Ferrah's breathing began to ease as she trotted alongside her brunette owner. During the escape, Tifa got off of Ferrah to give her feathered friend a break. They've been traveling for hours and not once did Tifa look back. As she continued to travel back to Edge, the scene kept replaying over and over in her mind. Vincent's desperate plea for her to retreat. He gave himself away to those vile people, not once hesitating. It was almost as if the young prince knew what was going to happen all along. Tifa sighed at the thought. This man, her husband, made a sacrifice to let her see another day, and yet, she didn't feel like she deserved him. All those times she questioned his actions and his true intentions with her; eight long, grueling years of protecting her...she never once truly thanked him. Sure, Tifa said she understood and she would often thank him, but did she really take a hard look at Vincent's circumstances? If she would ever to see him again, she would thank him properly. No half stepping; nothing but pure, genuine empathy. Her prince was counting on her to return to him. She couldn't let him down. She depended on him heavily for eight years. It was his turn to depend on her, and she would not falter.

The sun projected an orangish-purplish hue as it slowly set. Ferrah whimpered with each step she took. The poor bird trotted through several terrains since the escape. Tifa was also beginning to feel her body shut down. The pair needed to rest and fast. They couldn't continue to move like this. Vincent was good as dead if Tifa didn't return to Edge.

Green glows from nearby bugs illuminated the surroundings tress as Tifa and Ferrah continued their trek towards Edge. There was no sign of Chaos anywhere, and that worried Tifa. Though she packed essentials in her bag, Vincent's bag probably contained more items that she needed in order to survive the trek. With no food or water, options were very limited. All of the chocobo feed for Ferrah was inside the carriage back in Nibelheim. Odds were against the princess, but she needed to be strong. Her prince and nation needed her.

Several tall boulders were scattered about in a dirt terrain that Tifa and Ferrah were slowly approaching. Night was coming soon, and Edge was still a few hours away. She would have to make camp for the rest of the evening, or at the very least take a few hours to rest. The boulders formed a neat-tight circle. They were in the middle of nowhere, and there were no signs of an abandoned dwelling or cave. The boulders would have to do.

"Let's rest here, girl."

Tifa eased Ferrah onto the ground. The poor bird whimpered as she leaned against the massive boulder. Like her owner, Ferrah pushed herself to the limit to get far away from Nibelheim. Her tongue was dry and practically stuck to the roof of her mouth. Tifa sighed next to her companion as her body slowly slid down to the ground, using the rock for support. The need for water and food was starting to become overwhelming, but the want to rest was even more compelling. The pair was out in the open, with no one to help them or supplies.

Tifa glanced at her feathered friend and exhaled exhaustingly. She used her left hand to cradle Ferrah's head and guide it to her lap. The chocobo made a satisfying noise as she adjusted her head in a more comfortable position. Her white feathers were dirtied along with Tifa's once beautiful orange dress. At least she opted to wear boots instead of heels. The insistence of a princess or queen to be dressed to impress was quite unnerving.

"Rest up, girl. We're taking a brief break then it's back to traveling."

Ferrah cooed and closed her eyes, nuzzling more into Tifa's hand. Tifa lazily pushed the back of her head on the boulder and closed her eyes. Her mind wondered to Vincent. His face, his hair, his mannerisms. It all hit her at once. She never truly appreciated his efforts in protecting her. All these years she's been nothing but a brat to the man. He could've easily ended her life long ago, but instead he put himself in harms way. Stood up for her, even when everything was against him. Their friends – Yuffie, Ramuh, and Sephiroth – were cheering them on, even putting themselves up against Grimoire, whether Grimoire was aware or not. They have all made sacrifices. Ramuh and his teaching with magic. Sephiroth and him covering for the two whenever Tifa wanted to leave the castle on a whim and overall protection. Yuffie and her agreeing to such a scandalous accord just to be near her. They've all made sacrifices, not once thinking of themselves; only thinking about Tifa.

"No more." Tifa lazily opened her eyes as her gaze fixated on the direction towards Nibelheim. "I'm done letting everyone do for me when I've done nothing to deserve such gratitude. Hang on, Vincent. I just need a little more time."

After weeks of checking in with the guards at the entrance to see if her piano arrived, it finally came. It was purple with a cherrywood finish, just like Tifa requested. She leaped for joy as the guards slowly walked towards her with the massive instrument. She couldn't contain herself; she was brimming with excitement. Days in the castle were hard to enjoy, but now that the piano has arrived, things will be a little easier. The young princess felt bad for the movers. The men had to overcome several steps and corridors before finally reaching Tifa's chambers. As the men were placing the piano in the corner she directed them to, she went over to her ardmore and grabbed a handful of cash. She didn't bother to count it up as she handed the currency to one of the men.

