It was odd to observe the halls of Izumo and see the guards still laying about in the gardens. Corrin could see some servants hurriedly running towards another part of the castle with their hands full of paints, wooden and other materials, but it was hard to imagine that a tense situation had just been resolved a few minutes earlier at most. Back in his childhood, when Gunter taught him about the different countries of Dreiz, he remembers that the old knight derisively referenced Izumo as the "careless country". And while he'd perhaps use a different moniker, one that would be more polite, he couldn't disagree with his old guardian there.
Izana, while he had asked Corrin to accompany him, had asked to briefly check out "something" in his office before doing so, so the young man had some time to study his surroundings. He thought of Zola and his words. While he had promised to get rid of the corruption, he wondered just how they'd do that. Having to perform such a massive shake-up of their structure while dealing with the issues with Hoshido would be very costly, and it'd be a headache even for the likes of Xander or Leo. Keeping the peace while removing those people could be just as difficult as defeating the Hoshidans.
It irritated him, somewhere. And because of that, the voice was whispering at the back of his skull. He was a dragon prince, wasn't he? Why did he accept to constantly bear the burdens of those people? Why would he put himself through even more troubles? Why not just transform into a dragon, line up those power-hungry morons and selfish debris and bite their heads off? No, no. Due process is needed for all, and he wouldn't be different from the executioners that he despised if he resorted to violence. Besides, the mindless use of violence to enforce one's position was too similar to what Garon would do, and he wanted nothing to do with the old man.
"Ahh, sorry, I had to make sure that he didn't screw up some files or something! Complicated stuff!" Izana's sudden interruption caused the prince to nearly jump through the roof and into space, but he restrained himself to jumping up a few centimeters, wheeling around with his hand on his heart. "Oh, dear, I'm sorry! I shouldn't be so sneaky when addressing people! Are you okay?"
"Y-yes. Just dealing with… political matters, and all."
"Ah! That's the boring stuff! There's more to enjoy in Izumo, but first, I need you to meet the gods! Come here!"
Corrin entered the door and Izana closed it before following suit. "I know, I know, it sounds weird to say! But it's 100% benevolent. The gods are pretty nice, you know? Once you get past the tendency to shout, the arrogance, and the odd fixation for transforming people into animals or objects, they're great to hang out with! Ya know, they've been partying before we were even born and all!"
"A-are you okay, Milord? You've just been pulled out of your cell. If you wish to rest…"
"Hm? Ah, I've got myself some stamina! And our cells are comfy! Honestly, I just took a little nap while waiting for my rescue. I'm not tired at all! And besides, even if I were barely dragging myself forward, the gods would still want this meeting to happen, so there's not much to say with this!"
Izana stepped in front of the black door and waved his hand. All of a sudden, it vanished entirely, and in its place stood the entrance for a darkened tunnel. Corrin tried not to look overly wary and stepped in, though he was now fully expecting for Izana to cackle and close the gate behind him before flooding the tunnel with magma, or those invisible zombies, or those invisible zombies riding horses? The Archduke, however, entered very soon after the young man and used the same hand movement to close the door. Perhaps this was a magic born from his blood? He'd have to ask Nyx if he eventually got the time.
"So, those gods, what do they do?" Upon walking in further, a few torches lit up.
"Well, they tend to be detached from mortal affairs but that doesn't mean that you won't see them hanging around here! Unlike what the rumors say, they don't help with the land. They do protect my bloodline from attackers, and they can do services if asked, but they like getting us mortals to do stupid mortal things. Like bashing each other in the face to make a point, or making a spicy sauce. Seriously, don't you need a weird taste if you can only enjoy things when they burn your tongue?"
"A-agreed… So, the gods can perform wishes?"
"They predict the future if asked, or do a small-scale miracle if in a good mood. But nothing that can't ultimately be done by human hands of course! For instance, they won't lead your country into war, because it's a human thing! Or they won't heal your country's land, because a bunch of bright wizards together could cure it if they banded together!"
Izana glanced back at Corrin, with some surprising gravitas on his usually casual face. "I asked before, sorry. But well, god mysteries and all!"
Corrin bit his lips but accepted the grim news. "Alright, I see. Now, what would the gods want with me?"
"Well, guess!" Said Izana. They kept walking, up until they saw another black door. Corrin began to ponder.
"Huh… well, I'm a pretty weird half-man, half-dragon hybrid. Huhh, I've got Yato…"
"Well, I'd be lying if I said that this doesn't interest them. But, see Corrin, people aren't always defined by what they own! But by what they are. It's a neat little trick. Say, you're just a normal prince. No mysterious draconic power, and Yato's away. What remains?"
"Hm… a peace-loving prince." Thought Corrin. "But one that's constantly failed to resolve a situation peacefully until now, and keep getting himself into troubles, and is starting to regret leaving his fortress?"
Izana stared at Corrin, in surprise, and then laughed a little. "Oh wow! You know, I thought that you'd have a little ego by now, but you're pretty modest! Or you're the opposite of boastful."
"Well, I guess I can handle myself better now, and I have a loving family." Wait, that wasn't about him now, wasn't it? He needed to be more confident, too. He trained for that. "And… well, I've beaten some tough foes now, and I've managed to overcome this situation through words, too. And I know what's next to tackle after the war." He slowly raised his voice with every enumeration. "And now I want to tackle the higher-ups of Nohr, but first, I'll defeat Hoshido, and I'll get to receive the truth about my mother!"
"Nice! Nice!" With a casual gesture, Izana opened the door. Corrin pumped his fist and entered a small wooden room. It was somewhat similar to the rest of the rooms in the castle, contrasting oddly with the rather sinister tunnel that was leading to it. Some cushions were laying on the floor, and Izana sat on it rather casually, whereas Corrin got on his knees. When he realized that the seer was taking it easy though, he switched his stance to take a pose roughly similar to Izana.
