So, before this chapter starts something I should mention that I forgot to mention in the last chapter: While this is not a romance-focused fic, I really like writing romantic fluff scenes, so yeah, here's your warning about that.
Fourth Kingdom
Chapter 1: Atlas
Weiss groaned as she heard the door to her room open, the creaking oak door signified that her rest had come to an end. Soon enough she'd be dolled up in regal garb and made to endure hours of mind-dulling meetings with her father's 'trusted' advisors. By all means, it was an important thing for the queen-to-be to learn, she just wished that the sniveling, spineless, yes-men that her father employed were a little better at hiding the fact that they were sniveling, spineless, yes-men.
She mentally sighed, she really didn't want to get up, her bed was nice and comfy, and it felt way too early for her morning to start. If Father wanted her up this early, he was going to have to drag her out of bed personally.
"Go away, I do not wish to be disturbed" She managed to mumble out, and a victorious smirk crossed her face as she heard the door shut. A smirk which was instantly wiped away when the sound of footsteps continued towards her bed. Her blood turned to ice as unbidden memories raced through her head.
She ran in a panic as screaming echoed from the castle walls. Her guard's scythe flashed through the air, felling another assassin as they ran through the hallways of her home. Tears streamed down her face as she recalled being dragged out of bed, her anger replaced with horror and sorrow as she learned her elder sister's fate. Her foot caught on a loose piece of clutter, her red-robed protector reached out and caught her, nearly dragging her upright in their desperate race forward. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a silver sword darting out of the shadows, poised to take her guardian's eye. Her body reacted before she had time, before she realized what she was doing, she was shoving her guardian out of the way. Weiss screamed as the weapon bit into her flesh.
Weiss forced herself to be calm, to cease the rapid breathing that was threatening to overwhelm her. She forced herself to be still, to feign sleep, all the while her hand crept towards the dagger hidden under her pillow. The would-be assassin stepped closer, his footsteps awfully loud, either Weiss had improved her sense of hearing lately, or whatever noble house that had taken issue with her father this time had chosen an exceptionally poor assassin.
The sound of a foot slamming into…something, followed by an oddly familiar voice swearing. It would have been comical if Weiss wasn't fearing for her life. After a minute, the footsteps started again, veering right by the sounds of things, until the crackling sound of a lit fire broke the silence. Weiss mentally frowned, having made up her mind that this was indeed an exceptionally poor assassin.
The footsteps paused, Weiss tightened her grip on the hidden dagger, patience, she must have patience. The air seemed to be filled with a chill as she fought her own instinct to run, to scream for help. The footsteps started again, they were near the foot of her bed now and continuing forward.
Weiss's mind raced as the assassin slowly made his way to her bedside. Her heart was racing, a great booming sound that seemed all too loud, as if it would surely give away the fact that she was aware of the killer's presence.
More footsteps, with how focused she was on them, they felt almost deafening. Her hand gripped the dagger as she prepared to make her strike. The assassin stopped at her bedside, perhaps taking a moment to draw his weapon or savor the moment he killed Weiss Schnee, Crown Princess of Atlas.
It would be a fatal mistake.
Exploding from her bed in a frenzy of action, Weiss launched herself towards the intruder, dagger poised at her assailant, the gleaming blade reflecting in the silver eyes of her stunned foe.
The weapon stopped an inch away from those eyes. Weiss froze, blinking uncomprehendingly as she stared at the stunned girl in front of her. There was a surreal pause as both women looked at each other, the dagger hovering precariously close to a pair of silver eyes.
The silence was broken as a quiet snicker broke out of the red-haired girl, a laugher that grew in volume until Ruby had nearly fallen over, latching onto Weiss's bed as a support to stop herself from hitting the ground.
It was times like this, Weiss thought as she slowly lowered the dagger and felt the quiet tinge of embarrassment creep up her face, that she was glad her room was layered in material thick enough to make it nearly soundproof.
Having recovered from her laughing fit, Ruby stood up, a gleam of amusement in her eyes. "That's a new way to greet me, princess. Is that how you say 'hi' to all your servants, or am I special?" The glint in her eye and her casual tone somehow infuriated and managed to calm Weiss, Ruby was a paradox in that way.
Fighting the growing embarrassment brought on by the fact that she had nearly stabbed her own bodyguard in the eye the only way she knew how, Weiss snapped at the giggling girl. "You should have announced your presence! I didn't know who was inside the room!" When her tirade, which had been intended to reprimand the girl, caused Ruby's smile to merely grow larger, Weiss fought down a scream and settled for a glare instead. "You're the worst."
Ruby laughed again a little bit, before laying down across the princess's bed, stretching herself out as if it was her bed and not Weiss's. Weiss herself sat back down on the bed, replacing the dagger in its hiding place. Weiss was used to the odd actions of Ruby, for she had always had a few quirks to her, she had a fondness for sweets that no one in Atlas could replicate, her choice of weaponry was very unusual, and, as far as Weiss knew, limited only to her. Not to mention that Ruby was a very passionate person, and rarely took the time to think before saying or acting. She was tolerated within the royal household only because of her skill of arms, Weiss once had an entire royal guard dedicated to protecting her, but now Ruby was all she needed.
