Awakening of Fate
Chapter VIII: As the world turns

Corrin may have physically been present at the meeting, but his mind was currently wandering. He was lost in a haze of revelation and emotion as he thought about what to do next. He wasn't concerned with any of the details he might be missing from the meeting since he knew most of it anyway from Robin herself. Taking a brief respite from his thoughts Corrin looked out at the woman in question.

The way she stood at the front of the room in its center was natural. She made sure to scan the room evenly so that it never felt as though she was focused on more than one section but addressed the members as a whole. Her stance and tone of voice carried with them a natural tone of authority and charisma as she went over the details of their expedition. Robin would pace back in forth but never out of nervousness or anxiety.

From where Corrin sat it look as though she paced so that everyone could get an even look at her. She kept their attention with subtle hand motions pointing to the topographical map that laid out several routes they could take if the primary one became unsuitable to their needs. Corrin was mesmerized by her, but it made his realization hurt that much more. He caught Robin catching him staring at her and noticed the subtle wave directed towards him.

Corrin sighed silently and lost himself in his thoughts again. The meeting finished up after about half an hour or so and the shepherds filed out of the room with little talk between them. Azura had begun to leave with Chrom and the others but noticed her cousin still sitting down. Waving the others good night Azura closed the door and walked over to Corrin, inspecting the young man's face.

"Something troubles you cousin." Azura stated pointedly, which was slightly uncharacteristic of her.

Corrin sighed and nodded before standing up to walk over towards the far wall. Azura took the now vacant seat and pulled her knees up to her chin in anticipation of Corrin's response. The young man raised his arm to the wall and leaned against it as he tried to formulate a response. Finally, he exhaled loudly and turned to face Azura, leaning on his back now.

"Robin, Chrom, Lissa, and the others can't come with us; not really anyways." Corrin stated breaking the silence between the two of them.

"What do you mean they can't come with us?" Azura asked a small frown on her face.

"They promised their support for when we go back to our homeworld of Valshidohr." Corrin stated.

Azura nodded and continued to stare at Corrin.

"They can't come with us though without leaving their own world in danger. The threat proposed by the Plegians and Grima is too great for them to travel across worlds for any extended period of time." Corrin stated.

Azura's frown deepened at the young man's words.

"What brought about this line of thinking Corrin?" she asked never breaking eye contact.

Corrin sighed loudly and shook his head. "Robin, or at least whatever feelings I believe I may be starting to grow for her." He stated.

Azura was expecting something deeper than the response she got but didn't let the surprise show on her face instead opting to keep her frown.

"You've only known her a few days Corrin, but I would be a hypocrite to chastise you for developing feelings so quickly." Azura proclaimed.

"You have found someone you have feelings for?" Corrin inquired more hastily than normal.

Azura nodded and closed her eyes letting her most recent memories of the person she cared for surface to the forefront of her mind.

"We shouldn't dally, Chrom." Azura stated and tried to follow after Robin. She was restrained slightly by Chrom who held her wrist in a firm but gentle grip.

"Wait for me, I have to retrieve something." Chrom stated and Azura nodded as he went to retrieve his mysterious item.

Moments later Azura saw Chrom reappear, this time he had Falchion strapped to his side and Azura suddenly realized that he had forgotten the weapon which caused her to giggle loudly. Chrom blushed lightly and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Chrom extended his hand to Azura who slipped her own between his fingers comfortably.

The two azure-haired royals walked from the bathing area towards the war room together. They would consistently sneak glances at one another and in turn look away when they were caught. On one such occasion Azura misstepped and would've fallen had it not been for Chrom's firm grip on her. Their pose was such that it looked as if they were in the final motions of an extravagant dance.

With a firm yet gentle tug Chrom pulled Azura to her feet. Righted into a standing position Azura found herself face to face to Chrom. More accurately she was looking up into his eyes, standing just a few inches shy of being eye to eye with the prince. Azura doesn't know what possessed her to do what she did next but in a split second she stood on her toes and brought her lips against Chrom's in a soft peck-like kiss.

