Chapter 3: Committing War Crimes is the Fast Track to Corrin's Shit List
=[Castle Krakenburg]=
To relax, people often take up a pastime.
Some prefer to abandon their responsibilities and do something spontaneous.
Others prefer to simply lounge in a soft chair with a hot cup of tea.
If you're Prince Corrin Drakmire of Nohr, you relax by chasing down the deranged lunatic you've assigned yourself to babysit before she kills someone.
Oh, wait, no you don't, because that's your job, that only you can do, because everyone else has proven either to be incompetent (your brother, her partner) or simply isn't good enough for the job (everyone else).
"PERI!" Corrin screamed, dashing out into the training yard of Castle Krakenburg, skidding to a stop just in time to distract Peri from impaling a terrified group of soldiers.
She'd just been about to bullrush them with lance raised when she turned to him with a smile. "Hi Corrin!"
"Peri, what are you doing?" He raised his hands as he spoke, as if calming down a crazed animal.
"I'm training, just like you said!" Peri lifted her lance with an innocent cheer, as though she weren't about to stab and/or trample the poor Nohrian foot soldiers that were currently scrambling out of the arena like it was on fire.
"I told you to train with Laslow, where is Laslow?"
Peri pouted. "He went off somewhere, I think he was going to flirt with a maid." She put a finger to her chin with a look of contemplation. "Or did he say he was going to have a shirt made?" She cocked her head, trying to recollect his parting words.
Corrin sighed, lowering his hands. "Peri, I can't have you attempting to kill our men; that was why I had you supervised."
"I wasn't gonna kill them," Peri cried. "I was just gonna stab 'em a little."
"Stabbing kills people, Peri!"
"Nuh uh!" She protested, "I've been stabbed plenty of times and I haven't died once! If they can't survive a little roughhousing, they shouldn't be in the army!"
Corrin took a breath to steady himself and sighed, "I suppose you have something of a point, but… Peri, if you scare away the soldiers or kill them, we won't have any troops left for the army."
"How am I supposed to train if I'm not stabbing anyone?" Peri looked positively downtrodden not to be shaving years off of some fool's lifespan… or shaving skin off their bones.
Corrin sighed again. Only one option, really. "I'll train with you from now on; clearly I can't count on Laslow to take my place." He drew his Yato sword, settling into a flexible combat stance. "Have at me!" He cried.
Peri grinned, and charged him with a giddy laugh.
[~~~]
Organizing an army for march wasn't a simple task. Even with as many subordinates at his command as he had, Prince Corrin still had found himself running around Castle Krakenburg like a headless chicken, Peri ever at his side.
Thankfully, there were also moments where the two could simply wander while others took care of the tedium. Corrin had just been complaining about the travel rations they would be forced to eat on the march when he was called to.
"Prince Corrin! Milord!" A gruff shout echoed up the stairway they'd been ascending.
Corrin froze, plastering on the most saccharine smile he could muster for the human potato known as- "Hans. Killed any loyal Nohrians lately?"
"Hi Hans!" Peri waved cheerfully from Corrin's side.
"Did you need something?" The prince cocked his head. "There's about a million things I'd rather be doing right now than talking with you," he said, still smiling with sickening sweetness.
"Like talking with me!" Peri chimed in, hands behind her back as she watched Hans.
Hans backpedaled, cringing as he spoke, "I heard rumors tell that you would be leading us. Congratulations, milord." Hans prostrated himself like any dog, proverbial tail wagging.
Corrin sneered. "And you will be joining us in quashing this rebellion, Hans?"
"As a member of the standing army, I've been ordered to aid you in whatever task you request of me."
Corrin smiled, a venomous and predatory thing. "Good! I request that you stay out of this affair entirely. Sit back, relax, and think happy thoughts while the big boys do the talking, okay?"
Peri laughed as she watched Hans flinch at his words. "Heehee! No fun for Handsy Hans-y!"
"A-a thousand apologies, milord. I understand you may… feel resentment, after our last mission-"
Corrin scoffed, "Wherein you instigated needless conflict, murdered one of my retainers, and assaulted a Nohrian prince?"
As Corrin glared daggers at the general, Peri gasped, "Hans! You hurt Corrin?!"
Hans took a further step back, raising his hands defensively. "I was testing you, milord! King Garon commanded me to-!"
"Shut up!" Peri snapped. "Hurting Corrin makes you a bad guy!" She drew her lance, dropping into a low stance as she raised it at him. "And I stab bad guys!"
Corrin put a hand up to stop the girl, his face stony. "Peri, not now." He straightened and glared down his nose at the man. "If you so much as step one foot out of line outside these castle walls, Hans, I shall see to it that you have no feet with which to step again," Corrin snarled, "Are we clear?"
Hans eyes darted from the point of Peri's lance to coldness of Corrin's eyes, sweat beading down his massive wrinkled forehead. "C-crystal."
Corrin smiled again. "Good! Because if you don't, I'll have Peri personally eviscerate you."
"And I'll enjoy doing it, too!" Peri returned to a standing position, holding her lance skyward while pouting at Hans.
