Pegasus Moon: Constance's Paralogue-Determined Minds

Constance strode into the conference room with a letter in hand. "I have a letter from Balthus. It seems that Kupala is in danger from his stepmother's men. We have to go help them!"

Mary pursed her lips. "Kupala? That sounds familiar."

Khalid explained, "It's a small village in Margrave Edmund's territory in Leicester founded by Rhea's old friend, Apostle Chevalier."

Constance expounded, "And Balthus is one of my closest friends. We were together during my time in Abyss, and were comrades in the war against the Old Empire and Those Who Slither in the Dark. His mother is from Kupala. His stepmother hates him and his mother because she considers them a threat to her son's rule as the heir to House Albrecht. So now she sent people to harm the village!"

Caspar whistled. "What a case of jealousy!"

Khalid shook his head. "Balthus gave the succession to his younger brother, and still that woman isn't happy! I know the divines will get mad at me for saying this, but if an assassin comes and takes her out, I won't cry at her funeral."

Dimitri spoke, "We must go at once to stop her!"

Constance bit her lip. "There will be some trouble. Apparently, she framed the citizens of Kupala for murder, and besides her own men, there are rumors that Margrave Edmund's adoptive daughter Marianne was sent on her way to punish them. Marianne is a strong, yet poor timid dear who fought along with all of us in the war. I really don't want to fight her."

Nowi said, "Relax! If you're friends, she won't hurt you! Heck, Marianne might even side with us once we tell her that the mean lady lied!"

Nah scolded, "Honestly Mother, you can be so dense. Marianne is probably barred from helping us, so she couldn't even if she wanted to. She might even be imprisoned for going against her adoptive father's wishes."

Nowi sulked. "That's just mean."

Subaki proposed, "Then let's just attack the Albrecht troops and leave Marianne alone. What does she look like so we know who to avoid?"

Dimitri described, "Blue hair that she wears up, light brown eyes, and wears a blue dress. She rides a horse into battle."

The army set out for Kupala under a dreary cloudy sky. Camilla offered, "Do you want to ride on my wyvern, Ophelia dear? You must be tired from the walk."

Ophelia declined, "No thank you, Mother. I'm feeling okay."

Soleil complimented, "Of course you do! You have great legs built for walking!"

Morgan asked, "Can I take her spot? I miss flying on a wyvern." With Camilla's permission, she hopped on board. "WOO! Soaring through the sky is exhilarating! Why did I ever switch from being a wyvern rider to a grandmaster?"

Inigo reminded, "Your father is a spectacular grandmaster and you wanted to be like him."

Morgan sighed. "Oh yeah. Yeah, that is important. I guess I'll just have to be a grandmaster who rides wyverns on the side!" She stroked the mount's neck. "Isn't that right, Mr. Fluffles?"

Camilla corrected, "Her name is Nyna. Isn't she a sweetheart?"

Everyone gushed over Nyna all the way to Kupala, where the sight of grave military officers dampened the mood.

Severa yelled, "HEY! LEAVE THESE POOR MOUNTAIN FOLK ALONE!"

A large man with bulging muscles ran over to them. "Ah, I'm so glad you all made it! I was starting to get worried. I've been holding them off for now, but I'm about to collapse!"

Linhardt commented, "Oh, hello Balthus. I don't see Marianne. How disappointing."

Balthus eyebrows knitted together. "Isn't that a good thing? I don't want to meet her in combat," he muttered, "she'd kill me."

Linhardt clarified, "I didn't mean that I wanted to engage in violence. I was hoping that once this is resolved, she'd let me study her crest more. I want to work on it to prove that it isn't unlucky."

Catherine grew impatient of the chatter and hollered, "BY THE KNIGHTS OF SEIROS, STAND DOWN! We have news that these people are innocent!"

The commander hissed, "Lady Albrecht cares not. She wants this village torched, and so it shall burn in the eternal flames!"

With those words, the flurry of battle began. Ingrid stabbed an archer with her lance while Dimitri jabbed at the pegasus knight. Cynthia hurtled downward to get at a mortal savant who was aiming a fireball right at Dedue's head.

Azura spotted a wyrmslayer in the hand of an assassin. "Camilla, look out!"

Camilla noticed the threat and promptly beheaded her with her axe. "Don't bother trying to harm the Nohrian royal family! It'll spell disaster for you." Camilla pocketed the deadly weapon and kept on obliterating the enemy.

Sophie used her dragosntone and transformed into a dragon. "You asked for this!" She used her newfound claws to tear the enemy to shreds. "I protect those in need from cowards like you!"

A new army entered the scene, led by a woman with blue hair styled in a bun atop a horse. Constance hastened over to her. "I have an important update. Balthus sent me news. The people here were framed by his stepmother! None of them murdered anyone!"

Marianne blinked, too dumbfounded to speak momentarily. "I . . . I see. But what are you all doing here?"

Constance explained, "This letter! It says that the Kupala citizens are innocent and are being framed by Lady Albrecht, that classless wench."

Marianne scanned the letter's contents. "I believe you, but I don't think my Father will accept that without proof. What are we going to do?"

Dorothea approached the girls. "Marianne! Oh thank goodness! I was afraid I'd have to fight you. Don't worry; we'll handle this. You can just sit back and relax, and report to your father that everything was taken care of."

A war cleric swung his axe right into Nowi's scales. "You never should've come here! You'll pay for your idiocy with your life!"

Linhardt healed her. "Try not to get impaled. It's nauseating to see blood."

Nowi turned around and blasted fire in his direction. "You're mean!"

Marianne advanced on the battlefield. "I can't hide. I must fight for what's right! Everyone, protect the people of Kupala!"

Constance summoned lightning onto the field, blasting many enemies. "Ahaha! All who stand before House Nuvelle with hostility will perish!"

Marianne's soldiers officially joined the fray, and decimated a good portion of the Albrecht troops. Owain slashed a few with his blade. "Feel the power of Owain Ylisse, carrier of the sacred blood that slayed the dragons Medeus, Grima, Anankos, and Velezark!"

Siegbert paused. "Didn't you help kill the last three dragons?"

Owain nodded. "Indeed! I have amplified my heroic blood threefold! I have etched my way into the annals of history!" He did a backflip, and on landing, drove his sword into a berserker's skull. "History."

After another chunk of time passed, the winners of the skirmish were the heroes and Margrave Edmund's warriors. Marianne curtsied. "Thank you, everyone. Without you, I never would've learned the truth and have been able to save the innocents."

Balthus chimed in, "And my mother's, and my, people would've been obliterated. I am in your debt. I suppose I should scrounge up some evidence to show Margrave Edmund so he doesn't kill me. In the meantime, Marianne, I think you should go with them. It'll further convince him that we're serious about the Kupala mountainfolk being guiltless. Right? Aren't you on some holy mission?"

Mary recapped their objectives. Marianne clasped her hands together. "I'd be so happy to become a part of this! Count me in!"