The stone floor was freezing.
Noire didn't particularly mind. She had slept on colder floors, and anyways, she was in bed; this was probably just a dream. She had gotten sick yesterday, and slept through the whole thing. She could hear mom, arguing with somebody. Maybe dad?
"You couldn't wait until she was better?"
"I don't choose what Breidblik summons, Tharja." The voice wasn't dad's, there were way too many words being spoken between them. Noire felt a blanket cover her body. She hadn't even noticed she was shivering. She felt a strong hand touch her forehead.
"Hmmm …" That was definitely father's voice, "She has a fever."
"Get her off the floor then," There was a desperation in Tharja's voice that was nearly imperceptible, "Take her to our room."
"Hm." Noire felt herself be lifted into the air, and carried away. She could make out her dad's worried face, and the castle hallways. They were warmer than the ones in Ferox, and brighter than the ones in Ylisse.
"I'm sorry, she's not feeling well," She heard father say, "You can visit her in a little bit." There was that nervous growl of his when he talked to women.
"Gawds, sick again?"
"S-Severa?" Noire managed to croak it out. Yes! A lucid dream! Maybe she could just feel better! She closed her eyes tightly and thought healthy thoughts. Nothing happened. She still felt bad.
"Yeah, it's me," she heard in response, "Lucy's here too. You better feel better, okay? We'll come visit when you're feeling better."
Okay, so maybe it wasn't a lucid dream. She felt herself moving again. After a few minutes, she was shifted, and a door was opened. Noire was gently placed into a bed, and tucked in. It was comfy. The door opened again, and there was a clattering of shoes on the floor.
"How is she?" Ah, mom again.
"Just a fever, I think, but I can grab Lucius or -" Lucius?
"Maribelle," Tharja interrupted, "Please be quick." Noire heard her father leave, and felt a colder, smaller hand touch her head.
"Sweet child," Tharja said quietly, "What happened to my protective hex?" Noire shivered. "No matter, I'm just glad you're here." Noire opened her eyes. Mom was sitting above her, actually smiling. And there were tears in her eyes.
"This is a good dream." Noire said in her ruined voice, before closing her eyes and falling asleep. Tharja touched her daughter's cheek. Perhaps it was time to have a healthy relationship with Noire. After all, you never understand what you're missing until it's gone.
Dining Hall – 11 am
Clarisse kept her distance from Kiran, keeping her body between the summoner and Katarina. He didn't seem to notice, as he was preoccupied. His nose kept running, and his eyes looked like little red globes.
"A-are you okay?" The sniper finally asked. Kiran looked up and tried to give a confident smile.
"I don't think he's okay." Katarina whispered, holding Clarisse tightly.
"Wow, chief! You look awful!" The always chipper Shanna noted as she passed by, "You gotta hydrate and stay warm!"
"Danks." Kiran replied, giving her a unenthusiastic thumbs up. "I'll keeb dat in mind."
There were more than a few of these interactions through his late breakfast. Lyn had offered some Sacaean herbal remedy, Lucius had tried, and failed, to fix it, much to his confusion. Lissa had laughed at him, that was a good one. Clarisse and Katarina tried to lift his mood, but to no avail.
"Kiran, are you alright?" Kiran looked up to see Ishtar, Oboro, Lute, and Sanaki all stood in front of the summoner. Lute immediately began prodding the summoner.
"Hmm, sinus inflammation, running nose, bloodshot eyes …" Lute tapped her chin, "I've read of those symptoms somewhere."
"And Ib sure dere indictaib ub somebing horribying," Kiran replied, "Dharja hexed me."
"I believe you mean Tharja," Lute replied helpfully, "Ah, I remember. Those are symptoms of Magvellian Death Cough!"
"The summoner does not have Magvellian Death Cough," Sanaki scoffed, "Some sort of flu or cold is much more likely."
"But if it's MDC – the new acronym I just invented, by the way – it could already be too late!" the mage poked Kiran again.
"Maybe you four should just keep poking him until you figure it out." Clarisse noted sarcastically. "Hey! Maybe I can poke you four back if you keep it up." She added with a more threatening intonation. Lute slowly retracted her finger, and the quartet made their way to the mess line.
"I hope you feel better, summoner." Ishtar commented, before joining with her friends. Kiran attempted to wave good-bye, but started sneezing instead.
"Seriously, I hope that hex is a short one," Clarisse commented, "You look awful."
"I-I agree," Katarina squeaked out, "Maybe you should visit the infirmary?"
"No danks," he replied darkly, "Lissa hab godden enub enterdainmen oudda-"
"- Yeah, you're definitely going back to the infirmary," Clarisse interrupted, grabbing the summoner and dragging him out of the mess hall. "Coming, Reese?"
"Y-yeah!" The duo left a mass of onlookers as the summoner tried, unsuccessfully, to break his hold.
"Why are you dill doing dhis?" Kiran cried out. Clarisse unceremoniously dropped him onto the stone floor.
"Because we're friends, you idiot." She hissed, "You never take care of yourself, and I bet this hex shouldn't be half this bad if you actually took care of yourself!"
"I slebbed last night!" he protested.
"Oh right, Ishtar got through to you," Clarisse said, sarcasm dripped from her voice like venom, "So how much do you normally sleep?"
"... Bree hours."
"And how much did you sleep last night?"
" … Four hours." Clarisse just sighed heavily.
"You better double that," She grumbled, "Or I swear I will …" Katarina pulled on her skirt. "What's up, Reese?"
"You shouldn't threaten the summoner," She scolded. "At this point I'm sure he thinks it's just a tactic, and therefore a waste of time."
"Dank you, Katarina."