A table separated them, with a small crystal ball. The table itself was intricate and covered in symbols that he had never seen before. "So, Corrin, I'll give ya some extra tasty sushi tonight if you manage to figure out what this room was used for!"
"Erm, I guess that it's… where the séances start? Was it brought from that continent you guys came from?"
"Correct!" Izana clapped. "The gods insisted it'd be taken. My ancestors placed it there, and for centuries, it had remained there. I wasn't too worried about Zola getting to it admittedly, there are measures to take in place against that." He quickly waved his hands. "ANNYYYYWAAYY! Well, as you can see, we use this to contact the gods! Usually it's done by lone seers but sometimes, we meet someone whom we deem worth doing that too! It's one of the reasons why I sent you that letter."
"I see… Ah, but didn't you mean to unite Hoshido and Nohr too?"
"Yep! But I'll talk more about this. Let's politics, more godlytics! So! I'm going to channel the gods, and I'm going to go ooooooommmmmm, but it'll still be good ol' me speaking through, just all weird! I'm going to ask them a couple of questions about your fate, and, hey, maybe you could sneak a suggestion or two!"
Corrin blinked, aghast at the idea that he'd get to talk to the gods. He quickly brushed his hair and adjusted his clothing, just in case he'd make a bad impression. "Hm… Could the gods protect some of the hapless people of Hoshido from scum like Hans and Iago? M-maybe not all of them, since it'd probably be asking too much, but I know that I'm not going to be able to help them, so I'd rather…"
The Archduke stared at him and smiled. "That's a pretty pure answer! Well, the gods don't care about who lives or die but I'll be asking! They do like me, afterward! Alright, I'm going to get all glowy now, don't panic! It shouldn't do anything to you!"
Izana laughed slightly and held his hands out, grasping the orb between the palms of his hands. The man then took an unusually intense expression and the table lit up. Corrin backed off a little in surprise before realizing that whatever was happening probably wasn't dangerous. Curious in what was going on, he approached, noticing that the light was coming out of several of the symbols and spilling everywhere into the room.
Light was coming out of Izana's eyes and mouth, bright enough to cause Corrin to wince before his eyes adjusted. The light was harsh but after a few seconds, it stopped being a nuisance to his eyes. There was something almost soothing to it, even if it was currently coming out of the seer's wide-open maw.
A deep sound escaped Izana's throat, one that a human possibly couldn't make, and it still couldn't prevent the young man from taking his eyes away from the light. It's not like he was seeing anything in particular. The light itself smoothed him. He felt like a man seeing his promised land on the horizon after countless years of wandering. The sight of the most beautiful places in Hoshido soon became a distant memory for him, and the country itself followed suit. Nohr also vanished from his memory, along with that annoying old King Garon and his lackeys.
He felt warm and secure, and almost reached, eager to leave that world behind him. Before he could complete it though, the sight of his family, the remembrance of his duties and, amongst all, the figure of a certain woman flashed unto his mind, and the young man blew backward, as if repelled by a particularly strong explosion. Izana didn't react yet, but in the seconds following Corrin's sudden fall, the light slowly shut out and he came back to normal, clearing his throat. He prepared to say something, instantly regaining his usual behavior, but then looked down in alarm as he saw Corrin get back up from his spot. He rubbed his back, but that was an instinctual gesture. It'd take worse for him to feel pain.
"Hey, Izana. Sorry, I fell. I, huh, got frightened by a big bug."
"Huh-huh." The reply was colder than he thought. "You… weren't quite supposed to do that." He looked up and his smile came right back on, with almost frightening speed. "Oh wait! I know what happened! I'm not used to granting guests, so perhaps their essence kind of seeped through me! It can be a bit overwhelming, at times!"
"Y-yes. It took the form of a… a really big bug."
Izana didn't believe him, but carried on as if nothing happened. "Well, forget that big bug! The gods have been talking to me! And they've got some juicy info! So, I can't tell you how it all ends! Because, well, it'd be like seeing the last pages of a book before seeing the rest! It'd be a bit boring!"
"Yeah, Elise does that sometimes." He nodded. "But, huh, can you tell me that I live through it?"
"Silly Corrin, we all die eventually!" Corrin made a very worried face in answer to Izana's nonchalant laughter. "Yes, you'll make it through. You're certainly… going to see the end of this conflict and beyond! Anyway, speaking of that! Ohhh, nasty little conflict"
"Y-yes, very nasty."
"Alright, so, your next foes are not going to be Hoshidans!" Izana waved his hands. "And you might face them sooner than you think! Your destiny's about to reach a turning point very soon!"
The emphasis on soon bothered Corrin, and he leaned back to observe the roof, somewhat annoyed. Why couldn't they just leave him to enjoy some rest in a peaceful country? Izana, spotting his annoyance, raised his finger. "Ah, don't worry, the dinner's fine! Anyway, in the future, I can see… I can see an idiot, with a grudge against the world." The leader of Izumo grew a bit colder at that, and looked down on his table. "The almighty idiot will sail through the continent. He'll roar against the very earth and will fight against it before being struck down. Faced with an abyss of pain, and also a helping hand against it, he'll still choose the abyss out of spite."
Before Corrin could react, Izana switched to the next prophecy. "You'll go through forests, through plains, to the sky. Later, an attack, but not one from the front. Plenty of wolves in sheep's skins in the wood."
Izana looked away. "And that's that! Well, that was a bit ambiguous and super creepy! But at least, you'll get to know what's coming!"
The prince gulped and got up, being patted on the back by Izana. "But… well, why would you tell me then? I appreciate, erm, meeting the gods and all but why would I earn such an honor?"
