Two Sides of the Coin
Chapter 7
Different Homes, Same Feelings
The sound of metal ringing in Mckenzie's ears stirred her. Her eyes fluttered, vision blurry. As they cleared, she could see the familiar, stone walls of the bunkroom in the Northern Fortress. The thin sheets and wooly blanket continued to claw at her skin as she stirred, groaning and stretching her arms over her head.
Another loud clang of metal sounded, making her heart jump. She whipped her gaze to the window when a third clash echoed around her. Metal striking metal. Blades. Mckenzie held her breath. Was something wrong?
She scrambled out of bed, yanking on her shoes and shooting to the window to look outside. However, the glass was too foggy from the cold. Ice clung to the window panes, hiding the outdoors from her. A frustrated huff shot from her lips, fogging the glass more.
Of course, I have to go out in the cold. Mckenzie shook her head. Should've known that would happen.
The sound of metal continued ringing as she hastily got dressed. However, the noise never grew louder. It only ever sounded like two blades scraping and grinding against each other. The longer she listened, the less panicked she became. If something was wrong, wouldn't the fighting be louder?
As quietly as she could, Mckenzie tiptoed her way out of the girls' bunk room and through the common room. From what she could tell, no one else appeared awake. Then again, the only others who shared this space with her were Anna and Charlotte, but neither slept in the barracks often. Charlotte preferred trying to worm her way into the comforts of the Castle Keep, while Anna still stayed in her cart on nights where the cold wasn't terrible.
The barracks door slid against a fresh layer of ice as Mckenzie pushed it open. A bitter wind battered her, making her question going outside at all. Her curiosity got the better of her when she heard stern, sharp words. Instructions followed by a snarl and metal singing through the frigid air.
Ice and fresh snow crunched beneath her feet as Mckenzie made her way from the barracks door to a large, round space behind the barracks. Princess Corrin knelt in the middle of the space, panting hard as she leaned against a blunted, training sword jammed into the snow. Mckenzie blinked when she realized Corrin was wearing silver armor, covering her from neck to heel. The only parts not covered were her head and her feet. She was barefoot in the ice and snow.
Across from Corrin, waiting patiently with both hands resting on the pommel of his massive sword, was Prince Xander. Mckenzie only managed to catch passing glimpses of the Crown Prince of Nohr. Both Flora and Felicia liked to comment on how dashing and princely he looked. Now, seeing him up close, Mckenzie could see what they meant. He had a strong jaw and stern, discerning eyes. His wavy, blonde hair was perfectly combed. And, he looked imposing in his midnight armor, watching Corrin as she struggled to rise to her feet again.
Prince Xander closed his eyes when Corrin staggered back a step, still trying to catch her breath. "Perhaps it is time for a break," he suggested.
Mckenzie drew back when a dangerous snarl shot across Corrin's lips. The Princess did not reply to Xander. She charged.
Her training sword flashed through the pale, morning light. For a second, Mckenzie wondered if Xander would be able to raise his large sword to block in time. In reality, he didn't need to.
The Crown Prince ducked beneath Corrin's slash and then brought a heavy strike to her midsection with the pommel of his blade. Mckenzie heard the air whoosh from Corrin's lungs. The Princess stumbled forward then collapsed to her hands and knees gasping for air.
Xander said nothing. He paced a few steps forward, keeping his blade low as he waited for Corrin to rise. Mckenzie paled a little when his eyes flicked in her direction.
Am I not supposed to be here?
Snow crunched nearby. Mckenzie furrowed her brow.
"She's going to get up."
Her gaze whipped to the left. Prince Leo stood beside her, both of his hands folded inside the sleeves of his heavy robes. His pale cheeks were rosy from the cold as he observed his siblings. His icy eyes glanced at Mckenzie and he snorted.
"She always does."
Mckenzie gave Prince Leo a puzzled look. "This is a regular thing?"
The Prince gave her a stern glance. Mckenzie was confused why he looked so offended when she realized what she said.
"Oh! Crap! Right, um, my lord? I think I'm supposed to finish with that, right?"
"It's actually 'your majesty', but 'my lord' will suffice too."
Mckenzie pursed her lips and nodded. "Good to know."
"Of course, seeing you look so flustered is more than enough for me to ignore titles, for now."
She whipped her eyes to the Prince again. The corner of his mouth was tilted up ever so slightly. Her mouth fell open.
"Why you-"
"Hush now, she's getting up."
