Kamui hated feeling helpless.

Despite growing up with a pair of maids as well as Jakob at her beck and call, she had always been the type of person to do things herself. She would tidy the room she shared with Corrin by herself, maintain her own weapons, and occasionally cook her own meals. A teenaged Jakob was initially shocked at her self-suffiency, but soon grew used to it, choosing to devote himself to vigorously carrying out the tasks she decided against performing herself.

On the rare occasions when she would fall ill, Kamui always pushed off treating herself until she could no longer bear it. The way people would dote on her during those times made her blood boil. As such, she was certainly displeased about the state she was in now.

Though a week had gone by since Matoi had transported her, Siegbert, and Silas to the border—a feat that had been incredibly taxing for her pegasus—her appearance was still rather unhealthy. As she sat up in her bed with a bowl of soup in her lap, she stared at her reflection in the silver spoon. Gone was her natural glow, having been replaced with a sickly pale color present throughout her entire body. Thankfully her sunken cheeks had filled in, though she still appeared to be rather scrawny. If she could have it her way, she'd be in the training grounds at that moment getting her muscle back, though she knew all too well that her condition would only worsen if she were to do such a thing.

Kamui looked to the door when her ears picked up the sound of the knob rattling for a brief moment. The entrance to her bedroom slowly creeped open and she was greeted with the sight of her older sister's comforting smile. Camilla entered, followed closely by Laslow, Peri, and Soleil, all of whom seemed rather eager to see the princess.

"I'm flattered. I expected your visit, of course, Peri, but to bring the whole family is something special," Kamui said with a smirk.

"What kind of girl would I be if I left a cutie like you all alone in bed?" Soleil snickered and held out her arms, presenting a white saucer on which a single pink and blue cupcake sat. The white frosting was covered in heart shaped sprinkles—also pink and blue—a signature of Peri's confections.

Laslow flashed an unopened bottle of champagne as well as a smile. "I know you don't really drink much, but I've had this bottle for a while and figured I may as well put it to good use."

Peri pouted. "It was supposed to be for our anniversary, but…my daddy sent over a bottle that's worth way more, so this is fine."

Kamui noticed that Camilla held between her fingers several wine glasses, prompting her to give Soleil a suspicious look. "Are you even old enough to have alcohol?"

"Nope!" Soleil declared proudly. "Eighteen next month, so I've still got a while! But who cares about legality or tradition? You married a knight and Camilla here married a dog, and you're princesses. To hell with tradition!"

"My Keaton is not a dog!" Camilla countered with a chuckle as she set the glasses down on Kamui's nightstand, stepping over to the bedroom window to gather chairs for them to sit on. "I'll have you know that he is a wolf , thank you very much. The same goes for my darling little Velouria, and they're perfect the way they are."

"Perfect? Arthur's cape tore off the other day and Velouria pocketed the scrap immediately! Your daughter's a weirdo. A hot weirdo, but a still a weirdo."

Laslow sighed and shook his head. "Sunshine, really, must you comment on the appearance of all your female peers? Don't get me wrong, I was the same back when I was your age, but people might take it the wrong way."

"Come on, Dad! We've been over this a billion times by now. I'm the type to call 'em like I see 'em, and if I like what I see, I'm not going to hide that!" Soleil giggled as she walked over to Kamui's bedside and set the cupcake down on her bed tray. "You get what I mean, don't you, Kamui? When there are so many beautiful ladies all around you, how are girls like you and me supposed to not be blown away?"

Kamui stifled a laugh, raising her hand to her mouth. "Well, I am a married woman, and you forget the fact that some of these aforementioned beautiful women are the children of people I consider to be friends. I take it Odin and Selena wouldn't be pleased with me if I were to flirt with Ophelia."

"Hey, neither would I! She's my girlfriend, so back off!"

The occupants of the room laughed together as Camilla set down the chairs so that two were on each side of Kamui's bed. Soleil sat next to the princess while the married couple chose seats next to each other. Laslow undid the wrapping on the champagne bottle before removing the metal cage from the cork and polishing the bottle with his shirt, then aiming away from everyone and flawlessly removing the cork like he'd done a hundred times before. Peri clapped and he gave a suave smile in response.

"I'm amazing, I know."

As Kamui watched Laslow pour the drink into each of their glasses, she could not help but wonder about him. Despite now knowing about his origins, she had yet to discuss it with him. She could only assume that Selena or Odin had told him by now, and yet, he acted the exact same towards her as if nothing had changed. Laslow was…strange. Odin had mentioned it before, but Kamui found it peculiar that he had decided to marry and even have a child with someone not from his world. Of course, she understood that one could not help but fall in love, but what was he going to do when this was all over? When he had fulfilled his promise to her grandfather? She presumed that he would be returning home with Odin, Selena, and perhaps Ophelia, but could he take his wife and child with him? Knowing Peri, Kamui doubted that she would have any qualms about going off to live with her husband in another world, but Soleil was a different case. She was a social butterfly and had made a multitude of friends in her own world, so the decision would likely be much more difficult for her. There was also another thing…

Kamui would miss them.

