Intermission - Royals of Nothing

Nyna

She holds onto Diana's hand as she dozes. She's not quite asleep anymore, but she doesn't really want to be awake either. She's just so tired. She's tired of all of this. She's tired of being the quiet, calm princess in exile. She's tired of having to run and hide while others bear the burden. She had thought she was ready for this, but she understands now that she hadn't been. She wonders if Diana knew, but could not find the words to tell her.

She thinks a lot of Diana and Camus, alone here in a guest room of the palace. Duke Hardin had been very insistent that Diana had a good bed to rest in, since even with healing magic, her condition had been so touch and go. She had refused to leave Diana's side, and so, she had a lot of time for thinking. And she thinks of them, the two people who made her time after the Fall bearable.

Her parents had been brutally murdered. She hadn't seen her father's death, but she'd seen her mother's, skewered and thrown to the side to bleed out, but not even granted that much dignity as their attackers kicked and stomped on her. She had only made it out because Midia had found her, and dragged her to safety, and now her mother's last moments haunts her almost as much as the sight of her parents' corpses, dangling off the side of the walls. When she had seen that, when she had seen the bodies, she had thought that her imprisonment would be torture. But it hadn't been. No, it hadn't been at all.

She remembers meeting Camus. No matter what she had said, she had been… intrigued by him at first. He had held himself so calmly, so bravely, and had urged her to resist. Looking back, she isn't surprised she fell in love with him. He had given her hope, and kept her safe as she tended to the seeds so that they could blossom. He had been kind, gentle, and courteous. She's not completely stupid; she knows that her feelings could've been born from simple dependence. Yet, the feelings grow stronger, not weaker, the longer she is away. She longs for the days where they had tea in the parlor, gossiping and laughing. She longs for the days where they wandered through the town, listening to the concerns of the people and watching him play with the children. She longs for the days where she simply had to ask, and he would be there, a comforting presence.

She remembers meeting Diana. She had seen her in the past, sharp eyed and quiet, with a hardness to her that seemed almost out of place with how frail she looked. She remembers how, when she had seen the bodies, Diana had closed the curtains, told her to stay put, and went to make sure the bodies were taken down. She thinks of how Diana always answered her questions honestly, sometimes brutally so, but always stayed by her. She thinks of how Diana had comforted her, reassuring her whenever her hope faltered. She thinks of how Diana promised to never lie, and how Diana followed her all the way to Aurelis, even though technically, her job as bodyguard could've stopped the very moment she left Archanea. She thinks of the promise Diana had made her, when she had cried over Artemis's curse.

Those two had made life bearable. Those two had given her reason to live when everything looked horrific. Those two risked their very lives to keep her safe. Both paid for it, though, and she wonders if perhaps this is part of Artemis's Curse. If they would have to pay the price for the war to end, all because she loved them dearly. The thought hurts, and she wishes she could just run. She wishes she could run away, far away, from the responsibilities, taking Diana and Camus with her so that they could be safe too.

"Princess Nyna." She lifts her head slowly and rubs her eyes as she sees Wolf poke his head in. "Is she awake?" he asks. She shakes her head, and holds back the urge to sigh. Duke Hardin told her that Diana had woken up, briefly, but fell back asleep. "She'll be fine. She's too damned stubborn to die, and I think not even death wants to deal with her craziness."

"Death nearly took her anyway," she whispers. It had taken three Recover staves to get Diana into stable condition, along with numerous medicines and basically all of her magic. She knows there are soldiers who wonder why they'd 'waste' so much on her, but she ignores them. "Why did she…?"

"She loves you." He says the words so easily that, in a flash of childishness, she almost demands, then, an explanation for why all those who love her, all those she loves, choose to leave, but she stops herself in time. She might be the princess of nothing but hope and ruins, but she had to hold herself high anyway.

So, instead, she simply smiles, and returns her attention back to Diana, who is still deathly pale. "Did I thank you for going back?"