"Don't hush-"
Corrin uttered a furious roar as she burst to her feet, her blade cutting a hideous arc through the air, the tip aiming for Xander's throat. The Crown Prince stepped back and then raised his hideous, dark blade. When Corrin aimed for a follow-through, he parried it to the side and moved in close, hoping to bash Corrin to the ground once again.
This time, Corrin was ready for it. She slid to the side, catching her older brother off guard. Instead of cutting at him with her sword again, she darted behind Xander and then grasped his shoulder with a hand. With a snarl, she jerked back as she placed a foot behind his right ankle. The crown prince gasped as Corrin took him to the ground, swiftly pouncing-
Only to be bashed off Xander when his forearm cracked against the side of her head. Mckenzie gasped when Corrin rolled off of Xander, hissing, one hand hugging the side of her head as red seeped between her fingers. When Mckenzie glanced at Leo, she was shocked to see he wasn't disturbed.
"Shouldn't this stop?"
"Do you want to get between them?" He asked.
Mckenzie grimaced. "Well, no. I mean, it's not like I could."
"Then let them work it out. They're both strong warriors. They know their limits."
Corrin staggered to her feet, swaying to and fro as she tried to steady herself. Xander winced as he rose to his feet as well, one hand rubbing the back of his head. It must have hit the ground hard. Mckenzie could see the prince wincing.
"Is this a sibling fight or some sort of sadistic exercise?"
"Both, I'd say," Leo muttered, his gaze focused on his siblings. "It probably started as simple training, but they have a damned competitive streak that refuses to be turned off."
"So, they need to beat the hell out of each other?"
Leo glanced at Mckenzie. "I take it you've never had siblings?"
Mckenzie opened her mouth to reply but was silenced when blades clashed. Corrin and Xander were going to blows, each delivering savage chops and wicked slashes at each other whenever they felt they had an opening. Neither could break through the other's defense this time. For a few moments, they seemed evenly matched, neither Prince nor Princess giving ground. Mckenzie even saw Prince Xander starting to smile as Corrin's vicious strikes rained down on him. She even began to think that Corrin might win their duel.
However, when a strike came too close to connecting with Xander's pretty face, the Prince's eyes narrowed. He was done playing.
Corrin's eyes went wide as Prince Xander took over the fight, turning the tide with several strong parries and precise counterattacks that immediately put her on the back foot. The Princess backpedaled toward the barracks, trying her best to keep some distance between her and Xander. But, when her back pressed against the wall, she froze. That moment of hesitation gave Xander the opening he was looking for. The Prince smacked Corrin's blade to the side, then, with a twist of his arms, he placed the tip of his blade right beneath Corrin's chin.
The Princess gasped. Mckenzie froze, waiting for something terrible.
"Do you concede?" Xander asked.
Corrin flexed her fingers, making the metal gauntlets groan. Then she closed her eyes and let her sword fall from her hand. When the steel hit the snow, Xander stepped back, taking his blade away from the Princess' throat.
"Not bad," Leo muttered, nodding.
Mckenzie's confusion returned. "She lost."
"True, but this was a large improvement over the last time they dueled like that." Leo hummed to himself for a moment. "She might be ready."
"Ready for what?"
"Xander," Leo called, stepping toward his brother.
Mckenzie's mouth opened and closed. She threw her hands up, frustrated. "Okay, yeah, just ignore me. What are you, royalty?" As soon as she said that she smacked her forehead. "Yes, he is, you idiot."
Prince Xander glanced at his younger brother. A slight smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. Mckenzie blinked, her heart skipping a beat.
Oh God, he's a literal Prince Charming, what the hell!?
"And how long have you been watching?" Xander asked, sheathing his blade.
Leo clicked his tongue. "For quite some time. As has Mckenzie."
Xander nodded. "I spotted her, but I thought she left already."
Leo chuckled. "And that is why you have me and Camilla by your side on the battlefield. You get so damn focused on your target you forget that you might also be one." Leo exhaled and glanced at Corrin as the Princess placed her training blade back on a nearby rack. "She's ready."
"I agree," Xander nodded. "Camilla might not think so."
"Camilla is content to see Corrin as nothing more than a five-year-old for the rest of her life. Let her be that way. You think she's ready, which means Father will think so as well," Leo replied, folding his arms within his robes.
Xander chuckled. "Careful, Leo. If Camilla heard you say that…"
Mckenzie wasn't sure what the implied implications were, but the shiver that crawled up Leo's spine told Mckenzie all she needed to know. Leo appeared to be quite level-headed and reasonable, even for a magician, wizard, whatever he was called. If Camilla put fear into him, then Mckenzie had a feeling she should steer clear of the lady with the giant lizard.
