Tired from battle, it was a long journey back to Nohr. While Corrin was happy to be reunited with his family, his decision to leave Hoshido continued to weigh on him. Camilla and Elise stayed at the young prince's side for nearly the entire journey trying to cheer him up, but with little effect. What Corrin really wanted was confirmation that he had made the right decision. Every day, Corrin would ask Xander about his decision and what Father would think. Rather than giving his brother a straight answer, Xander would merely affirm his brother's decision and state that 'Father would explain everything' once they returned to the castle. Days seemed to stretch into weeks but eventually, the small army reached Castle Krakenburg. Just like their first visit to the capital, the first stop for the royals was the stables to drop off the horses before meeting the King. As the Nohrian royals dismounted, a lone figure began rushing toward them at a breakneck speed.
"I-Is that... Felicia!?"
"Master!" The Maid cried as she tackled Corrin and buried her face in his chest.
"W-What are you doing here Felicia?"
As Felicia slowly removed her face from her master's chest revealing tears welled up her in eyes.
"I-I was so worried about you and everyone here has been so mean to me! ItriedmakingteafortheKingandthenIspilleditand-"
"Calm down! I can't make out a word you're saying."
I took a few moments for Felicia to sufficiently calm herself before she began her story again.
"After you were captured by the Hoshidians, I was sent here to serve King Garon himself."
"Uh-Oh." Corrin said, having an idea of what was to come next.
"I tried making tea for the King but ended up spilling it on his lap in the middle of his meeting with the nobles. Later I tried doing some of the laundry and got yelled at for turning some of the King's capes white. I've messed up so many times that they just had me patrolling the castle halls. When I heard you were finally returning, I had to come down and meet you."
"Everything is fine Felicia. I'm home to stay now and my first act as a true Nohrian Prince is to appoint you as my personal retainer. Will you accept?"
Tears welled up in the maid's eyes once again as she brought her master in for a back-breaking hug. "Of course I accept! You're the only person who will give me a chance!"
"I might not... be able to give you that chance... if you keep me in this hug any longer." Corrin said, struggling to get the words out.
"S-Sorry!" The newly appointed retainer said, promptly releasing her master from the hug. After a moment of awkward silence the reunited pair began to laugh, simply happy to be back with their childhood friend.
"Aren't they getting friendly?" Camilla said with a smile as Corrin continued to catch up on his retainer's exploits in the capital.
Elise gave a little pout and replied, "We weren't able to get him to laugh like that..."
"He's probably just happy to be back in a familiar environment." Leo tried to explain, "It was probably hard for Corrin to take his mind off things on the road. Now that we're back in Nohr and he's been greeted with the usual antics of his retainer, our brother can finally take his mind off Hoshido."
"Why Leo, if I didn't know any better it would seem like you were trying to cheer up Elise." Camilla replied.
"I-Is it so wrong of me to try and cheer up my sister?" The Nohrian Prince replied, getting a little flustered.
"There's nothing wrong at all with that." Xander cut in. "I think its time we reported to the throne room. Corrin!"
"Yes Xander?" Corrin said, breaking off his conversation with Felicia.
"It's time to see Father. Bring your retainer for his approval!"
"Of course." The youngest prince replied with a determined look on his face. It's time to get some answers.
Just as they had a short time ago, Corrin and his siblings walked to King Garon's throne room and knelt before the monarch before Xander spoke.
"We have returned Father and we bring good news. Corrin has returned to us."
At the mention of his name, Corrin looked up at the man he had been calling Father and said, "Yes, I have returned home."
This only caused Garon's usual frown to turn into a scowl. "Why have you returned to us boy!? Surely the Hoshidians have filled your head with all manner of lies concerning your birth."
"The Hoshidians did tell me of my true heritage, the fact that I am Hoshidian by birth, but I could not bring myself to turn against my siblings." Corrin replied with conviction. "Nohr has molded me into the person I am today, so I will fight to mold a bright future for our nation."
"Such sweet lies." Garon said, "What proof do I have that your words are true? If you truly believe the Hoshidians, I am to blame for the death of your true father. How do I know that you have not come back to simply kill me?"
