Severa's memory of that night was vivid. She'd flown home carrying her sister, landing to an argument in full flow. They watched from a crack in the door.
"How long?" Her mother's voice.
"Cordelia, please." Her father, voice betraying an anxiety that he never showed.
"How long?"
Severa remembered the anger, barely held in check.
"How long have you known she was yours?" her mother continued, asking the question they all wanted to hear.
"I've," her father hesitated. "I suspected from when Tharja announced she was pregnant. But I had no confirmation until now." He had the decency to look ashamed. "She was with Henry at the time. I never asked and she never offered."
"So, you lied to me for sixteen years."
"Cordelia, I.." he tried to explain.
"For sixteen years you hid this from me. You lied to me every day and it came as naturally to you as breathing." Her mother's voice retained the same monotone, trying even now to remain in control. To assess, even understand her husband.
"I didn't lie."
Cordelia silenced him with a look.
"When I was pregnant with Severa, do you know how many times I cried because I couldn't fly? Because I couldn't train?"
Robin remained static.
"Do you know how many times I sat alone, wishing you didn't have to be away? But I bore it because I thought you were doing it to protect us."
"I was," he tried to get in.
"And now," she cut him off ruthlessly, "I find out that instead of working hard to protect our children, you were out having sex. Whilst I tried not to break down you were in bed with that Plegian slut."
"Cordy please don't,"
"I made nice with a woman while she was fucking my husband!" her mother shouted. "I did that for you! I put up with her creepy obsession, for you. You told me with a straight face that she was harmless, that it didn't mean anything!"
"It doesn't! I don't love her!" he protested.
"I know you don't."
"What?" her father's reply was confused.
Her mother's voice softened.
"I don't think you're capable of love," she said sadly.
"I love you Cordy," he begged, reaching out to her.
"You don't lie to someone you love for that long, that easily Robin," she replied, rebuffing his advance. "I think the part of you that was capable of love died the day she did."
Who?
"I hoped, I really hoped that I'd be able to heal your heart. That we could feel our grief together and make it into something more than sadness. And when Severa was born, I really believed that I had."
"You did, she did. I love you Cordelia," he tried again.
"Then tell me one thing Robin," her mother's voice was placid, icy calm taking her.
"Anything."
"When did you last sleep with Tharja?"
The silence was deafening.
Finally, after a moment that lasted for an age, her mother spoke again.
"Get out."
"Cordelia"
"Get out of my house."
"You can't."
"I am Lady Cordelia of House Luna. You are my consort and nothing more. Get out of my house."
Her father fell silent. Slowly he gathered his nearby belongings, leaving his former wife and the sound of sobs filling the room.
Moonlight soared through the sky on midnight wings. The morning air was crisp, a cool opening for what was meant to be a summer day.
Severa focused on that, the feel of the air on her skin, as she gently guided her mount to the castle. It was practice in a way. She was trying to understand Ignis and the power it held. So far, she could only use it when she was hurt or tired, but with time she hoped that she'd gain control of it. As terrifying as it was, it was a powerful tool. It might be the edge she needed.
Guidance would have helped, but that was impossible. She'd heard nothing from her father for weeks. He avoided teaching the classes entirely now and after swiftly gathering his things he'd not returned home. She didn't even know where he was living, although she idly suspected that he had quarters somewhere in the castle now.
It was better than he deserved. He'd wormed his way into her heart. Smiling, caring, telling her everything she needed to hear. And all that time he'd lied.
She knew what betrayal was. She felt it every moment she thought about that afternoon with Lucina. She didn't, couldn't, hate the princess anymore. Lucina had cast her aside because she wasn't good enough. That was fine. In her heart, Severa had always known that she wasn't worthy of the princess.
But it was knowing that there had been something; even for just a moment on that wonderful night in Ferox. It was knowing that Lucina had been willing to throw away that moment that hurt.
She tried to turn that instant into a lifetime. A family, daughters, a beautiful home. She tried to imagine even a second of what her mother must have felt.
It was impossible.
She knew what betrayal was and she would be happy to never see her father again.
Moonlight huffed as she extended into a glide, the mare enjoyed cooler weather and recognised they were close to some delicious oats and a soft brush.
News from Plegia was turning grim. Rumours had been spreading like wildfire when Plegian merchants had begun buying up as much metal as they could; but the ban on many exports to Plegia turned those fires into an inferno. Most people would simply assume that relations between the nations had soured, but the more discerning would realise that the time frame involved meant that Ylissean spies in Plegia had confirmed that their neighbour was building an army.
Plegian armies rarely meant good things for their neighbours and the once calm citizens of Ylisstol were beginning to worry. What concerned the redhead was something different, however.
Plegia shouldn't have been able to threaten Ylisse or Ferox individually, let alone together. The last war had left them crippled, barely able to feed their own without aid and whilst they had avoided damage from Valm, opting to grant ships instead, their economy had only recently got back on track. They shouldn't have had the troops to use what they were buying. But evidently the spies had brought back reports that the opposite was true.
Something bothered her about the entire situation. Details of the second Plegian War were scarce at best. Her parents had rarely talked about it beyond the broad ideas of what happened. A younger Severa had always bought the tales of closely fought battles turned by the heroic deeds of a few great people. But the young lady flying over the city walls had been tempered through diligent training with her father.
The campaign didn't make sense. The final fight with Gangrel was said to have involved the Plegians fielding an army near a third larger than the Feroxi and Ylissean coalition. But how was that possible between desertions and the multiple losses prior? Either accounts of the size of the enemy force were wrong, which seemed implausible given that Inigo confirmed the same story from the Exalt, or Plegia had another source of manpower.
As she began to nudge Moonlight to a landing, the red tiles of roofs in the noble districts giving way to the greenery around the palace grounds, Severa felt more assured of her theory. It would explain the severity of the Ylissean response now at the very least.
The question was, simply, how? How did the Plegians find more people to fight?
She pondered the answer as Moonlight landed but found herself absent a satisfying conclusion. Someone was hiding the truth and given her father's casual relationship with honesty, she suspected he was the source of the lie.
