April 5th, 1502 AD

The day before was… strange.

Corrin Arya was busy reading in her room, seating herself right next to the window to let the sunlight illuminate the pages. But when she looked down below, the princess found Gunter leading the guards into the fortress. They were carrying a boy, probably a little older than she was, he was weeping as he dragged into her home.

So obviously, she could not have ignored this. When Corrin did ask Gunter, he claimed him to be a 'criminal' who broke into the fortress for an arbitrary reason. Leaving on that before tending to their newest 'friend'. And again, Corrin could not ignore this. Perhaps it was sheer curiosity but she wanted to know the full details of this foolish crime. How he was able to scale the wall astounded her even more.

But she was left with nothing. The strange boy was moved into the study room without much trouble. He simply gave weak groans of misery instead of an attempt to break free. Corrin couldn't go into the room due to the guard watching the door. She saw Gunter walk in and out, taking out a large leather bag and a sheathed sword in hand at first. Whenever he went into the study room, he was seen carrying a plate of sandwich that Felicia made.

The curiosity ate at her! What was going on?!

"Lady Corrin?" Jakob's voice caused the princess to yelp in surprise. The young butler immediately gave his apologies before addressing the matter at hand. "Milady, your family is currently at the front of the fortress gate." A smile formed on the butler's face, "I assume you would like to see them?"

"Oh! Oh, yeah!" Corrin hopped a bit at the news. While her birthdays have been no less than spectacular, her fifteenth would be different. Her father, King Garon, would be visiting. "Thank you Jakob!"

Corrin began to run down the hallway but stopped before she could turn the corner. She looked at Jakob and began to speak at an extreme pace, "Wait, what flavor is the cake? Leo likes vanilla but Elise prefers chocolate. But I think she‒"

"Lady Corrin‒"

"Ah! Right, right!" The girl skipped down stairs. Rushing outside with her bare feet brushing against the warm stone bricks.

Corrin bounced in joy as she stopped at the gate. The wagon slowly came to a halt. And the sight of the king's cloak spilled out as the door opened.

"Tis' I! King Garon of Nohr, all bow before me!" Elise jumped out of the carriage with their father's signature cloak over her small body. Her high-pitched voice attempted to be deep and commanding.

"Alright, you've had your fun. Now may I have my cloak back?" King Garon scooped up Elise with a laugh, slowly taking off the cape as his youngest child giggled at the fur tickling her skin.

Garon was a man of strength. Towering over most and kept a strong physique in his older years. His face was hardened, scars laid on his chin as proof of battle and pale skin that looked to have avoided the sun for a year. His dark brown eyes were steeled. The once long golden hair he had was a silver gray with a short beard on his chin of the same color.

Despite such an appearance, seeing him made Corrin happy. Garon was a kind man but he was a dedicated king, the days he would visit were slim to none. Not even her siblings, who lived in the same castle as he, had much chance for interaction.

The king walked up to his middle child and kneeled to meet her eyes. A small smile formed on his face, "Happy birthday, Corrin."

"Thank you, father." The albino princess bowed her head as her father rose. He gave his middle child one last grin before turning to the castle guards. Most likely speaking about their 'visitor'.

"Happy birthday, little princess." Xander greeted Corrin as Camilla wrapped her arms around the girl in one large hug.

"Fourteen years of age, how time passes…" Camilla reminisced as she took both of her sisters by the hand. "I remember when you were still roaming around Castle Krakenburg. Oh how I miss seeing you down those hallways."

Castle Krakenburg… The name echoed in Corrin's mind as her siblings crowded around time there was scarce, she was too young to remember it. As Garon put it, Corrin was a girl unable to serve her kingdom as she was. Whatever vague reasoning it may be, Corrin was moved to the Northern Fortress. Right after the death of her mother, Arete.

The poor woman was ill, bedridden with her husband at her side. Her death was not something Nohr felt much grief over. The woman was only queen for a few years while Garon's previous wife and Xander's mother, Katerina, was a woman held in high regard. Arete was left to be a footnote in history. And unfortunately, her own child did not feel much sadness at the thought of her.

Xander said she was a kind soul with a voice that radiated the halls of Krakenburg. Camilla said she was beautiful, a woman that looked to have been crafted from the gods themselves. Her Father wrote her letters detailing how she was the one to bring hope back into his life. Yet no matter what people spoke of her, it didn't feel right.

As awful as it sounds, Arete was a stranger that Corrin would never meet.

She walked down the path into the Fortress. The place that sapped the energy from her. Confining her, never letting her see more than what was inside her station. The place that never allowed her to see the woman her mother truly was.

Garon waved his children off into the Fortress. Though it was Corrin's birthday, he had other matters to attend to. Namely, the boy who slipped through the walls. He spoke to the guards of the castle, his voice stern yet could not suppress the growing venom he had for their incompetence.

