Four months after the war, Alex was enlisted as Grandmaster to Prince Chrom as he worked his best to ensure everything was in order. His arrival to Ylisstol was coupled with the marriage of Sumia and Chrom which was quite a spectacle to behold before his enroll.
Even that was actually handled by Fredrick as Chrom had taken his new wife somewhere private, leaving Alex to tend to the work before the royal couple returned, glowing from the short time away and often making small excuses to get together once more.
Things, however, did get on a rough start as Alex had posted forth a basic manifest for a small gathering of Plegian soldiers to fight with Ylissian forces, nearly causing an uproar within the council when he had explained that, though the tensions were still high, several Plegians had turned their back on Gangrel around Emm's martyr act and have openly been working to regain order as best as they can, the best that Ylisse could possibly do was form a similar organization like the Shepherds for the Plegians to use as to see and defend.
Though the initial consent was never, a number of individuals on the council started to panic greatly as slips of word roamed into the room, the Risen were still out and about and they were not just in Ylisse or Ferox anymore, attacking Plegian villages and towns in small groups but the main problem was that the Plegians were not in control, that they were just as victim as anyone else. Against the overwhelming power, they accepted Alex's request with the requirement of someone trust-worthy be placed in command and under the Grandmaster's command.
Alex had sorted through the ample candidates to find a good one to set under him, but also not lost of mind as some, from scout reports, were now unhinged with both loss of king and Risen attacks. He shook his head as he pushed the first set aside and picked up the next. 'Needs to be someone who can keep a able head, is able to rally, and who can show that they care about the nations...' Deciding to head out with his new forms, Alex stood up in his new coat and went out the door, closing it and locking it before moving on to wander.
Through the halls and open ways, Alex felt the sun shine on his soul as he took in everyone, taking note of Fredrick, Sully, and Stahl working to train the new cavalier into the reigns in the distance while closer in were the archers being trained by a Ylissian Sniper as Virion had up and disappeared from the Shepherds, leaving little behind to give a heading.
This didn't stop, however, as the clergy grew with the aid of Libra and several surprise visits of Lissa while those able to wield a sword, axe, or lance were given training to both refine and teach in Fredrick's spare time, even Donnel was picking up new tricks. The Pegasus knights have not recovered quite yet though and there was little to amounts to mages in the Halidom, but with Cordelia and Ricken working on it, there was sure to be something to work with in the end.
What surprised him though was Gaius and Maribelle together, Maribelle hanging onto a cleaned-up Gaius as they were heading off somewhere else. This was strange for him as he was sure that Maribelle has had a direct grudge at the Thief, ready to bash him at any chance she could get, but now it was lovey-dovey with the pair.
He looked over the training ground to find a specific person, but she was nowhere to be seen, leaving him to question her whereabouts. "Where in Ylisse is Tharja, Fredrick used something to get her to train with the rest, but she isn't here..."
"She in the barracks kitchen, sir." Alex jumped as he spun around in a panic searching for the source, finding nothing before calming down and looking again, spotting the massive suit of knight armor standing a few feet from the archway, the source of the voice coming from under a helmet of like material which nearly threw him off.
But Alex knew him well, the 'ghost of the Shepherds. "Kellam, how long were you following me?"
"When you were passing the trio of servants, just barely out of your office." The Grandmaster nodded as the knight removed the helm, revealing a gentle giant of honest intention. "Like I said, she went to the kitchen, whizzing past me with such speed before closed the door shut on me, without even knowing... I was there."
"Very well, I'll see what she's up to, you get back to training and... keep an eye out for Vaike, I am tempted to believe he is drinking himself down."
"You want to...?"
Alex shook his head as he headed out. "No, just keep an eye open for him, he is bound to get into trouble." The knight nodded as he placed the helmet back on and headed out, the Grandmaster heading for the kitchen to see if Tharja is doing something abnormal to the Shepherds' food stocks...