Of course, Weiss noted, as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through Ruby's hair, the other major contributing factor towards Ruby's continued employment may have something to do with just how fond Weiss was of her. And for all the oddities that Ruby displayed in public, they were nothing compared to how they acted within the sanctuary of privacy.
Ah well, no need for anyone to know about that.
"So, did my father send you?" Weiss stifled a yawn as she began to relax a little more, the fear-born shock that had a grip on her a minute ago fading away. "I presume he has some dull meeting planned with some lord or such."
Cracking an eye open, Ruby yawned a bit herself, "Hm? Ah, I suppose he will, at some point today." Weiss's eyes narrowed, what exactly did Ruby mean by that? She sighed as she looked around her room, her mind lost in thought, her gaze wandering until it caught sight of the curtained window….the window with no light coming from it.
All at once, Weiss became keenly aware of several things.
Ruby had closed the door on the way in, why do that if she was being summoned to court? If it was the time of day required for such an important meeting, why had there been no sound of movement outside her room, layered as it is, she should still be able to make out the sound of footsteps or talking. If it was indeed the daytime, then why was there absolutely no light whatsoever coming in from her window, even through the closed curtain?
Weiss narrowed her eyes as she got up from her bed, ignoring Ruby's protests, as she removed her hand from the messy red-black mixture she called hair. Walking over to the curtain separating her window from the room, Weiss moved it aside, like parting a wave, and confirmed her suspicion.
No light came in from the window except the faint glow of moonlight, the black night stared back at her as she felt her temper begin to rise again. Of course there was no movement outside her room, everyone was asleep. Of course she felt like she had been awoken early, she had.
"Ruby…" Her voice began, dangerously calm. "Did you wake me up in the middle of the night for no reason?" Her voice was tranquil, but the glare in her eye betrayed the rage in her body. Weiss had good reason to tolerate Ruby, but this was pushing it, if there was anything Weiss hated, it was losing precious sleep.
Ruby sat up, still smiling, completely unashamed. "Well…not for no reason." Her voice held a playful tone to it, which only added fuel to Weiss's anger.
"What reason could you possibly have for waking me at this hour?!"
Ruby smiled again, and something about that smile put Weiss on edge, as if it precluded a response that she would most certainly not like.
"Well…I didn't mean to wake you up. If I had it my way, you wouldn't have even realized I was there until I was right next to you!" There was a pause in the air, for a second Weiss didn't understand what Ruby had said. There were words there, but for what felt like an eternity there was no meaning to them, a meaningless jumble of sounds.
Then in a nanosecond, the pieces fell together and suddenly it felt as if the temperature of the room had increased tenfold. Stammering for a bit, Weiss fought to regain control of herself before resolving to glare at the girl who seemed to be enjoying this far too much.
"You." She all but seethed, "Do you know how dangerous that is?! My father despises you, Ruby." She began pacing, her anger slowly being replaced by fear, " He much prefers Whitley as an heir, he will search for any excuse to disinherit me. The only reason he has not acted is because you have not yet done anything out of line, toed dangerously close to it, yes, but not done anything to warrant getting rid of you."
She stopped her pacing, and turned and grasped the arms of her red-robed lover. "This is all he needs. If he finds out, if anyone finds out, it's over." Maybe she was overreacting, maybe the secret relationship Weiss had carried on with her bodyguard would not, as she suspected, be the end of her political life, and the possible end of Ruby's physical life. But Weiss did not gamble on maybes.
There was more to it than just love, although that obviously played a large part in it. Ruby was not just her bodyguard-turned lover, she was a friend. Ruby was someone that Weiss could trust, could rely on, could be herself around. In an isolated world of uncaring fathers, cut-throat politics, and power-hungry lords, Ruby was an oasis of genuine human connection. Winter had been too, at one point, but now Ruby was all she had.
She couldn't lose that, the only person that Weiss didn't have to wear a mask around. That, perhaps, was her greatest fear, it was selfish, childish, and stupid, but the thought of losing Ruby terrified her.
.
.
.
…Ok, maybe she was being a bit over-dramatic.
"Weiss? Weiss!" Weiss snapped out of her thoughts at Ruby's voice, who was looking at her with concern. "You had that look on you, where you're a million miles away and trapped in your head. Also, you worry way too much, I'm not dumb, I was careful, no one saw me."
"And if someone notices you disappearing only to turn up leaving my room with me in a few hours and puts two and two together?" Weiss hissed, still not entirely convinced that any of this was a good idea.
"Well, I mean I'm usually the one sent to wake you up anyway, so it wouldn't look too suspicious. Besides-" Ruby smiled in a way that worried Weiss. "If anyone does find out, I can be very intimidating" Weiss shuddered involuntarily, she had seen what Ruby could do with her scythe, and the results were never pretty. "Also could you let go of my arms, you're starting to hurt me" Ruby chuckled a bit as Weiss blushed a bit before letting go of Ruby, before turning and walking back to the window again.