As quickly as the action had been taken it was over. Azura found herself standing flat on her feet and gazing back into Chrom's uncertain expression and she felt her maiden heart gripped in icy tendrils of fear. Although it was no more than three or four seconds before Chrom reacted the time felt like years to Azura and the fear threatened to crush her heart. That was it threatened to crush her heart until Chrom placated her fears with a kiss of his own upon her lips.

Unlike her peck which she had done quickly, Chrom kissed her properly. Azura felt his arms wrap around the small of her back. Chrom's eyes had slowly closed until his lips captured hers. Azura closed her eyes in response as she felt herself melt into the kiss willingly. Her body pressed forwards into Chrom's own while her arms wrapped around his neck.

Their kiss in that moment was perfect, so much so that Azura felt herself hungry for more. She felt herself standing once more on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss as her arms pulled Chrom down closer to herself. Azura didn't know she could be so bold and decided not to stop with just the previous motions as she opened her mouth slowly and slid her tongue along Chrom's lips.

The prince replied to her unspoken question with his own tongue sliding onto hers. Their kiss deepened even further when Chrom's hands slid to Azura's buttocks and gripped tightly before lifting the woman into the air. Moving quickly Chrom steadied Azura's body between himself and the nearby wall. Her legs wrapped naturally around his waist in a predatory-like fashion and their kiss was deepened to the breaking point as their heads shifted back and forth.

Their tongues and lips were locked in an intense, passionate, heavy, and slightly feral game of tongue-of-war. Time was lost to the duo as their make-out session intensified. They were lost in the lust, lost in the love, lost in each other. When finally, their lungs screamed for air did Azura and Chrom finally break their embrace, each of them breathing heavily.

Their chests rose and fell in unison and they gazed into one another's eyes. Chrom's deep ocean blue irises were locked onto Azura's amber almost golden—colored ones. Slowly Azura relaxed her legs around Chrom and he in turn lowered her to the ground but still kept the woman between himself and the wall. Azura felt Chrom's hands leave her butt and rise up to the small of her back once more.

Neither spoke a word as the closed their eyes once again and pressed their foreheads together. No words needed to be said for them to realize what was going on. In the end they finally separated from one another and continued on their way to the war room, this time when they stole glances at one another they didn't look away in embarrassment but rather smiled softly to each other.

Azura sighed contently as she thought of the moment, but Corrin merely looked at his cousin, confused. Azura noticed Corrin's expression and began to tell him what had transpired between her and the sword-wielding noble. Corrin smiled at the end of the story seeing hope in the future for both him and Azura.

"This changes nothing though, Corrin." Azura stated rather bluntly with a hint of pain in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked.

"No matter what I may feel for Chrom and you feel for Robin you were right in your initial assessment. They do have their own lives to live and world to protect. We can't bring them into our conflict. No matter how much Chrom might say it is ok we both know that it is wrong." Azura answered.

"We can't stop them from making their own choices though. If they choose to follow after us of their own will, who are we to say no?" Corrin counter-questioned.

"We would be their friends, people who cared for them and their world. For the sake of their peace I think we both should let go of our feelings." Azura choked out tears coming to her eyes.

"I refuse to accept that. I know how I came out initially and in hindsight it was a moment of weakness. Azura we have both been locked up and sheltered in different ways. These budding emotions are new to me and I believe they are to you as well. The unfamiliarity about them scares us and we don't want to hurt or be hurt. I'm going to pursue these feelings I have for Robin but in a way that she understands the possible outcomes." Corrin stated

Azura looked at Corrin with a mixture of emotions. "So, you would use and abuse her emotions for your own benefit?" she asked rather harshly.

Corrin shook his head and looked Azura in the eyes. "No, I would not do that to her Azura, never that. I would tell her how I feel and hope she felt the same. Hopefully we can go closer, so I can ensure my feelings for Robin are genuine."

Azura wiped the tears from her eyes as she calmed herself. "You are right in that these feelings of mine are new. I am afraid of them and of the future. I am afraid of once again losing people precious to me. Growing up in Hoshido I was always a quiet girl and socially never truly accepted. The royal family treated me well enough, but I never felt like one of them. I never looked for a suitor nor was one ever sought out for me. After all I was neither the crown prince nor princess of the realm and had very little to offer in terms of a dowry."

