A/N:
Posted: April 17th, 2017
Last Updated: April 23rd, 2017
Views as of Posting: 9 414
Wow. Corrin got absolutely wrecked. We are not going to see North and South Bridge for a long time.
As a reminder, there is a poll on my profile page regarding the inclusion of Fritz, Ingrid, and Oskar in the story. This is actually important to the rest of the adventure, so please vote.
Responses:
PersonaUserOrpheus3245 : Please recall, as explained in Chapter 6, the Hoshidans had imposed an embargo on Nohr for their repeated raids.
Chapter 9 Updates:
- Grammatical corrections
All changes are purely stylistic and do not impact the story. Efforts will be made to minimize these types of changes in the future.
Now, onto the story…
Chapter 10: Gatekeeper (Corrin, Leo, Zola)
Before he could even report to the king, Iago asked to meet the commander in secret. Corrin leaned on the stone wall outside of the room. When they returned to Windmire, the citizens noticed that the cavaliers who returned were far fewer than the number that left. What remained of the Third Construction Regiment remained at Fort Gunter, awaiting the appointment of a new commander.
Not before long Iago opened the door, allowing the prince to come in. Sitting at the other side the table, the tactician opened a classified dossier. Corrin swallowed silently. The report outlined the battle at Fort Gunter to the best of his and Elise's memories.
"You madman." Iago spat. "Are you proud of what you've accomplished? Are you trying to make a fool out of me?"
"I'm sorry Lord Iago. On that week the garrison was-"
"Silence! You lost more soldiers than our previous battle, against an army almost half in size. That must have taken real effort, didn't it?"
"I…"
Corrin sat down, looking at the empty tabletop. Whatever angry words the senior tactician was saying, would be a lot worse coming from Father. Iago readjusted his collar – he decided that anger did not help the situation.
"This is terrible, Lord Corrin." He sighed. "Your report was difficult to read. Over half the First Holy Lances, captured alongside their captain. Lord Silas is also gone."
"I accept full responsibility." The young prince said. "The Hoshidans used a new strategy we never foresaw and trapped them."
The tactician raised his hand.
"Yes. The Hoshidans and the Flame Tribe make a formidable force. I read the whole situation and, in its current form, I cannot present it to the War Council."
"What do you mean? We can't sweep a defeat like this under the rug."
"Simple. We just shift around a few details… make Silas and the lancers look a lot more careless. Make it seem like your plans failed because they disobeyed orders."
The idea disgusted the prince. The Nohrian army would learn nothing if they shifted the blame to the wrong people. Not to mention if his retainer ever did return from captivity, the conversation back would be an awkward one.
"That's wrong, sir." Corrin shook his head. "I'd rather tell the truth."
"No you don't understand, milord." Iago kicked back on his chair. "Every general cleans up his reports once in a while. It's for your own benefit."
"I'm not doing it."
The senior tactician's irritation began to rise again. He sat up and held out Corrin's report with urgency. Looking into his prince's eyes, his voice quieted down into a whisper. His white half-mask looked far more intimidating up close.
"Look, Lord Corrin, I know what you're trying to do." He said. "You want to end the war on your own terms? Quite admirable for someone as young as yourself."
The prince blinked. "Y-yeah, that would be nice..."
(I must be an easy book to read.)
"Really?" Iago frowned. "Well, whatever your goal is as a prince, you must hold onto power. If you submit this report, I can guarantee the War Council will try to remove your rank. Any endeavors of a 'reformed nation' would end here."
Corrin stroked his neck. He knew Father would be disappointed, but lying in a combat report was an equally egregious charge. If King anyone else found out, his punishment would be much more life-threatening.
"Without my rank, I cannot change anything in the future." The prince sighed. "You really think I'll be removed from the royal family?"
"You'll be lucky if King Garon brings you a royal body bag."
The senior tactician held the documents and prepared to rip them. Corrin gave him permission with a reluctant nod.
"Guess there's no choice."
The pieces of parchment littered the desk. All the information on the Pegasus knights, the Flame Tribe, and the destruction of North Bridge, was lost. Iago pulled out quill and ink from the bottom of the table.
"Good. I've taken notes on the new enemy tactics and will devise viable counters. I'll file the counterfeit report for you. Just… nod a lot in the next War Council."
(This man… does he really intend on helping me bring peace to Nohr?)
The young prince closed his eyes. It was a small lie that was for the greater good. Iago defaming his friends slightly was nothing close to Father's punishments. All Corrin wanted to do was to push the skirmish behind him.
"Thanks, Iago. To be honest I didn't expect you to look out for me."
"Consider it gratitude for getting rid of that dragon vein." Iago replied. "Don't repeat this disaster ever again. Now, here is what you'll tell our liege…"
[…]
The worst part of the evening was explaining to Elise they were going to fib, and then seeing the faces of their older siblings as they listened what happened. King Garon, on top of his mighty throne, fumed at their report. Camilla and Xander remained quiet. They listened intently on each fabricated detail of the fight. Iago was noticeably not present for the meeting.
"-Though I commanded the army to the best of my abilities, our soldiers lacked the proper discipline to carry through." The prince said.
"That is disappointing." Father spat. "I expected our soldiers to be more competent than what you described."
"Still, the Flame Tribe were tough adversaries. I have never fought them before, and their tactics were unusual to us." Corrin decided he should at least give the enemies some credit, and not just dump all of the blame on his troops.
The king turned to the youngest member of the family.
"Is everything he said true, Elise?"
"Yes daddy!" The troubadour pouted. "The meanies took Silas away…"
"Then we have sorely underestimated them." The Crown Prince broke his silence. "I'm still confused, however. I evaluated Silas myself."
It appeared that everybody, minus Leo, believed his story. The blond prince remained silent through the ordeal. King Garon curled his fingers together and leaned against his throne. From what the princess told him, the king appeared much more concerned with the Flame Tribe than Corrin's setback.
"This humiliation cannot stand." The King fumed. "We will launch an attack on the Flame Tribe within the fortnight."
(That means they'll be attacking Rinkah's people.)
"And you, boy." He continued. "Usually a loss like this warrants a swift and painful death. You will not go unpunished."
Camilla stepped forward. "Father. It's not Corrin's fault he lost!"
"No, Camilla. It was a strategic mistake on my side..." The prince grimaced.
"Iago will deal with you then." King Garon decreed. "He's the one who will have to reorganize the regiments. I'm sure you will feel his wrath soon."
Leo raised his eyebrow as his brother grinned. If the young prince was to be punished, Iago would be scrutinized by the War Council too. Corrin thought that, like it or not, their fates were connected – he was the tactician's burden.