"You should threaten him with Ishtar, since he kept giving her the puppy dog eyes when Lute was poking him." She reasoned.
"Katarina, you traitoooooor…" Clarisse smiled devilishly, and gave the petite mage a hug.
"Reese, you are a genius." She announced. Kiran could barely hold in his sobs.
Library – 1 pm
"Lady Priscilla, you are much too tense." Kagero noted, as she carefully looked through pages of her poetry. Today, the duo planned to look into visual poetry, and have the group create some of their own.
"Well," Priscilla began, "While most of our group is rather agreeable, there are a few that …" She faded off after that, shifting nervously.
"Ah, you mean Lord Hector?" She asked. Priscilla scowled.
"Yes, I can only imagine what vulgarities will come from his mind today." She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Kagero started massaging the noble's shoulders. Priscilla instantly relaxed, but still frowned.
"It will only be worse if you think about it," she replied, "Just focus on the people you want to teach. I'll handle the others." Priscilla gently held the ninja's hand.
"Oh, you are such a comfort, Lady Kagero!"
Kagero chuckled, "Do not thank me quite yet; I'm assuming we will have new guests."
"New guests?" Priscilla asked, "Whomever do you mean?"
"Perhaps she's referring to me, Lady Priscilla." Lyn was standing by the doorway, bemused look on her face. "Though I may not be much better than Lord Hector."
"Lady Lyndis!" Priscilla looked horrified, "I did not mean to insult-" Lyn put her hand up.
"It's alright," she replied, "I know how my husband can be. That's why I came up with a … um … contingency plan." She motioned to the door, where a red garbed girl was standing. "I presume you have met Lilina before?"
"Oh my," Priscilla said, looking over the mage, "Using your daughter to keep Lord Hector in line? That seems a little underhanded."
"If you want father to behave himself, he needs direction sometimes!" Lilina said strongly. Kagero was surprised. The girl, despite her feminine looks and demeanor, had a very strong air about her. Lyn hugged Lilina from behind, her falcon-like eyes beaming with pride.
"See? She has her mother's sharpness, if anything." Lyn stated. Lilina blushed furiously.
"Mother, you're embarrassing me!" She yelled. Lyn merely laughed at this, and hugged the girl tightly. Kagero looked between the two of them. Lilina never truly kept to herself, but she never ran through the same circles.
"Lilina," The ninja said, "Have you enjoyed your time here?"
"Ah, yes!" came the reply, "I didn't go to any clubs last week, but I went to Lady Tharja's class, and Sir Frederick's art class!"
"I don't recall seeing you there," She remarked, "Were you late?"
Lilina stammered, "W-well, yes … My apologies!" She frantically apologized, which caused Kagero to chuckle.
"No harm no foul, I believe the saying goes." She replied.
"So, what does the honorable Lady Priscilla have prepared for us?" Lyn asked playfully, "I've never been one for poetry."
"W-well, we're trying something new, something that Kiran had mentioned doing once when he was younger."
Kagero spread out papers, ink, and various other objects on the floor of the library. "It is called 'visual poetry', and it will facilitate a more creative experience."
"Those are some big words I hear!" A booming voice from outside stated. Hector had arrived at the entrance, looking rather excitable. He was standing with Nino, who had also dragged Marisa and Fir along. "I'm looking forward to sharing some more poetry with all of you!" The Marquis lifted Lilina into the air, to which she loudly protested. "Especially my precious daughter."
"Well, Lilina," Fir grinned, "I never expected to see you in this situation." Lilina grew flushed with embarrassment.
"Father!" She cried out. Hector chortled with joy.
"Sorry! I can't help but embarrass you!" He replied. Lyn laughed as well, pinching her daughter's cheeks.
"Do you want some help?" Kagero offered. Lilina shook her head. At this point, there was little the duo could do to embarrass her further.
Infirmary – 2 pm
Lissa had now been laughing for nearly two hours.
"I failub to see da hubor ob dis situation." Kiran sat there, arms crossed and a pout on his face. This only caused Lissa to laugh even harder.
"I gonna die, oh gods!" She cried out in hysterics. Even Lucius cracked a smile and chuckled.
"Nob you doo." Kiran groaned, blowing his nose. A trumpeting sound could be heard across the infirmary. Lissa took several deep gasps of air.
"Okay, I'm okay now," She finally said, "But you're gonna need to not talk for a little bit." Kiran frowned, but kept silent. "So there's no way to get rid of a Tharja hex, unless you're Henry. And that is likely to backfire horribly." She pulled out a small piece of parchment and started scribbling on it. "I recommend some bedrest, and the hex will dissolve on it's own."
"Bedbest?"
"It's the best I can do, buddy!" Lissa poked at the summoner. "Besides, everyone knows you don't get enough sleep. Sleep this off, for everyone's sakes."
"Bid Claribse ged to you too?" Kiran asked. Lissa took another deep breath, genuinely attempting to hold it in.
"Yes, she has expressed concern about this multiple times," she admitted, "And I'm going to have her check on you as well." Kiran groaned. "What? Be thankful you have people who care about you." She pinned the parchment to Kiran's cloak. "Now go get some sleep, or should I say, sleeb." Kiran thought about giving her an obscene gesture, but chose to skulk away instead. The sounds of her laughter reverberated throughout the castle.
Noire woke up from an extremely pleasant dream. Mother was crying over her, holding her hand and saying things she had never recalled hearing her say before. She kept threatening to curse someone named Kiran, and she swore she could hear Aunt Maribelle talking her down …
"Cursing people here could have great consequences, Tharja! Are you sure you're thinking properly?" The hand was still around Noire's own, and it tightened it's grip. Noire squinted, and snuck a peek at the outside surroundings. Tharja and Maribelle were having a reserved argument, exchanging terse words.
