Chrom and Robin were the first to leave the boat after they docked. Behind them Lucina and Morgan followed while Flavia got off the ship across from theirs. On the pier the Archduke waited with his pegasi riders, a slightly confused look on his face.
"My lord, may I ask where your third ship is going?" He asked in his cheerful voice, his smile almost faltering.
"After doing a supply check we averaged out enough supplies for one ship to make it to Dia," Chrom explained, "We did have people expecting us there so we figured we'd send a small group to tell them where we are."
Izana almost flinched, but quickly put back on his cheerful expression, "Oh, never worry. It will take them at least a full day to sail there, and just under a week to go across the land. And that's with a guide. Are you sure you do not wish for one of my riders to tell them to come back?"
"Oh, no thank you. But your concern if appreciated." Robin said with a kind smile as Lucina and Morgan joined them at their sides. The Archduke's smile grew, if that was even possible, and he nodded.
"Please, this way." The lead rider said before her pegasi began to walk towards the city as the Archduke followed closely behind and the other two riders flanked the group from the air.
As soon as they reached the center of the city Robin's jaw dropped open. It was beautiful! People were smiling and children played on the streets with dolls and toy horses. Bakers sold breads out of shop windows with a smile. It reminded Robin of Ylisse.
Ah, Ylisse.
It felt like an eternity since they had left their home and Robin had been forced to bid her young children goodbye. But she did not need to worry, she trusted Donnel, she knew nothing would happen on his watch.
Once they reached the castle a few maids walked over with a cart in tow. They stopped and gave a small bow at the sight of the Archduke before nodding to the Falchion, which was hanging off Chrom's belt in its sheath.
"Oh, yes," The Archduke said, turning to us, "You'll have to turn in all your weapons while you're here, I despise violence and it's a Izumo tradition. With things being so tense between Nohr and Hoshido lately it's better safe than sorry."
Chrom glanced wearily at Robin, along with Flavia and the royal family. Both Falchions were divine weapons, only able to be wielded by Chrom and Lucina; it was doubtful anything could happen to them. Still… That did put the shepherds at a great risk if Robin's suspicions were correct. Unfortunately, there truly wasn't a second option.
Nodding to Chrom Robin unfastened her Leven sword from her belt and took her Thoron tome out from her jacket, placing the items in the cart carefully. Neatly placing the tome towards the top of the cart. Chrom followed her example, placing his sword and iron spear in the cart. After several long moments of handing over spears, lances, axes, and tomes the shepherds thought they were done before Izana motioned towards the staff clutched in Lissa's hand.
"I'm sorry your majesty, but staffs as well." One of the maids explained.
"What? What harm could a staff do?" Lissa complained before Chrom gave her a stern look. Sighing, the princess put her staff in the cart, followed by Brady and a few others.
Smiling, like always, Izana lead them through the castle, stopping at throne room of sorts. However, the throne was very mildly decorated, serving a more ceremonial purpose than function.
"I would be ecstatic to give the royal family and the 'Khan' a tour of the castle while my servants show your army to their rooms." He said cheerfully, "If that is alright with you, my lord?"
Chrom nodded, a smile on his lips, "Thank you, my lord, your hospitality is greatly appreciated and my family is happy to accept."
Izana nodded before beginning to lead Chrom, Robin, Lucina, Morgan, Lissa, and Flavia down a hall down eventually turning to the left. As they walked the Archduke pointed out certain things to remember- sleeping quarters for his guards, the dining hall, etc.
After a while, the Archduke went silent. The group emerged into a courtyard before suddenly stopping.
Robin narrowed her eyes, "My lord?" She said, trying to get Izana's attention. Chrom tensed beside her, automatically reaching for his sword, only to remember it wasn't there.
"Now," The Archduke said loudly, and before the group could reacted they were surrounded by cavaliers. They all had lances pointed directly at the group from Ylisse and Ferox.
"Izana, what is the meaning of this!?" Chrom bellowed in rage as he pushed Morgan and Lissa behind him. Flavia glared at each of the soldiers with such rage one visibly flinched before remembering she was unarmed, glaring right back.
"I'm so sorry my lord, but that is not my name." Izana hissed in a cold voice as he turned to face us, no longer smiling. However, in a flash of light it was not Izana standing before them, but a sickly looking man, hunched over, clad in red clothes that resembled that if a jester, "My name is Zola."
Robin glared at Zola angrily, she didn't even get to do some snooping before he sprung his trap. Sneaky little snake.
"Take them to the private cell, far from their little army's cells." Zola said with a snicker. The soldiers quickly closed in around them, leaving little room to move. Lissa clung to Chrom's arm as they were shuffled inside. She was visibly upset, probably fearing for the wellbeing of Gaius, her husband. Chrom wrapped one of his arms around her, giving her a side hug, hoping it would help calm her nerves.
They reached a small room, separated from everything else. When Robin passed it she assumed it was a large supply closet or where they kept their weapons. Upon a heavily armoured guard opening the door the room was revealed to be an empty storage room with no lighting. But, inside the room Robin could make out a figure with long white hair before being shoved into the room with everyone else.