"Well, I just feel sympathetic to you! You're a child split between Nohr and Hoshido after all. Tell ya what, I can tell ya that you're going to have a good time when all this stuff gets over and done! Well, I mean, you'll notice when you get there!"
"O-okay then." Corrin figured out that whatever fate awaited him was probably gruesome, if it made Izana sympathetic enough to try to read his future. He appreciated the weird man's attempts at cheering him up, and how he apparently had a good future in store at the end, but he also felt worried. What kind of enemy was awaiting him? Perhaps the Kitsune people, who weren't exactly in league with Hoshido and who roamed close to the border of Izumo?
"Anyway! We've had our fill of scares! Let's get ourselves a good drink and get into the sauna! I can tell you, I'm not going to need to see the gods to know what you and I are going to have a roarin' good time! So let's go before things get all grumpy and political. I want to see what you Nohrians think of my drinks!"
Corrin shrugged and walked along. For now, he tried to put everything behind him and focus on having a good time. He just hoped that Zola wouldn't accidentally catch him laying about in the sun.
…
It had been a while since Corrin felt this warm and relaxed. He was happily laying in a long-chair at a balcony near his room, with a drink in his hand and some dark glasses of a sort to protect his eyes from the sun. He was wearing a long, white-sleeved kimono which he found quite agreeable, even if the kimono was opened in a way that revealed his chest. Which was already a bit more of a bother for him. So he was wearing a small black shirt below it, in an attempt to look more conservative.
The preceding hours more than made up for the rather harrowing experience with Zola and the prophecy concerning him. They felt more and more distant, as if they happened some other year. He'd even go farther and say that the war itself had been distant in his mind, to a point where Corrin caught himself wondering what he'd do tomorrow, forgetting that he was supposed to leave Izumo and head into Hoshido to resume it.
His other siblings had enjoyed the merits of the country as well, though Leo had a slightly harder time. Unlike Corrin though, they tried hard not to forget the war, and Xander could currently be found below Corrin's balcony, sparing with his retainers using wooden swords. From time to time, his brother would glance down to see how they were doing. Both Peri and Laslow were doing an impressive work fending off the future King of Nohr, and the former was working with Laslow flawlessly. Whenever Xander overwhelmed one of them, the other ran to help them, and they managed to attack in a synchronized manner. The blond prince accepted those odds though, and made teaming-up a necessity, parrying at great speed and tripping up his enemies. If it were not for Corrin's enhanced eyesight, he doubted that he'd be able to even keep track of the fight.
Near them, Beruka was also training using a spear. Unlike the others, she was training by herself, and spearing a poor dummy multiple times over. Corrin considered going down to train with her but he knew that she needed her own time for herself, so while he did get up from his seat, it wasn't to join her. Instead, he finished his drink and walked back to his room and grabbed a serious-looking scroll, talking about some form of holy war done in a far-away continent. However, it was only to pick up a different scroll, talking about the life of a princess and her struggle to find herself the perfect prince.
Corrin looked at the room, in case he'd ever see Izana hiding in a corner, and sat down to start reading. The dark lord had captured the prince, and it was now up to the princess to save him using the prince's fabled sword of light. He skimmed through the text for a while laying in his bed, being so taken by the story that he missed the first knock on his door. When the door knocked a second time, Corrin stopped reading (at the part where the dark lord was about to take off his helmet) and looked up at it.
"You can enter." He said, quickly picking up the serious scroll. The young man quickly placed a finger on his chin and scrunched his face in an attempt to look more serious and analytical. However, that expression very quickly made for shock when Ryoma entered the room, dressed in a red kimono and devoid of his usual headpiece. Corrin would've leaped to seize Yato, but recent peace of mind somewhat slowed his reflexes, and instead, he made the wise decision of standing there in shock, mouth wide agape, the scroll dropping from his hands.
"Kamui." Said Ryoma. "At ease, I am not here to fight. I want to talk to you while there is still time." He glanced at the room and the orange sky and sat down. "I wish to talk about what happened. But before… I want to congratulate you on handling that man. You did well in getting him to stand down without violence. My congratulations may seem hollow to you, but know that I am proud."
Corrin smiled a bit awkwardly, not knowing what to do, so he stammered a little. "T-thanks. I appreciate it, big brother." He realized his mistake but didn't bother correcting himself. "Shall we resume where we left off?"
"About mom?" He said. His paranoia come back in roaring, and he feared that the door, which Ryoma thoughtfully closed, would swing open to reveal his two retainers, carrying Raijinto. The prince would then declare something about concluding their duel and would get up while kicking his chair away before finishing what he started in Macarath.
"Yes, about queen Mikoto." Answered Ryoma. "I think that you should truly get to know your mother before… the rest of the war happens." The prince leaned forward. "Though be warned that not even I know much about your mother. My father seemed to know her from a previous venture but he didn't see fit to reveal it to me… or was killed before he could." His tone gained a slightly better edge that vanished as quickly as it came.
Corrin got up and leaned near the door, with his arms folded. He'd hear it if someone were to come in this position, so he could block the door or at least announce that he was busy. It wasn't that he was being held hostage, but his siblings would naturally panic if they stumbled upon him conversing with Ryoma, and that'd certainly put an end to their current conversation. Until the end of the conversation, he could just pray that Camilla would not try to reach him to get him to partake in some bizarre scheme, but really, any Nohrian showing up would be bad news for him.
"The next events took place years ago. I was barely old enough to run on my own two feet, and Hinoka had joined this world only two years before this fateful night."
"Your mother showed up in our palace on a stormy night. She knocked at our door, and desperately called for an audition with the King. When the guards came to intercept her, she was willing to go along with them though, even when it was clear that she was desperate to see Father. We were curious to know why she'd accept, since it was obvious that she was in a hurry, but we discovered that she was carrying a baby, whom she probably did not want to endanger. To be honest, they intended to put her away in some casern, but father himself heard her call and went to join her."
