Chapter 1) Escape

Everything went topsy-turvy in a few short days. Long days. Whichever. Rosewatch is gone. Renais has fallen. Grandpapa James died. And after leaving her service six months ago, I am once again traveling with Eirika to Frelia. Though never in circumstances like this. Never in such secrecy, and never with so few people.

Orson was going to be so mad when he heard about all of this.

I couldn't believe that during the mess of everything that had happened at Rosewatch, Seth still had made sure not only to pack the vial of susinum Victor had given me, but also that it was wrapped up protectively in cloths so that it wouldn't break. Really, I couldn't believe it. But the vial in my hand was proof of it. He really had spared those precious seconds to do that. I had no doubts it was because he knew how important the perfume was to Orson, Monica, and me. Ha… he was often subtle in how much he adored the people around him, but things like this made it loud and clear.

A little bit of laughter made me look up from the vial and I had to smile slightly when I saw it was Maddie who laughed. She and Lewis rode on Seth's horse as we walked down the quiet road, with Emilia walking next to them, joking and fussing in equal measure. Every once in a while, Seth would reassure her, but he mostly kept silent, his attention fixed on the area around us, just in case. We were almost at the 'official' border between Renais and Frelia, but Grado wouldn't give up on Eirika just yet.

"That's susinum, right?" Eirika asked, peering at the vial. She and I walked side-by-side, helping each other when our feet began aching. Hers no doubted ached more, though, since she wore some of Monica's old shoes instead of her normal ones, meaning they didn't fit. Honestly, it was a bit strange to see her in something so simple like Monica's dresses. Unlike Ephraim, Eirika never snuck into town, so she was always wearing something 'princessy'. Even her 'simple' things. "That pretty perfume you wear on very special occasions."

"Yes, it is," I confirmed softly. After a moment, I opened the vial, just to let the scent diffuse around us. It had been Mom's favorite perfume, and she always called it her 'one indulgence' because how of expensive it typically was. She'd always worn it, so even now, I found comfort in it. I used to find strength in it too, but that was too much nowadays. But it conjured up the memory of Mom's smile and laugh better than anything else. "I thought it had been left behind, but it was wrapped up in the dress I'm wearing."

"Lucky!" She beamed, but I caught the slight envy in her expression. She hadn't been able to bring anything from the castle with her, and given the suddenness of the escape, Seth hadn't been able to pack as extensively as he had for our flight from Rosewatch. "I wonder if…"

"It's a shame you weren't wearing those earrings you like." I capped the vial and tucked it gently in my pocket before 'casually' fussing with the sash around my waist. It hid the Rausten fan I carried, so I couldn't fuss much without risking it falling. But the fussing was more me pretending than anything else. "Those flower drops you got from Prince Lyon last time you saw him?"

"Emma!" Eirika scowled, but that did nothing to hide how pink her face got. "I can't believe…!"

"What? You were practically over the moon when he gave them to you, and you refused to wear any other pair of earrings for a solid month. Certainly made it easier to choose which jewelry you'd wear to court functions, of course." I continued being casual and 'innocent'. Eirika continued sulking. "Now that I think about it, after you got them, you started making plans to-"

"Ack!" Eirika quickly covered my mouth, waving off Emilia and Seth's concerned looks when she noticed them watching. I did the same, mostly to help out. "It's too early for your teasing, Emma!" I supposed she had a point there. It was just after dawn. "Goodness…"

"You have always had very fun reactions, Princess Eirika." I muffled a snicker, but I shook my head before bowing it apologetically. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have brought that up, considering the current circumstances."

"...I wonder what Lyon is thinking about all of this…" Eirika sighed and looked down, pretending to simply be skipping about. I knew she was hiding, though. "He's always hating fighting. Unless it's a debate, he can't even stand arguing."

"...I do not know Prince Lyon as well as you do, Princess Eirika, but I am certain at the moment, he worries for you and your brother." I clasped my hands behind my back and ducked down slightly so that I could look her in the eye. "So, that is simply another reason why we must get to safety. Once word spreads that you are safely in Frelia, I'm sure the pain in his heart will ease."

"If only I could send him a message…"

"Would you confess your feelings for him in said message?"

"Hmm… well… wait!" Eirika's face turned pink again, and I bit back a little smile. "Oh, you're incorrigible sometimes!" She scowled at me, still bright pink. "I should tease you about your crushes! Didn't you have one on-!"

"Don't!" Now it was my turn to cover her mouth, made more difficult by her squirming and laughing. But I definitely didn't want her to say that I once had a crush on Seth while he was standing right there! "That was ages ago. I don't have a crush on anyone for the moment." I winced as I thought of Orson and Monica, just because 'crushes' and 'love' always led my thoughts to them. They had been so happy at their wedding… to see it cut short before they'd been married even three years was just…

"Emma?" Eirika saw the instant change in my mood, and studied me with a little frown, trying to guess what had caused it. She figured it out quickly, though. "Orson and Monica's wedding really had been nice…" Because of course she had attended. She'd been almost as excited as I had been.

"Yes, it had." And it was probably the one ceremony I'd ever seen Prince Ephraim not try to ditch, truthfully. Made it extra memorable. "If only…" I had no idea what I wanted to say. Except maybe 'if only it had been me instead'... if it had, then Orson and Monica would still be happy together and…

"Hey, Emma?" Eirika waited for me to look at her. "You're thinking something dark, aren't you?" I had no way to answer that. Was it 'dark' when it was the truth? Besides, it was preferable to being alone. "Emma."

