The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 65
A Party for the Princess
When Excellus activated his teleportation magic, he expected to arrive back in his personal quarters in the Empire's capital. A quiet place where he could properly rage over his plans being foiled. That has never happened before. No one had ever been able to outwit him so easily. Yet somehow, that mercenary Luke, Princess Say'ri, and those Ylisseans managed to do it.
Yes, he wanted to be back in his home. A chance to cast whatever black magic he wanted without being interrupted. Maybe a good book to read by a fire as he finally calmed down. A chance to stew and ruminate on his mistakes and how to remedy them.
He did not expect to instead be transported to a completely different room. A completely different climate for that matter too. Valm's capital was in the north of the continent. A colder place. Not as frozen as Regna Ferox, but still quite chilly. Even during the summertime. But this place he just teleported to was boiling hot and abnormally bright.
A blazing sun sent hot rays into a rather lavish room. Dry wind brushed into the open room from a balcony. Though it did not help cool off the now sweating Excellus. A thick rug rested beneath his feet. Soft and comfortable.
A scowl fell over his fat lips. Where was he now?
"Excellus."
A chill ran up the Valm tactician's spine. That voice slipped into his ears like a cold knife. Dug further into his mind. Stabbed fear into his heart. Now he knew where he was. The hot air, blazing sun, wicker furniture, and palms swaying lazily outside.
Plegia.
A dark chuckle reverberated through the bright room. Excellus turned his head carefully towards a chair that sat out on the deck. Sitting in the chair was a man wearing a heavy coat and hood. He faced away from Excellus. Somehow basking in the sun's warm rays without overheating in his heavy outfit.
A pale hand waved at him to come closer. Excellus hesitated.
"If I have to get up out of this chair," The man growled, "My anger will only grow exponentially."
A whimper left the fat worm's lips. He tiptoed his way out onto the balcony. His spell book clutched tight in his right hand. His left hand itching to touch the enchanted ring on his right hand. The ring that held his teleportation magic. At least he had an easy route of escape if this conversation went south.
Another dark chuckle hit his ears, freezing Excellus in place.
"If you think you will be able to escape with that ring, you are sadly mistaken." The man did not even glance back at him. How could he have known what Excellus had been thinking?, "I created that little ring after all. I imbued my power into that little artifact. I can take it away just as easily."
Excellus's knees knocked together. Was this man claiming what he thought he was?
"Oh yes." The man rose from his seat and folded his hands behind his back. Eyes never leaving the city before him, "I'm not just a simple hierophant, Excellus."
The fat man dropped to his knees.
"M-my lord." He bowed low, "I did everything I could-"
"Did you?" The Hierophant's sharp voice snapped. He turned on his heel and glowered down at Excellus. Yellow eyes sparking with fury and rage, "I gave you explicit instructions, Excellus. I even sent a Deadlord to assist you."
"That Deadlord did nothing to assist!" Excellus cried.
"On the contrary, he led my prey right into your waiting arms. Yet you were more concerned with covering your own mistakes than focusing on the task I demanded of you." The Hierophant towered over Excellus, "Tell me? Do you fear Walhart more than me?"
Nervous beads of sweat dripped down Excellus's forehead. His hands trembled as he stayed on his hands and knees before the Hierophant. His heart hammered in his chest. His mouth felt as dry as the desert sands of Plegia. Terror gripped him as he saw a shadow twist and morph beneath the Hierophant.
"I-I-I-"
"Well," The Hierophant growled, "I think your inane stuttering answers that question."
"Please forgive me my lord!" Excellus exclaimed, "Had I known the boy's power, had I known about the Ylisseans-"
"Ylisseans?" The Hierophant arched an eyebrow, "What Ylisseans?"
Excellus gulped, "The-the Shepherds. A small group of them intervened in my schemes."
The shadow stopped morphing and twisting. The Hierophant pressed his lips together. One boot tapped against the tile floor of the Plegian Palace. Beneath the hood, Excellus swore he could see a furrowed brow. The monster was deep in thought.
"Who led them?"
"Two men. A-a Ben Kenobi and Robin."
The yellow eyes widened briefly, "I see." The shadow started morphing again. Excellus swore he saw it give him a sick, twisted grin, "That was not something I foresaw."
Excellus uttered a long, loud exhale as the Hierophant stepped past him and entered the room behind him. He paused in front of a tall bookshelf. A pale finger ran along the spines of several books. He plucked one book in particular and cracked it open. A worn leather tome that had seen many days of travel and much use. The paper on the inside had started to yellow and the ink had begun to fade. But the Hierophant could still read in easily.
"No, that was not supposed to happen at all." He gently closed the tome and gingerly placed it back in its spot, "How curious. The actions of one foolish girl are rippling wider than even I could have imagined." His yellow eyes darted over to Excellus. Who remained frozen in place, "You will not die today, Excellus."
"I-I won't?"
"No. You won't. I still have a use for you it seems."
Excellus gulped and carefully rose to his feet. He turned around to face the Hierophant. The hooded man let out a sigh as he sank into a seat beside a cluttered desk.
"My plans need to be accelerated. I cannot afford for Ben Kenobi to become such a strong ally of the Shepherds." The Hierophant rubbed his chin, "So many unforeseen variables." He stared hard at Excellus, "Prod Walhart into war within the next year."
