~Birthright~
~*In the White Light*~
"Xander. Withdraw your troops." Corrin ordered, grasping the Yato at his side. Teale's eyes slightly widened as he watched his little brother side with Hoshido, surprised by his decision.
"Corrin... Don't tell me you're siding with Hoshido." Xander stated, appalled.
"I'm afraid so. I've made up my mind- I stand with Hoshido."
The crown prince of Nohr shook his head. "I feared the Hoshidans might try to brainwash you... I am well aware of your Hoshidan lineage. It is true that we lack common blood. But still, we've treated you as kin since the very day you arrived in Nohr. No matter what anyone says, you are my brother, Corrin. I know that Camilla, Leo, Teale, and Elise feel the same way. And Father will forgive you. I know it. You are of Nohr! Return to us, Corrin!"
"I"m sorry. I can't go back. King Garon is a coward and a liar. I've witnessed enough of his destruction. Causing an explosion in a crowded city center with no regard for innocent life, attacking and wounding Teale... That's the action of a madman." Corrin paused, his face twisted in a frown. "Tell me. If King Garon thinks of me as family... how could he have orchestrated this attack? I could have easily been killed along with Queen Mikoto. The truth is that I was just a pawn. Collateral damage. King Garon was willing to sacrifice my life in pursuit of his agenda. Face it, Xander- Garon is no longer human. He's pure evil."
"Father... evil? How could you say that, little prince?" Xander was shocked at the dragon prince's words.
"Xander, please... Join me! Join me and help put an end to his cruelty!"
"Corrin..." Xander rushed forward, swinging Siegfried down to Corrin, who easily blocked it. "That's my answer, traitor."
"Traitor? Brother, wait!"
"Enough. I never thought you would turn your back on your kingdom and your family. Your betrayal will not be forgiven. You want to side with Hoshido? Fine. Over my dead body!"
"Xander!" Teale watched as his brother beat the snot out of Corrin. As much as he wanted to move or intervene, his body refused to even take a step forward, as if it was unresponsive or paralyzed.
"You have been deceived, Brother. They've clearly brainwashed you. I will not rest until I've returned you to your senses. Get up! Get up and return to Nohr with me. Surely there's some part of you that still remembers your true family."
Corrin unsteadily rose to his feet, using his sword to push himself up. "Brother, my mind is made up."
"If that's the case... I will end this quickly."
"Wait!" Corrin yelled as Ryoma intervened at the last minute.
"Just try it, Nohrian scum." He spat out, Raijinto sparking in his grip.
"Ryoma! Please, we can settle this peacefully." Corrin begged.
"What's wrong, Corrin? Lost your focus?" The samurai joked with a small smile before frowning at Xander. "Tossing your sword aside and dying as a martyr won't do us any good."
"Fiend!" Xander shouted. "If you seek to take my brother from me, I won't go easy on you."
"Oh, why don't you spare ME the chitchat? Shut up and attack, if you dare!" Ryoma challenged.
"A splendid idea. I've yearned to introduce you to a dear friend of mine- the dark blade Siegfried. Camilla, Leo, Elise! Are you ready?"
"Darling, I was born ready. Let's kill them all quickly so we can make it home in time for Corrin's nap." Camilla said with a small, devious smile.
Leo nodded. "You're coming with us- that's all there is to it. Understood, Corrin?"
"Yay! We're gonna take Corrin back home and make sure Teale is all right!" Elise cheered from her steed.
"Please. Corrin has made his choice. All that remains is to spill your blood and wipe my divine sword clean. Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura! Steel yourselves..." Ryoma stood at the ready, waving his siblings forward.
Teale's vision blurred as he watched Corrin look back at him. He could feel himself fall to the ground as the world tilted upwards, the blue sky looking too happy for what was happening on this battle field. Again, his body couldn't move as he lay limp on the ground. The faraway sound of fighting barely reached his ears as he swallowed, his mouth dry. His sister's blurry face came into view as he watched her lips ask him if he was alright. Not able to form words, Teale merely blinked as she ran off, presumably to join the fight as well. All of a sudden, he was roughly picked up and set upon a horse, Leo's blond hair coming into view. The blue haired prince watched as Azura ran back with Sakura, an acute look of horror upon their faces as they realized who he was with.