"Your Majesty, I can't take this."

Tifa shook her head as the man tried to hand her back the money. "The two of you deserve it."

"But we're not allowed to take tips, especially from the Valentine royalty." The other man spoke as he place his side of the piano at a perfect angle.

"Well I guess we'll have to keep this between the three of us now don't we?" Tifa smiled.

The men looked at one another and then back at Tifa. They bowed and thanked Tifa plentiful before taking their leave with a massive tip in hand. There was no point in arguing with the princess. As soon as the men closed the door, Tifa squealed in joy. She ran to her closet and threw several items of clothing on the floor until she pulled out several music sheets that she had acquired since visiting the city.

Since her late birthday celebration, Vincent and Tifa have ventured out into the city more often. They were regulars at Jim's and Ruby's shop. A lot of children would often approach Tifa and play a quick game of hide and seek with her. Tifa couldn't be sure, but she could've sworn Vincent would chuckle every so often. Nothing about him indicated that he liked children. In fact, Tifa couldn't remember a time that he interacted with children. Then again, she concluded that Vincent spent his entire childhood inside the castle; being groomed to become an evil dictator. After a quick game of hide and seek and tag, the royal pair would often interact with the citizens. The conversations never felt forced. They all seemed genuine, for the most part. Every now and then, they sensed a little nervousness. They couldn't blame their citizens for not completely trusting them. They were destined to follow a foul path. Some people didn't like them because of the fact, and others simply didn't like Vincent because Vincent wasn't following in his father's footsteps. Despite his ways, Grimoire has his followers. The numbers may be small, but they are there. Of course, none of the citizens knew of the full truth. Only members of the castle knew, and if such scandalous allegations were to come from the citizens, the gossip would've came from the castle, which meant immediate death. Grimoire have slit a few throats in the past for gossiping about what happens inside the castle. It has been years since Grimoire has killed someone over he say, she say, excluding Cissnei, but very few knew the real reason why Cissnei was killed.

At first, Vincent and Tifa were nervous about leaving castle grounds because of Grimoire. No matter how much they didn't want to admit it, Grimoire was still king, and the king's commands trumps everyone and everything. Grimoire never asked about their whereabouts whenever they had their meetings. Vincent, knowing his father's movements better than anyone, knew not to take his father's silence as not knowing anything. He never assumed when it came to his father, so he made sure to take extra precautions when leaving the castle. Once off of castle grounds, they were free. Grimoire wasn't the type of king to make public appearances, which always baffled Vincent. How dare a king not address his people from time to time? A king should inquire about current issues and observe. It's something Vincent will improve upon in due time. Grimoire not making public appearances made things a lot easier since none of the citizens actually interacted with Grimoire, and with the exception of the royal bloodline and servants of other castles across Gaia, no one had the address to the castle. Enjoying the city was easy; getting in and without Grimoire's knowledge was the arduous part.

Tifa promised herself that as soon as her piano came in, she would practice the lullaby her mother used to hum to her to help her sleep. She found the music sheet, and swiftly walked to the piano. As she sat down on the wooden bench, she noticed that her initials were engraved right above the glossy keys. A detail she never requested, but she smiled at the small gesture, nonetheless. She glanced over each leg. All four of them were perfect and damage free, even after all the movement it went through to get to her chambers. The men definitely earned their tip. Smiling, Tifa placed the sheets in front of her, her favorite lullaby was on top. She adjusted her body and posture and began to slowly glided her hands over the keys.

She played all day and finally turned in early. She have been training for half of the day and the other half playing on her piano. Grimoire has had a huge, sudden interest with Yuffie as of late so most of their training sessions have been cut short because of that. Ramuh keeps tabs on all the concubines for Yuffie's sake. Not to mention Grimoire sends Sephiroth to find Yuffie when her presence is required. Her hygiene must remain in tact, otherwise it would raise suspicion, so training with weapons have been heavily limited, but it never stopped their magic sessions. Magic require concentration and an emotional connection. Though it doesn't require physical strength, it can make a body weary. Regardless, the two women continued in secrecy.

Tifa casually stirred as the keys to piano rung softly in her ears. She wasn't sure if she heard correctly so she ignored the tune and tried to go back to sleep. Again, she heard another key go off and this time she was certain her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. She groggily rose from the bed. Her vision focused on a sitting figure at her piano. She smiled when she noticed it was Vincent. There was no particular song or tune being played. His long, slender fingers pressed the keys nonchalantly.

"Having fun?" Tifa got out of bed.

"I'm sorry to wake you." Vincent never turned to face Tifa. His index and middle finger were tracing the keys. "I see your piano has arrived."

