Deadpool: Okay. Who here agrees that our main author here is an idiot? All in favour?

Goodralisk: Come on, DP, no one is going to-

Tychon: Aye.

Lancer: Aye.

Goodralisk: What the hell guys?

Tychon: Let's be real here, it was kind of a stupid choice to change your pen name as far as you've come.

Goodralisk: How? I beg to differ, considering it'll definitely boost my views.

Lancer: Well, yeah, but now you have to change your pen name in EVERY intro and outro you've done up til now.

Deadpool: Speaking of, why is it still Goodralisk above anyway? Change it.

Goodrali- I mean, The Fell Dragonite: I'll get to it when I get to it. Geez.

We own nothing.

"What happened now?" Lissa asked with an exasperated sigh, referring to the gash on my chest. Long since stopped its bleeding, she dabbed a cloth soaked with an alcoholic solution to keep it free of infectants. The familiar sting of medicinal treatment filled infirmary of the castle as I growled in slight discomfort. "We're not even at war, and yet you still somehow hurt yourself."

Wincing with the treatment, I breathed out a laugh. "Training happened. Silver lining: we got Olivia to be more effective in combat. She has her own sword style, just has to master it now."

"That's peachy," Lissa replied, starting up the bandage portion. "In the meantime-"

"Fuck!" I yelled as Lissa tightened the gauze coil on my body.

"Language, milord," Raven cut in, sitting on a nearby stool.

"-you could learn a thing or two about avoiding injury."

"Now where have I heard that before?" I sarcastically pondered, earning an eye roll from the princess.

"I swear, you can be more reckless than Chrom sometimes," she sighed.

"Five silver says I'm not," I joked, earning a laugh from the young cleric and the same from Raven, plus a shaken head. I put my shirt back on once she finished treating my wounds, and no later than that, the infirmary doors creaked open, and behind them was heiress of Themis, Maribelle.

"Hey, Maribelle!" the energetic princess greeted. "I thought you weren't coming for another hour!"

"Yes, well, the coach was quite generous and made it a rather swift…" The duchess finally made eye contact with me in the midst of her sentence, the duchess-to-be's eyes went from warm and welcoming to hard and unamused if I had to guess. "...trip."

Turning around to see what it was she had her gaze so dead set on, I saw nothing, only to meet the same gaze once I turned back. "What, is there something on my face?" I asked in mock ignorance, totally aware of Maribelle's opinion of me.

"Nothing, just shame," Maribelle retorted, earning a slight scowl from me and a snicker from Lissa.

"Mari Contrary, indeed," I said with a sigh, making Lissa let out a laugh and make Maribelle scowl more than I did. Taking my victory with a obligatory grin, I grabbed my things. "I know where I'm not wanted, so I guess that's my cue to leave. I got to start planning for the trip," I sighed. It wasn't even until a couple of seconds later I paled.

I was such an idiot. Not that it was specifically deemed classified, but it should've been clear that it wasn't news to be spread around. "What trip?" the duchess asked.

Okay, Eric. Think of a way out of this. I straightened out my back, coughing out a couple. "I'm… going to visit a friend in Chon'sin."

I mentally kicked myself, thinking that the plan was absolute bullcrap that she'd probably be able to see right through. Damn it.

"Enjoy your visit, then," Maribelle said. All I could do was blink in surprise.

'Roll with it,' I thought as I left the room with Raven behind by only a few paces, saying goodbye to the two women before they could question it.

The silence was tense between us two men sat down in thought watching one another; one behind a desk that stood in front of a window looking out towards the urban scenery of Ylisstol while the other sat in a chair facing the former, his leg propped up on the other as he pondered. Raven simply stood with his hands behind his back, dutifully waiting for even a single word to be said, an opinion to be voiced, only to receive a metronomic tapping of my finger on a fine wooden chair.

A small book was in the confines of Chrom's hand. "This Alice character is causing quite the commotion," he began, gesturing with said book, waving it around. "Turns out she's amassed mercenaries and bandits not only from Plegia, but from various areas in western Ylisse as well."

"Tell me something I didn't figure out on my own," I said, rubbing my temple. "Unspoken question from before, but.. How exactly do you get information like this? It's not exactly like Plegia's in the condition to cause said trouble to warrant anything."

"Right," Raven chimed in. "They've barely the men to even defend themselves should they be attacked, let alone try and assault Chon'sin."

"Well, our spies have confirmed otherwise." Chrom let out a sigh and placed the book on the wooden surface. "In fact, they've uncovered this book from the Plegian treasury shortly after the war's end. Seems like Gangrel wanted some serious muscle to win the war."