"The boy… Where is he held?" The guards reeled back at their king's voice. Despite his blank stare, they could see him withholding his anger.

"Y-your daughter's study room, Sir Gunter is currently investigating the boy." One of them, a young man, spoke at a rapid pace. Garon simply nodded for him to continue, "He claims to be from Notre Sagesse, not from Hoshido. Milord…"

Garon stroked his beard at the news. Notre Sagesse, a name he hasn't heard in a long time. Perhaps he should see his daughter's intruder for himself. The Nohrian King turned himself to the fortress but before he could take a step, he began to speak to the guards.

"Unfortunately, I can not stay here for long. I must head to Demetria as soon as I can so please keep the horses fed until then." Garon instructed, however his destination caught the attention of the guards.

"Demetria? Then…"

Garon nodded, his lips curled into a smirk. "Yes, the country of Demetria has been annexed under Nohr."

After years of wait, the green landscape of Demetria would finally serve Nohr. It was not an easy battle. Staging a coup through the stationed soldiers while under the treaty was an arduous task. If not for Iago's influence, then their efforts surely would have failed. Perhaps a raise was in order for the tactician.

Garon walked into his daughter's home, where he saw two maids greet him. Flora and Felicia, if he remembered correctly. Twin daughters of Ice Chieftain Kilma. The one with light blue hair was steady in her bow, yet he could hear an exhale of breath from her nose as he walked by. Her pink haired sister trembled as he entered. But Garon could not bother to pay any further attention.

He walked to the stairs, passing by his children in the main quarters. With a quick wave to them, Garon made his way to the second floor where he saw Gunter. The knight stood in front of the door like a sentry. He turned his head to meet his eyes with the king, "Lord Garon, pleasure to see you here."

"It would be a pleasure to be here if not for this pest." Garon sighed, "What do you know about him?"

"Only a little more than what I sent you through the carrier falcon. He claims to have no interest in the discourse between Nohr and Hoshido, that he only wished for sleep when breaking in, that he claims to be a disciple of this 'Rainbow Sage'‒"

"Is that so?" Garon interrupted. With a motion of his hand, the king ordered the knight to move aside.

It was time to see who this boy truly was.

Of all horrible things in this world, August would claim boredom to be his nemesis.

For over ten hours, he was stuck in this tiny room with his hands bound by a chain. The room in question looked to be a place of study, though with very little to challenge the mind. Shelves of simple Nohrian history books as well as a few combat strategies and tactics. Obvious bias was obvious… If not for those sandwiches then this whole experience would have been a living hell for him.

The sound of the door's lock clicking caused August to shift his head to it. He expected to get another round of food with some tea from the knight that stood outside the room. Instead what he saw was a man, not the same man who was gracious to him for his stay. He was someone who demanded respect by only stepping into the room. August shrunk under the weight of the pressure he gave off. Before him stood a monster guised as a man.

King Garon, he guessed. Gunter told him the fortress would have a visit from him but he thought the man was just scaring him. How foolish was the thought in retrospect. He's heard stories of the king's power but he didn't expect to be this obvious.

"You claim to be a disciple of the Rainbow Sage…" The man shot straight, closing the door behind him as he took a seat. "Is that true?"

"Y-yes."

The king gave a short hum, keeping his eyes steeled on him. He raised a canvas bag, pulling out a book that August recognized. It was one of his notes, the one where he jotted down what he had learned in Hoshido. Shit… He was gonna die, wasn't he?

The king flipped through the pages. And each page he flipped, another two drops of sweat erupted from August's forehead. Please know I'm not Hoshidan! He mentally repeated, praying to any god that would listen to his plea. As Garon turned his head to him, August felt a lump in his throat.

"You claim to not be Hoshidan yet you have studied much of their culture." The king closed the book, taking a deep breath in with his nose. "Your story seems to align with your origin‒ you hail from Notre Sagesse, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Garon nodded, "Your people have quite the fascination with seeking wisdom. But I've never seen a young man such as yourself travel between nations and collect such thorough notes." The king turned to him, his face still rough as stone. "I'm sure you've heard of me in Hoshido."

"Yes," August swallowed hard, unsure of how to approach a conversation. "I must implore you that I have no horse in this race between your kingdoms. But I've heard of stories in my two years in the east. How Nohr was responsible for… the death of King Sumeragi as well as the kidnapping of Princess Kamui. I've looked a bit into it but nothing ever gave me a reason to spend much time on the subject."

Garon hummed, whatever emotion he couldn't discern. He spoke in a low voice, "I'm glad, Nohr has faced quite trouble from the east. I can't necessarily say much about Sumeragi's death myself, but I've tried to appease Hoshido by sending search parties in Cheve for their lost daughter. Even found their precious Raijinto for them through my search parties. Yet all they've done is blame me and my kingdom for the loss of their royalty."

His speech was even, clearly audible, no sense of hesitation. Either he was telling the truth, or he was that good of a liar. Whatever it was, August needed to tread carefully with this man. He was the one who was deciding his fate after all.

