"I wish there was some way I could return the favor, milord. Bringin' me into the Shepherds? I'll owe ya one." Donnel took my hand and shook it, his rough hand squeezing my own just a bit too much. He was as rough and tumble as I'd expected; the copper pot helmet was a bit much though. Why was he even wearing that inside?

Why was he wearing a copper pot in the first place?

And, finally: Why was Donnel's last name Copperpot? Sometimes I suspect the universe has a sense of humor.

"It's nothing, really," I smiled back, taking a step back so he didn't have to tilt his head up as much. "And I'm not a lord, Donnel. Call me Andrew, or Mister Andrew if you're going to be formal."

Tiki snickered. "Surely you have a last name, Andrew?"

I shrugged, glancing back over my shoulder. "Mister Fairmason, then. But the Shepherds go on a first-name basis, and I might as well stick to the habit."

"Well, ah just figured," Donnel flushed, rubbing the back of his neck, "That most of ya were lords n' such, Mister Fairmason."

Something panged in my chest. "Ah. You wouldn't be wrong, I think, but only some of the Shepherds come from noble families. And I'm not a Shepherd, just a friend. So no need to call me Mister, if you're using that to refer to Shepherds."

Donnel shook his head, copper pot wobbling from side to side. "Naw, that's out of respect, Mister. Ma always said I should respect my elders."

I put my hands over my heart, making the oldest, most elderly-sounding gasp I could manage. It wasn't phenomenal, but it did the job. "How rude, good sir," I admonished, stopping once I saw Donnel blush. "I know what you meant, Donnel, no need to apologise. No need to call me Mister, either."

"Alright, Mister- uh, Alright, Andrew," Donnel said, nodding to himself. "You sure are a nice bunch."

Snorting, Tiki crossed her arms over her chest. "He is simply trying to show deference to you, Andrew. At least he has arrived at the appointed time, unlike Anna."

The appointed time being just after luncheon, the day after I woke up in the medical ward. Tiki refused to wake up any earlier, so I'd made the most of it by putting together supplies for our trip. A quick chat with Cordelia had covered most of the basics and provided me with a list for everything else. I was still terrible with money, though, so I hadn't been able to coordinate any sort of transport.

You never realize how convenient taxis and Uber are until they're gone, I guess. I tried not to dwell on that.

"I'm sure she'll show up, Tiki." I grinned, stroking my chin. "Say, what's your last name? I'd better respect my elder here."

Tiki hummed, ambling around the room until she found a comfortable chair to sit in. Crossing one leg over the other, she leaned forward, resting an elbow on her knee and her chin in her hand. The silence carried on, and I decided I should find a seat as well. In a place like this antechamber, I was not only spoiled for choice but spoiled by the décor.

Noonday sunlight crept in through a west-facing window, illuminating a line of checkered wood and marble tile. Chairs made of a dark wood and green fabric lined the edges of the room, their backs against wood paneled walls and white plaster.

Donnel bounced on his heels, hands clenching and relaxing alternately. I made sure not to stare at him; I didn't want to make him nervous. He looked out of place, a rough-hewed boy in a clean palace, and he knew it.

"I do not possess a surname," Tiki said eventually, a fanged tooth peeking out between her lips, "There were never enough of my kind to risk a shared name, and we could tell enough about strangers by smell. Why bother?"

I filed that little tidbit away for later, glancing over to check in on Donnel. He, understandably, looked confused.

"Ah, pardon Miss, but you say 'your kind'. Are you one of them Taguel?" He frowned, resting one hand on his hip and scratching his chin with the other. "Naw, I've heard they're all fuzzy n' such. Are you a Manakete, Miss Tiki?"

I hadn't even considered that Donnel wouldn't know what a Manakete was. And, now that he mentioned it, how commonly known were Taguel? They'd been hunted to near-extinction, if I remembered the dialogue correctly, and there wasn't exactly a school system in Ylisse. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

Tiki's smirk widened into a soft smile, showing more pointed teeth than was reasonable for a human. "You would be correct, Donnel Copperpot. And please, call me Tiki. I may be everyone's elder, so far as the living on this continent are concerned, but I have had quite enough of niceties and knee-scraping."

