DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem, nor do I own the characters in Fire Emblem. I do, however, own any characters I create for the purpose of this story.

When Swords Cross

CHAPTER THREE

Celice went over the plans in his head one more time. Leaf, Nanna, and Fin would guard Lenster against Blume's invading forces, while the bulk of the army would depart from Alster and fight their way toward Conote. As he prepared to sortie, however, something seemed off to him. He found out exactly what it was that was wrong before he even left the castle gates.

"Prince Celice!" shouted the reconnaissance soldier as he rode into the castle. "I bring urgent news!"

"Calm down!" Celice responded. "I'm right here. Now, what news do you bring?"

"Prince Celice, the group of Freege knights headed for Lenster is headed by Lady Ishtar herself!" the soldier exclaimed. "And she's armed with the Torhammer spell!"

"WHAT?!" It was now Celice's turn to shout. He then turned around and headed back toward the castle. "Change of plans!" he yelled as he reached the rest of his troops. "I've just received word that Lady Ishtar is armed with Torhammer and leading the charge on Lenster. Shanan, Aless, I want the two of you to ride toward Lenster with me."

Levin stepped forward. "Celice, you cannot afford the time to head toward Lenster yourself. Your goal is to seize Conote, and you'll need Aless and Shanan's help to do that."

"I'm not sacrificing our allies of Lenster, Levin!" Celice responded. "After we fight off the initial offensive, we'll have more time to seize Conote without Leaf or either of his companions dying in the process! I'm sorry, Levin, but I'm overriding your judgment in this situation. Now, let's go, so we can reach Lenster before Ishtar does."

-3-

Outside of the castle, Celice turned to the two warriors he had selected. The person standing to Celice's left was Shanan, the prince of Isaac. Shanan was partly responsible for Celice's upbringing, having shared the duty with Oifaye and Aideen. Shanan was still a child when war broke out between Grandbell and Isaac, and had been taken to Verdane for safekeeping by his aunt, Aira. There, Aira was forced into servitude for Kinbois, the second of the three princes of Verdane, and was not freed from this until Sigurd's army invaded Verdane. After that, Sigurd granted Shanan sanctuary, something which would eventually be used to support the charges of treason levied against him. After the tragedy at Barhara, Oifaye and Shanan took Celice, Skasaha, Lakche, Lester, and Delmud, all toddlers at the time, to Isaac. However, unlike Oifaye, Shanan always found it hard to face Celice. The reason for this is that it was on Shanan's watch that Deirdre vanished. No matter how many times Celice had tried to tell Shanan that Deirdre's disappearance was not his fault, he would not listen. Nevertheless, Shanan played an important role in Celice's training. Shanan himself was a peerless swordsman, accentuated by the fact that he was capable of using Balmung, the holy sword originally used by the crusader Odo. This was part of the reason Celice had chosen Shanan for this mission.

The person on Celice's right was sitting on a horse and awaiting orders. This person was Aless, the son of Lord Eltshan of Nodion. Aless had been a toddler when Eltshan had been wrongfully accused of treason and executed. After Eltshan's death, Aless and his mother had traveled to Lenster, where relatives of hers lived. She soon died, and Aless was taken under the wing of the mercenary Jabarro. He would later turn against Jabarro due to the fact that he left a dancer named Leen in the custody of Bramsel, the perverted steward of Darna–a steward whom Leen had openly insulted, forcing Aless to step in to defend her. It was the fact that Jabarro's mercenary company had begun to chase him that led him into fighting alongside Celice. In truth, Aless had wanted Celice dead until recently. Aless had not known the true circumstances of his father's death, and had believed that Sigurd had murdered him. It took a letter from his father to convince him otherwise. This relieved Celice, because he never wanted to fight against such a formidable opponent. Aless was every bit his father's son, down to the fact that he could wield the Mistoltin, a sword originally used by the crusader Hezul. Like with Shanan, Aless's ability to use the Mistoltin was part of the reason Celice had chosen him.