Azura sighed loudly. "With Chrom things are different, he accepted us and pledged support to us. He has done everything he can to make us comfortable and I think my feelings of gratitude and admiration may have mixed together. Like you I will see how genuine my feelings for Chrom truly are."

"We will keep ourselves guarded but not closed. They are our friends and allies. We both know we feel something for someone, but we don't want to hurt them with ignorance or naivety. Take things slow and steady to see where it leads us." Azura spoke looking to Corrin with thoughtful eyes.

Corrin nodded to his cousin as he thought about how best to proceed with his current endeavor. Moments later Azura stood told him they had an early start tomorrow and proceeded to leave the war room. Corrin followed after Azura and they made it to their respective bedrooms in silence before bidding one another good night.

Kingdom of Hoshido

A man knelt down in front of an open partition that led to a garden of Sakura trees whose blossoms littered the ground in a beautiful haphazard fashion. The man wore a solid combination of red and white. The base of his uniform consisted of white cloth garments; a pair of pants, shirt, and coat. The red pieces of his attire were armored. He wore gauntlets and greaves to protect his hands, arms, feet, and lower legs respectively. He had pauldrons on both shoulders and a breastplate to cover his upper torso using an armored girdle around his waist. The final piece of his attire would have been the armored headgear that doubled as a crown.

The red of the crown matched the red of the man's long flowing spikey hair. He had a fairly impressive and lithe build about him. Strapped to his left hip was a fairly impressive looking sword at least if the sheath was anything to go by. Ivory white with gold accents were obvious signs of the level of importance and worth the weapon had.

Behind the man on a lower level of the room knelt three figures. They were all dressed similarly in light clothing with bladed forearm bracers. Of the three figures only one of them was female. She was dressed in a magenta-hued pink outfit with a thick girdle-type belt wrapped around her midsection. In addition to that she also wore a soft-colored orange-yellow scarf around her neck. Her hair was dark brown, almost black and styled in such a way that the right half of her face was covered with long bangs but also tied off in the back.

To her left knelt a man. His attire consisted of red with dark brown and splashes of blue. His shirt was deep red with dark brown sleeves. His pants were a lighter shade of brown than his sleeves and he also had light padding on his thighs. Like the female he also had a girdle like belt but his was thinner and blue instead of brown. His attire was accompanied by a black shell-type mask which covered the lower half of his face as well as a blue scarf around his neck. The man wore his bright red hair short. It was buzz cut on the sides and tied off short in the back. The front had a few bunches of hair that stood up like a cowlick with a single bang hanging from it. This man had a long scar across his right eye although at this point in time both eyes were closed as he knelt before the man in front of him.

The final member of the trio was also a man and situated to the left of the man in the middle. The first and probably most noticeable thing about him was his green-blue hair. He wore it freely in no discernable style. His color palette consisted of green, purple, and black. His shirt was black with long sleeves worn underneath a green vest. His belt was purple and his pants also black like his shirt. He looked similar to the man in the middle save the missing scar over his right eye.

"So, after all that time you have spent out in the world, the three of you come back empty handed?" the man in white and red asked?" his voice was neither loud nor soft but held an authoritative tone to it.

"Forgive us Lord Ryoma." The three said in unison.

Ryoma stood to his feet and turned around to look at the figures. "No, I came off as too harsh." He told them.

"Saizo, Kagero, and Kaze raise yourselves, and look at me." Ryoma commanded causing each person to immediately come to their feet.

"Kamui is my brother and he is still a Hoshidan prince. Azura is my sister and still a Hoshidan princess. We all know of their defections from participating in this war. At the time I thought they betrayed us to join Nohr but the Nohrians also attacked them. I need to correct this error in judgment and apologize to them both. To that effect I have dispatched as many of our ninja from your clan that we could spare in order to locate them. It has been almost a month since that time and we have heard nothing about either of them." Ryoma stated

"My Lord if I may speak freely, might our forces be better utilized gathering information on the Nohrians. Every day we hear reports of them encroaching further out from their own land and towards Hoshidan territory. The neutral villages between them and use are slowly being assimilated into the Nohrian territory. Their already impressive numbers will have surely grown." The middle man stated.