"You don't need to go that far." Weiss sighed, she knew Ruby wouldn't actually carry out any of the myriad threats she may deliver to any unfortunate soul who learned too much, but they wouldn't know that. With another sigh she closed the curtain around her window, once again basking the room in a darkness that was only broken by the lit fire in the corner of her room, casting the room in a surreal shadow-like light. Climbing back onto her bed, Weiss didn't stop Ruby when she leaned into her, the two enjoying a moment of silence together.
"So" Weiss started, "Why don't you tell me why you're really here?" Ruby looked up at her with faux-anger, "What? Wanting to see you isn't a good enough reason?" Weiss let out a small laugh before answering, "While I do not doubt that that would be more than reason enough for you, breaking into my room in the middle of the night is strange, even for you." Ignoring Ruby's protests of "I hardly broke in" Weiss continued, "Therefore it stands to reason that there is something which made you think jeopardizing our secret was worth it."
Curiously, Ruby looked away, a small blush forming on her face, and mumbled something under her breath. That got Weiss's attention, there were decidedly few things that could make Ruby stumble like that, she was an energetic girl, and not one to be flustered easily.
"Hm? I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that." When Ruby didn't answer, Weiss took another look at the brunette, whose face resembled a curious mixture of nervousness and…embarrassment?
"...s stupid." Was Ruby's mumbled reply, this one barely more audible than the last. Weiss said nothing but instead gave Ruby a stare, an incredulous look on her face. Withering under the glare, Ruby spoke up again, louder this time, "It's stupid. The reason I mean. It's stupid and childish."
Weiss looked at her lover, who seemed to be attempting to disappear into her cloak, unease, anxiety, and the smallest hint of fear written cleanly on her face. Something was eating at Ruby's mind, something that gave her reason to worry, to be afraid. This was something new, something Weiss truthfully wasn't quite sure how to handle.
In the immediate aftermath of Winter's assassination, Weiss had been a wreck. Winter had been a dearly beloved figure in Weiss's life, one of the few people in the court of Atlas that Weiss could trust. In the immediate aftermath of that, Weiss had felt truly alone for the first time in her life. She had withdrawn even further into her shell of isolation, and if it weren't for Ruby, she may never have left it.
Ruby had dragged her out of her self-imposed exile, kicking and screaming at first, but soon she went willingly, and not long after that Weiss found solace in her bodyguard. She couldn't replace Winter, no one could, but having someone who genuinely cared about her was….nice.
Since then, whether it was night terrors of that horrid day, meetings that devolved into screaming battles between petty lords, or merely an uncaring father who cared not for her beyond how she affected his political life, Ruby had been there to support her and carry her through the worst of it.
Now the roles seemed to be flipped, Ruby was the one with apparent issues and it fell on Weiss to comfort her, and she honestly had no idea how to do that. For a moment, which felt more like an eternity, Weiss just sat there numbly, she knew she needed to do something, she just didn't know what that something was. Eventually, after another eternity of thinking, Weiss wrapped an arm around Ruby, mimicking the movement that the red-haired girl had done to her a thousand times. The movements felt stiff and awkward, her arm felt more like an automaton than flesh and bone, replicating without understanding.
Still, it had the intended effect, Ruby relaxed a small bit, her breathing normalized, and without prompting, she began to talk.
"A few days ago, King Jacques heard rumors that a group of Ylissians were making their way to Atlas, supposedly led by the Exalt's younger brother, Prince Chrom. I wasn't meant to hear it, I just happened to be near the throne room, but from the way I heard it, your father's actually intending to see them, to hear them out."
That got Weiss's attention, her father was notoriously isolationist, for the past 10 years he had closed down Atlas to any foreigners, as well as forbidding anyone from leaving the Kingdom, except for the various spy networks he had built over the years. For him to be willing to entertain foreign guests meant that they must represent something incredibly important.
"Well, that's certainly an interesting bit of news, I can't imagine why Father would host foreigners after his decade-long rule of isolation" Weiss murmured as she watched Ruby's face, still trying to decipher the mystery of her appearance. "Still that hardly explains…this." She vaguely gestured with her other arm.
"I was getting to that…" Ruby mumbled, "I-I really don't know why, but I got scared when I heard that, I don't trust rumors so I had to find out for myself. I slipped out of the kingdom a few hours after I found out and made my way to Ylisse incognito to confirm it myself. It's true by the way, Prince Chrom is leading a small group this way, and once I did confirm it I made my way back."
"The way from Atlas to Ylisse is 5 hours, that's a 10-hour journey, how'd you do that in a day?!" Weiss asked, but Ruby didn't seem to be listening. She kept on talking, almost rambling in a way.
"I really don't know why, maybe the fact that there'd be unknowns within the castle for the first time since I've been here spooked me. Whatever the reason, I felt like I had to make sure security was top-notch. I spent as much time as I could looking for possible infiltration routes, getting as much information on our guests as I could, drilling the castle guards.."
As Ruby rambled on, Weiss digested the information, there was something about it that didn't make sense, a piece to the puzzle she was missing. Glancing over at Ruby, Weiss took a good look at her, and for the first time since she arrived in her room, Weiss noticed that Ruby looked absolutely exhausted.