"I see. That's pretty noble of him."
"Father was never one to refuse someone in distress. Though to be fair, the woman's presence put mother and us at unease, so he may have meant to calm her down as well. However, once he reached the woman, he… immediately ordered the guards to escort her into the palace itself. It was quite a scene." Ryoma smirked wistfully. "Rows and rows of nobles were ignored all of a sudden, and he commandeered a dining room just for her… and you." He pointed at Corrin.
Corrin pointed at himself as a result. "Me." He said, before realizing the obviousness of his question.
"You were only… one month old or so. Mikoto held you quite firmly, and denied the nurses's offer to take care of you. The commotion panicked you for a while, but she sang a melody to you, and you calmed down instantly." Ryoma began to study his memories deeper. "You were wrapped in a blanket made out of some odd texture. You already had your draconic traits at that age apparently, and this caused confusion amongst those who managed to get a good look at you."
Corrin touched his ears and thought of his features a little. No one had asked why he looked like this before, but that was probably because they knew that he wouldn't be able to answer it, or thought that this particular comment would invoke his wrath and result in the swift yet painful consumption of the curious person.
"Father sat down with the woman and talked with her, with his retainers ensuring that nobody could even hear what was going on. Halfway through, he invited Ikona, our mother. They conversed amongst each other and after a while, they emerged out of the room and announced that mother was a friend of Sumeragi who had come to seek shelter after a vicious attack by political rivals. The nobles were somewhat suspicious but dared not to raise their voices, and your mother settled in the palace."
"How was she?"
"Your mother, at first, was… quite nervous. She had bags under her eyes, insisted to keep you around, and barely came out of her room in the first place, though I believe that she was also sleeping a lot. This is understandable, since she looked utterly exhausted after reaching the palace. However, whenever you cried, she'd always get up to comfort you, and would even wait for you to fall asleep or be content before she fell back into sleep herself."
Corrin felt some tears gather in his eyes and struggled to keep the composure that he wanted to have. Sniffling quietly, he looked up at the sun from a window and recoiled a little, as if stunned by the light. This allowed him to quietly wipe away his nascent tears before they made themselves visible. He knew that it was stupid to do that, but he didn't want to look weak in front of his eventual enemy. The dragon prince wanted to look like a strong, competent man, not the confused young prince who, in his heart, still dearly missed his mother.
Ryoma waited for him and kindly "bought" into Corrin's excuse for wiping his eyes. "She continued to say that she was a noble hailing from a town that was raided by rivals. In fairness, there was an attack recently, so it looked plausible after confirmation."
"I thought that Hoshido was… well, a utopia."
"No country is perfect. Even Hoshido has conflicts in it, and the political plays can be as vicious as those in Nohr. Afterward, your mother began to live with us." Ryoma grinned a little. "She was a little clumsy, spoke with a heavy accent and I saw her try to shake hands or embrace the maids sometimes."
Corrin smiled a little as well. It wasn't much, but he liked hearing that. It reminded him that his mother was as human as him in the end.
"Your mother's arrival brought some changes in the palace, of course. Mother seemed to know her, and they spoke respectfully whenever they met, but she seemed to be more… worried. We thought that it was a matter of jealousy, since Mikoto may have been a past love, but there was something else to it." Ryoma looked away. "I never managed to get why both her and Father were so worried about her presence, but she managed to eventually get used to the Hoshidan lifestyle."
"What happened eventually?"
"Mother gave birth to Takumi after a few months, and Mikoto helped her with the process. They often took care of you two when the other was unavailable, though you were, reportedly, a difficult baby to take care of. You'd eat more than Takumi, for instance, and even at that young age you were… a bit stronger than the norm. Heh, you broke one or two toys that I lent you once."
Corrin's answer was a sheepish "S-sorry."
"Then, mother… Ikona, was… taken away while giving birth to Sakura." Ryoma did a better job at keeping his cool than Corrin, but he took another pause afterward, tellingly enough. "Father grieved for weeks, and so did we. Then, eventually, Mikoto came to him to soothe his pain, and they eventually fell in love and got together. Though it only became official after a year of waiting, to avoid accusations of disrespecting our mother's memory. The nobles were frustrated, since they intended to present their daughters to him, but our subjects were mostly happy with the news. And besides, even a noble know not to contest the king's orders."
Ryoma then put his hand on the bridge of his nose. "But unfortunately, we didn't. Grief is a… bizarre thing for a child to cope with, Corrin. All of a sudden, our mother was lost, and Mikoto stood in her place. We took the news badly, and refused to speak to her for a while. And, since you were her son, we also decided to ignore you as well. Both Takumi and Sakura were too young for this though. They always saw Mikoto as their mother, since Ikona was gone before they could remember her."
"Alright, and then…"
"We spent a few months and, towards the end, started to accept Mikoto as a mother. We began to play with you again. Father, however, had become concerned with Nohr. This was quite surprising to the rest of the court since Nohr and Hoshido had been fighting for dominance over Kossetsu ever since the age of settlers, but Sumeragi had fought against the tyrannical Samael alongside the likes of King Garon or Fuga." Ryoma almost spat while speaking of Garon. "And had a friendship with the then-young prince. His heart having mellowed after knowing grief, he decided to try to hold his hand out to Garon to form peace talks."
"Yeah." Corrin folded his arms. "But why would he take me along with him?"
"As a show of goodwill, perhaps. To make Garon understand that he wouldn't trigger an attack while a child was nearby."
"But why me?" Asked Corrin, with a bit of anger slipping into his voice. "Was it because I wasn't his kid? H-hey, wait, before we go on any further, who is my real father?"