Not that she expected that factor to influence their decision at all, but the fact of the matter was that Kamui had grown rather attached to these people over the years. If one were to ask her the name of her best friend, she would answer Peri in a heartbeat. Laslow often served as a source of wisdom for her regarding war when she was feeling uncertain of herself, Selena and her would bond over stories from their pasts, and Odin was endlessly entertaining, even if Kamui did hate to admit it. They were her friends, and the thought of them leaving her made her heart ache.

"Darling, are you feeling alright?" Camilla asked with a concerned frown. "You're staring into space."

Kamui blinked several times. "Oh, am I? My apologies. I was only thinking about something unimportant."

"Well in that case, how about we focus on something that is important, hm?" Laslow held up his drink in an exaggerated fashion, prompting those around him to giggle. "A toast. What shall we make it out to?"

"Ooh! How about to Soleil and Ophelia? Their six-month anniversary is coming up soon!"

"Moooom," Soleil whined.

"I have a better idea," Laslow said. The women raised their glasses in unison before he cleared his throat and closed his eyes, his smile slowly fading. "To Beruka, who left us too soon. May her soul rest in Valhalla."

Camilla completely froze for an instant and her face went dark. Though she touched her glass to the others' like the rest, she lowered her arm the slowest of all. Her younger sister frowned at this, setting her drink on her bed tray and placing her hand on Camilla's arm.

"Sister? What is it?"

"It's nothing," Camilla answered as she raised the glass to her lips. "I've done my mourning already. I'm fine, now. Really."

Peri shuffled in her seat and leaned forward, staring at the princess. "Mmm. I don't think so. It's not good to suppress your emotions, you know. If you do that, then eventually they'll come flooding out all at once. You don't want that to happen, trust me."

"Yeah, Mom's right!" Soleil added. "Sure, maybe she, Dad and I aren't as close to you as Kamui or the rest of your family, but you can still be vulnerable around us. We won't tell anyone, we promise."

"No, truly, I'm alright," Camilla assured them, forcing a smile. "It's just that…Beruka was very special to me. Not to say that the rest of the people close to me aren't, but she was a unique case." She sighed and set her glass down before placing her hands in her lap. "You all know that Beruka mostly grew up as a part of an underground assassin's guild. After I rejected a particular nobleman's marriage proposal—he was in his forties and I had just turned twenty, plus I simply wasn't interested—he decided to use her services to put out a hit on me. Naturally, I was able to disarm her with little effort, but when she was down and waiting for me to finish her off…I didn't see someone who had just attempted to take my life. I saw a young woman who hadn't been given the love that everyone needs for a healthy development. As such, I offered her a small position among my handmaidens. I've never truly known why, but she accepted. As time went on, though, I realized that her skills were not in cooking or sewing, but in combat, so I decided to promote her to retainer. I was the first one to ever truly show her any real love…losing her was like losing a sister."

Kamui closed her eyes and took a sip of her drink before pursing her lips. "I really am sorry, Camilla. If it hadn't been for my actions, then Beruka would still have her life. It's my fault."

"Kamui!" Camilla gasped. "Don't you ever say something like that! If you hadn't done what you did after our meeting, we all would have been captured or worse, and if she hadn't gone out to save you, then you surely would have been killed. Your life is a blessing, my dear, and the best thing you can do now to honor Beruka's sacrifice is to make sure you do the most you can with it. To start, get better soon so that you can get back into action and win this gods-forsaken war." The elder sister took Kamui's hands into her own and squeezed as she gave her a reassuring smile.

Soleil set her glass down and brushed her hair out of her face, eyeing the window across from her. "Uh, sorry if this is kind of personal, but does this change anything regarding your brother?" she asked. "Maybe I don't get it because I'm an only child, but I don't know if I'd be able to face anyone who killed someone that important to me, even if they were my sibling."

Camilla's smile shrunk slightly. "Corrin is…Corrin is my precious little brother. I don't know if there's anything he could do to make me stop loving him. I say that even after he tried to kill us barely two weeks ago. I think that…I believe that he killed Beruka out of malice. Kamui was gone, but he could at least take the life of one Nohrian that day. I read a transcript of King Ryoma's address and he claimed that he only saw it fit that one of my retainers be killed since one of Princess Hinoka's was not long ago. Corrin has never been one to believe in an eye for an eye, though, I realize it's very possible that I no longer know him. Five years is an awful long time to be apart."