Excellus gulped, "Within the next- my lord that is a tall order."
"Is it?" Excellus heard a deep, rumbling chuckle resonate near him, "Perhaps I should find a servant capable of carrying out my wishes then?"
"No! No!" Excellus exclaimed, "That won't be necessary. I should be able to do it. The Embargo is in place. All I need is to convince the Conqueror to press forward sooner."
"Precisely. So do it." The Hierophant ordered.
Excellus bowed. That had been too close. He skated on thin ice now. The Hierophant brought him here to kill him for his failure. It was by sheer luck that he knew information that still made his life worth something.
He needed extra insurance. An idea jumped through his mind.
"My lord, before I go."
"What?"
Excellus gulped, "I have discovered who resides atop the Mila Tree. As well as the reason Walhart guards it so fiercely."
"Oh?" He had the Hierophant's attention, "Do tell."
"It appears a Manakete has taken up residence in the tree."
The silence was deafening. His lord's yellow eyes bored holes into his very soul.
"A manakete?"
Excellus nodded his head, "Yes, my lord. A powerful one too. She managed to repel your Deadlord."
Those yellow eyes narrowed at him, "Do you know a name?"
"I do." Excellus smiled, "General Cervantes informed me that the girl was named Tiki."
The Hierophant shot up from his chair.
"Are you certain that information is accurate?"
Oh ho! Had he poked a nerve? His lord all of a sudden seemed very worried.
"I am." Excellus bowed.
He saw a spark of worry cross through the Hierophant's gaze. The deep rumbling voice he heard earlier snarled around him. He had his lord panicked. Oh how interesting. Was the mighty Hierophant afraid of a simple Manakete?
"You are to make sure she never leaves that damn tree." He ordered, "Manipulate Walhart into doubling the guard around her."
"Of course, my lord." Excellus bowed.
He prepared to teleport away.
"Excellus."
"Yes, my lord?"
He gulped as those yellow eyes drilled into him.
"Fail me again, and there will be nothing you can do to escape my wrath."
Excellus gulped. He nodded in understanding and tapped his ring. The bright light of teleportation magic lit up beneath him. His body blinked away.
The Hierophant remained silent beside his desk as the worm exited. He despised that man. A toad. A worthless toad. No, that would be an insult to toads. Worm was the better description for Excellus. Nothing more than a piece of filth squirming around. Trying to survive. Worms had their uses, unfortunately.
"She's alive."
The Hierophant hung his head. A heavy, annoyed sigh escaped his lips.
"That makes two people who could topple our plans over and crush them into dust." The rational voice chirped, "Shall we go for three?"
"Her power is great. Naga's child would make an excellent meal."
"If we could even overpower her."
"Right now, we might be able to." The Hierophant breathed as he marched back over to his bookshelf. His eyes settled on an ancient tome. He carefully picked it up and gently peeled back the cracked, leather cover, "Most of her power is still sealed away. If she were to unleash all of her power, then we would be in trouble."
"Then the only option is full scale war. Damn the consequences. We need to get her out of the way as quickly as possible."
"Hehehehe, corpses. A feeding frenzy."
"We cannot afford that currently."
The two voices were quiet.
"We could always raise... him."
The Hierophant's eyes widened. The shadow beneath him twisted nervously.
"I'm uncertain of my level of control over that one."
"His power, combined with our own, would easily crush the Manakete before she could fully unleash."
"He is a last resort." The Hierophant said firmly, "I do not wish to annihilate this planet. I wish to rule it. I cannot rule over a dead world." He sighed and closed the tome, "And I cannot fight off what is to come with mere Risen."
"We will need more Deadlords added to our ranks. After all, our control over Equus has slipped."
"You gave him too much free will. I warned you on that."
"You are quite right." The Hierophant admitted, "I thought giving Equus more independence would make him more effective. Instead, that strategy backfired."
"Now we have a rogue Deadlord, a former high priestess of the Grimleal, and possibly the most powerful Manakete alive to contend with. Oh, and those pesky Naga-spawn in Ylisse. They could still cause problems too."
"How fun."
The Hierophant ran a hand over his forehead.
So many variables. So many unforeseen variables. Now his plans had to accelerate. He could not wait for Validar to rebuild Plegia. He could not wait for Excellus to have a stranglehold over most of Valm beneath the nose of the Conqueror. He needed to act fast. Catch Naga's followers off balance.
First he had to wipe out the Feroxi and Ylissean militaries. As well as Walhart's armies. A proper war between both would do just that. And he would not sacrifice any of his forces in the process.
So long as Excellus did his job, the plan would go well. He would deal with Equus when the time came. As for Tiki, he preferred to avoid her until he consolidated more of his power.
The High Priestess could be dealt with now though. The Hierophant leaned back in his chair.
He wondered how close little Aversa was now.
"Welcome to Ylisstol!" Anna smiled as she took a deep breath, "Home of the Shepherds. A burgeoning civilization with benevolent rulers. And of course, all of the trade you could hope for." A wistful sigh left her lips, "I've missed this place."
Ben chuckled as the group passed beneath the great, white gates of the city. It was remarkable how much the city had been rebuilt over the past year. There was hardly any evidence of the siege anymore. Life had returned to normal. It almost looked exactly the same as when Ben first laid eyes on it.
