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The Empress of Gristol: (Act 1)

Chapter 4: Servant of Nohr

The courtyard of Krakenburg was deathly silent, the only sound being the flickering flames that illuminated the scene. On the stage were the Nohrian royals and servants, the middle child kneeling to her King. She gazed up at her liege with a distant look in her eyes that was mirrored by her 'loving' father. Garon broke this connection to gaze at the pile of dead bodies that lay on the floor for a brief moment, before he began to walk towards the closest exit. He made no comment, but all the servants loyal to him followed in his wake. As they left, Emily didn't move from her position and her expression stayed the same. Even when the door slammed shut, she didn't flinch or tense a muscle. That only happened when a hand, with a gentle grip, touched her shoulder.

"Darling, are you all right?" The dark-haired royal looked up at the concerned face of her older sister and slowly nodded her head. Camila sighed and gracefully helped her sibling to her feet, embracing her with a tender hug. "There, there, little one. I understand that doing what you did was hard for you. But it's okay. We are all here for you."

"There is no need to pamper her, sister."

The purple haired lady did not break her embrace, but her surprise was evident as she gazed at the speaker. "Leo! How could you say that!?"

"Because the Hoshidans are still alive." Every head turned to him, especially Emily herself as she broke away from Camila. The mage, armed with a smirk, had eyes for only the two servants in the room. "Jakob. Felicia. Heal the prisoners, but do not wake them."

"But Leo!" Piped up Elise, who looked very confused as she observed the fallen fighters. "Staves don't work on the dead!"

"Did you not hear me, sister? They are still alive." He pointed to the body of the crumpled ninja as he continued to speak, annoyance layered deep in his tone. "Use your own stave if you do not believe me."

The youngest princess hesitantly summed her healing apparatus as she approached the fallen. She raised it into the air and as it glowed blue, she gasped in surprise. The blood pool Kaze was soaking in vanished into thin air and all the scrapes of the battle vanished as well. Upon seeing this, the maid and butler joined suit. Within a minute, the blood and bruises of battle where gone from the unconscious Hoshidans; a fact that dumfounded the eldest and youngest siblings.

Even the coat wearing princess was taken off guard. "How…how did you know?"

"Like all of your tricks, sister, you are flashy and predictable. Though to be fair, it was only thanks to time spent with my retainers that I saw through this particular display. They have shown me all the points in the body you can safely skewer and you punctured almost all of them." He turned to his brother in a casual manner, like he wasn't talking about pain and suffering. "I'm surprised you didn't notice, brother. Are the rumors about you knighted lady false?"

"She isn't precise in the art of slaughter," answered the High Prince; who's face looked like a cross between a scowl and surprise.

The dark mage, after absorbing the response, turned to his trickier sister with a smile. "It truly must be the Devil who showers you in luck, for I can't believe that father was fooled so easily. For as soft hearted as you are, you make for a…decent actress."

"Oh, shush, you jerk." Leo rolled his eyes at Elise's words, while the little healer ran to Emily's side with a smile. "Don't listen to him. Your trick was so good, sis. We thought you really killed them, but you saved them instead."

"Yes, you did," agreed Xander; who had also approached his sister. "But why did you spare them? Why didn't you do what Father told you to do?"

Emily had been excepting this, the harsh gaze of her brother's glare that could put fear in almost anyone; though mainly rule breakers like herself. She took a deep breath before she stood up to her sibling. "It's like I said, killing them was pointless. It's standard practice to ransom prisoners, especially when they are of noble stock—"

"Emily—"

"Look, I'm not going to kill anyone unless there's a damn good reason to!" Her yelling caused Camila to try and calm her down, but Emily shrugged her off as she continued; dropping her controlled demeanor for defiance. "I don't care if Father ordered me to do it. It's not right to kill helpless people and I will never do it!"

Adrenaline was pumping through her veins as she finished saying those words to her brother. She panted as the energy coursed through her, while her brother observed her in a critical manner. He did not speak for a good while, but when he did it was with a serious tone. "Mark my words, Emily…One day an act of kindness may be the death of you."

"Perhaps, but I doubt I would die with any regrets."

Xander, for a brief moment, almost cracked a smile. But his stern face remained as he responded, "…Well said." In a respectful tone. He turned to Jakob and Felicia, who instantly knelt before the High Prince. "Take their belongings and bodies to my quarters." He then looked towards Leo. "Brother, I would like you to sneak them out of the city while the rest of us rejoin Father in the throne room. I know I am asking a lot—"

"It's fine, Xander." Interjected the mage as he waved away his brother's words. "Even if I didn't want to help, Elise and Camila always make a fuss whenever I upset Emily and I could do without that."

The said princess grinned at her younger brother as she moved to his side and gave him a one-armed hug. "Awe, don't be like that. You know you love me really. You're just being a good sibling, like when I pointed out your collar was inside out."

"Speaking of which, your bandana is also inside out." To illustrate, the straw-haired royal grabbed the garment and pulled it slightly; showing that the underline of the bandana's pattern had been visible for all this time.

Though she did not blush, the princess did laugh with an embarrassed tone which was echoed by the rest of the siblings. With her free hand, she fixed her garment as she sheepishly said, "Touché, brother. Guess we both dress ourselves poorly." She released her hug, but still looked at Leo. "Seriously, thank you. You really are the best brother a sister could ask for."

"I know," replied the mage, smugly. He walked away in the direction that Felicia and Jakob were heading, both carrying a body over each shoulder. "I'll send your servants to join you when we reach Xander's room. I shall see you all at diner." And with that, Leo left the courtyard.

Camila observed the exit her brother took, smiling blissfully. "He really is a sweet one underneath that frosty exterior, is he not, Elise?"

"Yeah," agreed the little princess as she nodded, vigorously, in agreement. "He's not a complete jerk." The blonde pulled at Emily's coat sleeve. "Come on, sis, let's go meet with Father! We don't want to make him mad."

