Nina's Plan

"Ugh," Niles shook his head, "Leave it to me to turn a simple mission like this and turn it into a family drama. Sorry, guys," He said to Silas and Corrin. Nina and Éponine were discussing something in the corner – they both looked upset with each other.

"It's okay, but I am more concerned about the 'Contracts out for our death' business . . ." Silas commented, "What should we do, Corrin? I mean, Éponine said she would send her guys to search for the posts and would meet us later."

"I think we should go back to the palace and at least inform Leo of the situation . . . I wouldn't bother Xander, though. He has more on his plate – this is the last thing he needs to worry about," Corrin said.

Éponine and Nina walked over to the main group, "I will meet you at the rendezvous point in five days, at dusk. By then I should know of the correct coordinates and we can make our move. I suggest getting rest and refreshment, as well as making sure you have all of your weapons and salves up to date."

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Niles said.

"Also . . . I want you to take Nina for the time being."

"What?" Nina and Niles said in unison.

"My work is more covert – I can't have amateurs slowing me down. I figured you could at least keep her out of danger while I gather intelligence."

". . . I mean . . . sure . . . but are you all right with this, Nina?" Niles asked.

"I, um. I suppose . . . Don't think this changes anything, though. I don't know you – I'm not sure I want to know you," Nina said sharply.

"Watch your tongue, girl," Éponine folded her arms, "You are already in trouble. Don't push your luck with that attitude of yours."

"MY attitude? You keep treating me like a child – and now that it's convenient for you, I get to hang out with my father? I asked you SEVERAL times about him – and your answer was always the same. Now that I'm a burden to you, you throw me at him?"

"You are not a burden. You – "

"Save it, Mother. I'm done talking with you. Sure, why not, I'll hang out with the Father I never knew. Who knows? Maybe he'll fill the void that you left in me. Good bye, Mother. And good riddance."

Éponine took two steps toward Nina and smacked her.

"Rush to your own conclusions, fine, but the truth is you'll be dead in mere minutes if you tried to do what I do. You want to see the real world? The world that I've hidden from you? You lived a sheltered life and was given everything I never could have. Save your bull shit for another day, Nina. Go, fill that empty gapping void. At least you never went hungry, cold, or homeless. But sure, I'm a monster for having this life that I could never abandon – a life that refuses to leave me be. A life that was never meant for you, and here you are, rushing into it with open arms. You want to see the devastation for yourself? Don't come crying to me when it's too much for you."

Éponine walked away before Nina could retaliate, "Stealing is a sin. In my youth, you could easily get killed for simply trying to survive. Don't pretend like you understand a damned thing about this life." She vanished without another word.

Nina touched the sore spot on her face – blood pounded in her checks. They would never stop arguing about this, that much she knew. She turned to face her . . . father . . .

He seemed unsure what to do – he might have only agreed to watch her for Éponine's benefit, not to actually get to know her. She already decided it wouldn't be worth her time to fully understand her father's position and was disowning her mother. At the first chance she got, she would ditch the old man and find her own path.

"Um . . . Well, then, shall we head back to the castle?" Corrin said, equally unsure of how to react.

"Castle?" Nina asked.

"Yes. Windmire isn't too far away and I think we need to talk to Leo."

"The castle is heavily guarded as well," Niles agreed, "So it's not like anyone would be dumb enough to make a move while we are in the safety of Castle Krakenburg . . . not unless they wish for quick death. The only problem is reaching there without running into enemies."

". . . We should be extra careful. Nina, can you fight?" Corrin asked.

"Yes! I have my bow – I can protect myself."

"Okay. Let's get moving, then," Corrin ordered, "We better stop in town first to make sure we have everything we need . . ."

They moved out in quiet awkwardness. Nina opened up to Corrin mostly and a little bit to Silas, but Niles had very little to say to her. What was there to say? 'Sorry I didn't know about your existence – wanna be friends now?' That didn't quite cover all the issues they had, nor did it seem likely. Though it seemed like Corrin and her were becoming best buddies.

Well, at least she'll talk to someone . . .

Niles wasn't even really jealous of the fact that Nina would talk to Corrin – he wasn't surprised, either. Corrin had this natural ability to make people trust him and for good reason, too. Had he been a different sort, he could have used that to a different advantage.

He found it funny how much alike Nina was to Éponine – her attitude, her demeanor . . . he didn't see much of her combat skills, though. He did notice she was an archer; something that Éponine never aspired to be.