Reaching under his helmet, Donnel scratched the side of his head, brow furrowed in thought. "I don't rightly know what you mean by some o' that," Donnel concluded, "But I'll call you Tiki if you want."

In the silence that followed, I took the opportunity to mentally review what Duke Warren had told me about the War Council.

Now that the war with Plegia was over, Chrom couldn't just recruit anyone he wanted to his retinue, the Shepherds. Appointments had to be run by the War Council, which ironically only functioned in peacetime as a way to keep the Exalt from declaring wars willy-nilly. Yes, willy-nilly was the term Duke Warren used.

This War Council would hear out my case, which I had put together over the course of the last hour, and then vote on if Donnel should be allowed in. After that, assuming other-Anna showed up, Tiki would go in and do the same for her.

It shouldn't be too hard, either. Of the five council members, two would be easy to convince- Chrom and Robin- and Phila shouldn't be too hard a sell either. Contrary to what everyone seemed to think, I didn't hate Phila, and she didn't hate me.

My thoughts wandered for a few minutes longer before I reeled them back in, bringing my focus back to reality. Donnel had removed his helmet to reveal a rather messy nest of brown hair, and Tiki was sleeping lightly in her chair.

Hey, that rhymed.

"Mister-" Donnel stopped himself, biting his lip briefly. "Andrew? Sorry if I'm interruptin' some thinking, but d'you know when we'll be able to get this over with?"

"A very good question," I remarked, half to myself. I dug back into my recent memory, calling up my conversation with Duke Warren. "We're actually waiting for Duke Warren to show up with, uh, that guy from the ball. Duke Renard?"

"Duke Reynard," Tiki corrected me, eyes still closed. "And formally speaking he is Duke Talys. Reynard is his first name."

"Duke Talys," I amended, quirking an eyebrow, "Tiki, I thought you hated politics."

Opening one eye to reveal a slit pupil, Tiki exhaled a cloud of dim bluish-green embers. "Hating something does not mean I should be willfully ignorant of it, Andrew."

Another nugget of wisdom, then. "Well said, Tiki. Sorry. So Duke Warren's going to come by with Duke Talys, because Duke Talys is on the War Council, and..." I trailed off, glancing between Donnel and Tiki.

Rubbing the back of my head, I shrugged. "To cut to the point, I'd guess we have maybe half an hour, tops."

"In that case, I will go and acquire pastries from the kitchen," Tiki decided, standing up and brushing herself off. "Would either of you like to join me?"

Donnel flashed a grin, patting his stomach. "I wouldn't mind a little something to tide me over, Mi- Tiki."

Two pairs of eyes turned my way. "Lunch was less than an hour ago, you know," I said seriously, waiting just long enough for things to be awkward before breaking into a smile. "Perfect time for a snack, right? I'd come with you, but someone needs to stick around."

"It'd be awkward if Anna showed up and nobody was here," I added, furrowing my brow, "Where is she, anyways?"

And where was Mary, for that matter? I hadn't seen her since the ball.

{}{}{Anna}{}{}

After weeks of stuffy nobles, pretentious paperwork, and worst of all Frederick, I was finally free. I'd stuck around a day to deal with cleanup after the ball, but today was a me day. A day to get used to Ylisstol... and maybe turn a profit, now that I'd been paid in full by the crown.

My first order of business was to buy a cart and some horses. When a war ends, the crown suddenly has a load of carts they don't know what to do with. I was happy to take one off their hands for a very reasonable price, which more than offset the higher cost of buying horses. I'd have to eat the cost of renting space in a stable for a week, sure, but I was confident this was still cheaper.