"Saizo, as ever your council is welcome, but we don't have the manpower to face them in open combat which is why we our expanding our own territory slowly and shoring up each expansion with defensive means only. Villages that have been neutral from our conflict for years are now being asked to pick a side. We must be respectful of the ones who decline our offer and formulate our defense in response to it." Ryoma spoke.

"They're fools to deny our protection." The woman stated looking off to the side. "When the Nohrians come and take their homes by force only then will they call for aid."

"If that is true then we shall give it to them Kagero." Ryoma stated simply casting a gaze over to the young woman.

"Lord Ryoma, with the way things are shaping up I believe the skirmishes of our two nations will soon break out into open conflict. Neither side has openly declared war on the other but that's only because each is preparing." The final man spoke softly.

"Is there a point to your rambling Kaze or are you just wasting time?" Saizo asked looking to the man.

"Yes, brother there is a point. Lord Ryoma, I believe it might be most prudent to look into the various tribes who have also pledged neutrality but also have their own means of defense as allies but also the possible hiding spots for your missing siblings." Kaze suggested.

"You mean the fire and wind tribes, don't you?" Ryoma asked narrowing his eyes at the man.

"Hoshido has always had friendly relations with the fire tribe and Corrin himself rescued one of their members from the Nohrian King Garon. I doubt they would turn him or Azura away had the two of them reached out for aid. The wind tribe does practice a more extreme form of neutrality and considering that neither of your siblings choose a side but were instead attacked by both might draw sympathy." Kaze elaborated further into his reasoning.

Ryoma crossed his arms bowing his head and closing his eyes in deep thought. It was sound logic and he couldn't refute it but to forge an alliance with the Wind Tribe might cost more than he was willing to pay. The Fire Tribe might be easier to start with. If by chance his siblings were with either tribe then it could help strengthen the alliance further.

"Very well Kaze, for your next destinations go to the free tribes and extend an offer of alliance to them while also searching for Kamui and Azura." Ryoma commanded.

Kaze nodded and his gesture was mimicked by Saizo and Kagero as the three of them vanished in a puff of smoke and leaves.

From outside the partition the sound of slow clapping could be heard. Ryoma turned slowly with a dour look upon his face. He saw entering from the outside a young man barely out of his teens with long white hair carrying a bow enter the room. The archer walked until he was only a couple of yards away from Ryoma before he stopped clapping.

"So, you are still holding out for the Nohrian scum that pretended to be our family?" the male asked.

"Takumi, what have you to report?" Ryoma asked of the male, completely ignoring the question.

"Three more villages have joined our kingdom and donated to the construction of the fourth wall." Takumi replied pulling out two rolled up scrolls and tossing them to Ryoma.

"Brother, you are wasting resources having the ninja search for those traitors." Takumi continued as Ryoma opened the scrolls.

"Takumi, I know how you feel on the matter but neither Kamui nor Azura have betrayed us." Ryoma said in an even tone.

"They aren't standing with us; how can you say that isn't a betrayal?" Takumi asked while gripping his bow tightly.

"They aren't standing against us either. They are standing on their own in opposition of the war itself." Ryoma clarified.

"Perhaps that is true; but Kamui killed our mother, or did you forget that. That alone is proof of his betrayal." Takumi countered.

"Kamui had no idea the sword was going to do what it did or that mother was going to step in front of the explosion to save his life. It was Garon and his cruel manipulations. Kamui was merely a puppet to all of this." Ryoma reasoned causing Takumi to scoff.

"He is right you know, Kamui is innocent in all this." A soft female voice said from the opposite way of the open partition. Walking up to both males was a young-looking woman dressed as a shrine maiden in a white top with red skirt. Her hair was soft pink almost creamy hued.

"Sister" Takumi spoke somberly.

"Sakura" Ryoma said at the same time as Takumi with a soft smile on his lips.

"Takumi you shouldn't stay mad at our older brother and sister too long. Kamui and Azura are doing what they believe is right. They don't want to see us hurt or hurting anyone which is why they're looking for a way for us to peacefully exist with the Nohrians. At least that's what I believe they're doing." Sakura stated poking her finger tips together while inwardly pointing her feet nervously.