"Yes?"

"You're not alone, remember? After all, I'm going to outlive you. I promised." It took a moment to recall that memory. It had been after that wave of yellow fever took out Rosewatch. Most of my friends had been among the victims. I'd done my best to be strong, but it had been hard. So, Eirika had promised me, during one particularly rough day, that she'd outlive me. That I would never have to bury her. That way I would never be alone.

"...Ha… yes, I remember." I smiled bitterly. She was just so… "I also recall me protesting that promise." I hadn't wanted to inflict that pain on her.

"Too bad, because I said it first!" She grinned, though her eyes were serious. And she was always stubborn. "Besides, I promised Grandfather James too." She'd first just used his name, but it had sounded so wrong to our ears that Maddie had insisted Eirika call him 'Grandpapa James' as Emilia and I did. Eirika compromised. "I will live. I will grow stronger. And Ephraim and I will save and restore Renais." She held up her wrist and let the charms sparkle in the sunlight. "These charms are gorgeous, though. Where did he get them?"

"Eirika, I know I told you that all the charms are handmade." Glad for the subject change, I looked down at my own charm bracelet, smiling faintly as they sparkled in the sun. It had taken a couple of days, but I did manage to get the blood off. Of course, I wondered how long they would remain clean. "Grandpapa James was the one who made all of them. Each one has a meaning."

"Really?"

"Yes, like this one here?" I pointed to one I could see easily, two intersecting rings. "He made to celebrate his marriage…"

We went through each charm on the bracelet, because I knew each story. Grandpapa James had never hidden any of them from me. Always said it was because I 'shone too brightly' for him to hide. I thought it was just because he loved stories and he was proud of the life he lived. I could only hope that he'd be… at least okay… with the death he'd had...

Even after we crossed the official border, it was still a couple of days before we found a village with people. Those closest to the border had evacuated, in case battles spilled over. But that didn't mean the Frelians were unwelcoming of refugees or anything. The ones in the village we found… we barely had to say anything before they welcomed us with hugs and treats. Classic Frelian treats too, meaning that while they looked simple, they were packed with all sorts of spices that sated any hunger from the first bite and left your mouth feeling a little tingly.

"Now, you be extra good for Emilia and Maddie, okay?" I told Lewis once the treats were devoured and it was time to go. He nodded at me, tearing up slightly. But silently. He'd been completely silent since Rosewatch burned and Grandpapa James died. I thought it was the shock of everything. "Everything is very scary now, but you'll be okay here." I crouched down to hug him, and he clung to my back. Silently begging me not to go… but I… "If you've been good, then next time I see you, I'll get you lots of candy." What else could I say? Everything was so different now… "So, until then."

It took quite a bit of wriggling and wiggling to get free of Lewis's grip, and even then, I only really managed it with Emilia's help. And he would've latched right back on if Seth hadn't 'happen to pass by' and pick him up to say goodbye to his horse. Of course, I ended up being caught by Emilia's hug, but she was easier to reason with than Lewis. Most days.

"Are you sure you won't just stay with us?" she asked softly, hugging me so tight that I swore my ribs creaked. I certainly couldn't breathe. "Your hand is still injured, you know." Why, yes, I had completely forgotten about the popped blisters on my palm and the bruising on my wrist from the sprain." And Lewis and Maddie would feel so much better…"

"They'll stop their fretting once you got them distracted with toys," I half-protested, taking a half-step back just to get some air. When I did, though, I made sure to hug her back. "Besides, I might find out information about Orson if I go with them."

"I think you underestimate how comforting your presence is." Emilia pulled away slightly to frown at me. To avoid it, I glanced to the side, and saw Eirika and Maddie talking softly yet seriously. "Besides, you and I both know that Orson is a secondary reason. You want to make sure Princess Eirika arrives safely."

"She's traveling with Seth. I fear for our enemies if they try to do her harm." Of course, Seth was still recovering… "You overestimate me."

"No, I don't. You just can't see it anymore." She sighed and hugged me too tightly again. Swore this time, my spine popped. "Keep a weapon on you at all times, okay? And remember that you promised Grandpapa James that you'd stay alive."

"Right…" Remember how to shine, huh? Still thought it was mean of him to say, right at the end. But I'd humor him. Because he was him, and that was one of the last things he'd said to me. "I will."

"Emma."

"I promise."

"Good." Somehow, she squeezed me even tighter. "Good…"

"Emilia, I can't breathe."

"Ack, sorry!"

Emilia spent far too long apologizing, which I suspected was a half-hearted attempt to delay me into staying with them. However, Eirika and Maddie's talk took just as long, and there was no way Seth was leaving her. So, we said our goodbyes and set off, all three of us walking while Seth led his horse. It wasn't as if the village had one to spare, after all. Those of them who could ride had already gone to Mulan and Seron to enlist and bolster Frelia's forces. There had been no 'official' draft yet, according to them, but I had a feeling it was coming.

"It's so sad that they're enlisting," Eirika murmured once the village was out of sight. I had a feeling she'd bring it up. "To leave their peaceful lives…"

"Nothing is really peaceful anymore, Princess Eirika," Seth gently chided, urging his horse to not stop and nibble on whatever grass held his attention. Tyr flicked his ears back in annoyance, but obeyed. "And Frelia will need every soldier it can get."

"Because Grado's army is the largest on the continent. I know enough about military matters to know that." Besides, that was half common sense. Grado was the largest country. "You would need to band together all the other countries to match them in numbers, right?"