Regardless, that was still several gold's worth of expenses in less than an hour, so my next goal was to make some money. Not immediately, of course! The best way to make good money is to spend (less) good money, and the best way to make craftsmen happy is to pay them half of said good money up front.

The first thing I went for was medical supplies, as usual. Vulneraries weren't cheap, but everyone needed them. Rain or shine, day or night, someone out there wants someone else dead.

So all I'd need to do was find an apothecary and commission them for a big batch of Vulneraries. I'd pay half of the costs up front, and then I'd come back in a week to pick up my order. Reasonable, right? I thought so.

But no. Not only did it take me two hours to find an apothecary that made Vulneraries, but good Naga their prices were absurd.

So there I was, thirty minutes into negotiations in a shop that smelled like boiled leather and fennel seeds. I'd been standing so long that my feet were starting to get sore, and my skin was starting to feel sticky from sweat. Did I mention that the shop was hot, too? Because it was hot, damp, and generally unpleasant.

"I'm no apothecary, mister," I said sweetly, leaning over on the elderly man's desk, "But I think one gold for a vulnerary is just a teensy bit high. I don't want to undervalue your hard work, though, so maybe we could work out a bulk discount instead? I'm in the market for bandages and salves, if you've got those."

The old man stroked his long, greying beard, grumbling to himself in a language I didn't quite catch. "Bandages, hm. We are in short supply, you know, and I do not have burn salves ready. If you'd come at the end of this week, I could've sold you those at two silver a jar."

Leaning away from the table, I bit back a groan and counted quietly under my breath. "If we can agree on a price, mister, I'll already be paying you half upfront for the Vulneraries, mister, and I'll have to come back to pick them up. How about we do that with the salves as well?"

"Yes, yes, of course," he said agreeably, shifting in his seat. Which was also the only seat in the room, might I add. The things I put up with... "But that will cost you extra."

Stabbing people is illegal, Mary. Threatening them with violence is bad, and calling them idiots is bad for business. Even if they are idiots. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my back and schooled my features.

"That doesn't seem very good for business, you know," I said carefully, "But I'll drop it and buy at full price when I come by for the Vulneraries. That'll be cheaper, after all. Speaking of, though, I'm willing to go from five to nine silver a vulnerary. How's that?"

"The nerve of-" the man muttered, brow furrowing, "I am a master of my trade, woman, and I know my prices. Fifteen silver and no lower."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "I came in here willing to buy, mister, not obligated. I'm willing to push up to sixty percent advance if you come down to ten, and I'll buy ten crates rather than eight. How's that sound?"

"I know my prices," the man reiterated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Or that was what I thought, until someone unexpected swung the door open and nearly crashed straight into me. It was more of a light collision as she danced to the side expertly, brushing a strand of long, red hair away from her eyes.

"Oof," grunted a voice I hadn't heard in over ten years, "Sorry, didn't see you there, Miss..."

"Big sis?" Trembling red eyes met my own, and this time she really did crash into me, wrapping me in a tight hug.

It was, you know, kind of nice. It only seemed right to hug her back, and offered a convenient way for us to catch up on the situation.

"Hey, sis," I muttered into my sister's ear, "This nut wants fifteen silver a vulnerary."

"Ugh," she whispered back, "What a drag. I've got your back, though."

I smiled. Just like old times, huh? "We've got two seconds before this gets suspicious. I'll go along with your plan, just give me something to go off of."

"Just ask how I've been," she replied easily, "It's only polite."

We separated, all smiles and cheer. Perfectly casual. "So, little sister, what's life been like for you? I haven't seen you in years!"

Was the shopkeep listening? My sister was facing him, and she nodded to me subtly. Good. Clearing her throat, she placed her hands on her hips. "It's been profitable! But more importantly," she began, "I've been recruited into the Shepherds. Exalt Chrom himself wants me to help manage their funds. You know how some people are, trying to con heroes out of their coin."