"Ruby…" Weiss interrupted her rambling companion, "When was the last time you slept?"
Ruby looked sheepish for a moment before answering, "I…the day before I left for Ylisse…I think, so…3 days ago?"
Weiss said nothing but looked again at Ruby, and this time she noticed how Ruby's usual vibrant eyes were dulled, how her hair was unruly and disheveled, and just how incredibly tired she looked.
"So…let me see if I understand. You heard rumors of foreign visitors and decided to single-handedly make your way across a 10-hour trip to confirm if the rumors were true or not. Once you did confirm them, you, without ever stopping to rest, spent nearly an entire day reviewing and increasing security, until I'm assuming you more or less collapsed from exhaustion. Then, in your sleep-deprived state, you decided that the best way to combat your growing stress and anxiety was to crawl into my bed in the middle of the night?"
Ruby's face became a color, not unlike the tips of her hair, as she once again attempted to retreat into her cloak, "I-I mean, when you put it like that…"
Weiss laughed a bit as she untangled herself from the bed, already having decided her course of action. Stepping off the bed and onto the floor, she spoke as she made her way to the fireplace which held the smoldering fire Ruby had lit. "When I was younger, much younger mind you, I would sometimes have nightmares, whenever I did, I always found my way into Winter's room. She was a relaxing presence, I always felt safer, calmer, happier, with her."
Searching for a moment, Weiss grabbed a suitably unlit piece of firewood, small enough to fit into a door handle. Walking back over to the door, she continued, "Stress and fear are two sides of the same coin, what works for one" She lodged the piece of wood into the door handle, creating an impromptu lock on her door, before testing it a few times and smiling in satisfaction as the door remained stubbornly closed. "Will work for the other."
Pausing for a second, Weiss considered what to do about the fire, for a moment she considered grabbing some water or something to smother it with, but it was small and contained, and she really wanted to get back to bed.
Ruby laughed a bit, although there was a hint of relief in her eyes, "Didn't you just get through talking about how horrible dangerous this all was?"
Weiss made a haughty noise as she climbed back into the bed, "Yes well, that was before I noticed your pitiful state" She wrapped her arms around the red-haired girl, drawing her closer to herself as the two of them embraced each other. "Which as we both know is the only reason I tolerate your presence here tonight" she muttered as the heat from both the still lingering fire and the presence of Ruby so close to her drew her into a drowsy repose.
"You're a horrible liar princess..." Ruby mumbled as she held onto the white-haired girl like a lifeline, stress and worry melting off her face as she finally gave in to exhaustion and let sleep take her.
Weiss resolved to never let Ruby know just how comfortable and secure she felt in her arms, nor how many times she had played out this scenario in her head.
Lissa sighed for what must have been the millionth time as the Shepherds continued down the winding road. They had left the capital in the afternoon of yesterday, and while theoretically, they should have been able to make it to Atlas by the night of the same day, a combination of various factors had ensured that they had to camp out by the roadside 2 hours out of Ylisstol.
"You know, this is the part they always leave out in the stories" Lissa grumbled to herself.
"Which part?" Chrom asked, a small smile on his face, "The part where you walk for hours, the part where you camp out night after night in the woods or the part where you spend half an hour waiting for supply convoys to catch up?"
"Exactly!" Lissa exclaimed, gesturing widely, "All the books and tales talk about war like its constant excitement, one battle after the other."
"But in reality, it's hours of boredom broken up by moments of mortal peril." Robin finished, there was a pause before the three of them let out a small shared laugh. In truth, the journey had indeed been hours of sheer boredom, although, thanks to the colorful personalities that made up the Shepherds, there had been no small amount of levity to break up the monotone journey.
"It wouldn't be so bad if there was something besides these…trees to look at." Lissa continued, "I mean, it's been nothing but the same old scenery, not to mention my nerves are so jumped up, I keep expecting a band of Risen or bandits to jump out any second now."
Robin nodded, "Yeah I get the feeling, at this point I almost want an attack to happen, I don't think we've gone so long on the road without one before."
Chrom looked at the two of them, "Well, we would have been negotiating with the king of Atlas right now if someone" He threw a dirty look backward into the column where the rest of the Shepherds were grouped up in. "Didn't forget half his belongings and only realized once we were an hour out of Ylisse."
"Vaike's monstrous strength is matched only by his lack of memory," Frederick said from atop his armored steed. The loyal knight had hardly spoken a word since they departed, instead content to remain vigilant and act as the party's first line of defense.
"Oh don't you start, Frederick" Robin started, "After that debacle, you wasted us another hour and a half inspecting the caravan guards. 3 of them weren't up to your standards, and another 2 cracked from the pressure." If the armored knight felt any shame for the lost time, he hid it extremely well under a mask of stoicism.
"I take Milord's safety extremely seriously." Came Frederick's dour reply. Robin sighed and dropped the issue, he knew Frederick well enough to know that man meant well, even if he was paranoid and just a tad overprotective of his charges.