"Father. Iago's punishments are often excessive." Xander complained. "Too many captains have been charged for treason…"
Corrin interrupted him. "It's fine brother. I will accept it."
"Fine?" The Crown Prince said in surprise. "You too, little prince?"
"Then we are finished here." King Garon said impatiently. "Return to your quarters, Corrin. We shall discuss this later."
As the five siblings vacated the throne room, Lord Corrin vowed never to lie about his comrades ever again. He slouched against the stone wall as the guards escorted him to his old room. After opening the door, the prince sat on the bed, looking at the night beyond the barred windows.
[…]
Someone banged on the door in an urgent manner, less than an hour from the meeting with the king. It was different from how Corrin remembered Beruka's knock. Early morning light poured into the room.
"Who is it?" He asked, slouched on the bed.
"Iago. Open up."
The prince jumped to his feet and opened the door. The tactician was on the other side. Leo was by his side, collar fixed this time. Both were holding a stack of vellum parchment, loosely bounded together with cords.
"What can I do for you?" Corrin tilted his head.
Iago handed him his stack of papers. "Take responsibility."
[…]
"My name is Lord Corrin, representative of the Nohrian army…"
"…Five days ago, our soldiers were defending the border from a Hoshidan raid…"
"…As you are the next of kin, we deeply regret to inform you that…"
"…Your father, Elmar Foreman…"
[…]
"…Your daughter, Marion Rolfe."
[…]
"…Your son, Fritz Schulz.,,"
"…Has been captured by the enemy while serving his country..."
[…]
The day took a toll on Corrin. He never knew so many of the First Holy Lances had relatives in Windmire. After going with Leo to over thirty different houses, his legs and soul were crushed. Some of the people he visited broke down in tears. Others blamed the royal family, and whoever planned the operation. Many more were simply quiet or gave thanks for the update.
"This is depressing." The prince said. "These poor people. I failed them."
"As you said to Father, it was their fault they were incompetent, right?" Leo scoffed.
"That's not the full story." He admitted
"I knew it. You screwed something up." His brother shook his head. "You're not the type to lie, but Iago probably told you that."
Corrin had nothing to say anymore. Leo had remained silent for the entire journey, except for the last few moments. The day was almost about to end, and they found themselves walking towards a cabin into the woods. It was the last address in the vicinity that had a relative.
"How could you guess that?" He murmured.
Leo brushed his short hair. "I guess you can say I have a knack for picking out lies."
"I had no choice. You saw how disappointed Father was."
"I know. I'm not blaming you. You did the sensible thing for once."
They stopped in from of the shoddy building. Its roof was in disrepair, and it looked like it was a lower-income household. Corrin thought the residents built the property in an obscure location, to avoid taxes in the Windmire district.
"Looks like this is it." Leo shrugged. "Let's go."
"Mmhmm." The young prince nodded.
He knocked the door three times and stepped back. Nothing was heard from the inside. Just as Leo was about to pull out a stamped letter, the door flew open. An older woman was on the other side, staring at the two gentlemen.
"How can I help you?" She said.
"My name is Lord Corrin, representative of the Nohrian army. Five days ago, our soldiers were fighting-"
"Oskar is dead?" The lady skipped straight to the point.
"Sadly, he has been captured by the enemy." Corrin replied.
"I see…" The woman paused. "Good for him."
She slammed the door shut, scaring away a few birds on the porch. The two brothers, with documents in their hands, look at each other in confusion. Leo put away the letter and headed back towards the dirt path.
"Hey, what just happened?" Corrin asked.
Leo turned back. "Who knows? Not everybody grieves the same way."
The dark prince might have implied that it was none of their business, but Corrin begged to differ. Every Nohrian who fought for them had their own stories and families. Some of them had families as broken as his own.
(Thanks Iago. I won't forget this lesson…)
Leo's face scrunched with spite as he returned to the War Council room. After spending the whole day with Corrin. The servants were busily running around the castle as usual. Iago was waiting for him at the other side, head buried in a book.
"What took you so long?" He said, inserting a bookmark into the pages.
The dark prince sighed. "Corrin took too long sympathizing with the civilians. This is a good joke you played."
"A joke?" Iago chuckled. "You humble me, milord. Instilling a sense of humanity within that dunce was King Garon's decision."
Leo decided not to pursue the conversation further. His job was not to instill senses – his job was to win. His mentor was the one who pushed that idea, anyways. Iago took out some vellum and tossed it to the prince.
"What is this?" He inquired
"Prince Corrin's report on the battle. He thought I destroyed it, but the one I ripped up is a fake. There's no way we could dispose of such useful information."
"What's the point of him thinking it was destroyed?"
"In case he thinks of pulling something silly on me, this will be my secret weapon against him." Iago explained.
(He's playing his usual tricks against us again.)
"Hey. He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's my brother. Your webs of deceit aren't always appreciated." Leo said, annoyed.
"Hush. You're just jealous you can't manipulate him as much as I can." His mentor retorted. "Go read the report."
Glancing at the front page, the dark prince flipped through each page meticulously. It contained details of Fort Gunter, its schematics and the two bridges. On the fourth page, Corrin began describing the battle in more detail.
His brother jotted down everything – three Nohrian regiments somehow lost against a regiment of samurai and some Flame Tribe savages. The Hoshidan's strategy caught the prince's attention.
"That's actually a standard defensive strategy." Leo commented. "I would've tweaked it a bit, but Corrin's got it kind of correct."
(Even if he just copied Xander and I.)
"I never said it was abysmal." Iago shrugged. "I just made him feel terrible about it regardless."
He continued reading. "The Hoshidan strategy… weird bottles and flaming clubs? I have never seen tactics like this before.
The bottles were filled with some sort of flammable liquid, and were thrown from above by Pegasus knights. North Bridge caught on fire immediately, leaving no chance for escape. At least Elise's retainers managed to escape in time.
"Me neither." The tactician replied.
"The bottles must have been from the savages then. With the fire abilities of the Flame Tribe, and the mobility of Hoshido's fliers, they outmaneuvered the lancers and cavaliers below."
Iago nodded "Precisely. An excellent combined assault. Whoever these new Hoshidan generals are, they're not rookies."
The prince flipped to the last page, but Corrin failed to identify the mastermind. He admitted that, if he were in his older brother's shoes, he would have fallen for the same mistake. One last sentence in the report stood out. Dragon vein disabled.
"So he managed to dig it out in time." Leo said.