I am so proud of my family. That was a lie so ridiculous, nobody would question it! Come on, an Anna? Working for the Shepherds? That sounded dangerously like charity, and charity doesn't pay.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, sis!" I gushed anyways, pulling her into a short hug. "I've just been travelling around Valm, you know? Plenty of profit to be made there, and I got out just in time. But what brings you here?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just scouting out peacetime suppliers for the Exalt, you know. What brings you here?" she grinned, putting a finger to her chin and flashing the signature Anna smile. She's got it better than I do, but that's because I'm terrible with smiles.

"I was just heading out to go find another apothecary. This guy's prices are too high. Fifteen silver, can you believe it?" We'd have to talk about that one later. Statements like that were bold and hard to back up; I could do it, if I asked Andrew to back me up later, but I doubted he'd like it or me very much for that.

Unless, of course, my little sister had actually joined the Shepherds. I decided not to think about that.

"That's absurd," my sister agreed, "Let's go somewhere else, then."

And with that, we moved to leave. Three, two, one...

"W-wait!"

Check and mate.

But before we got down to business, I gave my sister a look. "You've actually joined them, haven't you," I stated, sighing. "You're way too smart to make a lie you can't back up."

My sister made a show of looking down at her feet. "It seemed like the right thing to do. Plus, I'll get paid."

Naga really didn't like me, did she?

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Even with his slip-up, it took me and my sister a long time to haggle prices where we wanted them. Before my ten years in Valm, she'd always struggled with long negotiations; now, she argued and haggled without even a hint of slowing down. Shepherd or no, I was proud of my sister.

Talking about her would be a lot easier if I used her name, I know. But you can't put a price on family, doubly so for family secrets.

We left that store with big smiles, slightly emptier pockets (for me), and rumbling stomachs. The noonday sun gleamed off the distant palace, sparkling against the windows, and relentlessly glaring off the odd puddle in the cobbled streets.

And just as I rounded on my sister to give her a piece of my mind, she rounded on me! "Now, sis-"

"Big sis-"

We paused, holding eye contact. My little sister wanted to be a hero, Naga damn it! Heroes get killed doing stupid things, and they certainly aren't compensated properly. "You could get yourself killed, you know," I said eventually, suddenly feeling drained. "I... I don't want that."

My sister's expression shifted. It was an expression I used to recognize, I realized, but it had been so long that I'd forgotten how to name it. "C'mon, sis. I don't want to kick it either. I'm not stupid," she scoffed, her voice strained, "But I want to do this. If I promise to be careful, will you stop being upset?"

Was I upset? I didn't know what I was feeling right now. That seemed to be happening a lot lately, and I didn't like it one bit.

And I knew my sisters were as stubborn as I was. If she wanted to do something, there wasn't much I could say to talk her out of it. So, I went with the honest answer: "I'll try."

She frowned before pulling me into a quick hug. "I hope you get it someday, big sis," she said, squeezing me tightly and resting her chin on my shoulder, "Thank you."

Before I could even decide what to do, she pulled away, her hands threaded through my own. "But that's boring talk, hm? Let's go eat- I'll need it if I'm going to get into the Shepherds, and I know a great bakery just down the road from here!"

My sister skipped on ahead, glancing back every so often. "What? I'll pay!"

I shook my head, following along behind her. I couldn't help but roll my eyes- she'd grown up, but some things never changed. "You haven't even joined the Shepherds yet? That's important information!"

[][Andrew][]

As I sat there alone, whiling away the minutes, I realized I was bored. Or maybe hungry? In slow times, it could be hard to tell the difference. That, I mused, was something that hadn't changed from my old life.

"My old life," I said to the empty air. Standing up from my seat, I started pacing back and forth. "Not the best thing for me to think about when I'm alone."

My stomach rumbled. I really should've gone with Donnel and Tiki; all I needed to worry about was being in this room on time. Being early wouldn't change much.

In typical fashion for my life, that's when I started hearing muffled voices beyond the door. Two voices, one recognizable and the other faintly familiar.

