Severa remembered waking up that morning.
The warmth on the breath on her neck.
The tightness of the arms wrapped around her.
It was perfect.
Abruptly, she sputtered, spitting blue strands of hair out of her mouth.
Almost perfect.
Memories of the night came to her in a flood.
They had been awkward at first, driven more by passion than by any knowledge of what to do.
But as they'd settled.
Severa felt a blush across her face.
How had Lucina been so adept?
Her blush deepened as she realised that they were both still naked.
Her clothes.
Where were her clothes.
Naga, where on earth were..
"Good morning my knight."
Severa froze, mortified.
"I was just leaving," words tumbled out of her mouth. "You told me we couldn't be together and I took advantage of you," she squirmed against Lucina's embrace. "I know how hard this must be, so I'm going to go and we never have to speak about this again. I'm sorry.."
A hand unclasped and found its way to her chin. It tilted her head.
Familiar lips met her own.
She gazed up at her smiling princess, breathless, paralysed.
"I love you."
The princess said those words so freely, so ea..
"I love you."
They were the easiest words the knight had ever said in her life.
Severa pulled on the dark stockings, wriggling her toes to get the right grip.
Lucina's training clothes were the only spare set on offer but presented with the option of them against torn breeches and a shirt missing most of its buttons, the redhead felt the choice was clear. They were of a similar height so the uniform was passable, if rather tight in the chest.
Fortunately for the two of them, the guards had thought better than to disturb the new Exalt so soon after she'd gone to bed. It had given them time to take stock, prepare, and just enough for another kiss or three.
The knight suppressed a yawn. Habit, well, that and being choked by blue hair, had woken her up just after sunrise. With their rather energetic nightly activities, she'd only found four hours of sleep. Enough to function but certainly not enough to feel good.
The filled basin of water in the corner had been a pleasant surprise. A splash or two taking both the girls from grotty to at least somewhat presentable.
It marked a room that seemed to perfectly suit the princess. Severa had never really been able to take it in until now. The first time, she'd been a child so filled with nervous energy that she'd barely been able to speak. The second, so excited, then devastated, that she could barely remember a thing.
It wasn't lavishly decorated like some of the guest rooms in the palace. Instead, it was exceedingly practical. Lucina's bed whilst large, didn't dominate the room, giving way to a deep brown closet that had been perfectly organised so that regal uniforms and dresses hung alongside work and training clothes. The aforementioned white basin sat in the far corner, available in case her princess was needed for something formal in an emergency.
Dotted around were the blue haired girl's more treasured possessions. A sword, of what looked to be Feroxi design with its long, slightly curved blade, hung above the bed. It was oiled, the edge still perfectly sharp. It contrasted what looked to be fans a dancer might use that sat on a bedside table, the aggressive nature of the sword offset by the spritely pink of the fans.
The room felt like her princess. Practical, dangerous even, but with a gentleness that made anyone feel at ease.
Looking to the Exalt, Lucina embodied that same feeling now. A splash of water had made her seem like a new person and as she settled into her deep blue tunic and breeches, she seemed to grow more regal by the minute.
The knight couldn't quite believe this was the same person she'd found huddled in a ball the previous night, but the transformation to the Exalt seemingly came naturally to the blue-haired girl.
It set Severa in the state of mind she needed to be in. She loved her princess, her princess loved her. But she would not allow herself to harm Lucina. No matter how much it hurt.
"This morning," she spoke, breaking their amicable silence, "I panicked, but it doesn't make what I said untrue."
Lucina gave her a questioning look, inviting the redhead to explain more.
"You told me before that you couldn't be with me because of Ylisse. We can keep this secret. If you need to take a consort then I…"
"No." Lucina interrupted. "I also told you before, I will not give someone half my heart. You will not take scraps. The people will know you as the woman I love, nothing less. And when the time comes I would have you as my wife."
"But what about Ylisse?" Severa scrambled, as she wilted under her love's sincerity.
"Ylisse has taken my childhood, my friends and now my parents," her princess replied, voice floating between anger and anguish, "I will not let it take my love."
"Besides," she continued, "If things keep going the way they are, I'm not sure there's going to be anyone I might marry."
It was strange seeing Lucina voice the thought that Severa had held to the darkest parts of her mind. If their parents had failed, what chance did half trained children have? An army led by people with no battle experience, manned by children and pensioners.
"Who told you that you needed to marry a foreigner?" she asked, hoping to change the subject. "My mother once told me that both your parents approved of us. Ever since Cordelia had mentioned that particular puzzle, it had bothered the redhead. The facts had never added up. Both the Exalt and his wife had been enthusiastic about the prospect of a tie between the royal line and House Luna.
Lucina looked quizzically back, seemingly just as confused. "It was Uncle Robin?"
"What."
Lucina's bewildered expression only grew more intense, "It was Uncle Robin. He visited me that day and told me that I couldn't lead you on. That someday I'd have to marry outside the Haildom and it was cruel to build up your expectations."
It made sense.
It finally made sense.
"That bastard," she whispered under her breath.
He'd seen his daughter getting close to someone. Perhaps begin to rely on someone that wasn't him.
He'd known they were going to break up. He'd stayed behind knowing that she would fall into his arms and beg him to pick up the pieces.
Severa felt sick.
How hard had she worked for his approval after that day. How much more had she pushed herself knowing that he might offer her a smile or a nod.
If it weren't for Noire, just pure luck, she'd probably have died at his side in Plegia.
"Sev, you've gone pale, are you alright?" Her princess's voice gave way from bewilderment to concern as she took the redhead's face in her hands.
"I'm, I'm fine Lucy. It's nothing, nothing that can hurt us now."
Lucina's concern didn't abate, eyes widening slightly as she put the facts together herself, "He never told you, did he?"
Severa wilted, "I couldn't understand why you would reject me for political reasons when I was a noble. I spent so long believing that you didn't like me and that all I'd ever been was a toy for you. It's why I yelled at you when I got here, it's why I tried to hurt you training. I'm so sorry Lucy. It.."
Again, she was interrupted with a kiss, this time longer, deeper, as if her princess were trying to kiss her worries away.
They parted.
"No more apologies," her princess commanded.
"No more," the knight obeyed.
Severa entered the throne room through the main entrance. A few of those already assembled gave her a glance before returning to their conversations.