Another half-hour of silent walking transpired, and it was under the gaze of the midday sun that the first signs of snow made their appearance, along with the blistering cold of Feroxi winds. It was like crossing an invisible boundary, an unmarked line that signaled the shift from the pleasant pastures of Ylisse to the cold snowfields of Regna Ferox.
"Ah geez," Lissa shuddered as the cold washed over them, reflexively moving closer to Frederick's armored steed to shelter herself from the winds. "Is it going to be like this every time we come here?"
"Afraid so," Chrom said, and while he didn't flinch at the cold like his sister did his face still contorted in an expression of slight pain as the biting wind hit him. "Supposedly, Atlas is even worse."
Lissa hissed a bit at that, "Great. Hey, how about we just send a messenger to Atlas and wait for their reply by a nice, warm fireplace?" Her face fell comically as Chrom merely shook his head, not even dignifying the request with an answer.
The sound of an approaching horse had them all look up as a figure in green armor on a horse came racing towards their direction. The group stopped as the knight's horse came to a stop beside them.
"Stahl." Chrom acknowledged with a nod, "Anything to report?"
Stahl shook his head, his messy brown hair nearly obscuring one of his eyes, "Nope, the Longfort is just up ahead, and the road's clear, as far as I can tell anyway." The green-armored knight smiled as he took up an even pace with the group.
"Good, let's hope this time we can get past without incident…" Chrom mumbled.
Less than 10 minutes later, they were at the Longfort. The gargantuan wall that separated Regna Ferox from its southern neighbors was an imposing construct, the will of the Feroxi people personified. According to legend, it had been a joint construction between the first rulers of Ylisse, Plegia, and Regna Ferox. Why it had been constructed was never something that seemed to be of importance in those same legends, however.
As Chrom, Robin, and the other Shepherds were being escorted through the giant wall, a familiar voice rang out.
"Prince Chrom! I was wondering when you'd show up." A woman in green-tinted armor called out.
Chrom nodded at the Feroxi guard, "Raimi, it's good to see you again."
"And no javelins this time! Progress!" Robin joined in, a grin on his face.
The Feroxi guard's face twisted in annoyance, "I see your tactician is still as annoying as ever. Milord, the Khan says you intend to make for Atlas, is this true?" The blond-haired woman spoke in the blunt manner common to all Feroxians.
Chrom nodded, "It's true, Emmeryn is convinced that Atlas gold is what'll win us this war, I personally couldn't care less, but the Exalt's word is law, so…" he smiled, chuckling a bit.
Raimi nodded, "I understand, I wish you the best of luck." She turned and made her way back to her post atop the Longfort.
Chrom sighed, "Well, she's as dutiful as ever." He turned to Robin, giving in an annoyed look, "Why do you insist on needling her every time you meet?"
Robin smirked, "Besides the fact that our first meeting consisted of her soldiers throwing spears at us?" Chrom stared. "Well, it's not so much her specifically but just the fact that Feroxians are so fun to annoy, and after a while, Lon'qu gets boring and predictable."
Chrom blinked once, twice. "You find purposely annoying the type of people whose entire culture revolves around strength…fun?" He asked, bewildered.
Robin smiled, "Oh yes, they're so blunt and serious, and once you find what flusters to them" His smile grew, it was a dangerous type of grin, the one you ran away from, "That's when it really gets interesting. Of course, even Feroxians will wisen up and start ignoring you once you do it too often, which is why I take any chance I can get to tease any Feroxian whose name isn't Lon'qu."
Lissa looked at him, "So how come you didn't say or do anything to Flavia or Basilio at the council meeting?"
"Well, a couple of things, one, there's a time and place for anything, and two, I'm amnesiac, Lissa, not suicidal." Robin paled at the thought of what the dual-leaders of Regna Ferox could do to him if he sufficiently angered them.
Chrom sighed, "Well, at least you have some sense of self-preservation, anyway we should make haste, assuming we want to be in Atlas before the sunset."
It took another hour of silent travel through Regna Ferox before the Shepherds found themselves exiting the opposite side of the Longfort. The great gate that isolated the kingdom from its neighbors opened, revealing a scene akin to a fairytale.
A great blanket of snow covered the land and, despite the glare from the afternoon sun, a deathly chill blew in from the north, everyone but the stoic Frederick and the acclimated Lon'qu shuddered from the sudden temperature change. The road leading out of Regna Ferox was covered, hidden beneath the mountain of snow.
Robin gripped his cloak closer to him in a futile attempt to warm up. Truthfully the robe wasn't very good at protecting him from the cold, if anything it actually accelerated the chill. It did a decent job of protecting him from the wind, however, so at least there was that.
"Oh gods, you weren't kidding Chrom." Robin managed to chatter out, shivering despite himself. Robin always had an aversion to the cold that he didn't completely understand, the heat didn't bother him as much as it did other people, but coldness sunk into him like an icy claw around his core.
Robin felt just a little better when he noticed that Chrom appeared to be as affected by the cold as he was, "Yes well, I was warned of the climate of Atlas, but there's a difference between knowing and knowing."