"You did. We were lucky, to run into those healers." Healers from another camp of Aurelisi soldiers, and from some of the local churches and temples that evacuated. They had been making their slow way to this castle, this last sanctuary. "Sedgar thought she'd bleed out before we got her even out of the castle, but we had some basic medical kits on us. Elixirs held her until we got her to the healers."

"Thank you." She squeezes Diana's hand, reassuring herself that there was still a pulse and still a bit of warmth. "She's so small."

"For how loud she is, you forget she's like half the size of everyone."

"She's not that small." She pauses and then looks up at Wolf. "How did she manage to hold them for so long, though?"

"It wasn't the main army who got in, it seems. It was mercenaries, who wanted glory and their pay. I'm guessing they thought they'd get a bonus for taking down the girl who killed their babysitter general." Wolf shrugs. "They were unorganized, and not used to fighting as a team. She was in a hallway when we found her, so…"

"I see."

"It was stupid, though, to not get them into the hallway to start with. The dramatics caught their attention, but they were about to stab her, or worse."

"She was bleeding to death. Surely, that couldn't have been… um..."

"...Female mercenaries risk great… humiliation before dying on the field." Wolf shakes his head. "It is not… uncommon for some to take care of the latter while doing the former."

She shudders at the very thought. "I… see…"

"The arrows… would've made it difficult," a voice suddenly croaked. She jerks her head up and nearly starts crying as she sees Diana is awake. "But that is… a factor in why I jerked the arrow out…" Diana smiles bitterly. "Well, that and scaring them…"

"You scared us," Wolf scolds. He crosses his arms. "But, then again, as I said, I really doubt death wants to deal with you."

"Oh, yeah, death doesn't know how to have fun." Diana turns her attention to her, and her smile warms. "Hey. Sorry I almost broke my promise, Nyna."

"It's fine," she whispers. "You didn't, so it's fine." The tears stream down her face and she ducks her head. "You're fine, so it's okay." So long as she isn't left alone among strangers, everything would be okay.

"If you're sure," Diana replies, eyes clouding over slightly. "What's that sound?"

"Sound?" She pauses and looks to the door as she hears the rapid footsteps. "What is-?"

Duke Hardin swings around the door and, for the first time, he looks absolutely elated. "Prince Marth is here," he tells her. Everything just seems to still at those words. "He's on the other side of the mountains. There are still Macedonian forces, but I'm going to ride out and meet him."

"Yes, please, do that," she whispers. She smiles, unable to help it. "It seems… our gamble to hold onto hope paid off."

"Do not let your guard just yet. We do not know their numbers, and he is a boy with a legacy thrown on his shoulders." But still, Duke Hardin smiles back. "Rest here with Diana. We'll be back soon."

"Safe travels." She clasps her hands together as he leaves and she turns to check on Diana, whose eyes have lit up too. It had been a long while since she had seen that liveliness. "We're a step closer to that dream, Diana. We're finally a step closer."

Perhaps they'll make it after all.

Marth

He had heard many stories of just how beautiful Aurelis is, but he believes that words simply could not do it justice. Even now, ravaged by war, the swaying grass and colorful flowers is nearly enough to take his breath away.

But after a moment of staring, he growls under his breath and shakes his head, cursing his inattention. He is not here, on the edge of camp, to admire the view. He is here to get a feel for the coming battle. They are in Aurelis at last, and they must hurry. Their numbers were few, but even this much would help Aurelis. They had been fighting this war for two years, the same two years that he had spent training and relaxing in Talys.

He curses himself for that weakness. He curses himself for not coming sooner. But he keeps it all quiet, within himself, and tries to use it simply as reminders for why he must keep going. He is the prince of nothing but a broken country and people's faith, but he refuses to let himself falter.

"There you are, Prince Marth." Cain walks up then, looking at him worriedly. "Abel and I were looking for you," he gently chides. "You shouldn't come so close to the edge without posting word."