"Thank you, Peri." Corrin gestured down the hall with his head, "Now, come along." He turned on his heel towards the barracks, with Peri right by his side, leaving General Hans behind to watch them go.
=[Nohrian Southroad]=
The march towards Cheve was wholly uneventful. The barren Nohrian landscape wasn't worthy of sightseeing, and the less Corrin thought about the desolate townships they passed through, the better.
The scars of Garon's despotic rule were plain to see across the land.
And plain to taste, if the hardtack was anything to go by.
Prince Corrin of Nohr scowled through another bite of stale bread and cheese, choking down the dry cracker and bitter dairy as best he could with help from his waterskin.
Most Nohrians would kill for a meal that could fill the belly such as this, so Corrin told himself.
"Hey Corrin!" A shout from behind him sent the prince into a coughing fit. He could barely stand to swallow hardtack under the best conditions, to say nothing of being startled mid-swallow.
"P-Peri!" He coughed, pounding his fist to his chestplate to dislodge the crumbs from his throat. "W-what is it?! Why did you-ackh!- what is it?!"
The twin-tailed girl beamed with a toothy grin. "I gotchu somethiiiiing!"
Finally able to breathe again, Corrin straightened up, narrowing his eyes at her. "What did you get? And why did you have to interrupt me while I'm eating?"
"Weeeeell~" Peri drawled, "You were talking about how much you hated travel rations-"
"I do."
"So I thought!" Peri pulled out a paper-wrapped sandwich. "To make you somethin' nice!"
"Is that-?" Corrin's jaw dropped as he took the dark bread lunch into his hands.
"A sandwich! Corned beef on pumpernickel! Long-lasting and perfect for travel!" Peri leaned forward at the hip as they walked. "Do you like it?"
Drool slipped out the corner of the prince's mouth before he took his first bite, his face lighting up as he melted with the flavor.
"Hee hee!" Peri jumped with joy, pumping a fist in the air. "I'll take that as a yes~"
Corrin paused in his eating to smile at his companion. "Thank you, Peri. This was really thoughtful of you."
Peri giggled. "I toldja! I'm a wiz in the kitchen, and now I've proved it!"
Corrin laughed. Yes she had, he supposed, before taking another bite. Gods, but the flavor was divine~
=[Cheve Border Wall]=
"Alright everyone, it's time to put together our team for negotiations with the Chevois knights," Corrin looked around the table at his trusted circle of advisors, siblings, and subcommanders. Camilla, Azura, and Elise stood at the long table to his right, giving varying degrees of interest to the meeting at hand, from Camilla's rapt attention to Azura's 'I really wish I wasn't here right now' expression. To his left, Kaze, Felicia, Silas, and Niles stood at attention. Felicia was in charge of the healer corps; she always knew where to be, how to strike, and who to heal. Kaze and Niles formed a team for tactical espionage and subterfuge; disabling or extracting enemy targets was their specialty. Silas was the second most capable subcommander after Camilla; he had led more men in more battles than anyone else, and his rapport with the Nohrian foot soldiers was unshakable.
And at his side was Peri, because wherever he went, he was bringing her with him. For the safety of the army, of course.
"I volunteer!" Elise leaned over the table, her hand waving in the air.
Corrin sighed, cautiously amused. "As long as you remember what happened last time-"
"Uh huh! I'll leave the introductions to you!"
"Good girl. Feel free to interject if your heart tells you to; If the Chevois will listen to anyone, they'll listen to you." Elise nodded, pumping herself up with a determined pout and fists held close to her chest.
"Why don't you ever call me a good girl?" Peri said with a pout.
Corrin flinched. Not the kind of thing he wanted people to hear in public. "Not now, Peri," he hissed.
"Brother dear, I insist on coming with you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I can't let my darling little siblings walk into danger alone," Camilla drawled.
"I understand," Corrin said with a nod. "I was going to ask you to come along anyways. You'd bring the regal presence of the eldest Nohrian princess, and the power of one as well."
"Just leave some of the baddies for me to stab, okay, Lady Camilla?"
Camilla giggled, "Of course, Peri, I wouldn't dream of it."
"Kaze, Niles, Felicia, I want the three of you on standby while we Parley. Azura, you'll provide them with support in case we need them somewhere fast. Silas, you'll be back at base with the main force. At my signal, be prepared to bring the full might of Nohr down. It's a last resort, but we don't know what might happen during negotiations."
The rest of the table nodded their agreement with some words of assent, or just a poignant stare from Azura, and the plan was set.
It was time to meet with some rebels.
[~Cheve~]
The streets were empty, and unnaturally quiet. Corrin had expected as much; the Nohrian Army hadn't been quiet in assembling at the border wall, and the nation was in open rebellion. Popular or not, the citizens expected conflict, and hid or prepared as they saw fit.
"Not a soul in sight," he remarked quietly.
Elise twisted her staff in her hands nervously, standing behind her brother and sister and peering out at the quiet town, blonde drills hanging off her head as did. Peri, at Corrin's side, kept her eyes peeled for any soldiers to kill.