The dark-haired royal nodded, so the siblings—plus Gunter, who was still on his horse—exited the courtyard and made their way to the throne room. As the party adventured down the first dark corridor, the old veteran trotted alongside his lady. "Emily, I wish to talk about your performance in the battle."

The princess sighed. "Yes, I know I did badly."

"Do you know why?"

"I lost focus because I didn't take the fight seriously. I lost track of how much mana I was using and I let the enemy distract me."

"At least you are aware of your mistakes," assured the High Prince; who was walking ahead of the group.

"That she is," agreed Gunter. "But what did your mistakes almost cost you?"

The coat wearing royal knew exactly what point he was about to make, but it was only then did she realize the full wait of what could have happened. "I almost got Felicia killed."

"Exactly." The grey-haired knight's expression did soften as he saw his mistress comprehend that possibility. "Every time you go into battle, you risk not only your own life but the life of your comrades. Felicia is talented, but that doesn't mean she is invulnerable. Never lose your focus, Emily, for as Princess every solider under your command will be depending on you. I'm not asking you to drop your mischievous nature, but to consider your actions with your allies in mind." She nodded quietly, a slight shame creasing her face. Noticing this, Gunter cracked a smile as he comforted his lady. "Besides that, your overall performance was not awful. The idea of slowing down time to give out secret orders was quite genius."

She smiled, though not as broadly as usual. "Thanks, Gunter."

The old veteran was soon separated from the siblings, for he needed to return his horse to the stables. In the time during his leave till they reached the throne room's doors, Elise chatted with her almost nonstop while Camila doted on the both of them. Xander didn't join in, but this wasn't the first time he chose to stay out of frivolous talk. Emily almost forgot about the voices she had heard whilst touching her new sword, but it stayed in the back of her mind whilst she conversed with her sisters.

Though when they entered the throne room, those thoughts were erased as she drank the sight before her. The room was glowing like it was twilight, such light being very easy on the eyes and gave life to each slab of stone in the room. Speaking of which, between two marble pillars was the throne of the Nohrian Kingdom. Like Nohr, it was mostly of earthly colors and stone besides the decorative back that also contained a twilight theme that was lined in white. The wall behind the throne was covered in spikey branches and brown foliage that converged to a point behind the regal chair; as if it was the bud of the great tree of Nohr. Overall, the dark-haired princess found the décor quite charming in its own way.

Sitting on the purple lined seat was King Garon, who was leaning on the arm on his throne as he watched his children walk the red carpet that led to his seat. He did not speak when they honored him with bows and curtseys, but his eyes were focused on Emily. Even when he began to speak about another topic, his eyes remained on her. "Where is Leo?"

"His retainers volunteered to dispose of the prisoners, Father," explained Xander in his usual manner. "Given their reputation and enthusiasm, he is overseeing the process to make sure they act swiftly before the bodies stink up the castle."

Garon didn't give a single sign like he had heard his oldest son. He could have completely forgotten his own question for he quickly began to address the dark-haired princess. "Emily…despite your disobedient nature that I have heard so much about, you followed my orders. Though I usually except total obedience from all my servants, I shall reward your actions with an answer to your question. Why didn't I ransom the Flame Tribe's Princess?"

The King straightened up and put his hands together, his wrinkly face now set with the same sternness that was given to his oldest son. "I trust that you know the history of the First Dragons?"

"Yes, Father," calmly replied the princess. "We, the royals of Nohr, are descents of the Dusk Dragon while the Hoshidan royal family are descents of the Dawn Dragon. It's why we never got along with Hoshido."

"False, my child." It was in that moment, as he uttered those words, did life seem to return to his face. He stood up from his throne, his towering figuring casting a shadow over his own children, and continued in a righteous manner. "The reason why we fight against Hoshido, why any people with a shred of self-worth should never kowtow to them, is not because of dead deities. No, it's their righteousness."

He made a gesture to the walls of the throne room as he continued on in a proud manner. "When our ancestors arrived in Nohr, it was an uninhabitable quagmire of death. They had to tame the land, conquer the wild life and survive the cruel seasons under a shroud of darkness. Our prosperity was achieved due to our indomitable will and resolve to push the limits of man and bearing the responsibility of what we did to achieve that."

"Hoshido, on the other hand, were graced by fortune and bounty from the very beginning." Malice replaced pride in the Garon's words as he gazed into one of the torches of light. "Like a talentless child, they observed us from afar and stole the credit of our discoveries to construct the nirvana they bask in to this day. But they still had the gall to call us barbarians and low lives, because they could sit around in bathrobes and pondered meaningless drivel while our people had to fight our neighbors to get the land we needed to keep ourselves alive."

"And when we managed to match their glory, they tried to invite us to join their 'better' culture." The anger that the children was seeing was not like what they had seen in the courtyard. It was an indignation that seemed…human. There was no other word for it. "It was the same trick they used on the Flame and Wind Tribe. Join us as allies and we will look after you." He said, in a parody of a Hoshidan accent. "Just surrender your culture and dignity until you are nothing more than a carbon copy of our 'better' culture."

He laughed bitterly and spat at one of the torches, his saliva evaporating quickly from the heat of the light source. "That is why I wanted to kill that Flame Tribe trash!" He roared this, like a proper, healthy lion at Emily. "A people who freely surrenders their liberty to Hoshido is not worth being treated with respect! They can't see the hypocrisy of the 'noble' Hoshidans, the 'pure' people of enlightenment who are too scared of magic so they shun and demonize their own citizens and allies. They call us liars and manipulators, when they train ninja to spy and poison their enemies in broad day light."