"We need to discuss strategy first and foremost," Celice said. "Rushing in blindly will just invite death. From what Levin has told me, Torhammer is frighteningly accurate. Levin said Torhammer's accuracy was enough to even cancel out the amount of speed that Holsety had granted him. He had to rely on the natural advantage wind magic had over thunder magic to survive the fight with Lord Reptor. Therefore, I propose this." He turned to Aless. "Aless, you lead the attack against Ishtar. Mistoltin will help to protect you from her magic." He then turned to Shanan. "Shanan, I want you to follow Aless's attack with one of your own, assuming Aless cannot kill her or force her to retreat. In case the two of you combined are unsuccessful in forcing her out of the battle, I will discuss options with Leaf, Fin, and Nanna when we arrive at Lenster."

"I just have one question, Celice," Aless said. "If you'll recall, it was I who defeated Blume in Alster, and he was armed with Torhammer when I fought him. Why should a fight with his daughter be any more dangerous?"

"Because an open field is a lot less restrictive than a castle corridor," Shanan replied before Celice had a chance to respond. "As you know, magic has a greater range than any sword not imbued with a magic spell. In the middle of a castle, Blume was unable to use this to his advantage. However, in an open field, Ishtar will have no trouble keeping her distance while you're forced to attempt to dodge. After all, there's only so much added mobility a horse can provide. Still, you're better off than I am when it comes to getting close to the enemies."

At the mention of Aless's horse, Celice looked down at his new steed. This was a horse that Oifaye had prepared for him with the aid of some Alster knights. It had been intended for the king of Alster before he was slain by the Empire. Its hair was the purest shade of white Celice had ever seen, and it was extremely strong. It was also much faster than even Oifaye's steed, and had more endurance than any horse Celice had seen.

Celice looked up from his horse to the two men before him. "All right, let's move out! To Lenster!"

-3-

"So, why exactly is it you're here?" Leaf asked.

"You haven't heard?" Celice replied.

"Heard what?"

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but . . . " Celice took a deep breath. "Ishtar is headed this way. To make matters worse, she's armed with Torhammer."

Leaf cursed. "So you're here to provide backup?"

"Not so much backup as to handle Ishtar ourselves," Celice replied. "Shanan and Aless are the two people most capable of handling Ishtar, since they each possess a holy weapon themselves. I will be their backup."

"Shouldn't you focus on taking Conote instead?" Leaf asked.

"I left Oifaye in charge of the main army," Celice replied. "He can lead them to Conote and take it before I arrive with little difficulty. Remember, now that Ishtar has Torhammer, it means that Blume no longer possesses a holy weapon."

"I see," Leaf said. "However, with all due respect, I question the necessity of having you back up Prince Shanan and Lord Aless. Surely Fin or myself could take on that role." Before Celice could reply, however, Fin spoke.

"Prince Leaf, we need to stay behind them. We are the last line of defense before Freege's forces reach Lenster. I think Prince Celice's plan is more sound. However, I do question your decision to serve as backup alone. I think Nanna should join you on the second line."

"Why her?" Leaf asked. "Why can't you accompany Celice, Fin? You're a far better fighter than either Nanna or myself."

"This is true," Fin said. "However, Nanna can use healing staves, an ability which you and I both lack. If she joins Celice on the second line of defense, it allows her better accessibility to all fronts. She can run back here or up to the front to heal, then pull back."

Leaf frowned. He knew he was not going to win this argument. "Fine. I don't agree with this one bit, except for having Prince Shanan and Lord Aless on the front lines, but I guess I'm outnumbered on this."

-3-

Celice looked over at Nanna and noticed a troubled expression on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Nanna looked up at him. "Nothing."

Celice frowned. "Nanna, I can tell that something is bothering you. It's Leaf, isn't it?"

Nanna hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "It has to do with the way he acted before, when we were discussing our strategy. I've never seen him like that. He usually favors the plans that Fin provides, knowing that they usually lead to minimized casualties. This is the first time I've ever seen him openly oppose one of Fin's ideas."

"Well, I suppose I can see why you'd be troubled," Celice said. "I wonder why?"

"I think I know," Nanna said. "It has to do with you. I don't think he wanted you here, and not for the reason that Conote would fall sooner were you with the main army, either."

This confused Celice. "Why would Leaf not want me here, if not to seize Conote sooner?"