"Yes, in the middle of battle too. We might as well owe him the eastern front."
"Then why make him feel terrible?"
"I want to produce the illusion he is indebted to me." Iago replied. "By extension he would owe you something too. That will be useful later on, don't you think?"
A hundred and twelve casualties seemed troubling on paper, but compared to everything Corrin saved, it was a small price. The War Council's intelligence was entirely off – they never expected a counterattack so quickly.
The dark prince tossed the report back onto the table. "I suppose we need to rework our strategies then."
"Yes." Iago said. "We have long nights in front of us. Objections?"
"Let's get this over with."
As his mentor began picking books off shelves again, Leo rolled open the map. Iago was always unpredictable, but he was playing with dangerous fire. While working with Iago, he had temporarily forgotten the two were not on equal footing.
Thoughts shot through the dark prince's head as he tried to decipher what other lies the tactician has told. As much as he admired Iago, Leo did not want to play his next fool.
The morning sun rose above Castle Krakenburg. The castle guard yawned as she went to the former prison cell and knocked. Corrin jolted at the sudden noise and opened the door. His tunic was still unruffled from yesterday.
"Huh?" Beruka said. "You didn't oversleep this time."
"Can't oversleep if you don't fall asleep." He gave a sarcastic thumbs-up.
On his desk were books he checked out of Iago's personal collection. They covered topics from ambushes to cavalry charges to aerial combat – Leo's personal recommendations. Ever since yesterday, he has been indulged with learning strategy, to the point where he started losing sleep.
The retainer tilted her head in confusion. "It's time for breakfast. Hurry up."
"Alright, alright…"
Corrin fixed up his tunic and followed her to the dining table. It looked like Father did not trust him enough to remove his guard. As usual, his brothers and sisters were already eating. The prince gave them a wave and sat down.
"Hello, little prince." Xander said. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah. A bit tired, but I can't help it." He replied.
Camilla, who was sitting next to Corrin, put her hand on his forehead. "Are you sure dear? Your head seems a little hot. Do you need help setting up the bath?"
"I'll pass."
The small talk ended quickly. Helping himself to some fish and white bread, the prince stared at Leo. The young man also looked fatigued, though for different reasons. From outside the room, Jakob brought another plate of venison.
"Good morning Jakob!" Corrin smiled. It has been a while since he saw any of his former servants.
"Hello milord." The butler acknowledged.
(This atmosphere is too gloomy for some reason.)
As the butler dropped off the food, the prince leaned in to whisper. "Hey Jakob, where is Felicia? I haven't seen her at all."
"See me an hour after breakfast." He whispered back.
The two pulled away from each other before the others became suspect. Corrin's ears twitched at the news. He began gobbling up his food at a remarkable pace. The rest of his family watched with surprise.
"Wow! He's turning into Effie!" Elise exclaimed.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Leo closed his eyes in a desperate attempt to conserve his energy. Before the others could say a word, the young prince stood up from the table and made his way to the door. Ballista tactics were not going to research themselves.
[…]
"Wh-what happened here?" Corrin's mouth gaped open.
An hour after he left the table, he found Jakob in the servants' lounge. The butler led him to one of the lower levels of the castle, where the disciplinary cells were. In one of the female cells was Felicia, behind bars, sitting on an old mattress.
"Milord!" She squealed. "You made it back alive! Thank the Dusk-"
Jakob hissed. "Keep it down! Lord Corrin is supposed to be guarded right now."
"Beruka said she's waiting upstairs." The prince reassured. "Please continue."
After getting over the spooky noise, Corrin looked at the other cells. They were mostly unoccupied. Felicia's own cell was pretty clean, though that was expected of a castle maid. Corrin put his hands on the bars and shook them.
"What did you do, Felicia?" He demanded. "Why did they lock you up?"
"Well… It's not what I did." Felicia ran her hand through her hair in embarrassment. "Hey! It feels good saying that something isn't my fault for once!"
"Keep on going, please." Jakob sighed.
The two servants explained what happened when Corrin was at Fort Gunter. The day after he left, one of the older maids reported Felicia's sister, Flora, skipping out on work for several days. The castle guards performed an investigation, yet could not find her. It was interpreted either she ran away, or was kidnapped.
"Poor Flora." The maid sulked. "I hope she gets back safe."
The young prince pondered. "That still doesn't explain why you were locked up."
Felicia sighed. "Since Flora was my sister, the guards thought I had something to do with her disappearance. So they locked me up and said I would only be let out if she returns."
"I see."
"They said there were two potential reasons. One: If I helped Flora escape or if she ran away by herself, then I am trapped here as punishment, and as motive for her to return. Two: If Flora is kidnapped, then I am trapped here for my own safety."
The three fell silent. Corrin realized that, from when he first returned from Hoshido, he had not seen Flora even once. The blue-hair maid was not fond of him when she was little, but he did not predict she would disappear all of a sudden.
"Then did you know what happened to her?" He questioned.
"If I did, I wouldn't be stuck here." Felicia whimpered.
(Then it's a disappearance. Crud. Silas, the captain, and now this…)
"Jakob, you know anything?"
The butler tugged on his collar. "Not anything more than you do." Corrin looked at the ground. His loyal servant always tugged on his collar when he was unsure of something. There was nothing left for him to do.
"Well, I hope we find Flora soon... I'm sorry I cannot help right now." The prince shrugged. "I'll come visit and bring food sometime."
"Thank you milord!" Felicia nodded. "Oh, I hope she isn't hurt!"
After saying his goodbyes to his former maid, he followed Jakob up the balcony. Beruka escorted the prince back to his room and stood outside the door. Hoping the retainer was not as persistent as Camilla, Lord Corrin decide to take a small nap.
[…]
"Now!"
Xander shouted as he charged forward with Siegfried. Corrin sidestepped the horse and tried a roundabout slash. Ganglari did not connect with anything, and swung awkwardly to the side. The Crown Prince swerved back for another run.
"Shah!"
This time, his black stallion leapt in the air. It leapt way high up, enough for Corrin to duck underneath. The young prince dived under its stomach and turned around for a quick jab. The mount's rear was exposed.
But he was too late. When the horse landed on its front legs, it kicked back with mighty strength with its back limbs. The kick sent Corrin flying back from his position. He landed on his behind and his sword was knocked away.
"Victory for me again." Xander said. "You're getting soft, little prince."
"Ha…" Corrin picked himself up. "Good thing I turned around, or my back would've been done for."