"I suppose he must feel as if we're even now." Kamui deeply sighed before squeezing her eyes shut and covering her face. "While I was in captivity, he told me that I had recently killed a close friend of his in battle. Her name…Setsuna. It took me a long time to remember, but I think I know who he was talking about. A pretty girl who was impressively good with a bow. When she saw my face, she looked as if she regretted attacking me and said that she was supposed to stay away from me. Once I had…dealt with her, a man screamed and held her body, and the way he looked at me…Gods. I feel sick just thinking about it. That may have been the girl Ryoma spoke of."

"We could ask Xander if we wanted to know for sure!" Peri pointed out. "Leo too, probably. I think they both know a lot about the Hoshidan princes and princesses."

Now, Camilla was frowning. "I would rather not speak to Xander right now."

Kamui's hands fell and revealed that she too bore a downtrodden expression. She had almost forgotten about what Xander had admitted at Izumo. It seemed he still had not reconciled with Camilla over it. Truthfully, Kamui was not sure how she should feel. Corrin had claimed to forgive him, but he had always been much more understanding and empathetic than she was. After growing up practically idolizing her older brother, the fact that he was willing to throw her life away simply as an attempt at an assassination made her feel…disposable. Xander had said that he was remorseful and disgusted at the fact that he would even consider such a thing, and while Kamui truly did believe that, she had to question just what he felt for her when she was a child. Did he only grow to love her when she started winning battles for Nohr? Was that all that mattered to him? If she were as lousy at swordsmanship as Leo was or had the tactical mind of an oaf like Arthur, would he feel anything towards her at all…?

"You know, he still won't tell us what it was you guys fought about. It's not like it mattered much considering the whole 'Kamui was captured by the enemy and was about to be executed' situation, but I'm still curious. You don't have to tell us if you're uncomfortable with it."

"I would rather not, thank you." Camilla pursed her lips before leaning forward and picking up the cupcake before Kamui. "You haven't touched it yet. Here, say 'aaah'."

Kamui could not help but chuckle; her sister was certainly a strange one. "Aaah," she vocalized, opening her mouth wide as Camilla gently put a part of the cupcake in her mouth. She took a bite and began to chew, smiling upon her taste buds being graced with the delicious presence of the pastry. Her face flushed red with delight. "Gods, Peri. You never fail to impress me."

The cotton-candy-haired woman grinned. "I live to please!"

Soleil snickered and took a swig of her champagne. "Yeah, I'm sure you did a whole lot of 'pleasing' back when you dated Kamui here, Mom."

"For the last time, they never dated!" Laslow replied in frustration. "And stop making weird comments involving your mother! It isn't normal!"

The group laughed together—all but Laslow—and continued their drinking together as the hands on the clock ticked by. The sun soon began to set and the light of the room grew dimmer. Peri yawned and Laslow stretched his arms as Soleil poured out the last of the champagne in her glass.

"Alright, we should be heading out soon if we want to make it home before nightfall." Laslow stood up and returned his chair to where Camilla had moved it from as Soleil quickly downed the last of her beverage, her face burning red.

"Aaaw, we're leaving already? But we just got here!" she slurred, punctuated with a giggle. Her mother grimaced as she took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"I think you've had a little too much to drink. Remind me not to give you anything for your birthday…"

Camilla smiled and waved at the family. "I think I'll stay here with Kamui a little longer before I head off to bed. My room isn't far, after all."

"Sounds good to me." Laslow smiled back and gave the sisters a salute, making his way towards the door. "Kamui, it was nice to see you doing well. We'll have to get together sometime, just the two of us."

Kamui snickered. "Still flirting, I see. I would love to."

"Whaaaaat? You're cheating on Mom?!" Soleil gave an exaggerated gasp while Peri opened the door with an apologetic smile and had Laslow usher her out before she could be any more bothersome.

"Good night, Kamui! I hope you get better real soon! I'll see you later, Lady Camilla! Bye!" And with that, the energetic knight left the room, closing the door behind her only to immediately stumble to the side upon something bumping into her leg. "Oof! Hey, what's the big idea?!" She looked down to inspect just what had assaulted her only to be greeted by a short boy with a hair full of silver. "Oh, it's just you, Kana. On your way to kiss your mommy before bed?"

"N-no!" Kana denied, his face red with embarrassment over the very idea. "I forgot something in my room! Out of the way!"

Kana forced his way past the woman as he continued onward, prompting her to cross her arms and stick her tongue out at the young boy. Kana soon turned a corner before stopping. With his face still burning, he glanced at the clock on the wall and grit his teeth upon seeing the time. It was two minutes to nine on the first day of the week. The set meeting time was approaching. After quickly scanning the area to make certain that no one could see him, Kana outstretched his hands and moved them in a circle, conjuring up a doorway to the Astral Plane in the process. He wasted no time in jumping right through it and hurriedly closing it behind him.