"If Brady was in similar shape, you would be in no mood for holier-than-thou speeches." Tharja said harshly. Noire could sense a raspy quality to her voice.
"Do not," Maribelle growled, "bring Brady into this. You and I have known each other for quite awhile now; you do not need to be hostile to me." The two were quiet for awhile, before Tharja spoke.
"I apologize," She replied, "Out of all of you, you're the only one who understands." She shook a little. "I was so worried, that out of everyone, I would be the one who had no child in Askr."
"Why would you worry about that?" Maribelle asked.
"You and I both know the type of mother I am," Tharja muttered, "Or was. Whatever." Noire closed her eyes before her mother could look down. It may have been slightly dishonest, but she wanted to hear more. She had long forgiven this version of her mother; she had only attempted to hex her once, and ceased when she realized the extent of the damage her future self had done. Noire knew all this, but she still wanted to hear it. "She deserved so much better than me, I was always worried she would rather … be away from her mother. Her … tormentor." Maybe she was still asleep, mother would never be this self-depreciating. "When Lon'qu arrived, I held out hope for months, thinking that Noire would be right around the corner, with her ridiculous smile. Her strange sentimentalities."
Maribelle's reply was cautious. "But she's here now."
Noire felt her hand become free as something heavier rested on her stomach. She peeked again. Tharja was resting her head on her stomach, looking towards Maribelle. The troubadour's expression was one of surprise. Noire could feel the uneven rhythm of sobbing, even though no sound came from her mother. "Do I have the right to feel so happy, Maribelle?" Noire instinctively started combing her fingers through her mother's hair. It used to calm her down when she had nightmares, so maybe …
Tharja let out a rattled sigh, and there was silence for a few minutes. Noire didn't speak, and neither did Maribelle, who was looking at the archer with intrigue. Perhaps there was a moment of revelation, as Tharja quickly sat up and looked into her daughter's eyes. Noire had never seen her mother cry, her eyes rimmed red. "Hey, mom," She said weakly, "I'm here." Tharja wrapped her arms around the daughter's shoulders. Noire could've been mistaken, but she swore she saw a smile.
The same goofy grin she tended to sport.
Library – 2 pm
"Father, what is that, exactly?" Hector was kneeling over a cornucopia of ink-stained paper. He was now working on a picture of three people, created by various words. One was holding a large axe triumphantly, while the other two were holding hands. "Obviously you are the one holding Armads, but is this mother and I?" Hector rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well, I couldn't really think of something for you two to do." He admitted. Lyn smirked, and crossed her arms.
"Oh? An accomplished mage and a skilled swords-woman, and you couldn't think of a thing for us to do?" She asked mockingly. She pecked him on the cheek and looked lovingly at the picture. "Lilina's sharp mind certainly came from my side of the family."
"I never argued that." Hector muttered. He leaned over and looked at Lilina's visual poem. "What is that?!" He cried out, pointing to her work. A strange cubic shape in which the words were barely coherent.
Lilina gave him a look of confusion. "It's just a magic spell placed into a cubic structure," she said, "There is not much to it." She turned to her father, who was now tearing up. "... Did I say something strange?" The Marquis wrapped her in an immense bear hug.
"My daughter is a genius!" He cried out. Lyn moved in for a hug of her own.
"You don't get to hog her, you know!" She said sweetly, as Lilina protested loudly.
"Do I need to separate you three?" They could hear Kagero say.
"Lilina's parent's sure are affectionate, aren't they?"
"Fir, how do you spell 'affectionate'?" Fir turned to face Nino and Marisa. The trio had decided to collaborate on a visual poem of their own, which was becoming quite the project. Nino knew what she wanted, but it was up to Marisa and Fir to do most of the spelling.
"A-f-f-e-c-t-i-o-n-a-t-e." Fir said slowly but precisely, before looking at the picture they had constructed. It was a lot of people doing various things. "So, who do we have here, Nino?"
Nino scratched her chin, before pointing at people one at a time. "So, this is Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector, because they saved me. This is Jaffar, because I like him a lot." She pointed to the person near the bottom. "That's me, because I have a ton of friends now, and I needed the room." She pointed to the two people beside her. "These two are you guys, because you're always there for me!" Fir turned to Marisa, who would hiding her face from both of them. "And these are the rest of our friends. Lute, Sanaki, Athena, Kagero, Nephenee …" She pointed from person to person. " … Oboro made me a scarf when I was cold, and Cordelia and Robin helped me dance! Peri cooked with me, and Ishtar is my magic tutor!"
"You certainly have a lot of friends." Marisa noted.
"Yeah," Nino replied, "But you guys are always there when the others can't be, so that's why you're next to me!"
"I-I see." Fir looked at Marisa's embarrassed face, and made a note of it. After all, it wasn't often that your rival showed weakness that easily.
East Hall – 4 pm
"So, the first thing we need to do to design a new dress is to get your measurements."
"That is a concept I'm aware of." Ishtar replied. She and Oboro had spent a large amount of the day together. Most of the time was spent getting to know each other; but Ishtar had the feeling that neither of them had really told each other much of anything. "I am excited to see the process though."
"Why stop there?" A kind voice seemed to intercept their conversation with falcon-like precision. "I think you should really take part in the process." The tall visage of Cherche stepped into stride, her dull pink hair whipping behind her like a maelstrom. Ishtar had seen her around frequently, but had never made an attempt to talk to her. She seemed … intense, to say the least.
"I have never sewed in my life." Ishtar noted. The aura around the wyvern knight seemed to darken.