"I'm sorry, Cain," he replies. He makes himself smile. "I forgot I have two fusspots for knights."

"Considering your tendency to fall into trouble when we were younger, your highness, I think we are justified." Cain smiles slightly. "Actually, didn't you literally fall into a well?"

"I was trying to get a cat out." He remembers that incident, though. Abel and Cain had found him quickly, though it had been… it had been Frey who had gotten him out, with the cat. "What did you need me for?"

"We were just checking on you, my lord. You know how Abel is." Cain shrugs and looks out to the horizon. "What a beautiful land."

"Yes, it is." He looks out again, but finds himself thinking of Altea instead. Their home.

He remembers the fall. He remembers how confused he had been, how lost. He remembers how Kris, in her reluctant kindness, had saved his life. He remembers how Elice had stayed behind to buy him time to run. He remembers Frey doing the same. He thinks of all the people that he left behind to save himself.

He thinks a lot of Gra. He thinks a lot of Jiol, and how much he really, really wants to see Jiol broken and bleeding, much like how he knows his father died. But he also thinks of Frey's last request, and finds his resolve shaken. Some days, he thinks that Jiol's death would make him beyond happy. Others, not so much. He thinks of Kris's questions, reminding him of the request, to make him stop and think.

Kris does that a lot. Makes him think. Supports him and teases him. It's like having another sister, especially since Elise, much as he loves her, had always been a little distant. But Kris is there with him, even as her hands tremble, and he finds courage with her at his side. He knows that if he ever goes too far, she will be there, ready to knock him out if needed. He can march forward with his head held high, thanks to her.

"Your highness, I swear, we will not fall." Cain's soft, resolute words draw him out of his thoughts. "We will liberate Altea," Cain continues, looking right at him. "We are your arms, your swords, ready and willing to fight. Do not hesitate."

"I am forever lucky to have you all," he whispers. He manages a smile. "Truly, I am."

"We are lucky, to have a lord who cares for us." Cain looks back then, and smiles. "We have more company."

"We do?" He turns and his smile softens as he realizes Cain is right. Caeda and Kris are both walking up, faces a bit red from wind. At least, he assumes that, since Kris's face is as red. "Hello, you two."

"Hello, Marth, Cain." Caeda replies, smiling brightly. He's momentarily dazzled by it, as he always is, no matter how many times he sees it. "But I have some possibly good news!" She skips to his side, and he relaxes automatically. Whenever she is near, he feels as if everything will be all right. He feels happy just being by her, and he knows that his time in Talys might've been a horrible trial if not for her and her cheer. "Are you listening?"

"A little," he answers. He laughs a little as she pouts. "Sorry, what is the good news?"

"Well, I did a scout around with Kris, and we flew over to the mountains there." Caeda points to the mountain range to their west for emphasis. "We went really deep in, because Kris thought she saw movement, and we noticed a castle, guarded by troops wearing Aurelis armor."

"Aurelis?"

"Yes, and quite a few!" She beams at him. "We… found them. They're still here, fighting."

"We'd have to approach from the ground, but we can go ahead and check in with them," Kris adds. Her smile is a bit disbelieving, like she cannot quite believe what she's saying, but her eyes are resolute and reassuring. She's more than happy to help. "Want us too? We can probably just have Caeda smile at them and get entry, but I'll be there for backup."

"That… sounds like a good idea," he agrees. He cannot help but smile at the news. They had made it. They were still fighting. He is not too late to help them. "Please, go let them know."

Perhaps they'll make it after all.

Author's notes: So, a couple of people suggested this, and I decided to go along with it as an experiment, to give some insight into Nyna and Marth's thoughts as we reach a critical point in the story. (namely, starting next chapter, the POVs will finally meet up, and we'll have one continuous story.) The idea of sending Caeda as messenger comes from the manga.

Next Chapter - actually Champions of Aurelis this time, promise.