Whilst Lucina didn't want to hide their relationship, Severa had thought it best to keep things quiet for the moment. A young Exalt getting into a relationship was often something to be celebrated, but it might also hint at instability. In times of peace that might not have been an issue but as they prepared to mount the single most important defense in Ylisse's storied history, even a small disadvantage could develop into something catastrophic later.
Curiously, she had been called to the meeting in her capacity as Lady of House Luna rather than Headmistress, taking a position between Lord Anderly of the Farfort and the Duke of Themis. Brady's grandfather sported bloodshot eyes, he probably hadn't slept the previous night after hearing about his daughter. Maribelle had been a superb healer so there was a chance she had managed to get away from the carnage, but chances were slim if she hadn't made it back home by now.
Despite his worry he took a moment to ask after Robin and Cordelia and a second to console her over her loss. It was more than they deserved but Severa played up the dutiful daughter, if only so that she could ask about Maribelle and reassure him in turn. He was a good man; he'd been respectful and kind to her in her role as a noble despite her youth.
Most of the students that remained were assembled closer to the back. It was interesting that neither of the two princes had been summoned in their noble capacity, Owain and Inigo were chatting away as they awaited the Exalt.
The grey-haired prince presented a conundrum. Was it okay for him to flirt with her now that she was officially with his sister? It had never meant anything to begin with, so it would probably still be fine? She wasn't above admitting that she enjoyed the compliments and trading barbs in turn.
Her thoughts were interrupted as her princess swept into the room, sporting the same blues she'd left her room with that morning. The knight had to suppress a grin at that thought, knowing that she'd seen Lucina before anyone else.
Her blue uniform was completed by the addition of her golden tiara. Severa thought that she might choose to leave it, having taken the station of Exalt rather than princess but a prized possession like that could instil a bit of confidence in even the most assured ruler. Besides, it did look amazing on her. Although almost anything did. Lucina could wear rags and still stun a room to silence.
The redhead shifted as Lucina started speaking, welcoming those in attendance to the first war council before summarising the threat presented and its gravity.
Yes, Grima was alive but his plans were unclear and so far the offensive out of Plegia was slow moving. Even at a very fast pace an army would take a few weeks to reach the border and Ylissean holdings along it had been abandoned earlier in the war.
Losses from Plegia had been catastrophic, but things were not hopeless. Now was not the time for panic but to stop, assess and understand so that what forces remained could be applied properly.
"With that in mind, there will be appointments to formal positions on the council and to regular positions in the Ylissean military until such time as the crisis has passed or the previous occupants of those roles have returned." This was important, Robin had set up the Ylissean military meticulously. Each major role needed to be occupied or the army as it stood wouldn't function.
"Inigo Lowell is Exalted Heir," that was unsurprising. Appointing Owain was possible, another monarch might have tried to spare their brother the responsibility, but Lucina believed in the duty her family had and although he spoke of it less, the redhead knew the younger Lowell was much the same.
"Owain Lowell is appointed to the position of Master of Arms." There were a few murmurs at that. It was an interesting assignment; it had been Frederick's role in the past and encompassed responsibility of military supplies. Severa's notes to the Exalt had been very specific about Owain's talent with memorisation and organisation and it seemed her princess had taken notice. But that information wasn't public knowledge yet.
The Exalt let the crowd settle before rattling off appointments to a few more minor positions. Cynthia was to take up command of the pegasus knights, although they amounted to two or three survivors who had returned on half dead mounts as well as the scouts.
Laurent was appointed to work alongside Miriam Ferguson in procuring every single book related to Grima in the castle. It was a wise choice, the young mage had shown resourcefulness beyond his years in arranging a retreat for the army and whilst a higher position wasn't warranted, this would keep him in close contact with the council, vital when there were so few experienced fighters left.
Severa was a little surprised not to see Kjelle among those elevated, she was performing very well in her own work training troops. That was perhaps the reason why, there was no reason to switch her away when she was quickly turning green farmboys and grizzled pensioners into what resembled a real fighting force.
Lucina continued through what seemed to be a lengthy list, largely for roles that would allow observation in the council, if not contribution before finally drawing to a halt. The look she gave the assembly told them that there was more to come.
"The position of Grand Tactician will be taken by Morgan Luna," that didn't prompt a reaction at all. Morgan's genius at this point was a well-known secret among the army and nobility. It had started with her performance in field exercises and grown simply through conversations with intrigued dukes and ladies who wanted to know just how a girl of fifteen had taken Robin to the limit. Unwittingly Morgan had spurred this speculation herself by taking up residence in her father's office the moment she arrived. If Severa knew the girl then there would already be plans and battle maps strewn across the room as the aspiring tactician made ready to marshal the defense of Ylisse.
Severa got ready to stand, there weren't any positions left to fill and as headmistress she had officers to train.
"Severa Luna," the knight sat back in her chair, staring straight at her princess. "Severa Luna is Hand of the Exalt."
Severa's mouth moved, words failing her.
Hand of the Exalt?
That position hadn't been filled since the time of the First Exalt.
It was too dangerous. The Hand of the Exalt could give orders that were required to be obeyed as if they had come from the crown itself. Far too dangerous; the last Hand had been executed after he had abused his power to rebel against the state.
With a stroke Lucina had made Severa Luna the most powerful noble in Ylisse.
Every person in the room was looking at her. They all knew the magnitude of this decision, of the trust that the Exalt had placed in the Lady of House Luna. Were it not for the current crisis, no doubt some would have started trying to scheme against her. She hoped that they had the sense not to, especially when things were so dire.
With effort Severa rose from her chair. Bowing deeply, she finally managed to speak, "It has always been an honour to be your blade, my Exalt. It will be an even greater honour to be your Hand."
There was an instant where a pindrop might have been heard. A moment as Severa saw the slight smile in her princess' expression. One only for her.
The room erupted.
Severa walked to Morgan's office, Kjelle at her side. The stone walled, bare corridors didn't lend much accompaniment to their conversation, instead allowing their focus to remain on the task at hand.
The short haired girl had bags under her eyes. She had been conducting all training from early to late shifts herself for the past few months and even with her relentless spirit, the days of minimal rest were finally getting to her.