"I'm sorry..." He hoarsely apologized before they lurched forward, Teale's eyes slowly closing.
"Is this really our future? A lifetime of conflict with Nohr?" Corrin asked, gritting his teeth.
"Corrin... I can understand why you are reluctant to fight. If it would make you feel better, you can leave the fighting to me and Ryoma." Azura offered.
"No. Burying my head in the sand won't change the reality of the situation. I will stand with you. And the rest of Hoshido."
"Very well."
Corrin nodded. "I know this is the right choice. Even if it's the hardest one I've ever had to make. I have to believe this is the path that will eventually lead to peace." He paused, looking around. "Azura, where's Teale?"
"He was taken by a blond prince in the midst of the fight. I left him to get Sakura so she could heal his wound, but he must have taken that chance to take Teale." She replied, looking down to the ground.
"Leo..." The white haired prince muttered, gripping the hilt of his sword.
Teale PoV
I groaned in pain as I struggled to open my eyes. I could feel a damp cloth on my forehead and sweat run down my neck as I tried to sit up in bed before a pair of hands lightly pushed me back down. "Stay still, you still look like you're in pain. You, go get my brother and sisters." I heard Leo order. Finally, I opened my eyes to see Leo sitting close to my bed. "You're a real handful, you know that?" The door to the room swiftly opened and closed, indicating that Leo wasn't the only one here while I was unconscious.
"What happened? How long have I been asleep?" I hoarsely asked, slowly turned my head to look at my brother.
"Three days so far. Elise has tried everything to heal that wound on your torso, but nothing's working."
"What do you mean?"
He sighed, frustrated. "Even the most power staff that Elise had barely healed you. It's as if the wound was trying not to be healed." Looking down, I saw the wound on my stomach, pink and slightly raised around the raw skin. It looked like a normal slash, unless you looked hard enough and saw small flecks of dark purple matter. Shaking my head, the damp cloth fell off my forehead. Before I could speak, the door opened, once again, revealing Xander, Camilla, and Elise.
"Glad to see you're awake, darling." Camilla cooed, sitting down beside my head and pushing my damp hair out of my face. "You had us all worried."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, truly." I apologized, smiling up at my sister.
"What happened?" Xander asked, crossing his arms.
I sighed, shaking my head as Elise quietly stepped forward to attempt healing my abdomen. "I was knocked out by some Hoshidan troop and taken to the capital with Corrin. Queen Mikoto was holding a celebration and a man attacked with Corrin's sword. He merely lifted his hand and the sword flew into his grasp before he caught me, then attacked Corrin. If the queen didn't jump in front of him, I'm sure he would be the one who died, but I can't say for sure. I don't remember much after that, I barely recall being rescued at the border."
"I'm lucky I got you once that woman left you alone. For all I knew, she could have gotten reinforcements." Leo commented, leaning back in his chair.
"I think you're taking about Azura, but again, I can't say for sure." I said, putting an arm on my forehead.
"Azura? You mean-" Xander furrowed his eyebrows together as I interrupted.
"Yes, my twin that was taken by Hoshido during our childhood. She's probably still on Hoshido's side, along with Corrin, huh?"
Xander scowled. "To think that he would turn his back on the family that raised him." The room was silent for a few moments before I pushed myself up from the bed with a soft groan.
"I need to report to Father, I've been in this bed long enough."
"No, you need to rest more." Camilla ordered, pushing me lightly back into bed. "Your wound barely looks better than when we first brought you home."
"Yeah, you need to take it easy and-" Elise chimed in before Xander interrupted her.
"Elise, go fetch Flora to bandage Teale up. Camilla, tell Iago that Teale requests an audience with Father." They paused, looking at each other. Camilla patted my cheek before standing up from the bed and leaving the room with Elise. I sighed, completely sitting up in bed.
Leo sighed. "Father told us that if we see Corrin, we're to kill him on sight. He'll tell you the same thing."
"That's to be expected I suppose." I scratched the back of my head. "Nohrian law does that that turning your back on your country gets you the sentence of death. Even if Corrin is our brother, he sided with Hoshido and the rest of those asses."