He thought of a few ways to break the ice, but there was a lot of tension between the two of them, plus the residual tension left by Éponine.

Niles walked toward Corrin and said in a hushed voice, "Hey, can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Haha, since when do you need permission?" Corrin laughed.

". . . True . . ." Niles sighed, "I wanted to know how you're holding up."

"Huh? Me? Why?" Corrin tilted his head to the side, eyeing Nina who was (probably) imagining Silas and Corrin as a couple – a fantasy of hers that she 'accidently' let slip out, "Shouldn't you be more worried about her?"

"It's just . . . I know that I did some things in the past that may or may not have a way of catching up to me. But this is a new extreme, even for me and it . . . um . . . well, I have a daughter now . . . and that kind of impacts us both?"

"I suppose it does, in a way . . . But I'm not that surprised. And I'm definitely not upset or anything."

"Wait, you're not surprised? What does that mean?"" Niles folded his arms.

"Well . . ." Corrin shrugged, "Y'know. The way you used to whore yourself around, it just isn't all that surprising to me."

"You little – Oh, I miss the days when you were too afraid to talk to me like that. I'll just have double up your punishment later."

"I'm terrified," Corrin said flatly, though a slight smirk emerged from the sides of his mouth.

"You should be," He whispered into Corrin's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. Niles smiled, not disappointed in his response.

After Corrin recomposed himself, he said, "You should probably talk to Nina, though. Here, I'll go over there with you . . ."

"W-wait a minute . . ."

"What's the matter?" Corrin asked, "You've chatted up multiple people – man, woman, dog – this should be no different, right?"

"Dog? No, I'll get to that one later . . . It's kind of different when it's family? Except I wouldn't really know what talking to family is like. And I'm NOT flirting with my daughter. There are lines, Corrin, lines that I didn't know I had."

"Huh," Corrin laughed, "Now THAT'S a surprise!"

"You're enjoying this way too much," Niles frowned, "I thought you were the empathetic one and I was the sardonic, sadistic bastard who laughed at other people's misery? Why are you taking my role?"

"To give you a taste of your own medicine every once in a while. Now . . . what's a good ice breaker? All she's talked to me about is 'how good I'd look fucking Silas', which isn't exactly wholesome conversation. Other than her wild sex fantasizes, I have NO idea what else she likes."

"She must have gotten her tastes from me. Makes it no less awkward, but in a strange and twisted sort of way, I'm kind of proud."

"Anyway," Corrin made a face, "WHOLESOME conversation."

"Right. Wholesome . . ." Niles went quiet. Corrin waited. He had no wholesome topics, did he? Corrin sighed – this was going to be harder than he thought.

Meanwhile, Nina started thinking of ways to blow off her father and his party. She kind of wanted to see the castle, though, so she had mixed feelings. At the very least, she made a friend (Corrin) and a potential secondary friend (Silas). Her useless father, however, refused to even acknowledge her.

They were in between towns now – the Fancy Estate and the rich surrounding town were behind them now. They were on route to another town, less fancy and rich, where they could rest for the night. Did they not take into account that Nina – the only woman – would probably want her own room? This already spelled disaster.

The scenery was pretty enough, though. Nohr was not known for its landscapes, but it had its moments.

Nina looked over at Corrin. He was speaking to Niles and she wondered what they were discussing. Corrin looked serious and Niles looked like he was concentrating on something. Were they arguing? She subtly made her way toward them.

She could kind of overhear what they were saying now.

"Come on, it's not that hard . . ." Corrin sighed.

"Yes. Yes, it is. There isn't a single thing I can think of that isn't dirty. All of my 'ice breakers' are innuendos and flirts. I am NOT doing either!"

"Just ask her about her hometown or her friends."

"That's prying. I'm not going to do that. Just because you go up to people you just met and ask them all sorts of invasive questions, doesn't mean I'm going to do the same."
"Woah! I'M the invasive one? Really? ME? Ugh, fine, Niles, you figure this out on your own." Corrin walked away from Niles. The ex-outlaw almost said something, but decided to just let it go. Corrin went over to Silas and started talking with him instead and Niles wondered about Nina's fantasy for a split second. Silas wasn't . . . was he?

No. Of course not. Then again, it was possible . . .

"Careful, Father, you might lose him to Silas," Nina snickered, "That's okay. I've already offered to help him rebound."

"What the – that was rude," Niles frowned, "Besides, Corrin and I aren't really fighting. Sometimes I run my mouth and he leaves for a while and then comes back."

