Chapter 14 - Guilt that is Earned

"...Corrin?"

The sound of his name cut through the haze of murmuring of voices and hurried footsteps that hung in the air all round him. Yet try as he might, he could not work up the energy to respond or even regard the speaker.

"Corrin?" The voice repeated a second time, closer now.

Corrin didn't move, his consciousness withdrawing away from the prodding sound. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying his best to ignore the stinging light that slipped in through the folded arms resting on his knees that he'd buried his face into.

"Big brother?"

This time Corrin stirred, lifting his head weakly to blink up at Elise, who stood over where he'd sat hunched for some time. The first thing that struck him was how tired she looked, her eyes slightly glazed with weariness and her movements slow: lacking much of her usual enthusiasm.

How long had it been since… since they'd made it back to camp? Time had seemed to lose all meaning as he waited, every minute stretching on into an eternity as he'd waited outside the healing. He'd lost track, he couldn't recall how long he'd waited for…

"Big brother?" Elise repeated, having noticed the distance of Corrin's gaze as he continued to stare at her with unseeing eyes. "Are you okay?" She sounded worried and as tired as she looked.

"I'm…" the words died in Corrin's throat, his voice raw and cracked. He swallowed, shaking his head slightly. "I'm fine… How is…." He trailed off, unable to finish the thought. He dared not even think about it, as that would mean considering that possibility that she…

"Oh, that's what I came to tell you. Kana, she's… well, she's still in pretty bad shape, but her condition is stable. We don't know yet for sure, but it looks like she'll be alright." She smiled slightly, the expression breaking through the exhaustion that lay heavy over her features.

Corrin blinked, his mouth working silently as he struggled for form words. "Elise… I-I…" he trailed off, fighting back tears. The Nohrian princess and all the other healers had worked non stop since they'd managed to get the grievously wounded Kana back to the he medical tent that had been set up ahead of them. She'd barely clung to life when they began their ministrations, only Shigure's efforts keeping her alive for as long as they did. He'd feared… he'd feared that even with everyone… it still wouldn't…

"I-I… thank you… Just… thank you…" Tears streamed down his face, relief flooding him as he breathed easier. I don't think I… if she died, I don't know what I'd…

Elise nodded, her smile growing. "Do you want to go see her? We'd have to keep the visit brief and it will probably be a long while before she wakes up, but Jakob wanted me to tell you that it would be safe now if you wanted too..."

Corrin opened his mouth, then shut it again. He'd nearly leapt at the offer, wanting nothing more than to see his daughter, to confirm that she was alright with his own eyes. To tell her that-

He shook his head, not just to Elise's offer, but also to himself. How could he dare show his face around her after this? He was the reason Kana had gotten hurt. He was the reason she now fought for her very life. How could he tell her he was sorry, feeling the shame and guilt brought on by his actions. That's something someone who cared about her would do. He… if he'd really cared about her, none of this would have happened. Someone as selfish as him didn't even deserve the right to apologize.

"I… I don't want to get in the way. I'll wait, give you and the others space to work," Corrin lied, forcing himself to speak through his cracking voice. He looked away, blinking back tears.

Out of the corner of his gaze, he saw fresh worry fill Elise's eyes. She reached out, a hand slipping onto his arm and gripping his shirt. "Big brother, I'm sure it's fine. Are you sure you're really alright? Corrin, please. It's not your fault that Kana-"

"I'm fine," Corrin said, a bit harsher than he intended. A hand shot up to Elise's arm, grabbing it suddenly and- gently pried her fingers from his tunic and lowered her arm back down to her side. "I… I'd just like to give her some space. Until I've… I'm not ready to see her. Not yet… I need to… I need some time…"

Elise said nothing, her worried gaze following Corrin as he staggered to his feet, cupping a hand over his eyes. "But… thank you… for telling me…"

He turned away, not daring to look back. "I'm glad she… I'm glad she's alright…." With that he hurried quickly away, fleeing the scene before Elise had any chance of stopping him.