I took the book up from the desk and flipping through it, I immediately realized what it was. "Chrom… this is a bingo book."

He nodded gravely. "Yes. All criminals, missing men, or anyone gone AWOL really."

I continued to flip through before a certain page caught my eye. Raven's eyes widened when he took a look. "Milord… that couldn't be…!" Mid-way through the book sat a portrait of me, accompanied by an entire description.

Name: Eric Halcón del Pandora

Age: 17

Height: 5'11"-6'0"

Weight: 182 lbs

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair: Dark brown

Heir to the throne of Pandora. Said to be the Prince of War and the Black Beast, he wanders around the world wielding a blade of sinister violet and an aura that spells doom for any who stand in his way. He grins with pleasure where others would cower in fear, always relishing the prospect of a fight. Extremely dangerous, high rank A-low rank S

Bounty: 50,000 Gold, dead or alive

"Damn," I whistled. "Didn't think I'd see my face in one of these."

Chrom simply raised an eyebrow before Raven asked the question on the prince's mind. "What, pray tell, did you do so much that caused you to be worth 50,000 Gold? Majority of men aren't worth even a quarter of that at the most."

"I've...done a couple things, but nothing criminal, I promise you," I said, slightly nervous.

"What about stealing money from House Antillus?" Chrom jabbed.

"Gee, thanks, Chrom, throw me under the bus, why don't you?" I said, feeling myself shrink under Raven's glare. "And for your information, I took it from him not only to just screw with him, but to give to the people of Antira. Seriously, they were freaking starving and that sack of shit was just crapping all over them."

"Point taken. His greed for money made it hard for Emmeryn to sort out. Besides, from what I know, that bounty was made mostly for your safe return," Chrom supplied, which managed to subdue the wrathful glare of Raven. "But that's not it. If you're at your name, then what should be there for me to show you is a few pages down."

Acknowledging his statement, I flipped through it a few more pages to find it, the mission making more and more sense.

Name: Alicia Vega

Age: 24

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 138 lbs

Eye Colour: Blue

Hair: Blonde

The Succubus of the Altean Sea Coast, west of continent Ylisse. She is thought to be of lust incarnate, taking over the minds of man and using the human sexuality to her advantage, but don't let that fool oneself. Magical prowess is astronomically great, her magic has never allowed her to suffer any decisive injury. Extremely dangerous. High rank A

Bounty: 30,000 Gold, dead or alive

"I see what you mean though," I nodded. "And this was made a few years ago, so I could only imagine-"

"Actually, there are updated copies, ones that don't have you, nor her in it for some reason," Chrom mentioned. "I suppose Gangrel would have been hunted down by other nations had any of them found out that an international criminal had a high position in his armies."

"So he must've hid this so they couldn't update it. Makes sense sorta," I stated. "Still, it doesn't change the mission at all, does it?"

The prince shook his head. "No, but it's extra intel I thought might come handy. Dismissed."

"See ya later, Chrom."

After speaking with Chrom, Raven and I'd left the castle and realized the sun had nearly set over the horizon, the tall lampposts in the plaza lighting themselves up with flame. Walking home, I spoke to the swordsmaster about the details of the mission and how we could go about doing it during the casual stroll. We turned the corner into an alleyway leading to our house, and I immediately hear commotion. Raven and I continue to walk down the path as the voices grew louder. I peered down one of the branching alleyways to see Gaius surrounded by three burly guys, all of which were a head taller than him. "Probably drunks," I muttered to myself as I walked over to them. I didn't know entirely what they were saying, but I could make out a bit of the conversation.

"This should be interesting," Raven said to no one in particular.

"Listen, man. I don't want any trouble," the sweet-toothed thief said casually. "I'm not usually the violent type."

The guy in the middle, most likely the head of the three, cracked his knuckles. "Well, ya should'a thought o' that 'fore ya went 'n chatted with ma girl!" he said with slight slur, confirming that he was intoxicated. "I think it's a good time for me 'n me boys to teach ya a lesson."

"Don't you have to be a lot smarter to be a teacher?" I taunted with a smirk on my face. Gaius' expression went from subdued intimidation to one of cockiness. "Great timing, Terminator." I raise my eyebrows at him, acknowledging his statement.

This time, I cracked my knuckles. "I don't appreciate you trying to jump my friend. Do a better job and your "girl" wouldn't have to go and try to hook up with pale, scrawny sugar fiends."