Before him stood a tree larger than any he had ever laid eyes on, whether it be back in the Deeprealm in which he grew up or in the world where humanity resided. He had been told that Lilith had erected it long ago when his uncle had first stepped foot in the Astral Plane. Lilith's conjurative abilities in this world had always impressed him, but he had gained a new respect for her when he initially laid eyes on the gargantuan structure.

Kana looked all around him and found nothing. He clenched his fist in anger, though he knew that his confidant was almost always eerily punctual, usually arriving the instant the clock struck nine o'clock. Despite this, they had opted not to show up at all the week prior. While Kana expected that, the fact that he was left waiting alone in the vast meadow of the Astral Plane for nearly an hour made his already hot blood boil.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kana's ears picked up the sound of something soaring through the sky. From the way it cut through the air, it had to have been moving incredibly fast. He aimed his eyes towards the sky to try and catch a glimpse of whatever it was that was approaching, but saw nothing. It was only when he heard something land with a loud THUD behind him that he whipped his head around and bore witness to the form of his benefactor, who was folding in their wings just after they landed.

"Y-you…" Kana began as he fully turned his body around, clenching his fists. "You weren't here last week."

Brushing off his shoulder with a tired expression, Corrin only gave an "Mmm" in response before blinking. He paused upon locking eyes with his young nephew and the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk. He did not seem to be apologetic at all, much to Kana's frustration.

"Temper your nerves from now. I'm not in the mood to deal with a child throwing a tantrum."

"You said the first day of every week. Nine o'clock. Right next to this tree. That's the way it's been for months and you abandon me without an explanation. Why?" Kana asked through grit teeth.

"Tch. I shouldn't have to explain why; isn't it obvious? I was in the process of arranging your mother's death, so why would I—"

"YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T TOUCH HER!" Kana spat, taking a large step towards the man he called Uncle. "I told you about Shigure, I told you they accepted the Izumo invitation, and you said that you wouldn't hurt anyone in exchange! You LIED!"

"I said what I had to say to get what I wanted," Corrin corrected. "Truthfully, you were naive to strike up a deal with the enemy to begin with. You'll learn one day, though. You'll see that war is cruel and unfair, and that you can't trust—"

Kana saw red. He drew a blade from the sheath on his belt and kicked off of the grass, the tip of the weapon aimed at his uncle's neck. He let out a scream from the very core of his being as he lunged only to be stopped dead in his tracks by a large hand grabbing him by the face and raising him in the air. The boy kicked and thrashed about, but it was of no avail.

"Is this how Kamui's been training you? I'm disappointed. I expected more from such a competent fighter, but I suppose we all have our strengths. Clearly, teaching isn't one of them."

Corrin tossed his nephew aside like he was nothing. Kana rolled on the grass and winced at the pain in his face for a moment before rising to his feet and aiming his hand at Corrin, transforming it into a toothy maw. It was far smaller than either Corrin or his mother's, though curiously enough, the orb of water growing within it was of a red color as opposed to blue.

"Bastard!" Kana screamed as the maw snapped closed and the attack shot out at high velocity. He drew in a sharp gasp upon realizing that his target had moved. The next moment, he found his legs giving out from under him and his arms growing limp when something incredibly hard slammed into his neck. Corrin stood above the boy with a stiffened hand and a bored expression.

"You've been useful, Kana, I'll give you that, but your services won't be needed any longer." Corrin sighed as he lowered his arm and manifested before him his own exit from the Astral Plane, giving his fallen nephew one last look of pity. "I do wish that we could have been a family, but unfortunately, your mother is terrible at decision making."

Kana grunted as he struggled to move, but his body had betrayed him. He was unable to so much as wiggle his toes. With his face in the dirt, he seethed as Corrin stepped towards the portal. Kana knew that this was potentially the last time he would ever be seeing his uncle. As such, he knew that he had to speak now before it was too late.

" Why? " he squeaked, his eyes thinning. "How could you do this?! She's your sister, damn it! You grew up together and you were going to have her killed in front of hundreds of people! What kind of person does that?! What happened to the love between you two?!"

Corrin paused. Slowly, his dissatisfied face morphed to one of anger.

"She's tried to kill me before, you know. Five years ago, back when we first separated. If my reflexes had been any slower, she would have taken my head off. It was fair game after that."

"What, you think she hasn't told me that story by now?" Kana asked in response. "She was scared, in mourning, and feeling betrayed by the person closest to her! Of course she would lash out! What makes you think she would ever try something like that now?"

"Your mother is a murderer, child! She'd throw me or any innocent person off of a cliff if it meant blindly defending her so-called family!"