"Not quite, but that's a good enough comparison. Grado's numbers are such that they can send wave after wave of soldiers, and conquer through overwhelming their enemies." Seth's eyes were dark as they considered that potential battlefield. "We also do not know what constitutes as 'acceptable losses' for their objectives."

"...No loss is acceptable, though…"

"Princess Eirika, you know that everyone surviving only happens in tales," I pointed out, surprised the thought even passed her lips. She could be too idealistic at times, yes, but that was a bit much. Even for her. "People are going to die. People already have. 'Acceptable losses' is simply a pretty way of saying 'so long as this percentage of my soldiers survives, we continue forward'." I shrugged off her frown, and skipped to dodge a puddle. "What? I stole Orson's books and read through a few."

"You also wrote notes in the margins for him to find later," Seth added, chuckling at the memory. I felt a small blush creep on my face at that reminder. I'd added some for him as well, once Orson wrote about him. "You also asked for additional lessons."

"Just some. Mostly to help Princess Eirika if we were in a situation where we had to defend the castle or something." I'd never call myself knowledgeable in the subject. But I did at least know some of the terms and usages. "What other reason would I have?"

"Your own interest?" Princess Eirika muttered, frowning more at me. She did soften when I looked at her skeptically. "Sorry… and I know you're right. But the idea of death being 'acceptable' like that is…" She sighed and shook her head before brushing her hair back behind her ear. I patted her on the shoulder, knowing what she meant now. "Seth, how far are we from Mulan?"

"We're not far," Seth answered easily. He pointed to some hills that we could barely see on the horizon. "Once we crest those, it'll be within sight. We'll reach it within a few hours."

"Do you want to ride ahead and let them know, Seth? I'm safe with Emma."

"I shall wait until we're at the hill, your highness."

"Very well." Eirika snapped her fingers suddenly and poked my shoulder repeatedly. "You. Don't insult Innes this time, please?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a frown. I actually didn't know what she was talking about. "I rarely talk when you're doing official business, and that's the only time I've been around him?" At her frown, I crossed my arms, mostly to have them do something, and tried to remember. But I came up blank. "Nope. Nothing." It probably didn't help that it had been at least a year since I'd been to Frelia with her.

"You said, and I more or less quote from here, 'given how fond he is of his high horse, you would think he would be better at riding'." That did sound like me. Couldn't deny that. And if I were annoyed enough, it might've been actually said and not just in my head. "Still don't remember?"

"I think I've thought something similar every time I've had to be in his presence. So, I'm afraid that alone won't spark anything." Charisma wasn't exactly Innes's strong suit. "But I shall endeavor to bite my tongue for you, Princess Eirika."

"...Don't actually bite your tongue again. Please." She sighed, resting a hand on her cheek. "I hope Tana is doing okay."

"I imagine she's quite worried over you and Prince Ephraim." I almost said something sarcastic about Ephraim's absence, but I managed to resist the urge. But it was another irritation, since I liked Princess Tana. She was sweet, and had a knack for bringing smiles to people's faces. It was like she'd gotten her own charisma, and taken what charisma Innes forgot. "How are your feet?"

"I'm fine." She answered a little quickly there. I looked down at her feet, noticing a bit of a limp, but she mimed for quiet and nodded over to Seth, who was gently petting his horse's neck. "I want both of them to have a breather. I'll say something if it gets too much, but it's no worse than breaking in new heels."

I wasn't so sure about that, but I did understand, so I simply moved a little closer so that she could use me as a crutch if need be. She smiled gratefully and did so, and we walked mostly in silence after that, more focused on moving weary feet. Or, in Seth's case, controlling a curious horse who was determined to nibble on every bit of greenery we passed. However, as we continued down the road, it soon became clear that something was wrong. There were barely any animals. You could see and hear some squirrels and birds here and there, but for the most part, they were darting deeper into the surrounding hills and woods. I mean… it wasn't unusual for wild animals to avoid people, but that was more of a 'if they saw you' sort of thing. And you could often still hear them. But we couldn't. Not now. Like they weren't just hiding. It was like they were staying as still as possible, to avoid any and all attention. Or had just run that damn far away. And when we climbed to the top of the hill, we found out why. The valley below was littered with corpses connected by trails of blood, broken weapons, and armor shards. And at the gates, there were no soldiers wearing the dark green of Frelia. Only those wearing the deep crimson of Grado.

"No…" Eirika breathed, covering her mouth and staring in wide-eyed horror. I took her other hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Even though I knew there was no way to reassure her at the sight of this. "When…? How?"

"They must have sent forces here in anticipation of our flight," Seth murmured, standing closer to better protect us. He even got his lance out, just in case, despite there being no signs of enemy close to us. "The bodies and battlefield look fresh… the blood has not yet dried completely."

"If that's the case, then can we help?" Eirika looked over at Seth pleadingly, and Seth closed his eyes, thinking. "Surely there's something…"

"Slight reminder that there's three of us," I pointed out with a sigh. While admirable, there were just limits to how much anyone could help. "And only one of us three has extensive battle training." And yes, Seth was a damn good warrior. But asking him to more or less kill… however many were here… by himself? Madness. "And I'm assuming the place had been fully armed prior to us arriving?"

"I know it sounds foolish, but…" Eirika began, wincing. She fiddled with the charms on the bracelet, and I knew she was thinking of Rosewatch. "I just… if we must move on, then I'll grit my teeth, but I would rather not leave anyone behind? I know it's a silly notion, but I can't stand the thought of people suffering from these atrocities."