"...can't believe you got out of that, big sis," the faintly familiar voice said, "Are you sure you aren't exaggerating? There's no way they'd miss an iron file!"

"Mhm. Normally, you'd be right," said Mary, her tone verging on cheerful as their footsteps grew in volume, "But they were in a rush, so they missed one I'd been hiding right about here, in between the seams."

"No way! I'm just glad you survived. Do you think they can hear us?"

Mary snorted, and someone tapped their foot against the floor. "If Tiki's in there, she'd have heard us ages ago and opened the door. Or locked it, I can never tell with her. That kid you were with, no idea. Andrew, though? He's the type to get places early and stick around."

"You're not wrong," I said loudly, smiling for a moment. Walking up to the door, I pulled it open with a dramatic flourish and a bow.

Contrary to what the portraits in Awakening might have indicated, Annas are not identical in appearance; fashion choices aside, Mary's cheekbones were a bit more pronounced, and her sister had slight freckling on her cheeks. It was more enough to tell them apart, now that I'd seen both of them in the same room.

"Welcome in, ladies, to the waiting room," I began with a posh british accent, "I trust everything will be to your liking. Chairs, walls, and a floor, as requested."

That got a snort from Mary's sister, who I decided to mentally refer to as Anna, but Mary herself just rolled her eyes. "Been a while, Andrew," she said evenly, walking past me and into the room, "And of course you've managed to get yourself roped into something new."

Closing the door behind the Annas, I straightened and smiled. "I'm beginning to suspect I like it, actually. Way more interesting than sitting around, doing nothing."

Mary's eyes flickered, and she put a finger to her chin. "Here I thought your plan was to loaf around the palace until something happened, hm? Instead you're here helping my sister get into trouble."

Anna gave her sister a playful shove, grinning. "Aw, c'mon, sis. I got into this trouble all on my own! Plus, Tiki's going to be vouching for me, not Andrew."

I caught Mary's expression as it shifted. She didn't look at all pleased about this. "Of course. But I can't get you out of trouble, alright?" She paused, shaking her head. "I don't have the patience to go around in circles with this. Wait- you two have met?" Mary gestured between us, one eyebrow raised.

I felt a pang of hurt in my chest. Of course Mary wouldn't be happy about her sister joining the Shepherds! At least she seemed to be coping well. I resolved to ask her about that later, assuming she was open to talking.

"In the medical ward, actually. And I'm not going to be loafing around, Mary," I confirmed, nodding at Anna. I coughed into my fist, glancing over at Mary. She looked shocked, for some reason. "Surprising, I know. I'll be accompanying Tiki to Mount Prism."

Anna worked her jaw, looking between myself and her sister. "Did you-" she started, cutting herself almost immediately. "I didn't- But I thought you were with-"

Mary simply stared at me, her expression torn between irritation and amusement.

Now I was just lost. What could I have done to render two Annas speechless?

Stepping forward, Mary flicked me on the nose and let out a long sigh. "Doofus," she grunted, rolling her eyes, "You're lucky it was in front of my sister."

Oh. Now I just felt bad. Rallying my thoughts, I hastily tried to put together an apology. "Gods. I'm an idiot. There's two of you, and, um, I call you Mary in my head, so-"

Shockingly, Mary waved it off. "You've been good about it, and I don't blame you. Just be careful, alright?"

"Are you two dating?" Anna blurted out, eyes wide, "Good Naga, sis, you told this guy your name? Am I going to be an aunt? I'm not ready to be an aunt!"

I'd never seen Mary blush so profusely. She shook her head emphatically, biting her lip. "No, yes, no, and obviously not. I'm awful with kids. I just..." she trailed off, looking to me for help.

"And yesterday you thought I was courting Tiki," I teased, earning a blush from Anna, "We really aren't dating. As for why she told me, it's a bit complicated. Okay, extremely complicated." I amended, catching Mary's expression. "You'd have to ask M- your sister for the rest, as it really isn't my place to say."