Garon was now back in his chair, his rage dying down slightly, as he neared the end of his speech. "There is only one name they use to slander us that holds truth: Conquerors. We take land and bring cultures to their knees, for that is how we survive in this world. But unlike Hoshido, we allow the culture of our beaten foes to remain as long as they agree to contribute to the kingdom at large. We, as rulers, must keep a firm grip to keep their pride in check. I'd rather fight rebels that value their pride than have subservient dogs that are content to add nothing to the world and just be shills for a 'better' culture."

He looked down at Emily, his eyes alive with a life that could be found in Elise, and finished his speech. "Do you finally understand? Though we owe a lot to the Dusk Dragon, it is not for its sake that we must fight Hoshido. We fight to protect our way of life and the ways of all of those we rule. For I refuse to let the accomplishments of our people be tarnished and forgotten because we gave in to a hypocritical country that thinks it is morally superior because they think they are the embodiment of light."

Emily was quite taken aback by her Father's words. For this was the first time that she had been given an actual reason for why Garon was so ruthless to Hoshidans. And despite how he didn't seem apologetic for his actions and views, the princess could understand where his hatred came from. She imagined all the Nohrians she had met on her journey here; the places she had seen, the music she had heard and the food she had eaten. The idea of them being wiped away, arbitrarily removed by a foreign force that deemed it wrong, repulsed her. The princess could see she was not alone as she glanced at Xander, Leo and Camila who had the same reaction that had bled onto their face.

Elise did not seem to be effected by that topic. For it was hope that was burning in her eyes as she gazed at her Father, like she was witnessing a miracle. But the King, as he slumped back onto the throne's arm, was drained of the life and energy he had exhibited during his speech; his eyes becoming as lifeless and hard as stone. This extinguished the joy in the little princess, as if the miracle she had witnessed had just been a mirage in the desert.

The dark-haired princess had no time to decipher this meaning, for the commanding tone of the King rung one more. "Now that you know why we must resist Hoshido, I have a mission for you to perform."

"A mission, father?"

"There is an abandoned fortress perched on the Hoshidan border. I wish to know if the building there remains serviceable, for it was abandoned long ago. You are to travel to the site and inspect the premises. No battle will be required so I except you to complete this task quickly."

Still caught up in her emotions, Emily curtseyed and replied in an excited tone. "I shall leave as soon as possible, Father." The King nodded quietly, stood up and slowly walked down the steps of his throne to reach a side door on the left. The princess watched him leave and, as soon as he closed the door, let out a breath of relief. "Phew…I thought he was going to bite my head off for questioning him…figuratively speaking. I didn't except…well… that."

"Indeed," replied Leo; awe still stuck on his face. "Father hasn't given a speech like that in a long time. I thought you had robbed him of his prowess, Brother."

"I could never rival Father in that way, no matter how hard I try." Calmly admitted the High Prince. "But with how ill he has gotten over the years, it's good to see this his resolve is as strong as ever."

The blonde prince then looked around at his little sister, who was slightly cress fallen. But it was Camila who placed a tentative hand on Elise and asked her, in a gentle tone, "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"It's…" She paused and sighed. "…it's just, for a second, I though Father was back to normal. He was ranting about those stinky Hoshidans, like he used to do, and he had that energy he used to have. Like when he used to play with us."

"Elise," said Leo without his usual smugness. "He's grown older and so have we. He can't give us piggy back rides or cast silly spells with us. We can't ask him to do that anymore."

"I just want him to smile." Tears began to trickle down her face as her voice cracked. "I just want to see him happy again. It's like he doesn't…he doesn't…"

Before Camila could do or say anything, it was the mage who embraced the crying princess; hugging tightly as his own eyes became slightly red. "I know," he whispered mournfully. "I know, Elise." The two youngest siblings continued to hug as their tears continued to fall. The oldest sister cuddled them both and slowly rocked them from side to side, comforting them of the same sadness that she felt. Xander did not join them and so stood alone as his somberness took hold. Emily, who knew little about what Garon had been like, shuffled over to her big brother; quietly respecting the pain of her siblings.

After a while, the embrace was broken and the little blonde's tears had dried up. She hiccupped as she rubbed her eyes, a bittersweet smile now forming. "Thanks, Leo. I needed that."

The straw-haired mage smiled back at his little sister; just as an oily voice popped out of nowhere.

"Why are you two behaving so pitifully?"

Everyone turned their heads to the speaker, as he walked from behind the stone throne. He wore a black and gold-trimmed robe that had the splashes of red, in the form of feathers, that marked a Nohrian Sorcerer. He wore an elaborate golden head ornament that was connected to a half-mask that covered his left eye and had long, greasy hair that looked as oily as his nasally voice sounded.

"I thought that a mage like yourself, Lord Leo, would be beyond such soppy antics." His words drew anger from the straw-haired royal and the petite princess, for they both glowered at the newcomer with obvious dislike.

Emily didn't know who he was, but she desperately wanted to deck him in the face. Xander, sensing this hostility, put a hand on the dark-haired princess as he addressed the oily man. "Hold your tongue, Iago. Unless you have orders from the King, leave us to our privacy."

"I do have orders from the King, Lord Xander." Retorted the sorcerer, but not in a taunting tone like before. He looked at the dark-haired princess, who possessed much cleaner hair than the slimy servant of Garon. "You are to leave at once to inspect the fort. I have already given the details to your guard captain, Gunter, and he is preparing for the journey as we speak."

"What a shame," stated Camila in her usual tone; smiling widely with her eyes closed. "You won't have time to join us for dinner, dear Emily. After I had painstakingly secured a wild bear for tonight's meal." She walked over to her non-blonde sister and patted her on the head. "I'll just have to carry all the meat and cook it over the fire when we have to camp for the night, little one."

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

The purple-haired princess slowly turned to Iago, her smile now gone and her eyes were now slit like snake eyes. "Why ever not, Iago?" She asked in a tone that rung with a false cheeriness.

"Lady Camila, King Garon has tasks that he will reveal to you, and your siblings, at dinner tonight."