"I cannot say. Mikoto said that you are the son of a noble from another family." He explained. "Who sacrificed himself to cover her escape… Now, in fairness, he also took me to go see the peace talks. He said that, as his eventual successor, I would need to see how diplomacy with other heads of state would go. Mikoto was worried, but Sumeragi picked Cheve, a neutral town, and was hard to convince when his mind was set. We left, but Garon had prepared a trap in advance." Ryoma glared at the air, in remembrance. "Father held off the archers by himself, along with the help of Saizo and Kaze's father. He managed to very nearly defeat the entire ambush squad by himself until Garon attacked him." Ryoma looked up at the ceiling, in apparent fascination. "They fought, and eventually, my Father managed to stab Garon in the throat and delivered a lethal electric shock to his entire body. But… that beast just laughed, and fatally wounded him. He then kidnapped you while I barely managed to escape with Father's retainers. He wasn't interested in getting Raijinto, however. He threw it back at us."
Corrin's anger rose, even if he knew that Ryoma may not have been telling the truth. Garon had willingly interrupted peace talks? But why? He was a man who wanted to save Nohr. Why would he refuse an offer that could allow the two countries to work on undoing the blight? How could he survive being stabbed in the throat by Raijinto too? He was quite familiar with how damaging its lightning was and not even Xander could survive having the legendary weapon pierce his neck.
"Once we returned, the idea of teaming up with Nohr quickly became a myth. Mikoto became the queen, and decided to take measures to prevent Nohr from launching another assault. First, she sent ninjas to try to bring you back. Secondly, she used an ancient spell to create a barrier all over the country, to prevent another attack, this cast doubts amongst others, for only a few select mages in history could cast a spell capable of shielding an entire country, but most were happy to be protected."
Corrin knew how she did it, but didn't bother to comment on it.
"Several ninjas failed to bring you back but one man proposed himself, and she accepted to send him into a mission. That mysterious man crossed Nohr, infiltrated Windmire, retrieved one of Garon's children and crossed the blighted country on foot, while carrying for that baby. Few could accomplish such a feat, and Yukimura was surprised to see him back." Ryoma shook his head slightly. "But unfortunately, his commendable act was only partly successful. The man managed to get away with a child of royal blood, yes, but it was…"
"Azura." Corrin wondered if the man had mistaken the very young Azura for Corrin. They both had blue hair after all, and… no, it didn't make sense. He already had his special traits, after all, and he was quite sure that Mikoto would've given him a thorough description beforehand.
"The man said that you were not in the castle. He had investigated Krakenburg as much as he could, given the presence of the king's shadows within the building, but he said that while he heard rumors of a prince who had been taken away, you weren't in the palace. As he put it in… plain terms, this motivated him to, quote, "show that old bastard some justice" by taking away a child. The decision caused some initial panic, since it was unthinkable to have a child of the dusk dragon be raised by the sons of the dawn dragon, but… when Mikoto saw Azura, she immediately requested for her to be kept, paid the man handsomely, and he left."
"He's not under your employ anymore?"
"No. He even said that he was only doing it to make up for a certain hole in his finance. His absence is a shame. A man who can cross Nohr, reach into its heart, kidnap one of Garon's beloved children and flee while the country's various rat-catchers and other elite soldiers were on his tails is certainly useful." Ryoma looked at Corrin. "Later on, we learned that you had been placed in a fortress north of Nohr shortly after your kidnapping."
"Yeah. I don't remember going to Windmire until recently. For a while, my world was this fortress, and I didn't know about what was going on outside."
"How cruel. Restraining a young child like that… it must've been a shock for you. From the green plains of Hoshido to a castle in Nohr, with the rotting land of Nohr being your only horizon."
Corrin raised an eyebrow a little. "I… I quite like it. Well, of course, as a kid I was upset about not getting to come out, but I had Gunter to take care of me, and Felicia too, she was quite clumsy! And she always had Flora to scold her… Oh, and Jakob too. He's kinda rude but he was always nice to me. I made a friend too, name's Silas, we made a promise to eventually see more of the world together, and I guess that we're kind of doing that now! Also, my family often visited me. It was odd at first, but I grew used to them." The young dragon glanced at the sun. "The fortress was in a scary place, and I like being out of it, but to be honest, I felt safe in there. It was just my friends and I, and we'd learn things or experience." He lowered his head slowly. "There was no war, no one wanted to kill me, I fought using wooden swords and we knocked each other down (or, to be honest, I got knocked down. Xander's strong!) when we won. It was nice, and quiet. And I liked that."
"You sound… almost regretful." Said Ryoma.
"… What did mom do afterward?"
"She took Azura under her wings and taught her that song that she uses. People were a bit distrustful at first, but we warmed up to her eventually. However, it was rather painful to live on while knowing that you were out there, somewhere. Plenty of times, Mikoto sent skillful ninjas to try to find you, but they were often caught by Nohrians. Sometimes, full-blown war was encouraged, even. But Mikoto would always say that the Nohrians were suffering too much to take another war. Garon needed to be taken down, yes, but he would hide behind his subjects, and Mikoto refused to bear innocent blood on her hands."
"She was right… Ryoma. You've seen how bad Nohr is. There are slums in there."
"Indeed. But our hopes of cooperation died with Father." He replied. "Nohr had suffered, and he had realized it, but as long as Garon is in power, cooperation is impossible. The plight of the people of Nohr is caused by the foolishness of their leaders."
"But Qliphoth poisoned the land. It's not anyone's fault except them, is it?"
"I'm sure that Nohr could find a solution. Perhaps you'll ask the wizards who kept sending those atrocious golems into our country to look at the problem?" Ryoma sighed. "I'm sorry, I… Mikoto knew. And she was a wonderful leader. She always had kind words for her people and was a voice of reason, but she also had a sillier side to her. The accent never went away, and she still couldn't make sense of chopsticks."