He didn't bother looking where he was going, letting his feet carry him through their camp and beyond. He didn't care then where he ended up, as it mattered little. He just needed to be alone. Away from everyone else…

Away from anyone else who he would end up hurting.

. . . . .

"So, you're both sure it worked?" Xander asked, his expression tense as his gaze moved to where both Robin and Leo stood at the opposite end of the table.

Lucina folded her hands where they rested on the table, her breath hitching in her chest as every muscle in her body tensed in anticipation. While she had no doubt in her husband's plan, she could not help but worry some new complication had arisen. Indeed, with Robin having been gone during the hours that had passed since the battle's close, and with herself having been confined to a medical tent until a healer could properly check and heal her wounds, she hadn't had the chance to ask him herself before the meeting had commenced.

I wish I had done so. I fear I am not of much use in these matters as it is, Lucina though. While she could contribute well enough when it came to the more mundane matters of running and managing a war effort such as this, when it came to battle tactics and magic, she was far outside her depth. While I don't begrudge the fact that this duty falls onto Robin instead of I, I can not help but wish there was more I could do...

"Positive. We had the other mages double check our work in case there was something we missed," Robin answered, speaking up at last."The ward is stable, that much we can say for certain…" He trailed off, frowning visibly. "Only problem is the matter of 'for how long' is entirely guesswork at this point."

"Regardless, we should move quickly to take advantage of this respite, no matter how brief." Leo added, eyes falling on him. "We need to prepare, before our enemy is upon us."

Xander nodded slowly. Even as she watched, Lucina noticed that his expression somehow managed to grow even more serious. "In that case, we will focus our efforts on gathering every able bodied man we can spare. Harvest is upon us now, and we must ensure each of our strongholds is prepared for a siege." The prince paused, turning his attention fully to Leo. "You and I will focus our efforts on this. We need to be as ready for a long drawn out war."

"Understood," Leo said, dipping his chin in affirmation.

Turning to Robin now, Xander continued. "In the meantime, I must ask you to continue your efforts in discovering some method of truly striking back against our enemy. I hold no illusions of the magnitude of what I am asking of you, but you know as well as I do how truly dire our situation is despite our victory today."

"I'll see if I can come up with something," Robin said. He rubbed his chin, his eyes seeming to grow distant as if lost in thought. "There is still so little we know about them, perhaps…" he trailed off, leaving whatever questions he had unspoken for the time.

Silence fell over the room, many seconds slipping by. This time it was Leo who broke the still, clearing his throat before speaking up. "I doubt it is the right time ask, but brother, what of the plans for your coronation?"

Lucina blinked, it taking a long moment before she remembered that while Lord Xander was the current ruler of Nohr, he had not yet been officially crowned following his father's defeat and death.

Xander shook his head. "It can wait until the war is won before we consider such matters. The resources spent on such a ceremony are better spent elsewhere." He sighed, his frown deepening. "Even if circumstances were better… I cannot in good conscience put myself above my family or my people. Not even considering today's reminder of how fractured we still are."

This time Lucina realized at once what was now bothering the Nohrian Prince. She'd heard what had happened: of how Corrin had once again put himself in harm's way, causing his daughter Kana to be grievously wounded. At once she recognized a sadness in Xander's eyes, a similar expression quickly flashing across Leo's face as well. Robin too seemed to be snapped out of his ponderings, concern flickering in the depths of his now present gaze.

"How are Corrin and Kana fairing? I apologize if my asking is not welcome at this time, but after what happened I can only imagine it weighs heavily on you both," Lucina said, broaching the silence.

Both Xander and Leo winced at the question, the two brothers exchanging uncertain looks. Then Xander slowly nodded, his face becoming visibly lined as if worry had aged him a decade in the mere second's passage. "Kana is still in bad shape. Last I heard from the healers her condition had started to improve somewhat, but beyond that…" He trailed off, his expression saddening.

"And Corrin?" Robin asked.