"I don't know," Nanna answered. "Did something happen between the two of you?"

"If something did happen between us, I'm not aware of it," Celice responded. What Nanna had told him had begun to weigh on his mind, as well, but he shook his head. "No, I can't let myself be distracted from the battle," he muttered to himself. Both Shanan and Oifaye had drilled it into him that carelessness on the battlefield invited death, and he had done his best to adhere to that teaching. He would not let himself deviate from it now, especially with Lenster on the line.

-3-

The amount of focus Celice had put on the battlefield had turned out to be the difference. As Celice had feared, Aless and Shanan were unable to stop Ishtar without backup, so Celice charged in to do battle. However, no sooner had he landed a single blow against Ishtar than something unexpected happened. From out of nowhere, a young man, who looked to be two or three years younger than Celice, appeared at Ishtar's side. He had long, red hair and dressed entirely in black, and upon his forehead was a red mark. When this young man appeared, a wave of dread had washed over Celice. He seemed to exude evil from every orifice on his body. It took him a moment to realize that he was looking upon his half-brother and fellow Imperial Prince, Julius.

Celice knew much about Julius's reputation. According to rumor, Julius had killed his own mother, Deirdre, and his twin sister. Other than that, everything Celice had heard about his half-brother was true; Julius had ordered the child hunts that took place in every Imperial territory except for Isaac–due to Johan and Johalva, the younger two of Dannan's three sons, who had no desire to listen to Julius–and Grandbell itself. These children were sent to Barhara, where Julius used them in his dark rituals. Julius was so powerful that not even his father, Emperor Alvis, could control him. Every form of discipline that Alvis had attempted to use on his son backfired, so he had been forced to stop trying. He also had received great shamanic powers from his mother, and could warp from place to place at will. Greater than these abilities, however, was his proficiency in dark magic. His skills with the dark arts put Lopt priests twice his age to shame. In fact, the only Lopt cultist whose proficiency in dark magic came even close to Julius's was Manfloy, the archbishop of the sect.

Julius spoke to Ishtar for a moment, though Celice could not hear what his half-brother was saying. He noticed that Julius glanced at him for a brief moment, then he and Ishtar vanished.

Celice sat on his horse, staring at the place where Julius had been standing. It was clear that he did not consider Celice to be a significant threat to him. Unfortunately, arrogant as Julius was, he was most likely correct. Celice had heard the stories of the tome of dark magic Julius carried. It was said to reduce even the mightiest blow to a mere scratch. Not even the holy weapons could amount to much damage against it. As his thoughts began to consume his attention, he heard a scream. Instinctively, Celice spun his horse around toward the source and gasped.

Nanna had been locked in combat with a swordsman, and the enemy had just struck her. A gash ran from Nanna's right thigh to the left side of her waist, and blood had begun to flow from the cut. Abandoning all thought, Celice charged toward the enemy. The swordsman barely had time to turn around before he felt the cold silver of Celice's sword slice through the right side of his torso. He slumped to the ground. Celice then rode over to Nanna, but when he stopped next to her, she fell from her saddle. Celice reacted quickly and caught her. He pulled her over onto his horse, where he then cradled her in his arms.

Panic began to set in, and Celice glanced at Nanna's wound. He then looked at her face, which was contorted in pain. Despite the pain, she was still able to speak. "Prince Celice . . . leave me . . . go on to Conote . . . without me . . . "

"No, Nanna!" Celice exclaimed. "I'm taking you with me! I'm not letting you die!"

"But . . . Prince Celice, I'll . . . only slow you down . . . " Nanna protested.

"I don't care!" Celice half-shouted. "Blume should be dead by now, so I'm not needed to fight over there!" He then slid Nanna closer to him, kept his left hand underneath her head, and grabbed his horse's reins with his right hand. He then had his horse run east, toward Conote.

A few minutes after the horse began running, Celice heard Nanna complain about thirst. This worried him, as he knew that thirst was a sign of shock. He immediately looked down at his ward, and saw her eyelids begin to droop. Celice shook her gently. "No, Nanna, don't close your eyes! Stay with me, here!"