"Yeah-Hey!"

"Now, how about you guys scurry on home before I waste your asses."

The thug leader looked at his friends, then shot a glare at me. "Ya can't be serious. Do ya have rocks fer brains?"

A grin of amusement plastered on my face, I walk straight up to him, looking him dead in the eye. "I don't know, can you lose weight? I guess we're both jumping to conclusions."

"Why, ya little-"

"Every time I hear you speak, it's like, "I'm so wasted!""Please beat me up!""Good Naga, these clothes make me look fat!" With a snarl of anger, he lunged at me and punched me in the face. It connected, though I stood in spot as if it did nothing, which was accurate.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know we were beginning," I said nonchalantly. "My turn." I took his fist and pushed it back, squeezing it as I did so, hearing multiple cracks and pops. The lead thug stepped back, clutching his wrist in agony.

Gaius takes the opportunity and sweeps one of the other guys' legs from beneath them, following up with an elbow to the chest, disabling him from fighting and making the fight two on two. Gaius plants his fist firmly in the drunk's stomach making the latter hunch over in pain, finishing it by kneeing him in the face.

The lead guy assaulted me with a fury of punches to the face, all of which I dodged. He put his hands together to swing them down on my head, but I sidestep it, spinning around him to kick him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

"Nice," Gaius chuckled.

He and I bumped fists. "What did you do this time?" I asked him.

He raised his hands in defence. "I didn't do anything, if anything, it was an honest mistake." Seeing me raise a brow incredulously, he continued. "I see this girl in the bar-and she was a total knockout. She and I are talking, we're hitting it off, and just when I'm about to kick things up-"

"Those guys show up and kill your boner. Yeah, I get it." I pat his shoulder. "Alright, I'm gonna go, see ya. And for the love of Naga, don't go looking for trouble."

"Ah, yes. Finally, a day off." I stretched my arms as I walked through the plaza square the next morning. "How long has it been since I had one?"

"I believe it wasn't necessarily a day off, more so disability leave."

"Raven…" I sighed. "This is your day off too, just enjoy it. I'll be fine on my own for at least a day."

I look around, there were so many shops and quaint little stalls around. At one of the floral stalls was a familiar dancer of pink hair, giving me a win-win. "Hey, why don't you spend some time with Olivia? I'm sure she'd love the company."

"I'm not entirely sure, milord," Raven sweatdropped. "She doesn't seem to wish to speak to me, all she does is blush and turn the other way."

"Don't worry about it, just go on!" I pat my knight on the back, which ultimately motivated him to walk the dancer's way. Finally, now on my own, I thought about what I was going to for the upcoming mission. It's not like this was something I could just go for and wing it.

"Well, one thing I am going to need is armour." I then realized from the time I left Pandora to the end of the Second Plegian War, I hadn't wore any sort of armour at all. "Something light, yet durable. Leather will do, I guess."

I enter the armoury nearby, seeing all the various weaponry and equipment of different material. Shrugging, I asked the blacksmith if he had any leather armour, to which he shook his head. "Well, kid, you're tough out of luck," he said. "I'm not expecting imports for that for a while. Although..." He went in the back room, then moments later, he brought out a cuirass of small iron plates laced together with a quarter-inch layer of leather behind it. "There is something better, we have is lamellar armour. Lightweight, though it can take its fair share of punishment. Is this what you wish to purchase?"

"I'll also take tassets and pauldrons of the same material," I added, taking out a pouch of gold. Taking out a handful of gold and silver coins, I swipe them across my palm, counting them out to the price.

"Wait a minute..." He exhaled, interrupting my count. "You're Eric Pandora, aren't you?"

"I am," I said hesitantly.

"No way…" he began. "You're... the war hero of the Second Plegian War himself?! The man who defeated Gangrel and saved us from doom?!"

"That be the one," I said to the man. Stimulated, the blacksmith rushed into the back room, and with a bit of clinging and clanging, brought out lamellar tassets and pauldrons to go with. "Here you go. Keep your money, just use the armour, that's all I ask!"

"I really can't just take-"

"To think my masterpieces will see real combat on the person of Eric Pandora...!"

He obviously wasn't listening to me. "I'm just going to assume it's twelve gold pieces, so, uh, here." I dropped the coins on the counter and left with the armour in tow.

After dropping off my purchases at home, I went to the Fish Barrel, the tavern I went to last time and met the guys and Sully, to get lunch. I got the roasted chicken with bread. For the most part, I was eating in peace at one of the tables outside, enjoying the fresh air and the relaxation of a day off. That is until I was approached by three women. 'Oh, good Lord, why is it always the women?' I lamented. Pretending that I didn't notice them, I continued eating until they spoke to me.