"We might find only the dying, you know."

"Then I can at least hold their hand." Her eyes hardened with resolve, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to sigh or smile. Or both. "I'm strong enough for that, at least."

"Let us first see if there is anything we can do," Seth finally said softly, opening his eyes. He began checking his saddle, making sure everything was secure. Eirika and I grabbed our weapons, and my wrist twinged with the weight of the lance. I'd have to be careful. "Leaving to get reinforcements might be of more assistance than helping directly, after all. In addition, Princess Eirika…"

"I have to live," Eirika murmured, gripping the rapier tightly. Her eyes were dark now, and her complexion gained a green tinge to it. She was remembering those soldiers we killed. "I made a promise, and my people need me. I won't forget, Seth."

"Good." Seth finished his checks and began leading his horse down the hill. I supposed riding right now would make him a larger target. "Stay near me."

Here was to another long day… yay.

Of course, getting closer was much easier said than done. My experience with 'sneaking' was more or less limited to hide and sneak and being a nosy little brat of a little sister. Eirika only had the hide and sneak part. And Seth… well, knights weren't known for being sneaky. That wasn't their job, though you had some like Dad and Orson who took advantage of that perception. Plus we had a horse, though thankfully one that was behaving much better now than earlier. It was an outright miracle we got as close as we did without being caught, and it was a second miracle that the one who caught us was friendly.

"Princess Eirika! General Seth!" Franz greeted with a bright smile. I knew him fairly well. He was the youngest son of Felix, one of Dad's best friends, and had served as Seth's squire these past couple of years. Meaning that Orson had dragged him to Rosewatch for festivals just as he had Seth. "I'm glad to see you're well!" That's when he noticed me, and I awkwardly waved. He waved back, just as awkwardly. Yay for us.

"I'm pleased to see you unscathed as well, Franz!" Eirika replied, smiling warmly. She nodded to the fort, which was still in view. And we weren't because of the shadows of the hills. Hopefully. "Can you tell us more?"

"Sir Gilliam will probably be better, your highness."

"Sir Gilliam, leader of the East Watch, yes?" Seth asked, smiling slightly. I didn't know the name, but I did know the 'East Watch'. Mostly because Frelia was very… well, the 'East Watch' was the quarter of the Verdant Corps that operated in the east. Easy naming, really. "I gather you informed him of the situation?"

"Y-yes, sir!" Franz confirmed, standing a little taller. I ducked my head to hide a little smile, noting that he still looked a little small in his armor. Hadn't quite grown into it yet. "They're stationed over here, sir! This way!"

Franz led us, quickly and perhaps a little stiffly, to an area surrounded by trees, behind one of the hills. A good place to observe from, and a good place to hide. There, we finally found Frelian soldiers. Most were tending to weapons and supplies, but there were a few crouched around a map sketched into the dirt. One of them was a man in heavy armor, who had a severe look about him. Hawkish, and a face near permanently stuck in a stern glare. He glanced up as we approached and stood, careful to not mess up anything on or around the map.

"Well met, Silver Knight," he greeted, nodding his head. Seth returned the gesture before looking at the map. "I am Gilliam of the East Watch. Apologies for getting right down to business, but there's little time. Princess Tana is in the fortress, you see."

"Tana is?!" Eirika gasped, eyes going wide. I felt a headache come on and rubbed my temple to try and ward it away. "Why would she be here?"

"She was worried about you and Prince Ephraim, Princess Eirika." This time, Gilliam saluted, probably because a bow would be awkward in that armor. "She insisted on staying even as the defenses here were diverted to the south to assist Prince Innes."

"Is Grado…?"

"Aye, Grado launched an assault to the south not long after they crushed Serafew." So, they annihilated Renais, and now were trying to do the same to Frelia? What was the point? World domination? That sounded like way more of a pain than it was worth, really. I'd seen what all Eirika had to do to manage just a single castle, and that was way too much. "I am certain Princess Tana is safe, however. She'll have great value as a hostage."

"Why didn't she fly?"

"She didn't want to draw attention, particularly since most of our pegasus knights are to the south already." Well, now she definitely had attention. "Here, come by the map." Gilliam gestured and returned to where he'd been kneeling on the ground. Seth immediately tied his horse to a branch and joined him, while Eirika followed without hesitation. I hung back briefly, but when Franz quietly took a place behind Seth… well, I felt awkward, so I went to Eirika's side. But I could already tell that whatever they'd been debating about was beyond my knowledge, because I had no idea how to read that map. And I definitely had no inclination to learn right now.

"It appeared to be a recent takeover, so I imagine they don't have full control of the defenses yet," Seth murmured, easily making sense of the lines and circles. Franz leaned a little closer to look as well. I seriously debated just going to sit somewhere, or seeing if there was at least busy work I could do, but Eirika reached back and grabbed my sleeve, so I was stuck. "Still, if we don't move carefully… well, hostages would work on us as well."

"That's been the sticking point," Gilliam agreed, using a twig to draw out something on the map. It just looked like a square to me. "Best would be to have someone sneak inside, but…" He gestured at his heavy armor. That was no doubt prone to clanking. "Armor and sneaking don't go hand in hand."

"No, they don't." Seth frowned, clearly thinking. Then, for some reason, he glanced briefly at me. Before shaking his head and returning his attention to the map. "Perhaps a distraction?"