"You don't look down on the craft, I assume." It was phrased as a question, but Ishtar knew better. She had been on the receiving end of such statements, and issued a few of her own.
"Not at all," she replied calmly. How, in the goddess's name, was she this calm? "I just know nothing of it."
"I-I can help with that!" Oboro nearly shouted. Cherche shook her head, wearing a slight smile on her face.
"No, no," she said calmly, "You promised to help Lucina, remember? I'll help …"
" … Ishtar."
" Lady Ishtar," Cherche continued, "I'm Cherche, please call upon me whenever you need assistanc-" The three of them turned a corner to see an interesting sight.
Someone had found themselves ensnared in a net that was conspicuously set up in the middle of the hall. There were two people, likely the trap-setters, standing next to them, chatting casually to the victim. Upon closer inspection, Ishtar recognized the victim as Robin, who she had met just a day or two prior. A good man, so why would he -
"I never thought this would be the trap to get you, father!" The excitable voice of the smaller trapper could be heard from where they were. Ishtar could also hear the chuckling of the taller woman next to the little girl. Everything about the duo screamed 'odd couple' - the little girl who was wearing Robin's coat, called him 'father', and bounced around incessantly; and the tall woman, covered in strange tattoos and … a surprising lack of clothing.
Robin grimaced, and began to scold the girl. "Morgan, that was really dangerous! What if you had trapped …" He looked around, seeing the trio of women staring at their scene. "Cherche! Would that have been fun?" Morgan tapped her chin, looking between Cherche and Robin. The wyvern rider gave Morgan a bright smile, and she turned to face the tactician.
"Sorry, father," she said bashfully, "I just thought this would be the best shot to capture you!" The taller woman wrapped her hands around Morgan's shoulders.
"Oh, your father is just upset he got bested."
"That's not what this is about you ha-aaaaaaaagh!" Robins cheek stretched comically as the woman pinched and pulled it. "Wooonderful little sister! Could you please let goooooo! Ow!" She turned to Cherche. "Good day, Lady Cherche; how goes your day?"
"Very well, Lady Aversa," came the reply, "I assume you're well, considering you're teasing Robin again." Ishtar couldn't quite place it, but there seemed to be unseen tensions between the two. They seemed standoffish, and Aversa seemed to be slightly defensive, but that was the most she could parse.
"Well, aren't you just the cutest little bean?!" Oboro gave her trademark smile, and approached Morgan. "You're Robin's daughter?"
Morgan beamed in response, "Yes ma'am!" she said, "I'm Morgan, the sweet yet rambunctious tactician-in-training!"
"Rambunctious is not exactly a word I would describe myself with …" Ishtar muttered, but left it alone. The girl had a rather infectious personality, seemingly making friends with Oboro instantaneously. Cherche also seemed to enjoy her company, asking her about 'Gerome'.
"You know, your advice was really good!" She stated, "Gerome really enjoyed those cookies!" Cherche chuckled. Ishtar attempted to gather information via osmosis. Perhaps Gerome was Cherche's son? The Ylisseans all seemed to have children, so the possibility was rather likely. "So wait, who are you?" Ishtar looked down. The child was taller than she expected, and had vibrant red hair, similar to that pegasus knight … Cordelia, she recollected.
"I am Ishtar, mage of Friege," she responded, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Morgan." Morgan made a bashful face, and laughed awkwardly.
"Lady? Please, I'm just your humble everyday tactician." She mumbled to herself.
"Morgan, why don't you go find your mother?" Aversa suggested, "I'll take care of your father." Morgan turned to protest, but the dark mage whispered something in her ear.
"Okay, but don't try to talk yourself out of this one!" She said eagerly, before running down the corridor. Aversa chortled, before turning her attention to Robin.
"I really do enjoy being her aunt, big brother," She teased the tactician as he was pulled down. "She reminds me a lot of myself." Robin thought of several snappy retorts, but held them in. "Ah, no mean comments now?"
"She's definitely a less annoying version of yooooooou!"
"My my! Your cheeks really do that wonderfully rubbery thing Lissa always talks about!"
Ishtar decided that now would be a good time to interject. "Sir Robin, thank you for showing me around the castle a few days back." Robin rubbed his cheek, and he and Aversa stuck their tongues out at each other before he turned his attention to the Friegian.
"It was no trouble at all, Lady Ishtar," he replied, "I'm pleased you have made some friends already." Ishtar noticed that he was purposefully trying to avoid eye contact with Cherche.
"Morgan is so adorable, Robin!" Oboro started gushing, "Just imagining her and Selena in matching yukata … I could die!"
"Add that to your growing list of projects." Robin joked, before he was approached by the wyvern rider. "Uh … yes, Cherche?"
"I'm assuming you and Gaius have not discussed what Cordelia and I had brought to your attention?" Ishtar had only known Cherche for a few minutes, but was already recognizing the subtle shift in her voice. Out of anyone she had ever met, she was the closest to the beast she rode. "You two did promise."
"Y-yeah." He replied lamely.
"Cordelia and I are interested to hear your opinions on that matter."
"Right."
"Can I trust you to talk to him?"
"Ye … Yes." Robin seemed to slump forward, defeated in every way imaginable. Aversa let out a dry laugh.
"You and I must converse over tea at some point, Lady Cherche," She said, "I nearly forgot how fun you are." With that, the dark mage was off, taking long strides down the corridor Morgan had left minutes before. Robin muttered something of his own, and took off in the opposite direction.
"Cherche, you are absolutely incredible." Oboro stated. Ishtar could only nod in agreement.
Tharja's Room: 4:15 pm
"Alright, you two; you're aware of Noire's food preferences, correct?"
"Of course!"
"Allergies?"
"Yes."
"You can trust us, Aunt Tharja."