"Father! After locating Corrin in Hoshido, he defected almost immediately and commanded our army in a skillful defense against the royal family." Xander said, stretching the truth slightly. "He has proven himself worthy Father. It is time he learns the truth of his heritage."
"I'm confused. Didn't Corrin already learn about his heritage back in Hoshido?" Elise whispered.
"There's more to the story than that sweetie." Camilla whispered back.
"Please Father! All I want is the truth!" Corrin pleaded.
Garon thought for a moment before nodding his head in approval. "I suppose if you are to fight for Nohr, it would be best to set your allegiance straight. Tell me exactly what the Hoshidian royal family has said to you regarding your birth."
"O-Ok. They said that the former King of Hoshido, King Sumeragi was my father and that Queen Mikoto was my mother. When I was still a baby, King Sumeragi took me to a peace converence in Cheve. Once there, you orchestrated Sumeragi's death and took me back to Nohr."
"What!? You mean Master Corrin isn't a Prince of Nohr!" Felicia exclaimed quietly.
"That's only one side of the story." Leo answered.
"Is that all?" Garon replied as Corrin finished the Hoshidian narrative.
"Yes Father."
"Very well." Sitting up straighter in his chair, the King continued. "To begin, let me tell you that Queen Mikoto was in fact your mother."
"So I am a Prince of Hoshido?"
"Not quite. While it can be confirmed that Queen Mikoto is your mother. It cannot be proven that King Sumeragi is your father."
"I'm not sure I follow." Corrin said. "I am from Hoshido, but I'm not a Prince?"
"All your questions will be answered. Simply give me a chance to explain." There was a long pause before Garon let out a sigh and continued. "I am a weak man Corrin."
"W-What do you mean Father?" Corrin asked, taken aback by the King's first use of his actual name.
"I have fathered many children, but now only you five remain."
"I used to have other siblings? What happened to them?"
"The Concubine Wars." Camilla said, turning all the heads in the room. "After the death of Xander's mother, Queen Katerina, Father took a number of lovers, many of whom had children. As the children grew, their mothers used them to try and carry favor with Father. Over time, things grew violent and the children were used as weapons of war against one another."
"These wars were just beginning to end around the time Elise was born, but Father still kept one or two women around." Leo added.
"Was Queen Mikoto one of these women?"
"Correct." Garon replied gruffly. "She was one of my lovers near the end of that... thing. We grew very close and I even began taking her with me to various diplomatic functions. That was my mistake." He scowled before continuing. "Mikoto fell in love with that damn Hoshidian the first time she laid eyes on him. I tried to convince her to stay but she soon fled the country and into the arms of Sumeragi. Nine months later, I received word that Mikoto was now married to Sumeragi and she had given birth to a child."
"Nine months... Are you saying-"
"I am saying exactly that. While Queen Mikoto is most certainly your mother, it cannot be said for certain if I or Sumeragi are your father."
"That explains why you've raised me for all these years, but it doesn't explain the kidnapping in Cheve."
"She wouldn't let me near you." Garon explained. "Mikoto was convinced that Sumeragi was your father and she didn't think the Nohrian court was safe for a child."
"Because of the Concubine Wars?"
"Exactly. She left me no other choice. It was either kidnap you or concede you to Hoshido for life. You know which I chose."
"I'm confused." Elise chimed in. "Why is this the first time we're hearing about this?"
"This was kept on a very need-to-know basis." Xander answered. "The only reason Camilla, Leo, and I know is because we were old enough to remember Corrin coming to Nohr."
"That wasn't fair! You should have told me! I can keep a secret!"
"Like how you kept your adventures into the city a secret?" Leo quipped.
"That wasn't my fault and you know it!"
"What about the Ganglari Father?" Corrin asked, stopping his siblings from arguing further. "It exploded while I was in Hoshido and it killed Moth- Mikoto."
"What about the sword?"
"I need to know. Did you know the sword would do that? Did you kill Mother!?" Corrin's voice grew louder as each question was asked.
Angered, Garon rose out of the throne. "Don't raise your voice to me boy! I may be your Father but I am also your King! You will respect that!"
