I'll be honest with you guys; this chapter was vastly different in the outline. But one spur-of-the-moment joke in the last chapter made me reconsider everything. I hope you enjoy it.

The Princess's Dragon Bride

Chapter 18: Thick as Thieves

The wagon began to rattle and shake. Then, Leven peeked his head outside and placed a hand on Byleth's shoulder, a pleading look on the young man's face. After only getting Byleth's gaze to shift from him to Akira. Akira only nodded, Leven's look getting to him too.

With Akira's permission, the wagon stopped just at the forest's edge. The horses, tired and wheezing, finally stopped, the exhaustion apparent on their faces.

Robin took his chance then, leaping out of the wagon, "we should set up camp. The horses need a full night's rest."

Akira then turned toward his group. "I'll be cooking, so …."

Byleth and Cloud sighed and walked into the woods to gather wood for a small fire. The two girls simply stayed in the cart, unsure if the coast was clear or not. So they decided to help Akira find the food supplies.

Pyra watched as Bowser readied the warships, Kamek's tracking magic giving them a clear path to follow. The young prince was at his side, helping wherever he could. Pyra didn't have the heart to tell him; she knew exactly where this was going.

Bowser made one last trip into the castle and returned with the Exalt in tow. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, Milord," Kamek said from aboard the ship.

"About time," Bowser Jr. huffed and floated over to his father's side

Until Bowser held out his hand, "Jr, you need to stay here."

"Wait, but why!"

Bowser looked over at Chrom, who only nodded once before stepping into the Koopa King's clown car "just in case, they come back to steal something else."

"This isn't the first time someone has broken into the castle, and despite our attempts at securing it, they keep finding ways to slip past us," Chrom sighed. Bowser Jr. let out a huff but otherwise didn't object.

Then Chrom's gaze shifted to something behind them all. "Marth."

Pyra and the others turned suddenly to find Shulk and the Ylissean prince watching the departure. "You've been training for this day. Think of this as a test, and we shall be returning soon."

The Prince said nothing but the look in his eyes was determined and stern.

With that, the Clown Car flew off to meet with the flying ships, and there was no going back. Pyra turned her attention to the Prince. "Junior," she motioned towards the prince, "this is Marth, Prince of Ylisse."

"A pleasure" Marth bowed for a moment before returning his gaze to the other prince.

"So what is there to do around here?" the Koopa asked, fidgeting in his seat.

"Not much, I'm afraid" "study, train, you can ride around in the field or explore the gardens."

"Anything I can fight around here?"

"If you wish to spar," Marth looked thoughtful, "I suppose I'm free. I'm interested to see how our fighting styles differ. Follow me to the training grounds."

Akira filled the last bowl and handed it to Corrin, who excitedly dug in without hesitation. Lucina, however, seemed to be a little more lost in thought.

He let out a deep sigh "we bribed the guards."

The look of absolute despair that loomed over her features was replaced all at once with ease. "Thank Naga, I was worried there was something wrong."

"I mean, isn't the fact that we can do that a bit of a red flag?" Byleth asked after he handed his empty bowl over to Akira again.

"Corrupt is better than incompetent," she sighed. Then she finally started to eat.

"Wait." she stared deep into her food. "Do you guys run an inn?"

"Indeed we do. " he grinned, "the Velvet Rest Inn."

"It's actually Robin's inn. We just work there," Cloud said after he too handed Akira his plate.

"Wait …" Lucina looked even more confused, "you all lived together and never learned each other's names?"

"Oh, we did," Robin said as he took a long swig from his waterskin. "Akira is the only outlier."

Had he really been the only one? "I was just busy."

Lucina looked from one man to the other. After a long pause, before finally asking, "how exactly did all this happen?"

"Ah," Akira smiled, and Robin groaned before reaching over him and refilling his plate. "It all started in a small jail two towns over."

"I was arrested for … no real reason" he was allowed to keep his secrets. Byleth and Cloud gave him questioning glances. "Where I found myself trapped with those two."

"We had been planning our escape," Byleth took his plate back from Akira and handed it over to Robin, who filled it in turn. "when Leven was tossed in."