Her landing went unnoticed beyond a few grooms who took Moonlight after she dismounted. Her princely shadow, nowhere to be seen. Since that day, he'd stopped waiting for her in the morning. When they spoke, his smile was there, but his compliments were absent.
It was clear that he'd taken her words to heart.
And oddly, she felt bereft.
He'd been a pain to deal with each morning. Every compliment had been ridiculous and none carried any weight.
But she missed them. She missed him.
They were idiotic, but it felt good that someone cared enough to notice she'd she was wearing a new sword, or that her ribbons were different.
More importantly, it was nice to have a five-minute walk with a friend.
As she approached the Sunrise Entrance, some of the knights on guard greeted her warmly. She wasn't in a huge rush so she made sure to ask after their families.
Sergeant Llewellyn's youngest daughter had been ill so the redhead had sent Brady to check in on her. Fortunately, the little one was on the mend now but she made sure to confirm the recovery each day.
For his part the sergeant admitted her without any of the usual protocol. In theory, students were meant to enter by the main entrance to the Grand reception, but this way was faster from the stables. The prince had allowed use of this shortcut when he'd attended with her, but it was the guard's kindness that let her maintain that privilege now.
As she wound through the warren of corridors that made up the servant's quarters near the Sunrise Entrance, she admired the state of the castle. Even these areas, not meant for their grandeur, were lovingly cared for. Not a speck of dust lay anywhere and each corridor was decorated with paintings and portraits, often of servants who'd served the royal line for generations.
There was a deep pride in the people of Ylisse, in their Exalt, yes, but more so in themselves. There was honour in work done well, regardless of the station of the person executing it. Her mother had instilled that ethic in her daughters and she knew from speaking with Lucina and Inigo that the Exalted family knew how valuable their example was.
It stood in contrast to her own father. He only cared for himself. There was no pride in a man so willing to hurt his family for personal gain.
Feeling her mood souring Severa continued to hurry to the training grounds, reaching the outdoors once again as she exited the servant's quarters.
Blue hair, free but styled, missing the signature diadem greeted her. An outfit eschewing the usual blues for a clean white chemise tucked into a black skirt and similarly dark leggings matching heeled boots. The princess favoured her with a small wave as Severa ground to a halt in front of her.
Lucina had been true to her word after their duel. She spoke with Severa every day, making a point to find the younger knight even if they had different classes. They were being kept apart less, now that the tactician was absent, so frequently they got the pleasure of training with each other.
The young Exalt had even gone to the effort of making the redhead lunch once and although the salad was simple, the dressing a little too sweet, it had been a meal Severa treasured.
Despite their increasing familiarity, finding the princess here was, odd, to say the least. She should have been waiting at training. Typically, their instructors liked to start her a little early because she was older than the others and unburdened by the need for a flight in.
"Lucy?" she questioned, echoing those thoughts.
The princess seemed off, shy perhaps. Severa thought she caught a blush, "Sev, you're not to attend training today," the royal remarked mysteriously.
"I, see?" Severa continued to question, "Is there a reason why?"
"Well, you're to come with me into the city. We're going shopping." The words came out, equally as abrupt.
"But I have training today. Frederick will give me a hiding if I skip lessons. Come on," she began to move again, ready to take the princess in tow.
"I am your princess Severa and it is a royal command that today we go shopping!"
Severa stopped still. Lucina had never once used her royal status for anything.
The princess then gathered a paper from her belt pouch, handing it to younger girl.
Severa's eyes widened as she read it.
"This is a royal decree, from Queen Olivia?"
Lucina nodded.
"It is a royal decree that says that the two of us must go shopping in Ylisstol today?"
The princess nodded again.
The knight looked at her incredulously. "How did you even get this? What on earth is going on?"
Lucina looked embarrassed again. "Well, ah, Inigo pointed out to me that you might be having a hard time. And he and I might have mentioned that to mother. And well, she isn't best pleased with your father right now. I believe her words were 'He's lucky I don't sign a royal decree demanding his castration.'"
Severa very slowly nodded affirmation, as she tried to process what was happening. Their parents were close, Queen Olivia considered her mother to be a sister of sorts.
"And well, she was rather easily persuaded that a day off training was warranted. Especially when we happened to say that it would irritate your father to no end."
A giggle swelled in Severa's throat. It contrasted the tears welling in her eyes.
She enveloped the princess in a hug. "Thank you, Lucy, you didn't need to."
"It was the least we could do," the princess replied with a squeeze. "Now come on, we have a city to explore and I have every bit of gold from my birthday to spend."
It was wonderful.
It was excruciating.
They toured the city and Severa saw a side of Ylisstol, that she'd never begun to imagine existed. Lucina, whilst sheltered had ventured out into the city on occasion but Severa had only passed through on foot a few times before opting for the air.
The view from the sky or the main boulevard leading to the castle didn't do Ylisstol justice. A place that seemed so simple to navigate quickly became a maze of streets and alleys as the town that had haphazardly sprung up around the castle became more complex with each new expansion.
The sights, sounds and smells were almost enough to distract from her partner. Every bob, weave, smile or word from Lucina was enchanting and as they walked Severa fell further beneath her spell.
The princess had confidently taken her deep into the new town on the outskirts of the capital, so called because of how recently it had been made, before slowing and gradually coming to a halt as she finally admitted that she was lost.
Navigation back to the castle wouldn't be hard, it was still visible, even from here, but that wasn't the point. In fact, being lost was possibly the preferable outcome. Every turn held a new surprise, a stall they hadn't seen, a storefront they didn't recognise; they even found a small church of Naga at the bottom of a rundown street. Lucina insisted on giving them a generous donation after she found out how they were caring for the unemployed or destitute in the area. "It's my duty to learn this too Sev. No person should go hungry in Ylisstol, not when we have so much," she'd explained later.
As stunning as she was, the young Exalt did get a few looks from passersby, but none recognised her as the princess of Ylisse, dressed as she was. Blue hair was uncommon but wasn't limited to the royal bloodline.
At the very best, they looked like a young noblewoman and her bodyguard, as Severa hadn't had the wherewithal to leave her sword at the palace, nor had she a change of clothes.
And in fairness, that was for the best. If someone did take a shine to Lucina, they quickly saw her guardian with a weapon she was clearly comfortable with and walked the other way.