The eldest princess sighed. "Oh well." She looked down at her sister, warmth returning to her face, and patted her head once more. "Sorry, darling. It seems that you will be leaving us soon. Don't be sad, for we will be back together again soon and I will have snatched another bear for us all to enjoy."

"I'll look forward to that, sis." Replied Emily, who was secretly glad to be getting some breathing room from her dotting sister. "Just make sure Flora isn't sad while I'm away, will you?" Her sister gave her a questioning look, so she explained. "One of my retainers needs to stay behind to move my belongs into my new quarters. Lilith and Jakob will be needed to look after the horses and, since we are heading near the border, Felicia will be with me in case something bad happens. That is if Father wants me to go all by myself or not."

"Not all by yourself, Emily."

Everyone was surprised by the King's return, who's eyes were shrouded in shadow once more. There was no love in his words, as he said: "Rest assured, I don't intend to send you out there completely defenseless."

He made a gesture, and a newcomer arrived from out of the shadows. He was as tall as the King and was well built, his well-toned muscles visible thanks to his heavy, black berserker armor. He had a bald head and his face was contorted in an ugly expression of permanent distain. The stranger looked at Emily with his misshapen eyes and, while still scowling, greeted her with a curt, "Milady."

"This is Hans." Spoke Garon in a lofty tone as he introduced the thug. "He is a veteran warrior and will ensue no trouble befalls you."

The princess, who was trying not to judge the newcomer harshly, curtseyed once more as she said: "Thank you, Father."

But her open mind was closed quickly, thanks to the words of the brother that moved in to whisper into her ear. "I'd be wary of that man if I were you, Emily…" muttered Xander. "He's a criminal. A murderer and a scoundrel. I arrested him myself, years ago. Father seems to think he's rehabilitated, but I'm not so sure. Be on your guard."

The princess did not respond to her brother, for Hans had moved right in front of her. Not wanting to speak any conflict while in front of the King, she turned on her heals and made her way out of the throne room. And as Hans began to follow her, she placed a hand inside of the coat pocket that housed her retractable blade. And not until she, along with most of her servants, had left the city, made camp near a forest and had seen Hans enter his tent for the night did she release her grip on her weapon.

It had been about a week and a half since the princess' entourage had left the capital, each party member riding a horse as they trotted the beaten path to the border. It may be the fact that Emily was just on edge whenever Hans was not in her field of view, but the land scape of Nohr seemed to be drearier than she could ever imagine. Particularly after they had made it around the tallest mountain in all of Nohr, for there was no more brown fields or lively forests. Stone became more prominent than before, but it lost its color and character the more they ventured on.

The dark-haired princess did not have the will to sing a rousing shanty for most of the trip, which had been noted by her servants and guard captain. On the first night, when Hans was asleep, she confessed her worries to her friends. In response, Gunter also kept an eye on the stranger; though he did seem to know the bald man. Jakob, Felicia and Lilith did their best to cheer up their mistress all throughout the journey in their own ways.

Jakob was his ever dutifully self who took care of all the small problems that tried to bother his lady. Usually, his fussiness and his attempts to do things that Emily could do by herself annoyed the royal; though she never openly complained because of how sincere her butler's dedication was. But she had no qualms with his dotting when her new shoes finally gave her blisters as she guided her horse to shelter from a rain storm. She quite enjoyed that evening spent in a cave, while Jakob tended to her blisters, massaged her shoulders and fed her fruit like she was a goddess.

Felicia did not try to perform any domestic duties during the journey, which was a relief because—frankly— she was a terrible maid. This did not mean she was shirking her responsibilities, for the brunet continued her main task she used to perform at the Northern Fortress: chatting Emily's ear off. The topics ranged from mundane observations of their surroundings to tales and tidbits from both of their lives. And even though tons of their chatter were repeats from the past, the princess enjoyed talking to the peppy Ice Tribe Scion.

But when Felicia was occupied, Lilith was the next port of call for conversation. These times were usually when Lilith was cooking the parties' meals or when she looked after the horses when they stopped to rest. The blue-haired stable girl, despite being the newest servant in the princess' service, was quite special to Emily. It wasn't just the fact that she had more knowledge about the outside world than the other servants, but she shared many passions with the princess; like animals, armory/forge work, music and most important of all…mischief. For the trickster princess never really shared or planned ideas with Felicia, Gunter, or any of her siblings; even Elise. But thanks to Lilith, Emily had a partner in crime that she could scheme with without the fear of being told to 'grow up'.

In fact, as the landscape they traversed became more barren, the princess shared her observation about the dreariness of their surroundings with the stable girl. "Yes, this is quite unpleasant scenery," replied the blue haired girl, dolefully. "Thankfully, this only pertains to the land that surrounds the Bottomless Canyon."

"The Bottomless Canyon?"

"It's the natural boundary dividing Nohr and Hoshido." Explained Gunter, who was riding ahead of the group; while Jakob was dogging Hans' footsteps. "Normally, you'd go around the canyon by the north. But the fort that King Garon wants surveyed lies near the Canyon itself." He observed the twisted surroundings, a look of disgust was creasing his aging face. "I truly despite this place. Something about the land around here just isn't right. The sky here is always dark and foreboding, and lightning strikes all who fly across." As if it heard its cue, the sky flashed white along with a clap of thunder.

The dark-haired princess, forgetting about the stranger in their midst, felt a rush of excitement at these words; as if some childish part of her was yearning for adventure to make up for all the years kept inside the confines of the Northern Fortress. Though this was tempered by caution when the party came in sight of the Bottomless Canyon. That was when the full blast of its disturbing aura was felt, for the rocks looked like they had been scalded by the fires of Hell and the dark bottom truly looked like there was nothing to stop you from falling for eternity.

The princess gulped, which was noticed by the old veteran. He gave his liege a ruffle smile, which she returned with an embarrassed chuckle and a frivolous remark, saying: "Well, at least this is more exciting than sneaking around that fortress for the fortieth time."

