So … how you guys doing?

Severa: I refuse to speak to you.

Lucina: I refuse as well.

7: I expected as much. Unfortunately, the story must go on.

Today, we'll be joining Sumia and her group as they journey into the rebel territory of Clarissa, searching for answers as to why the venerable Duchess Diane has turned her back on the country she's long served.

Returning Home

To say the journey had gotten off to a rough start was selling it short.

Sumia had spurred her steed as hard and as fast as she could, but it soon became clear that Chrom would catch up to them. Desperate, she'd ordered Lon'qu into the trees and told him to wait for the prince's arrival.

Sumia didn't need to say what Lon'qu was supposed to do, it was obvious.

Lon'qu led his horse into the forest, making sure it was well out of sight before clambering up a tree and concealing himself in the leaves. The horse tracks in the snow marked the path Sumia and Cherche were taking, but the sudden order and the prince's proximity left little time to perfectly hide the trap.

Lon'qu could only hope the prince was more concerned with catching his paramour than looking up.

Just as he finished settling himself into the tree, the sound of hooves pounding snow met his ears. Chrom was only a few minutes away and Lon'qu needed to time the jump perfectly lest he miss and be forced to play catch up.

Voices reached his ears next, Donnel and Chrom. Donnel was pleading with the prince to turn back and let Sumia do her job while Chrom was arguing that it was his duty to help his people, even if it meant sneaking into enemy territory.

Lon'qu started counting.

Three…

Two…

One…

Now!

Lon'qu leapt from his perch and slammed into something. Judging by the surprised grunt and frightened scream, he jumped on both riders.

Using their surprise to his advantage, Lon'qu pushed against Chrom's central mass and succeeded in dislodging the prince from the stirrups and saddle. Unfortunately, he'd loosened Donnel's hold and the young man reached out for anything to try and keep himself up.

It just so happened he grabbed Lon'qu's jacket.

Lon'qu grunted as all three of them fell from the horse, rolling along the ground in a tangled pile of limbs, armor, and curses. Chrom was sadly alone in his quest to get up; soon finding himself pinned to the ground and tied up with a liberal application of rope.

Seeing that the prince was bound and not going anywhere, Lon'qu breathed easy. "This is foolish, even for your notoriously hard head. What possessed you to try and join us without telling Sir Robin, or anyone else for that matter? Do you doubt Sumia that much?"

Chrom looked genuinely offended. "Of course I trust her! I wouldn't have let her go on this mission if I didn't! However, it is my sworn duty to serve the people with all my strength. If I cannot go amongst them and learn of their troubles, I have failed as a ruler before I've even begun."

Lon'qu sighed. "Prince Chrom, I understand why you do this, but you must think. These rebels would be beyond ecstatic to capture you, or your sister. Who knows what horrors they would visit upon either of you before execution?"

Donnel joined in. "Uh, pardon me, Your Lordliness, but I agree with Lon'qu. Y'all and Lissa are too important to lose, unlike me or him. If you go, Ylisse gets taken over by them rebels and Khan Flavia'll probably have to invade."

Chrom's brow shot up at Donnel saying Lissa's name without the usual title, but sighed as the words finally sunk in. "I…I understand. I'll take myself back to Flavia's palace then and await your return."

Lon'qu wasn't buying it. Bullheaded the prince may be, but he could be wily when given the proper motivation.

Say, keeping Sumia safe.

Lon'qu looked to Donnel. "Take him back to the palace and don't let him out of those bindings until Lissa or Khan Flavia are through with him. I will rejoin Cherche and Sumia before continuing the mission."

Donnel gulped. "Ye sure? Won't it be a might harder to do things with only three o' y'all?"

Lon'qu shook his head. "No, if anything it'll be easier. As long as no one Sumia knows sees her, we should be able to get inside the capital easily. Neither Cherche or I are Ylissean, so we'll likely be unknown to the rebels."

Donnel nodded, taking off to gather his horse before getting back on the road. Lon'qu looked Chrom over one more time before sighing. "Please don't give him too much crap over Lissa. It's pretty damn obvious."

Chrom shrugged. "What brother would I be if I didn't? Don't worry, I won't give him too much of a hard time."

Lon'qu smirked. "Your dear sister wouldn't let you be otherwise, right?"

Chrom's only answer was a smirk of his own, though it vanished by the time Donnel returned. After securing the prince, Lon'qu wished them luck and watched until they were out of sight. Turning back to the forest, he returned to his horse before setting off at last.

Thankfully, they'd taken care of Chrom before they'd made the Longfort gate, so Lon'qu was able to meet up with Cherche and Sumia without issue. The only problem was that Lon'qu was now alone with two women, admittedly two he was decently comfortable with, but neither were Olivia.