"Despite your misgivings about her, she was my Mother!" Corrin countered, raising his voice even further. "I need to know if you played a part in her death!"
"I did what I had to do!" Garon yelled back, sending the room into an awkward silence.
"H-How? How could you do that to Mother?" Corrin asked quietly, broken up at learning the truth.
"She sullied the honor of Nohr and had to pay the price. I knew that by sending you out into the world She would try to take you back. I didn't expect it to happen so soon but that was the true purpose of Ganglari: To kill Mikoto."
"Didn't you say the sword exploded?" Xander asked before turning to Garon. "Corrin could have been killed as well."
"Which makes his return to us all the more surprising." The Nohrian King said, circling back to the original issue. "So now you know the truth. The full truth. Do you still wish to have a seat in the court?"
Corrin thought long and hard about what he had just learned and the position his Father had offered him. If I accept, I can finally be a part of the royal court like Xander and Leo. I can finally achieve the dream I've had since I've been a little child! But can I truly work for the man who killed my Mother?
"What are you waiting for boy?!" Garon yelled. "I believe this is what you wanted or has Mikoto poisoned your mind as well?"
Was that a threat? Corrin thought as he tried to make his decision. It doesn't seem like Father is giving me much of a choice in this matter.
"Well boy? What is your decision?"
"I..." Corrin began "I still do wish to have a seat on the Nohrian royal court." I'm sorry Mother... He added in his mind.
"Then you must prove your worth to me once again. There is a rebellion brewing in the ice tribe. I want you to put an end to it."
"Wh-What!? The ice tribe is rebelling!?" Completely forgetting her etiquette, Felicia jumped up at the mention of her native tribe in rebellion.
"I forgot you were from there..." Garon grumbled. "This will serve as a test of your loyalty as well. You will lead Corrin to the ice tribe and assist him in quelling this uprising."
"O-Of course your majesty." The maid replied nervously.
"You are both dismissed." The King said, gesturing toward Corrin and Felicia. "I have assignments for the rest of you."
As soon as they were out of the throne room, Corrin pulled Felicia to the side.
"Are you sure about this Felicia? You don't have to do this."
"I-I'll be fine. The King probably wants to test my loyalty too." Felicia replied. "I'll do whatever I need to help you succeed."
"Thank you. I couldn't ask for a better maid than you."
Felicia's blush went unnoticed as the remainder of the royal family exited the throne room.
"What kind of assignments did Father give you?" Corrin asked.
Xander was the first to answer. "I am to harass the Hoshidian border and test their strength."
"There's a nasty little rebellion in the Earth Tribe so I'm going there to bring them back in line." Camilla said.
"Elise and I are going to Nestra and Mokushu to try and secure allies against Hoshido." Leo replied. "Each of these tasks may seem important on the surface, but Father could have easily sent other nobles or generals to handle these."
"It's almost as though Father is trying to keep us away from Corrin..." Xander pondered.
"That won't make a difference." Corrin replied with a determined look. "I'll complete this mission and come back alive."
"I have no doubt you will. Good luck little prince." Xander replied as Corrin and Felicia rushed off.
"We'd best be heading off as well." Leo said. "Let's go Elise."
"Ok..." Elise replied with a little pout as she turned to follow her brother.
After a short stop at the castle armory to pick up an Iron Dagger and Heal staff for Felicia, the two set off on their journey to the Ice Tribe. Travel was slow on foot but the two Nohrians knew they were getting close to their destination when they entered the Woods of the Forlorn.
"What is this place?" Corrin asked as the two walked through the forest. "The air feels really heavy here."
"It's called the Woods of the Forlorn." Felicia explained. "And the air probably feels heavy because of the magical energy in the area."
"Why would magic coalesce here? I've never heard of such a phenomenon."
"According to Flora, quite a few magical leylines intersect here making it easy for energy to overflow and enter the air."
"That's interesting. Though with a name like the Woods of the Forlorn, I was expecting something more like 'Years ago a group of children wandered into the forest and never returned. It's said that their spirits still reside in the area to torment travelers from making the same mistake'"
"Y-You don't think something like that actually happened here do you?" Felicia asked a little frightened.