"That's where our line of thinking has gone…" They continued talking tactics, with other soldiers weighing in, but I tuned them out as I tried to think of why Seth would look at me at all during this. When I pushed my hair out of my face, though, I figured it out pretty damn quick. And I wondered if I should, since it was risky and stupid and Orson would have an ulcer just over the thought, but… I didn't want Eirika to lose a friend… and no matter how arrogant I thought Innes could be, I wouldn't wish the pain of losing a sibling on anyone, and Eirika considered him a friend as well, so I…

"Should I try to sneak in?" I volunteered softly. Eirika frowned at me, as the other soldiers looked skeptical. Seth, however, closed his eyes and smiled very, very slightly. "Yes, I know. I look like a child could kill me with a spoon. But, well…" I tugged at my hair. "Red hair, red eyes? Almost anyone who looks at me is just going to see a Jehannan mercenary walking about and not think anything more of it." And that was why Seth had looked at me. Because I knew from Orson that Seth had used this very ruse quite a few times in the past, before songs immortalized his exploits and made him the famous Silver Knight. "Should give me a bit of a buffer if I'm seen." More like 'when'. Seriously, I used to be good at hide and seek, sure, but that was about it. "I can at least confirm Princess Tana's location, and whether there are any surviving knights within the walls."

"...Well, if you're volunteering, information on locations alone will help a lot," Gilliam murmured. It was really hard to tell what he was thinking. "Why don't we have Franz go with you, if you don't mind, General Seth? He'd be better than mine at sneaking."

There was a little bit more talk, which I paid not a bit of attention to as the idiocy of what I'd volunteered to do hit me, and a couple of the Frelian soldiers lent me some light leather armor to wear to help 'sell' the whole 'mercenary look'. Franz changed into similar armor to not stand out as much and in a blur that was both too long and too short, we were inside the fortress thanks to a side entrance. It only took me two steps to really regret doing this. But I was a little stuck.

"It's… ah… good to see you again, by the way," Franz mumbled once we were inside. He nervously looked around the halls, stiffening whenever it seemed like someone was passing by. I'd probably do the same, but I was too tired, really. I wanted a nap. Or just lay down and not move at all. "Circumstances aren't nice and all, but…"

"Good to see you again too," I murmured, mostly out of politeness. We were just wandering the halls, looking for any sign of where prisoners might be. Dungeons, of course, but where would they be? Besides 'down some stairs we had to find somewhere'? "Congrats on your knighthood, by the way. Orson told me."

"Oh, thank you!" Franz beamed, a pleased blush blooming on his face. Things like this reminded me that he was younger than me. Of course, he was maybe only a year younger, but a year was a big difference at our age! "I thought I was going to bite my tongue and mess up the oath the whole time."

"Have some more confidence. Though, not too much." Automatically, I thought of his brother and shook my head. "We don't need you sleeping during fights like Forde."

"Hey, he's awake when it counts." Franz grinned, mood brightening immediately at the mention of his brother. Forde had that sort of effect. I almost thought it was on purpose. "I can't wait to see him again. There's a lot to tell him."

"There is…" And irritation spiked through me as I thought of why Forde wasn't here. Forde was one of Ephraim's personal knights. Meaning that he was gods knew where just like Orson and Kyle. "Would be nice if a certain prince would've given everyone's families some notice before gallivanting about, but no, he just had to…!"

"Hey, you got lively fast." ...Eirika mentioned something like that too. "But I'm certain they're fine."

"Really?" I glanced at Franz, and was surprised at the confidence in his eyes and expression. He really did have no doubts. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, Forde and Orson won't leave us alone." He smiled warmly. "And neither are the type to leave behind their friends. So, they're fine."

"...I hope so…" But I wasn't… I couldn't…

"It's fine." Somehow, Franz's smile got even warmer. "I'll hold onto the hope for you, until you're ready to pick it up." That was… uh… "Oh, are those stairs?"

There were, in fact, stairs and I nearly walked right on past them because I was so distracted by the conversation. But thankfully, Franz was always dutiful, so we headed down the stairs, keeping a hand on the wall because of how steep they were. So steep that I half-wondered if we'd need a pegasus to make it down safely. But, surprisingly, we made it to the bottom and, even more surprisingly, there were no guards. No convenient keys, of course, but no guards meant we didn't have to fight and potentially expose ourselves too soon.

"Well, you don't look like you're from Grado." It also meant we found Tana fairly quickly. "Are you mercenaries?" she asked, peering at us in confusion. She looked… no worse for wear, thankfully. Bit of dirt, bit of blood that clearly wasn't hers. And nothing that looked like she'd watched a lot of people die in front of her. "Wait, don't I know you?" She frowned, peering at my face. Then she gasped. "I do! You're Eirika's lady in waiting! Emma, right? Though…" She was back to frowning. She changed moods quickly. "Didn't you leave her service, actually? I remember Eirika writing about that."

"We can share stories after securing your safety, Princess Tana," I replied dryly, not quite able to help it. The dungeons of a captured fort weren't exactly conductive to proper tea and gossip. "Of course, we'll have to find a key first."

"Actually, if you've a hairpin or something, I can try picking it," Franz volunteered with nary a moment's hesitation. It took me quite a few blinks to process that sentence. "...Forde taught me. Said it was a useful skill to know."

"I am strangely unsurprised by his knowledge." Now, the question became… where did Forde learn? "I don't have a hair pin, though." Tana went through her pockets and produced a few, passing them to Franz. "I won't ask why you have these." She was wearing a simple ponytail! There was no reason for them! "I'll go see if there's anyone else down here."

