A Song of Conquest and Birthright
Written By
El Jaguar
Chapter Two
Songs I listened to while writing:
Dearest - Ayumi Hamasaki
Don't Think Twice/Oath - Utada Hikaru
Sakura Drops - Utada Hikaru
Reminder - The Weeknd ft. ASAP Rocky & Young Thug
All The Stars - Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Pray For Me - Kendrick Lamar & The Weeknd
Summary:
In a land where darkness rules the west and light reigns high above the east, war is on the horizon. A great dragon is returning, and in the lands of Nohr, sinister and supernatural forces are at work to bring ruin to all. At the center of this conflict is Prince Noctis of Nohr, the second son of the reigning monarch and loved by his siblings…
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Leon disliked the Nightfort.
He was born the Third Prince of Nohr, at the royal capital of Windmire to the south, in the broad Darkwood Vale. The valley there was fertile, once teeming with the tall eponymous oak that had been mostly cleared away centuries ago for homes, farmsteads, and holdfasts. The few darkwood groves that remained were situated near the holdfasts or Windmire itself, several acres of old forest scented by moss and moist were, ancient and primal and untouched as the city grew around it.
The Nightfort was the opposite. It was an ancient fortress, built during the Dusk Age by those blessed by the Dusk Dragon. The landscape was incredibly bleak and its commoners equally so, with holdfasts scattered and surrounded by wild foothills and the jagged snowcapped mountain range where conspiracies of wyverns dominated the skies. Those untamed beasts often hunted prey at the few farmsteads or loom over the stony mountain paths used by wayward travelers such as Leon and Xander. Many considered it a dangerous place and rightly so, yet it was here Noctis had called his home for five years, ward to the greatest knight in all of Nohr and Lord Commander of the Knights of Dusk.
Bearing this in mind, Leon naturally was puzzled by Noctis's inability to even land a single hit on their brother Xander. Ouch, Leon thought as he watched Noctis land flat on his back with sword in hand after unsuccessfully guarding against Xander's counter. The Crown Prince of Nohr stared at Noctis with dissatisfied eyes. Leon shook his head with an amused smile on his face.
"I shouldn't have expected any different." Leon sighed. "How do you ever expect yourself to defeat the strongest knight in Nohr with such a poor performance, Noctis?"
"S-Shut up, Leon..." Noctis gruffed as he struggled to get up, falling short to bended knee.
"Struck a nerve have I?" Leon's smile shifted to a smirk. He was being cruel but he did so enjoy testing his brother whenever he could.
"Giving up so soon, Noctis?" Xander asked, but gave Noctis no chance to respond. "I expected more of you since our last visit. You are the Second Prince of Nohr! Stand up and come at me again!"
To his credit, Noctis did stand. Leon expected as much. Despite his love for sleep, Noctis was always determined to prove himself in the eyes of their brother Xander.
"Brother I..."
"We are the blood of the Dusk Dragon, Noctis," Xander exclaimed, his stern gaze made piercing by his maroon eyes which reminded Leon of dried blood. "Our house established the Kingdom of Nohr during the Dusk Age and so rightly our people look to us for guidance and judgment! It is our divine duty to train ourselves and hone our talents so that we may stand against our enemies and defend Nohr!"
"I know," Noctis murmured dejectedly.
"Father has been kept informed of your progress," Xander added. "If you cannot stand against me and land a solid hit then he may never permit you to leave the Nightfort. Ever."
The indignified horror that spread across Noctis's face was priceless. "What?! That's insanity! Did he really say that?!"
Xander readied his sword once more, the blade gleaming from the light of the torches that illuminated the top of the Moon Tower. "Motivated now, are we? Good! Use that fire I see to best me this day, little prince! If you truly seek to return with us to Windmire, if you wish to prove that all the time Lord Gunter and I have spent training you weren't in vain, then beat me here and now!"
Noctis came at Xander once more, and Leon watched as his elder brothers trade blows from their blunted swords. Though obviously tired and sore, Noctis continued to put pressure on Xander, adding more power with each of his swings and thrusts to break through the crown prince's defense. Yet Xander held firm, and when he caught Noctis' sword with his, he pushed their blades left and rushed into Noctis, bringing his pommel up and stopping just mere inches from his face.