"Oh, of course! That's why she spared every last one of you when you ambushed her and her siblings on the path from Izumo!" Kana felt a single finger twitch and drew in a sharp breath, surprised. "What, do you think she couldn't eviscerate you if she wanted? Her, Aunt Camilla, and Uncle Xander would be enough to deal with anything you threw at them. The only reason any of those people back then are still standing is because my mother would never hurt you on purpose."

Corrin bit down on his tongue and thinned his eyes. "Idiot little boy; don't pretend like you know what she's really like. She personally took the life of someone close to me, she rejected my proposal for a peace treaty, and for what? To protect her own ego! She doesn't give a damn about the lives being lost every day on the battlefields, she just wants the glory of conquest! That's all Nohr's ever wanted!"

" Ego? " Kana repeated as he found himself able to clench both of his fists. "Is that what you think of her? Gods, if only you knew how much she hated herself…do you think she would have hurt that girl if she knew how much she meant to you? Really, tell me."

"It doesn't matter!" Corrin spat. "I'm not special. Every life she takes is precious to someone. The life of every Hoshidan or Chevois soldier is worth something; the life of every Notre Sagessean that lost their lives in the Great Fire is worth something!"

Slowly, Kana pushed himself up as he found the sensation in his legs returning. He turned his neck to check on Corrin's position—he was still facing the portal. Good.

"Newsflash, genius. This is war, and in war, people die. Don't pin everything on my mother just because you have a grudge on her. You've killed people, your siblings have killed people, even your wife has killed people. What about the Nohrian blood on your hands? Do they not matter? Mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, do their lives mean nothing because you've labeled them in your head as being 'bad'?"

"Shut up!" Corrin shouted, squeezing his eyes shut as his head began to pound. "You're just a child—what do you know of what's right and wrong? What do you know of justice?! Everything I've done is in service of peace!"

Kana finally rose to his feet, now having regained full control of his body. With his gaze focused on his target, he once again outstretched his arm towards Corrin.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. That's why you needlessly hung a Nohrian soldier who was dying because of you to begin with. Because you killed Beruka…that'll help you achieve peace, right?"

Corrin did not respond.

"You're not working to achieve peace between the nations," Kana breathed as he began to step forward. "You're working to achieve peace within yourself."

The Assassin Prince whipped his body around the instant he heard the sole of Kana's foot press into the grass. He drew his dragon arm back in preparation to grab the boy from afar, but it was too late. His eyes widened and his pupils shrank when he felt the sharp appendage piece right through his armor as well as his belly and out through his back. There the little boy stood, apparently shocked by his success.

Kana withdrew his lance arm and transformed it back to normal only to find his fingertips dripping with blood. He stared at his hand for a moment before turning his attention back to his uncle, who stumbled back before tumbling right down through the portal he had created.

When Corrin's consciousness faded, so did his concentration, and with it the portal. And so, he found his vision fading to black as he lay in a slowly growing pool of his own blood on the floor of his own office, until all was dark.

"…out of commission…a day…able to heal most of it…"

Corrin was stirred from his slumber by the sound of conversation. His eyes slowly blinked open and he stared at the ceiling for a moment before forcing his head to turn slightly so that he could see just who was speaking. At his bedside, Kagero stood in her nightgown with a concerned look on her face and her hands clasped over her heart. Sakura was right next to her with a healing staff in hand. He quickly gathered from the familiar feeling of the mattress that he was in the bedroom he shared with his wife; someone had moved him.

"Be sure that he doesn't get out of bed before this time tomorrow. It's a minor injury, but he could potentially hurt himself internally if he moves around too much."

"Any farther to the left and it would have punctured one of his kidneys…" Kagero whispered in disbelief before closing her eyes and putting a hand on her face. "Thank you, Sakura. I'm glad you were able to get here as quickly as you did."

"S-so Papa's going to be alright?"

Ah, so Kara was here as well. Of course she was; if Corrin was injured then it was only natural that his wife and children would be at his side until he woke up.

"Yeah, it seems like it," Corrin grunted as he forced a smile. Kagero gasped and turned her head to look at him immediately, a wide smile blooming.

"Corrin! You're awake!" she immediately stepped forward and threw her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder as Kara shouted "Papa!" and jumped for joy. "Gods, what happened to you? I heard something fall from the hallway and when I came in, you were passed out with a hole in your side!"

The prince winced—he would have to tell her eventually…"It's a long story, dear. I'll fill you in on the details later." He looked to his sister and smiled, giving her a nod. "Sakura, thank you. I can always rely on you."

"I just happened to be nearby when Kotomi went to get someone for help…I'd like to know how this happened as well." Sakura pressed her lips together and adjusted her feet, staring at the ground. "You don't really have to wait to tell us, do you?"