Disgruntled, he checked to see the condition of his blade. It was a bit duller than before, but still glowed with incredible power. On the other side of the barren courtyard, a lancer came running over after the training concluded. She bowed after his superiors and delivered his message.
"Lord Corrin! King Garon requests your presence at the throne room!" She said.
Xander pointed to himself. "What about me?"
The lancer got nervous. "You are not required at the moment, milord!"
"Hmm…" The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow. "Very well. Go, Corrin."
"Y-yes Xander!"
Corrin followed the lancer into the throne room. Inside, only younger siblings and Father were there. Moreover, Leo was standing in the place where Iago usually stands. The senior tactician was again too busy to attend.
"Corrin, my son." King Garon's voice boomed. "After consulting with my advisor, I shall overlook your previous… shortcoming. I am giving you another opportunity to redeem yourself to the War Council."
"Thank you Father!" Corrin smiled. Iago had pulled through for him "I will make sure the next operation's a smashing success!"
The king's eyes mocked the young prince "If you say so. Since Elise has been implicated in the report, she will be joining you on this assignment."
"You got that right!" Elise smiled.
Corrin wished for a bit more rest, but he knew the war needed him back. Possible expeditions rolled through his head from the books he read. He could go on another garrison, or launch a scouting operation. Otherwise he coul-
"Good." King Garon straightened his back. "Your next operation will be local law enforcement. Leo shall explain."
Local law enforcement. The young prince's heart sank when he heard about it. Corrin thought he was being demoted from a prince to a lowly mercenary guard. Fortunately, his brother dispelled those beliefs quickly.
"After war with Hoshido broke out, I'm sure you understand that chances of rebellion rise greatly every day." Leo began. "Members of a local resistance group to the south admitted they were collecting weapons for a revolution."
"Got it." Corrin licked his lips.
"After raiding one of their bases, we found troubling news. Among their weapons included Nohrian, Hoshidan, and tribal weapons."
The last two types stuck in the young prince's mind. If a resistance group had access to the same bottles the Pegasus knights dropped, they could burn down an entire village. Elise was equally concerned – she twirled her rod nervously.
"Thus, we concluded that illegal arms dealers have been setting up shop. We believe that Hoshido is trying to take advantage of the unrest in our settlements. They are selling weapons to separatist groups, to weaken our interior."
Corrin blinked. "That's terrible. What will Elise and I do?"
"There is a village to our south next to Palace Macarath." Leo explained. "A high-profile arms dealer is in the area, only known by the name 'Gatekeeper'."
Gatekeeper.
The name sounded like a dangerous individual. Corrin thought the name would ring a bell, but it did not. Unless it was another Silas situation, he would be dealing with another stranger in Nohr. The King raised his voice.
"Your goal is to eliminate Gatekeeper." He said. "Bring back proof of her pacification, and I will accept it as repentance for your last failure."
Corrin bowed. "It shall be done Father. Who will be tagging along?"
"Unfortunately we cannot spare a single regiments" Leo said. "The First Holy Lances are still being reconstructed. Elise's retainers eagerly volunteered, however."
(That means my sister and her retainers are definitely tagging along. Maybe Jakob if he wants to, but then no one would take care of Felicia.)
"Understood." The young prince smiled. He would be leading a miniscule patrol, but it was more than enough to capture one person.
"Good. You'll leave tomorrow morning." King Garon ordered. "Make sure Gatekeeper does not smuggle another weapon into Nohr."
[…]
Corrin and his small troop stopped at an inn right outside of Windmire. Arthur and Effie were asked to join yesterday night. They gladly obliged upon learning their master was going. Jakob volunteered as well, effectively being conscripted into Elise's regiment. They were to reach the new town in three days by foot.
"Is Felicia going to be okay?" The prince shook his head. "I feel bad for saying I was going to visit her."
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Elise smiled. "Look over there!"
The young troubadour was pointing to the other side of the inn. An unmistakable white and black outfit stuck out from the drunks at the bar. Felicia was waiting on the other side, waving at his friends. Corrin ran up to her, almost knocking over someone's drink.
"Felicia! You made it out!" He exclaimed. "But… why are you here?"
The maid put her hands on her hips and scowled. "To help you capture Gatekeeper, of course! Elise explained everything to me!"
Corrin began freaking out slightly. If Father realized he freed a prisoner to accompany him, he would through a fit. They were now a group of six, and three of them specialized in healing magic.
"Alright, but how did you escape your cell? They'll find out immediately!"
"Nope!" Elise smiled. "Don't worry! I have a friend taking care of that."
[The night before]
"Are you sure?" The dark mage complained. "That's a very specific task."
Zola was supposed to be studying for a dark arts examination, but his old friend, Princess Elise, caught him as he was entering the entrance gates. She came with an opportunity for him to explore Castle Krakenburg soon. He would normally be honored that such an influential lady would take an interest in him, but her proposal was troubling.
"Please, Zola!" Princess Elise exclaimed. "It would only be for a few days! You get food and a bed and stuff!"
"I don't know about this, milady." Zola mused. "If I get caught-"
"That's impossible! Your transformation skills are the best!"
(That's an overstatement!)
One of Zola's peeves is others pressing him for favors, since he could seldom refuse. Last time, Princess Camilla almost strangled him inside the castle. He shivered at the prospect of getting caught a second time.
"My friend Felicia is very easy to copy!" The troubadour reassured. "You would be stuck in a cell, so you wouldn't need to play your role a lot."
"Hmm…"
"Pleaaaaaase? It's good practice for our roleplaying sessions!"
"Err…"
Not only would getting caught be terrible, but his imitation of females are horrible. For some reason, Zola's voice would become high-pitched and awkward when he transformed. It was the only part of his craft he did not master properly.
"You know you waaaant to."
"Ok, I'll do it." Zola raised his hands in exasperation. "Just… lead me there. I need to take care of some things first." In the end, he could not say no to the pleading princess.
"Yay! Thanks, awesome friend! I'll meet you here in about an hour!"
"You owe me a big one!"
An hour passed.
Before they could sneak into Castle Krakenburg, Zola had to mimic the profile of a guard at the entrance. He had to enter through a separate entrance to the castle for clearance. Soon afterwards, he found himself in the lower depths.
"I-I've never been here before." He admitted.
Elise grinned "Cool huh? If only we treated the naughty people better…"
The female cells in the disciplinary area were much more sanitary than the male ones. Not a speck of mildew grew on the ceiling, or spores alongside the ground. The troubadour led him down the hall to an occupied space.
"Oh Felicia!" She called. "Look! I brought an old friend!"