Severa had just been giving one of those admirers a stern eye when the older girl grabbed her attention. "We should go there next!" the princess demanded, as she saw a seamstress' open for the day. For the new city it seemed like a high-quality place. A few dresses decorated the window, one of green silk, clearly a show piece and then two of wool that seemed to imply that this shop was for everyone.
"Need to have a dress made?" she questioned Lucina.
"Oh, not at all, but you absolutely do!" The princess took a hold of her sleeve. "I don't think I've seen you in anything apart from combat gear."
"It's comfortable!" Severa protested, hiding her excitement at the prospect.
Her mother had a few outfits in the house for formal occasions, although she'd had scant opportunity to wear them. As she'd grown older, Severa had looked on them with fascination. Imagined, albeit briefly, wearing something like them; what it would feel like to look so elegant.
She'd harboured hope that she might attend those balls, galas, at Lucina's side one day.
But that wasn't to be.
"Come on! It'll be fine to try them even if you don't buy anything!" Lucina's hold became a tug as she dragged the younger girl to the shop.
It might be nice, just to have one, even if she was never going to wear it.
As they walked in, they were greeted by a large woman in an exquisite dress of silver and white. On the older side, perhaps fifty years from Severa's estimation, she'd been eyeing the stitching on one of the garments inside but bounced to her feet in a way that defied her age on seeing customers.
"Welcome, welcome my Lady!" she exclaimed, a broad smile on her face as she made her way towards them, "What can Kayle's Superior Garments do for you today?"
Lucina spoke first, perhaps a little less stunned by the treatment than her friend, "Severa here was looking for a new dress and she was quite taken in by the garments in your window," she lied with a smile on her face.
"Ah of course! I'm sorry my Lady!" she curtsied an apology at Severa, "from your garments I took you to be a mercenary rather than a customer!"
"It's no.." the redhead tried to cut in.
"No, no, women belong in all kinds of work but they still all deserve beautiful dresses if they want!" the owner corrected.
Severa gave the older girl a withering look in the face of this onslaught and the princess had the gall to simply grin nonchalantly, as if she had no fault in this!
Sighing softly to herself, the redhead gave a smile, "Mistress Kayle?"
"Apologies Lady Severa, so rude of me not to introduce myself," another curtsy, "Sara Kayle, owner of this shop. The Kayle in the shop's title was my dear mother."
"Well, my name is Severa as you know and this is Lady," Severa struggled for a name, "Marth." Ugh, that was terrible. "If you wouldn't mind, perhaps we could look at some of the dresses on display and come back to you for suggestions in a moment?" she asked as politely as she could manage whilst being verbally assaulted.
"Of course, my Ladies. Look around all you need. Would you like a drink while you browse? Wine? I have some excellent white from the farms near the Farfort that I'm sure you would love!"
"I'm sorry but.."
"Yes, we'd love some," Lucina interrupted.
Severa shot her friend a glare as Mistress Kayle left.
"Lucy I've barely drunk with my parents, I can't have wine!" she protested in hushed tones.
"This is a royally mandated day off!" the princess replied with a grin. "We're allowed to have drinks that people our age drink all the time." Her tone shifted, as if just realising what she'd said. "I'd like to have wine with my friends."
Neither of them had had much time to be a teenager. The older girl never let on that she was under pressure, but she and Kjelle were the only ones who matched Severa for how long and hard they trained. In a way, she did more. Severa always had her flights with Moonlight as a reprieve.
Most adolescents would be able to have wine or go out with their friends without worrying about losing a day of training, or worse being caught and yelled at by their parents.
This might be the only day together that the two of them ever got.
Sighing, Severa nodded her assent and beckoned the princess to the first dress on display inside the shop itself, taking a hand to a sleeve and feeling the material.
It was an interesting affair that Severa began to feel she had a knack for. A silk item from Chon'sin with a slit from the waist to the bottom would look incredible on Lucina in red, contrasting the blue of her hair. The princess had incredible legs, long and toned, gifts of both genetics and years of hard training as both a swordsman and a dancer, so showing them off was absolutely required.
Severa felt her eyes lingering on those legs just a moment too long before glancing away, embarrassed. It was dangerous, having Lucina model for her. She found herself taking just a second longer than needed to adjust the princess's sleeve or maybe a little bit too much time to smooth out a crease in the silk. It was the young Exalt's compassion, her kindness, that Severa had fallen for, but that she was breathtaking did her no harm either.
Another, from Roseanne also suited her companion as well. The seamstress claimed that it was made of cotton, which came from rare plants that only grew on the Valmese continent. A cursory feel indicated that it was at least made of something different from normal, which gave Severa a little assurance at least. The slim number in blue and white, when fitted correctly would outline the blue haired girl's lean figure, putting what curves she had full on display. Severa demanded that a demurring Lucina at least put it on the maybe pile.
Although that did cause the princess to realise that every dress they'd looked at so far had been for her, rather than the intended target.
That in turn gave way to a rather terrifying realisation. For all the princess was perfect at nearly everything she did, she had absolutely no eye for fashion. Her gaze naturally fell upon the most garish thing in the room, exclaiming over how amazing her redheaded friend would look in it.
Severa had to decline a yellow dress with so many frills that she would have resembled an exotic flower rather than a human being and then put down the idea of one that looked closer to her underwear than a piece of clothing to be worn outside.
All the while Mistress Kayle spent her time fussing over them, making sure that they knew where each item was from, what kind of special silk or wool it was made of or how fine the stitching was. Severa had never had grandparents, but the old shop proprietor was how she imagined one would be, looking after them like her favourite grandchildren.
A more cynical part of her realised that it was very unlikely that members of the nobility were seen shopping in the new city and their purchases here could represent months of income. But her behaviour was so consistent, so patient, even after they took more than a few hours to look at everything that Severa struggled to believe the elderly woman wasn't like this all the time.
Lucy got her attention waving wildly over something she'd found in a corner. With a sigh Severa put down the pink gown she was inspecting to see the horror her friend had discovered.
Her companion was holding something that was white in colour. At the very least that was good and as she got closer, Severa couldn't find a shred of lace anywhere.