A sad smile crossed his lips as they passed through the market district. He remembered walking with Emmeryn though these streets. Enjoying the little stalls and the hustle and bustle. He could still hardly believe a ruler could walk so freely through her own city. Without fear of being attacked or kidnapped. Such actions showed how prosperous this city was. How much the common people loved their Exalt.
And from the looks of things, Chrom had done a magnificent job leading the people of Ylisse. After a weak harvest during the war, the people were enjoying a much more bountiful harvest now. Fresh fruit sat at market stalls for smiling citizens to pick out and enjoy. Farmers from all over the countryside carted their crops into the heart of Ylisse in order to make their fortune from the harvest.
The group stopped abruptly as a pack of children raced past them. All of them crying happily as they engaged in an epic chase of a small tabby cat. Several guards posted along the streets laughed at the site. Ben heard Robin laugh with the others.
"Wow," Robin took in a deep breath, "It is good to be home."
"Not quite there yet, Bubbles. Gotta get to the palace." Gaius rubbed his hands together, "Oh boy! I wonder what kind of sweets they have in there. It has been too long since I've had a good tart. Or a cake even. Oh Naga above, cake. I need some in my gut now."
Ben chuckled, "You will have plenty of time to gorge yourself on sweets, I'm sure."
He glanced towards the back of their little group. Donnel and Dooku were the pair that brought up the rear. Donnel looked around the city with wide eyes. The sights and sounds stunned the farm boy. He had never seen such a big city in his entire life. Ylisstol easily outdid Port Ferox and Charlet in almost every way. So many people. So many buildings. So much to see and do. Ben was surprised that Donnel did not appear too overwhelmed.
Dooku looked around with mild interest. The old man had seen much grander cities during his long lifetime. But Ben could see a slight smile on his face. He was still impressed. He understood the engineering feat this city was. To be able to construct such a place without the advanced technology that spanned the rest of the gaalxy was truly astonishing. That the old man could appreciate. Although, he probably would not go as far as to call this place a paradise like Ben did.
They all entered the Palace district. After quickly passing by most of the noble homes in the area, some of which blew Donnel's mind, they reached the gates of the Exalt's palace.
"Now I told you," A woman's voice barked angrily, "That the ballroom must be set in place properly. Why can you not understand that!? Have you retrieved the silverware yet? And the tables? What do you mean you're waiting for the sliveware to be polished!?"
Ben and Robin both stopped walking as they saw Maribelle standing angrily in front of a couple of palace servants.
"This is going to be a proper royal ceremony. It is the first time the public is being allowed to see the Princess, and it must go well!"
Robin and Ben glanced at each other.
"Princess?" They both said at the same time.
"Get to it already." Maribelle huffed. She folded her arms and shook her head, "Unbelievable. I don't understand it. Chrom may want to be informal but that will not do in this instance."
She turned and froze as she caught sight of Ben, Robin, and the others. Both Ben and Robin gave her a nervous wave.
"Hey Maribelle." Robin gulped.
"It is lovely to see you again." Ben bowed.
Maribelle blinked. She then shook her head and regained her usual snootiness.
"It is about time you all returned." She said, voice clipped and even, "You have not been sending any correspondence as of late. Do you have any idea how worried sick the rest of us were? Or how rude such a thoughtless action is?"
Ben and Robin gave each other a nervous glance.
"And you return looking like you rolled around in filth." Maribelle ran a finger over Robin's coat. She frowned a flicked some dust from her finger, "Gods, it is as if you do not even know the occasion today."
"We kinda don't." Robin said sheepishly.
"Well it is Princess Lucina's party today of course."
Ben heard a choked gasp rush from Marth's lips as the girl face turned as white as a sheet.
"All of you must hurry into the barracks. Baths need to be drawn. Clothes cleaned and pressed. I expect all of you to wear your absolute best attire for this occasion. And if you do not have anything moderately appropriate, an outfit will be fetched for you. Including you, Miss Panne."
"I refuse to wear a dress." Panne grumbled as she marched towards the barracks.
Gaius laughed hard, "I would pay good money to see that."
"And you!" Maribelle snatched Gaius by the ear. The thief uttered a loud cry and began to beg for mercy, "Keep your sticky fingers off of anything of value. If I find out anything is missing from this special occasion, even one silver spoon, I will drag you back to Themis and have you hung by your entrails."
She let go of his ear. Gaius straightened himself upright and shrugged.
"Yeah, yeah." Gaius replied with a wave of his hand.
"Good." Maribelle smiled, "Now hurry up, all of you! We can worry about formal introductions later. Get going. You only have a couple hours."
Maribelle drew in a deep breath as she watched the group walk past her towards the Shepherds barracks. The Duchess of Themis recognized most of them. But four she did not. An elderly man near the back, a young boy with a copper pot on his head, a red haired woman with a red beret, and a mage with an inquisitive gaze.
Maribelle let out a loud sigh.
"Robin, Ben."
Both men stopped at the door to the barracks. Maribelle gave them both a small smile.
"I'm glad you all are back."
Robin grinned and gave her a thumbs up. The Duchess rolled her eyes as the group rushed into the barracks. That tactician had no sense of formality whatsoever.
"Really, this does not have to be that big of a deal." Chrom sighed as he ran a hand over his eyes.