Cherche noticed this as they cantered through the gate. "Are you sure about sending Donnel back? It would have made it a great deal easier on you if he was around."

Lon'qu grunted. "I can keep my cool, just don't touch me out of the blue and we'll be fine."

Sumia cleared her throat. "S-so, uh, the journey's…two days, give or take. Clarissa's a large province, but, um, the c-capital's in the east."

Cherche smiled at Sumia. "It's ok, we'll be fine. Robin trusted you to lead this mission, and both Lon'qu and I believe in your abilities."

Sumia shook her head, voice grateful. "Thank you, but I fear I don't trust myself. I mean, I know Chrom's worried about me, Naga he always is, but I can't help and wonder whether I'll be able to make impartial judgements."

Lon'qu narrowed his eyes. "Why's that?"

Sumia sighed heavily. "Well… as you know, my family was close to the Duchess. Unfortunately, after a plague swept through the capital and took my father, the Duchess and my mother had a falling out."

Cherche frowned. "You mentioned that at the meeting, right?"

"I did," Sumia confirmed, "but I wasn't very specific."

"Well, we have two days to hear your story." Lon'qu answered, gesturing to the snow-covered ground. "When we make camp, you can say what you need to."

Sumia nodded and their conversation stalled for now. Instead, they curved down a small road that Sumia remembered following in order to catch up with the Shepherds the first time they'd come to Ferox. It had been lucky that the path led that way, since Sumia only knew one path to Clarissa.

Considering it was a main road, they'd do well to avoid it.

So, Sumia had spent the night before looking over a number of maps, eventually deciding on their current path. It would take them through Superius for the first day while on the second day they would enter Clarissa proper.

Then they'd arrive at the capital of Clarissa, Denaris, the following morning.

While it was a little longer compared to the normal route, the one they were using was a simple farmer's trail and it was highly unlikely they'd be molested on the trip. Considering they wanted to be undetected, the slight inconvenience of the uneven road was well worth it.

In fact, the first day passed without incident. They didn't so much as sniff a patrol from Superius, so they avoided having to answer those questions, and there were no secret incursions they had to stop to save people.

In other words, the trip was incredibly boring and Sumia found herself daydreaming while Cherche started working on a piece of cloth. Only Lon'qu kept his head in the present, pointing out any hazards in the path as snow gave way to mud and grass.

"Alright, let's stop here." Sumia called as they entered the first clearing that day. "We're not in enemy territory, so we can cook tonight."

Cherche sighed in relief. "Wonderful. No field rations tonight."

Lon'qu dismounted with a tired sigh. "Try and be more alert tomorrow. I'd rather not be the only one to actually watch the road."

Sumia and Cherche had the decency to look sheepish, but Lon'qu ignored them in favor of getting out a feedbag and water. After the horses had been taken care of, Cherche gathered some kindling and set to work on a dish from her home village. The stew included beef, peppers, beans, and some spices.

Lon'qu took the time waiting to maintain Balmung, carefully oiling and cleaning the blade. Sumia did the same with Gae Bolg, even if she knew using it would have to come as a last resort. It was for that reason she'd brought a simple steel lance with her.

The sharp smell of cooking peppers made Sumia's nose wrinkle, she much preferred the smell of honey rolls, but her stomach grumbled nonetheless.

Cherche started pouring out portions as the first stars made their appearance. "Alright, here you go. I only had enough for one portion each, but it's one of the more filling dishes I know."

Lon'qu took his and began to eat without complaint, but Sumia felt herself gag slightly as the spices invaded her nose.

Cherche chuckled. "Don't worry. It may smell strong, but I only used mild spices for this trip. Some of the ones I've seen made could put Valflame to shame with how hot they were."

Sumia tried to be gracious about it, but she couldn't help making a face as she started eating. Cherche was at least correct in that it tasted far better than it smelled, but Sumia found it hard to ignore the smell. Hunger wouldn't lie unanswered though, so she ate all of it anyway.

Once their meal was finished, Lon'qu looked to Sumia. "Alright, how about we continue where you left off this morning. Why exactly did your mother get into a fight with the Duchess?"

Sumia fiddled with her hair. "Well… it had to do with joining the Shepherds. You see, my mother was quite opposed to me going off to join what she called a 'vigilante' group while the Duchess thought it would expand my horizons. I admit that's all my mother actually told me, but I found out through an old friend that almost every member of Ylisse's nobility was trying to get a daughter or son to join."

Cherche shrugged. "It makes sense. Chrom and Lissa are royalty and trying to get in their good graces is only natural."

"That, and they can get a head start on the courting game. "Lon'qu grunted. "Stahl and Kellam have woven more than one tale about ladies trying to catch the prince's eye."