She'd never seen anything quite like it before. It was silk, designed to hang from the shoulders. Sleeveless, it would float just above her ankles, rippling around her as she walked, a glimpse of her feet here, a glance of a leg there.
But what set it apart was what it revealed. The front and back were held together by loose gold stitching at the sides. Starting from the waist and crisscrossing their way down to the thigh the dress was near scandalous in what it hinted, the barely fettered view of skin from hip to leg would make hearts beat. But that's where it would remain, a hint, a glimpse, nothing more.
The redhead was enamoured. As much by the design as imagining wearing it. And perhaps a little because of the third glass of wine.
"Can I try it on?" she spoke without thinking.
"Of course, my Lady! That's a particularly fine choice you have there, the only one of its kind in the Haildom!" Mistress Kayle guided her to the dressing room. "I saw the design on my travels in Valm years ago. Trying to replicate what I saw in Helios, the city state at the south of the continent was difficult, the stitches at the side are very thick you see and the thread is inlaid will real gold." She held up the stitching to Severa's eye, it did sparkle. "But I think I did myself and them proud if I don't mind saying so myself. Being honest, I never thought I'd sell it, simply use it to display my craft, but who am I to deny such pretty young ladies?" She gave them both an affectionate smile.
As she entered the dressing room, Severa gave the garment a quick glance before setting about putting it on.
That was unfortunately where she ran into an issue.
It didn't fit.
Her shoulders were too broad, her chest too big. She was lean, yes, but she had muscle, plenty of it. It made fitting into the thing difficult enough that she slowly took off her prospective dress for fear of damaging it.
She felt herself sag.
It had been a nice dream. To have something beautiful, just for herself. To feel beautiful for once.
Another thing that had been taken from her, alongside her childhood.
She wasn't going to cry.
Slowly she gathered herself, standing, carefully gathering the silks into her arms before walking out.
Lucina was waiting for her, her face dropping at the display.
"Why aren't you wearing it!" she exclaimed.
"It," the knight cringed, "It won't fit." She tried to breathe, "I'm too big."
Lucina let out a laugh. It was full bellied, filled with mirth that made Severa feel lighter.
"Mistress Kayle?" the older girl asked after she gathered herself, "Would it be possible to have this adjusted? Severa here trained a little too much and her muscles won't allow for the dress."
The elderly woman looked at the dress and then marched straight to Severa. "Of course, my lady," she replied, grabbing Severa's arm, before giving her bicep a feel. "My word Lady Severa I've not seen a man with muscles this incredible, let alone a girl."
"Isn't it amazing?" Lucina chimed in.
"Lady Marth, your girlfriend has an incredible figure, not like those stick thin heiresses I see swanning about the old city. Naga forgive me, they look like they haven't eaten or seen sunlight in years!"
"She's not my.." Lucina tried to correct.
"Well, she should be! If I were forty years younger, I'd have a mind to snatch her up myself. A beauty like her? My husband didn't look that good at your age and he had half of Ylisstol chasing after him!"
Severa felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she tried to look anywhere, absolutely anywhere apart from at Lucina, or Mistress Kayle, or the wall. The floor, she could look at the floor.
Nobody had ever called her beautiful.
Well Inigo had, but he'd call a wyvern beautiful if he thought it was a girl.
Nobody had called her beautiful and meant it.
Mistress Kayle, likely from the embarrassed looks seemed to get the gist of the issue, "Oh I see, well you girls had better resolve whatever it is you have going on. Take it from your elder, life is too short for silly arguments." She raised the dress to Severa with both hands, eyeballing the difference in their size.
"An easy adjustment to make, honestly Lady Severa even if I couldn't; I would offer to make you a new one myself because I don't think I know anyone who would wear it better." Gathering the dress back up she put an arm around the redhead, guiding her to the fitting room, "Just come this way."
Severa looked helplessly back as Lucina continued to avoid her gaze.
She was beautiful.
It was nice to hear.
They exited the shop with lighter coinpurses and no regrets, with plans for Lucina to have the goods delivered to the castle when a servant was available.
Mistress Kayle hadn't seemed surprised when the palace and servants were mentioned, giving a knowing grin as she saw them out of her establishment.
The sun had passed its peak and after an awkward moment where both girls seemed to take stock of the whirlwind shopping trip, they decided that finding food was the next highest priority.
Ylissean street food was nothing like Severa had anticipated. She'd imagined a few stalls here and there, selling bread and maybe cheeses from nearby.
Not so, an open-air market spread out in front of them tantalising with the sights and smells of the world over.
It shouldn't have been surprising; many migrants had moved to Ylisstol both before and after the wars. Aside from an incident during the Plegian war it was thought to be impregnable and with trade as good as it was, merchants who wanted a taste of home would not have to search far to find it.
Guided by the smells of spices they didn't recognise the two companions managed to find themselves eating a peppery plate of chicken pieces that the merchant alleged were from Pyrathi, a small dukedom in the southeast of Ylisse.
And even if they doubted the origin, the quality was indisputable as both girls had their fill and more, despite needing water by the jugful to combat the intensity of the heat.
They laughed at each other's reaction, then giggled afterwards over the vendor's surprise at being paid in gold.
A jewellery store was the next stop. New Town's wares weren't fine but the unique designs more than made up for the gem quality.
A necklace was found for Lucina, one that really brought out her eyes and Severa found a ring that she favoured. It was a blood red and offset her hair nicely.
Again, they overpaid, with the merchant vowing to rename his store Marth's after his mysterious benefactor.
It was after that whirlwind of a trip that Severa found herself climbing up onto the roof of a rather rowdy tavern as the sun set, at Lucina's encouragement.
It was a scramble, stacked boxes behind the inn precariously balanced, creating a path up.
But they made it, even if Lucina had to save her companion from a slip near the end of the climb.
There they lay, backs propped up against the chimney which cheerfully piped smoke up above them.
"Thank you, Lucy."
"For what?" the princess asked.
"This. Today," Severa replied slowly. "I've never really had a day to myself like this before. I'm glad I got to share it with you."
"You'll need to thank Inigo, it was his idea," the blue haired girl demurred. "But I had a lot of fun."
