weakly. "We don't know each other, but I know Kamui. She—"
"Stop talking," Corrin responded bluntly. "There's no use in begging. Die with dignity."
"I'm not." Beruka stumbled, prompting Corrin to roughly pull her back up and make her wince. "I only want to tell you one thing. Whatever it is you're looking for, this is not the path towards it. There is always another way."
Corrin ignored her as he walked her up the small set of steps that led to the highest platform of the gallows. He turned her around so that she was facing him and took another step forward, placing her right in front of the noose.
"I was an assassin for most of my life, so believe me, I know. An eye for an eye…it's not the way. You can't let your desire for revenge cloud your judgement."
This girl was annoying. She talked a lot despite not knowing Corrin at all. He scowled, taking hold of the noose and forcing her head through it before turning around and stepping towards the lever that controlled the trap door on which Beruka was standing.
The cold assassin appeared to be afraid despite the fact that she was still talking, though by this point the cheers of the crowd were drowning out her already hoarse voice and Corrin was too far to hear her. In seconds, her life would come to end. Beruka forced herself to carry on with her words, praying to the Dusk Dragon that they would somehow reach the lost prince.
"Please, remember your love. All of your siblings back home, they never stopped loving you. Kamui—"
Corrin pulled the lever without a second glance, and the cheers from the people of Hoshido reached its crescendo.
Hoshido's Assassin Prince was on his knees.
His head hung low and with his hair covering his eyes, Corrin simply stared at the dusty stone floor beneath him. Beruka had lost consciousness by that point, the only sounds being Azura and Corrin's breath. The few guards that had been in the dungeon previously were currently giving chase to Kamui and her rescuers, though Corrin was sure that they were long gone.
Azura appeared to be suffering from a migraine. Her eyes were squinted in pain and the veins in her forehead bulged while sweat beaded down her face, but she forced herself not to show it too much. Instead, she spoke.
"Corrin…you're not well." She squeezed her pendant in her hands and slowly approached the kneeling man. "This isn't you. You know this. Back when we found Takumi in Mokushu—"
"Azura…" Corrin spoke in a low, hoarse voice that would be barely audible to anyone not directly in front of him. "Do you know how sick I am of losing?"
"What?" Azura inched closer to the prince. "Corrin, what are you talking about?"
"Five years ago. We lost the siege on Cheve. In the process, we lost Scarlet as well. She's gone forever. In the skirmishes leading up to the war's hiatus, Hoshido won only twenty-two percent of them. Hundreds of our soldiers were killed. I lost Setsuna. If the meeting in Izumo were a battle, then one could say I lost that as well. Capturing Kamui was the first I tasted victory in a long, long time. And just when I had her in my grasp…I let her slip away. She's gone, and this war will continue, and countless lives will be lost. Because of you. What have you to say for that? Knowing that all that bloodshed will be on your hands."
A chill ran down Azura's spine as she slowly knelt down to get closer to Corrin. "I only wished to—"
The next instant, Azura's was slammed against the wall with Corrin's dragon hand wrapped around her neck, the pointed claws digging into her skin. The princess' eyes were wide with fear, though the eyes of the man insulting her were filled with pure malice as he bared his beast-like teeth.
"Who do you think you are?" he asked as he pushed her harder against the wall. "First you send your own son to Nohr, then you constantly badger me about sending that traitorous wench of a sister to the gallows, and now you directly defy me and allow her to escape. If you weren't considered to be a princess as well, then you'd be sent to prison to rot for the rest of your life. Just what the hell is the matter with you!?"
Azura squeezed at Corrin's arm, but found that no matter how hard she gripped, he wouldn't budge. "You c-can't kill her," she choked out as tears welled in her eyes. "You're a g-good person, Corrin. If you killed the person you loved the most…there would be no coming back from that."
"And just what do you know about who I love?!" Corrin spat. "Don't act like you know me, traitor! That woman killed my best friend and admitted to not caring a bit about what's right! She's evil, and all you're doing is aiding her! How could you, Azura?" His voice broke and began to waver as his expression softened along with his grip. With her windpipe now unconstricted, Azura began to take in large breaths of air while she slid down the wall and Corrin's gaze once again fell to the floor. "You're supposed to be a Hoshidan. You're supposed to be our princess. You…you're supposed to be my sister."
Corrin's arm fell weakly to his side as he fully released Azura. The songstress rubbed at her now reddened neck and stared at him with her brows knit and a frown on her face. The toll the song had taken on her combined with her head banging against the wall had left her on the verge of passing out, but she stayed standing with willpower alone. She was more resilient than that.