All around him, servants hustled about. Tables were set up in the palace's ballroom. Tablecloths flung over them. The tile floor underwent extensive polishing. Frederick helped hoist a large banner over the grand, double doors that led into the room. The Knight stood precariously on the top rung of a ladder. A handful of nails in one hand and a hammer in the other.
Maribelle continued barking orders around at the servants as they scrambled to set up the expansive room. Meanwhile, all Chrom could do was stand there. Uncomfortable and frankly, a little annoyed.
"Nonsense." Frederick called back to him as he pinned the banner above the doorway, "This is a special occasion for all royalty in Ylisse. It is-"
"Tradition. I know." Chrom rolled his eyes, "But it doesn't have to be this formal."
"We are introducing Princess Lucina to the masses." Maribelle cried defensively, "This is one of the most important occasions of her life."
"She won't even remember it." Chrom sighed.
"But we most certainly will. And I will not allow my godniece to have an informal party on such an occasion as this."
"Godniece?" Chrom arched an eyebrow, "Since when-"
"Hey, Chrom!"
Lissa skipped into the room. She paused in the doorway and leaned against the ladder Frederick precariously balanced on. The Knight uttered a small cry as it wobbled next to Lissa. The young Princess jumped and caught the ladder just before it could fall over.
"Sorry!" She called up to Frederick.
"Please be more careful next time, milady." Frederick breathed as he clung to the top rung of the ladder.
"Will do." Lissa smiled.
The Princess returned her attention to the ballroom. Blue and green banners hung from the walls all around her. The marble floor sparkled like a bright diamond. Every table had almost been completely set. Silverware placed neatly beside silver plates. Vases filled with blue flowers adorned each table. And there was a large area for dancing in the very center of the ballroom. Off to the side, Lissa could see a small band setting up their chairs. Violins, violas, and harps all being tuned for this evening's performance.
"Ooooh, it looks so nice here." Lissa clapped her hands.
"It will have to do." Maribelle huffed, "This is such short notice unfortunately. I wanted there to be an ice sculpture as well." She folded her arms over her shoulder, "I hope the cake is nearly finished baking."
Lissa pulled Maribelle into a large hug, "It is perfect, Maribelle!"
"I try my best darling." Maribelle said with a small smile before breaking Lissa's embrace.
"So?" Lissa folded her hands in front of her dress, "How many people are coming?"
"Most of the noblemen and women. And of course your personal guests." Maribelle replied, "I already warned Vaike he better wear a shirt for this. If he does not I will personally thwack him over the head with my staff."
Chrom chuckled, "I still don't think he will."
"He will probably forget." Lissa laughed.
Maribelle threw her hands up in the air, "Oh! And don't get me started on Robin and Ben." Chrom and Lissa's eyes widened, "Both of them and all of their friends showed up filthy as could be and-"
"Robin and Ben are here!" Chrom and Lissa cried.
"Well, yes, they are." Maribelle gave both a perplexed look, "I ushered them into the barracks so that they might-"
She did not get a chance to finish her sentence as both Chrom and Lissa took off out of the ballroom.
"Well fine, I did not want to finish talking anyways."
Chrom sprinted out of the palace doors and out into the courtyard. Maribelle probably wanted him to go to his chambers to get dressed already. After all, the party was in an hour. Nobles would start arriving soon. If he was still wearing his usual leisure clothes then she would have a heart attack. The Duchess of Themis was all about appearances when it came to events like this. Chrom knew that all too well. He spent several hours trying to talk her out of making this occasion such a big deal. But to no avail. It did not help that Lissa just fed fire to Maribelle's flames. His sister had also been adamant about making this night one for Lucina to remember.
But getting dressed for stuck up nobles could wait. Ben and Robin were back. So were Gaius, Tharja, and Panne. Hopefully Marth and-
Chrom smiled. If they were back, that had to mean Ben and Robin were successful in their search. Lucina was probably going to have a proper playmate soon. Sumia would be thrilled. He was excited to meet Ben's son as well.
He burst into the barracks. Lissa was hot on his heels. The two Ylissean royals rushed past the empty common room down the hall to the bunkroom. Lissa broke off towards the women's bunk room. Chrom rushed down the hall to the last room on the left.
He shoved the door open. The solid slab of wood slammed directly in a young boy's forehead. The boy let out a loud, alarmed cry. He stumbled backwards, then landed in a heap on one of the cots. Head swimming and eyes spinning.
"Donnel!" Robin cried across the room. He moved towards the unconscious farm boy but paused when he caught sight of Chrom in the doorway.
A large grin spread across Chrom's face. He locked eyes with Robin. The tactician put his hands on his hips and started to laugh.
"You know, you aren't supposed to greet new friends by knocking them out."
Chrom laughed hard. He strode up to Robin and wrapped his friend in a tight embrace. He patted the tactician hard on the back then pulled away.
"It's so good to see you again." Chrom grinned.
"Same here." Robin grinned, "It's been far too long."
"How's it going, Princey?" Gaius chirped from one of the top bunks.
The thief already completely dressed and ready for the party. Clean clothes and a fresh strip of cloth keeping his red hair out of his eyes. A lollipop dangled from the corner of his mouth as he lay back into the cot.