Narrator PoV

"Where is he?" The heiress of Themis was looking around for someone. She went to the castle to ask around, but without any luck. Lissa didn't know where he was, and Chrom said that he didn't have work today so she was a little more than stumped. She was having a hard time, until she heard a giggle that followed the voice of a certain deep voiced warrior. She turned towards the Fish Barrel to see Eric talking to the sisters of House Athenia. She scoffed in disappointment.

"-You must be so smart! And strong, too," the eldest sister purred, feeling his bicep. "Would you come to my rescue if I were captured by those dreadful Plegians?"

Maribelle looked like she was ready to throw up. 'Even he wouldn't fall for such words,' she internally huffed. Listening more closely, she heard his low, gentle laugh amongst the chatter of the townspeople. Though she wouldn't say it was so much gentle as it was uncomfortable. "Of course," he said. "It wouldn't be too good if Gangrel had women like you in his clutches." She saw him leave his seat, trying to scurry away. Or at least give himself some space. "Ladies, if you wouldn't mind."

Eric PoV

I bowed to the women leaving, finally relieved that I got out of there. I notice Maribelle beside one of the fruit stalls and against my better judgement, for some reason I walk up to her. "Well, hello there, Maribelle. What brings you here today?"

I bow to her slightly, which at least negated the frown she had initially. "I just decided to take a stroll through the plaza. Though since you're here, I suppose I can ask you of this one request."

"Go ahead."

"Tonight is the annual Summer Harvest dance and my father is hosting this year. It's a celebration for the nobility to dance and enjoy the plentiful harvest."

Easily, I put two and two together. "I take it that you wish for me to be your escort?"

"Not necessarily," she said. "It's simply that I figured you, one of nobility himself, would benefit from attending a function such as this."

"Alright, what bet did you lose?"

She turned her head in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"You have been totally repulsed by me ever since we met, and now you're inviting me to a party. So my only conclusion is that either you lost a bet, or you want to drag me under the bus."

"What?! That's preposterous!" she protested. "I wouldn't engage in such activities!"

I leaned my head forward. "Was it Lissa?"

The noblewoman simply shrunk in defeat. "...Yes."

"I don't even know what the details of that bet was and I don't care," I began, scratching my temple. "But if you don't want to go with me, then who is your date?"

Before she could say it, a certain rogue walked up to the two of us, sack of sugary goodies and all. I saw the sheer disappointment Maribelle had on her face as the man placed his arm on her shoulder. I could barely hold my composure to even speak my mind. "So… Type 2's your date?"

A tense silence was born before I burst out laughing, catching the attention of the other civilians around. I could barely keep my balance throughout my hysterical fit, the Themis native simply sighing in all of her lament.

"If you should know," Maribelle continued. "I did recommend you to my father to attend, so it would be a terrible move if you decided not to come."

That stopped my laughter real quick. Now she made it something I can't escape. I breathed out an annoyed sigh similar to her own. "Twist my arm, why don't you…"

"Your answer?"

"Fine." I raised my hand in front of me. "If I can at least get a date to come with me, THEN I'll go, how's that sound?"

Maribelle's face lit up slightly. "It sounds like we have a deal. I will send a coach to pick both you, your companion, and Virion at eight."

"Oh, right, Virion's a foreign noble. He's probably spent hours on his hair alone," I joked, earning a small inaudible snort from the noblewoman and a laugh from the thief. "I shall see you two tonight, then." I turn on my heel, making my way to the castle stables, then eventually one of the local tailors.

Narrator PoV

Once Eric left and they knew for sure he was out of earshot, Maribelle wrenched herself away from the redhead. "Ugh, that was abhorrent!"

"Hey, look on the bright side, he took the bait."

"Quiet, you!" she snapped. "Just because I tolerate you doesn't mean we're on good terms." She crossed her arms and turned away from Gaius. "Besides… I'm only doing this for her."

"Yeah… after everything that idiot's been oblivious to, she'll need all the help she can get."

One afternoon trek later, Eric made it to the west wing of the castle, where the cavalry stables were. On his right were many a wooden build of simple design, each having a gate and lock on the right hand side of the confining body of the stable. Many of the horses were either of a pristine white or a subtle brown, most likely the choices of steed for cavalrymen here in Ylisse.