Lon'qu, on the other hand, seemed entirely unaffected, "The two of you wouldn't last one year in Ferox. Be grateful that it's still summer, had it been winter, this path would be frozen solid and the chill would have increased tenfold." The dour swordsman spoke bluntly, but the small smile gave away the amusement he felt from watching his companions struggle.
In fact, beyond Lon'qu and Frederick, just about everyone seemed to be struggling with the cold.
The red-haired, red armored knight known as Sully was cursing mildly under her breath, rolling her arms, perhaps trying to stave off cold-induced muscle lockup. Her counterpart, Stahl, was handling it better, merely looking uncomfortable and not complaining out loud. Yet he was also moving around constantly in an attempt to keep warm.
Vaike seemed to be heavily regretting his choice of attire, even as he insisted that "The Vaike doesn't need any protection from the weather!" snow accumulated on his bare shoulders and back. It was only thanks to the occasional fire spell from Miriel that he remained unfrozen and alive.
Virion appeared to cope by complaining, spouting off lines such as "A man as noble as myself does not deserve to be exposed to such barbaric weather!" or "Do the Gods not know mercy for such an unfortunate soul?!". Fortunately, everyone ignored him.
Lissa seemed to be glued to Frederick's horse, hoping to protect herself from the wind, shivering the whole time. Robin noticed that she wasn't the only one, Ricken, the other small member of the Shepherds, was also taking shelter from the wind via the armored horse.
Just about everyone seemed to be complaining about the cold as well, the only thing that wasn't making any noise was the giant suit of armor someone had decided to bring along.
Robin blinked, before quickly turning to look again, but it was gone. He sighed, the cold must be getting to him, making his mind play tricks on him.
They made their way to the gate of Atlas in quick time, merely 20 minutes. The way there was surprisingly quiet and focused, nobody wanted to be out in the wilderness more than necessary.
A wall of stone stood in front of them, an imposing barricade that, while not quite as impressive as the Longfort, stood as a living testament to Atlas's wealth and might. Flawless stone towers stood as a bulwark against the wilderness, each one engraved with the symbol of Atlas: A white circle with a spear on a black backdrop. In addition to the kingdom's symbol, a second, but no less frequent, symbol was seen: An extravagantly designed six-pointed snowflake.
"So…do we knock or something?" Lissa asked, fidgeting slightly. Being close to the wall gave the group a measure of protection against the wind, but it did nothing to stop the cold.
"Er...I guess so.." Was Chrom's resident reply, however, before he could do anything, a great rumble interrupted them. A clamoring sound erupted from the wall as the stonework itself parted before them, splitting open like a great cataclysm.
Before them stood a company of armed soldiers. Each one was garbed in flawless armor, each and every piece polished to the degree that the sun's rays reflected off each one of them. Each one held a spear of silver, the likes of which rivaled the highest quality weapons the Shepherds had. They stood silently, like wooden puppets, until, by some hidden cue, they moved.
The soldiers moved in unison, and the 300-odd group split apart, each half going to one side of the path leading further into Atlas, wheeling around so that each soldier faced inward towards the road. All at once, the soldiers slammed the ends of their spears into the ground, creating an amplified thump that echoed throughout the area.
It was an impressive display of discipline.
Facing the Shepherds was a man who, once hidden behind the mass of soldiers, now revealed himself. He was dressed in magnificent gilded armor, and at his side was a silver sword that rested easily in its sheath. Accompanying him was an elderly woman dressed in a light blue robe. Walking towards the group, each time the pair passed one of the waiting columns of soldiers, they each received a salute.
Stopping just a few feet from Chrom, the man paused and looked over Chrom, before giving a small bow. The elderly woman exchanged a friendly smile before doing the same
"Greetings, Prince Chrom, I am General Terchio of Atlas. My associate here goes by the name of Fria, one of Atlas's most gifted sages. My lord, King Jacques, bids you welcome to Atlas." His voice was oily, and though he smiled, his face betrayed no emotion or thought, it was like trying to read a rock.
Chrom blinked, "You know of us?"
Terchio nodded, "Yes, we were aware the moment you left Ylisstol, my king has already declared that he will hear your plea, else this wall would never have opened for you. I and my men are to act as your escort, to ensure that your visit goes without incident." What was left unsaid was who the incident would arise from.
As Terchio and Fria left, presumably making their way for Atlas proper, with the Shepherds quickly followed, one of the groups of soldiers fell into line behind them, snapping into place like a wall, while the other group took up position in front of the Shepherds. The sound of a grinding noise alerted them to the closing of the wall, for better or worse, they were now in Atlas.
"Well…" Robin mumbled, eyeing the soldiers suspiciously, "This is certainly a warmer welcome than Regna Ferox gave us…" While the soldiers were there supposedly for their own protection, it was obvious to everyone that they were there just as much to ensure the Ylissiean's compliance. They were as much prisoners as they were guests.
Frederick rode up to him, "Don't mistake this for friendship" he warned in a low voice, "This was all deliberate. I'm no mage, but I guarantee you that wall is magical in nature, to be able to open and close like that. Not to mention the show with the soldiers. In one fell swoop, King Jacques has displayed his most magically impressive feat and his most disciplined soldiers, as well as what I presume to be his most distinguished and loyal general."