"What does he do when he runs off? My guess is he's hooking up with other guys. Probably more satisfying men, at that."

"I doubt that. I keep him pretty satisfied."

"So you think," Nina winked, "But it's written all over his face. He's bored, you're an asshole, and it's probably time for him to move on. It was great talking to you . . . Father."

"Now wait a second. You aren't going anywhere. I would kill someone for saying that to my face so openly. So you and I are going to have a chat so I don't end up murdering you later."

"What's there to talk about? If you're so sure that he's not going anywhere, then why are you getting so upset?"

"That's beside the point. You are being offensive and rude and I don't take lightly to either of those. Apologize to me and it might make things right between us."

"Ha! As if all the time in the world could make things 'right' between us. We're total strangers – you were my sperm donor, that's about where our 'relationship' ends."

"Great. Now I know where we stand. Get out of my face," Niles stopped in place. Nina did the same thing.

"Why don't you make me?" Nina said.

"That can be arranged, girl," Niles didn't flinch, though inwardly this wasn't exactly how he imagined things going down, "(Corrin, now would be the time to notice and step in . . .)"

"Well? What's the matter, old man, are you going to do something? Or am I going to die of boredom first?" She taunted while folding her arms.

Corrin and Silas took notice of them and Corrin sighed.

"Really?" He walked up behind Nina and looked at Niles. He didn't say anything and Nina just backed away, "I knew you didn't have the guts to do anything."

Corrin sighed heavily, "So, what happened? I see the ice breaker went well . . ."

"It's not my fault," He said, getting more and more enraged, "She was taunting me."

"And threatening her was the appropriate response?"

"I wasn't threatening her. That girl is unreasonable."

"I wonder where she gets that from . . ."

"Excuse me? Now hold on a minute . . ."

"Niles. She's sixteen. How old are you? Too old to be goaded by stupid, childish taunts," Corrin glanced over at Nina, who had her arms folded as she leaned against a tree. Corrin took his attention off of her and placed it back on Niles, "So are you going to tell me what happened or –"

"Why? Are you going to scold me like I'm 12? I'm not sticking around for that."

"I don't want to argue about this. I just want to know what happened."

"Sounds like it," Niles walked ahead and said, "We should get moving before it gets too dark."

"Niles!" Corrin yelled after him, "Hold on a minute . . ."

"No. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to discuss it later. Until then, you can come up with a multitude of ways to blame me for this. I look forward to it."

"I'm not 'blaming' you for anything. I just want to know what happened."

"I think you already 'know' what happened. Anything I say would just be a pointless waste of breath."

Corrin didn't say anything in response. His mind became a blank slate. It was true that what he said came off as what sounded like an accusation, but in all reality he could see Nina being just as much at fault, if not more. Dispelling that tension would be hard enough, but now Niles was becoming hostile toward Corrin – which would only prove to make the situation ten times worse.

He walked behind Niles, trying to think of a way to calm him down. If he came across condescending, that would blow this entire 'argument' out of proportion.

Corrin hated any kind of 'bad' energy between the two of them. For the most part, they were a happy couple. He avoided drama and tension like it was the plague, but sometimes it just couldn't be avoided . . .

Then Corrin wondered about Silas. He was kind of the awkward fourth wheel here in this messed up family drama. It was clear that there was arguing and hostility, and Silas was caught in the eye of it all. Corrin felt really bad about that.

As they walked, Nina decided she wouldn't bother sticking around. Unless her father left the group, she could not stomach being around him any longer. She felt no remorse for what she said and she would most certainly not apologize for the things she said.

No, she would wait and see what happened next, then would bolt again. It would be a little more difficult on her own, but she could find her friends' hideout and continue down her own path. She was bummed that she would miss out on seeing the castle, but this was more than she could handle.

Off on the horizon the next town soon became visible. Corrin decided to wait until they were alone to discuss their problem. Silas was between Niles and Nina. Nina stayed back a few paces, distancing herself from their group. Corrin started to worry. If their morale was down – if they were too busy arguing – that would leave them vulnerable. That could get them all killed.

"Silas, can I talk to you a moment?" Corrin said quietly, "First of all, I am really, really sorry about this. I can imagine how . . . awkward this is for you."

"Yeah. A little bit. What do you need?"

"Keep an eye on Nina while we're in town. I'm going to try and talk to Niles."

"Did something happen?" Silas asked, quickly becoming confused by this situation and not sure how to handle himself.