Tifa nodded happily as she sat next to Vincent. "I played Once Upon a December several times. Still rusty, but not bad for someone who is several years out of practice."

She inhaled sharply as she placed her hands on the keys. "You've seemed to have over worked your fingers." Vincent noticed. "Once Upon a December? Is that the lullaby Queen Alice used to sing to you?"

Tifa sorrowfully nodded. It has been years since her mother's death, and she never once forgot about the last sight of her mother. Bloodied, disgraced, lacerations, sorrow. It all hit her at once.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring back painful memories."

"No, it's fine." She tilted her head and gave a small smile. "And yes. That's the song."

She hummed a few notes before playing a few notes, synching the notes with her humming. She took her time when playing her notes since her fingers were a bit sore from practicing earlier. Vincent watched in silence as Tifa continued onward with her song. A few minutes went by, and Tifa was done.

"That's a beautiful song." Vincent smiled.

"I plan on playing it to my children one day."

She paused and turned her head to Vincent, who was also looking back at her. She was no child. She knew there was no such thing as the stork. She was well aware of sex, and what it meant to reproduce children. She always envisioned herself playing, humming, and singing that song to her children, that much was very true. The thought haven't crossed her mind until now. Her mind raced. How could she let that sentence slip from her lips? Would Vincent take her right there, right now?

"We can always adopt." Vincent finally answered. He saw the visual gears in her brain turning. "I mean, once we have made our ascension. You have that option."

"Yeah..." He voice trailed as she returned her gaze back to her cramped fingers.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither one of them making any sudden movements. Finally, Vincent got up from the bench. Tifa followed his movements with her head, still remaining on the bench, as Vincent made his way towards the bathroom. He stopped suddenly and turned around to face Tifa. Their eyes connected as if they were speaking another language that they knew, yet foreign to their lips. He walked cautiously towards Tifa and stopped on her right side. The stare was intense, but there were no malice behind each other eyes. They were filled with something that neither one of them could identify. Without warning, Vincent pressed lips softly against Tifa's forehead. Smiling, Tifa moved her left hand to cup Vincent's right cheek.

They were both stilled in their positions for a few more moments before Vincent finally pulled away and retreated to the bathroom. She enjoyed the forehead kisses over the years, and so did he, but deep down, way deep, she wanted a real kiss. She had no experience, but with Vincent's aid, she was more than certain Vincent wouldn't oppose the idea of teaching her how to properly kiss. The mere thought made her cheeks flush. She just wasn't aware how she desperately wanted his lips.

"I...wanted to..."

Vincent's eyes shot open as he winced from the sudden rush of pain in his head. Once the pain subsided, he slowly lifted his head and gave his eyes a chance to focus on his surroundings. Nothing but bare, cemented walls. A foul stench assaulted his nose. He scrunched his face in disgust and began to move his limbs. He was able to move his legs with little effort, but his arms were a different case. They were bounded together by a metal chain that hung from the ceiling and metal cuffs. The numbness made him wince in pain. He moved his arms more slowly to try to get some sort of circulation going. As he stumbled to get circulation in his arms, he looked around to take a better look at his surroundings. There was a skeleton in the corner. A rat ran by, blocking the little light that came through the small window from above for a brief moment. The light itself seemed to be from sort of lamp from the outside.

So I've been here all day... He thought to himself as he used as much of his strength in his legs to push himself up in a standing position. It was difficult but standing alleviated the pressure from his arms, and he allowed them to relax a bit.

A door swung open, and Lucrecia appeared from behind it. She waved the knights away and the door was closed behind her. She slowly approached the weakened man. He had had no food or water in hours. His hair disheveled and his clothes were soiled from being on the dungeon's floor for so long. He looked miserable and filthy, but still handsome nonetheless.

"Good evening, Vincent." Lucrecia's voice pierced his ears as he raised his head to her and glared. She laughed as a response. "Not so happy to see me, huh?"

"What do you want from me?" Vincent shook his arms in a feeble attempt to break free.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Lucrecia was now in front of Vincent. "I want you. Your last name, the throne in Edge, your future children. Everything about you I want." She cupped his face and he immediately snatched his head away from her hand. Tifa was the only woman to cup his face. No other woman had that privilege.

"I'm not available."

Lucrecia snorted. "Why? Because of your marriage to that whore? She'll be dead soon. Every knight in Rocket Town and Nibelheim is searching for her and they have orders to bring her head to me and Father."

It was Vincent's turn to snort. "You won't catch her."

Lucrecia narrowed her eyes. "You sound as if you have faith in her."

