"Gods, how did this happen?" A voice asks.

"Why are you asking me? She told us to leave! I don't think I ever seen big sister that upset before..."

"I always do as Lady Yasei commands, Lord Leo." A beat passes, "Even if it may not be the most sound decision."

"That is so… illogical! She was in distress and you just left her there with that… ANIMAL?"

"I'm sorry, Big Brother… I haven't ever helped with something like that, staves only fix physical wounds…" she pauses, "Camilla would have known what to do…"

"Gods, when Father hears of this…"

"I'm afraid he already has, Prince." A new voice.

"Iago…"

"Would you care to hear his decree now or later for punishments?"

"Wait until they are conscious again."

"Very well." Iago walks out and the door closes.

"Tell me then, what exactly happened before this… this?"

"Big sister opened a present and said it was from Gunter, then she started growling, grew wings and horns. Keaton managed to snap her out of it then and Jakob was here by that point."

"And?"

"Lady Yasei broke down and told us to leave. Lady Elise and I did but Keaton stayed behind, less than a minute later we heard yelling, then a fight. The door was broken and they crashed through the walls. I sprinted to get you and Elise went into the armory to grab the Freeze Staff."

Leo sighs, "Get him out of here, now."

"You mean, Keaton, Lord Leo?"

"Yes, that… animal, our sister has become this violent because of his primal influences. Kick him to the curb, send him back, I don't care as long as he never approaches our sister again!" He raises his voice, "I see you standing there. Did you not hear me? Get an entire squad if that is what it takes to whisk him back to his backwards cave!" A pause, "Gods…"

"Big brother?"

A sigh, "I know I yelled at you two, but… it's not your fault, I apologize. I truly do. It is the only one at fault here." He yawns, "Gods, there goes my night's sleep. And now I have to turn around and ride out on a three hour nap. I have to write to Xander and Camilla, too."

"I can do that for you, big brother."

"I agree with Lady Elise, though I believe we should both write them, since we have seen the most of this… ordeal."

"We will all write to them. And that's final."

"Hey, I heard you needed an entire squad? Something I can do?" Another new voice.

"Effie? You are the really strong one right?"

"Yep."

"Fine, go. Run as far as you can away with him, get a horse out of the stable and drop that armor for something lighter. I will be disappointed if he can even see this castle when he wakes up."

"At once, Lord Leo. I'll be back later, my liege."

A few minutes pass in silence, "Lord Leo! I have gath…

"Never mind! Elise's retainer Effie has managed to get here first, back to your duties, no wait. Double your training schedule for two weeks, when a royal demands something, I shouldn't have someone else who catches a rumor be back before you! Go!"

"At once, Lord Leo. Let's move out! We're going through the morning exercises AGAIN!" a pause, "Did you just groan, soldier?"

"Three weeks for him!" Leo calls out.

I open my eyes some time later. My arm… gods, I try to sit up and I scream. Tears start flowing. I look under the blanket and see that the Wyrmslayer wound has reopened and then some. "What…"

"Don't move!" A high pitch voice says. I can barely make out her hair, everything is so hazy. "Don't make me use a sleep spell on you!" I can see tears rolling down her face, but not much else.

"E-Elise?" Her face slowly clears. "Where…?"

"Emergency clinic. You almost bled out." She gently pushes me down and I can see she has been deprived of some sleep.

'Like Flora . ' "What…"

"Not now, sis. Just rest." She has a wariness about the unfinished question.

Then something in my mind clicks, "Hans! Where is that…" I feel a sort of magic wash over me, I feel so lazy. I fall back asleep.

I wake up to that gods forsaken burning pain. It's the Hoshido royal infirmary all over again… no, it's worse, the wound is larger and my arm feels like it has been beaten by a hammer. "Breathe, Lady Yasei." It is Jakob this time.

"You look like crap." The bags under his eyes has bags, he also looks paler.

"I have been sharing twelve hour shifts with your sister for two days now. The Dusk Dragon himself must have sent a miracle your way because there is no way you could have lost that much blood and live." Even though he is doing everything he can to hide it, I can hear the worryness and exhaustion.

"Blood?" I ask, which sets off another question, "Hans, where did he go? And keep that sleep spell away from me this time."

A pause, "I will tell you, but you must promise to stay calm. Getting angry will just slow your recovery." He walks away for a moment, "Here, some tea made just for that effect, calming you."

"Calming or sleeping?" I am wary.

"I honestly wish to tell you what I saw and I can't do that if you are sleeping." He puts the tea cup to my lips and pours slowly. It tastes so warm. I feel tingly. "Perfect, I can literally see the stress melting off your body." He pulls up a chair. "I will go through this slowly and I will stop and give you some more tea if you become too agitated. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

He nods, "It started when you ordered everyone in your room to leave, do you remember that?"

'What?' "No, I was at the Bottomless Canyon."