Tharja's eyes narrowed at Lucina, but she said nothing. Of course these two were the most trustworthy when it came to Noire; that was without question.
"Mother, you can trust them." She heard her daughter say, most of the weakness in her voice completely gone. "We're only going to sew and relax." Tharja sighed, then smiled weakly.
"Alright then," she said, "If there are any problems, I'll …" The three were out of the room like a whirlwind.
"Ok thanks mom!" Tharja could hear Noire say. She sighed, and sat on the bed.
"You aren't going to follow them?" she looked up at Lon'qu, who was standing by the door. "I can tell you want to."
Tharja's shoulders slumped, and she seemed to be moping. "In a minute, I think we've had plenty of excitement for a day." She beckoned him over, which he heeded. The myrmidon sat next to her on the bed, and only shivered for a moment when she laid her head on his shoulder. "You're getting much better at the whole woman thing." She sounded displeased, which Lon'qu picked up on. "Yes, I'm annoyed. You won't have a reason to spend as much time with me if you get too comfortable."
"I'm your husband." She chuckled at that.
"I'm glad you know who's the dominant one in our relationship." Lon'qu sputtered at that. Tharja got up, and kissed him deeply. "That makes us even." He didn't answer past a syllable or two, and the mage whisked herself away.
It took her no time at all to reach the eastern wing of the castle. As she reached the door that she was certain held the sewing class, she saw two familiar faces. Sumia and Cordelia held up their fingers in a 'shush'-ing motion, to which Tharja glared in response. Still, she said nothing, and took a peek inside. Severa, Lucina, and Noire sat on large pillows, chatting while working on what looked like dresses. That seamstress, Oboro, seemed to be frantically helping them. There were others there, including Maribelle and Lissa. I should probably thank her later. She thought.
"Aren't they just perfect?" The mage heard Sumia squeak out. While Tharja concurred, she was loathe to admit such a thing, even to her queen.
"Oh, they get along so wonderfully!" Cordelia breathed. Tharja rolled her eyes. Even Robin's wife could be idiotic if she tried, it seemed. "You think so as well, hmmm, Tharja?"
"Hmmm, sure." She really wasn't paying attention. She was looking at her daughter. Despite being ill, despite her childhood, she still had her head up, and she was smiling.
"Are you alright, Tharja?" She heard Sumia ask. "Your face …"
Cordelia smiled brightly. Tharja felt her face heat up. She hadn't. They didn't. "Tharja," she teased, "Is that a smile I see?"
Sumia nearly squealed with delight. Tharja attempted to shrink into her cape. Curse this small cape. "You look just like Noire! You're so beautif-mmph!" Tharja's hands covered both women's mouths.
"Don't you two dare say anymore." She hissed. As she removed her hands, her heart sank as Sumia gave her a rare smirk.
"You would order about your queen, Tharja?" She asked mockingly, as Tharja scowled. She had once made the assumption that Sumia was an airheaded fool. And while she was a klutz, and sometimes forgetful, she was terrifying when she wanted to be. "And don't you think about hexing me."
" … I had no plans to do that."
"Good," was the prompt response, "So that means we can dote on you as much as we want!"
Tharja was perplexed. What on earth did she mean by that? "What?" She finally asked. It was all she could manage. Sumia looked at Cordelia, and the two of them nodded in affirmation.
"If our girls can get along that well, we should try too!" Cordelia said confidently. Tharja snorted, but didn't turn away.
"Good luck with that," She stated, "I'm not as agreeable as Noire."
"Oh, don't be that way," Cordelia replied, "Come on, I bet we can get Stahl to make us some cakes as well." Tharja muttered something under her breath, but walked along with the two pegasus knights. She had a hard time finding a place to enter their conversation, which had now shifted to some sappy novels that Sumia had borrowed from the library. Still, Tharja found herself listening in, like she was some child. Maybe this was how Noire felt when she was with those two. "I'm sorry, Tharja." She was brought back to earth by Cordelia, who was looking at her apologetically. "I know you're not interested in romance novels or the like. We just said we'd include you."
Tharja huffed and turned her head. "Do what you like." She said harshly, but she hid her face again. She could feel the stares of the duo stabbing through her. "What?"
"Nothing." Sumia giggled, "Let's get something sweet."
The trio was startled by a door flinging open. Lute was staring at them, her mouth covered in chocolate. Tharja looked inside. The room was a sitting room of some sort, and in the center sat a pot with liquid chocolate. Sanaki, Kagero, Delthea and the pair of Clarisse and Katarina were resting around the pot, putting random fruit inside. Cordelia's eyes seemed to reflect the fondue pot like some ancient treasure.
"Ah, Tharja," Lute stated, unaware of the chocolate on her face. "Your timing is impeccable. Stahl gave us too much for this dessert."
Sumia, by some miracle, navigated the room without incident. Cordelia and Tharja followed suit, the latter hesitantly, as Lute closed the door behind them.
"Okay," Delthea said the moment the door shut, "Now we can continue with our talk."
"What were you talking about?" Sumia asked. Delthea blushed, and muttered something. Tharja blanched. Oh gods, please not -
"I'm fairly certain we were 'gossiping'," Lute replied, sitting next to Sanaki and grabbing her stick. "Let us continue."
"Oh gods." Tharja muttered. What on earth had she gotten herself into?
East Parlor Room – 6 pm
To say that Ishtar was exhausted would be an understatement of the year. Cherche was relentless, teaching her how to measure, design, and picking appropriate fabric and planning out a design. She hadn't even started on the actual sewing yet. Ishtar attempted to hide her frustration, but apparently she wasn't doing a good job of it. Cherche had approached her again, and tapped her shoulder. "That's a good design," she commented, "You're improving considerably."