Yawning lightly, it wasn't long before the one Eric had come here to find was in sight, she was currently tended to her white winged horse, a feed bag hanging from its head as she brushed the creature's form. "Hey, Cordelia," he said with a friendly smile, which caught her attention. She hadn't worn the same rigid steel armour she had before, instead opting for the leather clothing she always wore beneath it.

Her expression seemed to get brighter at those words of greeting, a smile graced her features. "Oh, hello, Eric," she replied cheerfully. "What brings you here? I thought it was your day off."

"Well, yeah, it is, though fate seems to have me glued here," he joked. "But for real though, there's something I came here to ask you."

"Ask away."

"Well…" Taking a slightly nervous breath, he scratched the back of his head, trying to find the words to use. "...see, Maribelle got me roped into going to this party for some Harvest Festival whatever."

"What, you want me to go disguised as you?" She asked with a laugh. "As good an actress I am, I don't think I could pull off a convincing you."

Amused, Eric raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you got jokes?" Answered by a small giggle, he pressed on. "Anyway, I made a deal with Maribelle that if I had someone to accompany me to this party, I would go. And, well… you were the first one I thought of going with."

The colour in Cordelia's face quickly became similar to her hair. "Wait… you're asking me out on a date?"

"More or less, I suppose." The young royal turned his head to the skyline, not even noticing Cordelia blushing profusely. Dense as rocks, he was, at least when it comes to himself. "Though I don't want you to feel obligated to do so, wouldn't want you to be caught between a rock and a hard place."

Cordelia, on the other hand, was too focused on her thoughts and the man in front of him to even give a thought out response. "You don't know the half of it…"

Fortunately, the Pandorian didn't hear her. "Hm?"

She caught herself out of her thoughts, shaking her head. "Um, what time is it?"

"Maribelle said eight, I think."

Cordelia hummed. "I mean, I could request early leave from Chrom, today is a fairly lenient day."

"So I take that as a yes?"

Once again, a light red tinted her porcelain features. "Yes, I will go with you."

"Great," Eric replied. "I'll meet with you at six before we head out to Themis. Maribelle is sending a coach for us."

"Okay," she nodded. "See you then." Turning on his heel, Eric left to go get himself ready, he only had five hours before getting his preparations done and he hadn't any time to waste. Cordelia did the last of her duties with haste before going to request early leave from her shift to prepare as well.

"This is perfect," both said to themselves.

Eric PoV

"I really don't understand why I got roped into this," I sighed, tugging at my cuffs as we walked down a cobblestone road to Cordelia's home, spying it a few houses down.

"Please try to make the best of it, milord," Raven replied. "This is experience for you, your first noble function, so please be on your best behaviour."

"Yes, Mother," I said sarcastically. Formal clothing was never my forte, but there wasn't any other choice.

I wore a long sleeved white collared shirt with a black bow tie, accompanying it with black dress pants that were slightly wider at the bottoms like my hakama and leather shoes to match. A leather belt adorned my waist as if it held everything together, but over it all was a beautiful silk robe of a deep orchid colour with blood red trim billowing in the wind, the Pandorian brand on the centre of the piece. Rather than leave my hair in it's natural state, I tied most of it back, leaving a single bang in front of my left eye as the rest fell behind in a Chon'sinese ponytail. In my hand, a cane.

Raven wore a lilac shirt with an upward collar, three thin violet streaks going down the midline. Unlike myself, he wore black hakama pants that widened out from the top to the bottom and a baby blue sash, holding Uramasa. He also wore a coat over his shoulders, although it was sleeveless and completely white, only entertaining my brand on the back and on the anterior of his shoulders.

"So this is Cordelia's place, huh?" I thought aloud before walking up to the door and using the ornament on it to knock. Standing behind me at the bottom of the stairs, Raven nodded to me, which gave me a little bit of a confidence boost. Unfortunately, it went out of the window when I saw the mountain of muscle open the door on the other side. He even dwarfed me, standing at 6'8" at a MINIMUM. His narrowed red eye matched my gaze and tried to fight it, the other was a mere glass orb meant as a replacement. If the broad scar over it said anything, it was that he was a retired war veteran.

"How can I help you?" the giant boomed in a voice that would make any other man tremble. But not me.

"Good evening to you, sir. My name is Eric Halcón del Pandora, pleased to meet you," I said with a bow. "I take it you are Cordelia's father?"

"Yes, though my name is Egil. So you're the one Cordelia speaks of so highly," he huffed, seeming disinterested. With a cock of his head over his shoulder, he called for the redhead. "Cordy, your boyfriend is here!"