Corrin chuckled a little. He knew that his mother had something of an accent, since he was taught Hoshidan ("Knowledge of your enemy come with their tongue", advised Gunter), but he never commented on it.
"She was a wise queen, but despite her warmth, she never opened up to anyone. She was not stand-offish, or rude, but beneath the smile there was… regret, sadness. Not surprising out of a woman who had seemingly lost two husbands, her home, and her son, yes, but unfortunately, she never allowed one of us to comfort her over it. She would always think of someone else instead of herself. And that is certainly noble, but it meant that Mikoto never truly got the emotional support that she needed."
Corrin grew a bit silent. It wasn't surprising to hear that his mother had a flaw, even if it was certainly a "good" flaw. And by that, he meant that Mikoto's error was to take it all on herself and refuse to share her pain with others. Heh, even when they were discussing her failings, they could still find ways to compliment her… He was pleased to know that his mother was such a good woman, though he was finding some uncomfortable similarities between them as well, such as a desire to carry their burden alone, even when plenty would love to support them through it.
"I see… hmm, what happened afterward?"
"She ruled over Hoshido wisely and for a little while, we tried to turn the other eye… However, Nohr then launched a ruthless attack using those soulless golems. They could breach through the barrier owing to having no souls, and their superior strength, speed, and resilience made it tough for soldiers to defeat them. Our people suffered, and plenty of peasants had to run back to the cities to escape these roaming beasts. Our diviners eventually managed to devise spells meant to strike them and our famed blacksmiths created swords capable of easily slaying them. However, Nohr kept sending them in, to the point where we found ourselves roaring for war again. But Mikoto refused to send troops. Nohr would eventually destroy itself, she argued, and it would be lowering themselves to their level to break past the barrier and fight them when we could wait it out. Plus, she cared for the fate of the less fortunate of Nohr. Which is commendable, of course, but I must admit…"
Corrin listened patiently, and Ryoma, after awaiting some intervention, continued. "I will never understand why she waited for this long. From what I've gained of her martial skills, be it in training or when a foolish assassin attempted to attack her, she was quite strong herself, and we all trained in preparation for a conflict with Nohr. We elaborated strategies to hit them hard, knew that we had more soldiers available and our discipline is equal to their own."
"And yet, you were still fended off in the end, weren't you?" Corrin almost said, though his answer was more diplomatic. "Maybe she thought that annihilating Nohr would lead to a lot of problems. The Hoshidans would have to care for the innocent Nohrians, and conquering the land itself wouldn't make much sense when it's blighted. Having to occupy it wouldn't be worth the trouble."
"Of course, but we would intend to smash Nohr's corrupt hierarchy first and foremost. The gods know we tried… We'd send some of the best-hired killers this side of the continent to try to kill some nobles, but they'd fail."
Corrin's eyes widened slightly, and Ryoma nodded, silently answering his question. "Your mother was not fond of King Garon, but why would she show pity towards the man who took her husband and stole her son? As saintly as she was, not even she could allow the tyrant to walk away with his actions."
"Well… she… she still made the right decision to target him or the nobles." He muttered, Ryoma looked at him in surprise and Corrin shook his head. "So, what happened when I was found?"
"Kamui, do you doubt of Garon?" Asked Ryoma, with an odd mixture of bitterness and hope in his voice. "Have you realized that the man who killed your father, kidnapped you, sent you on a mission to die, and impose a tyrannical rule over his country is evil?"
"I never went back for Garon." Almost shouted Corrin. He controlled himself and took a moment to breathe in and out. "I went back for my siblings, and because the state of Nohr meant that a lot of people would die if an all-out war were to ensue. Hoshido could survive a proper invasion, but Nohr would be finished off. And, while some of the people in it are evil, a lot of them are just unfortunate people, just as tormented by Garon as you or I."
"… Hm." Ryoma backed off a little. "You do sound like her… But to honor your request, when she heard that you had been saved from the clutches of Nohr, Mikoto was overjoyed! She couldn't anticipate that Nohrian brainwashing would make you identify as a member of their royal family, but she remained calm. She had been waiting to see you for years, after all."
"Yeah, she even kept my room the same after all these years… Hrm, could I ask, is it still…"
"It's still in the same state. It serves as a shrine for both her and Kamui." He said. "Takumi made it so. After you went back to Nohr, he headed for the room and decided to keep it the same in the honor of his mother and the brother that he lost that sorrowful day."
Corrin sniffled again. Having to hold back everything was much harder than he thought, he, once again, wondered just how Beruka could do it?
"And now, what about those letters?"
"They were made in advance. Mikoto… knew that her death was coming, though she didn't know what form it would take. If it were to happen, she left these letters so that we could pass along the truth to you, owing to your mysterious heritage. I and Hinoka always knew, but Takumi and Sakura always believed you to be their brother until they read the letter."
"Then it was a lie." Sighed Corrin. "I'm not a son of Hoshido, aren't I? My father is not Sumeragi, and my mother was… not from Hoshido."
"But she still became its queen. And in the end, my Father saw you as part of his children. You are a child of Hoshido, Kamui, no matter what. Certainly more than you are a son of Nohr."
"… What about my true father? He wasn't a fallen noble, was he?" Asked Corrin.
"She wouldn't tell anyone, be it father, or I, or her retainers, Orochi and Reina. He's a mystery."
Disappointing, but not surprising. He was sure that his father was the key behind the presence of those powers, but who was he? What kind of powerful stranger could be seen running around, and why would he leave Mikoto behind? Was he perhaps slain? Unfortunately, the one person that knew what truly happened had been taken away and it was unlikely to anyone knew. He'd ask Izana, but he wasn't sure that he could get away with such a request, wouldn't it be selfish?
Regardless, Corrin ultimately put that aside. His father was either dead, in what case he mourned the man who gave him life, or he somehow decided to abandon Mikoto, in which case he wasn't worth thinking over. Well, he was, by having draconic powers, but for now he wasn't a priority, not when his son had already so many things to take care of, such as a full-blown war.