"What did I tell you about your language, Teale?" Xander asked, raising a brow.
"To not use those words around ladies." I rolled my eyes as Leo scoffed at my response.
"No, that you shouldn't use them at all." He shook his head, exasperated. "Nonetheless, we're happy that you're alright."
I scoffed. "Yeah, as alright as I can get, I suppose. I'm still alive." A knock on the door signaled that Flora had arrived, making Xander and Leo leave. She quietly and carefully wrapped bandages around my torso. Once she was finished, she bowed and left just as quickly as she came. I sighed, making my way to the throne room to report to Father.
Upon arrival, I stopped outside the large doors, quietly taking in a deep breath. "Father, it's Teale. I've come to give you my report." There was a couple moments of silence before he responded.
"You may enter." The large doors slowly opened as my eyes immediately fell on Father, who was sitting on the throne as he usually did. Stopping at the base of the stairs, I bowed my head.
"I apologize in the tardiness of my report, Father."
He hummed. "Xander told me that you were injured when you returned here."
"Yes, I was taken to the capital of Hoshido where I was attacked by a mysterious man during a celebration. I was unprepared when I should have been on guard in the enemy's land."
"Look at me." Raising my head, I met eyes with King Garon. "I have told your siblings this and I will tell you now. Corrin has decided to join with those Hoshidans. If you are to ever come across him, you are to kill him, no exceptions."
"I understand, Father. Traitors have no reason to live." I stated.
He nodded slowly. "Until further notice, you are to stay in this castle and rest. You may go." Bowing my head again, I turned to leave the throne room. My fists clenched as sweat started to form on my forehead once again. When the large doors closed behind me, I side stepped over to the wall and leaned on it, shakily exhaling, wiping my forehead with the back of my arm. Even if Corrin was a traitor, there was no way I could kill him. We grew up together. I wasn't like my siblings, who could easily murder him if it benefited or protected Nohr. I sighed, pushing myself off the wall. Camilla was right, I needed to rest some more before doing anything. Stumbling, I put my hand against the wall as the hallway started to tilt.
"Lord Teale?" I tilted my head to the side to see Selena and Odin walking my way, their faces showing confusion, or as much confusion as I could see at this moment. I opened my mouth to say that I was fine to the pair, but I fell towards the ground instead, losing consciousness once again.
The next time I woke up, I was alone. Moonlight shined through the window of my room, indicating it was late at night. I shook my head, completely appalled by my actions. I can't believe I passed out in front of Camilla and Leo's retainers. With my luck, they probably rushed me to my room or something and immediately told my brothers and sisters what happened. Sighed, I carefully got out of bed and leaned against the window sill. It was quiet outside, save for the occasional cricket singing. I stood there for only a few moments before I decided that I should leave my room. Once again, I had no idea how long I was unconscious, and it seemed like no one would be able to tell me for at least another few hours when people started to rise for the day. Grabbing my sword, I quietly made my way to the training room, aiming to get rid of the stiffness in my joints.
Passing through the courtyard, I saw someone moving out of the corner of my eye. Blinking, I stopped behind a column to see Leo practicing spells, multiple tomes neatly stacked into a pile on the ground. He wasn't wearing his armor or that collar that he almost always put on inside out. Usually, my sometimes clumsy little brother read tomes in his room or even in the training room, but this was the first time I saw him outside studying.
"What're you doing out here and not inside?" I asked, watching as he whipped his head around and stretched out his hand, ready to strike. I huffed as Leo relaxed, sighing in slight frustration.
"How many times did I ask you not to scare me while I was studying?" The blond questioned, sounding irritated.
"I lost count." I replied, walking over to where he stood. "You're usually not outside reading and you caught my eye."
"I needed fresh air. You seem to be doing better."
I hummed. "Yes, I do feel more well than before. How long was I asleep this time?"
"Only two and a half days this time. You gave Odin and Selena quiet the scare. Luckily, they brought you to me and Camilla assumed you went back to your room by yourself and slept some more."