Inside a few maids hurried in, quickly tying the group's hands behind their backs and forcing them to sit against the farthest wall before continuing to tie the ropes around their waists a few times just in case. Zola appeared at the doorway and Robin managed to send him one more death stare before he slammed the door shut and they were plunged into darkness.
"Well that went well." Flavia's voice sounded out from the darkness. Robin sighed aloud, letting a small smile form on her lips at the Khan's humor. Even in 'dark' times Flavia could crack a joke. Most of the time to Basilio's expense.
"Hello?" A voice rang out from the left side of the room, causing Robin to crane her neck. As her eyes sight adjusted to the lack of light she made out another tied up figure, one with white hair.
"Archduke Izana!?" Robin said in disbelief.
"Oh so you've heard of me, no doubt for my victory over 'Who has the best hair' a month back." Izana replied in the cheerful voice Zola had used to trick them.
"Um, actually from the man impersonating you." Lucina replied with a huff from next to Robin.
"Oh no, not that snake Zola? He's the one who tied me up in here! He's a Nohrian soldier." Izana explained grimly, though Robin doubted his smile faltered.
"What? Why would Nohr do that? From what Owain's told me Nohr is a wonderful country, a little ruff around the edges but still." Lissa said, sadness clear in her voice.
"I don't know…" Was all Robin could come up with.
Robin lost track of how long they'd been in there. They were brought meals three times a day, fed to them by servants. Unfortunately the portions were small, normally a small piece of bread and a bit of meat if they were lucky. The first few meals the Ylisseans and Flavia refused to eat. One day, however, Zola brought in the youngest of the shepherds, Ricken, with their meal and held a knife to his throat, threatening them that if they didn't start eating his hand just might slip.
That continued, always a different shepherd until the group was eating regularly and the threats were no longer necessary. They mostly sat in silence, at first Morgan, Lissa, or Izana would spark up conversation, but now everyone just sat in the darkness. That was, until the door opened between meals.
"Get the hell off me!"
Robin's head shot up up when she heard the struggles of a male outside the door, followed by the shouts of another male and a female. Everyone turned their heads in hopes of shielding their eyes from the light that shined through the open doorway as three people were thrown in, already tied up like the room's occupants.
Zola stood at the edge of the doorway smiling evilly, "Oh yes, King Garron will make me a general for this! I captured a Hoshidian prince! The war is as good as won!" With that he shut the door again as the group was plunged into the darkness they had been in for so long. But at least for one fleeting moment there was light.
The three that had been thrown into the room groaned as they struggled to their knees. To Robin's shock, the one that had been the first thrown in had a bloody lip and judging by his expression as he forced himself to sit up he had bruises on his sides.
"A- are you alright?" Lissa hesitantly asked, leaning forward to try to see better in the dark.
The male, who couldn't be more that sixteen, younger than Morgan, flinched at the sound of another voice, "Who's there?" He questioned in a threatening tone.
"Peace friend, we're in the same situation as you." Chrom said calmly while Robin looked at the two behind the young male. They were both about Lucina's age; one was a male with his long brown hair tied up in a ponytail, similar to the other. Though his hair was much darker, while the injured's hair was almost silver. The female's hair was also in a ponytail, hough her hair was indigo and her face was twisted into a scowl, while the brunette looked more worried for the younger before him.
"Yeah, who's 'we'?" The young male asked, slightly out of breath from his struggle to sit up.
"I am Chrom, Exalt of Ylisse, this is my wife and tactician Robin, our two children, Morgan and Lucina, my little sister Lissa, and high Khan of Ferox, Flavia. We come from a continent south from here. We were taken captive after our boats docked in the port due to navigational errors." Chrom explained.
"And I am Archduke Izana, I assume you met Zola, the snake that is posing as myself." Izana said, still sounding cheerful as ever.
"Um, yeah." The brunette replied, "Um, I'm Hinata, and this is Oboro. Before you is my lord, prince Takumi of Hoshido."
Robin nodded her head a little, "Yes, the letters did say there was a Hoshidian prince the same age as Owain's retainer. Are you two his retainers?"
"Duh," Oboro snapped.
"Why did you come here?" Takumi asked, "Last thing we need is another country testing our patience."
"We came here after we got word of the increasing tensions between Nohr and Hoshio from the three people we sent here to evaluate how bad it was five years ago. All three managed to become Nohrian retainers and have been sending letters recounting the situation." Robin explained calmly, "Their most recent letter said war was about to spark if one wrong move was made. We came here to try and help bring peace."
Takumi scoffed as he scooted back against the wall his retainers had gotten to, "Well you're a week too late, that's how long the war's been going on."
Lissa gasped a little and Robin sighed, "Dammit… Wait- a week!? That means Basilio will be marching on Izumo in a few days time!"
Chrom sat up a little, hope shining in his eyes like it was in all of the captives, beside the three new prisoners.
"How long have you been in here?" Hinata questioned, looking at Lissa in shock. Probably due to her clothes showing the most signs of loss of weight that had happened to all of them.
"Well you said a week since war broke out, so at least that long, possibly longer…" Lucina said, looking at her binds around her waist.
The prince and his retainers went silent and it stayed like that. Once again the room was plunged into silent darkness as Lissa told herself over and over again that Owain and Gaius were fine… That everything would be alright.
But that was little more than a dream in the darkness slowly eating away at their minds and souls.