"Hardly," Ishtar replied, "I knew sewing was difficult, but I never realized it was this challenging." The wyvern rider looked pleased with herself, but surprisingly didn't rub it in.
"It is, but you have already done so much in one session." Ishtar was surprised. Cherche seemed to completely change her tune, even if it was subtle. "I'm glad you're taking this seriously."
The Friegian frowned. "It would be completely beneath my station to not take something seriously." She stated, "Even if it's something I have never done before." She got a hearty laugh in response. "I did not think that was humorous."
"You should never meet my husband," Cherche replied, "I don't think you two would see eye to eye on anything." She carefully folded the cloth that Ishtar had chosen, placing it in a small compartment on a large shelf. Everyone had their name scrawled on one of the compartment doors, making it clear whose was whose. Cherche handed her a quill. "It feels more personal when you write your own name." She explained. Ishtar smiled slightly, and wrote her name carefully.
"Ah, your handwriting is so dignified!" She heard Oboro gush from behind her. The seamstress was bouncing up and down, holding vast amounts of cloth.
"That is … quite an amount of cloth." Ishtar noted, "What project are you working on?"
"Projects," Oboro corrected, "I have a yukata design for Cherche, Nephenee, and now you!"
"Me?" she asked, "We've only just met." Oboro nodded with all her being, eyes brimming with excitement.
"This is just what friends do for each other!" She stated simply. "And it's almost time for dinner! Were you planning on eating with anybody?" Ishtar was taken aback. Most people in Friege tended to avoid her, fearing some sort of reprisal from her father, or mother, or Julius … But here, everyone was so … friendly.
"I had no plans." She admitted. Pondering for a moment, Ishtar recollected all the people she met in just a couple of days. It was not an unpleasant feeling, being around new faces. She had barely had time to reminisce about home. Besides, most of the remembering was not pleasant anymore. Ishtar felt herself get dragged by the hand. Cherche looked at her and gave that enigmatic smile.
"You were not with us for a moment. Is everything alright?" She asked. They were already out in the hallway, Oboro leading the way with Cherche, Tana, Elincia, and Nephenee following in stride.
"I'm alright, thank you for your concern."
Tana was the first one to speak up. "Have you enjoyed what the castle has to offer, Lady Ishtar?"
"Yes, I have," she replied, "Very much so. Everyone has been very cordial to me." This seemed to open the group up, as everyone began to converse, much to Ishtar's relief. As much as she appreciated the attention, it was a little overwhelming to have everyone fretting over her.
Around a bend in the hall, Ishtar could've sworn she heard several voices behind one door. Before she could determine who could be in the room, she received her answer in the form of Clarisse swinging the door open. Her face was flushed, and she paused as she looked at Ishtar. "You!" She shouted, pointing at the mage. The archer started laughing. "Perfect timing; we were just gonna start looking for you!" Ishtar could tell she was tipsy. She was plenty experienced with alcohol as well.
"What could you possibly need with Ish-" Tana looked into the room, seeing the fondue fountain. She stood silent for a moment.
"Tana, yer alright?" Nephenee peeked in as well. She was immediately met with the image of Kagero stuffing a whole marshmallow into her mouth. The ninja looked at Nephenee, then the fondue, then back to Nephenee. Her face grew a rare shade of scarlet.
"Nerpherner, whert a surpurz." She attempted to say through her stuffed mouth. Oboro and Nephenee both snapped mental pictures of it, for very different reasons.
"What's the occasion?" Elincia asked. Clarisse looked up and down the hallway, then beckoned the group in. As soon as the door closed, seemingly everyone began peppering Ishtar with questions. The verbal assault came over the mage like a riptide, until Tharja cleared her throat. Everyone grew silent.
"Are we all children?" She asked brusquely, "How do you expect her to answer 5 questions at the same time?" Nobody responded. Ishtar made a note to thank the slightly disagreeable woman sometime later. "Why don't we ask her 5 questions, and leave it at that?"
"5 questions?" Delthea groaned, "That's barely anything!"
"Then think about your question; we could act like infants if you would rather do that. Also, let our new guests get seated!"
Cherche took a spot next to Cordelia, while Tana and Elincia sat near Sanaki and Lute. Nephenee chose the spot next to Kagero, where she was already fidgeting and playing with her hair. Clarisse sat back down next to Katarina, who rested her head on the archer's shoulder. She grew red and tried to hide her face behind her blonde hair.
"I'm just letting you do this because you look tired!" Clarisse hissed. It was hardly convincing.
That left Ishtar and Oboro. Oboro took a seat next to Nephenee, and Ishtar followed suit. Almost immediately after she was seated, she heard an excited voice speak up.
"So, rumor is that you like the summoner!" Ishtar raised an eyebrow. Cordelia was looking at the mage eagerly. Her friend was equally engaged; at least Tharja and Cherche didn't seem to care. Ishtar thought about the statement for a moment. While she did appreciate the summoner's help the night prior, that was hardly a reason to harbor romantic feelings. True, she had revealed an awful truth to him, something that was hard to do. True, she really did appreciate him going out of his way to help her later, even though he could have spent that time dealing with Commander Anna. But to call that appreciation 'love' was an insult to the idea of love and the love she had held for so long.
"He is very kind, but I can hardly call my appreciation of his help anything romantic." She finally said. Delthea groaned again.
"That's such a boooooring answer!" She cried out.
"Unfortunately, it is the only answer I have," Ishtar replied apologetically, "My heart belongs to another, so I have not the time for childish romances." The others seemed disappointed, and the room fell silent for a minute. But Clarisse frowned for a moment.