"Oh thank the gods, I thought that she would find out for sure." I shuddered jokingly as Leo smirked. "Anyways, you seem a little frustrated at the moment. What happened?"
Leo looked at the ground for a few moments before speaking. "I saw Corrin at Izumo while you were resting. Zola was sent there and I was going to get rid of him but Corrin being Corrin, stopped me."
"So Zola is still alive?" Leo nodded as I sighed. "That's not going to go well with Corrin. Zola is a two faced fool. There's no doubt that he'll betray Corrin at some point in their journey. But there's something else that's bothering you."
"Why would he side with Hoshido after being there not even a week? We raised him like he was our own and then betrayed us as if we were nothing to him!" Leo admitted, his hands shaking.
"I understand how you feel, but you also have to understand how Corrin feels. He must have his reasons to side with Hoshido. If Queen Mikoto really is his mother and she was killed protecting him from an attack from Nohr, maybe he joined them because of that reason. I can't say for sure, I'm not Corrin."
"But what about your sister? You finally reunited with her after years of separation and she didn't come to Nohr and you didn't go to Hoshido!"
I hummed. "That's true. She also must have her reasons to side with Hoshido. She grew up there and they treat her well, better than how Nohr treated us when we were younger. I sided with Nohr because that's what my gut told me. Even if I couldn't think straight when Corrin made his decision, my instincts were telling me that Nohr was the place that I needed to fight for. Yes, I miss my sister, and yes, I risk meeting her on the battle field, but I believe that when this is all over, there will finally be peace and maybe we'll see each other once again." We were both silent as we listened to the crickets chirp to one another.
"You really think there's going to be peace after this war?"
"I'm sure of it."
Leo paused before sighing. "Thank you for listening to me, even if I was acting childish."
"It's my job as your older brother to listen to my siblings and make them feel better." I smiled as I ruffled my brother's hair. "Even if it is past your bedtime."
"I don't have a bedtime, Teale, I'm old enough to take care of myself!" He swatted my hand away, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. I laughed in response, glad Leo was feeling better after talking to me. If only this happiness could last a little bit longer.
I sighed as I looked down to the stage below. Father requested after I had enough rest that I accompany him to Cyrkensia to watch songstresses perform. It was something I've done before, I remember coming here many times with all my siblings to admire the beautiful women pouring their soul into the songs they sang. Though this time, Father had said that he required me to come here not of leisure, but for battle. His order confused me, but I complied nonetheless. Like always, he requested that the singer Layla perform for him, which wasn't surprising. Layla performed all the times that we visited the cathedral as requested by my father.
Elise sighed. "Maybe this music will help distract me from all the awful things going on..." I put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"I'm sure it will. Music does wonders healing a person's heart and soul." A lone figure walked out onto the stage out of the corner of my eye as I comforted my little sister.
"Tell me, Father. What sorts of things does this performer sing about?"
"Does it matter? Her voice is divine. Just sit back and enjoy the show." He merely answered, not turning his gaze away from the stage.
She sighed again, shoulders sagging. "All right..."
"You are an ocean's grey waves, weaving a dream, like thoughts become a river stream..." As the songstress' melody reached my ears, I whipped my head around to see Azura standing on stage, a hand pressed to her chest. How could she be here, though 'why was she here' was a better question! Father would notice immediately that the lady on stage wasn't Layla, hell, Azura didn't even look like Layla! And mother's song, why is she singing mother's song?!
"Thou seek the light, with an outstretched hand... A divine blade lies before you so command, the wake of dreams, to restore the world, cut 'way the seams..." I watched with my mouth slightly agape as Azura gracefully sang the song that we had learned so long ago, dancing fluidly and elegantly. Soft blue bubbles started to form around her as streams of water flowed from her fingers like ribbons, only adding onto the beautiful performance.
"Join in our prayer, in our song of birthrights and love! Come the sin, illuminate the sky! Pray that we may quell the dark - Light take the throne, lost in thoughts, all alone..." Father was groaning in discomfort as the words reached his ears, much as I was. While Father was uncomfortable and I was completely confused by the display, Elise was entranced by the ballad and was on the edge of her seat with wide eyes as she watched Azura dance. Father stood up, recovered from the song as he walked to the edge of the balcony.