Robin narrowed his eyes, beginning to recognize what was going on. "So that means…"
Frederick nodded, "Before we have even seen the castle or laid eyes on the man, the negotiations have begun. As far back as Ylisstol, if what this Terchio says can be trusted."
Robin gave the soldiers another look over, it was obvious in hindsight and he mentally kicked himself for not recognizing the show of force for what it was.
Lissa shivered a bit again as the cold Atlas wind hit them again, the wave of frozen air felt far more potent now than it did outside the wall. Robin narrowed his eyes, that didn't make sense, if anything, the wind should have abated a little now that they were inside the walls…
The small gesture did not go unnoticed by their escorts, Terchio turned towards them, still walking forward, apparent worry on his face. "Does the Atlas weather not agree with you, Lady Lissa?"
Lissa blinked a bit, before stammering, "N-No, It's nothing, just not used to it. I'm fine, really!"
Terchio simply smiled, which for some reason put Robin more on edge, "Nonsense, milady, you are honored guests in our land." He turned to Fria and spoke to the elderly sage, "Fria! The wind of our land does harm to our fair friends. If you would?" At his prompting, the aging woman took a green book out of her robe and muttered an incarnation, and just like that, the wind stopped.
It was still numbingly cold, but with the wind abating, it went from 'One step away from frostbite' to merely 'barely tolerable'.
Chrom whistled, "Well, they're certainly going out of their way to make us feel at home." He chuckled a bit.
Robin shook his head, "No, this was calculated. They've just displayed that they have a sage capable of controlling the weather, which is something I don't any of us are close to capable of. Not only that, but diplomatically speaking, they have us on the defensive. They've been nothing but kind and considerate to us so far…"
"So if we were to treat them in any lesser manner in return, it would be considered an insult." Chrom finished, catching on. "We haven't even met Jacques yet, and he's already put us at a disadvantage. Not to mention the feat with the wind, I didn't even know that was possible."
Robin narrowed his eyes, "Neither did I." Creating localized weather effects, such as a gale of wind, a shower of rain, or a small eruption, was common enough with magic. But to control the weather to such a degree? That was unheard of. Not to mention the simple fact that while creating artificial winds or rain or lightning with magic was fairly simple, stopping actual winds, rains, or lightning was incredibly difficult to do with magic, if it was even possible in the first place. The energy expenditure alone would exhaust, if not kill, any mage in a few minutes….
He didn't have much time to ponder it, however, as fairly soon the castle was upon them. It was a grand construction, one that easily dominated the scenery that it was in, demanding attention from all who saw it. A second layer of walls separated it from the rest of the city, and great towers sprouted out from the corners of it, lit with flames and illuminating its surroundings. The walls and towers were all draped with blue flags and banners, each of which proudly displayed the same snowflake symbol that had been seen earlier, the symbol of the Schnee family if Robin had to wager a guess.
They were herded inside, through a pair of shining blue doors. The soldiers who had been accompanying them did not follow, instead, they split away from them and stood at attention on either side of the path leading to the door.
The moment they stepped into the castle, a feeling of warmth washed over them. Balls of fire, suspended in nothing, floated above them. Robin relaxed a bit, almost involuntarily, as the heat from the fires spread over him, a quick glance revealed that almost everyone had a similar reaction.
Terchio stopped for a moment inside the hallway, "My king's court is just up ahead, Prince Chrom. I shall take you, and those you decide to bring with you, to him. As for the rest, Fria will show you where you may stay as discussions go on."
Chrom nodded, "Lissa, Frederick, Robin, with me, the rest of you" He nodded in the direction of Fria, his meaning clear. The elderly woman gave a small smile before leading the rest of the Shepherds to what amounted to a waiting room.
Terchio nodded, "Very well, gentlemen, if you would follow me." He turned and led the party of 4 further into the grandiose castle. As they made their way, Robin couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. It made sense of course if this Jacques was as paranoid as he had been led to believe, but nonetheless, he couldn't calm his nerves.
Perhaps this was also intentionally, another part of Jacques's plan, to unnerve them before they had even begun talking. Darting his eyes to his companions, Robin confirmed that his compatriots seemed to be sharing in his unease. Chrom displayed no outward nervousness, but his eyes kept darting over to corners and shadows over the room. His hands kept clenching and unclenching, sometimes involuntarily moving towards the sheathed Falchion before darting away again.
Lissa was much more overt, she kept a firm hand on her staff and kept looking around like a sheep in a room of wolves. She warily kept herself close to her older brother, looking as if she expected assassins to materialize out of thin air at any moment.
Well, if Jacques had planned to throw them off balance before they even set foot in his throne room, he certainly succeeded. The bunch of them were wound up tighter Lon'qu in a brothel.
After walking in the seemingly endless hallway for what felt like forever, an archway broke the monotone scenery of the halls, a stunningly well-crafted piece of architecture with various symbols carved onto its wooden surface. A mellow-white curtain blocked the view of the room it preceded, a divider between worlds.