And despite this, August didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. "What is Nohr's opinion on Hoshido, if you don't mind me asking?"

Garon's eyes shifted to him with a disturbing movement, his face was too stoic to be able to read. But August could sense Garon's displeasure with him. The interviewer being turned into an interviewee, it wasn't a smart move for August to make.

The king cleared his throat as he straightened himself. "I suppose you don't want Nohr's opinion on Hoshido, you want mine." No response from the boy, his eyes looked off to the side as his shoulders were raised. "Very well… To be frank, I would say Hoshido is… disappointing."

"Why…" August coughed, "Why would you think that?‒ M-milord."

"Curious one, aren't you?" Garon caused the boy to tremble a bit at his gaze, "But I would make such a claim due to what I've seen. Hoshido is the superpower of the east that controls most of their farm lands. The east as a whole is where most agriculture flourishes. They have such a large monopoly on food yet they refuse to aid outsiders unless they are attached to the hip. All the while parading themselves as the paragon of peace…"

August could see Garon ball his fist underneath his cape yet his visage remained frozen in neutrality. "While other nations suffer, Hoshido has ignored them. Only looking after their own. Do you know of the Mokushian conflict?"

"I am… aware."

It was a tale that lived in infamy.

Eight years ago, Mokushu's annexation of Kohga divided the small nation in half. Daimyos were split on this decision, believing it to be a step for Mokushu to be on the same level as Hoshido. A civil war eventually broke out, one side for the freedom of Kohga the other for retaining Kohga. But war did come to a whimpering halt. Hoshido gradually thinned out the country's food supply by stopping the trade between the two nations in an attempt to take neither side yet still stop the war. Effectively breaking their treaty of peace. All the while sending Igasto ninja to spy on the diminishing war effort.

Many people in Mokushu died from starvation as much of the few rations went to soldiers, dying for a war that no longer had any meaning. Such an act caused Hoshido to become the villain despite their well intentions on stopping the conflict. In the end, Kohga was a distant memory in the rise of Mokushu's hatred for the kingdom of dawn.

August looked to Garon, who had the slightest upward twitch of his lips as he saw August contemplate. Most likely believing that he saw Hoshido in an awful light and he would lean to Nohr. However, the boy was resilient in his opinion. He refused to lean towards either kingdom's favor despite being in the presence of Nohr's king. The supposed killer of Sumeragi, if Hoshido was correct.

"Ha ha…" The quiet laughter from King Garon caused August to reel backwards. He saw the king smile, an… actual genuine smile. "I suppose since I shared a bit of myself, would you care to share about yourself? More importantly, why you choose to adventure between two kingdoms for research."

"O-Oh… Sure." August cleared his throat, "In truth, I've been fascinated with the war between the First Dragons. How it all led to the creation of Ragea. But little is actually known about the war aside from the tales from the first royals of Nohr and Hoshido."

August stood up, moving his hands around with energy restrained by the cuffs. "The dragons that fought in the war aren't even all named. I know of the Dusk, Dawn, Flame, Wind, Ice, and Rainbow Dragon. That's only half of the dragons that fought for control of the land. I figured if I found as much information about the war from all over Ragea, I might be able solve the mystery."

Garon laughed through his nose, standing up from his chair. "Quite the ambition for a child. And based on what I have seen in your research, you've done a lot more than look into the first dragons. Two years and you've collected this much about Hoshido…"

"It's… ah, more of a skim really. I think I barely touched the surface of Hoshido, really… Milord." August added that last part quickly.

"Perhaps, but to this extent?" Garon closed his eyes and took a breath. August began to tense under his steeled gaze. "But I suppose I've danced around the issue long enough. Despite your intentions, you were foolish enough to break into the residence of a royal. For this, you would face jail in our underground prisons."

August clenched but quickly realized he said 'would'.

"However, I propose a way to avoid this…"

"Leo, the dress you picked out for Corrin is wonderful!" Camilla congratulated her little brother, who looked away with a pout. Yet it was obvious that the boy was trying to force down a smile.

Corrin held up the silver dress with black sleeves. It was quite the beauty, she'd have to admit. Leo did have nice taste… sometimes.

The five Nohrian Nobles crowded together in the main quarters. Seated together as Corrin opened up her gifts while they waited for the cake to be done. Vanilla, much to Leo's delight. However their gift giving was interrupted when they heard heavy footsteps from the stairs.

Garon finally entered the small party his children were having. A smile formed on his face as Elise chirped out 'Father!'. However, once he stepped aside, the cheery nature emanating from the room died down. From behind, he revealed the boy that was under the guards' capture. Standing there with a skittish look on his face with so many eyes on him

"Corrin." The King began, causing the princess to widen her eyes in surprise as he directed his attention to the boy. "This is Augustus Mymir, your new tutor."