"Well, well, well. Just what do you think you're doing, Corrin?" Following his gaze, I saw Corrin standing with a handful of soldiers on the villa docks as they prepared to attack. Corrin's eyes shot up as he found out they were caught. "Capture them, men!" Multiple soldiers emerged out onto the villas that were steadily floating in the water. "Did you really think you could outsmart me, Corrin? Pathetic."
"What are they going to do to my Corrin?" Elise questioned, furrowing her brow. I shook my head and placed a hand on her shoulder once more.
"Elise! Teale!" Corrin called out, his grip tightening on the Yato blade.
"How fascinating. Despite your treason and betrayal, you still seem to care about your siblings." Garon commented, raising a brow.
"I don't understand. How could you have anticipated this?" Corrin yelled as sweat dripped down his face.
Father laughed as he shook his head. "Ah, Corrin, your naivete is embarrassing. I still can't believe you willingly allowed one of my men to travel with you." I watched as Zola ran out to join the other soldiers of Nohr.
"Eek! King Garon, what are you doing? They didn't need to know that!"
"Zola was behind this? But he proved his loyalty!"
"That's right." Takumi agreed from the side in disbelief. "I could be dead if it weren't for him."
"What better way to convince you all? I knew a healer would be nearby." Zola explained, a twisted grin on his face.
"You filthy rat! I'll kill you myself!" The prince of Hoshido yelled, shaking his fist.
The mage turned to look up at Father. "So... Your Majesty. I've followed through on my end of the deal... Can you please tell Lord Leo not to kill me after all? And, um, while you're at it..." I shook my head as Father motioned me to leave. Walking out of the booth and down the stairs, I drew Mercym as I sighed. So my prediction about Zola had been right all along, not that there was any doubt that I was wrong. Soldiers stepped out of my way as I quickly but quietly made my way to the mage, striking him down as he turned to look at me with wide eyes. He yelled out in pain as he feel to the floor, Elise shouting in surprise.
Zola groaned. "Lord Corrin... please forgive me..." He muttered as he grew limp, death claiming him.
"That was heartless, Teale." Corrin commented, gritting his teeth.
"Still you pity a... creature... such as that? One who betrayed you, nonetheless! This is the source of your weakness." Garon stated as I continued to look at my brother, Azura close behind him.
"Do you really think it's okay to use people as you see fit and then dispose of them? How admirable." Corrin shook his head.
"I'll show you weakness. Just come within range of my bow..." Takumi threatened as the Fujin Yumi glowed, creating a bowstring out of a shimmering blue light.
"No." Corrin shook his head. "We can't make a stand here. There are too many of them. We need to escape and regroup. Everyone, make for that exit!" He ordered, nodding his head towards the stage.
I scoffed as I adjusted my sword in my hand. "Just go ahead and try!" Activating the Dragon Vein from underneath my feet, the water surrounding the stage turned to ice, letting my run quickly to block the entrance. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Xander emerge from one of the entrances with Peri and Laslow. To think I would see a day where Xander and Corrin fought against each other outside of training, the thought didn't seem real to me. Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on the battle that was unfolding in front of my eyes.
Corrin's troops easily cut through Nohrian soldiers as they found the frozen water an advantage to them in battle. Soon, Corrin himself walked onto the stage, sweat on his forehead and the Yato gripped tightly in his hand.
"Please, step aside, Teale. I don't want to fight you." He asked, lowering his sword.
"I can't. Father is watching." I responded, shooting forward. "I hope you're ready, because I'm not Xander and I sure as hell don't fight as easy!" Bringing down my sword, Corrin barely managed to block the hit with wide eyes as he tried to process the attack. Quickly retracting the sword, I kicked him square in the diaphram, making his sputter for air. I swung my sword from the left, intending on catching him with the flat, blunt side of my sword, a giant fox jumped in, blocking the whole attack. My eyes widened in surprise as I jumped backwards, eyeing the beast. I had read about kitsune from Hoshido, but I never thought I would see one in my lifetime.
"Corrin, you alright?" It called out, glancing at the prince as he gasped for air.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Kaden. Go help the others if they need it!"