"I don't think I can . . . " muttered Nanna. "I'm sorry . . . "

Celice's eyes began to cloud with tears. "No! Nanna, you will not die! I swear on my lineage that I will get you to our healers in time!"

The next thing that happened caught him by surprise. Nanna shuffled closer to Celice and pressed her head against his chest. "Warmth . . . "

Celice felt his face heat up, and knew that he had turned red. Nevertheless, he rode toward Conote at top speed.

-3-

The door opened and Levin, Lana, and Julia walked out. Celice jumped away from the wall against which he had been leaning. "Well?"

"She'll be all right," Levin replied. "Our magic was able to heal the wound completely. She won't even have a scar. Right now she just needs to rest."

Celice sagged in relief. "That makes me feel a lot better, myself. I don't know what I would have done if she had died."

Julia tilted her head, puzzled. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Because if she had died, it would have been my fault," Celice answered with a quiver in his voice. "I was too shaken up by the fact that Julius had appeared on the battlefield, and had diverted my attention to him. If I hadn't let him get to me, I would have seen Nanna fighting her enemy before she got injured, and I would have been able to stop her from getting injured in the first place."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Levin asked.

Celice looked at Levin, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you need to not be so self-focused," Levin replied. "Just because you were there doesn't mean you could have stopped it. In fact, it might have been you who was injured had you seen the fight sooner, not Nanna. You may have the talent for swordsmanship that your father had, but you are far from perfect."

Celice winced. It was times like these that made him wonder what happened to the easygoing playboy that Oifaye, Shanan, and Fin had described Levin to be when he fought alongside Sigurd. He could only assume that his hardened exterior came from a life of constant fighting for the past two decades.

Levin noticed Celice's discomfort, and eased back a little bit. "In any case, you shouldn't be concerning yourself with possible outcomes. Instead, you should focus that mental energy on the actual outcome. You did that before, when you raced toward Conote with an injured person on your lap. Don't falter now."

"Yes, sir," Celice responded.

"Don't call me 'sir,' Celice," said Levin.

"Sorry."

-3-

Celice walked into the room where Nanna lay. The covers were pulled up to her neck, so he could not see the injured area. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Nanna turned her head toward him. "Thanks to you," she said weakly. "Though if I were actually worth something to this army, this wouldn't have happened. I'm just a burden." Tears began to form in her eyes.

Celice stood up. "Don't do this, Nanna. I just got lectured out in the hallway a few hours ago by Levin about something similar. I kept telling myself that had I not been so distracted by Julius's sudden appearance, I could have prevented you from getting hurt. Levin opened my eyes to the possibility that, had I noticed before you got hurt and rushed in, I might have gotten hurt. You're not a burden on this army. You're a descendant of the crusader Hezul, and a fine swordswoman. You can also heal. In fact, it's thanks to you that I'm not still bandaged up from the arrow I took to the gut before I seized Alster. To be honest, if you hadn't healed me, you might be lying on the ground halfway between here and Lenster as dead as the man who gave you that wound. For all we know, I would not have been in any shape to accompany you to the second line. I would have been surrounded by the rest of my army as we charged toward Conote."

Nanna stared at Celice for a moment. "You're right. I'm sorry I upset you, Prince Celice."

"You know, you can drop the formalities, Nanna," Celice replied. "We're not in court."

"But you just saved my life. It wouldn't be proper to address you informally."

"It's because I saved your life that I want you to drop the formalities," Celice responded. "After all, who can go through something like that and not befriend the other person involved?"

"You consider me a friend?"

"Well, what do you consider me to be, other than your leader?" Celice asked. "I highly doubt it's just that, seeing as you pressed yourself against my chest as we were riding this way." This caused Nanna to turn as red as Celice had been when the action had taken place, and she turned away for a moment. Celice laughed. "No reason to be embarrassed. I can't imagine how much pain you were in, but I can imagine your need of some sort of comfort, be it warmth or something else."

Nanna turned back to Celice. "Um, Pr–I mean, Celice–could I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?" Celice asked.

"That lullaby your mother sang to you when you were a baby . . . can you teach it to me?"

Celice grinned. "Sure, why not? Just be careful not to fall asleep while I sing it, all right?"

Nanna smiled.