Sumia frowned. "Exactly. The daughters were being sent to either get close to Lissa or to seduce Chrom, the sons were sent with opposite intentions. The real reason my mother didn't want me to go was because she refused to have me used for such reasons."

Cherche smiled. "Yet, you went anyway."

"I did," Sumia said with a smile, "but only because I wanted to do something with myself. I promised my father I'd go and find what I wanted to do before he died and I felt this was a good opportunity."

Lon'qu smirked. "So, the feelings came later then?"

Sumia didn't dignify him with a response, only giving him a glare. "That's none of your business. Anyway, my mother hasn't spoken to me since I left, no letters either, but I'm still afraid she's in danger. We may have had our differences when I left, but I'd still prefer to make sure the rebels haven't harmed her."

"So that's why you're worried about being impartial," Cherche realized. "You fear that you'll prioritize your mother over the mission."

Sumia nodded silently, letting the crackle of the fire fill the silence.

"It doesn't matter," Lon'qu sighed. "Our goal is to gather information and get out. If your mother was close to the Duchess, then she likely has friends in high places. Finding her could equal a week's worth of wandering aimlessly."

"That sounds like a plan," Cherche agreed. "Tell us, are there any others you know that could help, Sumia?"

Sumia smiled; glad to hear the trust in their voices. "Well… there's an old friend of mine that still lives in Denaris. He's the son of the carpenter my father hired to help maintain the house, I've known him since I was a babe."

Lon'qu felt a note of suspicion in his mind at the affection Sumia spoke with. "Truly? When's the last you spoke with him?"

Sumia shrugged. "Less than a month ago. I got a letter from him only a few days before we set out for Ferox the first time."

She giggled. "I call him my 'big brother' because he always acted like one with me. Kind of like Chrom with Lissa, if that makes sense."

Cherche and Lon'qu shared concerned looks but decided to keep their suspicions to themselves. If Sumia trusted this man, they'd go along with it.

Lon'qu cleared his throat. "So, what's the guy's name? Sooner we find him the better if you ask me."

"Jayce," Sumia answered. "He said his dad named him after a character from a book he liked."

Lon'qu stood and stretched. "I guess we have our plan then. We'll go find this Jayce man and get what we can from him. If we're lucky, your mother's safe and can help us as well."

He turned and took up a spot on the edge of the fire's light. "I'll take first watch, you two get some rest."

Sumia moved to protest, but Cherche gave her a stern look and a shake of her head. Lon'qu wouldn't be comfortable alone with either of them and that made for a poor watchman.

Sumia's face conveyed her desire for the opposite. Lon'qu had been the trail guide all day and he needed the rest.

Eventually, Cherche crumbled under the look. She just wasn't able to say no when confronted with such serious eyes on a pouty face. "Lon'qu, you've been guiding us all day. Sumia and I will take first watch, and I suggest you agree lest she orders you."

Lon'qu took one glance back and sighed. There was no way he was going to win against that look either.

It may not have been as potent as Olivia's, but damn if it wasn't scary how similar it looked.

"Very well, but I expect to be woken without being touched," Lon'qu conceded. "If it's for an emergency, then I don't care."

Sumia looked happy at least, so Lon'qu found his blanket and let his exhaustion take over. He was too stubborn to admit it, but he was tired.

Sumia and Cherche were quiet until Lon'qu's breathing evened out. Once it was clear he wouldn't wake, they sat back to back with their eyes glued to the trees.

"So," Cherche began, "how did you and Prince Chrom meet?"

Sumia's cheeks darkened. "Um… why the curiosity?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Cherche asked with a smirk in her voice. "You're quite in love with him, and dare I say it, he seems equally taken with you."

Sumia sighed. "Well… I guess it's pretty obvious with me. I just don't know how Chrom feels."

Before Cherche could rebuke that statement, Sumia continued. "Don't get me wrong, I can tell he's been beyond generous with me, but you haven't known him as long as I have. Chrom's a very generous and trusting person and I remember him taking the shirt off his back so a poor boy could be clothed."

Her voice turned nostalgic. "I'll admit, when I was younger I didn't have a high opinion of normal people. Jayce aside, the only ones I'd ever met were beggars or servants. Just before I joined the Shepherds, I was given the chance to guide Chrom around the city. He was visiting alongside the Exalt and he wanted to get to know the recruit."

Sumia's head came to rest against Cherche's shoulder. "I got to see that generosity of his up close, and the way the people greeted him and thanked him for helping… it made me see them in a different light."

A pat on Sumia's hand told her to keep going. "After that, I tried to be kind to everyone. I even managed to reign in the temper I had at the time, odd as that may sound. I just don't know if he's been nothing but his good, generous self with me ever since. It's nice to dream, but… I don't want to take that dive with everything going on."