"Alrighty, you owe me one!" With that, the kitsune ran away, leaving Corrin alone once again.
I huffed. "That was a bad idea, leaving you alone with me. Besides, where did you even find a kitsune ally? I didn't even think they left their village."
"None of your business, Teale. Now please, let me through." He asked again, making me shake my head.
"You know I can't do that-" The sound of movement behind me made me quickly tilted my head to the side as a shuriken whizzed past my head. The green haired ninja from before, Kaze, quickly jumped into action as he quickly rushed forward, aiming to hit me. Scoffing, I easily dodged or blocked his hits as Corrin jumped forward, working in perfect harmony with Kaze's attacks. Even though I was going against an elite ninja and my brother, I couldn't help but find that they weren't trying hard enough, or if they were even giving it their all in this fight. Shaking my head, I quickly parried Corrin's hit, efficiently throwing him off balance before I brought back my arm and quickly slammed my sword into the Corrin's side, making him fly several feet away. The Hoshido ninja appeared behind him just as he was about to hit the ground, breaking his fall. Just like I tried before, I used the flat side of Mercym instead of the sharp edges.
I sighed as he shakily got up, using the Yato to pull himself up from the ground. "You can't win, Corrin. You've never fought me before and you have no idea how much stronger I am than you."
"Why are you against me? Can't you see that what King Garon is doing is evil? He needs to be stopped!" Corrin yelled, gritting his teeth together.
"Against you? You betrayed us! You turned your back on the family that raised you and cared for you as if you were our own blood!" I clenched my jaw as I let out a slow breath. "Father has ordered your execution if we were to find you on the battlefield and that's an order I can't dismiss, Corrin. It's Nohrian law. If you can beat me, then it's my loss and I'll be the one with major consequences when I return to the castle but if I end your life here, then Nohr will easily win the war that it waged." I walked forward with Mercym tight in my grasp as Corrin only stood there in slight shock. At this point of his life with the training that he had, he didn't stand a chance against me in battle. Maybe a few more years training would be good for him, but the day that he beats me in sparring isn't going to come as soon as he wants.
I looked at Corrin, who was barely standing up at this point and had fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but it's the only thing I can do to keep my family together at this point in time." Winding my arm back once more, I planned on swiping down and giving Corrin a quick death before-
"Teale, wait!" I stopped my sword mere inches away from Corrin's neck as I heard Azura's voice call out. Turning my head, I saw her running our way with a iron naginata in her hand. While I was distracted by my sister, I was forced back and fell down, hitting my head sharply on the ground as I saw Corrin run past me and towards the exit. Groaning, I rolled over and pushed myself off the ground, the back of my head pulsing in pain. Azura paused as she looked at me with a sad expression. "I'm sorry..." She soon followed after apologizing to me, not even sparring me a second glance.
"Damn it..." I muttered to myself, thinking about the talk Father was bound to give me for letting Corrin escape.
Outside, Corrin was panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath from running and his fight against Teale. "I... I think we're safe here."
"You can't escape from me, Corrin." Xander said, following the dragon prince. "You might have barely passed Teale but I won't let you go!"
"Brother!"
"You've gotten stronger, little prince. But not strong enough. You have betrayed not only your king but your whole family. To think... I once called you Brother and loved you with all my heart..."
"Xander! Corrin! Please, stop what you're doing!" The two princes turned their heads to see Elise running towards them.
"Elise!" Corrin exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
"Stand back, Elise. Leave this to me." Xander ordered, unsheathing Siegfried.
Elise shook her head, determined. "No! I won't let you hurt Corrin. If you must fight someone... fight me!"
"Elise, please. Don't do this." Corrin begged.
"Quickly-Elise has distracted Xander. Now's our chance!" Azura stated, motioning Corrin to follow. "We have to cut out losses and run. Fighting here puts the innocent people of Nestra at risk."
"But..."
"Hurry Corrin!" The blue haired princess pleaded before Corrin groaned in frustration and followed.
"That's right. Run away while you can." Xander commented, glaring at Corrin's retreating figure. "I will always find you, little prince. It is your destiny to face me..."