The door yielded no resistance as Alex stepped on in, searching for the elusive dark mage and the only signs of life would be the smell of food being cooked. 'What could she be doing to our stock for her to be cooking something?' Footsteps soon started to come out of the kitchen as the sounds settled and Alex opened his mouth as he stood up. "Tharja, what are..." Anymore stopped as he turned to find Tharja... different in a big part.
Though her hairpiece and heels remained, she was now wearing a bright yellow sundress underneath the apron, no cloak to hide her figure as she was ACTUALLY wearing a smile, not a smirk like her casting hexes, a genuine curve in her lips that threw Alex further with Tharja's words. "Why good day, Alex!" Though Alex's body wanted to leave his place, he couldn't or wouldn't as she moved closer with a pie in hand, setting it down as she took a seat next to him. "How fare you? Enjoying this weather?"
Too stunned to deny the words, the tactician decided to asked the obvious question as he looked down to her. "...Tharja? What are you doing?"
"What, me?" She laughed aloud with a 'Ho ho!' "Whatever do you mean. Just a normal greeting on a typical day." She gazed at him from her place, a fair distance wider than what he had expected her to be doing. "...Why? Are you concerned with my welfare, good sir?"
Alex was not sure how to process the situation on his hands here, so he just played along to get some answers. "Um, well..." He sat back down, a hand rubbing the back of his neck as he replied as best as he could. "I guess, in a way."
She started to bounce with her smile widening, surprisingly happy for the concern. "You ARE?! Why, how sweeeeeet!"
The Grandmaster breathed as he directed his words, unsettled by the joyful nature, though it would be a welcoming sight if she was opening up to people and showed some vulnerability to them. "Actually, I'm more concerned about what you're planning for me."
"Of course I have a plan for you silly-billy!" Those words sounded more like Sumia than Tharja as she continued. "Now close your eyes, and get ready for..." Alex nearly drew back in worry as Tharja moved the pie right in front of him. "A slice of liver-and-eel pie!" he smiled as Alex stared with such confusion before turning back to her on what had occurred. "That's your favorite, correct?" She hummed to herself a she went on. "Oh, I do so adore baking..."
Alex, aghast from the present of the pie, was certain now that she may have changed through some abnormal method. "...Are you SURE you're all right, Tharja?" It is a possibility from several types of food that could affect a being's behavior. "You didn't eat anything strange, did you?" She shook her head as she pulled out a set of fork and knife, setting them in front of her. "Miscast a hex?" Another shake, leaving Alex to try a more normal method. "Hit your head on a rock?"
Tharja simply laughed with a 'Oh ho ho' with a hand to her mouth with a 'goodness me!'. "Such an imagination you have, good sir." She proceeded to cut out slices of the pie with the utensils that she had pulled out. "I'm sure I wouldn't know anything about anything strange, much less eat it!" Alex wanted to say that she was doing something out of her character. "Just a typical day for a typical girl here."
Alex started to piece it out as he had noticed her stalking and his choice of words may have influenced her to change how she approached him, ceasing to stalk him as she was just gone, most likely to be... more like the others in behavior. "This is about our conversation from before, isn't it?"
"Don't be silly." Plucking a large piece off the plate, Tharja offered the piece to Alex. "Now have some pie!"
"Look, I don't want-MMPH!" Alex tried to voice his disapproval of Tharja's denial, but she had shoved the piece into his mouth, forcing him to eat it, its taste quite nice, but it did not top his secret food. "...Actually, that's delicious."
"Oh, huzzah!" Alex was surprised that Tharja would even take the time to bake a wonderful dish, let alone cook it without any help. "I've been working on the recipe every day after normal practice!"
Alex paused for a moment before he sighed, clearly her intentions had manifested in an unusual way called 'normal practice' as he pressed on it. "'Normal practice'...?" That would answer her new behavior and why she was conflicted at the final in Plegia. "You mean you've been practicing being normal?"
"Indeed!; And it worked!; I'm perfectly normal!" She would have spun around if she were standing, but instead pumped her hands like a love-struck village girl as she smiled with a 'Ho ho'. "My yes, so typically normally plain."