Cherche's hand gripped Sumia's. "I can understand that. Would you like me to share something?"

Sumia hummed before grinning. "Well… what about Vaike caught your attention? It's not every day someone volunteers to be his personal nurse the moment it's offered."

"I knew you were going to ask that," Cherche groaned. "Well, I didn't think much of him at first. He was loud, arrogant, poorly mannered, and to be frank, stupid."

Sumia and Cherche shared a laugh before Cherche continued. "Despite this, Minerva still took to him almost immediately. It baffled me that she could like someone so crude and unrefined, but I saw him on the battlefield for the first time after that."

Sumia clicked her teeth. "He's a sight to see, that's for sure."

Cherche's voice sounded far away, seemingly ignoring the comment. "The sheer ferocity, the instinct in battle, it reminded me of a wyvern fighting for its territory. It made sense then, why Minerva liked him so, he's a kindred spirit."

Cherche sighed. "There's just something utterly charming about him. He's loud, yes, but only because it is expected of him. I've had many a conversation with him in the Outrealms where he never raised his voice. The arrogance is a mask, for Vaike fears being useless and abandoned. His boasts and work to match them are how he pushes himself. Poor manners are a result of his upbringing and the casual nature of the Shepherds, but it brings a life to otherwise stiff meals and meetings."

Sumia's eyes had long since gone wide. Apparently, she wasn't the only one in love; it was just a reversed situation.

"Then, there's his mind," Cherche continued, unaffected by the silence. "Yes, he lacks much in the way of book knowledge and he tends to look before he leaps, but he has a kind of wisdom that many nobles lack. Vaike knows people and how they work, no matter their class. With a dedicated partner, I feel he can reach greater heights than anyone could ever imagine."

Her voice grew melancholic. "Even him."

Sumia finally spoke again. "Wait, 'even him'? Are you saying Vaike doesn't actually believe any of his own words?"

Cherche nodded. "Yes. He doesn't know that I know, but he's had several nightmares over the last few weeks. They all had a common theme, where he's left behind and forgotten by everyone. Some where he was the lone survivor of a battle or he simply grew apart from the others. I know how that feels, and I want to do what I can to help."

Sumia frowned. "Go on. I know the sound of someone wanting to vent when I hear it."

Cherche took a shaky breath. "No…no, it's alright. The moon's moved and we should get some rest."

Sumia stopped her from standing up. "Let Lon'qu sleep. Cherche, as a friend to both you and Vaike, I want you to tell me what's wrong. Please?"

Cherche hesitated, but made the mistake of looking behind her. She was greeted with Sumia's pouting face, though her eyes showed the steel of authority that so rarely made itself known.

Cherche pouted in turn. "You can't leave well enough alone, can you?"

Sumia grinned in triumph. "Nope, just ask Chrom! Now, tell me."

Cherche could see she wouldn't be getting out of this so she turned around to face Sumia, her legs crossed in front of her. "I know what it means to fear amounting to nothing. I'm the only child of my family and my parents were expecting a boy."

She gestured to herself. "Obviously, I am not a man. But, my father insisted I learn how to ride a wyvern and enter the service of House Rosanne, Lord Virion's family. My mother, on the other hand, insisted I train as a cleric and become a simple maid if not a prospective bride. They argued for days before my mother convinced my father to at least educate me in things 'ladies' should know."

Sumia frowned. "She sounds very stern, your mother."

Cherche nodded. "She was, I don't deny. Very much the matron of the family, though she did care more than she let on. She never explicitly said 'I love you' until she was on her deathbed, but I knew all the same. My father was similar, but after I tamed Minerva and started going to school on her, he brought me back home and started training me to ride."

Cherche's eyes turned to the sky. "I've never had a stricter instructor. Not even Frederick could match how stringent his commands were or how taxing the training was. He drilled every last piece of knowledge I have about Minerva and fighting into my skull dozens of times. I could never quite live up to his expectations, even as I grew stronger and more agile. He had a set of forms that he said every rider in our family had mastered, but I never did them to his standards."

Now her eyes fell to her knees. "Not once did he say he was proud of me, neither of my parents did. All I ever saw, regardless of how I tried, I could see disappointment in his face. He tried to hide it, but it was an unconscious feeling. I knew then as I know now that he wished I'd been a boy, so he could have taught me everything. Instead he got a girl that could barely finish the forms, let alone master them."

Sumia tilted her head. "Are those forms you're talking about the ones you worked on in your free time? I've seen you at it a few times and I think it looks amazing."