Vincent licked his dry lips and held his head low from Lucrecia's gaze. He didn't have much energy in him. He didn't want to squander what little he had on a pointless conversation with the crazed princess. Vincent's actions annoyed Lucrecia and his words about Tifa displeased her. She was supposed to be his. In one swift motion, she grabbed Vincent by the neck and forced him to look at her. His angry, red orbs would burn a whole in her skull if it could.

"Why are you carrying a torch for that woman?! She's not a proper princess!"

"And you think you are?" Vincent spat. "Why are you so angry? I'm not responsible for our marriage not happening. My father sided with Midgar. I have no control over that. Quite frankly, I'm glad my father did side with Midgar."

Vincent's admission made Lucrecia tighten her grip on his throat. He gasped a little but never did remove any malice in his eyes towards Lucrecia. "His decision made me realize that you are just like your father, and I would never taint my soul with yours."

She released her grip and immediately slapped him. Her eyes were ablaze as she stared at the standing figure that disgraced her seconds ago. His red eyes gave her the same fiery stare as he returned his gaze towards her.

"How dare you defy your fate?"

"I didn't like it, so I made my own path. And it's a path that doesn't involve you."

She slapped him again and grabbed him by his throat. "We'll see about that. But first you need a bath. Guards!"

Lucrecia walked away as two guards came into the dungeon cell, with one holding a massive hose. The other guard went to Vincent and began to undo his buttons. Vincent snatched away as much as he could before the guard grew impatient and smacked him in the back of the head. The blow made a ringing noise in his ears. His head went a little limp as his clothes were being stripped away one by one until his was completely naked. Both guards ceased their actions as they observed Vincent's body. They turned to look at one another and then back at Vincent. The guard that held the hose, flipped a switch, and cold water violently rushed out, hitting Vincent directly in the chest. The sudden coldness made Vincent grit his teeth.

While one guard continued to hose Vincent down, the other guard walked away from the two figures for a brief moment and came back with a bucket. He pulled out a sponge that was absorbed with soap. The man began to scrub Vincent's body down. Vincent didn't too much enjoy this, but the smell of soap was always welcomed in such a damp, rancid place such as the dungeon, or for any part of the castle for that matter. The man with the sponge took a few steps back and allowed the other guard to hose Vincent's body down again. A few moments went by, and the other guard was back to scrubbing Vincent's lean body.

Vincent flailed as the guard moved into his sensitive areas. The other guard hit Vincent in his stomach to stop his motions. The other guard quickly scrubbed Vincent's genitalia and he was once again hosed down with cold water. Once the soap was completely gone, the guard dropped the hose and went to the door, leaving the other guard to watch Vincent. Moments later, Lucrecia returned with the other guard.

"My, my, my. You are so divine looking, Vincent."

His last thought before he slipped into unconsciousness from yet another blow to the back of the head was of him and Tifa in their chambers playing various notes from her piano and him fleeing to the bathroom, wanting to desperately give her kiss, but too afraid of the possible rejection.

An ant slowly crept onto Ferrah's back and caused the feathered bird to use one of its legs to scratch it away. Tifa groaned a little as she began to wake up from Ferrah's sudden movements. How long was it since she passed out? She quickly stood up and observed her surroundings. Nightfall had came and so did nocturnal insects. Crickets were heard throughout the area. Tifa wasn't sure how long the commute was to Nibelheim from Edge since she fell asleep in the carriage, but she was more than certain that her and Vincent would have returned by now. Of course, that was included with Chaos's speed. Chaos! Tifa frantically looked around for any signs pointing to Chaos's whereabouts. Maybe Chaos left behind some prints, but of course, she found nothing.

Tifa tugged on Ferrah's reigns to make the poor bird get up. They needed to hurry to Edge and fast. Ferrah whined as she began walking side by side with Tifa. Tifa saddened a little as they continued their trek. It was bad enough that she was hungry and dehydrated. She hated that her feathered friend was also suffering. She had to keep her head up high and continue her journey.

It felt like hours, or maybe it wasn't. Tifa wasn't exactly sure. The only good thing about this trek was that there were no knights chasing after her. Maybe Lucrecia and Hojo ordered them to stand guard in Nibelheim's entrance. Maybe she was able to shake them. That was unlikely. She nothing but a mere woman with a very weakened white chocobo. She was tough, that much was true, but she wasn't that tough. At least that's how she viewed herself.

