Author's note: Poor Xander. I think I have stressed him out even more than usual in this chapter. At this point, he can't even decide whether Corrin should marry Niles or not. (Which is the lesser of the two evils?) He might just decide to send Corrin to Hoshido to keep her away from Niles. What a fun way to end the war!

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fire Emblem.

Chapter seven: Panic

Xander was waiting in his room for Camilla to return from her "chore". He had been pacing for a while, but had been suddenly struck by the idea that such an action was unbefitting a noble man. He had quickly sat down. As the seconds passed, turning into minutes, turning into one hour, now two, Xander's posture melted with the time-keeping candles. He briefly considered whether slouching was also appropriate for a nobleman, but he could not muster up enough enthusiasm to care.

During this long period of expectation, Xander dwelled and dreaded over Corrin and Niles' engagement. This talk is the final nail in the coffin. If Corrin doesn't become a nun after Camilla's "explanation", and Niles doesn't turn tail and run… Then I suppose they really are to be married.

Xander sighed and put a hand on his chest. His brotherly heart was aching.

I am glad Corrin has fallen in love… I think. Xander tried to convince himself it was so. Yes, yes — of course I am! But, Niles…! Niles is ah, trustworthy (to an extent). He is protective (of certain people). He would never jeopardize his friendship with Leo for some fling (probably).

It was no good. For every memory of a good deed Niles had done, Xander's mind could present one or two or three other instances that proved how unpredictable Niles' ethics were.

Xander picked up one of the sofa's cushions and began to beat his head against its plush sides. He didn't want to think about Niles anymore, but every time he closed his eyes, there was Niles! Every thought he had concerned Niles. Would he never leave Xander alone!

Then, as soft and sudden as a gust of wind, a new thought blew through the corridor of Xander's one-track mind. It whispered, not in the gentle voice of the breeze conversing with the trees; but harshly, gratingly, such as when a busy blast of air smacks a creaky gate that stands in its way. And it said, "What will Father say?"

Despite the dark tone, Xander found himself laughing. Father! How obvious! Why, King Garon would never approve of his daughter marrying a lowly retainer from the streets. Blood or no blood, Niles was certainly not the sort of man whom Garon would entrust Corrin to.

Father will never approve. Xander said, nodding his head. I am sorry for Corrin — and Niles, too — I'm sure it will be a great disappointment to them. But they shall overcome it, I'm certain. They haven't known each other for very long, it is not as though theirs is a great romance. It seems to me more like a hasty infatuation that needs only a firm hand to correct it. Let Father raise that hand — I shan't get in the middle of it.

Xander felt as peaceful now as though the engagement had been officially called off. Indeed, he wondered how far it would continue to run — run, he was sure, in the face of inevitable demise. He thought about speaking to either Niles or Corrin about ending it all now rather than going through the danger of upsetting Father.

Danger… Danger indeed. Xander thought, feeling suddenly grave. Caught at the wrong time, with the wrong company by his side, Father might go so far as to punish Niles for even daring to ask for Corrin's hand. And if Corrin is there, she will certainly fight Father on it, which will only push him to make Niles' punishment that much worse. He'll kill him! Perhaps he'll kill them both!

Xander shivered and stood, trying to escape from his dream. But the cold feeling would not immediately release him.

He began to pace again. "I must speak to Camilla…" he said aloud, too afraid for the moment to return to the privateness of his own mind. "I must speak to her about this… Once she has spoken to Corrin, we can build a strategy of procedure. Yes, then all will be well. Together, we can convince Niles and Corrin to break off their engagement."

Soon, there was the much anticipated knock at the door. Xander exclaimed for Camilla to enter. She did so, and Xander was immediately riled by her dark expression.

"What in heaven happened!" he shouted. "You were gone for hours. Did something go wrong? Did you find out… something?" Xander steeled himself.

Camilla looked at Xander with doleful eyes. She sighed. She flopped down on the sofa, the only comfortable chair in the room, sprawling out in such a way that there was no place for her brother. Then she sighed again.

"Camilla!" Xander shouted.

She looked up at him slowly. "Oh, my dear sweet brother… I am in such great pain."

Xander's heart slipped and fell down an entire flight of figurative stairs. "Good gods, no!" he said, half-screaming, half-pleading. "He did not… He did! He seduced our innocent sister! I'll have his other eye out, the damn weasel! When Father hears of this, he shall have the serpent's heart dug out and made into a center piece in the dining room!"