As Kagero released him from her embrace, Corrin felt his heartbeat begin to hasten. This was all that damned child's fault. If he had just stayed down and kept his mouth shut, Corrin never would have had to disclose this information in the first place. Regardless, he couldn't very well just tell his family the truth. What would they think of him if they found out that he had been using a mere child to his advantage only to betray him? The young held his tongue between his teeth before speaking.

"I…I was in the Astral Plane. I wished to speak with Lilith, you see. She was injured severely during our ambush and I wanted to know if she was well. Luckily, she happened to be there, and you all know that she'll come if you so much as speak her name in that place…I tried to apologize for what happened, but she wasn't having it. I don't know how or why she has those powers that she used on us back then, but she used them again while my guard was down. A spear of lightning right through me." Corrin grimaced and gently placed a hand on the place where Kana had stabbed him. Sakura had healed the actual wound almost completely, but pain still lingered. "I managed to open a portal back here and escape, but I must have passed out from the pain. I'm thankful for that, though. I may not have been able to close it in time if I hadn't, and if she followed me through…well, there's no telling what sort of damage she could have done."

"Auntie Lilith…" Kara frowned as her eyes grew misty. "Why'd she betray us and team up with the bad guys? Doesn't she love us?"

"Of course she does," Kotomi quickly answered before biting down on her bottom lip. "I mean…I think she does. But she loves Kamui too, and didn't want to see her hurt, I suppose."

"Not that that's any excuse for betraying us," Kagero added with a twinge of pain in her voice. "Lilith…so many years of camaraderie only for her to turn her back on Hoshido."

"C-can you really be a traitor to a place you never swore fealty to in the first place?" Kotomi muttered. Her face burned hot when she realized that everyone's judging eyes were on her. "I'm not defending her, I swear! It's just that…she was always neutral, right? Every time I'd ask, she'd tell me that it was because she refused to pick between two people she loved a lot and swore to protect. I don't know if I'd consider her a 'traitor'."

"Neutrality in the face of evil is just as bad as evil itself, Kotomi," Corrin advised with a hardened look. "Honestly, I should have confronted her about it years ago. After Cheve. To support an army who'd commit such a horrific atrocity…it's unforgivable. This is my fault. If I'd had talked to earlier then she would have seen just how far gone Kamui is and none of this ever would have happened."

Kara unconsciously took hold of her sister's arm and leaned against her. "Then…we're going to have to fight her, right? I don't want to hurt Auntie Lilith…"

"Unfortunately, that is the reality for all the loved ones of turncoats. While it may be regrettable, it is unavoidable. We can only pray that we don't ever cross paths with her on the battlefield," Kagero told her daughter with a slight reassuring smile. Despite the effort, Kara maintained a downtrodden face.

Sakura approached the small girl and knelt down to meet her eyes, giving her a warm smile before speaking. "Kara…I know it's sad to think about, but sometimes the people we love do bad things. This doesn't mean that they don't love us or that we have to stop loving them, but we have to do our best to put them back on the right path. This is a matter of war, though, which means that we're going to have to do a lot of hard things in order to make that happen. Don't worry, though. Once all of this is over, you can play with Lilith just like you always did."

While a hopeful smile quickly took over Kara's face, Corrin scowled. "Your optimism is appreciated, Sister, but let's not get her hopes up. Lilith may have been precious to us at one time, but now, she is lost to us. It's not realistic to assume she'll have a sudden change of heart after suffering defeat, and even if she did, it doesn't erase all the damage she's done." The man cursed under his breath and tightly gripped the sheets laid over him. "To think, we would have had no issue handling every last one of those Nohrians if she hadn't betrayed us…I should have dealt with her back in Izumo—nipped it in the bud before it became a problem."

The atmosphere in the room grew heavier and Kotomi noticed tears welling in her little sister's eyes once again. The young kunoichi quickly took Kara's hand into her own and began to move towards the door, walking past her aunt and mother.

"It's late; I should be getting Kara to bed. Goodnight."

The girls had left the room before anyone had the chance to say anything in response. Now, only the adults remained. Kagero pursed her lips and blinked slowly before clearing her throat.

"Ah…well, I know you just awoke, but it would be best to go to sleep now," she said. She turned to Sakura and respectfully bowed. "Princess, I thank you once again for your help."

Hoshido's youngest princess blushed before shaking her head rapidly. "Y-you don't have to do that anymore, Kagero! You're a princess too, you know. Five years and you still haven't learned…" She sighed before looking to her brother and biting down on her tongue. His crimson eyes were still intense and focused while her own were soft and unguarded. "Corrin, I'll be sure to stop by and check on you tomorrow, okay? Rest well."