"Eh?" I sweatdropped, processing the statement before a voice responded, stating that she had yet to finish up. Huffing once more, he invited both Raven and I inside the nice two-storey home, making me think that a soldier's salary isn't bad at all.

"Hawk."

I blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Hawk. Your name," he replied. "Halcón is Pandorian for hawk, isn't it?"

"Yes," I replied, equal parts respectful and embarrassed.

"Listen, just because you are of royal blood doesn't mean that your actions can be excusable in all circumstances," he said bluntly. "You will be no less than a gentleman with my Cordy, understand?"

"I hadn't planned otherwise."

"A simple "yes" would suffice," Egil sighed. It wasn't too long before we approached a tall door of dark oak, squares carved into the surface to give it depth. "Now, care to join me in my study? I have some things to discuss with you."

Closing my eyes in acceptance, I took a step closer before Egil lifted a hand. "Just you, Hawk. Your...retainer can wait outside."

"Fair enough. Raven, would you?" Raven accepted reluctantly, he followed through by giving a glance to tell him to be on guard.

Closing the door behind him after I entered, Egil took his seat behind his desk while I took a seat to face him. Our eyes met with unwavering might, tension and silence building between the two of us. He scratched his five o'clock shadow with a harrumph, exhaling deeply before he got his first few words out to me.

"Hawk…" he began. "Now that we are alone, I have something to say to you."

"What is it, sir?" The only answer I got was the man rising from his chair and moving around his desk, standing tall before me.

Only to clap both hands on my cheeks.

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you!"

"Huh?" I asked dumbfoundedly.

"This is amazing!" Egil laughed as he threw his hands up in the air.

"Can I please get some context?"

Egil finally seemed to register my words. "I've never seen my Cordy this happy in years! First with that prince she'd been bawling over, then her knight sisters being so mean to her, my baby's smiles had been so few and far between." Pausing, he ran a hand through his hair. "But ever since you came around, she's spoke about you every day, and she's never stopped smiling. Thank you for being the sunshine in my Cordy's life."

"Um, you're welcome, sir," I replied, though all I could think was 'What just happened?'

"Call me Egil," he jumped, making way back to his seat. "So where do you see yourself in the next few years with my daughter?"

Before I could say a word, fortunately, Raven opened the door. "Sorry, sir Egil, milord. Lady Cordelia is prepared. And in timely fashion to boot; the coach has arrived."

Egil lifted a hand. "Shall we?" We left the study to go back to the front door, and I swore that all thoughts or words were caught in my throat.

Her long red hair draped over her left shoulder in a magnificent braid, framing her perfect porcelain face that had nary a drop of makeup on. Red was definitely her favourite colour and she pulled it off amazingly, the dress she wore hugged her body before reaching below her waist, the bottom widening and reaching down to her ankles.

She looked absolutely breathtaking, literally had me breathless. All I could think was "Wow."

"You really clean up nicely," Cordelia told me. "I hope I wasn't too long."

"Actually, just in time, Lady Cordelia," Raven said before opening the front door to reveal the horse drawn wagon available for out transport. Meanwhile, like a stricken fool, I stood still in time before a firm hand pushed me from behind.

"Go on," Egil said. "The night isn't going to enjoy itself." With that little boost, I took Cordelia's arm in mine as I walked her towards the carriage, Raven following close behind.

It only took us an hour and a half to reach the heiress's place for the party, and once we got there, oh boy, did a Themis man introduce us well, more than I even expected. "Presenting to all, Lord Eric Halcón del Pandora and Lady Cordelia of the Ylissean Guard!" Walking into the well populated banquet hall, we made quite a scene as Cordelia walked on my left side while Raven stood on my right behind us, secretly soaking in all the attention we got as he took my cane, both Cordelia and I got our fair share of jealous glares as we walked out onto the dance floor, hearing numerous statements from the young noblewomen.

Ignoring them, I faced the woman in front of me, her eyes shining as she smiled lightly as I grasped her hand while placing the other above her hip. The first few notes flew through the air, and Cordelia and I were swept into another place, almost completely lost in the moment. The redhead twirling beneath my hand was a sight to behold; she was a vision that many men would dream to have.

A slight glance in the direction of the music's origin allowed me to see Raven speaking to the orchestra along with Duke Themis, and with a nod exchange with the swordsmaster, I was ready.

"Ahem!" Duke Themis called. "If I may, our wonderful guests from Pandora have a slice of their culture to show to us. If you may," he finished, gesturing to me.