"Corrin, I promise you that I am still on your side. Everything I do is the sake of the world around us. Please, you have to realize that there is more at stake here than just your revenge."
The prince did not respond. Instead, he slowly raised his draconian hand and stared at it for several moments before clenching his fist. He proceeded to grab Beruka's limp body by the arm and hoist her over his shoulder, then raising his head to meet Azura's eyes.
"We promised our people an execution, and I'm going to give them one. Don't come. I can't guarantee your safety if you do."
Azura trembled as Corrin skulked past her without a second glance. A million thoughts raced through her pounding head; what was she to do? She was certain that she could fix him if given the chance, but any trust he had in her had been severed. If he informed her brothers and sisters about the things she had done, she wasn't sure if she would be able to maintain any sort of power at all. Would they still believe in her? Would they understand why she did she things she did? Regardless of whether or not they approved of Kamui's execution, Azura knew it in her heart that none of them truly wanted her dead. Not even Takumi. They were good people, and Kamui was, too. Lilith knew that and that was precisely why she had tried her hardest to stop Corrin from killing his sister, but all she accomplished in the end was allowing the other Nohrian royals to escape and being branded a traitor by Hoshido.
She cursed herself. Lilith…if Azura had gone with everyone to Izumo then she would have had a chance to at the very least offer the woman parting words, but no, she had defected to the enemy side and as such, Azura likely would not be seeing her for weeks at minimum. She had told everyone that she had matters to attend to regarding Midori, but truthfully…
Azura bit down on her lip and shook her head; there was no use dwelling on the past. What she had to do was move forward. As such, she turned around and began to drag her feet down the corridor and towards the dungeon's rear exit. If she was going to save Corrin, then there was work to be done.
Kotomi never did like being in her father's office.
While Corrin was always a tender and loving parent, something seemed to come over him whenever he was in that room. He smiled less. He was more serious. It was as if he stopped being a father and was only a prince. Kotomi wasn't quite sure what it was about that room that made him like this, but whatever it was, it gave her goosebumps.
The fact that she felt as if she were being interrogated by him only further contributed to her fear. While he sat at his desk with clasped hands and a solemn look on his face, she held her hands in her lap while sitting opposite him next to Shiro, Selkie, and Rhajat, all of whom had been present when Corrin discovered Kamui in the dungeon. Kotomi's heart pounded in her chest and she found her hands getting clammy, so she was grateful that she had long since mastered staying stone-faced under pressure.
"Your arm…" Selkie stared at Corrin's scaly new appendage in awe. "Did Kamui do that to you?"
Corrin shook his head. "No. Don't worry about my arm. What I wish to know from you four is simple. Just what were you doing in the castle dungeon yesterday morning?" he asked in a seemingly monotone voice. "You all ran when I got close. Why?"
Kotomi had figured that this was precisely what her father had called them all here for. This could potentially be bad, as none of them had come up with a set story in the time between Kamui's escape and this meeting. One slip up, and it would be over.
Rhajat yawned. "Glad you asked, Commander. To put it in simple terms, she was extorting us." The sorceress shrugged before continuing. "I'll freely admit that the four of us went into the dungeon without permission to take a look at the infamous Kamui, and when we got to her cell, she said that she'd have all of our parents killed if we didn't help her escape. Now, we weren't entirely sure how she'd actually go about getting those instructions to her friends back in Nohr, but we didn't think it was a good idea to try our luck. Of course, we weren't actually going to let her escape. Kotomi here was about to give her a solid chop to the neck before you showed up, which is when we collectively decided it would be best to just get out of there and let you duke it yourself. Isn't that right, Kotomi?"
Kotomi pursed her lips and nodded. "Y-yes, that's exactly it. In hindsight, perhaps we should have assisted you in taking her and her rescuers down, though, Rhajat was without her magic and Selkie could not transform."
Corrin blinked. "You could have simply told me. Considering the amount of ninjas and assassins we have at our disposal by now, protection would not be an issue."
"Didn't want to put that sort of pressure on you," Shiro said with a shrug. "We figured that we shouldn't rely so much on the adults in our lives, you know? Do things on our own. Then again, we weren't exactly planning on three Hoshidans showing up to rescue our prisoner, so that kind of put a damper on things…we're glad you showed up when you did. I don't think we would have been able to handle all four of them on our own."
Kotomi's breath wavered for a moment as she met Selkie's eyes. The fox was never the brightest girl, but she seemed to have caught on fast. Regardless, this felt wrong. Kotomi hated lying to her father, even if she did wish to directly defy his will. She could not very well just let him stage a public execution of his sister—the thought of what that would do to him as a person was terrifying.