Cherche sighed. "You would think so, for you will not see my father's. When he demonstrated the forms, there was a power and an authority to it that made you quail in both fear and admiration. I could never inspire such presence, even as I learned to make myself threatening by aura alone."

Sumia laughed. "So your dad taught you how to be scary while looking sweet and polite? I don't know whether to thank him or curse him."

Cherche's face morphed into the very thing Sumia feared. "I'm sorry, could you say that again?"

Sumia backpedaled hard. "N-nothing! Anyway, you've been in the Outrealms with us, and Helswath itself chose you as its owner. Surely that means you've amounted to something, right?"

Cherche's smile turned sad. "You'd believe as much, but for me it's not the same. When my father died, he did so defending Rosanne from a large bandit incursion. I never got to show him that I could master the forms and even to this day, I still haven't. Lord Virion has tried to tell me to stop numerous times when I came into his service, but I cannot let this go."

She stood, smile still sad. "It is my burden to bear, but that feeling of worthlessness is shared between Vaike and I. I hope, someday, we'll be able to cast it off and live happily. We're partners after all."

Cherche went to wake Lon'qu, missing Sumia mutter under her breath. "Partners? Are you sure that's how you want to live happily?"

-Morning-

Lon'qu woke them with the sunrise, a cold breakfast of jerky and hard bread meeting them. After choking down the tasteless morsels, they saddled up and took off down the path again, taking care to hide the remains of their fire.

Again, the majority of the trip passed without incident, the only change being increased alertness on the parts of Cherche and Sumia. It wasn't until the sun began to set that the trio stumbled upon their first real clue that a rebellion was happening at all.

They'd been cantering along the edge of a forest for almost an hour when Lon'qu heard the sound of hooves rumbling in the distance. Holding up a fist, the party dismounted and crept to the edge of the tress.

Cherche pointed further down the tree line. "There, I see some footmen coming out of the trees."

Sumia followed the finger and gulped. "They're Surperius, the banner has the colors and heraldry. But, what are they doing here? We're almost to Denaris."

Lon'qu grunted. "Probably a sapper team, though I feel it foolish to march with a banner announcing who you are."

Sumia sighed. "The Surperian forces are known to be… boisterous. Sully's from there, remember?"

Cherche had a sharp remark ready, but the Surperian force came to a sudden halt. Now that Lon'qu thought about it, none of the ostensibly allied soldiers had a horse between them.

His thoughts were answered when a group of horsemen appeared from an adjacent copse of trees, their tabards showing a pattern of blue and black diamonds.

Sumia answered before he could get a word in. "Those are Themisian cavaliers, I can tell by the colors and pattern. We're lucky to be so close; otherwise I may have thought they were from Denaris."

Cherche stared at her. "Do the Clarissian forces have a similar pattern or color?"

Sumia nodded. "Yep, they wear light blue and red, but they have diamonds and triangles rather than straight diamonds."

Lon'qu stored that information for later, keeping his eyes on the two groups instead. "Looks like their leaders are meeting up."

Conversation ceased and they waited for the two groups to meet up. Judging by what body language they could see, neither group was terribly fond of each other, but they at least looked willing to work together.

Then came the sound of clanking metal, steel clad knights and cavaliers bearing the heraldry of Clarissa, a stylized tortoise, emerging from the trees to Denaris.

Sumia felt a pit open in her stomach. "I… I didn't want to believe it."

A clear signal of aggression was given and battle cries filled the air, Sumia averted her eyes from the inevitable clash. Lon'qu turned from the coming battle and jumped back into his saddle. "Come, we should make haste while the enemy is distracted."

Cherche patted Sumia's shoulder. "Come along, the sooner we complete our mission, the sooner we can put a stop to this."

Sumia kept her eyes closed, even as Cherche guided her back to her horse and they took off down the path once again.

It didn't stop the sounds of clashing steel or screams from reaching her ears.

Or the nightmares that would follow.

-Denaris, Gates-

Sumia was very tired when they finally arrived.

Traveler's cloaks had been dawned and a simple paint mixed into Sumia's hair replaced her characteristic grey locks with a more usual dark brown. Cherche swore up and down the mixture would wash out easily and would do nothing to her hair, but Sumia still felt annoyed.

It took her quite some time to get her hair in order and having it in such a state felt like an insult to all the effort she'd put into it.

That wasn't important at the moment, Sumia suppressed a yawn as the trio waited their turn. If Denaris had a single flaw, it was the fact that the city only had a single gate. While the inside of the city was reasonably spread out and well off, as evidenced by the stone buildings Sumia could see through the gate, there was always a crowd trying to get in.

That's what you get when you surround the city with ditches and only one gate. It may make the place almost impossible to siege, but trying to get in is a pain even for the Duchess.

She sighed and shifted in her seat. "How're you guys holding up?"