Camilla stared, annoyed, at Xander. "What are you going on about? You think…? Oh Xander! How dirty your mind is, and how quick to jump to such awful conclusions!"

"… Oh." Xander's pale cheeks gained a tinge of pink. "Then, he didn't… you know?"

"No, dear brother, Niles did not 'do' anything to our darling Corrin. She is as pure and innocent today as the day she was brought to us!"

Xander sighed heavily with relief, and even mustered up a slight smile. "Thank the gods! Now I won't have to see Niles turned into an eunuch. But, then, what is so distressing? Didn't your talk dissuade Corrin from the, ah… ahem?"

Camilla sunk deeper into the sofa, moaning with some deep distress. "Xander, I have lost our sister! I am no longer necessary in her world! She does not need my love, my caresses — she has found such nurturing elsewhere!"

"Camilla," Xander said, taking his sister's hand, "that is not true. You shall always be necessary to Corrin. We all shall. Just because she loves and imagines herself marrying Niles does not mean that we shall become obsolete to her."

Camilla stared at Xander. "Wow. I wasn't not even speaking of Corrin; but thank you for pointing all that out for me and doubling my depression."

"What? But, I thought…"

"It's Azura!" Camilla burst out, and daintily dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "I entered Corrin's room with a perfect plan to explain everything to her and Azura. But first Elise interrupted my delicate composure with such a horrid rant! I did try and push on, but then Azura also interrupted and exclaimed that she didn't need my advice, for her Hoshidan 'mother' had already prepared her!"

Camilla sniffed loudly. But Xander did not feel any compassion nor empathy at that moment.

"So did you speak to Corrin?" he asked.

Camilla looked as though Xander had struck her. "After such a blow to my gentle heart, you still wished me to speak with Corrin? Xander, how could you! You're as unfeeling as Azura!"

"I'm sorry, Camilla." Xander said, bowing his head shamefully. "… But do you think it's possible Azura spoke with Corrin?"

Camilla smacked Xander on the head with a pillow. "How could you wound me so cruelly when I'm already dying of distress! I'm obsolete to sweet Azura, and now you want to take my darling Corrin from me as well? I shall be the one to speak with her! It's my job! Mine!" Camilla cracked the pillow again over her brother's head.

Xander caught the soft weapon in his fists and turned his fuming face on Camilla. "Why haven't you done it, then! Every moment you waste is an opportunity for that beast!"

"I have lost my composure! I need time to recover from my depression!"

"Shall that be before or after Corrin's pregnant?"

"Oh Xander—!"

A knock at the door interrupted their squabble. Xander released the pillow and Camilla silently returned it to the couch. After straighten themselves up, Xander called to his visitor, "Come in."

Azura slipped inside. "I am sorry to disturb you, Xander, but I must speak to you about— Camilla!" Azura's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my. I did not know you were here."

"Yes. I must apologize. I can leave if I'm not welcome." Camilla sniffed. She would not meet Azura's gaze.

"No, please do not leave. I only came here to ask Xander to help me earn your forgiveness. But, I see now that that is a cowardly tactic. Please, Camilla, forgive me — I did not mean to hurt your feelings."

Xander sighed. "Just forgive her, Camilla. She's obviously as distressed by what happened as you are."

Camilla gave her brother a hard stare. "Of course I was going to forgive her! Dear Azura," she turned to smile at her sister, "I know it's not your fault that you were kept from me for so long. Now that we're together, let's not let waste even a second by being angry!" Camilla grabbed Azura and crushed her in one of Camilla's infamous hugs. Azura's small body struggled and wiggled in her elder sister's iron grip; when Camilla finally let go, Azura's cheeks were pink and she was panting heavily.

"Yes… Well…" Azura said breathlessly. "I'm so glad we have made up. But I'm afraid there is still the question of what to say to Corrin."

Xander grimaced. "Then you haven't spoken to her?"

"I would never presume to do so." said Azura.

"As I said," said Camilla, "it is my duty as the eldest sister to enlighten my baby sister, and I shall do it."

"But when?" demanded Xander.