Her attention turned to Ferrah. The poor chocobo was beyond starving; she was hungrily eating a mushroom. Tifa took a harder look at the mushroom and noticed the yellowish circles on the top before it was ripped into Ferrah's beak. It was a rare mushroom that was only indigenous in Edge. She used it all the time whenever she made broth for her mushroom soup that she learned from the cooks inside the castle. She snapped her head towards other trees noticed there were mushrooms everywhere. She quickly ran to another nearby tree and grabbed a handful and returned to Ferrah who began to hungrily eat the mushrooms. She was close to home. She knew it. While Ferrah gnawed away on the fungus, Tifa looked around for some source of water. It wasn't ideal to let Ferrah drink polluted water, but they were so close to home and she needed Ferrah to have some sort of energy for the final push.

"Ferrah, come here."

Ferrah happily flapped her wings and trotted to Tifa. Tifa pointed to a small puddle that was under a nearby tree. Ferrah drunk a little water before retracting her beak and flapping her wings angrily.

"I know girl. I know, but I promise when we get home, I'll get you something better." Tifa soothed her friend as she reluctantly put her beak back into the water and began drinking the water. "I need you to get us back home. We are almost there."

As if Ferrah understood every word Tifa said, she flapped her wings as she continued to gulp down the dirty water from the small puddle. Once Ferrah was finished, she leapt with joy, and Tifa smiled. They had a chance to return home. They were so close. Tifa steadied the reigns on Ferrah and hopped onto her friend. Fueled by new determination, Ferrah happily flapped her wings and began to run towards Edge. The closer she got to Edge, the more familiar she was with the area. She never ventured from Edge, even in the grassland area, however there was an occasion or two where Ferrah and Chaos chased each other out of city limits and into the grassland. Tifa couldn't help but smile at the memory of Vincent's annoyance with the two birds when he finally caught up to them. I'm almost there, Vincent. Hold on for a bit longer.

Ferrah began to run faster as the pair ran through the city of Edge. Several citizens did a double take to make sure they really saw what they saw as Ferrah ran towards the castle. Tifa gave Ferrah a congratulatory pat on the head as the white chocobo continued forward. Her smile widened as they crossed the bridge that separated the city from the castle. The gates to the castle were in her sight. Tifa patted Ferrah on her sides to encourage her to go faster. She didn't mean to push Ferrah to the limit, but the castle was practically in her reach.

"Princess Tifa?!" The guard was confused by Tifa's current state. Her once beautiful orange dress was now covered in filth and torn at the ends. Ferrah was covered in dirt and the muddied water she drank minutes ago left a nasty ring around her beak.

"I have no time to explain. Please see to it that Ferrah gets proper care."

"Yes Princess."

Tifa hopped off of Ferrah and entered the gate as two of the guards pulled Ferrah into her stable. Ferrah voice got higher when she saw Chaos. Tifa sighed in relief. Chaos was able to make it back to the castle. It shouldn't surprise Tifa too much. Chaos had much more experience with the outside world beyond Edge due to Vincent's training with Sephiroth and the rest of the army. With Ferrah in good hands, and Chaos return to Edge safely, she needed to seek Ramuh, Sephiroth, and Yuffie fast.

Even though she was very much weak, she ran as fast she could into the castle entrance. A few gasp were heard when Tifa barged into the entrance. It was in the middle of the night. How late, Tifa wasn't sure but Sephiroth's chambers was a start to look for the silver-haired commander. The dryness in her throat was beginning to take a toll on her. She badly yearned for some water, food, clean clothes, and a shower, but first she needed to find Sephiroth.

She entered the battle wing where all the knights resided. It was the smallest wing in the castle, but still comfy to accommodate every knight. Their rooms were a sizable amount. Each knight bunked with at least one other knight to avoid costs in expanding. The only person to have their own chambers was Sephiroth. Wasting no time, she reached Sephiroth's chambers and pushed the double doors open rather harshly.

A woman was straddling Sephiroth, and she was completely naked. An audible gasp escaped her lips as she diverted her attention to Tifa. Sephiroth snapped his head towards the distraction, but his face immediately soften upon seeing Tifa standing at the doorway.

"Sir Sephiroth, I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's urgent."

The woman quickly got off of Sephiroth, feeling a bit disappointed that she couldn't finish herself off. Sephiroth's cock was slick and wet from his interrupted session. The woman quickly clothed herself while Sephiroth grabbed a nearby pillow to cover his genitals.

"Put your clothes on and leave." Sephiroth commanded the woman.

She nodded vigorously and began to put on her clothes clumsily. Tifa turned away from the embarrassed pair to allow them to get their bearings. She didn't mean to ruin their fun. She felt pretty bad. Hurried footsteps approached Tifa, and she turned to see Sephiroth's lover walking towards the double doors.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

The woman shook her head. "No Princess Tifa, I'm sorry you saw me and my whorish ways." Without another word spoken, the woman fled out of the chambers.

"What happened to you? Where's Vincent?"