Cherche shrugged. "Could be better. Tell me, is it always this crowded?"

"Usually, but not this bad," Sumia replied. "If I had to guess, most of these people are from the south and northeast. That's where the borders with Themis and Surperius are."

Lon'qu grunted. "Cut the talk, we don't want to draw attention. Besides, it looks like we'll be up soon."

Sumia sighed but remained silent. Something in her gut told her something wasn't right, especially with how crowded the entrance was. Surely there were other secure towns these people could go to.

"You three, on the stallions! Come forward!"

Sumia blinked but coaxed her horse forward. Two knights were waiting for them as they came forward, another six stood guard in the gate, two more inspected a cart.

One of the knights stepped forward, their voice echoing from their helm. "What business do you have here?"

Cherche spoke for them. "We are here to visit friends and do some trading. You'll find only rations and wood within our bags."

The knight harrumphed. "And the weapons? What use have traders for such armament?"

Cherche kept her smile in place. "The roads are dangerous at present, no? We are too poor to afford hiring guards, so we do what we can."

The knight stared at them from under his visor, eventually pointing to his companion. "Check their bags. If they check out, they can go through."

The other knight stomped forward and started rifling through their bags. Sumia ignored him, knowing he'd find nothing with Gae Bolg wrapped to resemble a far simpler lance. Instead, she kept her eyes on the knight that had spoken to them.

He was making for the gatehouse, waving another knight with a stack of parchments towards him.

Sumia gulped, she had a bad feeling about what was on those parchments.

"Alright, your bags check out. If you plan on staying the night, the inns are cheapest close to the walls."

Those words were music to Sumia's ears. Cherche barely had enough time to thank the knight before Sumia was through the gates and weaving her way through the crowd.

She didn't slow until they were well away from the gate, sighing as her horse cantered to a stop. A moment later, an unhappy Lon'qu and concerned Cherche caught up.

Lon'qu growled as he pulled down his hood. "What the hell was that? You were the one who said we shouldn't be suspicious, but damn if you taking off wasn't!"

Cherche silenced him with a glare. "Sumia, why did you run? Did something happen?"

Sumia took a deep breath. "I think… I think they have portraits of the Shepherds. If they'd had time to look through those parchments, I feared they'd stop us and discover me."

Lon'qu sighed. "That makes sense. Considering how much preparation even getting this rebellion started probably took, not knowing the personal soldiers of your greatest obstacle would be a gross oversight."

"This is all well and good," Cherche argued, "but we must focus on our mission. Sumia, do you know where your friend is?"

Sumia nodded. "I didn't flee through the streets willy-nilly. Jayce owns his own shop in the artisan's district and he works there unless he's called away for a big project."

Lon'qu pulled his hood back up. "Then lead the way. I'd prefer we get out of the streets before those soldiers call for a search."

Sumia pulled her hood back up and they set off down the street. It was considerably less crowded than the main roads, being a side street and all, but Sumia frowned as she looked around.

Is it just me… or are there a few more people here than I remember?

Her observation wasn't the lone view. Lon'qu and Cherche both noted the amount of people that seemed crammed into the narrow street, many of them not even glancing up from the ground as the Shepherds passed.

The smell of the street didn't help. With so many people crammed together, the air ached with the smell of sweat, rotting meat, and excrement.

Sumia wrinkled her nose. Ylisstol didn't really have a problem with the poor and destitute, not with the exalt's diligent work, but this was the worst Sumia had ever seen.

What's happened while I was gone? Surely there are not enough refugees for so many to be crammed here.

Her thoughts ended as they left the road, coming out onto a wider street that was much less crowded and far better smelling.

Sumia breathed deeply, savoring the scent of soap and wood polish that suffused the air. "Ok, he's the shop with a hammer and anvil against blue paint. He asked me for design ideas before I left."

Cherche sidled up next to Sumia. "You seem to remember these things quite well. How does your friend even know where to send these letters?"

Sumia played with her hair. "Well, I always told him he could send the letters to the Shepherd's garrison. I got Chrom's permission and everything."

She giggled awkwardly. "As for remembering details, well, I can't say they always stick. Remind me to tell you how much of a mess I was while Phila was training me."

Silence fell and they spent their time looking around. True to its name, the artisan's district was filled with a variety of craftsmen ranging from blacksmiths to jewelers and back again. Several flower baskets stood prim and pretty on the fronts of the shops, lending a bright look to the otherwise grey and brown buildings.

Cherche sighed as they passed a candle maker. "Reminds me of home. The artisan's lived closest to the noble houses so I was often in the shops looking for whatever caught Lord Virion's fancy."

Lon'qu pointed to a shop with a large opening under its second floor, a sign hanging down. "Is that the shop?"