"Really though, are you alright, Uncle Corrin?" Selkie asked with a frown, further eyeing Corrin's arm as well as changing the subject. "I know you should be used to it being like that since you use your dragon powers a lot, but if it's permanently like that…I dunno what I'd do if I were stuck in my fox form."
"I'm fine," Corrin put sternly. "If that's what happened, then I suppose I can't fault you four much. It would do you well not to pull stunts like that in the future. If an area is off limits, then it's off limits. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," the children answered in unison.
"Good. You're dismissed."
The quartet rose from their seats at once, and after a respectful bow, quickly exited the prince's chambers. Though three of them were royalty themselves, they each knew that Rhajat hated formalities and would refuse to bow if no one else did. When the door shut behind them, they began walking towards the house's front door while exchanging glances with one other.
"Was that good enough?" Selkie asked with a twisted mouth. "We're going to have to let everyone else know what our story was just in case he questions any of them."
"Don't be so anxious; I'll handle all of that," Shiro reassured his cousin. "Look, Rhajat. Selkie and I will walk you to where your parents are staying and then we're going home. We'll let Kiragi and the rest know the deal before tomorrow night, so all you've got to do is not let anything slip."
"Tch. You think I talk to my parents? You should pay better attention to the things I say." Rhajat rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Kotomi. "You seemed nervous. Remember, if your mom or dad or sister find out, we're done for. All of us."
Kotomi nodded. "You don't have to worry about me. I ah…I don't talk to my parents much either."
The friends' path was suddenly blocked by a smaller figure appearing out of what seemed like nowhere, but in reality had only just stepped out of the bathroom. Her eyes were bloodshot and a deep frown stayed etched on her face as she looked up at the visitors.
"Oh, you guys are here…did Papa call you?" Kara asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"Kara!" Kotomi knelt down before her little sister. "What's wrong? You look like you've been crying."
The little girl rubbed her red nose and threw her arms around her big sister's neck. "I was just thinking about how the bad guy got away and got sad. Papa was supposed to end the war, but now it's going to go on forever."
"Aw, don't say that!" Shiro said with a confident smile as he pat Kara on the head. "No war lasts forever, and honestly, getting rid of Kamui would have probably just made things worse. I mean, it's not like their entire army is centered around her—" Shiro cut himself off and grimaced before rubbing at his neck. "Then again, I guess you're a little too young to know details like that. Either way, I figured you wouldn't want her to be killed. She is our aunt, you know."
Kara gasped. "Of course I want her gone! She makes Mama and Papa sad! She's bad! You fought to capture her, too, you know! Don't you want all the fighting to stop?"
Shiro held his hands up in defense. "'Course I do, kid, I'm just not sure if a public execution was the right path towards it…look, the war's going to continue, that enough is evident. But we're strong, yeah? Your dad's one of the best commanders in history. So, what's going to happen is that we're going to keep fighting, we're going to utterly decimate Nohr, we're going to beat that pesky king Iago, and then who knows? Maybe…maybe we can get a chance to meet our aunt. Formally, this time. Not in battle."
Kara puffed out her reddened cheeks and crossed her arms. "I guess that's fine, too…as long as people stop fighting." A smile quickly bloomed on her face and suddenly, she was beaming. "Alright! Then we all have to work hard to beat the bad guys, OK?"
"Yeah! We'll give those Nohrians the ol' razzle dazzle! They'll never know what hit 'em!" Selkie concurred with a mischievous snicker that spread to Kara. "We've got to get home now, but you'll train with me tomorrow, right?"
"Right!" Kara jumped for joy and laughed. Though she was sobbing less than two minutes ago, she had now become the beacon of happiness that she usually was.
Rhajat lazily waved at the sisters before leaving the household with Shiro and Selkie. Before Kotomi could lose herself in her thoughts, her little sister tugged at her arm.
"Hey, hey! Mama's out on business and Papa's in his office right now, so it's practically just the two of us! Let's go to my room; I want to show you something I've been painting! Come on, come on!"
"A-alright!" Kotomi responded with a smile. "I can walk by myself, you know!"
Kara may have been a little too blindly devoted to her father, but regardless, she was still Kotomi's baby sister. While they may have had opposing ideals, they shared a bond that could never be broken, and for Kotomi, bonds were all that really mattered.
A/N: Shorter chapter than usual this time, but that's because the events didn't really call for something super long. I played around with shorter scenes and more frequent transitions for this one, which was fun, but I don't think I'll be doing that again anytime soon just due to the way the rest of the plot plays out. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, have yourself a good one.