"The blade isn't the only part of a sword that can be used in battle, little prince," Xander smiled, lowering his sword and pushing Noctis a few steps back. "Now come at me again, or I'll ring your head like a bell."
"Gladly!" Again, Noctis lunged at Xander with burning determination. "Though you'll be the one ringing, brother!"
"We'll see about that!" Xander parried the horizontal swing of Noctis's longsword and countered with an overhead slash. Noctis barely managed to avoid being struck before being driven back by Xander onslaught. The Crown Prince held firm and defended as a shield, waiting for his opponent to tire and get sloppy and then would counterattack with all his power like a dragon. Noctis barely managed to guard against a powerful cut to the head that would have ended the spar then and there, but it left him unbalanced.
"This is it!" Xander declared, going in for the final stroke. Leon watched and with certainty felt Xander would triumph with one last stroke.
Only it did not happen as Leon predicted.
Much to his surprise, when Xander went in for a sidestroke to finish their bout, something changed in Noctis's footing. He raised his left arm and pushed, deflecting Xander's slash away, then he performed a pirouette, closing the distance between them right under Xander's nose. The crown prince's face scrunched up in pain as Noctis's counterstroke landed into his ribs, denting his plated armor. Before Leon's mind could register the fact Xander had at last been struck, Noctis struck their elder brother again. His sword slammed into the back of Xander's right leg and swept him off his feet onto his back with a crash.
Leon surveyed the scene in utter bewilderment.
Noctis leveled his sword down, the blunted point mere inches from Xander's face. "Yield," he insisted with haggard breath, his hair glistening with sweat made apparent by the torchlight.
Despite the shocking defeat, Xander smiled. "Well done, little prince."
Noctis returned the smile and put his sword away under his left arm and offered Xander his right hand. The crown prince took it and was helped to his feet.
"You've grown stronger," Xander said.
"Thanks, brother," Noctis said. "I wouldn't have become nearly as strong without Lord Gunter's guidance and your, uh... tough love." It was then that Leon watched Noctis's servant Jakob come forth and take both the blunted swords away and in their place gave them each a clean towel that they used to wipe away the sweat. Jakob had been so quiet that Leon had forgotten he had been watching from afar.
"Thank you, Jakob," Xander told the butler as he lifted his circlet and wiped his brow.
"Aye, thanks, Jakob," Noctis added. The butler smiled and bowed respectfully to them.
"Shall I fetch refreshments, my princes?"
Xander shook his head. "That will not be necessary. However, I do need some time to speak to the little prince privately."
Jakob took the hint and excused himself, leaving the three princes of Nohr alone atop the Moon Tower. Xander watched Jakob leave before returning his attention to Noctis once more. "I believe you have a natural talent with a blade. Someday you may very well grow into one of the greatest warriors Nohr will ever know."
"Now you're just teasing me," Noctis commented.
"You know that I never jest of such serious matters, Noctis," Xander remarked. "I meant every word. You may very well be the one to shed light upon on kingdom so long shrouded in darkness."
Leon's eyes narrowed on Noctis, who appeared taken aback by their brother's praise with his mouth hanging open like a tongue-tied buffoon. I'm right here, Xander… The Third Prince crossed his arms over his chest, tapping away on his forearm with his left fingertips as he felt an odd sensation prick him in the wrong way.
"Typical of you to put swordsmanship above all other arts," Leon retorted derisively, his eyes flickering to Xander. "You realize that true strength is more than simple swordplay, right?"
Noctis turned his head and frowned in displeasure. "Leon, he didn't mean it like that..."
Xander chuckled despite the evident anger in Leon's tone of voice. "Calm yourself, little brother," he added a disarming smile. "You have always been competitive to a fault at times. As I've told you in the past, you're magical prowess and genius intellect are quite formidable."
"Hn." Leon slouched and lowered his arm, his anger fading. "Just reminding you that one's skill with a sword, ax, or lance are not the only roads to power." Far from it, as Leon had discovered in his effort to escape his eldest brother's shadow. As heir apparent, Xander was groomed from birth to one day rule Nohr, and as such had been raised up to follow martial pursuits most befitting a Knight of Nohr. Leon had sought other means and of his own accord discovered his innate talent with sorcery. It was a talent that Leon honed like Xander had with a sword and one that made Leon one of the most powerful dark mages in the realm.