"Do you know how to… flamenco?" I asked Cordelia.

"Hardly."

"Then follow my lead." I let out a cadence of two claps, cuing the music.

(RST: Gerudo Valley, Flamenco Mix(not that hard to find))

Deadpool: Man, what's with your boner for Gerudo Valley?

The Fell Dragonite: It's really good, shut up.

The first few notes of the guitar strung, and I was already beginning, quickly putting castanets before raising one arm skyward and another across my chest, clicking the instruments and stepping in rhythm to the intro. Taking this nonverbal cue, Cordelia spun around while waving her arms fluidly and deftly, as if she had cast a trance on someone.

We met our gazes finally, neither one of us missing a beat. I move around her form with smooth transition, twirling with grace as she spun her arms, writing imaginary words in the air of the most practiced cursive any penman could accomplish. I placed my hands on her hips as she swayed them with equal parts purity and seduction, before she turned around and pushed away from me, holding onto my arm to continue to the next part of the dance.

Clasping my hand in her own and placing my free one above her hip once more, we fall into a little bit of salsa dancing, her steps matching mine perfectly. Kicking things up a little more, I twirl her before extending her outward, then pulling her back in to lead her into a dip. Our faces were but mere inches away from one another, the heat in my face was growing fast, I was almost certain Cordelia could tell. I pulled her back up and turned her so that her arms draped over my shoulders from behind, her dainty hands in mine. Stepping in rhythm, our movements were in perfect sync before I twirled myself, letting go of her before she and I decided on the big finish. Leaping into my arms, I sent her up into the air and suspended her, eliciting many oohs from the crowd before launching her up into the air and catching her in her descent, finishing with one final dip as the music ended.

Applause filled the banquet hall as I escorted Cordelia from the floor to the buffet table and procured us two glasses of champagne for each of us. Once we found a seat, we struck up quite the conversation, after I praised her dancing, of course, sharing the tale of my month away from the Shepherds before fighting Gangrel. Before I could finish it, however, a man walked up to the table, and I immediately saw the disgust in Cordelia's eyes, and I didn't blame her, considering who it was.

"I thought I smelled wine and haughty derision," I said under my breath before meeting the man's gaze. He was only a few years older than myself, four or five at most, and from many a noblewoman, it's said he was quite the looker. "How may I help you, Nathaniel?"

"Ah, how you wound me, Eric," he replied in mock offence as he kissed Cordelia's hand in greeting, the latter disgusted, but not showing it. "I'm sure you know my title, or at least my full name."

"Yes, Nathaniel Antillus, how could I forget," I continued with a forged smile. "It's only been, what, three, maybe four years since I saw you last?" I still kept up my facade, noticing the other men of his coming closer ever so subtly. "But I digress. Any business you have with me? I assume you and your friends would like to discuss with me."

"MASTER Antillus to you, you uncultured swine," he spat, now sporting a scowl. "Now listen here. My family has played an important role in the workings of our nation's politics, we were even Lady Emmeryn's right hand! And you dare address me with such impudence?"

"Well, I would address you with the respect your title deserves had you actually deserved it," I continued without missing a beat. The music had long since stopped, and all eyes at this point were trained on us. "Outside of blood, you are by no means a Noble. You're not even a dog."

"And you would know about nobility?!" Antillus hissed. "I know of you! You were simply a wandering vagabond with little to your name before you just so happened to come upon Prince Chrom by luck!"

Cordelia was going to launch herself to fight him before I stopped her. Glancing at Raven, I see him leaning on a nearby pillar before he nodded to me, and I to him. "Is that all you know?" I stood up. "If that's the case then you know very little. Or did you just so happen to completely miss my name when the herald announced it?"

There was a brief, but tense silence in the hall before the Duke spoke up. "Lord Eric is a guest in my household and you will treat him with the respect he deserves!"

Nathaniel looked like he had seen a ghost. "Lord…?"

"That's right," I said in a low voice. "Or if I were to give you my full title; Lord Eric Halcón del Pandora, otherwise known as king and ruler of the nation by the same name. You don't know what I've gone through, you don't know what it is that made me who I am, but what you should know is that I've experienced more in a week than you've experienced in your entire pampered life. I've lost BOTH my parents in battle and found both their bodies at my feet. I was threatened with assassination and forced to live on my own from the time I was six, and have travelled every corner of the world constantly training to get where I am. And most importantly, I have NEVER used my position or title for means of power unlike you, Antillus," I spat that last part, making him wipe his face. "for personal gain. So if ANYBODY should be telling me about nobility… it sure as hell isn't you."