"There can be no peace so long as a single Nohrian is left breathing." Takumi stated with a sense of finality before running out towards the doors Sakura herself had just used to enter the room.

Ryoma shook his head at his younger brother's retreat and turned to Sakura, the youngest member of the surviving royal family. He couldn't recall a reason for her to being here right now but allowed her to stay as he went back to kneeling in front of the partition. The young girl attended to him with tea and cookies before following suite and kneeling before the partition.

They knelt in silence for a good half hour or so before the beating of wings broke their trancelike silence. Opening his eyes Ryoma watched as a winged horse came rocketing down from the sky and swiftly rose up before hitting the ground, banking hard around the trees in the garden before him. Sakura blossoms flew in every direction as the animal lapped twice around the garden before finally landing in a gallop and slowing to a trot. When the creature finally stopped moving the pegasus' rider dismounted and walked over towards both Ryoma and Sakura.

The rider was a slim woman, so much so that if not for the small mounds of her breast and the clothing currently worn she could be mistaken for a man. She wore her red hair in a short cut ensuring her bangs wouldn't blind her eyes. Her clothing consisted of a single sleeveless high-collared dress that was colored with a creamy white stripe down the middle with red on the outside. The dress was short barely coming down to a quarter of her thigh from her waist although considering she primarily rode a pegasus it was understandable she needed to spread her legs.

On her arms she wore a full-length sleeve of armor consisting of an armguard and pauldron as well as elbow guard. The young woman's choice of footwear was a pair of long thigh length boots that just barely topped over her knees. Strapped to her back was a long spear-type weapon with what looked like a sword blade attached to one end.

"Big sister!" Sakura cried out before running over and hugging the newcomer warmly.

"Greetings Hinoka, I trust everything went well." Ryoma stated as he stood to his feet.

Hinoka hugged Sakura and looked over to Ryoma with a smirk.

"You better believe it brother. The Nohrians were stopped and routed away from our border with ease. I'm sure they'll think twice before using that path again." Hinoka proclaimed.

"And what of our damages?" Ryoma asked, noticing his younger sisters end their embrace. Sakura looked up to Hinoka with that question, concern in her eyes.

"We lost five percent of the soldiers dispatched to the area." Hinoka stated grimly.

While five percent wasn't too bad in the overall scheme of things it was still lives lost and that was always a dispiriting notion. Ryoma sucked his teeth hard and began pacing. Hinoka saw her brother's mood changed and dismissed Sakura from the area. Walking up to where two pillars stood in the upper area of the room, Hinoka leaned against one.

"We could've prevented the losses if we had more intel on the enemy. You keep sending our ninja spies to remote locations brother and I don't see the strategic value to it." Hinoka stated.

"They're looking for Kamui and Azura, while also reporting anything of importance that may give us an edge in the coming war." Ryoma stated.

"Kamui and Azura, they are gone big brother. They had a choice to make and they didn't choose us." Hinoka stated with a hint of pain in her voice.

"True but we can't forsake them Hinoka. Don't forget the Nohrians are also looking for them. What do you think would happen if they were found by our foes?" Ryoma asked.

"Most likely they would be executed or used as pawns to get us to surrender." Hinoka suggested.

"Exactly and what would we do if we found them?" Ryoma inquired once more.

"We would…we would…" Hinoka couldn't answer.

"We would let them live freely. You know they haven't betrayed us Hinoka, they just don't want to fight." Ryoma explained.

Hinoka looked over to Ryoma with a sad smile on her face. "Yea, I know." She said simple before walking over and hugging her brother warmly, letting her tears fall freely. "I don't want to fight either."

"Only one side wants this war sister, and it isn't us."

Kingdom of Nohr

Screaming could be heard echoing within the nearly empty halls of this castle. Crying was a more accurate term however. The source of this crying was a young girl with blond hair styled into thick twin pony tails that came down to the girl's waist. She wore a black dress accented with a white middle section and pink trim which matched the pink bow she wore around her neck. She was currently pounding her tiny fists against the midsection of a heavily armored young man with similarly blond hair. The sight laid out would've been comical in any other circumstance if not for the sad bawling child.