"How did you find this place anyway?" the knight questioned, Lucina had seemed confident in finding it and the boxes, "You seem to have a knack for locating beautiful views."
"I've been here before," the princess looked wistfully out onto the city as it took an orange hue from the setting sun. "When I escaped the castle to search for you. The guards had me surrounded but I managed to scramble up here and lose them," she grinned, "They only caught me because I peeked over the edge too many times."
"I still can't believe you did that just to come after me."
"How could I not? You were such a breath of fresh air." Lucina favoured her companion with one of her best smiles, "You still are."
Severa made a pointed examination of her knees as she tried to cover a blush. Lucina was far too sincere. She didn't reply, preferring the silence to any attempts to cover her embarrassment.
"You could have beaten me you know?" the older girl broke the silence eventually.
"At what?"
"When we fought. You had me. I don't know why you hesitated."
Severa shifted with discomfort, "I couldn't make myself hurt you," she replied, supressing her urge to deflect or hide the reason.
"It was just practice; I would have been fine."
"No Lucy. I can't." Broken ribs were a small price to pay.
Another person might have been embarrassed, instead the princess nodded, "I'm lucky to have such a dedicated friend then."
Friend. A word that elated and crushed in a single breath.
The light was beginning to fade entirely, orange slowly giving way to a deeper red as the sun peeked over the horizon.
They'd have to go home soon. Back to a world of expectations.
She only had one chance.
"Father leaving has been really hard."
Lucina looked at her, those eyes filled with the gentle compassion Severa had come to love.
"Mother isn't coping well. It's like she's channelled all her sadness into our training. It was hard before, now, it's too much."
Lucina's arm snaked around her, pulling her head into a warm embrace.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Severa felt herself unclench.
The redhead spoke of her mother, her increasing demands for a perfection that didn't exist.
She spoke of trying to live up to her father. Of the standard he set and how hard it was to meet it without him.
She talked about his kindness recently. How she missed someone, anyone, telling her she was doing well.
How she felt betrayed by what he'd done.
But mainly she talked about the pressure. The expectations demanded of her.
All the while, Lucina gave encouragement where it was needed. A squeeze where she felt necessary and time if Severa needed to dry her tears.
But it was her understanding that meant the most.
"One day I'll make decisions and thousands might live or die because of what I say," the princess began. "I'm good enough with a sword but my magic is far worse than it should be. And I can barely keep up with the reports and the histories."
The young Exalt shifted uncomfortably on her rooftop perch. "There's too much. But if I don't do it then how can I look my parents in the face?"
"I can't talk to them about it," the princess continued. "My mother and father both work so hard. They've sacrificed so much already. You know they made arrangements to marry within a week of meeting?" she elaborated. "They barely knew each other but it was important for Ylisse and Ferox, so they did it anyway."
Severa's eyes widened at that. The Exalt and his wife had seemed made for each other.
"Father would never say it, but I think he was in love with someone else. Aunt Sumia perhaps. Even though she was highborne, marrying her wouldn't have made Ylisse more stable."
Lucina looked out onto the city, dots of yellow illuminating the night. "I wish, I wish I could just run away and do what I want. But when I meet someone like Mistress Kayle, I know that everyone is counting on me."
Lucina turned her head, her arms wrapped around Severa's neck, the princess's lips to her ear.
"You're the only one who understands Sev. I need you."
In that moment, Severa knew that she could have shifted. She could have looked the princess in the eyes, leaned in and had everything she wanted.
And in that moment Severa knew that she wasn't going to.
"I'm here Lucy. I'll always be here."
She wouldn't sully the princess's effort just because of what she wanted.
It was agony.
But she'd die before she hurt Lucina.
"I miss him." Morgan sat on the edge of her older sister's bed. Training for the day had been exhausting. A session in the castle followed another two hours of physical work and then strategy training with their mother. They'd finished near midnight and would need to be up early for the flight in.
"He lied to us Morgan." Severa sat on the other edge, back propped up against the wall. She was ready for bed but her sister had been struggling with sleep recently. It was obvious why.
"I know. But everyone makes mistakes," Morgan tried the excuse she'd used before.
"He made that mistake more than once. He was still doing it less than a few months ago." It was a tired argument.
It also wasn't what it was about.
Something had arisen lately. Something that had never been obvious before, but that their father's absence had put on stark display.
Morgan did not get along with their mother.
When Cordelia had only had to deal with combat training there hadn't been a problem, she outmatched the younger girl easily.
But now she taught them tactics as well.
There lay the problem.
Nobody could keep up with Morgan. It had only been a few sessions before the younger girl had set about dismantling their mother. No game was winnable and any lessons Cordelia knew were understood quickly and then adapted for devastating effect.
Their mother believed strongly in discipline, in scheduling, in reliability and predictability. They had to train in tactics each evening because that's what they were meant to do.
But she had nothing to offer the younger girl. Games had swiftly become boring for Morgan who only put in a token effort now. And unsurprisingly the older redhead did not take that well, demanding full attention and not receiving it.
The resulting arguments had been bitter. With Morgan throwing in all her anger about how her mother treated Severa in for extra spice.
Ultimately though, even those arguments revolved around one single fact.
The only thing Morgan ever wanted was knowledge. And she had run out of sources.
"Yeah, but it must have been so scary to know that Noire was his daughter. He must really have been worried about Aunt Tharja as well." Morgan continued her protest.
It was in some ways, adorably innocent. Morgan's excuses came about because she missed her father but they were still genuine. She really did believe that their father was a good man who'd made a mistake. In her heart she'd already forgiven him.
She'd never been hurt by someone she loved before. She'd never loved someone in that way before.
There was Owain, of course, but the two of them were still trying to understand how they felt about each other. The younger man was obtuse and even if he had realised there was something more to the way Morgan acted around him, he was well versed in hiding his feelings behind a ridiculous persona.
"Morgan, I want you to imagine how hurt mother must be."
"I know but she takes it out on us! That's not fair!"
"Morgan," she tried to interrupt.
"She keeps doing that, she even did it before father left. She thinks her way is the only way and she's wrong!"