The answer ended up being 'yes'. There were some wounded soldiers in the cells further down, no doubt to be used as 'examples' or something later. So, when Franz freed Tana, he got them out too and we all slowly climbed those far too freaking steep stairs back to the ground floor. The climb was made slower because of how many times someone slipped, but it was hard to be mad. Wounded, crammed into cells, and now stuck with a climb that would make a cat yowl in fear? I was just glad no one fell. However, the slowness did mean one thing: lots of time used. Meaning that we climbed the stairs, stepped into the hall, and came face to face with a Grado soldier who had probably been patrolling.

"Franz, go!" I snapped almost immediately, lunging forward to shove the soldier before they could react. Franz, thankfully, didn't hesitate at all, but got everyone down the hall as quickly as possible. There was the sound of some fighting, hinting they ran into trouble, but I had other issues. More enemies, a trio of them to be specific, no doubt drawn to the strange sounds. "Freaking…" Oh, I really had no idea what I was doing… I should've made Seth give me lessons on the way or something.

But regrets were for people who didn't have things to do, so I got my lance up and managed to parry a sword strike before countering and catching one in the abdomen. I ripped through heir skin, wrinkling my nose at the putrid smell that erupted along with the blood, and lunged to attack a different one. A glancing blow off their chest armor led to me just grazing their neck and earning a gash on my arm, but my second attempt caught them across the eyes. They screamed and stumbled back into the third, both toppling to the ground.

I seized my chance to escape, running as fast as I could through the halls. I had no idea where I was or where I was going. My wrist ached. My armed bled and burned. But I kept on running, until my legs were numb and my lungs felt frozen. My pulse thundered in my ears, louder than my footsteps, but I still ran, because even through both noises, I could hear others following. I wondered how they knew where I was, before realizing the obvious. Blood. I had blood streaming from a wound and dripping from a lance. I was leaving a trail. Well, since I didn't run into Franz, Tana, or the others… I hoped it meant I was at least leading them away…

I slid to a stop, and nearly fell, when I saw an open window and I climbed out, deciding that it was a suitable enough escape. And nearly injured my ankles because I forgot to check how high I was, but thankfully, it hadn't been too high. Just more of the ground being low. Either way, though, my ankles were intact, so I kept on running, hoping that sweat didn't run into my eyes. Or that I didn't slip in the mud. Or that they wouldn't keep pursuing me. Or… well, actually, I hoped for a lot of things. Most importantly… that my stamina would hold up until I was in some sort of safety.

Thankfully, it did. I didn't feel my energy give out until I made it back among the trees, and saw Seth waiting. "Franz made it back," he informed me, passing me a canteen. I guzzled the water, and almost coughed all of it up as my lungs began protesting the recent treatment. Everything hurt... "You okay? I see the wound on your arm."

"I am so out of shape…" I groaned, wiping at my face with my non-injured arm. And accidentally spilling water on me because that was the hand I was holding the canteen in, but I didn't care. It was actually a bit refreshing. "I used to be able to run in heels…"

"You can lament that while we get your arm fixed." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and helped me to the camp. Gilliam and his soldiers were talking quickly, preparing for the actual assault or so I guessed. "Good job. I knew you would be a good choice. Even if Orson will kill me when he learns."

"Hey, mission success, so yay?" Oh, gods, I was too tired for this… "When can I pass out?"

"When we're in the fort."

"Damn."

"Hey, Eirika, where did the charm bracelet come from?" Tana asked, poking one of the dangling charms. It was such a strange question, considering we had wounded groaning and whimpering behind us. "I've never seen it before."

"I'll explain later, Tana," Eirika answered, giving her friend a dubious look. Couldn't blame her for that one. "Now is not the time for idle conversation."

"Someone's got to break the silence before we go mad." Tana shrugged and looked out over the field where the fighting was. "Wish I had my pegasus. I could help more if I did. Like ferrying the injured farther away from the battle."

"That would've been nice…"

I ignored both of them, gripping my lance so hard that my wrists ached. But I couldn't relax my hands at all. After all, there was a battle. Because while the ones we rescued revealed that there were more injured held within, Gilliam decided that they had to take the fort sooner rather than later. So, strategies were concocted and discarded and blended until they got some viable plan, and then all the soldiers marched into battle. While Eirika, Tana, and me guarded those too injured to fight. And changed their bandages every once in a while. And only that, because we didn't really have the supplies to do anything else. Really, we didn't have the supplies to change their bandages, but some just kept bleeding through.

Sighing, I let Eirika and Tana continue watching and talking and turned to the wounded so that I did something besides test how much pressure it took to crack my hands or break a metal lance. Whatever kind of lance this was. All I knew was that it was very slim, easy for slipping into small and squishy places like eyeballs, but otherwise not the strongest. Though the reminder of how easily it could kill did make me squeamish. More than squeamish, actually, but my stomach was as tired as the rest of me. Too tired to try and throw its contents anywhere. Even with the gods awful smell from one of the wounded's injuries and… uh oh.

"Oh, you must be joking," I whispered, kneeling beside them. A wound on their arm was swollen, crusting over with what seemed to be pus, and smelled worse than a dead animal in the woods. Worse, though, was that their fingertips were blackened. Their entire hand shifted from red to brown to black. "Uh… hell." I rested my hand on their forehead, and nearly flinched at how warm they were. Fever, to the point that they were sweating. I brushed their matted hair out of their face, and absently noted that they were my age. And they squirmed at my touch, proving themselves to at least be half-awake. "Your highnesses?"