The redhead knew that she didn't look much better. Her duties as Hand were far reaching but less specific than she preferred. She had withdrawn from her position as Headmistress, the decision to allow the trainee officers to join the regular divisions had been a long time coming. Now, instead she toured all parts of the military from the supply stores to the archery range, providing the Exalt updates on every preparation the army made. She gave few orders, not wishing to invite the idea that she was undermining Lucina's position, but instead constantly reminded the people that she met that the Exalt was watching and more importantly that the Exalt cared about their work.
Lucina's own time was spent half between meetings and half between touring Ylisstol, being seen to get things done rather than getting things done herself. It was vital, they were still preparing. As a soldier she might defeat a score of enemies, but as an Exalt she would inspire thousands to give what they had to the army, to fight harder, to work longer. That would save far more lives than Lucina the swordswoman.
Their busy days afforded almost no time to speak to each other beyond reports and whilst their first night together had been amazing, the rest were more pedestrian. Nobody had been surprised when Lucina requested a cot be set up in her room for her Hand. There were many affairs they'd need to speak about in secrecy that was only afforded by moonlight.
The cot remained unused but the truth was that by the time they reached the bed they were half asleep. The mornings began with a quick kiss and occasionally a firm conversation with the Exalt telling her that touring the barracks was truly important work, even, especially, when Risen were on the move.
Even as the knight inquired about how her former students were settling in with the regular army, the Risen were making slow progress across Western Ylisse. An early decision had been made to concede much of Ylisse's far holdings. They had been stripped of anything of value as quickly as possible and supply trains had taken the assorted grain and metal deeper into the country.
The slow pace of the advance, especially after the devastation of the Risen's arrival surprised Severa, if they had moved quickly, they might have been able to sweep straight to Ylisstol. But they knew precious little about these monsters and perhaps there was method to their madness.
Knowing that farms, villages, even small towns had been taken hadn't been sitting well with Lucina. She wanted to be out there on the front lines, fighting, doing something, anything to help. It was a struggle sometimes, to persuade her of her worth as an Exalt. The smiles on the faces of the people Lucina met were a lot more convincing.
Kjelle was the same in many ways. She was itching to fight these monsters herself, but patient words from the Hand had kept her from an outburst.
With this meeting however, the cavalier's wish might come true.
"Enala's coming along, she seemed to gain confidence when she realised that she was in fact, much better with a sword than most of the recruits," Kjelle elaborated as they turned the corner to Morgan's office. "She's smart, that one, and with that boost she's been giving orders as if she was born to be a commander."
"That's good," the redhead replied as they drew up on the door, "she was promising." Of course, developing quickly likely meant a ticket to the front lines. Or wherever the Grand Tactician determined would see the hottest fighting.
The door opened revealing Morgan at her desk with Cynthia, surprisingly. The new Wing Commander still didn't seem to fit in the uniform that marked her station, shifting with discomfort as her former teacher glanced over.
But Severa's gaze was drawn to the snowy haired girl sat at the desk. Morgan seemed as bright eyed and bushy tailed as ever, despite the chaos of the room around her. Maps weren't simply stuck to the walls now, they were strewn across the floor with notes in chalk of different colours highlighting everything from potential fortifications to pegasus rest points.
It was like the younger girl to find energy in such trying work. The loss of Robin had hurt her a lot, Noire claimed that she'd cried through most of the night and into the next morning. It had taken Owain and a lot of sweets to get her to sleep and then the load of taking on her father's role to keep her on track afterwards.
That smiling face tugged at her now. Her sister's face.
Robin had always spent more time with the younger girl. She'd always been his focus. For every hour he'd spent with Severa another two had been with Morgan.
The redhead knew how addictive, how wonderful his praise had been. She remembered those days with a fondness that sickened her. Commanding troops, learning games, it had all been a delight. But what she'd loved is the simple feeling that her father cared about her.
It had been so easy for him to manipulate her. To take all the love she felt for Lucina for himself. Only luck had snapped her out of it. If Noire hadn't cast Ignis, if Severa hadn't been able to empathise with Cordelia, then she would probably have been at his side. She would probably have died with him in the Plegian desert.
Which brought her back to Morgan.
How much was the younger girl at fault for staying with Robin, for forgiving the man who'd treated her like a princess?
Had Severa been right to cast her off like that? For loving him, loving knowledge, more than anything else?
The knight stewed in those thoughts as the feathery haired girl brought the meeting to order.
"Thanks for coming everyone. I know you're busy so I won't keep you long," she began adjusting a map that was in front of her. "As you know the Risen are making a steady advance towards Ylisstol, but our scouts have been reporting that the land they leave in their wake is, for lack of a better word, decaying." Severa felt her eyebrows raise slightly. She'd not caught word of that from the scout reports, perhaps Cynthia had brought the information as soon as she'd got it.
"You two look about as surprised as I did," the Tactician continued. "But there's a chance that this is the solution to a rather important conundrum I've noticed."
"And that would be?" Kjelle interrupted.
Morgan took that in her stride, "Well, simply put, why a massive Dragon hasn't eaten us yet." The Hand nodded at that, it was something she'd thought about as well, but hadn't found a satisfying solution to. "I'm not going into the specifics yet because honestly, it's all theory and it would be worse to bias your thoughts with the speculation until we can prove it. But I do think it warrants some investigation and for that we, simply put, need to defeat a band of Risen in the field."
Cynthia and Kjelle's expressions were as deathly serious as the two could manage, "You want us to engage the Risen that defeated our parents to prove a hunch, the details of which you're going to keep from us?" Kjelle replied as evenly as her voice would allow.
The tactician, admirably, didn't seem offput by Kjelle's tone, "We have to fight them sometime and there's terrain here," she pointed at a forest near the chalk border indicating the Risen advance, "that would be advantageous for us to hold." A glance at the map earned another nod from Severa, Lisena wood was easily the most defensible terrain until they got far deeper into Ylisse, Robin had run her through a scenario there when she was younger.
Kjelle looked ready to reply before Severa took control, "If Morgan says that this is the best course of action, I believe her." That earned her a grateful look from the younger girl, "More to the point, she's not withholding information for the sake of it, but so that we can keep thinking independently. The truth is, why Grima hasn't launched a direct attack on us is an incredibly important question to answer and the more theories we have, the better the chance that we find the right one."
The cavalier was sufficiently cowed by that. Kjelle's respect had been hard earned but now she would defer to her former teacher unless there was very good reason not to.