"Wait … you don't mean the guy who made you do all that awful child-slavery stuff, do you?" Ishtar frowned. When framed that way, it was hardly a fair question. "Didn't you hate that?"
"O-of course I did, but he was not himself during that time …" Ishtar argued.
"Wait, he made you do what?" Oboro piped in. Ishtar felt her heart sank. This was what she was afraid of. Her fresh start, stained by her past.
"I didn't want to," she argued, "But I couldn't just disobey him!" Ishtar closed her eyes. She could see their judging faces in her head anyways. "I didn't want to -"
"Ishtar …" That was Sanaki's voice. She was certain the Empress would hate her now. How could she not?
"I couldn't just leave him alone!"
" … I thought that once." Ishtar vaguely recognized the meek voice as Katarina's. "That leaving what I knew would end up with me being alone. But you can break fr-" Ishtar had had enough. She stood up abruptly.
"I apologize for my intrusion," she said in a cracked voice, "I will take my leave now." And with that, she stormed off.
She almost slammed into a small metal cart, being steered by a green haired man in similarly colored armor. After apologizing profusely, she started off again. After a couple seconds, Cordelia and Sumia walked out the room, looking worried. Tharja was right behind them.
"Sumia, why don't we have Oboro or Lute help?" Cordelia asked, "They know her a little better." The Queen looked determined, and shook her head.
"I want to help her," she explained, "She's new like me, and she thinks that she's a bad person! I can't leave someone like that." Cordelia and Tharja both sighed.
"I think Robin might be right about you and Chrom after all." Cordelia muttered as they walked away.
Oscar stood there for a second, taking in the situation, before opening the door. Some eleven women were muttering amongst themselves with worried expressions. Out of all the days to be stuck with kitchen duty. He thought.
"Um … You did request dinner to be served here, right?" Oscar asked.
"Oh perfect, that was me." Lute perked up, and walked over to the cavalier.
"Yeesh, Lute," Delthea responded, "Read the room." Lute laughed at this.
"There are no pages on the walls, Delthea; what a silly notion."
Lucina's Balcony – 7 pm
"BLOOD AND THUNDER!"
"Sev, why did you give her that drink?"
"I didn't give it to her, Lucy," Severa corrected, "She took it from me." Noire was now screaming into the night, hurling not-so-empty threats to any wildlife that could hear her. Severa had saved a bottle of wine for the off-chance that Noire would join them; and now was that time.
What a mistake.
"I WILL ANNIHILATE ANYONE THAT DARES OPPOSE ME!"
"Noire, you're not possessed," Severa declared, annoyed at how far this had gone already. Noire paused for a moment.
"R-really?" she responded.
"You're just really drunk."
Noire looked slightly crestfallen. "Oh." She finally squeaked out. Lucina approached her.
"Don't fret," she said, "You're still strong, even when you aren't … you know." Noire grinned.
"Yeah, I get it." The archer looked out over the balcony. "Do you remember the promise we made each other? We'd all end up living five minutes from each other, and always do things together?"
Severa nodded, "Sure, why bring it up now?" Noire smiled.
"I don't like fighting, and I was never one for adventuring," She admitted, "I was always afraid I would get left behind." Noire started tearing up. "Y-you two saved this wine for meeeee!" The trio hugged each other.
"Of course, you idiot." Severa whispered.
"We'll never leave you behind."
The three chatted for awhile after that, watching the guards and making poor jokes. It was after the fourth attempt to bother Inigo as he made his rounds that they saw her. Ishtar was pacing the outside of the castle grounds, looking rather bothered. The three hid behind the large stone columns that made the balcony fencing.
"Should we go talk to her?" Noire whispered. Severa and Lucina shook their heads. "But she looks so sad!"
"We have no clue what's going on, and she looked really upset." Severa argued, "We'd likely make things worse."
"So we're just going to watch?"
"No, we're going to get someone who can probably help." Lucina replied. That was when she saw three figures approach from the castle gate. "Or not."
Ishtar turned towards the small entrance of the castle she had just used. Tharja, Cordelia, and one of the new heroes stood in front of her. The brown haired girl approached the mage. She awkwardly bowed, before almost magically slamming into the ground. Cordelia helped her up as she muttered in frustration. Something about first impressions, Ishtar was much too distracted to hear beyond that.
"H-hi!" She stammered. "I'm Sumia! We haven't properly met yet!"
" … Ishtar." came the curt yet confused reply. Sumia seemed to be pumping herself up with every word she said.
"Ishtar, that's a beautiful name." She stated, before continuing. "I don't know what happened, and I'm not going to pretend I know …"
"Stop." Ishtar croaked. She didn't need any more self-reflection tonight. Just being in this situation was increasing the tension in her head.
Sumia would not take this answer, however. Her face darkened, and she continued. "My husband recruited a lot of people into his armies. People that most others would turn their nose up to and drive away."
"Your point?"
"W-well, he says that most people have a lot of good in them, and that it's always worth trying to talk it out." Ishtar sighed, and walked to a nearby bench. As she sat, the weight of her past seemed to pull her down even further, though her proper upbringing kept her posture straight. "I know it sounds corny, but he has a knack about finding good people."
"That would explain why he has yet to meet me."
"I've met you, though," Sumia replied, "And I think you're a good person." Ishtar shook her head. "The others believe so, too."
"Oh, they probably hate me by now," Ishtar said coldly, "All I wanted was an escape. A new start."
It was Cordelia's turn to speak. "Believe me, you can't run away from the past. You need to face it and accept what it meant and be better from it." She touched Ishtar's shoulder, "You've been here two days and already have friends who rely on you. That's not something a bad person does for other people."