"Brother dear, must we do this at night?" Camilla asked, standing on Corrin's other side, gaze sweeping across the town. Her lavender hair wafted lightly in the Chevois breeze, and she brushed a lock out of the way of her good eye. "A lady needs her beauty sleep, and I daresay we could all use the rest before engaging these rebels."
Corrin shook his head. "No, meeting during the day would only increase the chances of civilians getting caught in the crossfires. Even if all the rebels have retreated to their safehouses for the night, we could at least learn the lay of the land this night."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, brother dear?" A voice snarled from behind one of the buildings. A twang rang out into the night.
Corrin stepped back, bringing up his sword just in time to deflect an arrow. Prince Takumi of Hoshido as he stepped out from the shadows. Both princes grit their teeth as their eyes met.
"Damn, I was aiming for your traitorous head," he spat, squaring his stance on the cobblestone street. His long gray ponytail whipped out behind him as the wind picked up.
Corrin stepped forward, sword held aloft in case he needed to block once more. "Takumi, I don't know what you're doing here in Cheve, but I will forgive you this assault if you walk away. We are here to Parley with the Chevois Knights."
Camilla and Peri both moved in front of Corrin, his sister snarling, "Stay back, Corrin. It's too dangerous."
"Anyone who hurts Lord Corrin gets a stabbing!" Peri cried.
"Hiding behind your women, are you?" Takumi scoffed, "What a coward!"
Corrin pushed past Camilla and Peri. "Stop this, Takumi. This matter is of no concern of yours or Hoshido's. This is to be a negotiation between Nohr and Cheve. Lay down your bow and return to Hoshido where you belong."
"Hah!" A new voice rang out as a crimson-armored woman with short blonde hair emerged from an alley. "'Negotiation'?! You Nohrian dogs only know how to negotiate with blades. You will never suppress our righteous rebellion!" She spat.
Corrin put one hand up in pacification. "If I've angered you, stranger, I apologize. I've brought my sisters and retainer here to Parley, nothing more."
"The name's Scarlet, and I'm calling your bullshit!" The knight in red stepped up to Takumi's side, pointing an accusing finger at the Nohrians. "My people have been tracking you ever since you crossed the border. The Hoshidans were more than happy to hear about your army's movements."
Camilla shook her head. "Betraying your sovereign nation to the enemy? Quite the little traitor, aren't you?"
Takumi snarled, "Traitor? Ha! Scarlet's done the same thing Corrin did, only SHE chose the right side! Joining the enemy and fighting your homeland… sound familiar, brother?"
Elise stepped out from behind the others. "Quiet, you! Corrin didn't betray anyone!" The princess stood proudly, her tiny fists to her hips. "We just wanna stop these wars and make peace instead. He's the best brother in the world, and you shouldn't say such awful things about him!"
Takumi snapped, drawing the Fujin Yumi's bowstring. "Who let this brat speak? You're so annoying!"
Silence reigned as Takumi fired his legendary bow at the youngest princess of Nohr, knocking her back. Scarlet gasped in shock, as Corrin threw up an emergency flare in a panic.
"You monster!" Camilla turned on Takumi with her axe held ready. "How dare you harm Elise?!"
Corrin screamed at his blood brother, "Attacking an unarmed healer during Parley?! Any chance for this uprising resolving peacefully has just died by your hand, Takumi!" He turned to the others, shouting orders. "Camilla, take Elise to meet Felicia, Azura is sending her over. Peri, with me! We're retreating to the border wall."
Camilla stopped and turned to her fallen sister, sheathing her axe and scooping her up in one swift motion, sprinting back to the others.
"L-lord Takumi, what the hell were you thinking?!" Scarlet cried, turning to look at him, only to be met by the prince's dark expression.
"The sight of that Nohrian brat was making me sick. Just die already!" He snarled, dark fire in his eyes.
"Every Nohrian in the country is going to hear about this!" She argued. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! Every soldier in their army will be frothing at the mouth to have revenge for their princess!"
Takumi scoffed indignantly, while Corrin snarled. The princesses had successfully retreated, Elise cradled in her sister's arms.
"How many more people have to die for peace, Takumi?! How bloody do your hands have to be for you to be satisfied?!"
"QUIET, NOHRIAN SCUM! I'm going to kill you all, and bring peace back to Hoshido!"
"You will answer for your crimes, first!" Corrin sneered, and looked to Scarlet. "This is what you've allied yourself with, rebel. Remember that."
Peri hopped in place, gripping her lance tight. "I hope you're scared! Because this is gonna get bloody!"
The Nohrian prince and the cavalier retreated, and the Hoshidan prince spun away, marching back to the rebel troops. Scarlet, Knight Commander of Cheve, stood in the middle. She looked down at the ground that, before this conflict could end, would be soaked in the blood of Nohrians, Hoshidans, and Chevois alike.
She lifted her head and marched after Takumi. Freedom always had a price, after all.
A/N: Well this certainly took longer than expected! Thank you to everyone for the faves, follows, and reviews! The support has been pretty stellar. Please, feel free to leave a review of what you think of this chapter! I know it's a little short, but the Cheve Rebellion itself will take a chapter of its own.
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