"… Mother, she was a woman with secrets, right?"
"She was. But her love for you was not one. She waited for you for years, and in the end, I think…" Ryoma looked at Corrin and sighed. "I think that you were truly worth it, in her eyes."
"… Thanks." Said Corrin. "I'm going to struggle with living up to her legacy, won't I?"
"You might just destroy it." Said Ryoma. Corrin winced, but his older "brother" did not ease his stance. At the very least, he wasn't sugarcoating. "You're certainly a good man, Kamui. I know not to succumb to the Nohrian tales of your exploits. And from what I've seen, your family is as noble as you are. But a good man can only do what the world around him allows him to do, and unfortunately enough, there will always be evil men to block you. Kamui, are you willing to fight for those men? To poison the land, kill the weak, and enslave the strong for the sake of a man who has done nothing but torment you? Hate him as you want, you're working for him." Ryoma got up and stared at his brother. "The scum at the top will benefit from the invasion more than the peasants that you wish to help, after all. Your actions will directly benefit Garon and his sociopathic boot-lickers. Whenever you manage to take down a Hoshidan soldier, it is in Garon's service. Every meter of Hoshidan soil that falls under Nohrian occupation now belongs to him. The terrified citizens that you spare will be at the mercy of his soldiers, and we both know that a starved bear would be more merciful by comparison."
"I know, Ryoma, but Xander and the others will help me. Iago is a coward, Hans is a brute and Garon… respect his children. He'll listen to us. Besides, I can tell you that not all Nohrians are brutes, they will listen to us. We cannot just waltz in and try to simply cut down Garon, "brother". It would cause panic, his loyalists would fight back and it would split the country. If we can get him to step down himself, it will be easier to do the clean-up."
"Then, shall Hoshido burn while you wait for the perfect opportunity?"
"… Look, we'll talk about this tonight. I'm glad that you decided to talk to me, my friend. And I want you to know that I hold no grudges against you or the others. I'm in a complicated situation myself." He realized that this would perhaps be the last time he'd see his brother in a peaceful setting, one on one, and lowered his head. "And… well, I was wishing that we could talk about something else."
Ryoma sighed. "Kamui, I would love to do the same, but even in this kingdom, I cannot forget the threat that looms over my country's inhabitants. I am sorry. At least, though, you know more about your mother." He rose from the chair. "The next time we meet, our hands will be holding swords. Brother, as much as it pains me, I will fight you to the best of my ability to defend my people, family, and kingdom. Please, do not hold back then. Please, fight to your fullest. I will be doing the same, and we both know that you will need all your skills to survive."
"… I will fight you to the best of my ability." He promised. "And I will still be able to neutralize you without killing you. Dismiss this as foolish if you must, brother, but I shall prevail."
"Then I shall pray for you." Replied Ryoma. "Farewell, Corrin." There was a noticeable change in his voice at this point, like the word itself was disagreeable for him to say.
But as he walked out, and as Corrin began to walk back to his bed, he turned around briefly. "… And I hope that you enjoy this romance novel." He said, warmness subtly returning to his voice. And his brother turned around, with an embarrassed blush on his face. They smiled, briefly, and then he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Corrin waited for him to leave, and sat down on his bed.
Then, marks appeared over the sheet, and Corrin fell unto the fabric on his back, tears pouring out of his eyes. Finally letting out all that sadness that he'd been holding back, Corrin did nothing else but cry for a few minutes (though it may as well have been longer). He cried about the father that he'd never know, in part, but also for the kind Sumeragi, who fell to arrows. For his mysterious mother, who hurt deeply but was a kind woman to the end. For his brother, who, by finally using his Nohrian name, seemingly accepted that his little brother was dead. He cried at the sheer injustice of waiting for Garon to step down himself instead of taking him down while there was still time and people to save.
It was pathetic for a prince of Nohr to do that, perhaps, but he didn't care at all about something as minor as that for the moment. He simply bawled his eyes out in a particularly undignified manner.
"M-mom…" He croaked a few times, staring at the ceiling. He missed her the most, perhaps. But he missed Gunter, as well, just as much as he missed his old life in the fortress. Both good people who cared for him and, in the latter case, took care of the young Corrin and, almost, the other servants, and was rewarded for his years of loyalty to Nohr by being coldly dropped from a bridge by Hans. And his mother lost so much, retrieved her son after years of doubt, and died at the hands of a mysterious hooded figure, certainly as a part of Garon's plan to take over Hoshido.
Still crying, he thought about her for a moment. Would he have even joined Nohr if she still drew breath? Would he, in that fateful day, have decided to abandon his true kingdom and seeming siblings to go back to a sinister father figure whom it would be tremendously kind to describe as "distant"? In a way, Corrin slowly realized that he didn't care for Nohr before the war. He saw naught but its dying landscape for years, barely met people outside of his family circle, and his so-called father was a tyrant who assigned him a traitorous brute to "watch over him". He thought about how the people of Hoshido had it easy of course, and cared about the people of Nohr who had to thrive on their small amount of resources of course, but unsettlingly enough, he would've been able to push that out of his mind if he had to.
His mother's death had put Corrin in a state of intense turmoil, and when forced to choose two camps, he ultimately went for the more familiar one. He didn't regret it, and now that he saw just how miserable the average Nohrian was (and got to meet quite a few of them) his determination to help them was even stronger, but he thought about just how easy his choice would've been with the queen alive and well, and realized that were it not for that hooded figure, he'd probably be in Hoshido relaxing somewhere, or out there, invading Hoshido with the rest of his family.