"Thanks to Leven's magic, we were able to make our escape" Byleth handed his plate over to Cloud and then took the other plate from Akira. "Down on our luck, we broke into the nearest abandoned house we could find."

"Only to realize it wasn't abandoned," Byleth got his bowl refilled and continued eating. "It was Robin's house, but thankfully he let us stay."

"They tied me up in my bedroom and refused to leave," Robin sighed.

"I mean, we kept you fed, didn't we?"

Robin let out a huff bordering on a laugh, "you're lucky I'm terrible at cooking and desperate."

"But why an inn, though?" Corrin asked after handing her plate over, waving away Robin's offer of seconds.

"... why did we start an inn?" Akira looked back at Robin, who was stuffing his face at the moment.

Robin swallowed down the last of his food before answering. "Because feeding you all burned through my retirement money, so I needed you all to earn your keep. Besides, it was a big enough house."

"And it had been going well," he then made a sweeping gesture toward Akira. "at least until someone decided to get back into organized crime."

"I still have no regrets."

"I know you don't."

Marth skidded to the side, barely dodging the swipe from the strange oversized paintbrush. Marth countered the Koopa's overhead strike, wincing slightly as the Koopa overpowered him.

Marth growled, watching his point hopping in place, eager and waiting, almost mocking. His shield lay broken and useless on the ground a few paces away.

He rushed to his feet and made a few more strikes in Bowser Jr.'s direction. Somehow missing all of them. How is he so damn fast?

Marth retreated again, but the Koopa followed him. Shit!

Then in one mighty swipe, the Ylissean Prince was sent tumbling to the ground, the remains of his training blade scattered all about the floor.

He sat up, his breath an uneven disaster. "How are you so damn strong?"

Bowser Jr. only grinned, "I'm the prince of the Koopa Kingdom!"

Marth could see his sister's grin on the other prince at that moment and couldn't fight back the smile that crossed his own face, and he struggled to stand. "I feel you and Lucina would be fast friends."

"Who's Lucina?"

"My sister."

Corrin snuggled closer to Lucina, the sudden chill unwelcome and uncomfortable. She turned to Lucina, dozing off but started to stir at Corrin's sudden movement. "Is something wrong?"

Corrin only shook her head "no, I'm just a bit restless. I'm going to walk around for a bit."

"Should I come with you?" Corrin didn't hesitate to gently shove the other princess back into the nest of blankets she'd made.

"You need a nap," she smoothed her hand along Lucina's shoulder, and through some miracle, the other girl drifted back to sleep.

Corrin stood snagging one of the stare blankets off one of the boys. Byleth then proceeded to nestle closer to Cloud before going motionless again.

She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, surprised that the cloak she had brought wasn't enough to fight off the chill. She looked around and realized two were missing among the boys asleep in the cart.

She found Leven standing not too far off, tending to the horses. He looked worried as he soothed the beast's nerves.

"Is everything alright?" Leven jumped slightly at her sudden presence. After regaining his composure, he simply shook his head.

"Are you sure?" he nodded at that. They stood silent for a moment watching the horses drink furiously from the nearby river.

After a moment, he sighed, and in a quiet voice, she wasn't sure she had heard him, he said. "We've just worked them a bit too hard, is all."

Corrin nodded "would you like some help?"

Leven looked up at her with a thankful smile and nodded. The two groomed and fed the horses in silence before Corrin finally spoke up. "So that story, the one Akira told, is it true?"

Leven looked pensive, "mostly."

"Really?" she steered up in surprise "you guys don't seem the troublemaking type."

He chuckled, "well, I can't say Akira didn't do anything since he was already in jail when I was tossed in."

"As for me," he looked pensive, "it was an accident, you see…." He held out his hand to her, and she saw something in the pale moonlight.

A mark on the back of his hand. "I have these powers, but …" his cheeks pinkened as he looked away, "I can't really control them."

"I don't like using them because it's a gamble on how useful it'll be" He let out a soft sigh, "and when we're in the middle of a big job, I really don't want to mess it up."

Corrin frowned and, without thinking, gave the boy a tight hug. "Please, never see it that way,"

After a moment, she let go. Although appreciative, Leven gave her a questioning look, "I guess what I'm trying to say is."