Corrin's eyes remained fixed on his lap. With her expression wavering, Sakura waved goodbye to Kagero and left the couple alone in their bedroom. The ninja sighed as she made her way over to the other side of the bed and sat down.

"You know, it's been quite a while since we've talked—just the two of us. You've been so busy with everything that you haven't had the time…how're things? I take it your meetings with Yukimura and the rest have been productive."

"They're going fine. We're sending a small battalion through Vanaheim to advance on Asgard in Nohr. It's an affluent area practically devoid of any military presence, so they shouldn't have any trouble putting it under Hoshidan control. Once we're secure there, I plan on personally marching through Jotunheim until we arrive in Helheim, and from there, Windmire. The closer we get to Castle Krakenburg, the more difficult of a time we'll have…we'll need all the firepower we can get." The prince closed his eyes and leaned back on his pillow, his expression unchanging. "A smart king would turn tail from there, but I know Iago, and I know my sister. They'll fight until the bitter end, meaning that they'll be backed into a corner in the castle. Once that happens, I'll put an end to them both myself and anyone that gets in my way, and then…this will all be over."

Kagero's mouth twitched in a small smile. "You truly do want to end this as soon as possible, don't you? How noble."

"Of course I do. The longer those two are in power, the more people die."

"Tell me, then, what about afterwards?" Kagero asked as she lied down and pulled the bed sheets over her body. "I know that you hold a vendetta against those two in particular, but—"

"It isn't a vendetta," Corrin sharply corrected. "It's justice that I seek."

"Right…be that as it may, there are still plenty of people to be dealt with after all is said and done. Nohr's high general, for one. Hans is his name. Not to mention Prince Xander, Princess Camilla, Prince Leo, and Princess Elise…"

"Hans will die." Corrin held his tongue between his teeth before continuing. "As for the rest…well, I wouldn't be shocked if they met the same fate. If they come out alive, though, they'll be stripped of their titles and imprisoned. The same goes for their children—two boys and a girl, I believe. That family's tyranny over the country goes back for generations and I refuse to let it continue."

Kagero slowly pulled the lamp string to cast the room into darkness and raised an eyebrow. "Strip them of power…? Then are we to install our own ruler in Iago's place?"

"That's what we intend, yes," Corrin confirmed.

"Do you have someone in mind? It's best to plan these things out in advance."

"I know," Corrin responded with mild annoyance. "Yes, I've already decided. Under usual circumstances, Shiro would inherit the throne from his father once he passed away, but seeing as how he and Ryoma aren't too far apart in age, that's unlikely. Even if he were to take up the throne, it would be a short lived reign before he himself dies. A part of me wants to give that boy the kingdom he deserves…but there's someone else." He let out a deep breath as he pulled his bed covers further up his body. "Takumi. I know that as a child, he always wanted to become king—though of course that would mean that Ryoma would have to lack an heir as well as lose his life. Regardless, when I came along, I stole his position in the line for the throne. I want to make it up to him for that. Of course, the decision will ultimately fall on Ryoma, but I have no doubt in my mind that he'll follow any suggestion I give in. He trusts me."

For a brief moment, Kagero was glad that her husband could not see the look on her face. Her brow was knit with concern and her lips pursed in skepticism. As someone who came from a clan that had been retainers to the Hoshidan royal family for generations, she had mixed feelings on the subject, but that sounded like blatant nepotism to her. If they were going to install their own monarch in Nohr, then shouldn't it have been someone who had demonstrated an ability to lead effectively? She had half a mind to recommend Corrin himself for the position, though she figured that he must have wanted nothing to do with that country at this point.

It was strange. Kagero understood in part the reason as to why, but recently, Corrin had not been himself. He had always been a gentle, warm, loving man, though his demeanor had seen a drastic change in the passing weeks. It all began when they had been informed that Nohr had razed one of their villagers. The news about Setsuna—rest her soul—had only made it worse. Things had reached their peak when Kamui rejected his proposal for a peace treaty, but…something had been bothering the ninja about that idea to begin with.

"Corrin," Kagero slowly began. "Ah…would you mind answering a question for me? It shouldn't take very long."

Corrin smirked. "Of course I wouldn't mind. There, question answered."

"Hah. I've been wondering—you've always said that you know your sister very well, yes? Kamui, that is."

Corrin's smile quickly faded. "Yes…"

"I have to wonder…I had little expectations that she would even consider the peace treaty you and Yukimura drafted, not to mention the fact that unlike yourself, she wasn't in a position to make an official decision regarding such a thing. There are two people ranked above her, and—"

"You're going to ask me whether or not I truly believed that she would accept the treaty proposal, right?" Corrin guessed. "Frankly, I'm not quite sure myself. I know that she isn't the highest ranking member of her army, but I held onto hope that she would at the very least consider passing it on to Hans or Iago. Of course, I also know that neither of them would ever think of ending a conflict as large as this one with peace. Regardless, I…I only wished to see if the woman I had at one time considered my sister still had a semblance of humanity left in her. When she rejected the treaty without so much as hearing me out, I knew that she was too far gone."