"Gaius." Chrom smiled, "I trust you behaved yourself?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Robin smirked, "Panne kept him on a short leash."
"I did not place my sticky fingers on anything too shiny." Gaius cut in, "I did however manage to get some rather lovely pastries during one stop and-"
"And I'm only finding out about this now." Robin sighed and shook his head.
"What?" Gaius shrugged. He sat up in his cot, "A man's gotta eat."
"That's why we pay for food." Robin groaned.
"Not me."
Chrom chuckled, "Just keep the kleptomania to a minimum, Gaius. Especially tonight. I'd rather not hear about it later from Maribelle."
"Oh, I've already heard the whole spiel from her already." Gaius smirked back, "The question is: will it stop me?" He pursed his lips and shrugged, "Probably not. But Whiskers might."
"Speaking of tonight." Robin started, "Princess Lucina?"
Chrom's cheeks reddened. Gaius bolted upright in his cot.
"That's right! Chrom and Sumia got busy!" Gaius cheered.
"Gaius…." Robin groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Chrom let out a nervous laugh, "It's alright. Yes, Robin. Sumia and I have a daughter. You'll get to meet her tonight. Right now she is napping."
"And Sumia?" Robin asked.
"Still getting ready. She's been doing that for the past hour or so." Chrom scratched the back of his head, "Meanwhile, I've had to deal with Maribelle and Frederick fretting about the palace. The poor servants are all frantic at the moment." Chrom sighed, "Honestly, I just wanted a small get together with the other Shepherds. But that offended poor Maribelle."
Robin chuckled, "Sounds about right."
Chrom glanced around the room. He finally noticed the other occupant in there. A quiet young man occupying the furthest bunk from the door. A mage by the looks of things. His nose was buried in a thick tome. He had not noticed Chrom enter.
"Oh!" Robin remarked, "I have to introduce you to the others." He pointed at the young man with the glasses, "That is Laurent. We found him wandering the desert to the South East."
"Uh… why?"
"Long story."
"Mirage villages and the nature of the universe." Laurent droned as he flicked a page in his tome.
"Yeah that." Robin nodded. Doing his best to play off the absurdity in Laurent's statement. Robin nodded over at Donnel. The farm boy groaned as he started to wake up. A large, purple bruise formed across his forehead.
"And that is Donnel. He helped us save his village from bandits." Robin smiled.
"I did?" Donnel muttered. Still a little delirious from taking a door to the head.
"Yes you did, Donny." Gaius chuckled.
Robin brushed past Chrom towards the door, "There's also Anna and Dooku. But Anna is in the girls room. Which us guys are not allowed to go into and Dooku is-"
"CONFOUND IT ALL, KENOBI! I THOUGHT YOU KNEW HOW THIS DAMN THING WORKED!" An elderly, aristocratic voice boomed. Filled with frustration and anger.
"You are supposed to pull the lever and the water comes out that way!" Kenobi shouted back as he emerged from the men's bathroom. He slammed the door shut behind him.
"WHAT LEVER!?"
"Use your damn eyes!" Kenobi groaned and ran both of his hands over his face. At that moment, he noticed both Chrom and Robin staring at him. Confused and more than a little concerned. Ben jabbed a thumb at the door, "He's senile."
"I am not senile!"
Ben kicked the door and marched down the hallway to Robin and Chrom.
"Honestly, it's like he's never seen soap and a proper bath before." Ben sighed. He stopped in front of Chrom and extended his hand, "It is good to see you again, Chrom."
Chrom laughed, shook his head, and wrapped Ben a large hug.
"I'm glad to see you both home." Chrom grinned. He patted Ben on the shoulder, "Just in time to save me from Maribelle and her party."
"Oh yes, about that-"
"Chrom and Sumia had a baby." Robin cut off Ben.
Chrom chuckled. His cheeks turned a little red. One hand reached up and scratched the back of his head.
"Yes we did."
Ben gave Chrom a warm smile, "Congratulations, Chrom. I'm excited to meet her."
"I'm excited for all of you to meet her too."
Ben waved his hand down the hall, "Shall we go to the common room and catch up?"
Chrom sighed, "I wish. But I still have to get ready for this stupid party."
"Don't let Maribelle catch you saying that." Robin laughed.
"Good point." Chrom gulped, "And if she catches me out here there will be hell to pay." He walked up to the girls' door and knocked, "Come on Lissa. We need to let them get ready."
"Fiiiiine." They all heard from the other side.
Lissa opened and shut the door. A giddy smile was all over face.
"Everyone looks so nice in there!"
"Really?" Robin asked with a raised brow.
Lissa smiled and nodded.
"I'm sure you boys will be blown away. That's for sure. But you cannot peak at them. You have to wait until the party."
"Says who?" Chrom asked, hands on his hips.
"Says me." Lissa stomped her foot, "Oh and Tharja. She's a little shy right now."
"Tharja? Shy?" Robin glanced at Ben, "I think hell just froze over."
Ben and Chrom both laughed.
"I have to get going. I will see all of you at the party." Chrom waved as he walked out of the barracks.
"See you all there!" Lissa smiled back at them before shutting the barracks door behind her.
Both Robin and Ben stood alone in the hall. Robin frowned. He ran one of his hands over his coat. Ben shook his head.
"You look fine, Robin."