"I do not know what to do about Corrin. I'm afraid my brother is too overcome by grief to see reason," Xander admitted. "We tried to protect him from such misfortune the best we were able, but in the end our efforts were for nothing. And now he is shutting us all out, friends and family alike. I do not know how or even if we can help him now before he gets himself or someone else hurt or worse."

Xander closed his eyes, shaking his head sadly.

"I'm sorry, these troubles are ours and we shouldn't trouble you with them, though your concern is appreciated," Xander told them. He sighed wearily, all at once looking very tired. "It grows late and after today I think we all could use rest after the day's events. Tomorrow we march for Windmire and prepare for our next move."

The four exchanged a few more polite words as the meeting was drawn to a close. However, while the others began to file out, Lucina made no move towards the door. She met Robin's questioning gaze with her own, her husband nodding a second as he caught her meaning. He began to loiter around the table as well, taking his time to collect and organize his notes

Once the two princes had at last departed, Robin turned back to look Lucina's way, his eyes glinting knowingly. "You think you have an idea of how to help Corrin, don't you."

"Perhaps. From how they describe it, the way he is taking all of this is very familiar," Lucina admitted. She spoke slowly, pondering her words carefully. Now was not the time for hasty thought or action, she realized. No, if they were to act… they must tread carefully when getting involved in the personal conflicts of those they had only known for such a brief time.

"I can imagine why. You are married to someone who has a similar habit of taking the whole weight of the world on his shoulders," Robin added, a small smile tugging at his lips. However, it quickly vanished, replaced by a more somber look. "Seeing how he's acted… I can't honestly say I would have faired any better were his position and my own reversed. That's ignoring the confirmation of that very possibility we both saw last year."

Lucina grimaced, unbidden memories of their time spent within the doomed future that would have been had she failed to stop Grima upon her return to the past. The Robin of that time... he had lost everything. He had lost her and watched his children be molded into the Fell Dragon's servants. She still remembered the utter despair she felt within that Robin in his dying moments… the overwhelming grief and blame that he must had carried with him for years.

"That won't happen, Robin. I'm not going anywhere," Lucina assured him, taking his hand in hers and gripping it tightly.

"I know," Robin whispered, squeezing her hand back. "But I… I believe I know what you're thinking, and you're right. For however much of what happened is not Corrin's fault, I can feel that there is much he must shoulder the blame for. I think that's the problem: with his family trying to protect him as much as they have, they've tried to shield him from the guilt of the things he's been forced to do, and-"

"-and now he is left not knowing how to face his mistakes," Lucina finished for him. "Their hearts were in the right place, but by sheltering him so…"

"Yeah. And now he's left feeling as though everything that has happened truly is his fault. And whenever they've tried to help him… it's all things he's heard before. So he shut them out," Robin agreed.

"Perhaps… what he needs right now isn't friends or family," Lucina noted, coming at last to the thought that had started this entire line of thinking. "Robin, if anyone is to speak to him now, I believe it must be you. As you said, perhaps what he now faces is not altogether different than what you might have done, in his place."

Robin nodded. "Perhaps. And if so… well…" A hint of a smile returned to his lips. "Well, I just so happen to have an idea about how to go about it."

. . . . .

Corrin sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring into the bubbling stream that danced through the patch of woods he'd found. It glistened silver in the light of the full moon that hung overhead, patches of starry sky flitting in and out through the swaying branches overhead. Clear skies were rare in Nohr, especially with fall beginning to set in.

Why he'd come to the spot, he really couldn't say. It had almost felt like he'd been drawn to the water, as he had to lakes in times past. Perhaps it was because it reminded him of her. He always felt like he could recall his memories of her when near water, even if doing so still brought him unbearable agony. Besides, it was probably for the best he was near a flowing water source this time. Even with the precautions Leo had briefly tried to explain to him that would temporarily prevent further incursions by the Invisible Soldiers, he dared not risk it. Afterall, with his luck someone else would show up to try to save him were he put in danger once again. He didn't want to risk another of his loved ones getting hurt because of him.