Within seconds, a maid emerged from behind a thin wall in the cell. Zola focused on her long, pink-orange hair and silky complexion. His transformation abilities would only copy some of the finer textures on her body.
"Uhhhm. Hello." Felicia greeted. "Sorry... I don't know you."
"Oh that's fine." Zola said. "I think my father said that to me at one point…"
"What?"
"What?"
"Oh, I forgot." The dark mage smacked his head. "Excuse me."
He put his spell to an end and transform back to his regular self. The maid, upon seeing the man shapeshift in front of him, squealed in alarm. Princess Elise giggled in glee at her surprise. The man picked out his tome and flipped through it.
Felicia's teeth chattered. "W-what are you?"
"My name is Zola. Dark mage of Nohr." Zola bowed. "Nice to meet you, Felicia."
"What are you planning to do?" She demanded nervously.
[…]
At midnight, the troubadour brought out several tomes to use. Firstly she used the Unlock Staff, a particularly valuable item, to unlock the cell door. Zola took a few minutes under candlelight to evaluate her appearance, then transformed himself.
Then, the two girls snuck out of the castle. One guard got in the way before they could make it out, but Elise had also carried a Sleep Staff. They snuck out of the castle, and Felicia was told to spend the night at an inn nearby to Windmire.
The next morning, Zola woke up on the firm mattress. He heard doorsteps from the staircase and sat up. A male lancer stood in front of his cell, inspecting its contents.
"Hey Felicia, how are you doing?" He said.
(Must be the guard. Hope he isn't too close friends with Felicia.)
"I'm well." Zola answered with his high-pitched voice. "Sorry, I have a sore throat this morning."
"No kidding." The lancer said.
He unlocked the door and entered the cell. The dark mage frantically sat down on the bed, to avoid attracting unwanted attention. It was futile, as the lancer simply sat next to him. His face was beet red.
"Felicia." The Nohrian said. "Even though you're a prisoner here, I believe you are a good person. After days of thinking about what it means to be a man, I made my decision… I have come to declare my love for you."
(Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no.)
Zola thought Princess Elise had pulled off some sort of elaborate prank. "Oh ah, um, I'm flattered then!" In his conscious, the dark mage imagined himself face-palming endlessly.
"I've had a crush on you since eleven days ago." The lancer continued. "I don't know how to explain it, but the way you try so hard, and smile all the time-" He put one hand on Zola's leg and the other in the dark mage's palm.
"I'm only attracted to women." The dark mage freaked out.
"… Excuse me?"
(Yes! That seemed to have worked!)
Zola shifted his eyes awkwardly. "Apologies, but that's the way I roll."
"Oh crud, I'm sorry!" The lancer stood up quickly. "I should have figured out from before. This is embarrassing."
(For both of us, buddy!)
After closing his legs, the mage tried his best impression of a girlish sigh. At the very least, the guard did not press with his romantic advances.
"Then who are you in love with, Felicia?" The lancer said timidly.
"Err, Princess Elise!" Zola had to improvise again. Sweat rolled down his neck.
"Really?" The lancer said. "Wow. I would have never guessed that."
(Me neither, to be honest…)
The mage sighed. "She's really special to me. I don't know how to explain it but, I sometimes feel tingling around her. She's one of the only people close to me."
"I understand that feeling." The lancer smiled sadly. "Like this one time…"
Despite his best efforts, Zola could not escape an hour of a stranger confessing his love to his transformation and sobbing on his shoulder. When the lancer finally left, Zola curled up into a ball on the bed and spent the day trying to forget everything.
Gatekeeper. The name repeated itself in Corrin's mind. Gatekeeper was probably some sort of master criminal or cartel manager. If the arms dealer managed to evade the army for this long, the prince had no idea how they would find him.
That did not dampen anyone else's spirits. Elise, Effie, and Arthur were busy telling campfire stories. Felicia less used to camping outside, so she opted to simply guard the tents and their treasure. Before leaving, Leo gave them a secret parting gift of thirty golden bars – an entire year's salary for a talented cavalier. Effie carried the entire load without complaint.
(He said I would need it... I wonder why.)
"Geez, how much longer is it?" Elise said. "We've been walking forever!"
Jakob scoffed under his breath. "You're the only one with a horse."
"We should be one day away." Corrin shivered.
He took out an object from underneath his armor and put his cape over it. The Dragonstone that Azura gave him gleamed blue. The prince stared at the former necklace in frustration – there was a possibility the songstress had deceived him.
"Silas should be with us." He groaned.
Jakob stroked his chin. "So should Flora, but we must make do without them. Wouldn't King Garon just assign you a new retainer? Just wait until then."
The butler had a point. Arthur and Effie froze in their spots and stared at Princess Elise, who looked back in confusion. Corrin chuckled apprehensively at the butler and signaled him to be less blunt. The awkward silence dragged on for a bit.
Arthur raised his iron axe. "I cannot wait to capture this evil Gatekeeper! Distribution of unauthorized arms is a serious offense!"
"You don't look heroic while holding that large axe." Effie commented.
"It's certainly a step up from Lord Corrin's weapon!"
Corrin grabbed his undrawn blade embarrassingly. With its black blade and purplish glow, Ganglari did not look like the stereotypical chivalrous sword in Nohrian fairy tales. It was a gift from Father that saved his life multiple times in the past.
"It's a fine weapon." He retorted. "And it's called Ganglari!"
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Don't you think it's a bit too long?"
"What?"
"Well if it's too long, it might be flimsy if you swing it."
(Well, it's called a longsword for a reason!)
"Not if I hold it properly, like this..." He unsheathed.
"Really? Let me hold it for a second."
"Arthur! Why do you want to touch my sword?"
"I just want to know what it feels like."
The princess and Elise looked at their exchange curiously. Corrin gave up and let Arthur examine his sword. The purple flame recoiled at the fighter's touch. Jakob stood up from the fire, face scrunched in disturbance.
"Wow! I never knew the girth was this easy to hold!" Arthur said in awe.
"Thank you for the occasion, sirs, but I think I'll retire to the tent." The butler declared. "We have a long day tomorrow."
"Aww, going to bed so soon Jakob?" Elise pouted. "We were just about ready to tell bedtime stories."
"Thanks milady, but I'll rest. Let me know if you need anything"
Confused, the royal siblings and retainers watched Jakob retreat into his small tent. The prince retrieved Ganglari and shove it back into his sheath. The sword's hilt glowed a lot brighter when it was touched by its rightful owner.
"Not much of a conversationalist, eh?" Effie said.
Corrin scratched his hair. "He's nicer when he knows you better."