"The coat could use a tailor." Robin muttered reluctantly, "And I'd rather not be on the receiving end of one of Maribelle's tirades."
Ben chuckled and clapped a hand on Robin's back. The pair strolled back to the mens' bunkroom. Inside, Donnel was struggling to button up a fancy coat over his skinny frame. Gaius had managed to get some sticky sugar on the front of his shirt. And the only thing Laurent did to change his appearance was grab a fresh set of robes. His hat was still covered in a fine layer of dirt and dust from the road.
Ben nodded and patted Robin's back.
"With how our formal outfits look, I'm certain all of us will be at the receiving end of a tirade."
Sully rolled her eyes. She hated these kind of parties. Hated them! To her, dressing up in a fancy, stifling gown and dancing elegantly around a polished floor was not a party. She did not enjoy hoity-toity societal obligations like this. She could not give a rat's ass what noble person she offended or not. To her, a party was a good drink with a bunch of great friends. Loud and rowdy. Someone had to end up passed out on the floor.
And if the party really went well, then there would be a fistfight, a brawl, and someone stripping naked in the middle of it. Those were good times. Those were proper memories.
There wasn't even beer at this party. What kind of party did not have beer?
The kind that makes me want to smack my head into a wall out of sheer boredom.
Sully noticed a server waltzing past with a tray of glasses. Each glass was filled halfway with some fruity looking, bubbly drink. Sully sighed. It was better than nothing.
"You there." She snapped her fingers at the servant.
"Yes, madam?"
"I ain't a madam, first of all." Sully huffed, "And I need a drink."
She plucked one glass and downed its contents in one gulp. She wrinkled her nose. It tasted bitter. And the bubbles fizzed over her palate in an extremely uncomfortable way. Not only that, it didn't even have any kick to it. She hardly tasted any alcohol.
"What the hell is this crap?"
"Champagne, my lady." The servant replied.
"Did they add pain to the name because it sucks?" Sully placed the empty glass back on the platter, "Give me another, I need a good buzz to get through this."
She snatched another glass and swallowed all of it in one gulp. Just as she reached for a third glass, she heard someone call out to her.
"Hold yourself there, oh beautiful Sully." Virion said as he sauntered over to her, "It would not do you good to inebriate yourself in such a way just yet. We have not even managed to reach the first dance yet."
"If you expect me to be able to dance in this dress, you're kidding yourself." Sully pulled on the gown around her, "I've got no breathing room in here."
"Of course not. That lovely figure must be displayed for all to see." Virion declared.
"Keep talking and my lovely figure's foot will hit your jaw."
"Damn it all!"
Vaike leaned against the wall on the other side of Sully. The oaf wore his best outfit for the occasion. Nice dress slacks. Slick black boots. A black tie around his neck. And as always, absolutely no shirt. Miriel stood beside him. The mage had changed into more formal robes. But her hat remained on top of her head. And Sully could see a spell book still hiding inside of her robes.
"No beer?" Vaike asked Sully.
Sully shook her head.
"What kind of party is this?" Vaike asked, disappointed.
"The stupid kind."
"There is champagne." Virion pointed out as he raised his own glass.
"Bleh! I think I'll pass." Sully replied.
"But you just drank three glasses."
"I need to get drunk to get through tonight." Sully huffed, "The only reason I'm here is because Chrom and Sumia wanted me here. If I had known Maribelle put this on though…" She shook her head, "I need another drink."
"Mind getting me one?" Vaike asked.
"Hold my lady!" Virion declared.
The archer pointed over to the ballroom entry. Filing in with another group of nobles was Ben and Robin. Walking just behind them was a much older man with black leather gloves over his hands.
"Our brave comrades have returned!" Virion cried as the pair made their way over to the small group of Shepherds.
Robin smiled as he patted Virion on the shoulder.
"And not a moment too soon. Chrom is going to be so uncomfortable in all of this." Robin said.
Virion chuckled and raised his champagne glass to Ben and Robin.
"Welcome home to both of you."
"Yeah, bout time you two got back." Sully smirked.
"You had to leave Teach out on one of your adventures!?" Vaike cried, "That was not fair."
Robin's looked Vaike up and down, "Vaike, where's your shirt?"
"Fitting him into a shirt is like trying to put a suit on a monkey." Miriel frowned
"Ha! I would like to see that." Sully laughed. She gestured at both Robin and Ben, "That being said, both of you clean up nice. You really make that suit look good Ben."
Ben nodded his head in thanks. He folded his hands into his pant's pockets. As a server passed by the group, Ben politely took a glass of champagne from the tray. He took a sip. The flavor hit his tongue and he grimaced a little bit.
"That is… not the best drink in the world."
"That's being polite." Sully snorted, "This stuff really puts the pain in Champagne."
"You all need to refine your tastes then." The old man said with a rich voice. He sipped on his own drink, "I find this to taste quite lovely."
Sully frowned, "Who's the guy with the stick up his ass?"
Ben choked on another sip of Champagne while Robin chuckled to the side. The old man glowered at Sully.
"Dooku. I am an old friend of Ben's."
"An old friend eh?" Sully looked him up and down, "Old might be an understatement." She leaned over to Ben, "Since when did you start gathering fossils?"