The prince turned over and draped his arm across his wife, squeezing his eyelids shut even tighter. "To think that for years I told myself that she was still a good person—it makes me sick. I was so caught up in holding onto the bonds I had forged as a child that I lost sight of my justice. I directed my rage towards that bastard Garon instead of at the people who enabled him—Kamui, Xander, Camilla, Leo…even little Elise. It would be better for the world if every last one of them were to fall in battle. They're nothing more than craven dogs of their king."

Kagero could feel Corrin's body begin to tremble against her own, making her bite down on her lip. It was one thing to believe those things about the people with whom one grew up with, but to undergo such a drastic change of perspective in what was essentially no time at all…it worried her. Was there something else going on that she simply couldn't see?

The ninja silently swore at herself; this was partially her fault to begin with. Back when Corrin had informed her and their daughters of his plan to ambush the Nohrians, she had accepted without question. She was used to being at the back and call of Ryoma, doing what he asked of her without fuss or complaint, but at that time, she was acting not as a retainer, but as a warrior as well as a wife. In truth, she had expected things to go rather smoothly and end without any casualties. They would incapacitate the carriage driver, force the royals to surrender, and put an end to the war from there. She started to doubt things when the first action that her husband took was personally tearing the coach driver's throat out without so much as a warning, but she couldn't very well back out of the operation then, especially when everyone else—her children included—looked so determined to put an end to things right then and there.

In truth, she was somewhat relieved when Kamui pulled the stunt that she did to allow her siblings to escape. Neither she nor Corrin had any idea how Lilith possessed such power to begin with, so they assumed it was an ability granted to her by her fully draconic bloodline. Kagero was relieved because after the showing her husband had given during the fight, she wasn't sure just what sort of fate the Nohrians and Lilith would meet had they been defeated. Her concerns were only further justified by the fact that Corrin began to make arrangements for Kamui's execution not ten minutes after he had her safely in custody.

Kamui had been unconscious for the entire journey back to Shirasagi, which ran well into the night. The magic she had harnessed to protect her siblings on top of the wounds she had sustained had certainly drained her of every last ounce of energy she possessed, but Kagero was more concerned with the sheer amount of magical capability she seemed to possess within her. Not only did she not require a tome—a feat already supremely impressive for spellcasting of such a caliber—but the fact that she was able to conjure colossal, near impenetrable structures of ice was almost terrifying. Kagero had no doubt in her mind that the princess could have taken out several of them had she possessed the killing intent. If she were to further hone her magic, there was no telling what she was capable of.

Then, there was her husband. The thought of what would happen if someone as powerful as he went head-to-head with someone as powerful as Kamui at their full strength made her stomach drop; they would likely only come to destroy each other. Not only had she personally instructed him in the art of ninjutsu before she did the same with Kotomi, but his skill with the blade had only increased over the years due to rigorous training with Ryoma. That on top of his increasing aptitude for utilizing his dragon abilities made him a fearsome opponent to be meddled with. He held within him the potential to kill a man in a hundred different ways, and that was just with his bare hands.

His hands…Kagero shuddered and took notice of the cold, scaled hand gently brushing across her bare back. Corrin had informed her that his arm had miraculously sprouted back in that state after one of Kamui's saviors had severed it, something that made Kagero worry immensely. She did not know much about dragons aside from what little Azura and Lilith had told her over the years, and while it was true that her husband was a unique case, the fact that his arm grew back was concerning. She recalled one instance about four years ago when he had lost several fingers to a Nohrian swordsman due to a careless mistake. Azama had reattached them shortly after—albeit with some minor scarring—but they were still severed for several minutes before that. According to Corrin, his arm had regrown almost immediately. Kagero had to wonder if he was in the process of undergoing some kind of change due to his bloodline, but if that were the case, then—

"Kagero."

She tensed up briefly, but quickly relaxed upon realizing that she was being far too blatant in her reaction. "Sorry, sorry. Lost in thought. I'm tired—let's just go to sleep."

Corrin nodded, his expression having long since relaxed. A small smile appeared on his face as he adjusted his body so as to be closer to his beloved wife.

"Let's. Good night, my love."

"Yes, good night."

And with that, one half of the pair slowly drifted off to sleep while the other was left staring at the wall, pondering the days to come.

A/N: Bit of a low-key chapter here, and that's going to be pretty much the same for the next chapter. Got to have a bit of a breather after such high-energy chapters like the last one, right? Don't worry, you'll get more action soon. As always, hoped you enjoyed!