Sumia nodded, glad Robin had assigned the goal oriented man to her group. "That's the place! I just hope he's in."

She rode ahead and swung herself off the horse, patting her riding pants of any perceived dust. Walking up to the shop entrance, she tested the door and found it unlocked.

Oh, he must be in then. Probably not expecting customers for another hour, but I've been gone so long, who knows?

Shrugging, she pushed inside and gaped at the sight. There were carvings, furniture, and effigies spread all over the shop. Some were of horses, some were portraits, and others were religious statues. In fact, the religious items greatly outnumbered the others.

"Excuse me," Sumia called. "Is Jayce in?"

There was the sound something being placed on the ground before a man's voice entered. "He is, and what business do you have? If it's a custom order, you'll be waiting a while."

Sumia smiled, recognizing the voice. "Would you tell him an old friend is here to visit? She really wants to see her big brother."

There was a crash and several curses before the sound of boots thundering down stairs echoed through the store. A door in the back slammed open to reveal a burly young man with a bushy head of black hair and a full beard sprinkled with sawdust. His blue eyes widened before he started laughing.

"Sumia!" Jayce crowed. "What the hell did you do to your hair? I thought I'd be hugging you as you were!"

He came around the counter, still laughing joyously until he met Sumia in the center, sweeping her into a crushing bear hug. Sumia felt her breath leave in a great burst, but patted his back all the same. Lon'qu and Cherche chose then to join them, their gazes equal parts concern and amusement.

Jayce finally put Sumia down. "Oh, 'fore I forget. Jane, get out of the forge and get in here! My little sis came to visit!"

Another door to the left of the shop opened, a woman in a blacksmith's apron walking in. Her brown hair was tied in a braid that framed a delicate, gentle face. She certainly didn't look like someone capable of holding a forging hammer, but there one sat in her hands.

She took one look at Sumia before her face lit up. "Oh Naga, Sumi! It's me, Jane, from when we were kids!"

Sumia lit up too. "Jane! Oh Naga, you married Jayce?! How in the world did that happen?"

Jane bounced up and hugged Sumia hard, almost hopping in place. "Oh, we can explain that over lunch, but what about you? Is it safe for you to be here?"

Sumia nodded against her friend's shoulder. "For now, yes. Oh, these are my friends, Cherche and Lon'qu."

Cherche waved while Lon'qu grunted. Jayce walked over to them, politely bowing to Cherche before shaking hands with Lon'qu. "Good to see you have friends right now. I was afraid the knights would come for us considering you and the prince have been declared enemies of the state."

Jane immediately cut off any suspicious stirrings. "As if we would ever say anything. Sumi may have been a brat when we first met her, but damn if we don't stick by our friends."

Cherche, seeing the conviction in the woman's eyes, breathed a sigh of relief. "That ease's my mind greatly, Mrs. Jane. I fear our visit is not one of pleasure though."

Lon'qu cut to the chase, blunt as ever. "Can you tell us of anything that may have happened to cause this rebellion? According to the prince, the Duchess of this province was a close ally of the exalt before her death."

Jayce's face grew pensive. "I guess it hasn't got out quite yet."

Sumia felt a pit open in her stomach. "Jayce… what happened?"

Jayce and Jane looked to each other before the man answered. "Duchess Diane is dead. She was found poisoned along with her family a few weeks ago."

Jane caught Sumia as her legs gave out. "Sumi, that's not all. The one that lead the investigation… they found the assassin dead in one of the poor houses. There was a lot of burned parchment in the hearth they found the body by, but one of the pages survived."

Cherche did not like where this was going. "What did the page say?"

Jayce looked at his feet. "The page was a simple order. Kill the Duchess and her family before they grew too powerful. It was signed with the exalt's personal seal."

Sumia couldn't breathe. "N-no… that can't be right! The hierarch, he was a traitor! Surely-"

Jane stopped her, a finger coming to her lips. "Quiet, I see a patrol making its way here!"

Jayce grew serious. "Follow me, I have a safe room in the back."

Lon'qu and Cherche followed immediately; silently glad they'd taken their horses to the back before entering the shop. Jane had to help Sumia along, the poor woman distraught at what was going on.

She didn't speak, even as the safe room door was closed and locked. It was all just too much to think on, especially since she could still remember how the line of succession worked. Duchess Diane and her extended family made up the entirety of the high nobility, with only Sumia's mother having the title of Countess. The other landowners were simple Barons or wealthy commoners.

If the Duchess's family had been killed, then that meant the highest ranking member that could take over was…

Oh Naga. I've been declared an enemy by my own mother!