"Of course not Felicia. Don't be silly. There definitely aren't any ghosts haunting this forest."
"AHHHH!"
The conversation between master and retainer was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream.
"Y-You were right Master!" Felicia exclaimed, suddenly holding onto Corrin's arm tightly. "The forest really is haunted!"
"There has to be an explanation for this Felicia. Let's check it out!"
Very carefully, Corrin half lead/half dragged Felicia in the direction of the scream. As the two drew closer to the source, a familiar sound reached their ears.
"That sounds like a battle!" Corrin exclaimed, suddenly picking up the pace.
Rushing forward, Corrin continued until he came across a small clearing where a lone silver-haired cavalier was fighting against a horde of Faceless.
"We have to help him!" The Nohrian Prince yelled as he pulled out his katana and rushed into battle.
"W-Wait for me!" Felicia called as she pulled out her dagger and followed her master into battle.
Corrin rushed into the fray and cleanly cut the head off the Faceless nearest the cavalier.
"Are you alright?" Corrin asked, sparing a couple of moments to ensure his fellow combatant could continue the fight.
The cavalier's eyes widened slightly in recognition before responding. "Yeah I can keep fighting."
"Great! Then follow my lead." Corrin replied before jumping back into the battle, where Felicia had been holding a few Faceless at bay with her daggers and ice magic.
Similar to his battle against the Faceless in Hoshido, the lumbering creatures were easy to battle but the sheer number of Faceless slowly began the Nohrian Prince and his retainer.
"Master there are too many of them!" Felicia called as she deflected a fist with her dagger.
"You might be right..." Corrin admitted as he pulled his sword out of yet another foe. "The two of us might not be enough."
"Would three be enough?"
Charging in from behind, the silver-haired cavalier pulled out a sword and swiftly defeated a Faceless that had drifted a bit too close for comfort.
"Thanks for the assist..."
"Silas." The cavalier replied, introducing himself. "We can't let the Faceless box us in. We should try to find a more defensible position."
"Scout ahead for us." Corrin ordered. "Felicia and I will cover you."
Charging back into battle, Silas drew his sword once again and slashed at any Faceless that dared come close while Corrin and Felicia followed close behind to deliver the finishing blow. The trio eventually ended up in a small thicket of vines, which provided some cover against the constant flow of enemies.
"They... just keep coming." Corrin said as yet another Faceless fell to his katana. "I don't know how much longer we can hold out here."
A gentle green glow surrounded Corrin as Felicia activated her Heal staff. "Not to worry you Master but my staff is getting close to breaking. If I can't heal you and Silas..."
Then we're done for. Corrin thought, finishing what Felicia left unsaid.
"We'll hold out as long as we have to." Silas declared defiantly as he defended their flank. "We're making it out of this alive."
I certainly hope so but things aren't looking good. Corrin thought as he began to assess the situation. I might be able to do more damage if I used the Dragonstone but these monsters haven't given me an opportunity to use it.
"Master! Something's happening! Someone else joined the battle! And it looks like... a Faceless?"
Just as Felicia had described, another party had joined the fray against the Faceless. One was a female knight clad in pink armor who was impaling enemies on her lance without breaking a sweat. The other person appeared to be a Faceless wielding an axe. The only things differentiating him from his enemies were specks of blonde hair and bombastic shouts of justice.
"It doesn't matter who they are right now. They're fighting these things too and that's all that matters." The Prince declared as he pulled out his Dragonstone. "We can ask any other questions after the battle."
In a brilliant flash of magic Corrin transformed into his dragon state and rushed into battle. With the combination of his new allies and the raw destructive power of his dragon state, the remaining Faceless stood no chance of surviving.
With the Nohrian prince taking on the majority of enemies, Silas and Felicia were finally able to meet up with their new enigmatic allies.
"Whew... What a workout." The pink clad knight said as she wiped a line of sweat from her brow.
"Thanks for the assist out there." Silas said as he rode in from battle.
"Always glad to help fellow allies of justice!" The axe wielding man replied.
"C-Could you explain why you're fighting alongside a Faceless?" Felicia asked nervously.