"What's wrong, Emma?" Eirika called. I was sure she looked curious, but I didn't move my attention at all. "Time to change bandages again?"

"No, uh…" Finally, I did glance over my shoulder. My expression must've told them how wrong things were, because Tana stiffened and Eirika paled. "I think… we have to cut this one's hand off?" So, plan. Plan… I didn't know. I didn't know anything besides basics. "Think this is a situation where a tourniquet is needed?" Maybe. Hell if I actually knew anything.

"Well, Syrene did show me how to do one?" Tana squeaked, face turning an interesting pasty grey. Eirika half-turned away, covering her mouth. "Of course, we don't have proper… anything… for it. We'd have to improvise. Can it not wait?" I just shifted over so that she could see the arm for herself. "Fuck the gods…"

"Tana, language!" Eirika instantly hissed. Any other time, I would've teased, but I knew that it had just been force of habit. She was turning greener by the second. "Wait. That's not…"

"I'm going to joke about that later. But…" Tana ran a hand through her hair, knocking her ponytail down. "Should we…?"

"Either they're definitely going to die, or they'll just maybe die," I pointed out with a firmness I didn't feel. I just wanted to lay down and not deal with anything. "And the maybe die will be faster." So, basically either we were saving or mercy-killing. Great… ethical dilemmas were not my favorite thing. "I'll cut it." I stood up on shaking legs and readied my lance. At least, at first. Then I remembered that lances and 'cutting things off' generally weren't used together. So, I set it down and drew the fan, unfurling it and letting the sunlight catch the metal. "Well, saw it. Whatever. Get what you think will work."

Tana gathered everything. Eirika held the soldier down while I cut-sawed the limb off, halfway down the lower arm. The soldier screamed, sobbed, and whimpered through the whole operation, but thankfully was too weak to flail about or anything. I hurt my shoulder, elbow, and entire arm trying to get enough force to make it work (because it just wasn't made for this sort of thing). Blood gushed and spurted everywhere, and in retrospect, trying the tourniquet first might've been better but we didn't know what we were doing. Once I got the hand off, Tana went to work trying to save their life. I got out of the way, coughing and gagging as I processed just what I did. I also checked the fan, and noticed that the edges were… not right. Not chipped or anything, but didn't look right. I'd have to get a blacksmith to look at it. Later. Much later.

In the middle of that daze, I heard a shout and jerked my head up to see a Grado soldier running for us. Energy and purpose flooded me, drowning any exhaustion and nausea I might've felt, and I snapped the fan closed and slipped it into my sash before scooping up my lance and lunging to meet the soldier head on. Since they hadn't expected that, I got two good hits in and dodged their attempt to counter. Before I could kill them, though, Eirika slipped to my side and finished them off with a thrust through the neck. Just in time for us to see a few more coming our way…

But Tana appeared on Eirika's other side with her own lance and the three of us worked together. None of us had more than basic training. We all needed to help each other. But, thankfully, it was a very small number, five at most, so we were able to kill them while suffering only minor injuries. Scrapes, and little cuts. Nothing bad. Better than the enemies. Better than the wounded we were protecting.

"I feel like I need to eat something just to have something to throw up," Tana groaned, leaning over and clutching her stomach. She coughed and gagged, spitting as her body dry-heaved. Nearby, Eirika was outright throwing up, since she actually did eat today. Seeing and hearing both of them almost made me join them, but with the battle over, tiredness set in and I was just stuck with a swirling stomach. "Ugh…"

Not knowing what to do, I dropped my lance and went over to Eirika to hold back her hair as she kept vomiting. Then I found some water for them both and almost had some myself, curious if it would 'wake' my stomach long enough. But someone probably had to be 'well', so instead, I gave some to the wounded and checked on them. The one we did the amputation on still had a fever, but their groans proved them alive. Not all were. I found quite a few dead and had to drag them to the side. Honestly, healers dealt with this sort of shit every day? They had to be insane. Absolutely and completely insane…

When Eirika and Tana's bodies let them actually walk around, they took over for me, letting me at least sit down and rest my head on my knees. I didn't get to rest long, sadly. One of Gilliam's soldiers fetched us and led us to the gates, where Seth and Gilliam were discussing something. Nearby, Franz and a few of the Frelian soldiers were carefully nudging bodies, checking if they were really dead or not. Tana and Eirika carefully ignored them, though, to go to Seth and Gilliam, and I followed while pulling out the fan and unfurling it again to check the edges once more. I'd get Seth to take a look and-

Movement. Just a quick twitch before one of the 'dead' suddenly shot to their feet with a dagger in hand, rushing straight for Eirika's back. Since I was closest, I intercepted and brought the fan up to block it. The dagger hit with an scratching-clang sound and I felt something snap. I heard a snapping sound. The fan tumbled from my suddenly nerveless fingers and when I looked down, I saw my wrist was very bruised, very swollen, and very deformed looking. In fact, I was fairly certain there was something white jutting out of my skin, along with a whole lot of red.

When my slow mind finally connected the dots and informed me that I'd broken my wrist… well, that's when the pain hit. I only didn't scream because I bloodied my lip instead.