The sound of breaking wood and shouts pierced the door and the darkness within. Lon'qu cursed, realizing the patrol would gladly rip the place apart. "We have to leave."

Cherche had already started feeling around, eventually wrapping her hands around a door handle. Testing it, she felt it give way. "Lon'qu, Sumia, I have our way out! Help me."

Lon'qu scrambled over, but Sumia was having a mental breakdown. Her mind simply couldn't process that the sweet woman she'd known for so long could simply turn on her, on the halidom. It was just too much.

Lon'qu popped the hatch open, dropping down into a pile of old sacks and twigs. Cherche followed soon after, but neither saw Sumia.

"Don't tell me she's still in there!" Lon'qu growled, standing to go get her.

Cherche yanked him down and away, covering his mouth. A moment later, the sound of shattering wood and yells filtered through the trap door. There were sounds of a struggle, but the voices faded away. Cherche carefully picked her way to the side of the building and glanced to the front.

"Damn it all."

It was the knight from the gate, she could tell because he was the only one not on a horse. Sumia was draped over the shoulder of one of the cavaliers, though they were being surprisingly gentle.

"'Ello love. I reckon you should take a nap for now."

Cherche didn't have time to process the strange voice before something hard met her head and she lost consciousness.

Lon'qu, who'd had the sense to clamber up to the roof and out of sight, growled low as Cherche was brought out to the congregation of knights. The whole mission had gone so far south they were in the damn ocean and it hadn't even been a day yet.

"Alright, that's all of them!" The man that had knocked out Cherche called. "Will you be taking them to see her ladyship, Mr. Draven?"

The knight they'd seen at the gate shrugged, the massive metal plates on his shoulders clanking. Lon'qu didn't hear what was said, but based on the way the troops started to move, they were heading for the large palace at the top of the hill.

Lon'qu sighed, feeling Balmung bounce against his thigh. "From reconnaissance to rescue. Still, if the information we seek is anywhere, it's in there."

Determined, though greatly annoyed, he clambered back down when the patrol was out of sight and went to check on Jayce and Jane.

They were unconscious, but alive, and Lon'qu would need them if he was going to rescue his friends.

If he didn't, he'd never be able to look Chrom or Vaike in the eye ever again.

-Sumia-

When sensation returned, Sumia knew she'd been knocked out.

She just didn't expect to wake up in a luxurious room, a fresh pot of tea lying next to her and Gae Bolg propped against a window. Looking around, she took in a four-poster bed, wool carpets, silver candelabras and other such luxuries. There was even a carving of a Pegasus from her old room.

Ok… I'm not in a cell. I guess that's a good thing…

Sumia's mind flashed to Cherche and Lon'qu. "Wait, what happened to my friends?"

"Your friends are in our care." Someone answered. "We'll take good care of them until you meet her Ladyship."

Sumia whipped around to see a large man in knight's armor leaning against a door. "Who are you?"

The man actually bowed. "My name is Draven, milady. I serve her Ladyship in these times of trouble."

Sumia's eyes narrowed. "Wait, 'milady'? Am I not a prisoner?"

Draven looked scandalized. "Keep her Ladyship's daughter prisoner? Perish the thought."

Sumia froze. "So… it's true. My mother declared the Shepherds enemies…"

Draven looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Milady, while I'm sure you're fond of them, the evidence clearly sta-"

Sumia leapt from her chair and pulled him down to look her in the eye. "Evidence?! The hierarch himself gave up the Exalt to the Plegians and you speak of evidence?! Take me to my mother this instant!"

Draven's gaze hardened, if only to try and take control of the situation. "Very well then, she's been expecting you anyway. Come along, but try nothing."

Sumia snorted, but followed him. Another thing she'd noticed was she'd apparently been changed while unconscious as a haughty gown now sat upon her frame, she felt distinctly uncomfortable in the slippers she'd been forced into.

Somehow, she didn't trip over the stone floor as they walked through the halls of the palace. It probably helped that she knew many of these halls from her childhood, but the servants kept their heads down and didn't so much as greet her or Draven.

Finally, they came to the reception hall where Sumia was faced with reality, even as her heart continued to beg for it not to be true.

"Our daughter has returned." Her mother called from the throne, a dress of Clarissa's colors flowing around her. "All hail the woman that shall be Exalt."

Sumia's mind went blank.

What?

Ch. End

Wheeheheheheheee!

Lucina: You need to stop this, soon.

Severa: Yeah, if something happens to Aunty Sumia, I will end you.

7: Be more concerned for the lady in the dungeon, she's at far more risk right now.

Lucina: It's just… I don't like that my grandmother looks to have lost her mind.

7: There's still another chapter, may I remind. There are still answers to be found.

Anyway, have a nice day everyone! I hope you all enjoy!