Applause slowly erupted from the crowd, much to Antillus' ire, before he had enough and shot me with a blast of fire. The crowd burst into screams at the figurative sucker punch, and before the guards could do anything, his men attacked from all sides. Cordelia, ready to stain her gloves red, ended up being held back by Raven, the redhead meeting one of Raven's few serious faces.

"You needn't worry," he said. "Milord wanted that to happen. Now the real show begins."

As I got up, I rolled out my neck slowly. "That fire spell was absolutely pathetic," I huffed. "Not even my clothes were damaged."

"I see," he said as we circled each other, I, more so lazily. "Well, then let's try a different tactic." Suddenly, he grabbed a small dagger from one of his thugs and held Cordelia hostage, the whole hall gasping in unison. "Now then, what will you do?"

While startled, Cordelia wasn't necessarily afraid. She must have saw the smirk on my face to know that I have the situation locked down. "One… two… ...seven."

Nathaniel tilted his head in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Including you, there are seven men. The average stabbing speed for a person is around six to eight kilometres an hour, and you have a distance of maybe a foot from Cordelia's neck and the tip of your blade. So that's roughly a tenth of a second that she has before her throat is cut."

"What are you doing?! Where is the fear?!"

"I'd like to make a bet with you, escoria," I began. "If I can stop you from stabbing her AND take out all of your thugs, then you let her go and you leave."

"And if you don't?"

The wolf finally bared his fangs. "You can fight me armed, however, I will be unarmed."

Nathaniel, as I expected, took the bait. "Alright then. I'll play along."

I flipped a coin, signifying that the landing of the silver metal would kick off the bet. Everyone watched with bated breath as the coin descended, until it clinked on the ground.

"Have at you!" Antillus' hand dropped into Cordelia's neck, the woman's head going limp. Screams of terror filled the hall before the redhead turned slowly towards her captor. "Gotcha!" she laughed.

Opening his hand, he saw that the dagger had vanished, and he was angry when he saw that it was in my hand. "What are you all doing?!" he yelled at his men. "Take him down!"

The thugs stood still before they all collapsed, much to the nobleman's horror. Casually, I punched out at my right, taking down the last one. "Oops, must have missed one." I brushed off my fist. "Guess you win then."

He simply pushed Cordelia away before grabbing his sword, taking his stance. "Here lies Eric Pandora, a washed up king who unfortunately was killed by bandits. Saddened by his death, Lady Cordelia would come to me in all of her grief, and she would find solace in my arms."

"You can try, but I doubt it will be easy."

Antillus ran at me with a cry, and swiped air once he missed the first strike. Crazed by the will to get my blood on his blade, he continuously missed, getting him angrier. "You know what they say. "If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him"."

"Die, you bastard!" he screamed one final time before stabbing once more, only to have his blade break at the contact of my hand. The limb began to buzz with electricity before Antillus realized his grave mistake.

"Look like you were trained well," I said before launching a magic-powered punch right into his gut. His form keeled over my arm as I whispered in his ear "...but you weren't trained good enough."

Antillus figure fell to the ground in a twitching heap, and once the guards got control again, many nobles praised me and thanked me, including Duke Themis. "Thank you for restoring order, milord. However, I am unable to continue the celebrations due to my guests being frightened."

"Not at all, Duke Themis," I replied. "We thought it'd be best to leave anyways. Thank you for your hospitality."

As we returned from the party, Cordelia and I took our steps up to her home. She flicked the braid from her face, letting it fall down her shoulder blades. "I really enjoyed myself tonight."

"Yes, because being a bargaining chip is definitely the textbook definition of fun," I joked, earning me a playful punch to the shoulder.

"You know what I mean," she giggled. The wind blew in our ears, the only sound that kept it from completely being silent.

"I hope you enjoy your night, Cherry." No later than when I finished that sentence, a pair of lips crashed against mine, her rosy lips carrying the taste of her namesake. It felt like an eternity had passed in those few seconds, but when we both pulled back, I saw Cordelia in a different light than before. I couldn't look at her for more than a second before I felt my face heat up instantly. Hoping she didn't see my face, I turned away, taking a deep breath. "Goodnight, Cherry."

"Goodnight, Eric." she said as she entered her home, leaving me and Raven to go home ourselves.

Tychon: Ooh, fluff? I approve!

FD: It took me a while to do this all but I got it done! I hope everyone enjoys. Fell Dragonite out!