"You can't do it Xander!" the blond girl nearly shrieked between her tears and crying.

"You can't kill Corrin, he's our brother!" she continued.

"Elise, Corrin left us on that battlefield. When given a choice between us and the Hoshidans he didn't pick us." Xander spoke his voice firm and strong.

"He didn't pick the Hoshidans either. Both you and the other Hoshidan attacked him. And now you want to kill him because he ran. You're a bully Xander, a great big bully and all you're doing is bullying Corrin." Elise cried out as she slid to the floor onto her knees still hitting Xander.

"Elise, you are a princess, stop behaving like a brat." Xander shot but this only made his sister cry harder.

"No, not until you promise not to kill Corrin!" Elise shouted back.

"I can't do that sister. Father has ordered us to kill Corrin so that he can't team up with the Hoshidans against us." Xander replied taking a step back from Elise.

His armor was jet black save the middle section of violet and the golden accents that lined the entirety of it. He wore a purple cape that came to the upper half of is back. Finishing his outfit was a circlet atop his head that adorned him like a crown. Xander sighed heavily and turned away from Elise. She never saw the look of pain that crossed his face nor the tightening of his fists.

The clap-clap of something clattering rhythmically against the stone put a halt to Elise's bawling and caused the girl to turn around. Walking down the hall, hips swaying in a seductive manor came and armored woman. Like Xander this woman's armor was jet black with yellow accents lining it. She wore no pants, in a traditional sense, instead wearing armored boots that came up to her out waist but left her pelvic area bare save the panties-like garment she wore. Her breastplate covered the entirety of her torso but wasn't connected to the other pieces of her armor.

In fact, none of her armor seemed to connect like Xander's seemed too. Instead each piece was individually worn leaving the woman's mobility non-restricted. As she approached Elise and Xander the candlelight of the hallway illuminated her features. She had thick, curly, long purple hued hair. Her hair was so long in fact that it perpetually covered half her face at a time.

She had a soft smile on her face and a slightly mischievous glint in her magenta-red eyes. When she was a few feet away Elise ran over to her and began crying again, more softly than before. Xander turned his attention to the young woman and relaxed slightly, ever so subtly that only those close to him would've noticed.

"Camilla, my sister." Xander spoke simply.

"Big sister Camilla, stop Xander. He wants to kill big brother Corrin." Elise told her sibling.

Camilla looked down at Elise with a motherly expression on her face. She pet Elise's head softly and quietly shushed her. Elise's sobs stopped but she never released her hold upon Camilla.

"There there Elise, dry your eyes. You know how father feels about crying." Camilla stated before looking over to Xander.

"What's this I'm hearing about killing our dear younger brother Corrin?" Camilla asked her brother.

Xander sighed once more and leaned against a nearby pillar. He was silent for a few minutes as he got his thoughts together.

"Father delivered the verdict to me a few moments ago, and to the other army leaders as well. In nearly the month since Corrin's defection we haven't heard from him. As such he has been labeled a traitor to Nohr and we have orders to kill him on site in order to prevent him from joining up with the Hoshidan forces." Xander explained to his siblings.

Camilla's face fell slightly at Xander's words. She adored her younger brother Corrin. She adored all her siblings but Corrin always held an extremely special place in her heart. Hearing the mandate from her father that she would have to kill him tore her in two. She would never defy her father not even for Corrin's sake it would seem.

A fresh wave of tears threatened to fall from Elise's eyes along with a pair of recovered lungs worth of bawling. Camilla held her sister warmly and closely to her well-endowed chest. Her normally cheerful demeanor hidden behind her hair as she lowered her head allowing her entire face to be covered. She wouldn't let the other's see her cry. She couldn't let them see it.

A door opened from the side and Xander turned his eyes to the sound. The young man who appeared looked as if he could have been Xander's clone, albeit a bit younger than the original. He was dressed in heavy black armor like Xander with a similar circlet atop his head. Even his blonde hair was styled short like Xander's own but in a slight bowl cut as opposed to Xander's royal style.