"Arthur isn't a Faceless." The knight replied. "He's just covered in swamp water and vines."
"Sadly, Effie speaks the truth." Arthur said as he began to remove a few vines from his person. "As we were traveling here our map was stolen by a wandering bird. Our backup map was then blown out of my hands and into the swamp. When I went out to retrieve the map, I was assaulted by a swarm of bees who led me into some vines, resulting in my present appearance."
"That's a relief." The maid said. "But why did you follow us into the Woods od the Forlorn?"
"We were ordered to aid you by Lady Elise." Effie replied.
"Speaking of which, where is our dear Lady Elise? Was she not with us when we entered the woods?"
"RAGHHH!"
The group's discussion was cut off by a loud roar as Corrin defeated the last of the Faceless and turned his attention toward them.
"Umm guys? Why isn't he turning back?" Felicia asked nervously as the dragon charged straight at them.
"Stand back!" Effie cried as she pushed Felicia out of the way and blocked the charging dragon on her shield.
"He must have lost control of his dragon form because of the leylines." Silas deduced. "We have to try and snap him out of it."
"Never fear citizen!" Arthur cried, pulling out his axe and striking a heroic pose. "We'll bring your friend back from the darkness and regain our ally of justice!"
"That's great and all but would you mind giving me a hand here?" Effie asked as she blocked Corrin's claw with her shield.
"R-Right. Sorry." Arthur replied slightly embarrassed before entering the fight. "Take this villian!" The fighter swung his axe without fear at the might dragon, taking the pressure off his fellow retainer.
Corrin moved to block the strike with his arm but was thrown off balance as Effie slammed her shield into the dragon's side, allowing the strike to land on his face. Angered at the attack, Corrin swung his tail like a whip to push the pink-clad Knight away so that he could block another axe strike from Arthur.
"They're fighting him evenly!" Felicia exclaimed in awe as the battle continued in front of them. "How is that even possible?"
"That is the power of royal retainers at work." Silas said. "Only the best of the best get considered for that kind of position and it's clear that these two have fought quite a few battles together."
CLANG!
Silas' commentary was interrupted as Effie's shield fell violently to the ground in front of them. Corrin had landed a powerful strike that got behind the Knight's shield and threw it from her hands. Unfazed by the loss of her shield, Effie tighten the grip on her lance and charged back into the battle. Unfortunately, without the shield to cover her lance movements, Effie's attack was easy to read. Corrin raised himself up on his hind legs before bringing his claws down on the lance, breaking it in two.
"Effie!" Arthur cried as he rushed at Corrin's back only to be met with the mighty dragon's hind legs squarely in his stomach. He was knocked back a few feet before collapsing to the ground unconscious.
Seeing how well the move worked before, Corrin let out another mighty roar and raised himself back up on his hind legs to bring his claws straight down onto Effie. What he wasn't expected was the Knight to catch his claws in her hands and hold them at bay with brute strength.
"This isn't good..." Silas said as he put a hand on his sword. "I don't think she can hold out for very long."
Nearby, Felicia was kneeling on the ground beginning to heal Arthur's injuries. "And we're all out of Heal staves." The maid replied. "I used my last charge to heal Arthur's wounds."
"GRRR." Effie grunted as she tried to call on every ounce of her strength. Sadly the mythical beast was simply too strong and slowly began to gain the advantage.
"Effie! Arthur! Where are you?"
Out of the woods rode the youngest Nohrian princess, bubbling with cheer and nearly oblivious to the battle taking place in front of her.
"Lady Elise! Stay back!" Effie said as Corrin pushed her back even further.
"Wow! You and big brother Corrin are already wrestling? I knew you'd become great friends."
"They aren't wrestling milady." Silas interjected. "Corrin-"
"But it looks like you're hurt Effie." Elise continued, cutting off the young cavalier. "I think it's time you two ended your match."
"RAGGHHH!"
"This isn't a wrestling match Elise!" Effie cried, dropping the formality to try and reason with her friend. "Corrin has lost control!"
"Big brother wouldn't do that." Elise said before turning to her brother. "He would never allow some nasty dragon to take over his head."