Gunter laughed as he remembered those days where he and the servants would search for the mischiefs little royal. "That certainly puts things in perspective, milady." He chuckled for a bit more, before he went back to business by addressing the whole group. "We should all dismount here. The hanging bridges of the Canyon may not take the weight of the horses."

The party of six disembarked from their steeds, each gathering the tools of their trade from their saddles while Lilith began to tether them to a withered old tree. Jakob, after he had fitted himself with his knives, gave Emily a fresh bandana to replace the one she had been wearing up till now. She made sure to not put it on inside out, and after that she checked if her retractable sword was still functional. Felicia, meanwhile, was applying a magic summoning seal on a pair of healing staves that were now resting against a tree. She raised her hand and one of the staves flashed from the trunk to her palm in an instant, then she sent it back the same way without any problems. Hans, the stranger, was just standing silently with his giant, steel axe; whilst Gunter was sheathing a sword and strapping his own axe to his belt.

With her coat's hood raised, Emily walked in front of the group to address her fellow Nohrians. "Okay, everyone," she begun in a clear voice; despite the howling winds that blew through the Canyon behind her. "Our mission is simple and shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. We need to inspect an abandoned fort to see if it is still useable. Lilith, Felicia, I want you both to look after the horses while the rest of us cross the Canyon. Once we've reached the other side, we'll send Jakob back to confirm our safety. If he doesn't come back within ten minutes of our departure, I want you to get out of here to get reinforcements." The two maids nodded, secretly hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

"I presume that you want me to return to your side after that, Lady Emily?" Inquired the butler calmly.

"Yes, because if you don't we will assume that someone has attacked you." Even though she suggested danger, the only thing she was worried about was the bald man that was coming with her. She turned around and began to walk to the Canyon, whilst giving a parting greeting: "See you two in an hour or so."

Gunter, with a hand on his sword's handle, followed his liege first. Hans was next and Jakob fell into line behind the Barbarian. Together, they walked along the cliffs of the creepy canyon until they found the large, creaky rope bridge that hung above the bottomless drop. The princess did not hesitate as she stepped onto the panels of wood and began to walk upon them in a slow, cautious manner. It didn't shake as violently as you would imagine, even when four adults were making their way across it.

As they reached a tall, thin plateau that stood in the middle of the canyon; Emily managed to spy the fortress that they had come to inspect. Her first observation was that its architecture didn't look Nohrian. It had multiple roofs that hung over the ground instead of it being confined on the wall that supported it. No, not just walls but red pillar as well. And Nohr did not paint pillars nor did they use them in the construction of forts.

The alarm bells were ringing in the Princess' head. She gestured for her allies to stop with her right hand, while she raised her mark hand to use a spell. Her eyes' irises sharpened as most of the color she could see drained away. This 'Dark Vision' now allowed her to see certain things through solid surfaces that were highlighted in yellow. Like the people who were inhabiting the 'abandoned fort' and the person who was bearing down on their position.

Running past the dead trees that stuck out of the plateau was a Hoshidan samurai, who's sword was raised in anticipation for combat. "Do not advance any farther, soldiers of Nohr!" Barked the warrior.

While Emily placed a hand on her sword, Ganglari, she began to count the enemy soldiers that had crawled out of the wood work. She counted twelve men in total, six of them were archers and the one who led them was dressed up like a ninja. That man was standing by the fort and on the edge of the canyon, addressing Emily's party in a threatening tone. "I am Omozu, border guard of Hoshido! Crossing that bridge is a violation of our border treaty! Turn back at once, or we'll be forced to attack!"

The dark-haired princess could not describe how confused she was at this news. She turned to Gunter, whispering: "This is the right fort, right?"

"If Iago's directions are to be believed," responded the veteran, mutedly. "I am quite sure we followed his directions perfectly."

"But look at that fort. That is clearly a Hoshidan building. And why would Father send me to a fort over the border, when he must know of the treaty?"

Jakob, who had moved to his mistress' side, tapped her gently as he queried: "What is the plan, Lady Emily."

"The plan is to scarper," replied the princess. "We aren't here to fight. We'll report this back to the King before things gets messy."

"A wise decision, Lady Emily." complemented Gunter.

"Who asked you, old man?!"

Before anyone could respond, Hans had charged past them with his axe raised; laughing maniacally. "Die, scumbags." The samurai, despite having been battle ready, could do nothing as the bald man swung his weapon with the speed of lightening. Blood splattered over the grounds of the plateau as the severed head of the samurai fell into the Bottomless Canyon.

Omozu roared in anger. "You will pay for this!" He then gestured his remaining men, signaling them to prepare for battle. "Soldiers of Hoshido, hear me! Do not leave a single Nohrian alive!"

Hans kicked aside the corpse of his fallen enemy, his mismatched eyes gleaming with glee as he turned them to the small fort that was positioned at the end of the bridge. His joy was robbed from him, as Emily bashed the pommel of Ganglari into his bald chrome.

"What the fuck are you playing at, Hans!" Yelled the princess. "I said we weren't going to attack, you pillock! We were not sent here to kill people!"

"Speak for yourself, weakling."

Before the Princess could reply, she heard a familiar voice call for her and a set of noisy footsteps were shaking the bridge they had just crossed. She turned around for a second, seeing Lilith and Felicia—who was covered in blood—and in that time Hans began to bolt to the next bridge on the other side of the plateau.

"Oh no you don't!" Emily casted her time spell with a flick of her wrist. To her surprise, the bald man continued to run at normal speed; despite that the canyon had been drained of the little color that it did have. Seeing this, the princess decided to cast a more powerful spell. Her mark began to glow as shadows began to envelop her entire body, the same hand that had grabbed the sword away from Leo spouting from her shoulders. It lunged after Hans and managed to grab his leg. Surprised, the Berserker cried out in fear as he was dragged across the ground and then lifted into the air. He dangled in front of Emily, who was cloaked in shadow, before she swung his entire body at a nearby husk of a tree. It still stood when he collided into the wood, head first. The hand disappeared as the bald man slumped down the tree's side, unconscious.