Anna scrutinized me, her red eyes practically glowing. After a long moment, she took a step back and smiled, seemingly satisfied. "It'd have to be, if you've managed to warm her up this much. Big sis was always grumpy, and now she's just usually grumpy."

"I am not," Mary grumbled, crossing her arms. "It's just professional distancing. What was this about Mount Prism, Andrew?"

Happy to change topics, I nodded along. "Tiki has to rest for a while, and she wants me to come with her. I've been working to put together all the supplies and so on, but I'm not very good at it."

"Can it wait until the end of the week?" Mary said suddenly, scratching her chin. "I'll be heading out at the end of the week, and I can take you at least partway there."

That certainly made things a lot easier, but I'm no fool. Mary wouldn't do something for nothing, no matter how nice she was trying to be. "What's the catch?"

Anna chuckled, sliding back into a comfortable chair. "Oooh, he's got you figured out, big sis."

Breathing in sharply through her nose, Mary levelled a glare at Anna. "I'm trying to be nice. We can work on getting that Monopoly game finished, and we could earn a tidy profit off that. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier, Andrew?"

She was trying, and it honestly warmed my heart. "Tell you about what?" I frowned, casting my thoughts back.

"This trip," she replied curtly, looking towards the door. "Just wondering."

I allowed myself a moment of spite, despite my misgivings. "I didn't exactly have much of a chance to tell you. Maybe if you'd come by the medical ward?"

Mary gave me a strange look. "The poison was completely non-lethal. Why would I need to check in on you?"

It made sense, in an unempathetic sort of way. Deflating a little, I shrugged. "Well, I would've appreciated it. But, um, I'll take you up on your offer, once I check with Tiki. Thank you."

"Check with me about what?" Tiki announced, swinging the door open and sweeping into the room. Anna and Mary jumped a good foot into the air, levelling identical glares at Tiki.

Tiki smirked smugly. "Ah. Surely nothing good, if it requires two Annas. Regardless, Andrew, I have found our Dukes; they were also in the kitchen."

Donnel wandered in behind Tiki, chewing on what looked to be a croissant. "They're awful nice people. Ah'd never met Duke Talys before!"

Behind him came the aforementioned Dukes Warren and Talys, both dressed in formal blue suits with gold accents. Duke Warren was quite jovial, talking animatedly at the quieter Duke Talys about taxes. I couldn't wrap my head around it, but Duke Talys seemed quite interested.

Before I could think on it further, I had a croissant shoved in my face by Tiki. "I obtained a second one for you, Andrew," she smiled, "As an apology for a dull wait. As they say, the way to a man's heart is through the ribs, no?"

I accepted it with a frown. "That doesn't even make sense. Isn't it through the stomach?"

"That'd be poison," Mary chimed in helpfully, "Much less direct, much more painful. I'd go through the ribs for you, honestly."

I blinked. "That seems ominous," I began, taking a bite out of my new snack, "Mmph. Thanks."

Someone coughed loudly, calling the room to silence. Duke Talys bowed at us, dark eyes twinkling. "I do so hate being this formal, but it must be done."

After a pause, he continued, "Thank you for coming, sirs and madams. Duke Warren has informed me that two of you are petitioning to join the Shepherds, with the backing of Mister Fairmason and Lady Tiki. I warn you, what happens next will be far from enjoyable."

I exchanged glances with Tiki, who looked somewhat perturbed.

Duke Talys cleared his throat, adjusting his collar. "Ah. What I mean to say is that it'll be quite boring. I've always wanted to go into Theatre and I just couldn't help myself."

It was, in fact, quite boring.

[][][][][][][][]

Author's Note:

To keep it brief: Though I will continue to write ATWAS, publishing will be put on pause for an indeterminate amount of time. Real life obligations always take priority over this story, and consequently writing this fic with a deadline has become somewhat stressful. I will return to publishing once things settle down- but I assure you, ATWAS will finish. Thank you for your patience.

Cheers,
Narwhal Lord