"Oh, you underestimate people," Tharja interjected, "But she has a point. You'll always be some amalgamation of your regrets and fears in your head until you accept them for what they are." Cordelia and Sumia stared at the dark mage. " … What?"
"That was just … kind of insightful, Tharja." Cordelia noted.
"Don't get used to it." She turned to Ishtar. "Well, are you going to mope here, or are you gonna come back with us, eat dinner, and have everyone apologize to you for their idiotic questions?" Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"Not exactly how I would phrase it, but okay." She mumbled. Ishtar stood up. She looked unsure, and was shivering slightly.
"I don't think cordiality is possible once people know what I've done." She said quietly.
"I don't abide what you did," Cordelia stated harshly, "But if I can forgive my friend's killer, I can easily forgive you and help you repent."
Sumia nodded, "I'm willing to help you, in any way I can."
Tharja was quiet, but helped pull the Friegian up from the bench. She nodded, and made her way back to the entrance. "Well?" She shouted, "Don't just gawk there like three griffons. Let's get inside!"
Ishtar was still nervous, and her soul still felt heavy, but maybe … Just maybe …
Her fresh start wasn't completely ruined.
"Oh my gawds, our moms are sooo cool!" Severa nearly rolled on the ground, her face flush with drunkenness. She looked at Lucina and Noire. "You two better not tell them, but they are so cool!"
The rest of the fondue party passed without incident. Delthea, Clarisse, and Ishtar all apologized to each other, and outside of everyone promising to help Ishtar out, the rest of the night revolved around silly gossip and rumors. Well, until Kagero kissed Nephenee to show everyone how cute she could be. Tana squealed for almost five straight minutes. After another hour or so, the group eventually started to disperse.
"Hey, hey Ishtar." Clarisse's words were slurred. Oscar had left the cart in the room, and within a few minutes of Kagero's kiss, somebody found the alcohol. "Issshtar. You gotta check on Kiran."
Ishtar was taken aback. "Why do I need to do that?"
"Because if I go I'm gonna chuck on Kiran." Clarisse laughed at that, and wobbled. Katarina barely held her up, but she held. "Get it? Like throw up. Ha ha ha … that would be gross." Ishtar made a face.
"I concur." she replied, "But why me?"
"Are you kidding? You got him two extra hours of sleep! He'd probably throw himself offa bridge for you..." she slumped a little bit, before Katarina turned her around.
"Sorry, I'm gonna get her into bed before she finds her bow." The tactician said apologetically. Ishtar nodded, and began making her way towards the summoner's room. Tharja had mentioned hexing him, so she might as well make sure the the center of the wheel was holding up properly. Besides, she owed him a favor or two.
At this point, three. She thought, before she heard some footsteps behind her. Kagero was standing behind her, though she could've sworn she had left to take Nephenee to her room.
"Y-yes?" Ishtar stuttered subconsciously. She could feel a sinister aura eminate from the ninja. Kagero was now only a few feet from the mage.
"I want you to know," She said, "I don't like what you did, and I don't trust you like the others."
"Oh." Ishtar sighed. She supposed at least one person would actually feel like that. Deservedly so.
"Answer me this: What was your fiance like before the child-hunts started?"
Ishtar was taken aback; where did this come from? "H-he was always so kind to me, and gentle. Julius had a slightly bratty personality; he always wanted me to have the best things."
Kagero chuckled at that, but shifted back quickly. "You did unspeakable things due to your devotion to a man who either only existed for a brief moment, or never existed at all." Ishtar opened her mouth to protest, but found herself not talking. "I can understand that. I have killed many people due to my devotion to my liege." Kagero turned away from Ishtar. "But you regret not fighting back. You were weak and afraid." Ishtar was slightly insulted, but Kagero was right on the money. The ninja faced the mage again. Her face hidden in shadow. "If you really want to grow, you will not back away the next time you're faced with such a choice."
" … So what will it take?"
"Excuse me?"
"I know you heard me. What will it take to earn your trust? And what will it take for me to cast this aside?"
Kagero pondered the question for a moment. "First of all, it isn't that simple. Secondly, one person's opinion is irrelevant in this situation."
"Yours is the only one that matches my own," Ishtar retorted, "Therefore I hold it in high esteem."
" … If we ever meet your fiance, and he is not a changed man … you must disavow him and his principles." Ishtar took a sharp intake of breath. She wasn't sure she could disavow him now, while he wasn't here. What could she do if she had to face Julius? "You may never have to do such a thing, but those are my conditions. If you truly regret what you have done, you must have the integrity to cast aside those who would pull you back under."
"Why do you care so much?" Ishtar asked. She had to know. What did she gain from this?
Kagero shrugged. "Nephenee mentioned that you looked like a caged animal. She wants to help you, so I'll assist her in any way possible." And with a puff of smoke, she was gone. Ishtar stared at the blank wall for a minute or so, before pressing on. Two days of fun and two emotionally exhausting nights; at least there was no way for it to intensify -
Ishtar walked into Kiran's room, only to find the summoner being pinned to his bed by Lute, Sanaki and Delthea. The four stared at Ishtar, who started blankly back.
"Ishtar! We need your assistance!" Lute finally cried out, "He definitively has Magvellan Death Disease; the last symptom is a loss of symptoms!"
"It doesn't exist, Lute!" The summoner shouted. "Get her off of me, Ishtar!"
Ishtar, for her part, couldn't help but laugh.
Thank you to everyone for reading! You guys are incredible and your critiques and comments are really appreciated! I'll answer some questions and comments next chapter, as we head to Muspell for the next few chapters. As always, comments, questions, critiques, and just saying hi are always appreciated and loved!
Next Chapter: Gameplan - Approaching Muspell