The usage of this spell drained Emily of all her mana, meaning that time had returned to normal. She heard the brunet squeaking in surprise, a similar sentiment given by all of her allies at the sudden shift of Hans' state of consciousness. But before they could ask her what had happened, an arrow landed in the dead tree. Without the need for words, the five Nohrians began to move to safety. To their right was another bridge that lead to an adjacent plateau, which had another small fort that seemed empty.

The princess, after hoisting the unconscious Hans onto her shoulders, ran after her allies as the Hoshidan Archers continued to fire at their position. Being too far away, there was no chance of them hitting the Nohrians, however, when they reached the fort they found that it was locked. If that wasn't bad enough, it was positioned in front of another bridge in such a way that it was impossible to cross unless they could get through the locked door.

Fortunately, the Hoshidans didn't try to charge their position. Instead, samurai were now blocking the bridge they had crossed; waiting for the Nohrians to attack them for their only means of escape. Emily dropped Hans onto the floor, cursing his name at the top of her lungs. "What was this pillock thinking?! And how did he manage to resist my time spell?"

"He did what?"

"He wasn't effected when I slowed down time," explained the princess to her butler. "I had to use my Shadow Hand to knock him out." She looked down at the bald man, her mind churning like gears. "I thought only those with Dragon Blood could resist that spell."

"I suspect that he may have Dragon Blood, Lady Emily." Replied Gunter as he scowled at the treacherous Nohrian. "Garon gives it to soldiers who have sworn totally fealty to him."

"Never mind that," interrupted Felicia. "Lady Emily, we were attacked by Hoshidan ninjas! They tried to kill us and there were too many of them, so we had to abandon the horses. We couldn't get past them, so we came to you."

"Bastards!" Cursed the coat wearing royal. "They said we were breaking the treaty, but they had soldiers on our side of the border." She cast that thought from her mind, focusing on more important matters. "Are you two alright?"

Lilith nodded. "Felicia managed to save me from any injuries. But they destroyed most of our summon-able staves. We only have two left…" She placed them against the locked door, her face strained with distress.

The Princess looked at her subjects, realizing that they were in real danger. If they stayed where they were, ninjas would probably climb over the locked fort and attack them; allowing the samurai to attack their flank. If they charged the samurai, they would be set upon by arrows and shuriken from both directions.

Knowing that her life, and the life of her friends, depended on her actions chilled her to bone. The training she had done for so many years had not prepared her for the responsibility that now weighed on her. But the words of Xander and Gunter, her two battle mentors, filled her brain. She was a Princess of Nohr. She was the commander of her forces. She could do this.

With new found confidence, she turned and observed the battlefield. With her naked eye, she could see that the Hoshidan forces were concentrated on the Northside of this battlefield. There were only four near the fortress; two archers, a samurai and Omozu. A mischievous smile creased her bandana as a plan formed in her mind, for she could sense a dragon vein.

The two samurai who guarded the bridge observed the Nohrians, waiting for them to attack so that their archers could pick them off. They didn't move, not even when one of them—who wore a hooded coat—began to approach their general direction with her hands in the air. Only one of the warriors watched her, while the other one kept his eye on the rest.

Emily said nothing as she moved forward, her path taking her further to the right side of the plateau. She walked into range of the archers when she reached the edge, her hands still raised. They couldn't see the grin on her face, or the Dragon Vein that was under her feet. So, when a fireball suddenly flew from her hands, they were taken by surprise as it collided with their side of the canyon.

But before the ground itself began to shake, time slowed to a crawl for everyone in the world; except for Emily and the four Nohrians who were holding onto Hans. Without missing a step, the princess began to teleport to the south side of the plateau while her comrades carried the Berserker to the north. When they had reached the north dragon vein, the dark-haired royal activated another one in the south. She allowed time to return to normal, in order for her use of the veins to take effect. From both points, a bridge made of stone shot out of the canyon wall and connected the plateau to the Hoshidan's side of the border.

Omozu, while he and his troops tried to stay upright despite she sudden earthquake, gapped at the bridges that had popped out of nowhere. "Gods! Did you see what just happened to the cliffs! Who—" He was forced to pause as time stood still once again. The princess crossed the southern bride, after recharging her mana, while the rest of her group crossed the northern one. When they both reached the other side, she used about half of her magic to extend the spell. The last thing she saw was her allies passing the forest that was beside the fort, carrying the sleeping Hans as they approached the flank of the Hoshidan forces.

Emily, meanwhile, used her time to disarm the four Hoshidans; throwing their bows, katanas and shuriken into the canyon. As she prized the weapon from them, she temporally released them from her spell; but only for a moment. By the time the spell had run its course, she was in the position to throw the first punch at an unexpecting archer.

"—are we dealing with!? Hey!" Omozu was quick to realize that it was the hooded Nohrian who had just punched one of his allies. He reached for his weapon to discover that it was gone. The samurai did the same, though he was given a haymaker before he could defend himself. The ninja and the remaining archer fell in line and dropped into martial arts positions, while their enemy raised her fists into a boxing stance.

"Do you mind surrendering?" Asked the royal as she bounced on the tip of her toes. "I really didn't want to start this fight, but one of my officers disobeyed me. I'm sorry that he killed one of your people, but I can't guarantee that my forces will be able to spare the rest of your troops." As she said this, the sound of combat suddenly appeared from the north; and none of the cries of surprise were from her own people.

Omozu looked at the two samurai who had been guarding the bridge, who were glancing between the two fights that were unfolding before them. "Don't just stand there!" Roared the Hoshidan commander. "Get over her and help us kill this Nohrian scum!"

