Author's Note - I apologize that it took me this long to update today. This chapter lasted longer than expected. I still will try to update one more time today. As always, feel free to review if you notice inconsistencies, wish to see something in the future, or even just want to honestly review it! You're welcome to follow to keep up with my extremely random schedule of updates, if you would like. However, the fact that people are reading this is overwhelmingly great. It just makes me pretty happy, you know? Not quite sure how more people read the 4th chapter than the 3rd chapter, but hey. I'm not picky! - 1%
"Severa... I know, I only just returned. And I know, this must be a terrible blow dealt to you, believe me, I can barely get by as it is. But... I have to fight for what's important. I hope you can understand..." Cordelia took a deep breath, as she planned out what to say to her daughter. "Alright! No point in putting this off any longer!" She marched to her daughter's quarters in the castle, which had served as her own, and Vaike's in the rare occasion they were at Ylisstol. "Severa! Please, sweetie, open up the door! It's mother!"
The door burst open.
"Mother! I missed you!" A young Severa flew into the arms of her mother. "I mean... Um, Gawds, Mother, I thought you died on me or something! Where's dad?"
"Severa... Good to see you dear. Your father... Perhaps we should get out of this hallway, and talk about him in private?"
The smile on Severa's face disappeared almost instantaneously. "O-okay..." She led Cordelia into her room, and they sat down across from one another at a table. Cordelia had thought her daughter had been informed of Vaike's death by now, and found herself in a position she did not have any desire to be in.
"Severa... I suppose there's no point in holding anything back. Your father was killed in battle. As was Chrom. They were betrayed by Robin." Cordelia paused to let this sink in.
Severa said nothing at first. Then the tears began to flow freely. She still said nothing, waiting for her mother to either speak, or leave.
"I hate to do this to you, Severa. Especially right after you lose your father. But I must leave, again. I have to fight, for what's important. I pray you can forgive me."
"Of course I can." Severa's voice was thick with animosity and sarcasm. Cordelia was surprised that she was capable of such a tone, especially as she was a mere 8 years old. Her and Vaike had married late. "Why, I don't know anyone who would be incapable of forgiving you mother. Go fight for what's important now, why don't you? I'll just stay here, as I have been doing. Perhaps I'll twiddle my thumbs."
Cordelia didn't know how to respond, and after several moments, she stood, said goodbye to her daughter, and left the room. Shortly after she left, she heard the door slam shut behind her, and sounds of things breaking. She sighed. Her daughter had to learn to control her temper. As she was preparing to go back to the Shepherds' barracks to prepare, she what she thought was a rather thoughtful idea. Taking an envelope from the saddle bag of her pegasus (she had to be prepared for everything), she took the wedding ring off of her ring finger, and placed it in the envelope. Perhaps it would help Severa cope with the loss of Vaike, although it had done nothing of the sort to her. She handed it to one of the palace guards, instructing them to take it to Severa as soon as they could. Hearing crashing of increased sound come from Severa's quarters, the guard found themselves in an incredibly unlucky scenario. Cordelia couldn't care less about this, and flew back to the barracks, her conscience clear.
As Cordelia walked away from a difficult conversation, Lissa walked into one that could prove almost two times as draining. Before she could even consider putting it off, she went into the shared royal chambers belonging to the 12 year old Lucina, and the 8 year old Inigo. She found them both sitting at a table, engaged in casual conversation.
"Aunt Lissa!" Inigo leapt towards her as soon as she walked in. Lucina was trying to act more stoic, Lissa could tell, but she could tell that she was just as pleased to see her as her younger brother was. Lissa wondered how her own son would respond to seeing her.
"Well, I'm happy to see both of you children as well, but I'm afraid I have some fire news." She directed her attention towards Inigo. She loved her niece and nephew almost equally, but she knew that he was far more emotional than Lucina.
"Your mother and father are dead, tiny one." She spoke gently. Lissa watched as Inigo's face contorted.
"Who... What?" He asked. "No... No, It can't be true! I refuse to believe it." Lissa could tell by the look on his face that he already knew it was true. She was almost certain that there had been rumors since the moment the Shepherds returned to Ylisstol. Perhaps sooner. She did nothing to stop Inigo as he fled from the room.
'Everyone mourns differently.' She thought. The healer was proved right when she looked at her niece. Lucina was frozen in place. Her face looked far off, and distant. Her feet were planted in the ground. Lissa waited for a while, to see if Lucina would say anything. She didn't.
"Lucina. Oh, I am so sorry. This must be terrible. No, it is terrible. I've had to deal with it as well, and believe me, I'm still not over it. I doubt I ever will be."
"It is... quite alright, Aunt Lissa. I... knew that Mother and Father would die, sometime, from the moment I could speak... Thank you for your concern." Lucina walked across her shared room with Inigo, and went to the window, gazing listlessly at what had just become her kingdom. Despite her youth, Lissa thought she looked extremely old as she did so.
"Lucina!" She almost shouted. "You can't be serious! You have to let it out, hon.! If you keep these emotions, if you hide them, they will only build up. You have to let them out. To feel emotions is not a sign of weakness, Lucina. If anything, it is a sign of strength and compassion."
