((A/N: Another Story in my FEH AU! This one will be a little different with the recaps, since they'll happen as the points become important in the story, if they're mentioned at all; like always, I can give a summary of everything that happened to anyone who wants it. Without further ado, let the story begin!))

{-Alfonse-}

At least, as the year drew ever closer to the end, they could say that something was gained through it; and with the end seemingly in sight now, maybe they'd all be able to relax soon. It felt like there wasn't enough hours in the day to do everything that needed to get done. He'd like to believe that it wasn't just him, but he had a feeling that it was.

Eir had, one way or another, ended up helping him. She might've just offered to get a book for him and ultimately got roped into staying for a couple of hours, though she didn't seem to mind; at the very least, he knew that she'd tell him when she wanted to finish. She was occupying herself by picking random books off the shelves of the second floor, flipping through a few of the pages (sometimes stopping longer to read more of it), then putting it make on the shelf and wandering around again. Occasionally she'd come back to get something for him, or ask a question about a particular passage, but most of the time it was like she wasn't there at all.

Alfonse kept himself busy with a combination of paperwork, reading, and dozing off. It would've helped if he had done something productive the day before, or was actually able to sleep well. Yes, he could always ask Henriette to take over some of the less important tasks for him, but he couldn't depend on her like that and she had other things to do. Gustav always told him, after all, that there were no excuses for a prince, let alone a king.

"Have you been feeling well lately?" Eir's sudden question brought him back in the moment. "You've been growing considerately distant and, judging from what I've seen, you're not very focused. I thought I would ask, in case I could help with something."

He didn't answer. Not because he didn't realize she was talking, but because he knew his answer wouldn't be convincing enough. Simply saying no would be countered by several more questions, and so would saying yes; the only difference between the two would be if he was hounded to tell the truth or have everyone else trying to keep him from doing what he needed to do.

The princess of the dead sighed deeply at the silence, clearly not pleased. "Hel could do something that no other person or creature could do," Eir remarked calmly, walking closer to him. "She could mark the date of a person's death. One would think that, as the leader of the dead, she would possess that ability naturally: but I can assure you that her father could not do it, nor was he immune to it. This gave her a control over anyone she didn't like, by numbering their days in the living worlds. She has to wait at least three days before their life is ended, but mortals very rarely know how long they have left. The only way to tell is by a sudden shortness of breath. Please… I do not wish to see that happen to you; tell me if any such thing ever occurs."

"Hel's dead. Dead people can't hurt the living." It was a bit ironic, really, for Alfonse to be the one to say that. He was the same person who still had nightmares of the dead, and thinking of them after reading one random word to the point he hardly got any reading done at all.

The response he got was a far cry from what he was expecting. "The dead still live as long as they have someone who remembers them, whether it's for better or worse." Then, after staring at him for a moment, she slipped back between the shelves and disappeared again. She was quiet enough that he began to wonder if she'd left; until, of course, he heard her friendly "oh, good morning" that showed hardly any sign of their dark conversation earlier.

Alfonse acknowledged that he wouldn't be able to get anything else done after he heard who responded to Eir. He waited until she came to him before he mumbled his own greeting, short and distant, as he continued to organize the books, "You're home early, Mother."

"We just talked a little over tea," Henriette replied. "Then I heard something that I thought you might like to know, if you haven't already heard about it." She also showed him a letter, but didn't let him have a close look of it just yet. "I was also given this on my way in. Rather convenient timing, honestly…"

"So it's not good news," he guessed, without any real way of knowing if it was true or not.

She never really gave a true answer. "It's just a rumor, but I heard something about what Loki's been up to—and a little bit about Veronica."

For a couple of months now, they've been trying to figure out Loki's plans. Though they didn't really know she existed before then, she'd played some sort of part in several of the events of the past and seemed to be appearing once more for reasons they didn't know. She'd been eluding them, however, as it felt like they were always one step behind her; that in of itself was another concern, since the situation shouldn't stay like that for long.

Then ever since their trip to the nightmares, Alfonse had somehow succeeded in befriending Veronica. Though they only mutually interacted with each other three times, he'd offered to help her and Zacharias understand their dragon blood. That, and the friendliness he'd shown towards her, earned him her trust within that short time. He'd explained most of that to Henriette before they went on the third trip, and since then it hadn't been so much of a secret.

Hearing that, he knew that his guess was most likely right. He thought a little prayer hoping that it wasn't completely horrible as he gave her a nod to tell her to continue.

"It had to have been about a week ago by now, but someone came to the palace and impersonated Prince Bruno." Henriette got quieter, even if she, Alfonse, and Eir were the only ones in the library. "He wasn't acting normal to begin with, and it sounded like he attempted some rather… concerning things. The only reason the real Bruno isn't being seriously considered to have done those things is because enough people could testify that whoever it was wasn't acting like him at all. That's just about everything I heard about the situation. I figured—if it holds any water at all, that is—it could've been Loki, since she can change her form and it definitely isn't past her to play that kind of game." She then handed him the letter.

It took two seconds to know who sent it; the Emblian seal was proudly and bravely stamped on it, just as it would if it was being sent anywhere in the empire. And what was inside it couldn't have been any more blunt with its request. "A masquerade ball..?"

"Why don't you all go together?" She couldn't have known what was inside, yet she offered the idea as if she knew exactly what it was. "I'm sure I can handle myself here for a little while. Eir will keep me company, won't you, dear?"

"Of course," Eir responded, clearly not expecting to be called on.

"And Peony could help look after Iztali. There'll be nothing to worry about." Henriette smiled warmly, waiting for him to do something more than just stare back at her.

"Except maybe the part about walking into the kingdom that will most likely kill any one of us as soon as they recognize us..?" Alfonse pointed out. It wasn't that he was against going; in fact, it would be nice to check in on Veronica if what he'd just been told was true. It wouldn't even be hard to get everyone to come with, saying that Sharena and Fauna would both go as long as he did and Anna would agree after she realized she could possibly track down Loki.

"It'll be fine," Henriette insisted. "If Veronica's become anything like you described to me, I'm sure she wouldn't let them do that. Besides, you have experience with sneaking into places where no one wants you around."