"Kind of. I'm just afraid that if we're being watched, we won't stand a chance the way we are now. I'm going to try and calm this down."

"Well, all right, I will do as you say."

"Thanks," Corrin assessed the situation again. The town they were coming up on was one of the lesser towns. Since Xander became king, he tried to increase security and jobs to discourage crime. Corrin was a little nervous about staying there, so he wondered if stopping briefly and getting camping gear was a better solution than staying in town. He wished that he brought more people along, but they did not anticipate a difficult task, nor this new ominous threat.

He needed Niles and Silas' thoughts before he wanted to proceed with a decision, but he wouldn't imagine Niles would give him a well thought answer at this point. Silas would, but Corrin made it a conscious effort to make all his comrades feel included in the decisions, not ordered around like puppets.

As they entered town, Corrin said to Nina, "You might find the shops in town and see if there's anything you like. Silas, you go with her and see if we could use anything."

"Okay," Silas nodded.

"Hmm, I wonder . . . all right. I'll see you later . . ." They left and Nina thought about her next move. After they left, Niles snickered.

"So, just me and you, huh? Gods, you're so painfully obvious at times, it hurts. So, am I getting lectured now or we goin' to wait til I'm trying to sleep?"

". . . You remember what Nina said to her mother, right? About running away from home and her not noticing?"

"Hm? What, she said that? I don't remember," Niles shook his head, "Why?"

"I don't know. It's just a gut feeling, but . . . I think she might try to ditch us the minute she can."

". . .Why would you say that?"

"It's hard to say. I don't know her that well, but from what little I do know . . . it just seems like she's looking for a chance to escape."

"Which is why you sent Silas with her," Niles realized.

"Yes. But we should migrate over there, just to be safe."

"Okay. So we aren't going to the Inn first?" They started walking.

"Well, that's the other thing . . . I don't know if it's a good idea to stay here or not," Corrin looked around, "Ever since Xander's crowning, things have shifted. Some people have seen it as a good thing, while others . . ."

". . . Not so much. You're worried that you'll be recognized?"

"We're being pursued. Maybe not yet, but if someone knows something and it gets back to them, we could find ourselves fighting sooner rather than later. I would really prefer regrouping and having some backup before we run into that sort of trouble. And if Nina wants to run away, that could endanger her life. As well as ours. I don't like being in this position. Especially if we all aren't on the same wavelength."

"Well, I'm sorry, but the way she talks to me –"

"Is the same way she talked to her mother. I think I know what she's doing. Let me talk with her later, but for now . . . just try to stay as calm as you can, okay?"

Niles did not answer. Instead, he took a quick check of the surrounding area. It was a little more rundown, but still lively in its own way. Whether or not it was dangerous was yet to be determined.

"And about earlier," Corrin said, assuming Niles wouldn't answer his last question, "it's not as though I was finding you at fault. I do think you could have handled it better, but I'm fairly positive she was instigating it. I'm sorry it sounded like an accusation, but that wasn't my intention. What did she say to you?"

Niles was still silent, but he was listening and processing what Corrin said.

Corrin waited patiently, doing exactly what Niles was doing in the meantime – assessing the town and looking for signs of trouble and criminal activity.

"It was just stupid taunting," Niles lied, not wanting to discuss what she actually said and how upset it made him. Not to mention how he second guessed Corrin's loyalty.

"Hm, Okay," Corrin did not push, but that didn't mean he knew there was more to it than Niles said. If he kept pushing now, it would only make him angry again.

"So . . . what do you think her issue is, exactly? Mommy and daddy issues?" Niles asked earnestly.

"Something like that. I know that Éponine said she wanted children and that she was more than happy to have Nina, but her 'job' probably made it so she was scarcely home. I think it's somewhere between seeking her attention and approval and unsure if having a relationship with you is even worth striving for."

"What do you mean by that, exactly?"

". . . I think she doesn't know herself if she wants to get to know you or not. I think she is curious, but she is also guarded. So if she simply pushes you away, she wouldn't have to face rejection or disappointment."

"Hmph," Niles shook his head.

"I suppose she expects the worse from you, so making you out to be a villain is easier than attempting to establish a relationship."

"You don't hold back, do you?" Niles laughed a little.

"I'm not saying she's right, but I do wonder if that's what she's doing. I have a feeling she's trying to distance herself from her mother . . ."

