(A/N: I lied, there's two bonuses. But this is the last.)

{-Henriette-}

Peaceful meadows stretched for as far as the eye could see, with the castle's shadow barely looming over them. A collection of noblewomen sat at the table that had been prepared for them, sharing stories as their husbands worked.

"Whoever had raised the boy to that point was well on manners," Henriette said. "He held doors for others and always seemed to be helping out in some place or another. Not to mention he did considerably well with Sharena."

"And you still have no idea where he came from?"

She shook her head. "It was a topic he tried to avoid, no matter how nicely it was asked. If the kids ever learned more then they certainly aren't fond of sharing." Then again it wouldn't be the only thing she felt like they weren't telling her. It might also help that the only way she even remotely talked to them wasn't through letters, but that was something she couldn't change. "I wish I knew what he's doing now."

There was a general mutter of agreement, soon followed by a louder greeting.

Henriette felt her husband's hand on her shoulder and looked up at him. It took a second to recognize his expression—the kind of something's-wrong-but-I'm-not-telling that only she could understand. "That was a quick meeting," she remarked as if she didn't notice. "Let us finish up here."

"I just need you for a moment," Gustav replied. "They can stay a while longer; no need to rush."

She got up from her seat. "Well, I need to talk to you about something, too." Much quieter as to keep the others from hearing, she continued, "It's about your son."

"Do I really want to know what he's doing now..?" They walked out of earshot of the others, though kept in more hushed voices.

"Most likely not," she answered honestly, sighing. "He came over the other day and asked about the visitor we had a few years back. I told him what I knew, but…I'm afraid he might find something he's not supposed to."

"He's smart enough that he would've found out eventually no matter what we did. What he does with that information is what we should be concerned about," Gustav said dismissively.

But Henriette wasn't quite done yet. "That's a truth that's not ready to be told. They're going to look into it and find themselves in something they can't get themselves out of." Given Gustav's look that showed he just want the topic to change, she decided it was just a mom thing. Then again they did have their different ways of caring and his wasn't particularly of the showy kind.

"And right now there's something that demands more of our attention." He made sure there still wasn't anyone near enough to hear them before he continued. "They're coming back."

"We have dozens of visitors every month, dear; you're going to need to be more specific," she pointed out. "Unless…"

His grim frown was the only answer she needed. "Enough is happening that isn't simply chance—it's a little hard to deny who was behind it."

"W-well we need to warn the kids, then."

"I think you're forgetting letters can be intercepted. They should be able to take care of themselves, just as they have been for the past six years."

"That was different! They don't know what they'd be messing with. They won't even know how to properly take care of the problem. We can't just do nothing." Henriette was half aware of the fact the ladies had stopped talking, most likely to try to hear what they were seemingly arguing over. "At the very least we can pull them aside for a few moments to give them a warning." She knew that was more of a hope—they always seemed busy up until the moment they needed something from home. Even then it wasn't like they went out of their way to talk to her.

"We weren't much older than they are and we did just fine, didn't we?"

"But we had friends and half an army and—"

"They have those things, too. The Order is admittedly just as prepared as ours, and they have allies. If they're even remotely anything like I've heard, they'll make it through." He was being too calm about this.

She couldn't believe she was about to say this. "You're putting too much faith in them." Despite the statement itself normally taken in a harsh manner, she only said it out of concern and love for her children. "They don't have what turned the tides in our favor all those years ago. They don't even know what it is."

"It was supposed to be the permanent fix, yet we're having this conversation," Gustav reminded her. "They might find the solution we couldn't. With any luck we'll have more time to properly prepare for whatever might come; I'll be leaving tomorrow to see just how much time that might be."

"Just be careful, alright? I'm not ready to be a widow just yet." She didn't think Askr was quite ready to lose their king or for Alfonse and Sharena to lose their father, either. But the only thing she could do was pray for good results.

"I promise I'll come back."

Henriette nodded. "Shall I make the arrangements for a meeting with the kids while you're gone? They'll need to hear the results, and if I'm correct…don't you have a bit of apologizing to do?" He clearly was a bit hesitant to agree, so she continued. "Just a quiet dinner with the four of us will be fine. You'll apologize, we'll all eat, you'll explain what they might be encountering, and I'll make sure you actually tell them everything they need to know. Honestly there's nothing to be worried about—they're both like you in one way or another."

"On that I make no promises."