The feathery haired girl was correct. The bruises that Severa bore from her most recent training session were proof of that.
But when the redhead imagined, just for a moment, how hurt her mother was, she was astounded that the pegasus knight had been so patient with them.
"She's doing the best she can," Severa replied simply.
"You always do this! You always defend her! You did it when she beat you so much you were sick!" Morgan was on the verge of shouting now.
"I.." Severa paused, "I just know a little of what she's feeling right now Morgan. I knew how she felt when she knocked me out as well."
"Her feelings shouldn't matter! What she's doing is wrong!"
Severa took in a deep breath, steadying herself and trying not to rise to the bait. "Even if it is wrong. That doesn't make what father did okay. He lied to us, every single day Morgan. And it was a lie that could have put people in danger. What if Noire had manifested Ignis where it wasn't safe?"
That got the younger girl's attention.
"I, I don't know," was all she could manage.
Severa slowly shuffled from her position, putting an arm around her sister, hugging her close.
"I know it's hard," she stroked the feathery white hair. "I know you're going through a lot and that mother isn't being helpful," she broke their embrace, taking Morgan's shoulder in her hands, staring into those dark eyes. "But we can make it through together, I promise."
Morgan looked up; gaze filled with determination.
"Together."
A crack echoed through the training ground.
Inigo spun evading the followup that was aimed at him by a hair, lightly hopping back before giving his opponent a wink.
Kjelle bristled. "You coward! Stop dodging and fight me like a man!"
Her opponent gave her a winning smile instead, "How about I stop dodging and you have tea with me afterwards?"
"I'd rather die."
"Well, those are your two options, yes," he casually lowered his sword and gestured with his left hand for Kjelle to begin her attack again.
With a growl she leapt forward.
Severa watched on as she supervised the duel. The other students were lined up, patiently observing.
It had been coming for a while, but she'd been given leave to supervise training sessions now. Lucina had the other half of the class working on drills on the other side of the ground as she too had been deemed skilled enough.
That had come because of a rare stroke of luck.
Very rarely, Gregor, a mercenary from somewhere near the Western Feroxi mountains, came to observe their training. He was an older man, flame red hair greying at the temples, but he carried himself with an easy confidence. It was whispered in hushed tones that in his youth he'd been the greatest swordsman in the world, defeating even the likes of Lon'Qu and the Exalt in single combat with ease.
Severa had taken it upon herself to challenge that reputation and had found herself on the receiving end of her worst defeat in years. Lucina had fared no better, the effortlessness with which he toyed with her had bordered on embarrassing.
But the redhead had seen him speak with their instructors afterwards and they'd soon found themselves teaching the others.
Strangely it had helped. Severa initially had worried that teaching would get her into bad habits, as had been true when she'd learnt chess. But her improvement had been rapid in the past month or so. Seeing the varying styles of the others, correcting mistakes, encouraging talent had given her insight into her own swordsmanship.
Yes, Gerome might not have been as accurate as her with a blade, but the stern looking boy's swings had a force to them that was invaluable. Observation had allowed Severa to understand that whilst much of his strength lay in his pure power, some lay in the technique he'd picked up from wielding an axe from atop a wyvern.
It was these small, but diverse changes that were helping the swordswoman now. With her basics so ingrained, incorporating each flourish was easy, but together they gave her a sense of unpredictability that she'd once lacked.
Kjelle's swing once again went a fraction too wide, with Inigo continuing to simply dance around each strike rather than counterattack. She quivered with rage as he blew a kiss.
The young knight had kept her promise and sought Severa out in the weeks after the mock battle. Although even someone as boorish as Kjelle had given Severa space after her father had left.
Their duel had been surprisingly tight. Believing herself to be comfortably the better fighter, Severa had let Kjelle choose the weapons and found herself with a quarterstaff instead of a sword. The dark-haired girl had surprised her, not just with her proficiency, but with her pure strength and stamina. Severa had thought to keep a distance and wait for her opponent to tire, only to see that Kjelle, just didn't tire.
It was obvious now why. The cavalier was addicted to training. She had almost no capability as a mage, which simply allowed her to focus further on martial affairs. Every day was started with a run around the city, then training with sword, axe and spear. In the afternoon she'd march with heavy weights wrapped around her to simulate walking in armour. Her near animalistic dedication to the routine was what made her deadly. Kjelle's power was monstrous and she could run for hours without even panting.
It was when Severa had noticed that Kjelle wasn't even breathing heavily after a good five minutes that she'd realised she'd need to change course.
And for all Kjelle was dedicated, powerful and skilled she had one weakness.
"Fight me! You stupid pretty boy! Stop messing around and fight!"
Where Severa's own anger was a cold rage held under lock and key, Kjelle's was a wildfire.
Another swing went wide.
Get her angry enough and all thoughts of technique went out the window. What was left was a barbarian, dangerous in her own way, but very beatable.
A few gloats, an insult here, a laugh there, had taken the cavalier off balance enough for Severa to score the victory and her rival's ire, alongside grudging respect.
Inigo had seen that duel and the good-looking prince was taking full advantage.
Initially Severa had expected that his style would mirror Lucina's. They had the same tutors as children, but where Lucina strongly favoured offense, flowing from attack to attack, forcing her opponents to react, Inigo was a lot more defensive.
In a way it shouldn't have been surprising. He'd always been thoughtful, even shy, when he was younger. Predicting an opponent was as much about understanding as it was reaction speed and Inigo's simple ability to empathise made him masterful in combat.
He ducked a slash at his neck, getting to open space again.
The prince was a mystery that Severa was still unpicking. Recently he'd been flirting even more brazenly, serving women declining his offers for tea with good natured smiles and some genuinely considering giving up their posts for him.
It irked the redhead. At least she could handle his philandering, those feather brains had no idea of how to manage him. It was probably why he was getting so bold now.
Oddly though, there were many accounts of Inigo flirting, getting smiles, laughter, blushes; but none of him succeeding. Not a single girl, noble or commoner, had kissed him at the end of a date. Severa had been thorough in her investigation.
That was strange to say the least.