At this moment, there was another knock at the door. Camilla huffed and rolled her eyes. "Will these interruptions never end? They're wrecking havoc with my nerves…"

Xander sighed. "Come in."

Leo strode into the room, followed quickly by a bouncing Elise. Leo greeted everyone with a polite nod, then focused his attention on Camilla. "Is it done? Is it over?"

"Wait," said Xander, "are you referring to what I think you are? How do you even know about that?"

"Elise filled me in." Leo said. He was blushing again. "And I take severe offense at being the only one excluded from this phase of the plan."

"Plan?" repeated Azura curiously.

"Uh-huh!" said Elise with a smile. "The plan to see Corrin and Niles happily and properly married! First, we tested their love by pretending to be totally opposed to the idea!" She paused to giggle. "Since they passed that part, now we're making sure that all the proper procedures are followed, so we don't have to see Niles hanging off a wall at Krakenburg."

Leo gaped at Elise. Camilla shrugged her shoulders and sighed. Xander was absolutely exasperated.

"Elise," Xander said heavily, "first of all, that is not our plan. Second of all, we never 'pretended' nor 'tested' anything — we honestly object to this marriage! And third of all, I hereby revoke all your reading privileges until that dark mind of yours is corrected! 'Hanging off a wall'… From now on, if you want to read, Azura must first approve the book!"

The two girls looked at each other. Elise whined, "That's not fair! She'll have me reading fairytales every night. I want to read about real stuff!"

"The things you've been spouting aren't real," scoffed Leo. "They're overly dramatic and scandalous tales, and not one of them has even the slightest bit of substance or fact!"

"That's not true!"

"The heroine is named Crow. Who would name their daughter after a carnivorous bird?"

"You just don't understand!" exclaimed Elise. "You're an unromantic boar!"

"That's not romance!" shouted Leo. "You said yourself that he only pretended to love her so that he could murder her family and become king."

"Yeah, well…" Elise was obviously losing steam. "He sort of realized he loved her at least a little when he was dying after their son killed him!"

"Well that makes it all better! Sounds like a perfect couple to emulate."

"Block-head!"

"Ignoramus!"

"Jerk!"

"Reader of smut!"

"Bachelor!"

There was another knock at the door. "Oh go away!" Xander roared. His siblings all stared at him; Xander slapped his own forehead, feeling flustered and embarrassed. "I mean, come in!"

There was a slight hesitation, and then Niles entered the room. Leo and Elise's argument ceased; Camilla glared; Azura wrung her fingers; Xander stiffened. Niles looked slowly from one sibling to another. Then the familiar grin broke out on his face. "Is this about me?" he asked. He looked at their cold faces. "Yeah, it's about me. I'm flattered!"

"I wouldn't be," warned Camilla, her tone lighter than her expression, "you don't know what we've been saying."

"I haven't come to eavesdrop, anyway," said Niles. "Lord Xander said he wished to speak to me in private; I thought now was as good a time as any, so I came over."

"In that case…" Azura said, inching towards the door, "perhaps we had all better leave now…"

"Not on my account," said Niles, "I'm sure what Lord Xander has to say won't surprise any of you. And maybe he could use some help punishing naughty me."

Xander clenched his fists. Why does this man always get to me? he thought.

"Everyone, please leave," Xander said with more calmness than he felt. "I do want to speak to Niles alone. And Camilla, I don't want to step on your toes, but I think I must speak to Corrin myself."

Leo gasped loudly; Xander stopped Camilla before she could express her own opinion. "I know, it's not traditional," Xander continued, "but this thing has dragged on long enough, and as the eldest, it is my own duty to see that it is closed officially and efficiently. Now please, go."

Slowly, with some reservation on everyone's part, the Nohrian royals filed out of the room. Elise had to be dragged out by Leo and Azura, all while kicking and screaming to stay. "Let me hear! I'll be quiet! Xander's gonna give her the talk — I need to see that! He's gonna tell Niles! I know he is! I'll be good! I wanna staaay…!"

Xander closed the door in Elise's face. Then he turned to Niles. They stared at each other for a few moments, sizing one another up. Xander knew what was coming — a verbal spar, where their tongues would be the weapons and Corrin the prize. How sharp their blades would be, how deep the wounds inflicted, and just what would happen if the victor was not Xander was all unknown. And Xander hated not knowing.

"Niles, shall we sit down?"