"Oh dear… Lady Yasei, trust me when I say you have not been to the Bottomless Canyon in over a month." Honesty comes off of him, "At any rate, shortly after Elise and I left, you began shouting and we heard sounds of fighting."

I raise an eyebrow, Gods even that hurts, "So Hans was in my room?"

"Hans was never there, Lady Yasei."

"No, no, no, no!" He pushes the cup towards me and I take another sip, warmth and comfort. "Okay… I'm good. But I am telling you, Hans was here! He is even part of the army now."

"What did he look like? Anything different from the last time you seen him?"

I stop for a moment, "Well, he was wielding a two-handed battle axe in each hand…"

"And is something like that even possible?"

I pause for a moment, "Well, he could have gained the power from the Rainbow Sage…"

Jakob sighs and concedes, "I suppose that is a valid point, all right then, anything else strange?"

A minute passes, then another. The fight is so vivid that it has to be real. "He grabbed my lance arm with his axe."

"Now, is something like that possible?"

"Metal doesn't just bend."

"Precisely. Lady Yasei, you weren't fighting Hans at all." He grimaces as if ready to reveal a very nasty truth. I suddenly become aware of the Sleep Staff beside him.

"Don't touch that staff."

"Lady Yasei, I might have to after I tell you who you were fighting."

"You're my Butler, do not touch that staff."

He sighs and pushes the cup back towards me, I back away, "I'm not continuing until you drink some more." Out of curiosity I take a gulp this time.

I breathe, "All right Jakob, if I wasn't fighting Hans in the Bottomless Canyon, who was I fighting?"

"It started in your room and leaked into the hallway, through several walls and into one of the galleries."

"And who was I fighting?" My patience is running thin.

"The Wolfskin, Keaton."

"Keaton? I-I… gods. I fought my mate?" I feel tears running down my face, "Where is he? He must hate me right now." I look at him, as sort of anger in my eyes, "Where is…" sleep claims me. 'Damn it, Jakob.'

"She knows now, yes. I have the staff on standby." A pause, "She took it about as badly as we had expected… he is how far? Good, that should be sufficient… I know I am in no position to order, but Lord Leo did specifically say to make sure he never approaches her again, I would suggest sentries and give them Beast Killers… Yes, I realize that is expensive… Perhaps I should write to Lord Leo and have him send a personal letter? That's better, good day."

"My shift now!"

"Thank you, Lady Elise."

"Have a good rest, Jakob! Now then, hey big sister. I know you are probably still asleep, buuut. Just so you know, you are recovering pretty well. Big sister Camilla sent me a letter to make sure you receive plenty of kisses! So I'll wait until you wake up for that." Humming follows then a giggle.

"Oh, you should have seen Arthur today, he was parading through the hallways in his armor like he always does, but during lunch today, he noticed that he it on backwards! It looked like he had a butt on his front!" Laughter follows. "He ran all the way back to the dressing room and back to the table. He is such a great guy even if he never get any sort of luck…" A pause, "I wonder if he will be the one getting like, the 'fairest maiden of them all'. Then he gets like, the best child ever! He really deserves that."

Another moment. "I never got to ask, did you ever want children? I think I would be fine with just one, but a boy and a girl also sounds really cool. Do you think they'll have my hair? Ooo, what would my husband be like? Maybe this strong knight in golden armor!" a gasp. "It's time for another round of healing, sis. I hope this doesn't hurt as much as last time… I'm sorry if it does."

I hiss, "Elise?" I open my eyes.

She cheers as the healing finishes. "Yaaay! How are you."

"Better." A pause, "Hey, little sister?"

"Hmmm?" She hums.

"Twins, a boy and a girl."

She flushes, "Oh! You actually heard me? So… you heard that husband stuff too, then?"

"Yea." A pause, "Do you think I would make a good mother?"

"Of course you would! I think you would be the best one ever!"

I smile, "I suppose I'll find out soon, yeah?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I haven't actually had any urge to have sex since that first night with…" the smile fades to a frown. "Oh gods… Keaton." I start panicking, "Gods, I hurt Keaton. I tried to kill him!"

She gently places her hands on me, "Sister, breathe! Please don't make me use that sleep spell again! I know you don't like it but if you don't calm down…" I manage to control my breathing. "Whew. Now, what do you mean you'll find out soon?"

"I have this instinct that clicked in… and I think I'm pregnant… and, gods… Keaton probably left me. I tried to kill him… They won't have their actual father…"

"We can help, that's what family is for, right? I would love to help watch him or her or them for you!"

Bits and pieces of conversation from my sleep start drifting in and out, "You would be fine watching over a pair of literal animals?"

"D-don't say that."

"That's what happened, right? I gave myself up to animal instincts to an animal and now… Leo is going to hate hearing this… Maybe…" But I also don't regret it, if only Gunter hadn't gotten me something...

"No! Don't even think that direction big sis! We will help you raise them! They will love your children like we love you!"

I close my eyes and sigh, "You know what? Just use that staff again, I don't care anymore…" Sleep takes over again.