Elise's words seemed to be slowly calming the dragon, who had let up his pressure on Effie.
"Effie and Big Brother are simply wrestling and I have to ask him to stop. Will you stop Big Brother?"
"RAGHHHHH!"
With one final roar, Corrin returned to normal and collapsed on the forest floor.
"T-Thank you Elise." Corrin said as he started to catch his breath. "That was exactly what I needed to hear."
"I'm always here to help!" Elise said as she pulled her brother in for a big hug.
"But what are you doing here? I thought you were going with Leo on a diplomatic mission."
"Leo said he could handle it himself and sent me to watch over you. I grabbed Arthur and Effie and came to join you as fast as I could but we got separated along the way."
"And we certainly weren't expecting to run into Faceless when we found you." Arthur continued. "Why were there so many of those foul beasts in this forest anyway?"
"There's a research facility here in the forest." Silas answered. "Sorcerers from across the country are employed here by Iago to perfect new spells including-"
"How to summon Faceless." Corrin finishes. "But why are you here? You aren't a mage."
"Summoning Faceless is an exhausting task. It leaves the summoner drained and defenseless every time the spell is cast. I was employed there as a guard to protect the mages from being attacked but they summoned a few too many this time and I failed..."
"There was nothing you could have done." The Nohrian prince replied, placing a hand on the cavalier's shoulder. "There was no possible way a single person could defeat that many Faceless."
"I hope Iago sees it that way..." Silas said nervously. "Since the facility is in ruins now, perhaps I could join your company. Helping you with your mission might help redeem my failure in Iago's eyes."
"We're happy to have you." Corrin said before turning toward the rest of his budding army. "Let's go everyone! We have a rebellion to stop!"
AN: Hello everyone! We aren't dead yet! Sorry about the long wait but I've had school and then a new job. It was hard to find time to write but I finally was able to finish the first true chapter of Conquest (i.e. post route split). Hopefully you all enjoyed, leave a review if you did, and hopefully it won't be another 8 months before I finish the next chapter! Now onto the changes:
1: Corrin's heritage: I know I'm not rewriting Birthright here but I wanted to change Corrin's heritage so that it would fit either route. Mikoto being close to Garon and falling in love with Sumeragi at the end of the Concubine Wars leaves Corrin's lineage clouded just enough to support either route. As an added bonus, it also helped to give Garon a humanizing moment and a reason to hate Hoshido so much (Hopefully Garon's text in that part doesn't seem out of character. It is really hard to write him when he isn't being stereotypically evil).
2: The Ice Tribe mission: Let's be honest. In the canon, there is no possible way Corrin could have stopped the Ice tribe rebellion on his own. Garon realizes this and allows Corrin to take Felicia to prove her loyalty as well. This change doesn't really affect much but makes it easier to add characters into the story.
3: The Woods of the Forlorn: We don't really learn much about these woods in the games other than they are dark, spooky and Faceless live in them. I thought I'd try my hand at giving it a bit of background to make it more interesting.
4: Silas' entry to the battle: When I first played Conquest, I always thought it was weird that Elise would trust a random knight to travel with her off the claim that he knew Corrin as a child. Silas being stationed as a guard to Faceless summoning mages in the Woods already puts him on the scene and explains why there are Faceless there.
5: Corrin goes berserk... again: I realize that this just occurred a few chapters ago but him losing control again shows that he hasn't mastered the Dragonstone yet (It also tied in well with the background I gave the Woods). The simple addition of the extra ambient magical energy offered by the Woods of the Forlorn was enough to make Corrin lose control again. I think it would have been a nice twist to the chapter to have a transformation meter (like in the Tellius games) for this chapter just to show the player Corrin's inexperience with his dragon form. While it did give Elise a moment to shine, I don't think I'll be having Corrin go berserk again anytime soon.
Feel feel to let me know if there was a change I missed. If not, I'll see you next time!
Orimorium
Edit(9/8/18): Hello again everyone! I have read your reviews and answered your call. I have changed the Garon scene slightly to hopefully show Corrin's internal with siding with his mother's killer. I still don't think it's perfect but it's hopefully better than before.