AUTHOR'S NOTES: I am back from my vacation, which in turn means that this story as well will go back to its regular update schedule. It might slow down just a teeny bit as I work on finalizing one of my other stories, but as Gregor (Garrett?) would say... "Worry not!" I'm not quitting it by any chapter wraps up The game's 2nd chapter, and as promised, we also get an insight or two on what Hoshido is up to in the meantime. Corrin might still be at the palace, but we've got a slew of Hoshidans that show their faces, since I do want to give the characters from both kingdoms fair amounts of 'screen time'.
but I've rambled enough. Here's the 11th installment of my series. Hopefully the steady pace is not too off-putting.
Happy Reading!

CHAPTER 11: The Foreign Princesses

Sing with me a song of Skirmish and Pride...

Kamui gasped in horror at what she had just witnessed, and Leo seemed as stoic as he closed his time and approached Garon with a cool level of nonchalance.
"Father," he stated, "I have dispatched the enemies on behalf of our softhearted sister. I only ask that you would be merciful in your punishment towards her."
"Hmph," Garon almost looked like he was about to question if Leo had actually done the deed. "I will consider the manner later."
Garon left the scene, leaving Kamui, her siblings and retainers, and a bloody mess behind them where the battle had taken place.

"Did you really have to murder them?" Kamui frowned.
"Why do you think I didn't leave the bodies?" Leo retorted. A few gears turned in Kamui's head before she realized what he was implying, and she smirked.
"I owe you one." she nodded, "although I don't think I've heard the end of it quite yet.
"Strong as you are, little princess, an act of kindness like that may one day be your downfall." Xander warned, "or worse, your death."
"Perhaps so," Kamui frowned, "but if I die with my honor and dignity intact, I will die happy."
"...Well said." Xander admitted before calling in the guard and instructing them to search whatever was left, as well as the cell Kaze and Rinkah had been in. As the rest of the people dispersed, Xander took Kamui and they found where Leo had 'moved' the two prisoners, and perhaps because of her, he showed them mercy.

"Listen well," he warned, "It is only because of my sister's kind heart that you draw breath—and will now face your freedom. Disappear now, lest you are seen or captured again by my father or his guards."
Kaze's eyes briefly connected with Xander's and then Kamui's, before he disappeared without a word. He briefly contemplated sticking around until he knew that Rinkah had also left, considering that the fiery girl was already in critical condition and sometimes didn't know when to retreat, but even then, this was not the first mistake Kaze made.
Thankfully, he was right about trusting her judgment this time, and she eventually joined him, but not without a few choice words to the Nohrians.
"I'm not a hostage to be freed," she growled as Xander turned to walk away, briefly leaving Rinkah and Kamui alone together.
"Don't fool yourself, spitfire," Kamui warned, "you were rotting in prison hardly an hour ago. I do not wish to reverse my decision on the matter."

"You said your name was Kamui," Rinkah growled. She seemed to be analyzing her situation and realizing that she was outgunned. Her right arm was broken, her left arm had been hastily wrapped up to curb the bleeding, and she was walking with a heavy limp.
"That's me," Kamui was unafraid to share her name.
"Mark my words then, Kamui," Rinkah's fiery red eyes met Kamui's own red ones, "the next time we meet I will make you pay for my humiliation."

Kamui was frozen in silence, but her face seemed in thought rather than surprised. She could see a streak of her own pride in this woman, also surprised that someone so powerful was so young—and so full of tenacity.
"Actually, I was hoping the next time we met, that it could be under better circumstances—and maybe even as friends." Kamui admitted. While she was fine with fighting for what she wanted, considering her past and how that was one of her main pastimes back in the Northern Fortress, she felt like had the two of them met under different circumstances, they might have actually become friends despite Rinkah's hostile exterior.
"Don't be a fool," Rinkah shook her head, "I'm a Hoshidan warrior. You don't understand what you suggest, nor do you realize the strength of your enemy."
"I'm pretty sure I realized the strength of my enemy after being offered the opportunity to slay you after my defeat. Don't do this to yourself, woman. I am not a warmonger. I dream of seeing a day where we can resolve the conflict and ideally become a world at peace."

"I'm sorry that I'm not tiptoeing through the tulips in delight from your oh so merciful gesture, princess. I've heard of you, and just like your brother, you've got a few serious reality checks to face before you're ready to take on anyone."
"Then mark my words, we'll meet again and decide then who humiliates who," Kamui frowned, "safe travels, princess. I do not wish for even my enemies to die by the wayside."
Rinkah gritted her teeth and staggered away, miraculously avoiding being seen by the guards or any of Garon's men. She swore bitterly to herself, grumbling about her humiliation and defeat as she caught back up with Kaze.
"I was almost certain you were going to provoke her into changing her mind," He commented.
"No…" Rinkah sighed, "but we really need to get the hell out of here before they come back."

=The borders of Hoshido, a couple days later…=

Because of the militaristc power of Nohr, as well as their legions of Faceless that often patrolled the borders, very few Hoshidans could get into Nohr without being caught. Still, any time Hoshidans were dragged across the borders, search and rescue parties were usually sent out from Shirasagi Castle Town to try and rescue them, or at least find indications of where they went. Kaze and Rinkah were both fairly important assets to Hoshido's strength, and so ambitious would-be rescuers were working around the clock to try and bring them back.