Ben chuckled a little as he saw Dooku frown at him. The swordsman shook his head as Sully and Vaike laughed with him. Ben nodded at Dooku.
"You need to learn to relax, Dooku. You will find that the majority of the Shepherds are not very formal."
"But this occasion does require formality." Dooku sighed. His eyes flicked over the room, "I shall go find a table to sit at."
"Have fun." Ben smirked. He took another sip of his champagne. At least it was somewhat drinkable. It appeared to be the only refreshment available besides water.
"So, where's everyone else?" Sully asked.
"Gaius bolted over to the deserts table as soon as we got in here." Robin said, nodding to the redhead gorging himself on sweets across the room, "Laurent is," Robin saw the scholar staring hard at the blue flower at the center of the table. His tome was open as he furiously scribbled notes into it, "Being Laurent. And Donnel is… somewhere? Where did he go?"
Ben's eyes widened. He pointed across the room towards the main entry. Robin followed his finger. His own eyes widened and his jaw fell open.
Donnel was standing next to Maribelle. The pair were just talking. Robin's eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the farm boy make Maribelle laugh.
"What exactly am I seeing?" Robin asked.
"The burning too quickly part of Maribelle's personality." Miriel shifted her glasses up her nose, "It appears your new friend Donnel has some charm to him."
"I did not realize the kid had it in him." Ben gaped.
"Hey, as long as he keeps Maribelle occupied, it is a victory for all of us." Sully said with a smirk, "How'd you run into the fossil and the two kids?"
"Well, funny story when it comes to Laurent-" Ben began.
Before he could finish, he felt Robin jab him in the ribs with his elbow. Ben furrowed his brow. Robin nodded over at the doorway. Ben glanced over.
Anna, Marth, and Panne all entered the room. Panne had brushed her hair and made sure to clear her usual leather armor to a perfect shine. Anna wore a rather pretty red gown. But her sister's red beret still sat on top of her head. Marth seemed the least interested in appearing fancy out of all of them. She wore a simple clothes with a blue, leather jerkin overtop. A short red cape rested over her right shoulder. Hiding the stump that remained of her right arm.
Behind the three of them, walking as quickly and as quietly into the room was possible was Tharja. The Dark Mage no longer wore her revealing Grimleal attire. Instead she opted for her usual black cape and much more modest, black mage robes lined with gold trim. Some of her skin still poked through gaps in the outfit. But otherwise it was lovely formal wear.
"The girls are finally ready." Robin smirked.
Sully flicked her eyes over at the group. She then glanced back at Ben, who had continued staring at Tharja as the dark mage took a seat beside Laurent.
"Ohohohohohoho!" Sully smacked her thigh, "No way!"
"It appears our righteous friend; our honorable comrade in arms," Virion placed a hand on Ben's shoulder, "has been smitten by the beautiful dark mage from Plegia."
"Really?" Vaike glanced over at Tharja, "Come to think of it, she is kinda pretty. If you are into the creepy glares sort of thing."
Before Ben could reply to the others' relentless teasing, one of the servants cleared his throat.
"May I present, Prince Chrom of House Ylisse. His wife, Queen Sumia of House Ylisse. And their daughter, Princess Lucina of House Ylisse."
All eyes turned to the ballroom doors as the royal family entered the ballroom. Chrom wore a royal outfit complete with a fancy white cape. Sumia looked radiant in a green gown. And in her arms was the star for the evening. A small bundle of joy wearing a green dress and little green slippers. Her still growing blue hair carefully brushed out of her face.
Chrom waved to everyone in attendance as the nobles all bowed then clapped. The royals quietly made their way to their table and took a seat. Chrom glanced over at Ben and Robin and smiled at them.
"Unfortunately, ain't none of us getting close to them during this party." Sully sighed, "All of them nobles will be busy kissing Chrom's ass."
"And admiring the newborn Princess of course." Virion pointed out.
"That too." Sully glanced up, "Here come the others."
Frederick and Cordelia both joined their group. Frederick wore a spiffy suit with a high collar. A sword was still strapped to his waist. For the wary knight was never off duty. Cordelia meanwhile wore a lovely red gown that matched her hair. The wing ornaments that distinguished her as a Pegasus Knight still sat in her hair. She smiled at Ben and Robin before standing quietly with the group.
Just behind them, Stahl approached. The young horseman escorted a pinked haired woman towards the group. The young woman gave them all a shy wave as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"I remember you!" Robin cried, "You were the messenger back in Plegia. The one that told us Chrom was going to attack."
The woman shrank a little bit, "I am." She said, her voice very quiet.
"Olivia correct?" Ben asked.
She nodded.
Ben smiled and took her hand, "It is a pleasure to see you again."
"L-likewise."
"Lady Olivia is part of the official delegation to the city of Themis for Regna Ferox." Virion pointed out, "Her and Maribelle have gotten along swimmingly."
"We have." Olivia nodded with a small hint of anxiety in her voice.
"And I have taken over training the cavalry in Themis as well." Stahl smiled, "Frederick finally said I was ready."
"And you are." Frederick nodded, "Sully on the other hand."
"My temper is fine. And so is my fighting." Sully grumbled.
"She might not be the best to teach others." Frederick finished carefully.
Everyone laughed as Lon'qu carefully approached the group. The swordsman kept a safe distance from the women that had gathered with the others. He gave both Robin and Ben a small nod. But otherwise remained quiet.