Tifa turned her body to see Sephiroth half dressed. He was fumbling with his shirt. "He's being held captive in Nibelheim. He let me and the chocobos escape, and he stayed behind."

Sephiroth's eyes widened as he motioned for Tifa to sit on the chaise. He didn't want her to sit on his soiled bed from his recent activities.

"What?! He's a prisoner?"

Tifa nodded as she sat on the chaise. "I know he's not going to give up, not so easily, but I don't want him to endure such torture. The look in Hojo's and Lucrecia's eyes. They want him and want me dead."

Sephiroth fell silent, and Tifa furrowed her brows. "What?"

"...So Grimoire actually did it."

Tifa was confused. "Did what?"

"...Trade Vincent's life for someone..." He murmured.

"What?! For who?!"

Tifa saw no point in asking why. There are several answers as why, and none of them would ever make any sense to a normal, rational human being. Sephiroth didn't respond; he continued to stare into her almond colored eyes. At first, his stare made her confusion intensify, until the realization hit her like a brick.

"...No.."

"Vincent knew..." Sephiroth thought out loud. "He saw this coming before stepped foot out of the castle." His eyes were now in determined slits. "Tifa, you need to get out of Edge and rescue Vincent. I will assist you."

Tifa matched his determination. "With Ramuh and Yuffie as well, right? He told me to seek help from the both of you and Yuffie is of course my best friend. I can't do this without the three of you."

Sephiroth nodded as he got up from the chaise. "Of course. I'm going to lay some fresh clothes out on the chaise for you. Use my shower and meet Ramuh in his chambers."

Tifa nodded and ran into the bathroom while Sephiroth found the simplest shirt and lounging sweats he could find. He then began to ransack his dressers and began to shove as much clothing as he possibly could in a knapsack. He left his chambers when he could no longer fill the bag. With his bag in tow, he began to run towards Ramuh's chambers. He knew this day would come; he didn't expect it to come so soon. Vincent, why didn't you say anything before you left? His duty is indeed to Grimoire, but his duty and loyalty resides with Vincent. Always had and always will be.

Five minutes later and the commander reached Ramuh's chambers. Sephiroth knocked urgently on the door and moments later Ramuh appeared from behind the doors, slightly irritated that he was apparently woken up.

"Ramuh, it's time."

Ramuh didn't need anymore information. Sephiroth's entire body language spoke volumes to the older man. "I'll begin packing."

"Pack light. We'll rendezvous at the chocobo stable. Make sure Jester is ready."

"Is Ferrah and Chaos there as well?" Ramuh called over his shoulder as he retreated back into his room grabbing a knapsack and began stuffing various robes and under garments inside of it.

"They should be though I doubt Tifa returned with the carriage. We'll need to take extra supplies for the chocobos until we reach the abandoned carriage in Nibelheim, but rescuing Vincent is top priority. Tifa will meet you here shortly. I have to find Yuffie. Do you know her whereabouts?"

Ramuh closed his knapsack and grabbed another one for personal products. "She just finished a training session not too long ago. I would imagine she's in her quarters with the rest of the concubines."

Sephiroth nodded and left Ramuh to do his part. One person down, one more to go. Hopefully she wouldn't ask too many questions. Sephiroth and Ramuh were aways prepared for this day, Yuffie however, was left out of the loop for her sake and Tifa's as well. It was heavily implied that Grimoire would always do something drastic, but to take things this far? It was inexcusable and unforgivable. Sephiroth shook his head violently as he continued down the corridor.

He reached the chambers where all of the concubines were being housed. He opened the door and all eyes were on him as he looked around the room for Yuffie.

"Sir Sephiroth, is everything okay?"

Yuffie was wrapped loosely in a large black towel. Water droplets dripped from her small frame. Sephiroth motioned for Yuffie to follow him outside the chambers so none of the other women could overhear them. Yuffie excused herself and followed Sephiroth away from the chambers.

"What's going on?"

Sephiroth looked over Yuffie's shoulder before answering. "Vincent is held captive in Nibelheim. Tifa managed to escape. We don't have a lot of time, but we need to leave Edge and rescue Vincent. Tifa is in my chambers cleaning herself up, and she's meeting Ramuh at his chambers. Gather some supplies and meet them there. They'll guide you to the chocobo stables. Help them prep Jester, Chaos, and Ferrah and wait for me there.

Yuffie nodded. "I'll go to Vincent's and Tifa's chambers. If she's in your chambers, she won't have time to pack any belongings. Besides, if I go packing in there, it'll alert the others." She pointed to her shared quarters.

"Smart idea. Get going. I'm going to scrounge up some supplies for meals."