Yes, his lines were ridiculous. But Inigo was handsome, charming and royalty. More importantly, underneath lay a heart of gold. He was kind to those in need, compassionate and considerate to a fault. If a student felt down, if a servant was worried on their first day, he was there with a kind word and a smile that lifted their spirits.
He was a catch. Any girl would have been lucky to have him. Or boy, Severa thought with a grin. She'd seen the thirsty look the prince had given Gerome when the young wyvern rider took his shirt off.
In fairness to Inigo the entire Haildom came to a stop when Gerome took his shirt off.
But it was a conundrum.
Inigo slid past Kjelle's furious thrust, laying a peck her cheek and a practice blade at her throat.
That she would have to solve after she stopped Kjelle from beating him to death.
The knight dashed between the combatants barely avoiding a punch that was aimed at the shameless prince.
"Inigo wins! But if I see conduct like that in a match again, I will have you running around the castle for the next week," she warned.
To his credit he nodded, knowing that his instructor was more upset with the kiss than the taunts. He was never one to question her, despite their similarity in age and his obvious skill with a blade.
"And you," she rounded on Kjelle. "That was appalling. Someone dodges around you for a couple of minutes and you're in such a temper that you can barely swing a weapon."
"He.." Kjelle began to interrupt.
"He did nothing someone else wouldn't do! You were already angrier than a charging bull before he said anything. That you encouraged him to bait you further was idiocy!" Severa was shouting, rare for her. But Kjelle responded better to commands than empathy.
"Yes Severa," the cavalier replied, eyes downcast.
"Get back, sit down, watch the next fight and think about what happened," Severa instructed. "We'll discuss our approach in the morning." Kjelle liked having clear goals, so Severa tried to take time ahead of each session to run through a plan with her that day. It was a pain sometimes, but the redhead was not going to leave that talent to waste.
As the dark-haired girl moved to walk away, Inigo caught her arm.
He wasn't smiling.
"Kjelle, I'm sorry. It was disrespectful to kiss you like that. You deserve better."
Severa braced for an eruption.
A grin, "Nah, it's exactly what I deserved." Kjelle replied, taking Inigo's hand, "I'll have that tea with you later if you want. Besting me earns you that at the very least"
Inigo's face brightened into his smile, "I'd love nothing more."
The prince turned from his opponent back to his instructor. He executed a perfect bow, hand on the pommel of his bundle of lathes. "Teacher, with your leave."
Severa gave a much shallower bow before nodding her assent for both of them to withdraw.
The formality was good, it helped her authority.
But it felt hollow.
Had the flirting really been that important?
"Morgan, Noire, you're up!" she shouted.
It was always a little odd seeing the pair clad in the loose shirts and breeches that had become the de facto uniform for physical training. She'd tied Morgan to robes and Noire to an archer's jerkin in her head. But they both walked with confidence, Noire albeit with a little effort.
The quiet girl had tried her best to avoid Severa initially, hiding, trying to join Lucina's practice at every opportunity.
It was understandable.
It would have been easy to blame her for what had happened. A personification of everything their father had done wrong. Severa had needed, someone, anyone to blame in the days after he left.
But that would have been wrong.
Noire wasn't at fault for the circumstances of her birth. If anything, she was as much a victim as they were, perhaps even more so. Severa and Morgan had grown up with a father, a strict one, but a father, nonetheless. The Plegian girl had only had her mother, with a scant few visits from 'Uncle' Robin as the only male guidance in her life.
"If there is a silver lining to this ordeal," she'd said when she and Morgan had managed to corner Noire after practice. "It's that even if we've lost a father, we've gained a sister."
The archer had been speechless, bursting into tears as they enfolded her in a hug.
Since then, the three of them had been inseparable. The instructors had allowed the trio to be grouped together for training which meant that checking in on her new sister was easy.
But it also allowed for situations like this.
The girls faced one another, bowed and took up their stances, waiting until Severa raised a hand to begin circling and jockeying for position.
Noire never felt comfortable with a sword, preferring ranged power, whether it be a bow or a fireball. But she made a good account of herself against most opponents.
The raven-haired girl made a warding stab at Morgan before continuing to slowly circle, blade trembling in her grip.
She was very cautious by nature, she took no risks, striking when she was sure it was safe. Against a fighter like Lucina this was often a disastrous approach. An opponent willing to take risks, seize the initiative could eventually force Noire to take risks of her own merely to survive and that usually ended terribly for the archer.
But against Morgan the matchup was more even. The snowy haired girl's style was a near perfect replica of Cordelia's. Incredibly fast and precise, but often lacking weight behind each of the blows. That said, it was less aggressive than many of the sword forms Severa had learned which allowed Noire time to calculate and respond.
The redhead had, of course, tipped the scales slightly in favour of her half-sister. Morgan had been through some rather extensive magic training in the morning, at Severa's request, and her exhaustion was obvious, if not crippling. Ordinarily the years of practice that the younger girl had on her opponent would have won out easily, but as tired as she was, Morgan was struggling to fend off Noire's attack.
As she watched the match, Severa felt herself frown. Morgan was struggling, but it was more than just a morning of hard graft that was hurting her now. The precise fighting style she'd inherited from her mother was effective, but the teacher could see the wheels turning in her younger sister's head. Every strike took a little time to process, to ensure it was accurate as possible.
It was the same mistake she'd been making, all those years ago, before Basilio.
Morgan played chess fast and loose. She'd alter tactics that she'd planned moves in advance because it felt right.
Precision was good, it was important, but it wasn't her.
And it was why she was struggling now. Noire had taken the offensive, a rare occurrence for her but devastating when it happened. It highlighted similarity between her and the Plegian girl. They had that same anger held deep down inside. When Noire started attacking, you could see it begin to leak out, but where for someone like Kjelle that was devastating, for Noire it gave a drive to her attack that would quickly become overwhelming.
Morgan tried her best to parry and dodge past the assault, but younger girl was driven back to the corner of their makeshift arena.
Her escape routes became narrower, her parries slower as Noire closed in. Severa could see it in Morgan's face, not just exhaustion, but panic.
This would be over soon.
Noire swung in, blade almost powering through Morgan's faltering guard.
Taking the momentum, she brought the bundle of lathes around for an attack on Morgan's left.