Cynthia had been uncharacteristically silent through the exchange. She had never been the greatest strategist but given the distance they would need to travel; most of the risk was likely to fall on troops under her command. The role of Wing Commander traditionally carried responsibilities around scouting and deep attacks. "I'll go," she said quietly. "We need this attack to succeed, it's my responsibility, I'll see it through."
Morgan had expected the response, "You all will. Excluding members of the Exalted family, you're the three best fighters among the commanders we have and you all have at least some experience in the field." That experience was minimal at best, mock battles where Severa herself had done little to no fighting and where Cynthia had spent most of her time as a scout.
"And I suppose," Severa ventured, "I'm the one who needs to persuade the Exalt that she isn't coming along." Lucina would almost certainly want to take the front line if a raid was in order. She'd need time to see sense.
"It's the only way to keep her from it. She's been in here a few times already trying to sniff out engagements I'm planning," the tactician replied. That little minx had been coming here behind Severa's back? Her princess would hear about this in the evening and perhaps again in the morning as well. "If I'm honest, I would rather avoid risking you as well Lady Hand. But I think your presence is the only thing that will stop the royals from getting involved."
"What about Noire?" Kjelle suggested, "She's not got the battle experience but we could do with someone to command archers."
This time the white girl shook her head, "After me and Severa, Noire is the only person left with any formal training in tactics from father. Risking two of the three of us is out of the question, at least for now."
"And how much support will we have?" Severa asked.
"Fifty people at most. If there are too many Risen don't engage and we'll reconsider, but that should be enough to beat out what you encounter."
"And you're sure we need to do this?"
"Certain."
That was all that was needed, "Then let's not delay. Kjelle pick out the troops you need, Cynthia get Lumina saddled and organise patrols in your absence. I'll inform the Exalt and help Kjelle when we're done."
"And Morgan," she turned back to the tactician, "this was well thought out, good work."
The younger girl beamed before she managed to school herself again. Severa remembered that grin from her childhood. It felt just as warm now.
It had taken a full hour of discussion to persuade Lucy that she was not coming on the expedition. It had then taken an extra fifteen minutes of kissing to persuade her that allowing her Hand to leave was necessary.
But within three hours Severa and Kjelle had troops at the ready as Cynthia flew in on her chestnut brown pegasus. Lumina frisked slightly in excitement at the display. The expert rider soon had her eager mount under control as she consulted the redhead about the details of her departure.
One person they hadn't expected was Laurent, who had been sent with a small team of his own by Morgan. His orders were strict, he was not to engage unless as a last resort as his team was needed elsewhere on a mission that tactician simply didn't want exposed.
Either the snowy haired strategist was incredibly committed to avoiding bias, or she suspected that there might be spies in the city, or even in the ranks of the army. The Plegians had traditionally been excellent at subterfuge, the assassination of Exalt Emmeryn being their greatest coup, so whilst Grima might employ different tactics, it was still a good precaution to take.
That precaution galled Kjelle. The cavalier was direct and straightforward which made the necessity of secrets difficult for her to, if not understand, then accept. But it was also clear that she simply felt slighted that someone she thought of as a friend didn't trust her. It was difficult to comprehend that Morgan did trust them all, but she simply trusted people around them less.
Severa had initially thought that Cynthia would have just as much trouble accepting the compartmentalisation. But it seemed that her work as a scout was having an effect. She understood, better than most, the power of information. She'd seen it first hand when Robin had tricked them during their mock battle years ago and now with the ciphers that the scouts used being things that she managed, it was clear to her how highly such knowledge was valued.
Kjelle's dissatisfaction didn't stop them from a timely march however and they departed the castle quickly, maintaining a very fast pace for a band their size across Ylisstol.
The Wing Commander's use of Lumina was particularly helpful, allowing Severa as de facto navigator to dodge past problems before they arose, including one time where she had to, reluctantly, allow people she strongly suspected were bandits to continue to roam the countryside. It was infuriating to see people taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Ylissean retreat, but Grima and the Risen had to come first.
With such a small band every single member of their party was valuable, each soldier chosen because they served multiple roles. Catrin, a fearsome looking girl with reddish blonde hair doubled as a chef who could pull near miracles with basic rations. Alain, a portly man who was surprisingly nimble for his size had been a cobbler's apprentice, which meant that when holes appeared in boots after days of swift marching, they were repaired by the evening. The loss of anyone would hurt them both off the battle and on. A hole in a boot could mean an infected foot and the expenditure of energy from the healers that would be much better served saving people's lives.
Avoiding conflict as they did allowed them to reach Lisena Wood on schedule although that, for Severa, meant perilously close to the Risen advance. She'd hoped that they would beat it by a much more significant margin, but rain had been frequent on the march. The clouds above threatened worse, bulbous as they were, but the storm never came. They had been there so long that Severa was beginning to forget what direct sunlight felt like.
The experienced scouts they had were told to range into the forest. Cynthia was grounded for the moment, she'd be a giveaway that they were nearby and if the Risen were intelligent then the forest would make it easy to hide archers that would make quick work of Lumina given the chance. The loss of the pegasus would be a disaster, more so than even her rider. A new pegasus knight could be given basic training in a few months. A pegasus took years to replace.
The grey-haired girl was the first to return of the scouts, assigned one of the earlier but shallower paths. "It's bizarre Sev," she began, forgetting Sev's honorific as technical commander. She'd made the mistake in the past and the knight wasn't about to call her down, but it gave away that something had put the Wing Commander on edge. "There's a border in the forest, for lack of a better word. On one side the trees are fine and on the other, they're.." she paused as if trying to find the right word, "decaying? But not, they seem free of disease but they're just less alive. It's a straight line, a tree will be healthy on our side but dying on the other."
This must have been the blight that Morgan's scouts had reported. But what Cynthia was reporting felt more sinister.
"We need to reach that border," a voice chimed in from behind her. Laurent flanked by his team wore an expression that suggested he would brook no argument on this.
"Too risky, we don't know about enemy placement and this is better terrain to defend," Severa replied quickly.
"No, we have to reach that border," he insisted.
"Absolutely not and I am ordering you to stand down," now was not the time for a lack of discipline.
Laurent paused, "Are you ordering me in your capacity as my commanding officer for this expedition or in your capacity as Hand?"
Ah.
That was why.