Lucina glanced at her. "Aunt Lissa. I simply cannot show my feelings. I apologize, but I find myself in an extremely difficult position at the moment. I would like to request privacy, if that is alright."
Lissa felt defeated. She knew then that she would never hold the legacy that both her siblings had held. If she couldn't convince a 12 year old girl to show her emotion, what good was she, as a princess.
"If that's what you'd like, dear..." The defeat was evident in her tone of voice. "Just please... Out of the love you held for your mother and father, grieve Lucina. It's so obvious that you are hiding it, repressing it, and I think that is a true sign of weakness. No one else will be in the room where it happens." Lissa opened the door.
"Wait."
She paused, halfway out of the room already. "Yes?" She answered, looking back at her niece. Lucina's eyes were trained fiercely on her aunt, her Brand extremely evident. Despite all recent events, Lissa felt a small pang of jealousy over her own Brand, which had never surfaced. She smiled internally at this.
"Aunt Lissa... You're right. I am simply not comfortable grieving in front of others. I pray you understand that." Lucina looked down as she spoke.
"Of course, Lucina. Is there anything at all I can do for you?"
"Aunt Lissa... I hate to ask this of you, but will you be my regent? Just until I come of age. The strength of my father and the compassion of Aunt Emmeryn are both embedded firmly within you."
"I have already made preparations Lucina. I had thought that I may have been the only eligible choice. Of course I will serve as your regent. Nothing would honor me more. Is there anything else I can do for you, dear?"
"Aunt Lissa... Could you stay? You're right. I do need to learn to open up to others. You're the closest thing I have to a parent now, I suppose. And I have to start somewhere."
Lissa closed the door, and went back up to her niece. "Of course. I'm happy that you even feel ready to open up at all. You are your father's daughter. And I know that he was proud. Up until the very end."
Donnel was scared. No, he was terrified. After bringing up the missing Fire Emblem and Falchion to Frederick, he had placed him in charge of a small group tasked with getting them back. Frederick had allowed him to take 2 of his fellow Shepherds with him on the task, and he had chosen Sumia and Gaius. It seemed obvious enough for him, with Sumia to fly around and locate the items, and Gaius to steal them, but he felt that Frederick had been disappointed with his choices. He always was, or so it seemed to Donnel. They had been in such a rush to leave, none of the three had any time to meet with their children before they left, which left its obvious mark on each of them.
They were still within sight of Ylisstol when Donnel knew that something was amiss. They were about to enter a forest they had passed through on the return journey, but something seemed extremely wrong to him. Sumia was currently flying in search of information, but Gaius was with him.
"Hold up." Donnel said.
"Something wrong, farmboy?" Gaius asked around the lollipop in his mouth.
"Something ain't right... Hold up just a moment, let's see if I can place it."
As Donnel finished talking, 3 things happened at the exact same time. The first, Donnel noticed Kellam's body, which was surprisingly good at blending in, even though he was dead, and now headless (the Fire Emblem, and Falchion were gone.) The second, an arrow flew from the woods, and hit either Sumia or her pegasus. Neither Gaius or Donnel were looking as the arrow hit it's mark, but both the beast and the rider plummeted towards Earth. And the third, an enormous army of Risen emerged from the woods. Donny didn't know it, but it was the same group that had killed Kellam, and it's numbers had only grown since then.
"Well, damn. I'll be a son of a bitch." Gaius drew his sword. Donnel hadn't ever seen anyone so grim. "Farmboy, run. Someone needs to warn Lissa. Ylisstol can't be hit unaware. This would kill them. Literally."
"I ain't seein' why I 'ave to be the one to live!" Donny tried to sound brave, but he failed. He had grown to be one of the Shepherds best fighters, rivaling Frederick and Chrom. But they were so badly outnumbered in such an open place, they didn't have a chance. Donny didn't want to die.
Gaius chuckled. "Farmboy, if you don't go, everyone dies. Game over. Grima wins. I can't have that. So go! I'll hold them as long as I can!" To keep Donny from idling around any longer, Gaius charged towards the army. Donny watched in horror, but turned away before Gaius met the Risen. He ran back Ylisstol as fast as he could.
Gaius' efforts were noble, but in vain. Seeking to hold all the Risen, they merely parted around him, chasing Donny, who did have a considerable head start on them, as well as not being held back by armor. Gaius was confident he would make it. He decided to start swinging at the Risen as they went by, and this did take out a few of them. But only a few. The leader emerged, seemingly out of no where, and brandished his axe. Gaius wasn't sure, but to him almost looked like it was smiling. Screaming, he charged the Risen, who blocked his blow with ease. However, when the Risen tried to counter, Gaius was prepared, and with a well timed party and deflection, was able to disarm his opponent. Grinning, he thrust his sword through the chest of th undead , creature. He held it there, waiting for the monster to vaporize. By the time he realized it wasn't going to, it was too late. The Risen grabbed Gaius by the throat with a single hand, and lifted him off the ground with ease. Gaius clawed and hit at the arm that was squeezing life from him, but it was of no use. After a while, the blows became less and less fierce, until they altogether ceased. Gaius' arms hung limply at his sides. He was dead, his life squeezed out prematurely by an enemy that seemed unbeatable.