"Yeah! Then he won't be so mean anymore." His sister sighed.
"Something's troubling him." Arthur declared. "Ah well. Guess we'll keep on being friendly to find out his problems."
It became obvious why Elise chose the two oddballs to be her retainers. It was not only because of their super strength – they were also as kind-hearted as she was. If anything happened to those two, he could not imagine how his sister would react.
(I'm not going to look for a replacement. Hold on Silas, I'll come back for you!)
[…]
"Welcome to Paesali!" Elise exclaimed, jumping up.
From the hill down laid a village with a mix of wooden and stone huts. It was a modest-sized settlement next to a quiet stream. The day was half over by the time Corrin's patrol arrived. An army barracks was situated next to the city walls.
Unlike Windmire, the streets were mostly empty except for the town square. Three Nohrian guards trotted down the streets. They inspected the houses as they went along, writing things on long sheets of vellum.
Effie shielded her eyes from the sun. "What's going on down there?"
"Looks like they're conducting a study." Corrin said. "Let's check it out."
The group of six went down the hill, trying not to trip on the steep path down. The guards hesitated when they approached and gave strange salutes. Arthur raised his eyebrow after he saw one of the axes the soldiers carried.
"Hello sirs and madam." Elise waved. "How are you doing?"
One of the soldiers, a woman, spoke first. "We are fine milady. Just protecting the streets of this humble village."
"Really?" Arthur asked. "Can I see what you've written down?"
"Umm."
The Nohrians looked at each other. The proud fighter expected a response but never received one. Within seconds the three guards took off down the streets in a panic. Corrin paused before realizing what was going on.
"Hey! Stop!" He cried.
Motioning his friends to follow, the patrol chased the three runners down a street. Before they could make it far, Effie threw her lance like it was a javelin. The weapon got impaled one of the runner's right leg.
"Gahh!" He shouted, holding the limb in agony.
The man fell over and was secured by Elise. The troubadour seized the iron sword from the assailant's hands. She then threw it away as far as possible. The other two turned down another street. This time, Arthur tried throwing his axe.
The weapon missed, hitting the side of a wooden house. With a rush of adrenaline, the fighter charged forward barehanded. He managed to catch up to the other man and tackled him into the ground. The man struggled but could not escape.
"I got you now, in the name of the law!" Arthur smiled, putting him in a headlock.
The final woman was nimble on her feet. Corrin, Felicia, and Jakob chased her to the town's gate. A few other guards looked at the people running, unsure of the situation. Jakob threw one of his daggers but missed wide.
Felicia tried throwing one as well, but while she was running, she tripped. The dagger slipped in her hand as she fell and was propelled forward by momentum. The blade caught the woman in the rear.
"Ommph!" She grunted, slowing down.
She had no choice but to turn around and brandished a silver axe. The prince faced the panicking stranger and pulled out Ganglari. The woman was panting heavily. The surrounding guards recognize the prince's outfit and formed a perimeter between both of them.
"Hey. Please drop the weapon." Corrin reached out. "It's out."
The female shook. She pushed threads of brown hair out of her eyes. "Never! I'll fight to my last breath!"
The prince promised. "Your friends are back there. If you cooperate you can see them again."
"What, you're going to execute us at the same time? I'm not letting you have the satisfaction." She cursed.
(She's not thinking straight. Something's making her nervous.)
"I am a new prince of Nohr." Corrin identified himself. "I have the authority to spare your friends. Please. We will not hurt you."
The woman lowered her weapon. "You… won't?"
"Please trust me on this. You don't know you. You don't know me. If this is your first offense, I'm sure we can work something out."
The guards surrounding both of them lowered their swords on command. The assailant saw what was happening around her, and her friend being stuck in Arthur's headlock. She dropped her axe and raised both of her hands in surrender. Something about the woman made her seem innocent in the entire scheme.
"Thank you." Corrin smiled warmly. "Please, come with me."
[…]
Elise and Felicia both worked on tending to the injured man and woman. The three runners were on their knees in front of the prince and princess. Their uniforms were all torn from their attempted escapade.
One of the men sighed. "If you want to kill us, just get it over with.
The prince sighed. "No. I won't do that. I'm not like the others.
The two men looked at the woman, not believing their luck. The female criminal looked hopefully at Corrin, who nodded back.
"Why did you start running?" He questioned first. Admittedly he did not understand the situation as well as Arthur did.
"To prevent getting caught." One of the men smirked. The other man smacked him on the back of the head.
"They aren't real guards." The blond retainer explained. "They weapons were all off, like that axe over there."
The fighter pointed at the silver axe owned by the woman. It was a fine weapon, looking at least twice as valuable as an Arthur's own weapon. Corrin looked closely at the fake soldiers' arms. They did seem suspicious.
"This axe was made in Nestra. It's not standard issue." Arthur continued. "I recognize its design when I escorted Lady Elise there once."
"Not only that, but their salutes were off too, right?" The prince added. "I guess they didn't plan on royalty visiting today."
(What a coincidence we came to Paesali!)
"Good Lady Elise! And Lord…" The other man spoke.
"Corrin."
"Lady Elise! Lord Corrin! Please spare us! We did nothing wrong…"
Corrin decided to not lay punishment until he heard the whole story. The other, real guards were listening as well, so he could not just let them go. The other two weapons of the men, two steel swords, were also not of Nohrian design.
"Why were you trying to impersonate the guards?" He demanded. "And what was that list for?"
"There's occasional curfews given in Paesali." The woman explained. "The garrison was ordered to search houses to find resistance activity."
"So, you decided to dress up as a guard, and tried looting the houses?" Arthur shook his head. "This list must have contained houses you knew were vacant!"
The three stared at each other. Corrin was impressed at his friend's ability to solve mysteries. If the blond fighter did not end up becoming Elise's retainer, he would have made a fine captain of a garrison.
"Why did you want to steal?" The young prince asked in a neutral tone. The woman looked up at him in sorrow.
"We never wanted to steal. We… were hungry. We recently lost our jobs, and we spent our remaining money on this gear. We thought if we could make a profit, we could spend more time looking for ways to make money. Legally of course."
"This list isn't about vacant houses." One of the men admitted. "We wanted to keep track of the households we would pay back, after we got on our feet."
Corrin took the long parchment. The paper had some house addresses, as well as the number of items taken away from the house. If a curfew was called, everybody would have been indoors anyways. He gave the assailants the benefit of the doubt.
"One last question." The young prince raised. "How did you get your fake gear and unorthodox weapons? Did you sneak them in?"