As commanding officer orders from Morgan would supercede her own. As Hand her orders would have priority over even the Grand Tactician. Laurent must have been under very strict instructions to hide what he was doing, but he'd given that clue so Severa could act.
"Fine, we move towards the border. Cynthia, find us a defensible position and we'll catch and redeploy the remaining scouts as they arrive."
A quick nod was all that was needed as the enthusiastic girl darted back into the brush.
To their credit, the scouts adapted quickly to their new mission. A mousey girl with blonde hair, Tara, happened across the remains of what looked to be a hunter's lodge that would make for a decent base. Moss had taken the dilapidated shed but there was a somewhat sturdy fence around the outside, which, alongside the trees, would make for a defensible position with a clear view for archers to fire down on.
The life of the plants slowly devouring the lodge was contrasted by the eeriness of the land that lay just beyond them.
It was as if a line had been drawn through the trees. One side, green, filled with the vibrance and life she'd come to know of Ylisse. The other held boughs that were blackened, leaves browning in the light. They sagged as if the vigour had been stolen from them, making a token effort to follow what little sunlight was allowed through the clouds.
The scouts had been right, it was as if life itself was failing on one side. The trees, a mockery of themselves, unable to live in a place where they were supposed to give life. And what that meant, Severa struggled to fathom.
Resolving to work despite her discomfort, the knight found a beetle feeding off the sap from a tree and experimentally tossed it across the border. The surprised creature shuffled into the undergrowth, unperturbed.
She realised that her troops were all looking at her, even Laurent had been drawn away from the careful measurements his team were taking.
She had the command; she could order someone else to do it.
She was the Hand; she was worth more than them to the war.
But they were looking at her, to her. They needed to know she wasn't afraid, that as long as she was here, they didn't need to be afraid.
The redhead took a single step, landing her foot on the dying ground.
She didn't feel weaker, nothing hurt.
She strode into the blight, trying to hide her trepidation. She needed them to believe that she was brave.
She was fine.
It was fine.
The group released a breath that they didn't know they had been holding.
Laurent's team went back to their work, one was intently looking at a pocket watch for some reason and the others were arguing over a rather large wooden stick.
The remainder of the contingent set about checking the fences for defense, with archers hopping up into the trees to act as sentries for the camp.
Severa had Kjelle supervise, the serious cavalier making sure to double check the angle of pikes set for a charge or ensuring that everyone knew the best path for retreat, whilst she set out a map of the area on a rotten table set in the lodge.
She felt it first, something, odd, not wrong, but unnatural coming towards them. The knight couldn't describe the feeling, it felt like something that didn't belong, that simply shouldn't have been, was nearby. But as she exited the lodge, she noticed that no one else was reacting. Her soldiers were busy preparing the area.
For a moment Severa felt a fool, jumping at shadows, scared of what she'd seen earlier.
There was a bird call.
The Ylissean Swallow called once, twice and paused.
Once.
Twice.
Pause.
Something was approaching.
"MAKE READY, RISEN INCOMING!" Severa shouted without hesitation, voice bellowing and echoing among the trees. She herself ran forward, standing at a point where the makeshift barrier between the clearing and the outside gave way. They'd not had time to fix pikes there yet. There wasn't a plan. They'd meant to set up and then trap the Risen, not fight them head on. It wasn't going to work. It wasn't going to…
She breathed.
She drew her sword.
The enemy would fall.
Severa would always remember that first Risen. How he looked like a normal man, with an odd stride perhaps, a little paler than most. How he held his massive axe with ease, how his armour was broken, barely hanging to his body by a thread.
But more than anything she would remember the eyes. The burning red eyes, glowing with fel magic, piercing her very soul.
Her blade shook slightly as she saw more Risen appear from the trees, her thoughts flickering to the yellow tome she held in a pocket on her belt.
Not yet.
The Risen warrior began to run, his axe aloft, focused on the knight in front of him. His comrades followed suit, beginning their charge, hodgepodge of weapons raised aloft.
Severa held firm.
Arrows began to rain among the Risen, feathered shafts puncturing poorly fitted armour, shattering knees and causing the undead warriors to fall among their own.
Still, they came.
The warrior was upon her in moments, axe swinging ferociously as he attempted to decapitate her.
Severa stepped back slightly and then in, sword flickering as firstly she took his hands and then swung for his neck.
A head fell to the ground, the evil glow fading from its eyes.
Severa reset, as the next approached.
There had been technique to that swing, the warrior wasn't mindless.
Dimly, as Severa engaged her next opponent, she felt her awareness, her understanding of the battlefield expand.
Sidora, the girl fighting on her left with sword and shield was struggling with a beast of a man, smashing at her with a hammer.
Severa nicked his hamstring with her sword and Sidora finished him with a thrust through his eye.
The knight stabbed and hacked. She danced forth and back as enemy after enemy stood before her. Axe, lance, sword, she was challenged with all of them and they were all found wanting.
She grew confident, stepping forward, driving the Risen back from their defenses. Forcing them to retreat further into the forest. They were strong, but they hadn't been through her training. They couldn't compare to her skill.
Morgan had wanted them not just to be repelled, but to be annihilated.
Severa would give the Tactician just that.
The forest provided treacherous terrain, roots could trip, leaves could slip, but the Hand could understand the ground beneath her as if it was part of her body. To fall here would be like tripping over her own foot.
The Risen she faced now was larger than most, favouring a mace in its right hand. So far she'd poked and prodded, but hadn't found a real opening yet. It was a wily opponent, perhaps a girl, although the helmet and armour it wore made that unclear.
Severa feinted overextending. She put everything into seeming slightly off balance. Knowing that..
The mace swung for her chest.
She darted back.
It swung wide.
She thrust forward.
Her sword impaled its heart.
All too eas…
A fist smashed into her face.
She was in the air.
A thud.
The air rushed out of her.
Her eyes opened, vision blurred. She couldn't see out of her left eye. She was slumped against a tree. She was… she was… she was fighting Risen.
The knight wondered why she was alive.
The Risen should have fallen on her.
There was movement in front of her. A figure stood in front of her, staff whirling, stabbing at three Risen that surrounded it.
The figure resolved into grey pigtails holding a spear.
Cynthia fought with a skill that her teacher didn't know she possessed, spear spinning through the air stabbing the thigh of the Risen approaching from her left, blocking the sword blow of the one to her right and warding away the one in the middle, clawing at her with its bare hands.