Tears continued to run freely down Corrin's face, lines of silver that glistened in the moonlight. He cried until he no longer had tears left to give, his sobs falling still as he wallowed in the guilt and shame born of his actions.

I really am pathetic, aren't I? First I can't protect the people I love, then I get another one of them hurt by my own actions. All I really do is cause pain after all...

"...Corrin…"

He froze at the sound. It had seemed fainter than a whisper, so soft that he'd barely noticed it. There was a sudden gust of wind, dry leaves swirling around him. For an instant he felt another presence, as if someone else was standing behind him. Yet he felt no danger from it, instead only an odd sense of comfort from it. It almost felt like-

As quickly as it had come the wind stilled once more, the leaves settling back among the rocks and dirt. The presence vanished all at once. So suddenly had it gone, Corrin couldn't help but immediately wonder if he'd just imagined it. Perhaps he'd started to nod off into sleep, a dream begin to mix with reality.

Or maybe I'm finally going crazy? A bitter chuckle fell from his lips at the thought. Yeah. Finally broke so much that I'm starting to hear things. Really not a surprise at this-

The snap of a twig breaking echoed through the forest. Whirling around, Corrin peered into the darkness, searching for signs of movement. He could hear footsteps now, dry leaves crunching and rustling under the weight of booted feet.

"You know, if you're going to keep running off you should probably leave a note or something," a voice called out, it taking a moment before Corrin recognized it as belonging to Robin. Sure enough a glimpse of stark white hair appeared in the shadows of the trees, the full form of the tactician taking shape as he stepped out into the moonlight that shone down on the stream. A pack was slung over his shoulder, with two long objects protruding from it.

"Or at the very least a trail of breadcrumbs or something. Would have made tracking you down easier," he said finishing his thought. He paused, a small smile tugging at his lips as he added in a dry tone, "Not that I don't enjoy wandering around the woods in the dead of night as much as the next guy. Tripping and falling on my face, really fun."

Corrin ignored that final remark, turning away roughly. "Why are you here? Did Xander send you? Or was it Leo who decided I needed looking after?" He scoffed bitterly at the thought, shaking his head. "Can't exactly blame them, after what happened," he muttered, so quietly he was unsure if Robin had heard it.

"Well, they did ask me to, but really it was my wife's idea. Not that I disagree with it. You really need someone to talk to right about now," Robin replied, shrugging. Out of the corner of his eye Corrin watched as Robin came to a complete stop several paces away. He gripped one strap of his pack as it slipped from one of his shoulders, it's contents rattling as it swung to dangle from the remaining strap.

"I'm not in the mood," Corrin countered, turning his gaze back to the water. "Just… you should go back. You'll only be wasting your time if you stay here."

"Ah, I figured you'd say something like that. Catch."

There was a sudden rush of movement as something whistled towards him. Corrin spun around just in time to snatch the wooden training sword out of the air before it could smash straight into his face.

"What? What is this for?" Corrin asked, his eyes narrowing as they moved from the practice weapon to the tactician.

"For sparring," Robin answered simply, giving another shrug. He let his pack slip to the ground, pulling an identical training sword free. He took a few seconds testing its weight, giving it a few light flourishes before letting the weapon relax back down to his side.

"Yes, I know what this is used for. But why?"

"For sparring," Robin repeated. "We're going to fight, on which I'd like to make a wager. If you win, I leave you alone and won't bother you again. But in return, if I win, you have to agree to talk. Seems like a fair trade."

Corrin blinked, it taking a few moments for his thoughts to catch up with that had happened. This was really not the direction he'd expected the encounter to take. "And what if I just refuse?" Corrin asked, making sure to allow a bit of anger to slip into his voice.

"Then I remain here and pester you for the rest of the night. So beating me would really be the quickest way for you to get rid of me," Robin countered. "Not that I mind it either way, really it's up to you."