"Arms dealer."
Elise and her brother looked at each other. Smiles appeared on their faces instantaneously. The servants also widened their eyes at the news. They might have found the mysterious Gatekeeper in record time.
"Listen here." Corrin whispered to the woman. "I think we can reach an agreement…"
Within two long days, Leo and Iago reached a point where they could call their plan satisfactory. The number of uprisings in the South had no signs of cooling down, so they had to change several defensive strategies.
"Jakob was supposed to be bringing us tea, but your brother had to take him on your little journey. How annoying of him." The tactician murmured.
Leo stared at the map, only paying half-attention. "He did make good tea."
"Not even the loss of ten regiments can upset me so." Iago continued.
"Stop being dramatic. At least we're done now."
Within the week, they would get another report on the true size of their army. Their original plan had to be delayed - each day that passed meant the Hoshidans were more and more prepared. To compensate, Nohr had to harass the enemy and make them fearful of their own borders.
Iago propose moving more soldiers northwards, and summon Faceless in various chokepoints in the south. The Hoshidans already begun amassing around the Abandoned Fortress Corrin attacked long ago.
Spies were mobilized around enemy settlements, trying to gauge the size of their army. Their previous intelligence – that Hoshido was not organized enough to attack Fort Gunter – was absolutely false.
They needed fresh reports, and fast. In their absence, they could only do so much before the next War Council. They did not even know the true size of the Hoshidan-Flame Tribe alliance, let alone their peace agreement.
"Oh Iago." Leo said. "A heads up. I retrieved thirty golden bars from the castle vault. I will replenish it later this week."
The tactician blinked. "Thirty? Milord, what do you need that much gold for?"
"I cannot say, but it has something to do with Lord Corrin's adventure."
His mentor paused and stroked his chin. Inside his mind, Iago cycled through every possible reason why Corrin would require gold. Leo folded his arms, interested in hearing his probably-incorrect response.
"Why can't you tell me?" He demanded.
"You keep secrets from others, and so can I." The dark prince grinned confidently.
(For once, we will be on equal footing!)
"It's going to be an amazing secret operation. I promise." He finished.
Hearing his words, Iago looked at his trainee in bafflement. His mouth then went from closed to open. Leo read what was in his eyes – he had the old man's approval for once. They were going to take a page from his playbook.
"Keeping secrets from me, Leo?" Iago shook his head. "About time. I was wondering when working with you would turn interesting."
"I have my own connections." The prince admitted. "What are you going to do?"
Admittedly, if the tactician told King Garon what happened, Leo knew he would be in huge trouble. But he knew Iago. He knew that unpredictable strategies appealed to the older man the most. His mentor stood up and watched his pupil proudly.
"Nothing. I'm going to trust you… for fun" He said, as if issuing a challenge. "I hope you return with good news."
And with that, Leo's own plan was set in motion.
The three imposters lead the way for Corrin and his patrol. They had agreed to show him the arms dealer's location, in return for amnesty from prison. They ended up several hundred feet away from Paesali, in some small woodlands.
Any doubts Corrin had about his father vanished. Nohr was not pretending to starve itself to invade another country. The entire district was poor, even for the national standard. Crops failed occasionally throughout the year, making the food supply unstable. Ever since the war, the civilians of Paesali were forced to share their crops with the local garrison, making the situation direr.
People were not dying of starvation left and right, however. The townspeople adapted quickly. What were originally the descendants of farmers became ardent hunters, looking for food beyond the stream. The forests around them could not sustain the population forever, which is why they counted on Nohr to win the war.
(But, is it really Hoshido's fault? Did they really impose an embargo on us?)
That was a story for another time. Corrin and his patrol stopped as soon as the three criminals did. The woman pointed at a large cliff in the distance.
"At the base of that cliff is an entrance." She explained. "Our dealer lives over there. She has multiple customers every fortnight."
"Thank you." The prince replied. "You are free to leave."
"… Lord?"
"If this operation fails and you were present, the arms dealer would know who turned him in. Your lives would be in danger."
Jakob and Felicia watched his lord curiously. Arthur on the other hand was fuming angry. Nothing upset him more than the perversion of justice. For Lady Elise's sake, he stopped himself from interrupting her brother.
"What do we do?" One of the men questioned.
"The guards already confiscated all of your loot and are returning it to the residents. You only need to tell them I didn't press charges." Corrin shrugged.
"Oh… thank you milord!" The long-haired brunette hugged the prince.
Corrin awkwardly hugged back and let go of her immediately, but the civilian clung onto him. Suddenly, her stomach growled. The woman backed away, fixing her hair in embarrassment. They were still hungry.
"Hold on. Take this."
The prince asked Effie to toss over the bag. He put his hands inside and pulled out three golden bars. They already had thirty, so it was not a particularly large amount. The two men's eyes gleamed when they saw the shiny currency.
"Each one of you, take a bar." Corrin ordered. "This should last you long enough to learn how to hunt or something. You three sure are fast…"
"Th-thanks milord!" A man exclaimed. "Praise! Praise be to Lord Corrin the great!"
"Keep it down!" The young prince hissed. His friends, excluding Elise, were already starting to get mad at him.
Tears began forming in the woman's eyes. "You- we won't forget this! Please come back once in a while. We'll treat you to something nice. We promised!"
"Yeah, yeah. Quick, leave!" Corrin pushed the three away.
The former criminals waved as they disappeared into the brush. The royals hoped they were not tricked, but they already gave the gold away. Arthur was perhaps moved by the young prince's generosity, as he stayed quiet for the entire ordeal.
"Hmm. That was unnecessary." Jacob scoffed. "Those peasants had no right receiving any favors from you.
"We'll talk about this later." Corrin reassured. "Let's get going."
The three sneaked through the brush towards the base of the cliff. Indeed, there was a cave entrance hidden under there. Candles lit the inside. They had found Gatekeeper's hideout.
"Let's go in." Princess Elise grinned. "The real criminal is here!"
Felicia slowly drew out her dagger. "I hope I don't miss this time."
The cave entrance was not even well-hidden, and after only one turn into the cave, they found human life. A slender woman with long, red hair tied in a ponytail was sitting on a table. She wore adventurer's clothes, and smiled at the patrol.
(Gatekeeper?)
Corrin approached Gatekeeper. Behind her were several weapons of Nohrian, Hoshidan, and foreign production. The redhead simply smiled warmly and stood up.
"Welcome to my shop! Looking for something? We're selling discount iron swords at only 300Gs each. They might not have many uses left but-"
"Are you Gatekeeper?" The prince asked.