Desperately, desperately Severa fought to regain footing, trying to stand on feet that refused her weight. She had to help, she had to.
The Wing Commander's display was incredible, but it was a losing effort. The stab to the Risen's thigh was ignored as it pressed her. A crushing blow to the side of the swordsman went unnoticed as if it felt no pain.
She needed help.
Severa struggled, leaning her full weight on what probably was a tree behind her. She fumbled for a sword that wasn't there, probably lost on the floor of the forest.
She had her tome, if she could just, grab.
Hands closed around the book.
Salvation.
A sword took Cynthia in the gut.
Severa's friend slumped to the floor.
"CYNTHIA!"
With a scream Severa pulled out the tome of Thoron she'd found in the castle library.
As she looked in anguish at her student, she pulled all her pain, sadness, fear for her friend into her.
She felt it.
She felt it in her veins.
Her blood boiled.
A fire scorched her insides.
With all her might she pushed it out.
Out through the tome.
Electricity crackled to life.
The Risen heard the hum that was to be their death.
Lightning burst from the book's pages.
Wreathed in the purifying blue flames of Ignis it took the first Risen in the chest, burning it to dust.
It bounced, arcing to the second and then the third.
In that moment Severa could feel where each misbegotten corpse that her friends hadn't slain stood.
They wouldn't stand any longer.
The lightning arced again.
A Risen burst into flames.
The lightning arced again.
A Risen fell to the ground dead. The lightning arced again.
A Risen shuddered, paralysed as swords and axes took it. The lightning arced again. A Risen died. Again. A Risen died. Again. A Risen died. Again.
Darkness took her.
Severa jolted awake.
The sky was above her.
Another jolt.
She was on a cart?
She felt exhausted, as if she'd run a hundred laps of the palace and then fought Lucina. She felt it to her very bones, it was almost as if her soul was tired.
There was a pain beneath her eyes, four points pulsed evenly sending sparks of agony through her.
She tried but couldn't move. A belt had her fastened to the cart, but that exhaustion kept her from anything beyond tilting her head.
Cynthia!
She croaked, trying to get attention, struggling with all the strength of a newborn to be noticed.
"Ah, you're awake." Laurent's tone was calm, which offered little comfort because that boy would be calm during an avalanche.
"Cy…" she mumbled.
"You really exhausted yourself with that trick. If you'd held it any longer you might have died," he continued maddeningly. Of course, she'd almost died, she could feel that she'd almost died!
"Cynth.." she struggled more, a sluggish move of an arm came abruptly.
"Ah, yes. The Wing Commander is recovering. A gut wound is nasty but she was treated soon after the Risen were defeated. At worse she'll have an upset tummy for a day or two."
Severa relaxed. Cynthia was safe. It had been worth it.
"So that's what happened." The mage said idly, "I could only speculate when I saw the scene. How interesting to see magic driven by emotion of all things."
If Severa could have slapped him she would have. What was happening? Now was not the time to be speculating about Ignis.
"You defeated the Risen with minimal casualties. Two, before you start wondering. Liana tripped and the Risen caught her before she could recover, Alain took on a Risen twice his size. He only died because it crashed into his legs after he killed it," Laurent grimaced, "he's definitely going to be missed."
Severa felt numb. If she'd not grown overconfident, they might have lived. If she'd not taken the Risen for granted, Cynthia might not have been hurt.
"For now, though, we confirmed what the Grand Tactician suspected," he mussed a hand through his short red hair. "I don't know how she knew to check, but the blight receded by ten foot or so the moment your lightning struck."
Severa's brow would have furrowed if she had the energy. The blight was linked to the Risen? That did follow, but what did that mean? What had Morgan been checking for?
"In any case Commander, you need rest. We'll debrief properly when you're in a better state." With that, the young man left, hailing down a soldier nearby.
Kara, one of Laurent's group, fell in beside the exhausted redhead, blonde hair ruffling in the wind. "If you need anything, I'm here Commander."
The Hand tried to speak, to give any orders. But they left her as soon as they arrived on her lips. Her thoughts refused to order themselves and she found her eyes drifting to a close once again.
She was left with just dreams, dreams of two soldiers whose lives she'd lost because of her arrogance. Of a dear friend falling in her defense.
They weren't pleasant dreams.
But they weren't ones she'd soon forget.
"Now would somebody please tell me why the hell we lost two excellent soldiers?" an angry Kjelle hollered as she entered Morgan's study.
The rest of the council turned to face her; the meeting was smaller than normal, tactics didn't concern the civilian leaders, so they had been made aware of it, but told that their presence was optional. They had all taken that to mean, 'not required' which was predictable given how much work each already had on his or her plate.
That left Severa and her former students, alongside a few of the elderly soldiers.
They winced as Kjelle's rant continued, yelling about hare brained and idiotic schemes, not keeping soldiers informed.
The short haired girl had been in a foul mood for the entire trip back. At least for what Severa remembered of it anyway.
She'd apologised profusely for the danger that she'd placed the Wing Commander under, but Cynthia had shrugged it off, saying that it was her duty both as a hero and a subordinate to protect her leader.
Far better than Severa deserved.
Kjelle had been much less forgiving.
"That was idiotic. You walked into a swarm of enemies you didn't know or understand, to seemingly duel them to death when you had comrades next to you. You then pulled out an attack that looks like it came close to frying the entire army to death. And for some insane reason you kept that tome a secret. Why on earth were you on the front line when you were capable of that kind of magic?"
Severa had tried to get a word in edgewise but the barrage of words kept coming.
"After everything you taught me about keeping my head and staying cool, the first thing you do is hare off like you're a recruit with less than a day of training? There are two people who are dead because of you."
"You don't think I know that?" Severa had replied firmly.
"I do." Kjelle had responded more evenly, "And I want you to know that even if Cynthia says it was fine, it is your fault as a commander. The only reason I'm not being harsher on you is because I know that you'll take it to heart. What on earth possessed you to walk away from your support like that anyway?"
In truth, it was a flaw. A simple problem with the way Severa had learned. Her training had been as a bodyguard and advisor for Lucina. Cordelia's duels, Robin's tactics. They were focused on her as an individual, either fighting an opponent or commanding armies.