"Do you realize that "typical normal" is actually very, very unusual?" That quickly stole some fire from Tharja's gleeful act as her face was starting to get shadowed under her dark locks.
"Oh my, huzzah?" She started to fiddle with her fingers as she took in his words. "Goodness, I simply must... something?"
Alex stood up and stood behind Tharja as he undid the ties of the apron from the bottom. "Tharja, I'm sorry about what I said before." As the lower ties were complete, his hands moved up to her neck and started to undo the ties there. "You shouldn't have listened to me." Taking the apron off and setting it on the table, Alex reached around and encircled Tharja with a hug as she bit her lip, a hand on his arm. "I liked you more the way you were, so can you go back to being the old Tharja?"
The other hand reached up and gripped into the cloth as her face hid itself in the shadow of hair. "Gracious, I... I have been practicing so diligently as of late, I'm not sure I can stop!"
"Well, let's start with some food and conversation." Releasing her and sitting back down, a fork in hand as he started to eat some of the pieces. "So, where did you get the idea of 'normal practice'?"
A hand smoothed over the dress like she was exposed out of her element from before. "I first had the plan to change myself with hex, but... that would be for a more extreme measure, not settling well as I was affecting myself with a spell, so I used a more natural method to... catch your attention." Alex watched as Tharja continued to touch the dress, not pleased with its color one bit. "So I went to observing the other females among the Shepherds to get a better understanding, even going as far as to learn baking from... ugh." She cupped her face as she was dismayed, nearly laying her head on the table in angst. "I took lessons from the Queen."
"She isn't that terrible as people often make her out to be."
"I know, but it was... pathetic to watch her trip here and there, even in the kitchen when it is just clean." Pulling a second fork out of the apron, Tharja took a piece of pie and took a bite out of it, quickly finding it amazing to her tastes as she looked at it. "Whoa, this is amazing!"
"yes, it is." Alex gave a smile as Tharja shrunk away flustered. "So Sumia gave you lessons on baking pies?"
"Not only those, but also cakes, cookies, and some pastries that the cooks had helped with in some parts." She paused and Alex followed her gaze to see a large suit of armor sitting across from them. "...Was that armor eating...?"
Alex gave a look of understanding as both said the name in mind. "Kellam."
The silent giant stopped with a piece to his mouth as two people stared at him, the unamused Grandmaster and embarrassed Dark Mage, as he started, a gloved hand rubbing the back of his neck as he gave a small chuckle. "Umm ...Sorry about following you and... eating your pie." Alex waved it off as he took charge.
"All can be forgiven, Kellam, but how long were you here?"
"Well, I arrived during the... forced pie feed, is there anything that I missed?"
"No, nothing happ..." Tharja started as she tried to get up and walk away, but the presence of a hand stopped her short, prompting her to sit firmly down with a blush as Alex continued, giving a small grin that Tharja really liked his touch.
"Nothing much, but Kellam, I need to ask." Alex leaned forward as the knight copied the action. "Why are you here in the first place?"
"Oh, bad news..." He gestured to the entrance and both heard the tell-tell sounds of feet, leather shifting, and a small scent of alcohol on the other side of the door. "Vaike, drunk off his rear, started to spread some weird rumors about you meeting someone and some novice knight actually ignited the flame after stating that you were here from a guess."
Tharja looked on the edge of bursting in anger, possibly wanting to curse the Fighter AND Knight to their end days, but Alex reassured her as he replied calmly.
"I see..." Alex started to make a plan with both hands under his jaw, gauging the chances of several in his mind before his gaze returned to the kitchen as a idea sprung in his mind, Kellam and Tharja quickly seeing the change as Alex asked. "Tharja, are you able to make a small curse, one that can invoke panic?"
"Yes, why?" But her interest turned to Kellam as he asked.
"Kellam, did anyone spot you come in here after me?"
"No, no one actually notices unless they pay attention, why?" The smile that graced Alex's face sent shivers up both of their spines, even by Tharja's standards.
"Then we have the perfect plan on hand, we just need the curse and a few pounds of flour." Both nodded as they followed his plan, a bit of a joke for both of them, but it was going to be Alex's payback at the Fighter...