And with that, Yuffie made her way towards her destination while Sephiroth headed to the kitchen. Sephiroth was thankful that Yuffie was quick on her feet and didn't ask any questions. Maybe she too also expected Grimoire to do something drastic. That was neither here nor there. Sephiroth needed to stay focused.

Tifa ran out of Sephiroth's chambers, all while adjusting the white string on the pair of sweats Sephiroth left for her to wear. Sephiroth wasn't a particularly large man, but he was a man nonetheless so his clothing was a little big for her, but not by much. She prayed that Sephiroth was able to reach Yuffie and Ramuh by the time she reached Ramuh's chambers. Her uneasiness was put at ease when she reached Ramuh's chamber and saw him and Yuffie inside the chambers through the cracked door.

"Thank Gaia you're okay!" Yuffie jumped up and hugged her friend as Tifa entered the room.

Tifa returned the gesture and pulled away. "Vincent is in trouble. We have to save him." She turned her attention to Ramuh. "Why would Grimoire do such a thing? And to his son?!"

Ramuh shook his head. He honestly didn't have a sensible answer. Even he didn't understand why the kings and queens before Grimoire did the things they did. "I don't know, Princess Tifa, but I do know that it can all change with you and Vincent. But first, we must rescue him. We need to leave and meet Sephiroth at the chocobo stables."

"Where exactly did he go?" Tifa asked.

"After he got me, he left to go to the kitchen for food." Yuffie answered. "He said he'll meet us after he left there. I also went to your chambers and grabbed a few toiletries, money, and clothes for both you and Vincent. I hope you don't mind."

Yuffie held up the two bags with one in each of her hands. "It's fine. The carriage got abandoned back in Nibelheim. We can get more supplies when we reach there."

The trio nodded and left the chambers. Tifa stopped in mid stride. Ramuh and Yuffie turned around when they noticed Tifa's sudden halt.

"I need to go back to my chambers."

"Tifa, we don't have time!" Yuffie argued.

"I concur." Ramuh spoke. "We must leave at once."

"I know, but it's very important." Tifa turned and began running towards her chambers. "Go! I'll meet you guys there."

Yuffie wanted to run behind her friend, but Ramuh stopped her and shook his head. He began walking towards the entrance of the castle. Reluctantly, Yuffie followed behind Ramuh, hoping her friend would hurry up and stay safe.

Tifa made it to her chambers in a matter of seconds. She still was very weak from not eating anything all day, but the shower and massive amounts of water helped rejuvenate her somewhat. She went over to her piano and grabbed the music sheets from the top. She ran to the entrance, but stopped and turned to look at her bed. She ran over to Vincent's side and looked underneath it. She outstretched arm under the bed until she felt a bag. She pulled the bag from under the bed and took a glance inside of it a recognized the receipt from Jim's and Ruby's shop. She tucked the bag underneath between her armpit and side, turned, and walked out of her chambers with the items in tow. A figure suddenly appearing in front of her made her stop dead in her tracks. Her heart sank.

"And where do you think you're going?"

The tone in Grimoire's voice made her shiver. She didn't reply. She took careful steps backwards, never taking her eyes away from Grimoire.

"Your king asked you a question, you little bitch."

Tifa cut her eyes to Katherine. She clung to Grimoire's right side as she kissed Grimoire on his lips. The very action disgusted the princess.

"How could you?" Katherine and Grimoire focused on Tifa, taking note that her right hand was now balled into a tight fist. "Your own son?! How could the two of you do this to him?!"

"Vincent refused to follow the king's footsteps. That type of defiance isn't allowed here in Edge."

"Says who?!" Tifa angrily questioned as she turned all of her attention to Katherine. "Grimoire?! This is your son we're talking about."

Tifa felt her body angrily advance towards Katherine, pushing Grimoire aside. He grabbed her but she snatched her arm away from him, but never took her eyes away from Katherine.

"You've carried him inside of you for nine months. When you gave birth to him, I know you vowed to always protect him." Tifa paused for a brief moment, thinking Katherine would interject, but she never did. Instead the queen's facial expression seemed to soften a little. Maybe, just maybe, she could get through.

"What mother allows anyone, I mean mean anyone, come in between herself and her child?! Your soon is fighting for his life! Probably being tortured just for Lucrecia's and Hojo's pleasure!"

Katherine didn't reply. She shot her gaze at Grimoire, who was glaring at the two women. Tifa, keeping her back against Grimoire, softly pushed Katherine away to gain some distance between them and Grimoire.

"That man doesn't care about your son, and he certainly doesn't care about you!"

"Watch your tongue, you wretch!"

