It was interesting as Alexander sat in his office in the manor, he was actually suspecting a notice, a threat, or something along the lines, but no one has been making too much of a fuss about how he did things. In fact, some had come to inquire in his strategy on the management of their domains as he mentored them as best as he could which was not impossible, provided that some Ylisseans took to forming a underground hub for information, the ruling governors and nobles were revealed with flaws and issues that they willingly admit to, some wore their anger and pride on their shoulders and were the ones most posed to threaten the Halidom's chance for peace.
He looked over the possible individuals and held his eye out for the troublemakers as the feeling was still strong, even after things started to calm down, some of the Ylisssean populace, more exactly the ones under the management of these 'aggressive' lords, were actively arming themselves, preparing to attack Plegia for its actions during the war, but they lacked strength, will as Chrom was both resolving to make peace in the little amounts while also containing the aggression that was mildly surging, but it may not be enough as he moved the notes to the side and looked upon another map, the locations of these 'vigilante' groups drawn up and sent to him to keep an eye on it with no moves against him, the Plegian towns, and also their fellow kin. The door to his study knocked and he spoke. "Enter."
arlowe entered, nodding his head, as he closed the door behind him and walked over, more parchment in hand and Alex extended a hand to take it and look it over as Barlowe spoke with a serious tone. "These were drawn up a few days ago, they are getting restless, some even entering Emmul with blood rage in their eyes."
"Yes, but we can't partake in a civil war, the Halidom is too weak for that, it would shatter first before being remade into anything else if Chrom were to fall in this chaos." Alex hummed as he continued, piecing out the lines and movements before he made a solid touch on the map. "Still a case of aggressive expansion, but there has been word that some of the groups are willing to talk about this before it really becomes an issue, heaven knows if it is a trap or not."
"They can't be trusted with such, their judgement is clouded and their actions may harm Ylisse even more than their current actions."
"I know, but we have to try, peace before war, but we must also keep in mind a saying. 'He who seeks peace should be prepared for war'." Barlowe raised a brow as he inquired.
"You perceive that you can talk them down before they can do far worse?"
"I must, Chrom is tied with his own troubles and we are the only ones left to ask or even inquire what is going on." Barlowe nodded as Alex stood up. "By the way, where is Tharja, she said as much about making her home here as well."
The mercenary hummed before he replied. "She's... always been the sort to take her time." But she seemed extra interested to do so and he had a slight notion of why as the door opened and Christian stepped, Alex nodding as Christian spoke.
"We better get going, no telling how long they are going to wait." He paused as he continued.
"I still have to say it right now..."
"It could be a trap, I know, but we must first extend our trust before retracting it. We have no reason yet to see them in crimson eyes." Christian nodded as Alexander stood up and he lead the way, Barlowe lightly shook his head at the management before looking over his standing orders, further training against the Risen horde as sightings have been all over Emmul, not to mention the other regions...
Alex and Christian soon arrived to the meeting point and the tactician looked about with a hum. "It would appear that our clients set themselves up for a fight." Bows were primed and blades drawn as Alex gazed them down and continued. "I thought this was for peace, why does it have to go this way...?"
"Clearly, they don't understand their fatal error." Alexander shook his head as he stepped forward and spoke.
"I have come to discuss terms, don't force me to regret this." Hands trembled with their weapons as Alex looked about before he continued. "I have come to establish some peace for the Exalt, who among you is in charge?" No one said a thing, but he remained quiet himself, provoking a sense of powerful dread in them before someone spoke up.
"Well, we didn't wait too long." The front guards parted some as a noble with the added piece of a mercenary's shield stepped forward and held his arms close as he assumed a pondering look. "It is I who asked for your presence, my name is Tidus, Noble of the House Scerce." Alex hummed as he knew the houses from Maribelle, House Scerce is the most reliable and trustworthy, their secrets kept under vow of her own moral code. Their weakness is their own eager interest in knowledge, some often ended up captured or held for ransom when they dive too deeply. "Strange how you decided to join us instead of sending anyone to see if the claims were real."
"Well, I like to think of the positive side of things." Alex shifted as he made a sidestep turn. "The question here is, if this is a trap or you really wish to talk about this, the Halidom doesn't need any trouble right now." Tidus sighed as he rolled a wrist.
"So you say, but really, I am curious to your own tone of the matter." Alex kept quiet as Amirg answered within.
"He is seeking a weakness. Keep your hand ready for action, there is more to this than he is telling."