"Yes, owner of this humble store." Gatekeeper giggled. "You can call me Anna, however. Tell me, young man, what is it you want?"
A mischievous gaze flashed across Anna's eyes. She looked like another one of those people Corrin could never suspect as a criminal. Her clothing came from an expensive tailor and she looked well-mannered. Then again, it was illegal wealth.
Corrin put on a half-smile. He could pretend finally look cool in front of his sister and friends. "I want you." The prince said.
"Ahaa." Anna giggled, deciding to play along. "I'm sorry, handsome, but that's not for sale. I don't have an insurance policy for it. Unless…"
"No, I mean I want you to come with me." He said. "As Prince Corrin of Nohr, I am placing you under arrest for illegal distribution of weapons."
He pulled out Ganglari. Despite her seemingly friendly appearance, Gatekeeper could have been responsible for hundreds of unauthorized weapons sneaking into criminal or enemy hands. She had to be treated like a security threat.
"Aw. I was beginning to like you." Anna tilted her head and frowned. "Well, I figured your response was going to be lame. Sorry about this!"
From a compartment underneath the table, Anna picked up a ball and threw it onto the floor. It was a Hoshidan smoke bomb – the same variant Omozu used. Inside the cave, there was nowhere to run. Corrin covered his eyes and coughed.
When he opened his eyes, a horrid sight revealed itself in the smoke. Anna had snuck on an odd mask to filter out the smoke, and had Elise under her right arm. In the other was an iron dagger, threatening the princess.
"H-help!" Elise squirmed.
"Princess Elise!" Effie shouted.
"Listen, prince." Anna took off her mask. "I have an amazing deal for you, given I'm outnumbered. Want to hear it? It's a limited time offer."
The malevolent redhead no longer had a smile on her face, despite having complete control of the situation. Felicia and Jakob took aim at Anna.
Corrin grimaced at the hostage situation. "Tell us what you want."
"I will leave this town, and you will never see me again." Anna said. "In turn, I let this sweetheart go and tell you some interesting news.
"And what news is that?"
"Something about a disappearance from Castle Krakenburg."
(Wait. Anna knows something about Flora's disappearance? How?)
"We'll take it!" Elise shouted immediately from Anna's grasp. "Right Corrin?"
The prince looked back to Arthur and Effie. Though they were angry, they had to agree with their master. Anna's eyes lightened that her offer was acknowledged. They could not believe he was going to let a fourth criminal leave unpunished
"Deal." He said.
"Excellent!" Anna said, loosening her hold on Elise into a friendly hug. "Here's how the exchange will go. Everyone drops their weapon first. I spill the beans on the disappearance. Then, you will purchase my remaining wares!"
Jakob lowered his dagger-throwing hand.
"That was not part of the original deal." He complained.
"You need proof that I'm 'eliminated', right?" The redhead explained. "You can obtain all of my wares, to prove I can't sell anything anymore! It's a lot more pleasant than bringing back a corpse. Plus, I'm having a liquefier sale today!"
"Tell us what you know." Corrin put Ganglari onto the ground.
(I hope we have enough gold…)
Anna winked "Alright. Someone from your castle went missing right? I know exactly where they went. You need to look in the Ice Tribe Village!"
Felicia gasped. "There? But Flora said we couldn't go back… Was she kidnapped by the tribe's members?"
"Nope! This person went back on her own accord. The chief is planning a rebellion soon! If they don't get stopped, well, things get ugly."
The prince looked at his servants in confusion. Felicia never told him to Ice Tribe was hostile to Nohr. Jakob on the other hand appeared utterly mortified. He could not believe the answer was right under their noses the whole time.
"We need to rescue her immediately!" Corrin said. "Maybe we can convince them out of rebelling against us."
The redhead grinned. "Good idea."
(Nobody asked you!)
"Then we must make haste." Arthur said in dismay.
"That's all the information I have! Now the second part of the deal – you guys get an amazing, happy discount!"
The prince paused. Anna had no reason to tell the truth, but she knew too much about Flora's disappearance for it to be a coincidence.
"Awesome!" Elise exclaimed. "Discounts are good!"
"Aww, you're so adorable!" Anna hugged the princess proudly and put away her dagger. "Take a look around."
Corrin approached the shelves of weapons behind them. There were katanas, naginata, lances, and weapons of all sort. All of them looked new and high quality, even for army standards. King Garon would definitely prefer this bounty.
"How much are they worth?" Effie grunted.
"Thirty bars of gold for the whole thing!"
The prince lowered his head. "Bummer. We only have twenty-seven bars."
Anna looked genuinely surprised, as if she expected the patrol had an oddly specific thirty bars. She thought for a moment, then nodded. On command, Effie threw the bag towards Anna. The Gatekeeper kicked open the bag and inspected the inside.
"Twenty-seven will have to do." She declared. "Thanks!"
Before anyone could respond, the redhead threw another smoke bomb onto the floor. The patrol shielded their eyes and began coughing again. When the air cleared, Anna and the bag of gold disappeared. A baffled Elise and the weapons stash remained.
"Princess Elise!" Arthur ran up to her. "Are you alright?"
"Yup!" She smiled. "I'm not hurt at all!"
Corrin tapped his feet. "You heard her, right? We have no time to lose. We must leave to the Ice Tribe immediately! There is no time to call over a regiment."
"What about all these weapons?" Jakob brought up.
"We'll alert Paesali garrison, and order then to prepare us wagons." The prince said. "We'll bring it to Krakenburg along with a letter of explanation."
"Alright!" Felicia hopped up and down in worry. "Come on! We need to save my sister from... rebelling!"
In hindsight, Anna's information about the Ice Tribe worth more than any gold can buy. They found out where Flora was, and why a Nohrian patrol disappeared in the area. The patrol would be taking a detour, but Father never assigned them a time limit. Corrin prayed they would make it in time.
Secretly watching them leave from a tree. Anna scribbled on parchment vigorously. She attached the message onto a large messenger raven. Unlocking the cage, Gatekeeper let the bird free into the sky, towards Windmire.
[…]
LORD LEO
INFORMATION & SALE COMPLETED
ON THEIR WAY TO ICE TRIBE AS PLANNED
FIRST PAYMENT RECEIVED
CORRIN SHORT 3 BARS OF GOLD
PLEASE MAKE UP IN SECOND PAYMENT
CHEERS
GATEKEEPER
A/N: Thanks for reading!
As before, please vote in the poll on my profile. It is actually important to the rest of the story, and closes in precisely three chapters.
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