"Are you sure that he is in there with a girl?"
"Yeah, so get ready to caught him in the act and rub it in his face... whoa, there are so many clouds." Vaike was drunk once more as he and a small group of soldiers surrounded the entrance to catch the Grandmaster offguard as they...
What happened next, however, was that of nightmares as a massive figure stumbled out of the entrance and roared, a massive Revenant as panic ensued across the field, Vaike fainting from both the shock of a surprise and his overdose of alcohol while his cohorts shattered from the scene, scared out of their minds while Alex and Tharja, wearing Alex's cloak, headed out to a safer location, the initial ploy foiled by a mix of curses, silent giants, and a coating of flour...
After getting to the palace and to Alex's chambers, Tharja was glad for the selfless act that she gripped onto Alex with a hug before she quickly back off with an apologize. "I am so sorry for that!"
"It's okay, just another part of this odd day in a way." Tharja nodded as she looked about the chamber, amused by the sheer details and the number given to the new Grandmaster.
"You live here now!?"
"Yes, Chrom gave it to me when he issued me as Grandmaster, now give me a sec as I sort through some documents." Alex said, letting the Dark Mage wear his cloak, as he pulled through several pieces of parchment. "It will most likely take Kellam some time to get all your things to me, you will need to lodge here for a period as there will be a large amount of problems coming from this small incident."
"I am more than glad to be here... with you..." Tharja said as she ran a hand along her arm, unsure what to say. "Though it was wise to undo the curse, the palace would be very intense to see that man in his... altered appearance."
"Too true."
"Also, you didn't need to save me from that idiot, I could have taken him."
"Yes, and have become the object of jabs at your personal place as a gloomy hex master and dark mage." Alex said as he waved a bit of paper without looking. "Trust me, I am merely helping out in preserving your self confidence as a dark mage, no one should know that the scariest individual wore a very lovely dress for the Grandmaster." Though Alex expected that Tharja would curse him for saying such things, he was slightly surprised to feel her hug him from behind, looking back a moment as they stood in silence, her voice finding purchase in the room.
"Thank you very much..."
"It was no problem, I am glad that I had a nice chat with you and ate some pie with you, though you may have to burn the dress, you seemed distressed with the thing." Both chuckled as Tharja returned the comment.
"Sure, but I like it, I was only nervous about our little gathering." She released and encircled to see the forms that number and picked up some Plegian pictures. "Why are these here?"
"Those are for the Marauders." Tharja glanced over with a questioning look.
"The Marauders?"
"A faction like the Shepherds, but for Plegia." Tharja opened her mouth to reply, but Alex kept going. "Though we had believed that Plegia was in charge of the Risen, they were actually the opposite, a number of spells controlled the legions, but not anymore as they have been razing Plegian villages and outposts without remorse, turning on the very masters we believed." Alex shifted through another few documents as he looked for something, pulling out a list and looking over the names with Tharja looking as well. "When I made the decision, some did see it as a problem, but support quickly flowed in from both Ylissean and Plegian sources and the Marauders were approved as they need someone to keep them safe far better than the currently disarrayed army."
Tharja nodded as she looked at the pictures and stopped on one, giving a mix of a smirk and a line as she showed the picture to Alex. "Give this one the command, he is suitable for the place." Alex took it and studied it as he looked over the list before Tharja spoke. "That... is my stepbrother Barlowe, he is a recently addition to Gangrel's forces, but has a good sense of... honestly and farsight that most of the soldiers lacked."
"Is he a good man?"
"...The best, actually." Alex nodded as he exchanged looks with Tharja as he crossed off the rest and spoke with the pile together.
"Very well, I will meet with Barlowe and give him the task after a good number of questions, you can sleep in my bed, this is going to be a long night." Tharja nodded with a slight touch of glee as she headed off, containing herself as Alex continued to work on getting the young Mercenary to meet before he started to organize questions to judge him, he may be good, but Alex had to make sure as not all the Plegians have the best sight to Ylisse or the Shepherds in general...