"Well, maybe, who knows," They were at the shopping center now and Niles said, "I think I'll check out the town a little more in depth while you collect the other two," Niles sighed, "Talk to Silas, see what he thinks. It might be more dangerous to camp out in the open. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done."

Niles turned away and started walking the way they came.

"A-All right. Hey, are we good, then?" Corrin asked. He stopped. Corrin couldn't see Niles' face, but he grinned. He turned a little to look at Corrin, revealing a neutral expression and masking the somewhat mischievous face he had seconds prior.

He grabbed and pulled Corrin in by his wrists – a very sudden movement that caught the dragon prince off guard. Niles slammed him into the wall, unseen by outsiders' eyes. He gasped in shock, then pain. Their eyes met before Niles kissed Corrin just as roughly.

The rogue's hands left Corrin's wrists and grabbed his hips instead, pulling them closer together. Corrin threw his arms around Niles' neck, locking his fingers together and holding on for support.

Corrin pulled away and chuckled, "Is that a yes?"

Instead of answering, Niles slid his hand up Corrin's back, yanked him closer and resumed attacking him. Corrin released his hold and ran one hand through Niles' hair. The other one wrapped around his waist.

Whenever they were this close together, Corrin could always feel roughly the same emotions and feelings. Corrin was an empath and so he could read other people's feelings – happiness, hope, pain, despair – as well as their physical well-being. The more in tuned he became, the better he was, even with people he didn't know. So when he was with Niles, he was overwhelmed by emotions – both good and bad, but always very intense.

Even beyond what Niles felt from moment to moment, there was always something beneath the surface – a certain negativity that was ever present, no matter how much he tried to ignore it or push it down. He brushed it off, merely saying that it was all in the past and there was no way it could hurt him in the present. If that were true, Corrin wouldn't be able to feel it so actively.

Maybe it wasn't dangerous. Maybe it would always be a part of him. But the closer they got and the more involved their interactions, the more it called to Corrin's sensitive feelers. Niles pain became real – Corrin was engulfed by memories of a horrifying childhood with a mixture of hopelessness, despair, and anger.

Corrin didn't always know how to handle that. He expected it, he mentally protected himself from it, but it did overwhelm him. For a long time, in self-defense, he put out an aura of healing. Unaware of that until only a while ago, Corrin realized that sub-consciously he was trying to ease that pain in Niles. Whether the ex-outlaw realized it or not . . . well, Corrin couldn't be sure.

The hand on Niles' back clenched, digging razor nails into his skin. Niles responded in kind, biting Corrin's lip and tasting the blood of a fresh cut. Niles licked it, and pulled back.

"Now look what you made me do . . ."

"Me?" Corrin shook his head, "This is your fault."

"I suppose I could take the credit, this time," Niles let go of Corrin and stepped away from him. Corrin was a bit flustered, as usual. If Niles continued, he wasn't so sure he could will himself to stop. It looked like they were both enjoying it, though, so he had to remember this for later . . .

If they stayed in tonight, he'd have a better chance than if they camped. But if Corrin was really worried of an assault, he might insist on waiting til they returned to the castle.

Damn it all . . . why did the young prince have to be so alluring?

"Such a tease," Niles chuckled.

"You started it."

"I suppose I did. I intend to finish it, too, so keep that in mind."

"Heh. I'm sure," Corrin stood up straight and inhaled, trying to calm himself down.

"Better make sure that brat of mine doesn't run off," Niles reminded him, "Seriously, though, are you okay with all of this?"

"Well, I'm going to have to be. What about you?"

"Hm," Niles shook his head, but didn't give a verbal response.

". . . Do you want to get to know her?"

". . . I guess that depends on her. I . . . wouldn't mind it," Niles turned abruptly and said, "Anyway, I'll give you my final verdict once I've scoured the place. Catch up with you later." Niles left without a response. Corrin sighed – somewhat in relief, but still . . . they weren't in the clear yet. He decided to go look for Silas and Nina, hoping he was wrong about her flighty tendency.

Nina sighed heavily. The shops were boring, she had very little earnings, and Silas was seemingly glued to her side. There was nothing to look at and nothing to buy and she couldn't run away with Corrin's body guard so close by.

She wondered what her father was doing. He and Corrin went off by themselves, presumably. She wondered if they were arguing. She then wondered if they made up. Then she wondered what that consisted of.

'Ew, that's my father,' She thought and huffed loudly. 'I finally find a real-life man on man pairing, and it's my father. Ugh!' She looked frustrated and received dirty looks from the locals.