Morgan screamed.
A blue flame erupted from her sword.
Her parry caught Noire's blade.
The wood shattered, splinters flying.
Morgan swung at Noire's body.
The impact hurled her across the yard.
Morgan was still screaming.
A scream of fury.
A scream of pain.
The fire of Ignis had ignited her clothes.
Severa leapt forward.
"BRADY HEAL NOIRE!"
She tackled her younger sister down.
Her skin burnt under the flame.
She mounted Morgan, pinning the girl's arms down and kicking the errant sword away.
Morgan thrashed beneath her grip.
Four points in an even pattern bled beneath the younger girl's eyes.
Severa couldn't understand what she did next.
Calling on the pain she was feeling, she tried to take in the flames, drawing them away from Morgan.
Fire filled her blood.
Utter anguish wracked her as she slowly dampened the blaze surrounding them.
Focusing, she took it all and hurled it at a column that held the balcony.
Flames wrapped around the marble, in places it cracked.
But it held.
It held as Severa heard the screams of her little sister subside.
Held as Severa heard her own cries disappear.
What was left around her was a scene of near anarchy as instructors rushed towards them, Noire trying to get to her feet.
What was left in beneath her was her baby sister, crying as streams of blood covered her face.
"Someone, fetch my father."
"It's a problem of balance."
Robin occupied the Luna house for the first time in more than a month.
Morgan clung to him; the feathery haired girl's beautiful face marred by four red points. Two lay just beneath her eyelids and another pair on her upper cheeks.
"What do you mean balance?" her mother asked.
The moment Cordelia had found out what had happened she'd insisted that they come here, so that her youngest daughter might feel safe. She'd not blinked when her ex-husband had come with them.
"We all know that magic is as exhausting as physical activity, but that it tires you differently. You're not panting, but you still feel drained."
Severa nodded, it was a little like feeling as if you'd not slept.
"That's because they draw on different power. Physical activity draws on the energy in your muscles. Magic draws on your mental focus."
Again, it made sense. Some of the students had taken to calling their mental focus "mana" as if it were a defined supply. It was a crude tool, but an effective abstraction in its own way.
"Ignis uses one to aid the other. You're enhancing your strength with your mental focus, your magical power with your physical stamina."
He nodded at Severa, "It's why when I taught it to this one, I tired her out first. It was easier for her to draw on the power instinctively when she had no other options."
He leaned back on the couch, taking time to steadily stroke Morgan's hair. "It was safe for Severa because she's always been well rounded. She's not quite the mage that she is warrior, but it's close. The power from Ignis is manageable because her body or mind can compensate for the additional energy well enough."
He gave her a smile as if to imply that he was still proud of her.
Severa felt sick.
"Morgan here is possibly the most gifted mage in Ylisse." He paused, as if that were a revelation. "Perhaps the world." Both redheads blinked in surprise at that. "So, when she instinctively pulled on Ignis to save her, she drew far more power than she could manage."
That all tracked, her small experiments with the technique had seemed to imply the same at the very least.
"Will she be okay? How do we keep her safe?" Her mother asked the only real questions.
Their father nodded, hugging Morgan's head to him with his free hand. "With teaching she'll be fine."
"That's a relief," Severa exhaled.
"But she'll need to stay with me."
"What?" her mother's voice was flat.
"She needs to be with me Cordy. This is a very dangerous time for Morgan and if I'm not with her she could get hurt."
"You're not taking my baby from me," her mother replied angrily.
"She's my daughter too."
"I don't care, she stays with me, with her family."
Severa knew what was coming.
"Cordy. If she stays with you and this happens again, can you stop it? If she gets hurt and I'm not here, what's going to happen? Unless you're willing to let me live here again."
"Absolutely not."
"Then you have two options. Let Morgan come with me, or risk letting her hurt herself or someone else," he stated simply, gesturing with his free hand for emphasis.
"I can teach her," Severa interrupted.
Her father looked at her, for a moment, she saw what she swore was a flare of anger on his face.
It was gone in an instant.
"Perhaps. In fact, I'd probably bet money on you succeeding, as talented as you are," he conceded. "But even if you do, is that what's best for her? A half-taught understanding of Ignis, barely under control? The world's greatest living mage without a permanent tutor?"
"She'd be her family," Cordelia stated simply.
"I'm her…"
"I want to go."
They all looked to the source of the sentence.
Morgan sat straight, pulling away from her father slightly.
"I want to go."
"You can't be serious," her mother spoke after a moment.
"You promised we'd be together," Severa protested.
But she already knew it would fall on deaf ears.
Morgan loved one thing.
One thing more than anything else in the world.
"I have to learn as much as I can."
Notes
Whoof! This was a big one to write and took me a little longer than normal. I couldn't find a nice break point to split it into shorter chunks so here it is.
Largely I'm happy with it though. And parts of it are my favourite bits of writing so far. I'm hoping you all enjoy it too.
I expect the next chapter will be out in a similar timeframe, that's not at planning yet but the structure is already in my head, it's just a case of figuring out how segments fit together within the chapter and narrative as a whole.
As always I'm looking for comments and reviews! The story is set but I can usually incorporate flourishes of things that people might like to see into what I'm doing.
Reviews
TheGiantRock: Thanks so much for the review! As always I do try with every chapter to even out the tone and pacing and I made a big effort in chapter 5 given what I knew was coming. (As I have here). Robin uhh, yeah messed up is putting it lightly as you can see from chapter 6. The consequences will be far reaching.
The Chosen Storyteller: You're probably tired of me thanking you for reviews but it's not going to stop! I didn't make an effort here to show Ylisse as progressive but it's always been an undercurrent I wanted to be clear within the story. So Mistress Kayle was always planned but being quite so taken with Severa was less so, even if I think it really leant to the scene on review.
Little by little I've been trying to expand the cast as we go. Not hugely, we still have our main characters, but because I think that it helps the colour of the world. Ideally I want a world that someone not too familiar with Fire Emblem might enjoy. One where I don't just assume knowledge of the game will do work for me. (Even though I've done that a little for sure!). I'm not sure the full Awakening crew will show up, but I think we'll see more additions, even as quick references.