"Well shit." Sighed Emily. "Thought you Hoshidans were peace lovers. That said, you did break the border treaty first by sending ninjas into Hoshido. Might want to reconsider who's scum after I've knocked you unconscious." The ninja let out a battle cry as he and the archer charged at the princess; while the two samurai started to cross the wooden bridge.

Omozu unleashed a spinning kick that Emily easily ducked under. The archer followed up with a sidekick that forced the Nohrian to move back. She made it look like she was about to fall into the Bottomless Canyon. Instead, she teleported behind the two and grabbed the archer by the waist. She threw him away from the cliff side and onto the floor. Emily wasn't able to follow up with a quick kick, for Omozu unleashed another spinning kick that hit her left side.

She stumbled away, her fist still raised, and the ninja continued his assault. He threw a couple of jabs that Emily managed to parry by sharply tapping the blows away. The Hoshidan then feinted another strike, when in reality he wanted to grab the lapel of the Hoshidan's coat. The Princess spotted this and managed to grab her enemy's wrist. She pulled him closer, throwing him off balance, and smashed her head into his. Omozu cried out in pain, stunned by the intense blow, and couldn't prevent Emily from unleashing two uppercuts on his gut. He staggered back, blood trickling from his mouth, as he looked around for his comrade. Seeing that he was distracted, the princess landed a final right hook that knocked the Hoshidan commander out cold.

Emily took a deep, sharp breath as she let the adrenaline flow though her body. She looked around to find the last enemy, in time to see that a shuriken was flying towards her. The Princess managed to dodge the attack. She drew her blade, wincing as its boiled her blood, and looked in the direction the attack had come from.

A new group of Hoshidans were before her, along with the archer who was cowering behind them. There were two samurai, not the same ones from before, and two soldiers who were riding on white, flying horses known as Pegasus. Leading them was another ninja, who was giving off a fierce, fiery aura. He had red, slicked back hair and wore a black mask. He looked at Emily with his only eye, the other one was closed and had a scar across it.

"You're the leader of these troops?" Asked the ninja in a gruff, gravelly voice; who then let off a laugh as he sized Emily up. "You're a little girl."

"Real charmer, aren't you," retorted the Princess in a snarky tone; whilst her heart began to beat like a drum. "Got a name, handsome?"

"My name is Saizo. I've come to claim your life." His marked eye lid opened to reveal a white, sightless eye. In that instance, he almost disappeared into thin air; when in reality he was just moving at blinding speed. Emily, instinctively raised Ganglari, when—

"I won't allow it!"

The ninja was forced back, as a beam of red energy cut through the air in front of the Princess. Saizo, as he landed on his feet, looked to his left to see four Nohrians charging across the stone bridge; while one of them was flying over it on a wyvern. Leading this group was a blonde-haired man who was atop of an armored horse. "This must be their real commander," commented the ninja; as he could feel the authority that this man brought.

Emily, meanwhile, looked at the newcomers with jubilation in her eyes; particularly for the man who had stopped at her side. "Xander!" She cried, happily. "How did you know we were in trouble?!"

Before he could respond, the rest of her loving siblings joined her side. Leo, atop his horse with a tome and sword on his belt, was smirking at his older sister. "We've arrived just in time. Your luck never runs out, does it, Sister?"

"Are you alright dear?" Asked Camila as her mount hovered in the air. "I was so worried about you."

"We're all here for you, Emily!" Piped up Elise, who's pony had snuck into the space between her brother's steeds.

The sight of her family took away all of her worries. "Thank you, everyone." Her voice actually cracked as she said those words, but she did not care. That was until she noticed that Saizo, from the corner of her eye, was readying his blade. "Guys, great to see you and all, but we're still under attack!"

Her older sister did not seem troubled by this fact, for her eyes were closed like she was contemplating something. But when she spoke, it was with a tone she had not heard for three years. "Who dares to attack my beloved sister?! I'll have all their heads on a platter!"

"Camila, I'm fine," responded the princess in a slightly apprehensive tone.

"But, darling…" she replied; smiling wildly. "…it's the thought that counts!" At that moment, both her and Leo summoned tomes from their belts. The two samurai were bombarded by both branches and a torrent of hell fire, curtesy from the Dark Knight and the Malig Knight. The latter, after wounding the footmen, pulled out a steel axe as her wyvern darted through the air towards the Pegasus riders. Before they could respond, the heads of their steeds were chopped off in a gory display. Their creatures now headless, they dropped from the sky like bricks. One of the samurai, who had survived the branches that had punctured his skin, raised a hand in a bid for mercy from the purple-haired princess. This was promptly chopped off, much to the disgust of Emily.

"Fucking hell, Camila! Don't kill them!"

"Oh, all right," cooed Camila; whilst the samurai's friend tended to his bloody wound.

Elise trotted next to the dark-haired princess, seemingly unfazed by the display of brutality. "You've never seen our big sis on the battlefield, have you? I was shocked when I first saw her do something like that. She's usually much cleaner—Watch out!"

In that moment of hesitation, the archer had run past Camila and was charging at Xander; a katana pointed directly at the High Prince's stomach. The blonde only saw the attacker when Elise had pointed him out. With Siegfried in hand, he was more than equipped for this lowly soldier.

But Emily, from her position, saw that her brother was in mortal peril. Out of instinct, she teleported in front of the soldier and swung Ganglari though the air. The magical blade cut through his sword like paper. He barely had time to register what was happening before his head was rendered from his shoulders. His blood splattered over her coat, which caused the Princess to realize what she had done.

She had taken her first life.

It had been so easy. She didn't mean to do it, but it happened without it even crossing her mind. A person's existence, taken away by a single swing of blade.

Nausea took hold as her adrenaline died down. She placed a hand on her coat, the blood smearing off onto her fingers. Looking at the blood on her finger tips made Emily feel like she was about to vomit. Her nerves were so shot that she didn't notice that someone was shaking her shoulder. It was not until Gunter began to shout in her ear did she turn to the old veteran, her body shaking violently.