'Aren't they all...' Alexander mused as he turned back to Tidus. "You wanted to discuss peace, now is the time, we have room for it, but it will never work until we both show a level of trust, what do you have to solidify that trust, Tidus?" This caught the man off-guard as he drew back before recovering with a slight cough.
"Then, please, come this way, and leave your guard here, there will be no need for him inside." Alex nodded as he turned to Christian and the Mercenary nodded as well as the tactician headed in and followed Tidus onto the boarding room, the table set up for a few more people, and he had a feeling as to why, eyes searching and finding a number of measures to restrain and hold him captive before Tidus sat down at the end, like he owns it, and spoke. "Hard to think that such a weakling could have bested a king, I am wondering if it was a fluke or just dumb luck on your part." Alex hummed as well as he took a seat.
"Strange that you start off with that..." Alex stated as he shifted in the chair. "What would be your first instinct against a foe that knows no holds or restraints, does one run and let this figure rampage or confront them to stop them short?"
"You think you are so untouchable, but that was your error here." Tidus smiled as he continued. "No one is that good, even the misguided Exalt is just lucky, it only takes one assassin and we will have the next ruler rigged up." The doors opened and he continued. "Sadly, he will never hear word of this until his death, farewell, Fool One."
"Now I know... and you had five seconds, but those have past and you are still talking about rule when you are restricted to the rule of a honest one, not the corrupt vision of a warmonger." Alex shook his head as he continued. "To be honest, I was hoping for some actual stability, but if this is the welcome I have been given and not the right one, then there is no reason for this to remain standing." He didn't depend on a tome or blade as he left those with his mount and friend, his hands were all the weapons he required as he twisted, dodging lances from a few nobles more and a couple of soldiers before he struck with ease, the dead littering the ground as he spoke, the neck of the last gripped before he dropped him to the ground, unconscious unless he decided otherwise. "Anybody else wanting to subvert the requirements of this 'peace summit'?"
"T-T-T-Too strong...!" Tidus mumbled as Alex lifted him and spoke.
"You have a decent amount of nerve to think that this was going to be an easy prey to snare and it could have saved you if you had played a better game of politics, sadly your skills were no match for mine, you clearly needed the extra bodies to kill me, you never wanted to play nice, you are just asking for death or, worse, exile to either Regna Ferox or Plegia, I hear that they are opening the borders once more for the people and willing to take anyone on." A cold sweat dripped down as Alex just lightly curved his lips. "Now then, if you don't want to be faced with that reality, it is best you yield to me and tell me yes or no, are you willing to back down?" Tidus made to spit on Alex, but he missed as Alex growled. "You wasted your chance, Tidus, now it's my turn." From the sides, his eyes started to glow and it looked like he obtained two additional sets of eyes down his face as he spoke. "It's time for despair and you can't look away." Tidus shook in horror as the despair filled his soul and his eyes rolled back before Alex hurled him across the chamber, slamming into a seat and Alex turning as he left, the eyes fading as he spoke. "What a waste..." He headed outside, the site of a bloody mess as he spoke to his friend. "Did they give you trouble, my friend?"
"Hardly..." Christian stated as he hoisted his large blade up and tilted his head. "They were ranting about my weakness and how I had fallen into their trap, idiots the lot of them and I should know, I can be quite the moron."
"I wouldn't push it too far." Alex spoke as he mounted back up. "Keep up and let us leave this place for the patrol to find this mess, I will take it up with Chrom on the matter." Christian nodded as the duo headed off, Alex for the capital while Christian headed back to the manor to get things straightened up a bit...
Chrom looked peeved, but he kept his cool as Alex stood before him and he asked. "And you are certain that someone is after my life? Someone wanting to continue the bloodshed when we have just left it alone for good this time?"
"Nothing is solid, but I do have reason to believe it, after all, one doesn't walk out of a trap and not say a single thing about their attackers." Alex breathed as Fredrick stood close by, his brow drawn down as the tactician continued. "The former noble known as Tidus thought to kill me from a distant place, however, his party of individuals and he suffered for this act and are likely being ferried to the next-of-kin, I gave them the chance, but they didn't want it, went as far to insult both of us, Chrom."
"I don't believe this..." The prince groaned as he relaxed a bit as he continued. "Months after the war, now the fools start to cause trouble in the Halidom, Emm must have had her hands full with these guys prior." He rubbed his temples before continuing. "Alex, I hate to ask this of you, but I feel like you are going to cause more issue than answers, could you retire to your manor for the time being while Fredrick and I try to cut down on these rabbling nobles?" Alex opened his mouth to answer otherwise, but he didn't as the mouth closed before reopening again.