"You're right," Noctis said, much to Leon's surprise until he saw a smirk form on his brother's lips. "Another road to take is getting dressed while not being half-asleep."
Leon flushed. "Ugh! You're never going to live that down, are you Noctis?!"
Noctis released a brightened laugh. "Not a chance!"
Xander smiled. "Indeed, it is not very often that you find yourself on the receiving end of things, Leon."
"Hmph." Leon crossed his arms and furrowed his brow as he turned away from Xander and Noctis, but could not help a small smile. Yes, he envied Noctis… but he could not bring himself to hate his brother. Not now, not ever. Even if we do not share the same blood. "Do not think to butter me up with your talent for equivocation, Xander."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Leon."
A shriek overhead was heard in the skies above. They turned looked up into the abysmal clouds south of the Nightfort and saw them, a squadron of wyverns and their riders flapping their mighty wings for the ancient fortress. As they came closer, Leon recognized some riders carrying banners emblazoned with the royal standard of Nohr and the House of Duskfyre, and one carrying the banner of the Order of the Dreadwings, a black wyvern soaring upward on a field of indigo with black borders.
"It appears that Camilla has returned from Cheve," Xander said brightly.
The wyvern riders descended upon the Nightfort and landed mostly in the courtyard, some making landfall atop a few of the castle towers. A large black-scaled wyvern with golden irises landed on the tower they stood upon that Leon easily recognized as Camilla's personal wyvern mount, Marzia. Sure enough, the princesses dismounted from atop of the mighty warbeast and instantly Leon blanched in shock at Camilla's state of dress. It was a far cry from her usual attire; his sister's lavender hair was flowing and she was dressed in black and gold composition that did nothing to expose her flesh, with fur lining around her collar and the end of her black gloves, and long heeled riding boots that hugged her legs with gold buckles. Her sash matched her hair color and was thin like a veil, wrapped around her thin waist, with a black fur-lined cloak made to shield her from the biting cold skies.
It looks like Xander's talk with her about modesty finally bore fruit. Elise was also dressed modestly in black and white with pink that complimented her rosy smile and long blonde hair. Even in high heels, Elise wasn't tall and despite recently reaching the age of marriage, she retained her picturesque, childish and innocent appearance.
Regaining his composure, Leon cleared his throat. "Rather about time you decided to join us," Leon greeted his sisters. "I was beginning to wonder if perchance lost your way here from Cheve, Camilla."
The violet-haired princess of Nohr shook her head, turning to Leon with a smile. "Not at all, Leon. We simply took the scenic route on our way here. It has been ages since Marzia and my Dreadwings had a chance to fly through these mountains."
Her eyes flickered to Noctis, her expression changing almost instantaneously to one of concern. "Oh my, Noctis look at you! You look worse than the last time you had your practice bout with Xander!" She rushed up to Noctis, reached out and with tender care took his arm in her hands. Noctis flinched to the pain. "My poor little prince! Xander, you brute! What did you do?"
"C-Camilla please!" Noctis flushed in embarrassment, pulling his arm free from his sister's grasp. "I'm perfectly alright!"
"I'm only concerned about your well-being..."
"Thank you for your concern, as always," Noctis quickly added. "However, I'm fine. Brother and I were merely sparing so that he could assess my growth since last summer."
"Well, if you did happen to be hurt or sore, let your dear sister know. I'll take extra-special care of you..."
"I'm worried about you too, Noctis!" Elise interjected with a pout. Noctis and Xander both let out a laugh.
"I know Elise," he said. "You wouldn't take the time to come and visit me if you didn't care so much, right?"
Elise giggled cheerfully. "Do you like when I visit you, brother?"
"Of course! I'm not allowed to leave the Nightfort, as you know. Your visits are all I look forward too!"
"Yaay!" Elise threw herself into Noctis, who twirled her around to avoid being driven on his back by her loving embrace.