"Is something wrong?" Silas asked.

"Nope. All good."

"Are you sure?"

"Ugh, I said I'm fine!" She kept walking without much of a word.

"You know, I have a daughter about your age," Silas said, "Maybe when we get back I can introduce you two."

"Wait a minute, how old are you?" Nina stopped and eyed Silas, "I mean, if you had kids, wouldn't they be like 3 or something?"

"Well . . ." Silas chuckled awkwardly, "That's a bit difficult to explain."

"Hm . . ." She did appear curious about that, "Does Corrin have any kids?" She asked.

"No, he never . . . ahem, but there are others of our comrades that had children. All about your age . . . Let's see, at the palace there's Prince Siegbert and Prince Forrest. Princess Ophelia, my daughter Sophie. Soleil is probably still there. Some of the others come and go. Percy is a bit younger than you, but he tends to hang out with the Wyvern Knights. If Lady Azura is there, her son, Shigure, and her daughter, Midori, would also be there."

Silas wondered who was all there. Some came and went to do errands and travel. It was hard to say who was where anymore.

"Hmm . . ." She was genuinely curious. If she kept this pace, she would get to meet a few princes it sounded like. She wondered what they were like.

"Oh, Prince Takumi visits with Lord Leo on occasion, so you might meet his child, Kiragi. Kiragi and Forrest are really good friends as well."

"Ah . . . Hehee . . ." She smiled widely.

"Um?"

"What are Forrest and Kiragi like?" She giggled.

"U-um . . . Well, Forrest is a bit . . . what is the polite word for it? He likes to dress like a woman. He makes everything he wears and styles his hair."

"Aww . . . And Kiragi?" She pushed.

"He is kinda the opposite. He likes to camp and hunt. They make an interesting pair."

"Oooh, polar opposites. Destined to meet! Admiring the other's life style from afar! Hehehe . . . Hahaha . . ." Nina left this plane of existence and traveled to a foreign world that made Silas more uncomfortable by the second.

Corrin found them and noted the look on Nina's face . . . He dared not asked what she was thinking about.

"Hey, I talked to Niles. I think we're all good on that front. He's checking this town to see if it's safe for us to stay here. I was thinking about camping instead. Any thoughts on the subject?"

"Well, I am good with either. Are we all staying in one room if we stay in?" Nina snapped back to reality.

"Oh, no. I'm not staying with three grown men. Not going to happen. Especially not with my father."

"Welcome back, Nina," Corrin sighed, "How do you feel about camping?"

"I've done it before."

"It would literately be no different," Silas said, "We would all still be huddled together, just around a fire."

"But we'd have different tents. If I have to look at my father's face for more than five minutes at a time, I think I might hurl. My vote is for camping."

". . . All right . . . Silas?" Corrin said, though he wanted to pull Nina aside and straighten her tone out before Niles got back.

"Doesn't matter to me. If we camp, we can cover more ground and make it to the castle earlier than later tomorrow. I will go price camping gear for three – I mean, four. No wait, three . . .I assume you and Niles are sharing?" Silas stammered.

"Probably. So should I count that as 2 for camping?"

"Sure, why not. Unless Niles has a different opinion," Silas nodded, "All right, I'll be right back. I won't spend anything until I hear from you."

"Okay," Corrin approved. Silas left quickly, ready to get away from Nina.

"We need to talk," Corrin said.

"What about?" Nina replied.

"Come, let's walk . . ." Corrin motioned for her to follow. She complied, but started to guess what Corrin wanted to talk about.

"Do you know what your mother does? Specifically?" He asked. She was thrown by this question; she figured he was going to bitch her out about being nice to her idiot father.

"I do now . . . but she doesn't tell me much and I'm tired of being treated like an idiot kid who needs her protection all the time. I'm an adult now and if she can't see that, then good riddance."

"Hm. You also said that she didn't tell you much about Niles?"

". . .No. I never knew much about him, other than his name and they were childhood friends or something."

"So, bearing all that in mind, don't you think you're being a little too hard on Niles? He didn't know about you – your mother kept that knowledge pretty low key. I can't say what she did was either right or wrong. Perhaps it is both, but Niles . . . he had no part in that decision."

"Well, if mom thought that he wouldn't want to have me, that's enough."

"You trust your mother's judgement on that? I thought you wanted to go off your own intuition. Seems like you're avoiding it rather than facing it and discovering your own feelings on the matter. It also seems like you're afraid of what Niles might actually say. This isn't an easy situation, I understand that . . . but if you don't talk to him now and straighten this out, you may not get the chance later."