She'd never been taught how to fight as part of a team. She'd walked forward because her senses told her that the ground there was more even for battle. She'd walked forward because she could beat the Risen in front of her there. She'd walked forward because her comrades hadn't factored into her fighting style.
In a lot of ways, she was a recruit with a day of experience. Worse perhaps, because all her instincts had been honed for combat a soldier would never see.
The redhead had mulled on that thought for a long time. It was a flaw she'd either have to correct or seek to avoid.
"As colourful as Kjelle's language is," Lucina cut in. "Her question is one I'd like an answer to. I understand that there will be losses but being held in the dark as to their purpose does not sit well with me."
The Exalt publicly had been muted in her response to her Hand's safe return, asking for a summary of the mission with the same tone she might have talked about the price of grain. Privately, her princess had threatened to tie the knight to their bed, layering soft kisses all over the redhead as she fervently claimed she'd never let Severa leave her sight again.
It had taken a rather more vigorous evening than the knight would have liked to smooth that point over, but in the end her princess saw reason, or, at least, was too exhausted to argue.
Supressing a blush, Severa looked to the Exalt. She wasn't in her most formal clothes today, instead opting for a loose-fitting shirt in a light blue and brown breeches. She lamented constantly over how long getting dressed took each morning. Her maid would fuss over her hair or suggest different attire based on the events of the day, driving Lucina up the wall.
"Agreed," Inigo's voice echoed from Severa's side. The prince had remained silent about Severa's recent brush with death, simply welcoming her back when she'd arrived. That and mentioning that she looked ravishing even half unconscious after days of travel. The Hand was sure the prince knew of her escapades with his elder sister. Lucina and Inigo were close and Severa knew that her princess hated lying to her younger brother. But that hadn't stopped the flirting and the redhead was loathe to halt it herself. It had been nice to come back to a little normality and as long as Lucina didn't mind it was just harmless fun.
She had noticed however, that he seemed to be assigned with her, or simply randomly meet her in the castle more often. There wasn't a day that went by where the prince didn't accompany her somewhere on one of her duties.
Morgan held her hands up, motioning for the small group to quiet down slightly. Perhaps a little presumptuous in front of the entire Exalted family, but probably fine in front of friends.
"There have been a number of mysteries that have been bothering me about Grima, the campaign in Plegia and the Risen themselves," she started, motioning to a map behind her. "The first question is, why did Grima want the Fire Emblem when he could already manifest himself at the cost of Plegian lives?" the snowy haired girl poked at the Dragon's Table on the map for emphasis. "The second is why, said giant dragon hasn't simply flown to Ylisse and gobbled us all up," that was a mystery that they had all been worried about. "And the third is what is the blight that has been spreading from Plegia?" she pointed to a border made out along the map that indicated the advance of the affliction across the land.
There was a small murmur across the room, important questions and ones that Severa had pondered over.
"And now, thanks to you I think I've confirmed my theory. Which is that they're all related." The Tactician's triumphant grin meant that she knew she was onto something big.
"Grima is a being of magic, a dragon like that must be, otherwise he wouldn't be able to exist, let alone fly. Magic sustains him and thus to manifest in the world, he requires a huge amount of energy. That explains the sacrifice of the Plegians, he stole their life energy to manifest himself." All information that Severa herself had reasoned, "But he also needs magic to simply sustain himself in this world and magic to move. Which he gets by siphoning away the life of plants, animals, anything near him." That would explain the blight, "If that's the case, then even if he had the energy to move here, it would take a long time and should he do so, we could simply evacuate and fight elsewhere."
Severa realised she was the only person nodding along, the rest were stunned. She gave them all an exasperated glare, it was like not one remembered any of her lessons about how to beat a large but immobile army!
"And this is where the Risen come in. When Sev killed the Risen, Laurent was able to prove that the blight receded. Which means, instead of moving himself about, Grima spends excess energy on the Risen who spread the blight for him. He gains more magical power, more sustenance and eventually gets free reign over the world." She tapped the border again for emphasis, "But right now, the Risen need to both act as soldiers and as beacons for the blight."
Severa's eyes widened. It made sense.
"If the Plegian army had been alive, he could send them to attack on his behalf and simply have the Risen spread behind them. And every Plegian that fell would simply get raised as another Risen." Morgan concluded.
Grima had wanted the Fire Emblem so he could fight with both his Risen and the Plegian army. He'd known he was always going to win, so he'd been planning on the kind of victory he wanted from the start. He'd probably used what little power he had before he was unleashed to bolster the Plegian numbers with Risen to convince Ylisse of the threat. The larger the Ylissean force committed to the attack, the less resistance his Risen would face later.
It was brilliant, terrifying, but brilliant.
She could tell by the widening of eyes and the raising of eyebrows that the others in the room were starting to understand. Most didn't have her sense of strategy, but they'd all been passable with the basics and Morgan, to her credit, had been less verbose than normal with her explanation.
"What does this mean?" Kjelle was the first to speak, her anger dissipated as she tried to understand the magnitude of what the Tactician had discovered.
A grin came across the snowy haired girl's face, "It's good news, it means that this war is about taking and holding territory, for lack of a better word, it's conventional. From the Hand's report the Risen are powerful individually but poorly organised compared to us and we have the advantage of defense for the moment. If we can hold the border at these key points," Morgan pointed to a number of fortresses dug into small passes, protecting routes into the heartlands of Ylisse, "then we can reinforce from there and start pushing the Risen back."
"There's a risk to that," Severa spoke, the younger girl was right, but there was at least one issue, "If any point falls and the Risen spread, not only do the rest risk being encircled, but Grima will be able to create an even larger army nearly instantly."
Morgan nodded, she knew, "We have fallback positions and another set after those, but you're right. If we get to those then we're almost certainly going to lose."
They had been facing loss for a long time, many here felt that they fought because they had to, because it was the right thing to do, not because they thought they had any chance of winning. But one of the most optimistic of their number suggesting that their survival rode on a single plan was a sobering thought.
"Thank you, Morgan," Lucina intervened. "Your intuition has served us well. Let's discuss the finer points of what we're to do here and set about enacting the plan as quickly as possible. The longer our troops have to set up, the easier it will be to defend against the Risen."
And with the Exalt's word, they went to it. Talking through troop assignments, supply lines, every single speck of a campaign that would determine not just their own fates, but that of the world itself.