"Corrin!" Xander barked, making the Princess jump near the weapons rack.
"Yes?"
A gentle smile tugged on the corner of Xander's lips. "I think it's about time for you to leave this place."
Corrin blinked, which was not the reaction Mckenzie, Xander, or Leo, were expecting. If Mckenzie were in Corrin's shoes- or rather bare feet- she would have been jumping up and down with joy. A chance to leave this miserable, cold place? Count her in!
But Corrin looked hesitant. Her red eyes flicked around, glancing at the stone walls that surrounded her and up to the ice-crusted peaks of the fortress towers. Her throat bobbed then she gave Xander and Leo an uncertain look.
"I didn't win," she muttered.
Xander sighed, marched up to Corrin, and placed a hand on her armored shoulder. "Very few can. The last time someone bested me in single combat was…" he paused to think, "Leo?"
"Father beat you like a drum," Leo remarked.
"Ah yes. That was?"
"Five years ago."
Xander turned around. "That long?" He shook his head and returned his attention to Corrin. "Regardless, it was Father who bested me. Can you best Father?"
Corrin shifted where she stood then shrugged, a slight smile curling on her pale lips. "I've never tried." A little more uncertainty filled her, making her smile quiver. Xander patted her shoulder.
"He'll be happy to see you, trust me." Xander blew out a long breath. "Go pack. We'll leave as soon as you're ready."
"Already?" Leo remarked.
"Well, if she's returning with us then there is nothing keeping us here longer than needed, right?"
A long groan spilled from Leo's mouth. "Great, more traveling."
"You enjoy it."
"I enjoy the aspect of studying various oddities while on the road," Leo replied, spinning on his heel and marching toward Mckenzie. "I don't enjoy the pain in my backside from riding for days on end." He paused beside Mckenzie, brow furrowing. "Go find Samwise. If you're part of his team now, then you'll be coming to Windmire with the rest of us. Besides, I might need you to testify to my father about the slavers. He'll be concerned."
Mckenzie froze. "I'm part of-"
"Don't dally," Leo interrupted before walking away.
Her mouth fell open. Did Leo mean Samwise was her boss now? Samwise, the guy who admittedly freed her but at the same time seemed to drive her up the wall? That guy!?
And what was that about her speaking to his father when they got back to Windmire? A pit formed inside her, swallowing her stomach and leaving her shivering far more than she normally would have in the cold.
I'm going to have to speak to a King.
Mckenzie liked to travel. It was one of the aspects of her life and personality that she was proud of. It helped to separate her from her family, who never liked to leave their driveway unless it was to get food or go hunting.
That being said, she liked to travel in modest comfort. A decent backseat in an SUV was nice, or even the bench seat inside of a truck. The best accommodation she ever experienced was a first-class seat on an airplane. She had the absolute privilege of enjoying that once, when she first arrived in Los Angeles and thought she landed an amazing movie role, only to find out that the casting director changed their minds at the last minute, leaving her out five hundred dollars for the plane ticket.
And making me figure out dozens of different ways to prepare ramen.
A sharp jostle beneath her made her wince. Anna hit another hard rock on the icy road and being forced to sit right above the rear axle made the bump far more pronounced. Already, her rear throbbed. It was as if the merchant was intending to make the trip as uncomfortable as possible.
I don't blame Leo now. Mckenzie huffed and huddled herself closer to the cart's railing, trying to wrap her wool blanket tighter around her body. The cart, when traveling in this direction, acted like a tunnel for the biting wind. If I had to travel like this all the time, I would hate it too.
A heavy sigh sounded nearby. Mckenzie glanced to her right, spying Charlotte shifting around a crate of feed toward her. She held up a black rock. Mckenzie blinked when she saw steam curling from the rock after a couple seconds. Charlotte winced when the rock started to glow. She stuffed it into a damp rag and held it out to Mckenzie.
"Put that beneath your blanket. It'll help."
Mckenzie eyed the rock with suspicion. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"It's not going to kill you. It's simply a little magic."
"When did you pick up that little trick, Char?" Shura asked as he lounged against the side of the cart, head leaning back against the railing, eyes closed.
"My personal life and the contents thereof are none of your business."
"How did you do that, Charlotte?" Benny asked as he sat near the back of the cart, legs dangling out of it.
Charlotte gave him a sweet smile. "Old trick my mother taught me, Benny, dear."
Mckenzie gave her a puzzled look. Shura cracked an eye open.