Gregor sauntered over and wrapped both Ben and Robin in a large hug.
"Gregor happy to see you well!"
"Nice to see you as well, Gregor." Robin squeaked as the man's large muscles crushed his bones.
"It is good to see you both." A quiet, unassertive voice said. Nearly scaring Robin out of his boots.
"Geez Kellam!" Robin breathed as he put a hand to his chest and caught his breath, "Don't sneak up on me like that."
"I've been here the whole time."
Finally, Lissa and Ricken came rushing up to the group. Bouncing just behind them was Nowi. The Manakete apparently enjoyed the formal atmosphere, but also did not seem to understand why everyone was dressed so fancy. Ricken smiled at both Robin and Ben as he joined the group.
"I'm close to passing my final exams to become a full fledged mage." The young boy said.
"Youngest ever to do so!" Lissa declared with a big grin, "Of course helping fight in a war against Plegia and the Grimleal sure does help one get better."
"Yeah." Ricken nodded, with a little less mirth.
Ben smiled and patted Ricken on the shoulder.
"You will make a fine mage, Ricken. I'm sure of it."
Another servant cleared their throat and made an announcement.
"Dinner is served!"
"About time!" Vaike cried, "Teach is starving." He nudged Miriel, "After this, why don't we all go get a real drink somewhere else?"
"And leave Chrom and Sumia alone?" Robin asked
"They expect us to be gone after the food." Sully snorted, "Besides, they both will probably come join us once Lucina is put to bed. Which will be in about an hour or so."
"Let's eat!" Nowi cheered as she rushed over to the table where Tharja, Laurent, and Dooku all sat. The little girl jumped into a seat beside Dooku and gave the old man a bright smile.
"Well hello there." Dooku grinned, "What is a young lady like you doing here?"
"Young lady?" Nowi smirked, "I'm one thousand years old."
Dooku chuckled as Ben took a seat across from him.
"How charming."
He noticed Ben not laughing with him. Dooku arched an eyebrow and glanced down at the Manakete. He then looked back up at Ben. No one else at the table moved to correct the little girl sitting beside him.
"Is she serious?"
Aversa shivered as she marched through the enormous ice field that covered the plains in northern Regna Ferox. A curse escaped her lips as she slipped and sank into a snow drift.
The cape around her shoulders did not help her fight off the cold. She thought she had worn warm enough clothes for the journey into this frozen wasteland. But she now learned the hard way that there was no such thing as warm enough clothes for Regna Ferox's tundra.
Her stomach growled. There was hardly any food to find in these frozen wastes. Nothing grew this far north. The cold and ice stuck to the ground almost year round. Making any plant life sparse. And any animal life even sparser. She had seen a few rabbits every now and then. But catching those had been difficult.
She shivered and rubbed her arms. She needed food. Needed a warm fire. This damn mission. It was driving her insane. Pushing her to her very limits. And she had not even found her target yet.
When she had approached Validar about the Hierophant's orders, the new King of Plegia had been quite distraught. He refused to answer any of her questions at first. But after threatening to involve the Hierophant in the matter, Validar finally opened up. And Aversa learned of her prey. And that prey would easily make the hunter the hunted if she was not careful.
A former sorceress of the Grimleal who disappeared during the waning days of the first Ylissean-Plegia war. But not before trying to assassinate Validar himself. A mage of enormous power. Power that even Validar greatly feared. He warned Aversa she would never be able to defeat her. Even he could not best her when she had been at her strongest.
But that was almost fifteen years ago. She could be weaker now. Age and the wounds she received from Validar might render her less powerful than before. Back then, Validar did win. Through luck and trickery, he thought he vanquished the Witch. But now, the Hierophant sensed her presence. Sensed her gathering power in the ice fields of Regna Ferox. Leading a rogue sect of the Grimleal in order to try and take down him and Validar.
And the Hierophant chose Aversa to deal with it.
It was either the ultimate vote of confidence. Or the ultimate punishment. Perhaps both. Either way, both Validar and the Hierophant expected her to die out here. Either the cold would kill her, or her target would.
Aversa grit her teeth and pressed onward.
No, she would not die to the damn cold. A little ice would not kill her. Starvation would not end her life either. She would be able to complete this mission. And when she did, she would return and present the Witch's head to both Validar and the Hierophant. Her place by both of their sides would be secured once again.
She reached a small crest in the ice fields. Her breath caught in her throat.
Far below her, in a small valley surrounded by icy cliffs, was a set of ancient stone ruins half buried in the ice and snow. It looked like the remains of a massive fortress of some sort. But without any protective walls. Just an enormous building with a collapsed roof and fallen pillars. Half of it had fallen deep into the ice a long time ago.
She did not know these ruins existed out here. No one did. A small smile crossed her lips.
It was the perfect place for the Witch and her followers to hide. Aversa had her quarry in her sites. It was time to finish the mission. And return to the power she once held.
And chapter! A fun little chapter for our Shepherds! Ben and co. have returned home! We get to see them in a bit of a formal setting. More of a setup for some shenanigans to come next chapter. And we see both Aversa and the Hierophant making moves. I wonder who Aversa is hunting exactly? Whoever the Witch is, she will not be an easy opponent.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!