Leon sighed at the display of such affection. A young woman she may be, but his sister had the mannerisms of an outgoing commoner from Windmire. "Elise, would you stop acting in such a manner?" He chided his youngest sibling. "You're a princess of Nohr! When are you going to act like the proper lady that you technically are?"
Elise huffed. "Shut up, Leon! Since when was my happiness such a bad thing?"
Leon's face flushed red. "I-I never said that-"
"Well, I for one believe her cheerfulness is an excellent complement to this gloomy kingdom, Leon," Camilla interjected on Elise's behalf. "Perhaps you ought to take a page from her book, my dear little brother."
Noctis nodded in agreement. "Well said, Camilla. I believe many should take a page from Elise and be a bit more cheerful. Everyone would always have a positive outlook on life if that were the case!"
"And I'd even be more annoyed." Leon quipped. Though he loved his sisters, he found himself often annoyed by Elise's childish antics and Camilla always dotting on both her and Noctis.
"You're always annoyed, though, Leon." Elise quipped.
"S-Shut up, Elise!"
"Make me!"
"Enough you two," Xander commanded. Both Leon and his sister obeyed at the stern tone their eldest brother used. "I'll not have you two bickering on this most long-awaited day. Before we speak any further, though, I'll know how your visit to Cheve went."
Leon's eyes fell on Camilla once more, as did all others. She crossed her arms beneath her bosom and let out a sigh, her shoulders slouching. By her posture, Leon could tell that it had not gone so well, but did any royal visit to Cheve go well nowadays? The previous lord of the southern bulwark had been arrested, tried and executed for treason against the king after attempting to rally the southern lords of Nohr in rebellion and his lady wife soon died of grief afterward. The people of Cheve had become resentful towards King Garon and his blood ever since.
"If you mean to ask me if the knights of Cheve will rise up in rebellion, then I can tell you no… " Camilla answered, crossed her arms under her bosom. "At least for the time being."
Xander grimaced, as did Leon. "Truly, is it so dire?"
"My knights captured several suspected rebels within hours of my arrival." Camilla continued, playing with her hair. Her face was sullen and her porcelain brow furrowed. "I had them sent to Windmire for questioning, and they are only the ones that were bold enough to try something. Though Lord Reinhardt has been able to keep the peace, you could cut the tension with one of the daggers everyone's eyes were throwing at Elise and I."
"Lord Reinhardt was courteous to you and Elise, right?" Noctis asked with a look of concern.
"That he was, my dear Noctis," Camilla answered with a small reassuring smile. "Unlike the rest of the people living in the city, Lord Reinhardt was quite the gentleman. Though he wasn't without his outrageous requests."
"Outrageous requests?"
"He asked that I help him convince our royal father to lower the taxes and restore Cheve's old knightly orders. He even went as far as to offer his daughter's hand in marriage to any one of my brothers."
Leon was nonplus at the prospect of marriage. He recognized it as a duty that he would have to fulfill at one point in the future but he was confused by the Lord of Cheve's offer. It was no secret among the noble-born of Nohr that Lord Reinhardt's daughter was his precious treasure, and no doubt the situation had to be as desperate as it was rumored if he was willing to offer her hand.
It was truly either a blessing from the Dusk Dragon that the Chevois hadn't rebelled yet. Cheve had once been a country in its own right and famed for its highly-skilled knights, rich culture, and incredible dedication to the five chivalric virtues of knighthood. It was also one of the fertile countries west of the Bottomless Canyons with a healthy amount of sunlight that allowed it to become wealthy in barley, rye, wheat, and vineyards that supplied most of the wine in Nohr. Xander had squired under a Lord Commander to one of Cheve's three knightly orders and had achieved his knighthood there. Leon could still recall the devastated look on Xander's face when he had learned that their royal father's armies invaded Cheve without warning and quickly shattered its three knightly orders in battle after battle. The city of Cheve itself was sacked and its streets ran red with the blood of the entire Chevois royal family. The knightly orders were forcibly disbanded and the Chevois nobility was purged to signal Nohr's successful annexation of the country.
"What did you say?" Leon asked.
"That I'd do everything I can so long as he did the same." Camilla brought her hand to her temple and rubbed it. "Though I'm no fool. Father will never do such a thing."