The young man wondered how his afterlife would go. Once he'd meet Mikoto, would she be scornful of him? Would she show shame for the son who sacked her kingdom and worked for her murderer? Or would her kindness allow her to forgive her son, who still strived to try and save people? He didn't know, and that's probably why he went for another round of crying. On top of invading Hoshido, he'd perhaps shatter his mother's legacy to better allow her murderer's grasp to choke the sunny country.
Corrin kept crying for a long time, and his enhanced senses didn't even register someone's approach. When the door slid open, apathy, and the knowledge that even a blind person could tell something was wrong pushed the prince to react about three seconds too late. Before he could speak up though, whoever entered his domain quickly approached, and the prince forced himself to stand up, in case he'd face a brazen assassin.
"W-who's there?" He asked, with anger in his voice. "I'm fine, don't worry, just leave me alone!"
Beruka stared back at Corrin, half her face lit up by the light outside. She raised a curious eyebrow, and whatever energy possessed Mikoto's son left him entirely.
"S-sorry! I was a bit… upset." He said, taking a proper sitting stance and praying that the darkness outside would somewhat prevent his tears from being seen. He also somehow hoped that it'd cover the shaky tone in his voice or the teary stains on the sheet below. He also only realized that night had fallen, meaning that he spent a lot of time crying by his lonesome. It almost embarrassed him.
"… The dinner will be ready soon. I was sent on Lady Camilla's behalf to warn you." Said Beruka. She remained still for a little while. "You were crying." Pointed out the assassin, with a hint of curiosity in her composed voice, and even, somewhat, worry.
Corrin prepared himself to say that he was fine and even raised his hand to make a dismissive little hand wave, but he remembered that Ryoma said about his mother. As great as a woman as she was, her fatal flaw prevented her from getting some needed help in the end. By pushing away people who could help, he'd be making the same mistake as her.
"Y-yeah. I was crying."
Beruka remained silent and her eye peered at the door. She moved to swiftly close it before checking the room, perhaps searching for something. Once she acquired what she needed, some soft paper in a tiny box, the blue-haired rider walked up to him and, in a manner that was both somewhat awkward and precise, moved to wipe his tears. Surprised, the young man said nothing as the assassin moved to wipe away the traces left by his tear, without telling a thing. Once she was done, she simply disposed of the tissue and he used his hands to dispose of whatever remained.
"T-thanks?" He said. He hadn't expected her to do it, even if he appreciated it.
"… Why were you crying?" Asked Beruka. He pulled on his collar a little in answer. "Huh, I was thinking about my mother, and everything. Hm, Ryoma came to see me to talk about it. And only that, of course!" Argued the prince, holding up his hands when Beruka's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You know, erm, queen Mikoto. The woman who died shortly before the Nohrian invasion of Hoshido."
"Ah, your mother. You miss her?" She asked. It was an obvious answer, but there was some confusion in Beruka's voice, like she couldn't understand why.
"Y-yeah." He said, nearly adding a obviously before figuring out that Beruka was probably genuinely asking. "My mother. I-I know, she was the queen of Hoshido, but still, she… certainly had a hard life, and then she had to be taken away."
"Hm… I cannot understand." Declared the young woman.
Corrin nearly asked her if she felt the same way about her mother, but remembered Beruka's unique conditions growing up in the slums (un)luckily enough, she noticed. "My parents quickly abandoned me as a child. I cannot easily understand the bonds between a child and a parent." Beruka looked rather somber, well, more so than usual. "But I care little about them in return."
"That's a bit sad." Corrin watched her. "The slums… they're a despicable thing. I don't know why Garon would want to keep them."
"… The slums are a bit older than Garon. Suffering breed strength, and Nohr is the country of strength. Many of the children from the slums are now being led by you and the others to invade Hoshido." Beruka stared at Corrin. "And the nobles are interested in them to suppress rivals or entertain themselves. You will need a lot of effort to get rid of the slums."
He listened to her and nodded. "Yeah, well… If we… Once we make it through this, I'm not going to let a bunch of old nobles stop me from doing something righteous." He said, confidently, now remembering Xander's decision. Beruka seemed rather unconvinced though, and Corrin faltered. "Y-yeah, I know, I say that and then I cry about my mother, I haven't worked out the intimidation part yet."
"No. I don't mind crying. It shows that you still have your soul. You still feel sorrow over what you've lost, or what other people have lost, and you can still feel something when you take a life." She got up and began to walk around the room. "I don't. Nowadays, I do not care when I take a life and I would not care if someone like Selena perished in front of me... I haven't cried for about 20 years. " She looked at him over her shoulder. "That is the difference between you and me."
Corrin looked over at her, briefly in shock, and looked down. "… I think you're lying."
"Pardon me?"
"I know you well enough to just… know that you're lying. There's just a bit of hesitation in your voice."
Beruka frowned a little. "No. Regardless of what you said, I am an assassin." She fully turned to face him. "I have an announcement to make, speaking of that, I… have… lost track of how much time has been going on. We should be heading to the feast."
"O-oh, right! I forgot! I guess I'm gonna change!" He said. The assassin stayed there for a little while before realizing what he meant and stepping off.
"… Lord Corrin?" She asked, peering at him.
"Yeah?"
"… May we continue the discussion later?"
"Sure! Sure, with pleasure!" He said. Beruka nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. She thought about what he said, and couldn't help but grimace when thinking back of what he said. For while she could easily dismiss his words as mere reassurance, she knew, deep down, that he was right.
"Corrin, I will become a part of the king's shadows after this." She repeated in her head. She'd just need to say those words to him. Hardly a challenge for her.
Right?
...
N/A : Hey, missed this one, sorry!
Here's a talky chapter, the next one will also feature some of it but there will be quite the action, promise! It might be slightly shorter but don't worry about it!
Don't forget to leave reviews and the likes, I love them! And thanks to HopelessRomantic1020 for the shout-out!
See ya soon!