A great deal of excitement burst out when Zenzi, who was with the party, noticed movement coming from the fringes of the canyon. She blew a horn to alert others of her position, with Saizo and Hinoka being among those who came.

"Oh gods…" Hinoka gasped upon seeing who was there with Zenzi, "Get help! Bring me a shrine maiden, stat!" A few soldiers left as Hinoka raced towards the figure Zenzi had spotted. A rather bloodied Kaze fell to his knees in exhaustion, an unconscious Rinkah over his shoulders.
"Don't… mind me…" he whispered, his voice heavy from obvious exhaustion, "I just… need rest. This blood is mostly hers."

Rinkah was taken to a nearby tent with the hopes of being revitalized, while Kaze rested. Naturally, he was the one to come back to consciousness and functionality first, and shortly after he did, he found Saizo, Zenzi, and Hinoka waiting for him, the former of which was practically right in his brother's face.
"What I want to know," he grunted, "is how you got out of there. As loathe as I am to admit it, I had assumed you were done for, brother."
"And yet you remained?" Kaze raised an eyebrow.
"I assumed it was denial, but even then I did not want to admit it. It was bad enough to lose our father to hostiles; I did not wish the same to be said about my brother."
"I am well." Kaze admitted, "shaken, and still rather exhausted, but I am well."

"Oh thank goodness!" Zenzi gasped, and an audible sigh of relief was heard from Hinoka behind her. "We were all so terribly worried about you!" Zenzi might not have known the Hoshidans very long, but the way they had taken her and Roku in made her feel right at home as if this was a family she had never had. She did still occasionally wonder what had become of Arozza, but she figured fate would continue to play its course.

"How did you escape?" Hinoka looked skeptical—not so much believing that Kaze and Rinkah were not the real Kaze and Rinkah, but more because of how difficult it was for prisoners of Nohr to escape on their own.
"A Nohrian princess rescued us." Kaze explained, "Rinkah and I fought against her and her retainers in combat for the king's pleasure."
"Vile Nohrians!" Hinoka spat, "of course they'd use you for sport!"
"That's why Rinkah's so beat-up." Kaze cracked a half smile, though it was short-lived considering that he did not know his comrade's welfare. "That reminds me… how is she?"

"She's stable," Hinoka explained, "but her arm was fractured and she technically should probably be dead. She's got some serious resilience, that kid does."
"Good," Kaze sighed in relief. "I will retire now as well, if I may, Lady Hinoka."
"By all means," the fiery-haired princess responded. Right as Kaze started to turn, however, she stopped him.
"Hold…" she put a hand on his shoulder, "you said that a Nohrian princess rescued you and Rinkah. Did you get her name?"
"It was almost certainly Kamui," Kaze nodded grimly, "my, how she's grown."
"Kaze if this is a joke, I swear…" Hinoka trembled for a moment.

"I would not lie about something this vital, Lady Hinoka," Kaze reassured her, "Lady Kamui is alive and well in Nohr… or I assume she is well, at least. She is also very strong and very dangerous. Most of these wounds were inflicted on us by her rather than her retainers."
"Who are her retainers, if I may ask?" Zenzi spoke up again, "I-I don't want to sound nosy or anything, but one of our friends is in Nohr…"
"The two that fought us were two men: a veteran named Gunter and a butler who called himself Jakob," Kaze explained, "although the name Arozza came up, if that's what you're asking."

"So the Nohrians have not only kept her but also indoctrinated her," Hinoka muttered under her breath, "they've turned her against us. We need to get her back."
"I think I can come up with something," Saizo spoke. No one was quite sure when he had appeared, but as a ninja, no one really questioned it either. "Rest, brother. I'll handle this."
"What did you have in mind?" Hinoka tilted her head slightly as she turned to him.
"We'll need Rinkah to recover as well." Saizo began, "And consultation with your brother Lord Ryoma. He knows King Garon's antics more than I do. Ultimately, however, if what I know of that man is correct, he believes Kamui's time has come. So, similar to what he's done with his other siblings, he'll send them on some scouting mission and exert Nohrian dominance over some small border settlement or village without getting past Queen Mikoto's barrier."

"But how will we know where she strikes?"
"We won't. But if King Garon does the same thing to Lady Kamui as he did to Lord Xander and Lady Camilla, odds are she will go on this mission alone, or with her retainers, at best. As much as I hate to say it, Nohrian methods do have their merits."
"Are you saying you're going to sacrifice a division?"
"Hardly; but a small contingent of occupied forces might help lure her where we want her. A few dozen archers and samurai congregated closely enough together will likely force her to either retreat or find a different way forward. We can take it from there."
"I'll talk to my brother about it," Hinoka nodded, "but if you think this plan can actually work and get our sister back to us… I for one am willing to try whatever it takes…"
"I would not suggest it if I were not competent that it had a chance of working," Saizo reassured her, "I serve my liege and his family, and I am no traitor."

At this point there would be a brief series of waiting games: one for Rinkah and Kaze to recover, one to bring Saizo's plan back to Ryoma and then to carry it out; and lastly for Kamui to hopefully take the bait and be returned home...