"What are you saying?" She frowned, "Don't tell me what to do!"

"I'm not. I'm saying the chance to discover a new relationship with your father is present to you. That may not always be the case." Corrin thought back to the fathers he had – all of them were gone now, "All I'm saying is . . . something as simple as having your parents is not always a given. There are some of us . . . who wish to have that opportunity again." He only met his mother a handful of times in his adult life, and couldn't remember her for the entire duration of it.

"Hmph," Nina didn't change her stance.

"Do as you wish, but . . . whatever you decide, don't regret it later." Corrin remembered having nightmares of the choices he made in his life. Had that fateful clash in the fields of Hoshido been different – had he actually chosen a side . . .

He was grateful that he was able to unite his family. He could only imagine what would have happened otherwise.

Nina was still not convinced, but she conceded, "I'll be civil with him. I can promise nothing else." Corrin exhaled sharply.

"That'll have to do for now . . . oh, and . . . this is just my thoughts, but it's hard to tell if we're actually being pursued or not, so stay on guard. I would be suspicious of anyone until we return to the castle."

"Okay," She nodded.

"Thanks for listening."

"No problem. Hm, you seem very peaceful. Do you always try to keep the peace like this?"

"Haha, you have no idea. Let me tell you about Leo and Takumi, before they became friends. I seriously thought they would kill one another before the war ended."

"Prince Leo and Prince Takumi, right? You know both of them?" She inquired.

"Oh, yeah . . . They're both my brothers. Though beforehand they were each princes of their respective countries – countries that were at a war with no end in sight. They were enemies before they were friends. And now . . . well, we're all like extended family."

"So you're a prince of Nohr and Hoshido?" She asked.

"Yeah. That about sums it up."

"How did that happen?" She was an inquisitive mind, wasn't she?

"I was . . . kidnapped at a young age. I grew up with my Nohrian siblings, but had roots in Hoshido. They are both my family."

"What?" She looked shocked, "You were friends with the family that kidnapped you? Why?"

"Um . . . well, it wasn't like it was my siblings fault for my kidnapping. My brothers and sisters were nothing but kind and accepting of me, even if I'm not related by blood . . . I share a bond with all of them, just the same."

"Wow . . . I had no idea . . . was it scarring?" Nina asked.

"I don't think so," Corrin responded, "But then again, it happened when I was young enough to not remember it . . . It's all in the past, at any rate. The Nohr and Hoshidan families get along well now. I'm glad, too, because I didn't want to have to choose between the two. As I said before . . . I love them both."

"You're an oddball, aren't you? So . . . are your brothers attractive?"

"Wh-what?" Corrin blushed.

"Well, you're not related by blood, so it's okay, right? Are they attractive?"

"W-well . . . I mean . . . yes . . . all four of them are handsome in their own right. B-but –"

"If you could marry one of them, would you?"

"Ack," Corrin closed his eyes. Will these prodding questions ever come to an end?

"They're all married now, anyway, so that would do no one any good to answer," Corrin said, trying to completely dodge the question. This was almost as bad as when Niles confessed that, if Leo wanted to, he would have fucked him in an instant.

"If you could choose one – " Corrin grimaced, then ignored the rest of her question. After a few moments of silence passed, Nina commented, "You know, you're a bit of a prude. I thought we could discuss hot guys and such, but . . . I don't know. This isn't as satisfying as I thought it'd be."

"Sorry to disappoint," Corrin exhaled. This was exhausting.

"I'm just asking hypothetically. This is more or less for my . . . journals later. So if you could choose one of your brothers, which would it be?"

". . . Hypothetically?" Corrin asked, though he didn't want to discuss it.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter. I think about hot guys all the time, so it's more or less educational for me. I don't run into very many . . . men like you, so I get giddy when the opportunity comes up. So, please, if you don't mind . . ."

"Well, you see, there is a difference . . . you are a . . . tad younger than I am. I think in many places that makes me the pervert (somehow) and this conversation would be frowned upon. I'm not in the mood to be blacklisted."

"It's not like these are advances on me. I just want to know if you've ever had sexual fantasies about your brothers."

"Oh my gods, I can't take this anymore," Corrin walked away from Nina, then stopped, "(I'm supposed to be watching her . . . Damn it . . .)" He turned around and came back.