"As you wish, Chrom, just make sure you can handle any trouble with allies, it is better than standing alone." Chrom nodded as Alex headed out, Chrom was no diplomat, all knew it, but he was not without resolve, there was a plot against him and the whole of Ylisse, no doubt to insert a 'able' leader to fight against this peace that has settle with unease.
He paused from going any further as he looked to the side, the flapping of wings signaling the passing of the Pegasus Knights, but something was off as he stared for a moment, six knights flew with one of them slightly weighted and his eyes perceived a familiar strand of hair and he grimaced. "Really...?" He shook his head and mounted on. "Come on, Sothe, we are going after those Knights." The horse made a sound before it started to gallop out of the city, Alexander holding on as he proceeded to give chase to the captors of Sumia, Queen of Ylisse...
The distance weighed on Sothe direly, but he continued the chase as they soon stopped, just outside a massive stronghold, hidden from the eyes of many people, but his were not so fooled, this was one of the many points where bandits and brigands had been surging from with gold in their pockets. "Yet, these look to be Ylissean soldiers, something is very wrong here..." He looked on for an point of entrance and they were guarding the only one as he raised a hand, conjuring a hawk and sent it flying, his eye in the sky as it flew overhead and peered down, the mountain itself with its many trails, but only one entrance as the hawk returned. "This will not be easy..." Alexander mused before the guard up front dropped in groans as another few arrived to aid him with their leader speaking.
"Took me a while, you are as mysterious and elusive as ever, my soulmate." Tharja mused with a tone, though under that dark look, he felt joy in her to find him as he looked to the Mercenary brother-in-arms, and the Cleric that had joined them up in northern Ylisse, Beatrix he believed her name was. "So, why have we come this far?"
"Sumia was on one of the backs of the Pegasus Knights flying out of the capitol, problem is, I don't recall her being allowed to fly any time soon." They nodded as Alex dismount with Christian in following before helping Tharja and Beatrix respectively off their mounts. "So it stands to reason that something happened and we are here to find out."
"Sounds like a plan." Christian said as he nodded. "So, are we going loud or are we just sneaking about?"
"Sneaking, we need more information on what is happening here, but our main mission is Sumia's safety, let's move." With that, they headed in, Tharja's curses knocking out the weak-willed fools while the strong ones just staggered some before they were cut down or put down, depending on how they were treated and how they treated the coming squad. It was a decent travel through that Alexander found himself pondering why take the Queen to this place than just a hidden manor or tower, the answer somewhat eased his mind that whoever was behind this was not interested in revealing themselves and instead wanted to either force Chrom out of the seat or hold her hostage until the needed demands were made.
'Not that they are going to have much of a chance.' Alex nearly chuckled at Amirg's tone, clearly there had to be a lesson given, just that they didn't know too much about it. They drifted in to a noble and a brute of a Fighter looming over a unconscious Sumia as the noble turned with a sneer.
"Well, I was expecting a worthless husk, it just had to be the lapdog of that husk." Tharja looked peeved at the notion before Alexander opened his mouth.
"And I was expecting someone of DECENT intelligence, my mistake for giving it too much credit." A vein popped out as the noble countered.
"Watch your tone, worm, you are beneath my standing as one of noble blood."
"I didn't know having a silver spoon meant royalty, my apologies, YOUR HIGHNESS." Alex mocked the man with a roll of hand and bow of head as more popped up. "Besides, why waste my time with parties and riches when I can have the time of my own life on the field, it is far more rewarding than sitting around and playing with tiny dolls like your dressed attire."
"You are a dead worm now." The noble glanced to the fighter. "Kill them now." The Fighter removed the axe as Alexander shook his head and glanced to Christian.
"Break him, the noble is mine." Christian smiled as he dashed over, dodging the swing that came before he did the same thing to show off, he slammed his head into the Fighter's head and, as luck would have it, the same thing happened to him like the last one as Alex strode over and spoke. "Now then, time to pick through your head, 'noble'." With lightning-fast reflexes, Alex snatched the man's skull and gripped it as he dove into the mind, frowning a little as he mused. "Such a small following, I was expecting better... Oh ho, that's a twist..." The man gasped as he dropped to the floor in pain as Alex turned to the others. "I think the Themis family will enjoy this one, let's get Sumia back and drop this one off." They all nodded as they left the mountain base behind, mounting up with Sumia in front of Christian and the man on the back of Alex's as they rode away, a patrol soon coming upon the base and went on to find out more as to what had occurred...