Tifa continued, ignoring Grimoire's comment. "Katherine, Vincent never showed any signs of following Grimoire's footsteps, did he? Even as a mere child, he knew that the things that were going on around him wasn't normal. This has nothing to do with me! Vincent would've chose this path regardless of the treaty. Stand by him! Do you honestly want Vincent to think nothing but horrible things about you when he draws his last breath?!"

"That's enough you little bitch!" Grimoire warned.

"Grimoire is nothing! He's replaceable, but Vincent is your son! You can't replace your child. Help him! Help me help him! You're gonna honestly stand by this monster and watch him not only destroy this nation, but kill his son just so he can-

"I said that's enough!"

Tifa turned to see a blade flashed before her eyes. She had no time to react. She clutched her chest inefficiently as blood began to gush through her shirt. Her music sheets and bag flew out of her hand and in the opposite direction. Katherine gasped as she backed away from Tifa and Grimoire. Tifa tried to get up from the floor, but Grimoire rammed his foot onto her new wound, causing the princess to wince and fall back down. Her eyes widened as Grimoire raised his blade again. This was it. She was honestly surprised she managed to make it this far. She couldn't help but flinch away and shut her eyes tightly, sorrowfully awaiting for the blow.

Instead she heard some glass break and a loud thud followed behind. She opened her eyes to see Grimoire moaning and cursing while holding his head. Katherine glared at the king as she dropped the remaining few shards from the vase she grabbed from one of the corridor's shelves. No more will she act out of fear. She rushed over to Tifa's belongings and handed them to her. Katherine tore a piece of fabric from her cape and gave it to Tifa to staunch the bleeding.

"Hurry before he recovers!"

Tifa nodded and began running towards the entrance with Katherine right beside her. She wasn't a great mother; she was well aware of that. There was no way she could ever make up everything to Vincent after all she's done, but maybe there was still a chance to repair what's broken.

"Tifa! Katherine!"

The two women hurried their movements when Grimoire's voice echoed throughout the corridor. A few of the servants observed in fear as they saw their king chase the women down. The entrance was within their grasp. Tifa pushed forward as much as she could, holding the now bloodied fabric in her right hand, and Vincent's bag and her music sheets in her other hand.

Grimoire stopped running and began to ready a spell. Katherine looked over her shoulder as Grimoire began readying his magic. Her eyes widened and she stopped running. Tifa slowed her pace to look over her shoulder. The sight of Grimoire using magic frightened her even more.

"Thundaja!"

Tifa had never seen a Thunder spell used with so much deadly force. The lighting was purple and wrecked havoc and destroyed the corridor as the spell swiftly made it's way towards Katherine and Tifa. Tifa froze. There was no way she could outrun a spell, especially at the speed the Thunder spell was going.

Before she could fully process what was happening, Katherine casted a spell of her own and shot Tifa with it before the Thundaja spell could hit her. Katherine cried in agony as she fell to the floor, her chest now scorched from the intensity of the lightning. Tifa felt a little pain from the Thundaja spell, but whatever spell Katherine casted on her before falling absorbed most of the blow. Katherine turned her body, gasping for air and clutching her chest as Grimoire angrily walked towards her.

"Go.. Tifa. Tell...Vincent...that I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that I was...so horrible...to you."

Katherine managed to get back to her feet and waved for Tifa to leave. Tifa cried in anguish as Grimoire's blade went straight through Katherine's chest. Blood began to drip from the edge of the blade.

"You stupid bitch!"

Katherine tried to talk to Tifa, but all that came out was more blood and a gurgling sound. Tifa turned away and ran as Grimoire withdrew his blade and stabbed Katherine another time. He pushed his wife down and spat on her in disgust as he saw Tifa flee.

When Tifa began running towards the chocobo stables, she saw Sephiroth with his blade drawn. Him, Ramuh, and Yuffie heard the commotion coming from the castle. He put his blade in its sheath when he noticed Tifa running towards them at a much faster pace than normal. Tifa was a fit woman, but she's been traveling through the night and he imagined she had little to no food all day. How was it that she was running at such an unnatural pace?

He didn't have time to ponder as Tifa threw the items into Yuffie hands and instructed her friend to place them in her bag. Ramuh was on Jester with Sephiroth. Yuffie was on Chaos and Tifa was now mounting onto Ferrah. She was injured and her mind was elsewhere, but she was more than pleased that Ferrah had had a bath, food, and water. She tighten her reigns as best as she could as a sea of knights angrily approached the four. Sephiroth guided Jester over to Tifa to help her with the reigns. Once they were tighten, the four quickly escaped, leaving behind the only place they called home. They knew they couldn't return, not with the castle in such disarray and under Grimoire's control. Reclaiming Edge is the ultimate goal, but without Vincent, that goal is unobtainable. First, they needed to recover the future king and fast.