"Why not?" Noctis stepped forward. "If it means stability being brought to one of our kingdom's most important territories, then why not simply accede to Lord Reinhardt's request?"
Leon's mouth tightened in anger. As if it were that simple. Unlike the rest of them, Noctis had not bear witness to King Garon and his arbitrary sense of justice and fairness. Their royal sire ruled with an iron fist, and in his eyes acceding to the request of any he deemed an enemy was an act of weakness that would undermine his own rule. He'd sooner have the Chevois rise up in rebellion just so he could put them down with force rather than show any form of leniency to them, regardless of whether they were now his subjects or not.
Xander turned to Noctis with a grim look. "Even if our king acceded to Lord Reinhardt's requests, the people of Cheve won't simply be satisfied, Noctis."
"But... why not? They are Nohrians just like we are!"
"Are they?" Leon replied, sardonic. "Do tell our royal father. Cheve has been apart of the realm for several years now, and he's never been able to tell the difference."
"Leon!" Xander scolded, yet Leon didn't care to hear it. He was in no mood for a scolding from his brother, even if the Crown Prince was still sore about Cheve's fate.
"All I'm saying is that the Chevois aren't doing themselves any favors with this dissidence."
"Regardless of what happened seven years past, the people of Cheve are Nohrians!" Noctis interjected strongly. "Agitating them further will do Nohr more harm than good. Our royal father should-"
"Aye, he should do something," Leon interrupted, maroon eyes ablaze as anger rose within him. "And you want to know what he will do, Noctis? Do you want to know why they call our royal father King Garon the Ruthless?"
All of his siblings stared at him differently. Noctis's expression was like that of a child that had suddenly been slapped without warning. Elise had a fearful look in her eyes that betrayed her exuberance. Camilla gave him a careful, measuring look. It was Xander's that Leon had been prepared for. Any grimness in his eyes from earlier had been replaced by a stern glare and furrowed brow.
"Speak no more ill words of the king, Prince Leon," Xander commanded, his tone both formal and dark. It was Crown Prince Xander Duskfyre that now stood before him, not Xander his beloved brother.
Leon averted his gaze and gave but a silent nod. It was not often that Leon tested Xander's patience, but it would not be this day.
"X-Xander..." Noctis said, licking his bottom lip. "What did Leon mean by..."
Camilla took Noctis's shoulder in her hand and pulled him to her side, offering a gentle smile. "Put it out of your mind, my little prince. "
"Yeah!" Elise said, jumping in excitement. "We have something important to tell you, right Xander?!"
Xander nodded, turning to Noctis and his sisters. His stern expression had soften, light returning to his eyes. "Indeed. We did not come here to discuss matters of state. Noctis, I have good news for you."
"Let me tell him, Xander." Camilla took Noctis's hands in hers and gave him another bright smile. "We have wonderful news for you, Noctis. Father has asked us to have Lord Gunter release you as his ward. You are to return with us to the capital!"
As Noctis's face broke into one of pure joy and excitement, Leon could not join his siblings in their reverie. His mind wandered back to the Great Hall of Castle Krakenberg, to his father when he spoke to his advisor Iago about Noctis and his plans for him that made the twisted, despicable shell of a man that was Iago giggle in contemptuous glee.
And Leon's heart wrenched in agony for him. He will stain your hands with blood, Leon thought as his eyes rested on Noctis. How desperately he wanted to tell him yet could not muster the will to oppose their father. As he made us stain ours.
"Leon?" He looked up to Noctis, who appeared worried for him. "Is something wrong? You're strangely silent."
Leon so desperately wanted to tell him the truth behind father's summons. Leon opened his mouth and for an instant believed he could, but closed it before the words could escape his throat. After the briefest moment of hesitant contemplation, Leon settled for a forced smile.
"Not at all, Noctis," Leon answered. "Father will be pleased to have you back in the capital.
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Author's Note: Yeah see, Camilla is not going to wear that slutty ass piece of fan service the devs tried to pass as 'armor'. Not only was it impractical, revealing to the point of being a joke, but it is completely unnecessary. Camilla will be more than fan service. No character deserves such butchery.
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El Jaguar