She tapped her chin and then smiled "maybe, you can try using them as, uh, " as unexpected opportunities."

She returned her attention to the horses, "I always used to mess things up back when I started learning magic, and sometimes I felt more like a nuisance."

"But papa says, we are Koopa royalty. We don't make mistakes just," she peeked over her shoulder to look at him, "just Ummm, unexpected plans so radical that even we don't know what'll happen."

At that, Leven smiled, and Corrin couldn't help but smile back.

Chrom could get used to the rocking of a ship at sea, but a vessel that, against everything he knew, soared through the sky, scared him a little. While he usually clings to the center mast and waits for his stomach to settle, he doesn't have the patience to do that this time.

His fear of falling was second to the whirlwind in his mind. According to the wizard named Kamek, the thieves had made it past the city gates. Any hope of finishing this without mobilization was gone.

Their enemy was already a few steps ahead of them, blocking the gates, so no reinforcements interfered with their distraction. Distracting Bowser and himself, knowing that every guard worth their salt would rush to protect their kings over keeping an eye on the princess. Striking simultaneously to scatter any resistance. It was all perfectly planned out.

Even the thought that the thieves had a competent tactician on their side made the unease in Chrom's gut grow restless. Robin, by Naga, this can't be you.

"Still scared of heights?" Bowser's voice yanked Chrom from the knot forming in his chest.

"What?" he realized he had started gripping the railing again. "No, I can't afford to be."

"We'll catch 'em, don't you worry about it" there was a puff of smoke that oozed out of the corner of Bowser's wicked grin.

"I have no doubts," he breathed, determined to ease the knot still lodged in his chest. "This is a different kind of frustration."

Bowser only raised an eyebrow, "do we need to stop at a brothel or …."

Chrom turned to stare at the king, gears slowly turning. Before his face flushed a deep crimson, he turned back to the scenery "no, it's …."

He let out another puff this time; his chest felt easier. He took the bottle Bowser handed him, "that thief, the one in the black and purple mask," the image rushed back to his mind. "I think we've met before."

Chrom took one large swig from the bottle before sighing "they fight like someone I used to know … a dear friend I thought dead."

Lucina stepped out of the wagon, pulling the cloak closer over herself to fight off the night's chill. She watched Leven, in particular, tend to both of the wagon's horses. Corrin, unable to sleep, later joined him. If she was being honest, she was surprised they had lasted as long as they did without a break. The rest of the team was resting in the back of the wagon. Except for Robin, she couldn't help the unease that washed over her.

Robin had left the wagon first after dinner, and unlike Leven and Corrin, who were still very much in view, he was nowhere in sight and had yet to return.

She tightened her grip on her blade and lurked around the wagon when she saw him. His blade carving runes into the ground. "What are you doing?"

He didn't seem startled by her presence, "A counter curse."

"Counter curse?" he looked at her then, "for what reason exactly?"

"Your father is no fool" he knelt down and placed his palm to it. After a moment, it flashed purple, and it was gone "he has good trackers at his disposal. If we aren't careful, they'll be on our heels with hunting hounds within days."

She was aware of her father's skill at hunting but wasn't aware of any elite tracking squad. "Did Akira tell you about this?"

"Akira doesn't think about these things," Robin scoffed. "He's a good thief, a brilliant one at times, but this is far beyond his expertise," Lucina said nothing as she followed him around.

Robin finally sighed in relief after doing one more lap around the wagon. Quietly murmuring, "He's really screwed it up this time."

"This isn't just any stuffy lord; he's angered this time." Lucina looked him over, was her father truly that terrifying? He seemed to notice her questioning gaze,

"I'd say we should expect the Shepherds themselves to be on our heels, but …."

She knew this story well, "They disbanded years ago." she could still see the heartbroken look in her father's eyes whenever he would get to that part of the story. "May I ask how you knew of them?"

He smiled, a playful and teasing expression, "Aside from them being war heroes?" but behind that coy grin, she could see great sorrow, "I was one of them … once."

AN/ Not much happened, I know, but I couldn't help myself. Initially, we were just going to get the scenes in Ylisse and only the dinner scene, but I wanted to help flesh out the group a little more. I had fun. And hope you enjoyed it.

~ (5/26/22)