"Emily, we need to get moving! Hoshidan reinforcements are coming!"

She slowly nodded and began to move in the direction Gunter was pushing her. He kept her steady as they crossed the stone bridge she had made, Ganglari still in her hand. In fact, it was thanks to the boiling sensation under her skin that she managed to return her focus to their situation.

"W-where is Lilith? And the others?"

"They went on ahead, along with your siblings. Thanks to your plan, we managed to flank the rest of the enemy forces without any casualties."

That last word brought back the image of the headless corpse she had just made. The sickness returned just as they passed the tree and it came with a vengeance. Her hand clutched for the tree as she felt the saliva in her mouth build as the bile worked its way up her throat. The princess puked over the tree's trunk. The first wave left her shaky, but Gunter supported her as her stomach forced more sick out of her mouth.

The old veteran pulled out a vial from his belt, as the princess gasped and gaged as the third wave of bile passed. "This potion should stop the nausea. Here..." He pulled out the stopper and gently fed his concoction to his liege; who tried to stay as still as possible despite her shakiness. As the liquid slithered down her throat, all of her symptoms started to fade away; though nothing could instantly heal the guilt she still felt.

She soon stood up under her own strength, whilst spitting to rid the horrid taste from her mouth. She turned to her mentor, struggling to find the words to say…anything.

"Emily, I understand what you did was hard for you. Believe me, I do. But if we stay here, we could perish." He looked back at the Hoshidan fortress for a brief second, before turning back to his lady. "The others are waiting for us! I promised Xander that I would get you out of here safely."

In the same way his words had triggered her vomiting, Gunter name dropping her brother seemed to give Emily clarity. She had done that to save his life. It had to be done. She shook her head, punched her side and gave the veteran an expression of confidence and stability. Without a word, she followed him back onto the bridge that would led them to their friends.

As they ran, Gunter turned back his head to Emily; a gruff smile spread across his aged face. "Let's hope we never have to come to this place ever again." That was the last time she ever saw his face.

"Don't worry—you won't be around for much longer."

Gunter reacted the best he could to avoid the axe that bore down upon him. Despite his age and being at a disadvantage, he managed to back step safely onto one of the bridge's boards. Unfortunately, the axe that he avoided stuck the plank he had landed on and split it in two. He didn't scream as he fell through the bridge, as if the shock of it all had robbed him of his voice. If his lungs did manage to recover, it was too late to give his last words in anger or sorrow; for the darkness of the canyon swallowed him.

"NO! GUNTER!"

It couldn't be. This couldn't be real. She stepped away from the broken plank, the place where Gunter…

Was this a nightmare? The world around her was spinning, but it wasn't dissolving away into the mist that permeated the Void. Emily wanted the Outsider to appear, or any sign that this wasn't real. That Gunter wasn't…

"Aww, did I knock your babysitter into the ditch?"

The Princess became very aware of the cold air as she began to recognize the voice. The sky, which had been thundering all this time, let loose a lightning bolt that illuminated the bald scalp of Hans. His ugly face was twisted into a maniacal smile as he spun the axe he had used to kill Gunter in his hand. "Here…" he jeered. "…you can meet him at the bottom!"

He charged forward, laughing like a hyena, and raised his weapon above his head. He swung for the Princess' neck, who at that point hadn't moved a muscle.

The steel axe handle split in two, leaving Hans with the handle of a broken weapon. What caused this damage was due to Emily's right hand. Not her marked hand, but her previously unblemished right hand. Now, a silver, metallic liquid had formed around her hand to form a long, sharp blade. The steel axe had collided with the stationary silver blade, and now the head of Han's weapon had fallen into the canyon with Gunter.

That was all she could think about, her mentor…her dead mentor. And all she cared about was that his murderer was standing before her, unarmed and helpless. She didn't even react as she drew Ganglari with her left hand, her boiling blood paling in comparison of the fury that she felt. She didn't even care that the silver metal had crawled under her skin and had traveled up her arm; forming a horned mask that matched her monochrome armor. All she knew, at that moment, was that she wanted to make him suffer.

She jumped into the air and delivered a spinning, overhead slash to Han's left side; cutting into his armor to the point she drew blood. Landing on the boards, she then raised her right arm forward. The silver metal sprang forward and skewered Hans' his already bleeding left side; his scream of pain lost in the thunder that wrung through the Canyon. She moved forward away from the broken board, pushing the blade further in until her hand could have touched his gaping wound. With Ganglari still in hand, she crushed his nose with the pommel and retracted the silver metal from the wound. It left a smaller hole than you would think, but it still gushed the amount of blood that you would expect. As he staggered back, the silver grew a black metal as if formed into a giant, toothy mouth. The new jaw opened, revealing the same water that was used to skewer Rinkah and Kaze. This time, it was just a giant, turbulent ball of power that smacked Hans with the force of a tsunami.

He fell back onto the boards, howling with pain and misery, as the silver and black metal disappeared from Emily. Her rage was still present, but she had gained back some of her senses. "Why did you kill Gunter!" She roared, brandishing Ganglari at his throat. "Tell me! Or I'll cut you open, here and now!"

"Alright, alright!" He said in a muffled voice, as he held his bleeding nose. "I was order by King Garon to start a fight with the Hoshidans. And to kill you if you weren't captured by them!"

"What!?"

"That's all I know, I swear!"

Emily's mind was a maelstrom of anger and confusion; as that piece of information threw her grieving thoughts into a spiral of mixed, powerful emotions. She didn't notice when Ganglari started to vibrate in her hand, not until it suddenly shot upwards. Unlike Gunter, she screamed as the gift from Garon dragged her into the air.

And she continued to scream as the sword plummeted into the darkness; a sound heard by her family members that she will never see again.