"Oh, so you'll tell Benny, but not me?"
"Benny doesn't make fun of me," Charlotte replied.
"I thought you liked the jokes?"
"I do. But I also liked the look on your face just now," Charlotte replied with a smirk. She returned her attention to Mckenzie. "If you don't take it then it's just going to go cold, and I'll have wasted my time."
Carefully, Mckenzie reached out and wrapped her hand around the rock. She could feel the heat seeping through the wet cloth, making her hand feel like needles were crawling through the skin. The sensation almost made her drop the rock, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to look weaker than she already appeared in front of the others. As soon as she shoved the rock beneath her blanket, warmth flooded her. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"See? I'm not so ridiculous after all, am I?" Charlotte sniffed. "Consider it a peace offering."
"You want something from her," Shura chuckled.
Charlotte gave him a sharp glare. "I want nothing from her. I… well…"
"Knew it. I was right, wasn't I, Benny?"
Benny snorted out a quiet laugh, causing Charlotte to go red in the face.
"Well, fine, if everyone must know, I was curious about you, Mckenzie."
Mckenzie gave her a suspicious look. "You were never curious before."
"That was back when I thought you were nothing more than a sniveling coward. Now I only see you as only a coward, but not sniveling, since you haven't taken the opportunity to run away from our crew."
"Geez, Char," Shura massaged his eyes and opened them, giving her a bleary look, "ever heard of bedside manners?"
"Last I checked, I'm not in bed with her, Shura."
"Huh?" Mckenzie croaked, her mind reeling as she tried to catch up with what Charlotte had said.
Charlotte opened her mouth to reply then froze, her face turning pale as she looked past Mckenzie. The entire cart jostled. Mckenzie gulped then followed Charlotte's gaze, her eyes widening in surprise when she watched Benny haul Princess Corrin into the cart. The Princess stayed stooped as she shifted further inside until she took a seat right beside Mckenzie. Her curious eyes looked around. She hummed.
"So, this is the inside of a merchant wagon. It's rather empty, don't you think?"
"Uh…" Mckenzie flicked her eyes to the others. Benny kept his attention outside. Shura returned to sleeping. And Charlotte retreated toward the front of the cart, hiding behind a crate of crab apples, leaving Mckenzie to entertain the Princess. "I guess?"
"You don't know?"
Mckenzie shrugged. "I'm not exactly a merchant, your majesty."
Corrin's mouth opened in understanding. "You're a mercenary like the others then? You must have wonderful stories to tell!"
"Uh," a nervous laugh left Mckenzie's lips as she looked at Corrin's excited face, "no, again. I don't think I would know what to do if I held a weapon." She saw the bandit choking Shura as she stood to the side, dagger trembling in her grasp. Quickly, she banished the thought. "I'm just an… well… an actor, I guess?"
Corrin gasped. "A thespian!"
"A what?"
"That explains a lot," Shura murmured.
The flap at the front of the cart fluttered. Sam poked his head through. Mckenzie's eyes widened when she saw some frost clinging to the fringes of his hood.
"Got a bit of a storm coming up. Prince Xander wants to try and push through but be ready for some frosty conditions."
"Got it, boss," Shura nodded, grabbing some blankets and tossing them to Charlotte, Benny, Mckenzie, and Corrin. "Layer up. Even in the cart, it's gonna get nasty."
"Many thanks, Mr. Shura," Corrin remarked with a smile.
Shura snorted. "Just Shura, kid. Ain't gotta call me mister anything."
Charlotte cleared her throat. Shura gave her a confused look then nodded.
"Oh right. Just Shura, your majesty," he amended.
Corrin chuckled. "It's quite alright. I don't prefer to be called majesty. I mean, what would I be the majesty of? A fortress in the middle of the northern mountains?"
"Well, you're still a princess, right?" Mckenzie replied.
"Last I checked," Corrin replied, wrapping her blanket tight around her so that only her head was exposed. She reached up and tucked some of her white hair back, revealing a pointed ear. It twitched. "Oh, that's an interesting conversation."
"No one's talking?" Charlotte replied, eyebrow raised.
"Samwise and Anna," Corrin clarified. "They're discussing something involving a woman named Tiki and-" Corrin blinked and the others froze when Anna uttered a biting curse at Sam, loud enough for all of them to hear. "And that conversation is now over."
"Do you like listening to other people's conversations?" Mckenzie asked.