He walked from the eastern portion of the hall which was Camilla's right, Elise's left, and opposite of where Xander was facing. The young man's nose was in a book but he looked up when he sensed others around him. He gave the situation a quick once over before closing his book and leaning on the pillar opposite of Xander.

"Siblings, I didn't know we were having a gathering." He spoke with an air of indifference.

"Leo, this isn't an official gathering. I've just come from a meeting with father and the other army leaders." Xander informed the newcomer.

Leo tightened his jaw at the mention of their father but kept his calm otherwise.

"What new orders has father given us?" Leo asked looking from his older siblings, Xander and Camilla to Elise who was the youngest of them all.

"Father wants us to kill big brother Corrin." Elise spoke before Xander could answer.

Leo could barely hide his surprise as his eyes widened. He looked Xander directly in the eyes but his older brother didn't try to deny the accusation, or rather the order. Leo knew that traitors were always dealt with the death sentence and while he had been hurt like the others when Corrin refused to join them he didn't want his other older brother to be killed. He quickly began thinking of some way to save Corrin from this dark fate.

"Xander, what was the exact order father gave in regards to Corrin? Please recite it to me verbatim if you could." Leo asked his sibling while grabbing his chin.

"The traitor prince Corrin of Nohr is to be considered hostile. So as not to allow him to team up with the enemy Hoshidans all units are ordered to kill him on sight." Xander answered. The response left a bad taste in his mouth.

Leo smirked and looked at all his siblings before focusing on Xander. "Are you certain those were father's words or as close to what he said as you can remember?" Leo asked for confirmation. Xander nodded.

"Then there is a chance to save him." Leo said while slamming his right fist into his left hand.

Elise and Camilla looked over to Leo with hope and surprise in their eyes. Xander's interest was piqued but he facial expression never changed.

"Don't tease us Leo dear. If you know of a way to save our darling sibling Corrin, then tell us." Camilla stated as she stood to her feet.

"Simple we capture the Hoshidan Prince Kamui." Leo stated with a smirk. The look of confusion on his sibling's faces caused Leo to smirk harder.

"Think about it, father's orders were to capture the traitor prince Corrin but we know from our encounter on the battlefield that our sibling was born in Hoshido as a Hoshidan prince. Therefore, father's orders are invalid. He must not have known of Corrin's true name. we will capture our sibling and present him to father as a hostage to use in our campaign against the Hoshidans. With Corrin safely back with us there is no chance of him getting hurt in the war." Leo explained.

Elise's eyes which had been slightly puffy from her tears instantly brightened with this news. The hope she thought lost returned like a thunder bolt. In an instant she was up on her feet and dancing around Leo in a playful manner. Camilla crossed her arms and smiled affectionately towards her sibling. The only one who still looked dour was Xander and he soon made it apparent why.

"There is one problem with that plan, Leo." Xander stated causing the others to look at him.

"Corrin himself is a huge factor. We have to first capture him, and then keep him contained for the entirety of a war. Do you really think our brother will make it that easy?" Xander asked.

Leo shook his head but his eyes never lost their resolute edge. "No, I don't believe he will just let him get captured but we have to at least try. He grew up in Nohr, Xander. Corrin is our brother and he deserves the chance to redeem himself. Even if all that awaits him is a lifetime of imprisonment it is better than the alternative of death."

Xander walked over to Leo and looked down at his younger sibling. "You would subject Corrin to that suffering?" he asked.

Leo stood unflinching in front of the older male. "If it meant saving his life yes. He may resent us for it for a few years but when he sees the good we did by saving him then he'll forgive us, I'm sure of it." Leo replied

Xander looked over to Elise and Camilla and could tell by their expressions they stood by Leo's opinion. They would do everything in their power to capture the wayward noble their sibling was. He knew he couldn't win the argument and in truth he didn't want to. He smiled softly and relaxed his shoulders.

"He gets once chance to surrender peacefully. Corrin may be our sibling and a citizen of Nohr but he is also a threat to our people. First and foremost, we are royals of Nohr and as such our duty is to our people." Xander told the others.