"Emma!" Eirika was at my side in an instant, carefully supporting me so that I didn't have to focus so much on standing. Which was good, because I wasn't sure how long I was going to keep upright. Holy shit, broken bones hurt. "We need to get that braced or something," she murmured, pulling me closer so that I leaned more on her. "I'm so sorry…"

"I clearly need more practice using that fan as a shield…" I wheezed, trying to smile or make a joke or something. Anything to be reassuring. But I couldn't think of anything besides 'wow, my bone was outside my skin'. That was definitely not good. "Or just tackle you. Next time, I'm tackling you."

"Please." She outright hugged me, and I hazily processed that Franz had killed the attacker with a lance through the back. "Tana, can you help me?"

Eirika and Tana fussed over me as they got me inside and for a while (well, maybe just a minute but it felt longer), there was a great debate on the best way to set my wrist. But thankfully, there had been a few healers among the other imprisoned Frelians and one was very happy to unbreak my wrist for me. It was still badly bruised and sore, but it was whole and I could move it. That was enough for me, because it meant I could change out of my dirty, bloody clothing on my own and, even more importantly, bathe without help. Which was nice because it was only when I was in the bathroom (and stepping out of my bath) that my stomach found the energy to attempt to turn itself inside out via vomiting.

"Ugh…" I groaned, spitting as I tried to recover. My eyes were streaming tears. My abdomen ached. My nose was terribly stuffy. "I think I'm more of a mess now than I was when I walked in here…" Still, I made myself stand and I turned on the faucet to get water to rinse my mouth and splash my face. I couldn't use my bath water, after all. It was murkier than a swamp with all the reds and browns. In fact, it was why I'd started vomiting. "Okay… clothes… clothes…" I really just wanted to collapse and curl into a ball. But if I did, I knew someone would be in to check on me. So, I made myself get dressed and worked on drying my hair as I left the bathroom. And saw Seth setting something down on the little table in the room the bathroom was connected to. "Huh?"

"Oh, you're out?" he asked, turning to face me. His own hair was wet, hinting he'd just got done washing himself. I saw his arm had a crisp white bandage on it. "Then go ahead and sip on this."

"...Must I…?" The idea of putting something in my stomach made me ache. "I'm not…"

"It's ginger tea, with a little bit of mint." He smiled wanly and, after a moment of hesitating, stroked my hair. It was a bit of an odd feeling as it was rare that he did that. But Orson did it to me often, and I knew that was why Seth had chosen to do so. "Drink it slowly. Your stomach will appreciate it."

"I suppose…" With a sigh, I did pick up the mug and held it with both hands to sip it. My throat stung from the liquid, but it quickly soothed. "Thank you."

"This is the first time we've been able to relax, at all, so I figured now would be where the first kills processed." He studied me while I sipped the tea before pulling the fan from his pocket. "I cleaned this for you. It's got a scratch from the dagger and there's something off with the edges, but nothing a blacksmith can't fix."

"That thing has proved far more helpful than I think either of my parents would be comfortable with." I winced when my wrist ached and I studied the bruising mottling it. Fun mix of blues, blacks, purples, greens, and yellows. "Orson is going to have an ulcer."

"We might need to give him medicine as a preventative before explaining things." He smiled slightly and I had to smile back. The mental image was amusing. "I'd prefer it if you and Princess Eirika weren't involved in any more fighting, but we don't know what the road ahead will bring. I'll help you learn how to shield with it, and improve your lance skills."

"Probably a good idea." Knowing our luck, when we got to Serton, it was going to be under siege and we'd have to fight our way through or something. "Where's Princess Eirika and Princess Tana?"

"Princess Tana is sitting with her soldiers to thank them individually." That was very kind of her. "Princess Eirika is asleep. I left her tea."

"I hope she remembered to dry her hair first." Odds were that she probably didn't, though. Her hair was going to be a nightmare to brush in the morning. "How's Franz?"

"This isn't his first battle, you know." Well, yeah, that was true… but… "He's cooking dinner at the moment. A light soup. You can ask him yourself when it's done."

"I suppose…" Wasn't sure I was up for food-food, but hey, I'd at least try it. "Hey…" I set the mug down and leaned forward to rest my head against his shoulder. "Sorry, just need to lean a bit."

"...You're fine." He awkwardly patted me on the back and I smiled slightly. He'd done the same the very first time I'd hugged him, way back when we met. He still wasn't all that good with physical affection. "We're going to make it."

"I know…" But then came another thought. Once we were in Serton, what was I going to do? I had… no idea.

I'd just… wait until we're there. I didn't want to do anything right now, much less think.

Eirika

Princess of Renais, the younger of the royal twins. Loves reading and studying, and greatly enjoys learning about other countries and the cultural differences between them. This is part of why she makes such a good diplomat compared to her brother. The other is her kindness

Not formally trained at all in weaponry, as it wasn't 'proper' for a noblewoman of Renais, much less a princess. However, she asked her brother, Ephraim, to teach her so that she could defend herself, and she put more effort in the lessons after Emma left her service. Because he was the one who taught her, her style focuses a lot on thrusts.

A peaceful woman at heart, with so much empathy that many joke that she could empathize with the Demon King himself. This trait of hers, however, can lead to trouble because it means she's easily moved by people's plights. Combined with her stubbornness, it can lead to her hyperfocusing on smaller things.

Author's note: There's nothing in-game about Franz once being Seth's squire or anything, but I thought it fit. And yes, while I know that in-game, doing a 'seth-only' run is a very plausible thing (b/c Seth is broken as all hell), Emma certainly doesn't (and isn't very inclined to be hopeful for the time being). 'East Watch' is actually from the game, iirc.

Next Chapter - Interlude, Serton