Emerging from the archway, Robin found himself in the first throne room that he could say actually looked like it was made for royalty. That was not to say the Emmeryn and Flavia did not command respect, they did, but if Robin was asked to picture the room used by royalty to hold court, the image he would conjure would not be of their throne rooms.
Unlike Emmeryn, whose humble and kind nature was reflected in gentle paintings and sunlight windows, the Atlas king held magnificent self-portraits from the walls of his keep. Unlike Flavia, whose ideal of strength and plain spokenness was reflected in the barren, spartan room she resided in, the Atlas court was decorated with golden statues and icelike suits of armor.
Lighting the entire room was a large flame encased in a ball of floating ice, rotating slowly like a coin mid-flip. A carpet the color of ice sat at the feet of them all, snaking its way around the room, ending at the far end of the room, where the point of their journey sat.
Sitting atop a surprisingly modest throne, (Based on everything else Robin had seen, he half-expected the throne itself to be a construct of pure gold, perhaps embedded with gemstones.) the first impression Robin had of the Atlesian king was that he was fat.
…Perhaps that wasn't the kindest thing to think about a foreign monarch, but it was true. While Jacques wasn't obese, he certainly was a far cry from the slender frame of Emmeryn, or even the neutral body shape kept by the Mad King himself.
The second impression he got from him was that he was dangerous. Perhaps not in the physical sense, but the way he watched them, a bored look on his face as he surveyed them impassively, made his instincts scream, telling him to be on alert.
Just as he thought that, as if summoned by the thought, Jacques looked at him, and for a brief second, Robin felt his entire body freeze up, the piercing gaze the man gave him seemed like it belonged to a dangerous animal more than a man. Then the king's gaze fell elsewhere, and Robin released a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding.
Looking around the room a bit more, partially to thaw the ice that had settled in his veins, and partially to get more acquainted with who they'd be dealing with, the first person to catch his eye was the young woman standing close to Jacques.
She looked to be around Chrom's age, and the white hair and blue eyes made him aware that he must be looking at the king's daughter. The same one, he belatedly realized, was alive because of Emmeryn, and therefore the entire reason they were able to seek an audience with her father in the first place.
Her face wore the same expression of careful non-interest as Jacques, she looked the part of a model princess: Haughty, distant, and thoroughly unimpressed with the petitioners. At her side, a rapier hung off her hip, stored in an elaborate sheath that was once again marked with the snowflake symbol that seemed to be everywhere.
At her side there was another woman, this one seemed a few years younger. Her hair was brown but slowly morphed into a bright red as it reached the tips, something that stood out like a sore thumb in the monotone white and blue that was everywhere else in Atlas. She stood just a few feet behind the princess, and her hand kept a firm grip on…a…scythe…
Robin blinked. He had seen a lot of weird things in the short time he'd been with the Shepherds, but someone using a farm item as a weapon was new, even for him.
Interesting choice of weaponry aside, the thing that really drew his attention to the brunette was her eyes. The color alone was interesting, silver was not an eye color he'd seen before, but the truly interesting thing was how she was looking at them.
Her eyes had not left the four of them since they entered the room, they were like an arrow, focused and piercing. He had seen that look before, on Frederick mostly, but sometimes on others, like Lon'qu. The scythe-wielding woman didn't see Chrom, Robin, Lissa, or Frederick as foreigners, or future allies in a war, but as potential threats. She was sizing them up, mentally calculating which of them would pose the most danger, and how to best combat them. And if the subtle side-looks she was giving the princess were any indication, Robin was fairly certain why she was looking at them like that.
Mentally filling the farm instrument-wielding woman under 'Bodyguard', Robin shifted his gaze to the other side and caught a glance of another white-haired person. This one was a young man, a few years younger than Chrom if he had to wager a guess. Considering his appearance and closeness to Jacques, Robin assumed that he was looking at another member of the royal family, the king's young son it seemed.
Unlike his sister, he carried no weapon, unless one counts a sense of confidence, as the white-haired boy truly carried an aura of self-assurance around him. Unlike his father and sister, he wore a smile on his face, and while his posture was as refined as his sister and father, something about it felt….lighter.
Robin didn't have much to dwell on these thoughts as a voice broke out.
"Prince Chrom." King Jacques's voice was careful, nothing could be gleaned from it, whether he was pleased, upset, or just not interested, nothing. "Princess Lissa, Sir Frederick." He nodded to each of the aforementioned persons as he spoke their names before his eyes landed on Robin once again.
"And the fabled tactician, Robin. I must say it is not every day we entertain foreign royalty like this. Welcome to Atlas." He clasped his hands together and a small, satisfied smile wormed its way onto his face.
Well, there we are, so a few things.
One: I hope I didn't go overboard with the scene in the beginning, it was mostly me indulging in my Whiterose loving self, so hopefully it wasn't too much.
Two: There was honestly so much more I wanted to get to this chapter, but I want to get this out at a reasonable time so I'm saving some of it for the next chapter.
Third: I suck at describing scenary, so…hopefully I'll get better…but eh, don't get your hopes up.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I appreciate any sort of feedback.