The look he gave them told them on this he would not be budged. Camilla and Leo nodded easily enough in understanding. Elise was more hesitant than the others but finally relented and agreed to her eldest siblings' terms.

"Since we're all on the same page then let's figure out how to bring Corrin home."

Halidom of Ylisse

When Chrom awoke the next morning, he had the Shepherds moving like a well-oiled machine. The preparations made days before paid off immensely and within hours of waking the group had already set off. They used a standard traveling formation as they headed north. Frederick rode ahead of the caravan which was pulled by four other horses. On the left side of the caravan Sully rode her horse with Corrin and Vaike walking slightly behind her. On the right side of the caravan Stahl rode his own steed and had Robin walking behind him along with Azura. Chrom and Lissa rode in the front of the caravan with Chrom at the reins. In the back along with most of the supplies were Sumia, Felicia, Virion, and Miriel.

The first day went by very slowly and uneventfully. The group passed by other travelers but nothing much happened. They made good time and distance because of the weather conditions. The group ate while they traveled taking break for the horses occasionally. It was almost dusk before the Shepherds decide to break for camp, they choose a quiet area off the side of the road with a meadow in front of them and forest to their back.

Most of the shepherds had decided to relax even further and enjoy the peaceful evening with light merriment. Chrom, Frederick, Corrin, Robin, and Azura were all in one tent as Robin went over the next day's itinerary. Frederick narrowed his eyes at the amnesiac and motioned for Chrom to speak with him off to the side.

"My liege I don't think it is wise to place so much control of the army in one person's hands. Robin is good but we must not lose our autonomy as a group. Remember we fought and won battles before her and we can continue to do so without her aid. Should the worse happen and Robin falls in battle we need to be able to think for ourselves." Frederick cautioned.

Chrom nodded to the older man and turned to look at Robin. He could understand where Frederick was coming from with his concerns and decided he'd communicate the matter with Robin. With his piece said Frederick excused himself for the night. Chrom continued to watch Robin with Corrin an Azura.

The two foreigners, although if Robin's claims turned out to be true it would be three foreigners, were huddled around the map of the area. Robin was teaching Corrin and Azura the basics on how to read maps. The both of them seemed to absorb the knowledge quickly and took mental notes on everything that was shown to them.

Their lesson lasted for roughly half an hour before it was late enough for the two Vallite royals bid Chrom and Robin good night. Alone with Robin Chrom walked over to the young woman as she continued to scan the map. As he got near her Chrom felt the strange wave of emotions hit him that he encountered when he had first met Robin. The strange attraction that was unexplainable.

"Robin, about our strategy…" Chrom began but stopped when Robin turned to face him. He had noticed it once before but like before Chrom said nothing about the young woman's shifting eye color. The normal hazel-brown colored irises were now blood red. Robin walked over to Chrom tilting her head to the side with a curious expression on her face.

"Chrom, have you ever wondered what these brands of ours truly mean?" the tactician asked as she stood mere inches away from Chrom.

Chrom could only reply with a silent shaking of his head.

"I think it means that someone long ago decided our bloodlines would be bound to the chains of fate. We would be puppets in their game with all our choices predetermined for us." Robin elaborated.

"Really, then does that mean we have no free will?" Chrom asked Robin noticing now just how close she was to him.

"Who knows, everyone has their own beliefs. I can say though that my beliefs contradict my thoughts because I truly and honestly believe we are the masters of our own destinies and free to break the chains of fate that try to bind us." Robin stated before wrapping her arms around Chrom's neck and pulling him into a deep kiss.

Chrom wa surprised but didn't break away from the action. He didn't want to, not with the way he was feeling. He couldn't explain it but right here and now the connection he felt towards Robin felt tangible. His arm felt warm and within the fading light of the tent Chrom could see the glow of both his and Robin's brands shining brightly.

You may believe we're free to make our own choices but I think our brands may disagree with the way they're reacting to one another. Chrom thought to himself as he resumed kissing Robin deeply.

The two were so lost in the embrace of their kiss the never noticed the set of eyes peeking in on them or the soft patter of feet that slipped away into the night.

A/N: had to rewrite this damn chapter 3 times due to not making proper backups. each revision was longer and more detailed then the last. i really like this version.