"Why did you let Corrin escape?" Father questioned, clearly angered with my actions.
"I'm sorry, Father, I didn't expect a distraction in that battle. Believe me when I said that I was going to execute that traitor."
He hummed. "That's right, that woman did call out like she thought she knew you."
"That was Azura, my twin sister that was kidnapped by Hoshido when we were children. She sided with Hoshido as well as Corrin. To think that two siblings would betray their family."
"So that girl was alive this whole time? Interesting." Father turned around as he was about to walk away. "If you ever see either of those two again, you are to end their lives with no hesitation. You will not disappoint me again."
I bowed my head in obedience. "Yes, Father." As I lifted my head, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. Turning around, I was met with Xander and Elise coming towards me with unreadable expressions. "You heard my orders?"
"Yes, we did." Xander confirmed. "I didn't think Corrin would make it past you, even if he has grown stronger in his time away from Nohr."
"It was a minor distraction, something that will not happen again." I stated, resting my hand on the hilt of my sword. "I can't let Father down again, no matter what happens."
Xander nodded. "Father has already sent Camilla and her retainers to Cheve to stop them from meeting up with the high prince of Hoshido and the resistance. If she doesn't stop them there, I'm sure Father will give you a chance to redeem yourself for tonight."
"Maybe so." I simply answered, walking beside my brother.
"How did the little prince even get past you?"
"I was distracted by Azura. She called out to me to get my attention and Corrin pushed me to the ground. I believe that's the only damage Corrin did to me during our fight." I rubbed my head, wincing as I touched a welt forming from my fall.
My brother hummed. "So that was your twin you were talking about."
"Yes, it was. My twin sister or not, Father's orders are absolute. I'll kill them with my bare hands if I have to." 'If Azura doesn't disappear before I get to her.' I thought to myself, not wanting to raise any confusion with the possibility of Azura leading a way to her own demise.
He didn't say anything else that night as we silently traveled back to Castle Krakenburg.
"So that's what happened in Cheve then?" I asked after listening to Camilla's account of the battle against Corrin. It had been a week since we arrived back from Cyrkensia, Leo and Camilla returning with the few soldiers they had left from Cheve only three days ago. "I'm surprised that Corrin actually beat you, but I'm glad that Leo was sent out after you. If not, I can't imagine what would have happened if you fought against those resistance fighters."
"I can't help but think about what Corrin said about Father manipulating him and putting him in danger, even if it isn't true..." Camilla said, looking down at her lap sadly.
"It doesn't matter if his words are true or not, Camilla. He turned his back on Nohr and is fighting against us." When my sister stayed silent, I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't let my guard down and risk any of my siblings here getting hurt by him and his growing army. I'll do whatever I can do protect the family I have left, even if it comes to killing the ones I once thought of as siblings."
"You're talking about Azura?"
I nodded. "Yes, I am. If she sided with Hoshido, so be it. If I have to fight her in the future, then she'll have to pick a god and pray. War isn't a game."
"You've seemed to change since the day we attacked Hoshido, Teale." Camilla commented, making me raise a brow. "You worry me, darling. Did you want me to listen to you talk at all?"
"I'm fine, Camilla, truly. You needn't worry about me." I said, smiling as I lifted myself from my seat beside my sister. "It's late, so I think I'll be retiring to my room for the rest of the night. I suggest you do the same, since you're still wounded from battle. Good night, Sister." Without waiting for a response, I left the courtyard we were sitting in, walking inside to the stuffy walls of the castle as I thought to myself.
As much as I wanted to believe Corrin's words, telling us that Father was only manipulating him and didn't care for his safety, I couldn't fully find myself buying the story. Yes, the capital of Hoshido was attacked, but that wasn't Father's doing, was it? The soldiers there that were there weren't from Nohr, but from somewhere else. I shook my head. War was much more stressful and tiring than I thought, especially a war against those who you love. No matter what the cost, I have to protect the loved ones I have left in this gods forsaken world.
I couldn't decide what path to start with first, so I just started with the game I played first. Please let me know how you're liking the story so far and if you have any suggestions for future chapters.
R&R, thank you for reading this story, the support means a lot to me!