"I thought you were storming off?" Nina said with a huge smile. Strangely similar to the smile Niles gave when he was making Corrin uncomfortable. Was that really genetic?

"I can't. Potential enemies and the like," Corrin frowned – almost pouted.

"Well, I can think of a few ways we can pass the time."

"DO NOT say things like that!" Corrin practically shouted.

"Okay, okay, you can answer my questions?" Nina was starting to get a kick out of making Corrin as uncomfortable as possible.

"Unnngh . . ." Was his response, "You are WORSE than Niles!"

"Oh, do tell?" She heckled with glee, "I'm ready and willing!"

"Are you doing this on purpose? What will make you stop?"

"If you answer my questions!" Nina giggled.

"You are – do you even know what my brothers look like?"

"I've seen sketches – some of the noblemen have portraits of the royal families. I have an idea of what they look like, yes. Though feel free to explain in depth how they appear to you."

Corrin couldn't believe what they were talking about. This girl was beyond invasive.

"Ahh, fine, we don't have to talk about this. I guess dreams don't come true," She frowned and sounded really disappointed. Was this merely a ruse to make Corrin feel bad? What did HE have to feel bad about?

"I guess I can go in a public Shoppe or something and cry about how a mean boy hurt my feelings."

"You wouldn't –"

"I'm sobbing already, can't you see?" She was smiling broadly.

"That's going to fool absolutely no one."

"Oh, no, just you wait – wait until I tell them that my boyfriend slept with my father and now they both are threatening to abandon me in the countryside."

"That's –" Corrin was less than amused.

"I could get away with it. I'm pretty sure we're closer in age than you and my father. Imagine the looks the two of you would get! Not to mention the town riot."

"You would upset an entire town, get Niles and me locked up, and potentially threaten all of our safety because I won't answer your silly questions? That is BEYOND ludicrous!"

"Heehee, would you put it past me? I just might."

Niles rejoined Corrin during this conversation, though he could see the seething look on Corrin's face and could only imagine what Nina did or said to get that reaction out of him.

"Hey . . . I'm back with my 'report', I guess you could call it. So . . . what did I miss?" Niles asked, trying to snap Corrin out of his anger.

"We're abandoning your daughter in the countryside," Corrin said sharply, not missing a beat.

"Huh?" Niles raised an eyebrow. Was it really that bad?

"Aww, that's your answer?" Nina chuckled.

"We're going camping," Corrin decided, "I want far, FAR away from this town."

"Uh . . . Okay? I was going to say that this town is relatively safe and if we want to stay here, we could . . ." Niles scratched his head. He was so confused that it started to hurt his head.

"No, that's okay. Camping is fine," He walked after Silas and the two of them followed in silence. Nina had a huge grin on her face and Niles was still left in the dark. He would find out later, no doubt, so he just decided to drop it until then.

Once they met up with Silas, Corrin gave him the okay to buy the supplies needed to survive the night and rushed them away from the town.

At the entrance, before they could leave, Nina happened to notice someone she recognized.

"Braden?" She asked.

"Nina! Oh, good, you escaped that estate!"

"You really should get out of here. I'm traveling with the people who busted us."

"What?" He exclaimed, then noticed the 3 men behind her, "Why are you with them? Are you a prisoner?"

"No, no! I just . . . I'm glad you escaped. How are the others?"

"We all made it. Do you need help? I can get you out of this jam." He said, readying his weapon.

"Wait, no, that's not . . . These are associates of my mother's; it was just a misunderstanding. I'll probably not be back for a while, so don't be too worried if I don't show up." She said.

"Got it . . . Well, if you're sure . . . I'll see you around, Nina," Then the young man ran off.

". . . Deciding to stay after all?" Corrin asked, easing up a little bit.

"For now," She winked. She had an escape plan for when she was ready to ditch them, but for now, she would see how things panned out.

The four left to cover ground until the day ended. However, Braden was still watching, unbeknownst to the party, and he sent a pigeon off to deliver a message.

"Garman, Jagger . . . Nina did not come back with us . . . so we'll have to take her out with the rest of Niles' party," Braden said to two associates.

"Unfortunate. She's damn fine," one of them said. The other remained quiet.

"Yeah, she's hot . . . she's just as crazy as her mother. Too bad, the attractive ones always have a screw or two loose. Eh, well, we'll have to kill her just the same."

"Gotcha."

"Hm," The silent one nodded.

"Wait for the signal. We strike at night, when they're asleep."