AN: It's been a while. I've been stuck with this story for a while, and I had other plot bunnies sieging my mind. Hopefully this will start the ball rolling again. Thank you for all your patience, and enjoy!

Since it's been almost three months, to recap: Corrin was kidnapped by Grima a.k.a. Robin, and Nohr and Hoshido are still at each other's throats. Both sides visited the Rainbow Sage to find Corrin's wereabouts, and the Rainbow Sage broke the curse that prevents speaking and Laslow, Selena, and Odin was revealed. The three tried to make Hoshido and Nohr at peace, but the Nohrian royalty rejected their retainers, and Hoshidans left as well.

000...000

Chapter Six

"What do we do now?"

The situation was dire. They had just lost all their allies in this world, and now, they had nothing but the clothes in their backs and their chosen weapons. The three had long since walked out of the town were the sage died- and now was in a vast field of nowhere, lost, not knowing what to do.

However, not all was lost, not truely.

Odin was the first to recover from his shock, as realization crept up to him. This, this could be a chance. Odin's face bloomed with ephiphany.

"I, Odin Dark, have the most perfect solution." He paused dramatically, hand splayed to one side as he wiggled his fingers and eyebrows at them.

Selena raised her eyebrows in turn.

"Follow our hearts!" Odin shared his discovery proudly, almost excited to do what he wished to do for a long, long time. Not that he had known what he wanted to do, but it was all so clear now that all the responsibilities that weighed them down were gone.

"Our hearts...?"

Selena grasped the words sooner. "For once, that buffon is right." She smiled wryly. "Fighting Hoshido, we never thought it was right. The war is wrong. We know better." Her face shifted into one of determination.

"Odin, no, Owain is right."

The three met each other's eyes.

They had grown up listening to tales of Exalt Emmerlyn and those of Chrom and Robin. The current Nohrian way was something they should never have agreed with, something that only their pale imitations could follow.

They were Owain, Inigo, and Severa.

It was due time to wake up.

"Then we all are in the same page, I assume?" Inigo looked to his two companions, his two best friends who had been with him through thick and thin. He flashed them a charming smile. "Good luck."

"A journey to follow our hearts! My blood boils with just the thought." Owain gave a dramatic bow; elegant, fancy, boisterous, and just plain Owain. "Farewell, my friends!" Severa snorted. "Just don't die, idiots," she said without heat.

The three backed away, and turned, each to their chosen destination. It was so obvious now that they thought of it.

Their footsteps became more confident with each step they took. Soon, they were already far apart. Owain's lasts words were still clear when he shouted across the empty fields, however, and they engraved it to their heart.

"May we meet again, my friends, in triumph!"

The other two nodded. The actions might have been unseen, but they all knew that the sentiment was echoed. Finally, they would do this world right.

...For the first time in many, many months, their hearts were light.

Xander, Leo, Elise, and Camilla dreaded arriving back at their castle. Never had their castle felt so gloomy and hopeless; it was like a weight weighing down their shoulders. They still trudged on, however, braving themselves and reaching to the foot of the throne.

Xander was ahead, like he always was, tall and proud, with Leo just right behind. Camilla would have been there too, if not for Elise. Elise strayed even further than usual, and Camilla hung in the middle, trying to stay with her brothers while trying to be there for Elise at the same time.

They stopped in front of King Garon's throne.

"Father," started Xander, voice grave and solemn.

Garon's face, so grey and withered, broke into an unexpected beam. They had not seen their father in such a positive mood in, well, since forever.

"Congratulations, my children!" crowed the King of Nohr in victory.

The four siblings' faces froze.

Garon talked continuously without heed. "Hoshido's pesky Queen dead, the barriers fallen, and Corrin dead as well?" His laughter was coarse and unnaturally high pitched as it rang across the entire throne room. "I never expected anything less, of course." He smiled widely. "You indeed are of my flesh and blood. True Nohrians, indeed."

Elise was the first one to find her voice.

"Corrin isn't dead! She's just kidnapped!" yelled Elise angrily rolling her feet.

Garon tilted his head slightly, looking like a large, predatory bird. "…Is it now?" He asked, face darkening. "Iago?"

The Nohrian tactician scurried out from the shadows. "My lord-"

The words were lost to them as the hateful tactician pointlessly began to make his excuses on his wrong information. "There was a portal my lord, she was taken in, surely she must be dead!" None of them wanted to stay in the room any longer. And Elise, pure, joyful Elise tightened her fists into a ball by her sides. It trembled. She tried to press it to her sides, but could not stop the trembling.

"You… You…"

Leo realized what Elise would do even before Elise did. He turned, suddenly very, very concerened. "Elise- " Elise lunged, barely caught just in time by Camilla who was the closest to her.

"Let me go, Camilla," growled the little princess.

She struggled against her sister's iron grip. "Let me go!" Camilla covered her sister's mouth with her hands, expression grim.

Garon watched the proceedings with a twisted smile.

"Father, I apologize," said Xander quickly. "Elise is not herself."

"Is she disagreeing how profitable it would be if Corrin was dead?" The man's eyes sharpened wickedly. "Do you disagree that it would be fortunate if that girl was to die, Xander?" He glanced at the other two, observing their facial expressions. "Camilla? Leo?"

"We-"

The words stuck in their throat.

"Well?" asked Garon maliciously.

Something crossed Xander's face just then. A resolution, determination, maybe a fit of rebellion, but he had made his mind up all the same.

"I disagree."

Garon's eyes flashed. Leo's face was in a grim line, and Camilla…

"Xander! You don't mean that," she said. Her beautiful face was marred with anxiety and fear for her older brother. "Father, please-"

"I'm sorry, Father," interrupted Xander. "But I believe Corrin to be an asset for Nohr, despite her Hoshidan heritage. There was a small gasp from Elise. "You are the one who told us to treat her like a sister, Father. Is that not reason enough for us to trust her?"

The king tilted his head back, face a blotchy grey. "And now I am telling you that she is untrustworthy," he said, stressing each word. "I'll ask again. Do you still believe her to be an asset?"

Xander did not respond. He would not bend, not this time. Not ever again.

"Camilla?" the King rasped. "Leo? Anything you wish to add?"

"…"

"Hans," ordered Garon. "Escort Prince Xander to his rooms. He will be under house arrest, until I command otherwise." He turned back and focused on Elise. "I'll forgive you of your disgraceful behavior, Elise, but Xander..." He watched them intently, but found nothing in their blank expressions. "As the crown prince of Nohr, you should know better by now."

His cold gaze swept them, twisted smile fixed on his face.

"Dismissed."

AN: I can't say that I like the first half of this chapter- but I don't think I can make it less awkward/cheesy. Hopefully this isn't as bad as I think it is...

Posted Date: 11/19/16