Severa watched as the council retired at the end of the day, exhausted. The plan in place was good, she couldn't see any flaws in the details, although she would review the notes tomorrow to be certain, but she made sure to stay, giving Lucina a quick glance to suggest that the redhead would follow to their room shortly.
There was something she had to do.
Morgan remained at her desk, absently poring over the notes she'd made herself, before giving a start when she realised Severa was still there.
"Severa, is there something I can help with?" she asked. It was too formal for her, but she made the effort anyway.
She always made that effort, since the day she returned she'd acted as a stranger, not just to Severa, but even to Noire. As if trying to be the archer's sister would offend Severa.
It might have, not long ago.
Then Severa had almost died.
Severa moved from her chair slowly, to the Tactician's desk, taking her hand and tugging gently so that the girl would stand.
She pulled the younger girl to a small cot set in the corner of the room, where the white-haired girl had evidently taken to sleeping after late nights of work.
They sat down on the edge, so like the way they once had, years ago.
"I'm sorry."
She didn't need to say why. Morgan knew.
But she went on anyway. "I'm sorry I pushed you away when you came back. It wasn't your fault that we had to split and I was wrong to blame you for the choice you made." She hated Robin for everything he had done, she was right to hate him, but Morgan's only flaw was loving her father too much. "I hope you can forgive me."
Morgan didn't speak for a moment, taking time to look across the room and then up at the ceiling, as if mulling over her next move.
That next move was to jump on Severa and give the biggest hug she could manage. "I'm sorry Severa, I didn't think about how much I hurt you. I had to learn, but I could have spoken more, I could have tried to do something, anything to bridge that gap, but father told me to leave you."
Of course he had, "Robin was a snake, you're not to blame," she replied.
The younger girl leaned back, "Father isn't that bad, it was bad to leave you but.."
"He's the one who made Lucina break up with me," Severa interrupted.
Morgan stared at her with those innocent eyes, "No, he couldn't have."
"Lucy told me herself."
"I'm sorry," the words came from the tactician easily.
"Don't be."
"But.."
"Don't be, just be my sister again."
Morgan hugged her and started to cry.
Severa couldn't keep the tears from her eyes either.
Severa had never slept with anyone else, apart from with her mother when she was very young, or on occasion when Morgan had been scared at that age.
But for years she'd had a bed of her own, a space to herself and nobody to share it with.
Her nights with Lucina were all that she had ever wanted. Usually just a kiss or two, sometimes more.
The way her princess clutched her tight each night was a feeling she would treasure for the rest of her life.
But it did present some inconveniences.
Body heat, hair, the simple thought that she was in bed with Lucina, meant that if she wasn't exhausted, she didn't really sleep.
Instead, she floated in a haze, awoken by the feeling that she was too warm every so often, or just from the flicker of moonlight on Lucina's bedstand.
It wasn't restful sleep, but it was worth it. Anything would have been worth it.
She lay thinking about the campaign whilst her princess dozed next to her. Troops had been installed at fortresses along the border, she would go soon, to help where the fighting was hottest. Her sister wanted to hold back their best cards until she saw where the point of Grima's attack was sharpest.
She thought about the two soldiers who'd died under her command. She thought about Cynthia dying too. She didn't think she'd ever be able to stop.
She thought about the Risen, their glowing ruby eyes, how they moved, almost like they were human, but felt wrong somehow. As if there was something fundamental that every living thing was meant to have, that they just didn't. How she felt as if even now they were looking over her, staring, waiting.
Severa kicked out with her foot as hard as she could.
It collided with something, a figure clad in pitch black.
"LUCY WAKE UP! GUARDS! GUARDS!"
She caught movement at the base of the bed and leapt off.
A knife landed point first where her chest had been moments ago.
There were at least two.
Instinct drove her.
She sidestepped as she felt a thrust from the first attacker aim at her stomach. She grabbed for the hand and then braced her other against the assassin's shoulder and heaved. He spun directly into the path of a second knife aimed at her, not uttering a sound as the point flew into his back.
Kicking away her improvised shield Severa leapt back on to the bed, Lucina wasn't moving. Was that because she was dead, or because she didn't want to impede the knight?
It didn't matter, instead, from her position Severa reached upwards.
Her hands closed around the hilt she was searching for.
A curved Feroxi blade came down from its display, parrying another knife as she fell into her stance.
She jumped a swing from the shortsword wielding assassin aimed at her legs.
She was on top of knife thrower before he knew it, diving off the bed and slashing clean through his neck.
No blood.
Her momentum took her into a roll, coming to a halt with a thud as she crashed into the wall.
A desperate twist was all that stopped the shortsword from sending her to an early grave. But it gave her enough time to regain her footing.
Her attacker's sword shimmered faintly from the faint light that illuminated the room.
The Lynx Pounces at Night swung downwards at her, but she caught the blade with her own. The assassin was strong. Almost stronger than her, but it had the advantage of the downwards strike and kept her held.
She needed to break free, or her grip would give. She wasn't used to this kind of sword yet.
Abruptly the pressure gave way and she pushed upwards, only to see the assassin fold and collapse in on itself.
Lucina stood behind, her only accessory, a knife in her right hand.
"Lucy are you okay?" Sev's question was immediate.
"I'm fine Sev, I'm fine."
"They didn't harm you?" The knight moved to start checking her princess.
"They didn't try to," the blue haired girl replied.
That didn't make sense. They'd had a clear shot on her when Severa awoke. It should have been easy to kill the Exalt from there but…
They hadn't been trying to kill Lucina.
They'd been trying to kill her.
Notes
And that's chapter 9! Not many notes here. It took a little longer to put out just because I've been busy interviewing for a new job and because it ended up running on the longer side because of the action. As always I'm going to try to update at a decent clip, I think with a little luck this will be done before the year is out.
Chapter 10 is fortunately one with some very clear moments in my head, so hopefully that'll help as well. Although I know how often I say that and how often it ends up taking just as long!
As ever, your comments are hugely important to me and spur me to keep writing, so please keep them coming!
Reviews
Guest: Thanks so much for the review! I'm glad that the way Severa feels seems right to you. I always wanted the way Severa acted to feel earned and for her feelings about Lucina to reflect the way she'd been brought up. And now of course we've had that talk between the two of them, or at least a bit of it, so hopefully she can heal a little. And of course, reconcile with Morgan as well!