Corrin shrugged. "It's something to do. I got pretty good at it in the Northern Fortress. Eavesdropping became as much of a pastime of mine as reading." She giggled. "Oh, the things I've heard Jakob and Gunter arguing about would no doubt make Lilith scold me if she were here." She glanced at Mckenzie. "So, what were you talking about before I interrupted?"
"We weren't-"
"Your homeland, Mckenzie," Charlotte cut in. "What is it like?"
"My homeland?" Mckenzie pursed her lips. "Why would you want to know?"
Charlotte shrugged. "Passing time?"
"She's nosy," Shura grunted.
"And you're supposed to be asleep!" Charlotte snapped.
Mckenzie frowned. The last thing she wanted to talk about was home. Speaking about it would only cause her heart to ache as she longed for it. But, when she saw Corrin's curious, expectant expression, she sighed, relenting to the other's curiosity.
"Los Angeles is-"
Corrin raised a hand. "I thought you said you were from a place called Wisconsin?"
"Well, I am-"
"So, Los Angeles is a place in Wisconsin then?" Charlotte remarked. "Los Angeles in the land of Wisconsin."
Mckenzie opened her mouth to correct Charlotte then paused. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there was such a place, but no, that's not what I'm talking about. Los Angeles is in California."
"Los Angeles in California in Wisconsin," Shura muttered, smacking his lips as he shifted. Outside, snow descended from the sky, growing thicker by the second.
"No, Los Angeles is pretty far away from Wisconsin, thank God."
"Ooooh, so Wisconsin is where you grew up, but Los Angeles is where you live now," Corrin said, nodding in understanding.
"Yes."
"So, what's it like?"
Mckenzie mulled over Corrin's question for a moment. "Depends."
"On what?"
"On the amount of money you have," Mckenzie replied with a snort.
Charlotte scoffed. "Sounds like plenty of places in Nohr." She then cringed when she felt Corrin's gaze on her. "No offense meant, Princess."
"Nah, say it, Charlotte. After all, you don't want to be cowardly like Mckenzie there," Shura remarked, cracking an eye open and earning Charlotte's ire. "Princess, in case you haven't been made aware, the way you're gonna be living in Windmire is pure luxury. Most of us common folk don't get to even dream of it."
"I understand that," Corrin countered. "I've read enough to know there are distinct differences between the royal family, nobility, and commoners."
"Reading and seeing are two very different things, as I'm sure Mckenzie knows," Shura replied.
Mckenzie's lips thinned. "Yes… very true."
"So, did you live in luxury, Mckenzie?" Charlotte asked. "Judging by the attire we found you in, I would say you did."
"I definitely did not, I-" Mckenzie trailed off, realizing once again where she was.
This was not a modern society with great conveniences like readily available clothing, food, or even water. This was a medieval society. If she wanted decent clothes, she might have to make them herself. Bread couldn't just be bought pre-sliced. It needed to be baked. Water wasn't available out of a tap, it needed to be drawn from a well. She recalled seeing Felicia and Flora doing that occasionally at the Northern Fortress.
"For this place, yes," Mckenzie admitted. "For where I'm from, no."
Charlotte's eyes widened. "What kind of place would someone like you not be considered a privileged noble?"
Mckenzie glanced at her. "Los Angeles… the city of Hollywood stars, angels, and terrible disappointment."
She didn't add in the other things she felt about the city. It was the place of her dreams, with endless opportunity and potential, if one was lucky enough to have both happen at the same time. For Mckenzie, the longer she had lived there, the more she began to question why she was there, to begin with. She wasn't a Hollywood starlet. She wasn't even an infomercial regular. She was just… her. Which made the city feel more like a disappointment the more she thought about it.
Los Angeles, the city of endless dreams and enormous failure. To her, it was still better than the life she was destined for in Wisconsin. At least, she hoped that it was. Not that it mattered anymore. She wasn't in either place. She was in Nohr, and somehow it was a worse place to be than either area of the United States she once called home.
"If you don't mind, I think I just want to get some rest," she mumbled, melancholy washing over her.
Corrin nodded while Charlotte seemed less than satisfied.
The wind howled around the cart, battering the canvas walls and trying its best to slip beneath Mckenzie's blanket and freeze her to the bone. But, it couldn't. The heated rock kept it at bay.
For the first time since she arrived, as her eyes closed to rest, Mckenzie was grateful to know people like Charlotte, Shura, and Benny.
And chapter! I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. Not only did getting accustomed to juggling writing and work get me, but I actually got hit by a bit of writer's block in regards to this chapter. Managed to work through it, finally, and it turned out to be a nice breather of chapter of sorts. Let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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