Corrin eyed the sword in his hand, suddenly feeling the keen urge to wipe the infuriatingly calm smile off the tactician's face. "Suppose I accept. What are the rules?"

"Non-lethal, of course. Magic is fine, as is your transformations, just as long as we both pull our punches and avoid causing serious harm. That fine by you?"

"It's acceptable," Corrin spat, readying his sword in an offensive position before him. "You do realize I did beat you last time we fought, right? Not exactly the best plan then, betting that you can best me."

"In that case, you should be rid of me with no problem," Robin said, the smile turning into a lopsided smirk. As he watched, the white haired man slipped into a defensive stance to match Corrin's agressive one. "Unless deep down you aren't so sure anymore. This should be a good test, see if you really have any resolve left."

The way he uttered the last part, emphasising the not-so-subtle jab, sent a shiver of rage through Corrin's chest. A small, rational part of his mind tried to tell him that the tactician had clearly intended this, was trying to goad him into attack, but the rest of him simply didn't care. He was angry, frustrated, and so very tired. Right now, remaining calm and rational was the last of his concerns.

"Don't pretend… you know… a thing about what I've been through!" With an echoing shout Corrin leapt forward, in a single instant closing the gap between them. He brought his wooden sword down, swinging it at the tactician with every ounce of the anger fueled might at his disposal. The sword whistled as it descended in a blur, ready to-

The next thing Corrin knew he was on his back, staring up at Robin's face. A boot gently rested on the wrist of his sword hand, ready to press down should he attempt to go for his weapon. Robin's own sword rested on his throat, the smooth wood feeling almost warm against his skin.

"Checkmate," Robin stated, the same calm, gentle smile still at his lips as he regarded the defeated prince, his golden-brown eyes seeming to sparkle in the pale light.

Corrin's mouth worked open and closed as he struggled to respond, his racing thoughts still wrapped up in processing what had even just happened!

Slowly the events took shape in Corrin's mind, replaying out before him. In the instant before his attack was about to connect, Robin had stepped forward, simultaneously catching the blow with his sword and releasing a small jolt of lightning from his free hand aimed straight into Corrin's wrist and forearm. The spell has been incredibly weak, causing little pain and no real harm. It, however, had slowed the movement in his arm, the muscles there spasming as the electricity passed through them.

In that instant, Robin had pressed his advantage. Two blows one after another had knocked his sword arm wide and left him wide open for the gust of wind that had thrown him off balance. As he staggered Robin had darted in again, battering his sword aside a second time before Corrin could muster any power behind the retaliation swing he'd aimed at the tactician. Then a knee collided with his stomach, doubling him forward while Robin stepped in. A heel hooked the back of his knees, sweeping his feet out from under him in time with the fist that that had come smashing down onto his face, sending him sprawling in the dirt...

...and into the very position he found himself.

"...How?" Corrin managed at last. Robin only continued to smile, removing his boot from Corrin's wrist and taking a step back, allowing the prince to rub the now bruised and tender skin on his cheek where Robin had punched him.

"How did I beat you this time? Or how did I win so quickly when you defeated me in our last encounter? Those questions have two very different answers," Robin asked.

Corrin opened his mouth again, only to promptly shut it again, at a loss.

"Both it is then," Robin noted. "Starting with the second one, there are a couple reasons. The first is that when we fought before, I was already on the verge of exhaustion and not thinking all too clearly. Granted, you didn't seem to be at one hundred percent either, but that's where we were at…" He motioned with a hand vaguely around him.

"Second, when I fought you I didn't have time to come up with a proper plan for how to beat you. Couple that with some abilities I've never seen before, and then there was not much I could really do about it. This time, however, I had the luxury of having had plenty of time to develop a strategy to defeat you."

Corrin's eyes went wide before narrowing, alarm and suspicion rising in equal measure within him. Robin must of have noticed this, for he sighed and held out a hand in surrender. "It's my job as a tactician to know every strength and weakness of each of my allies. One of the easiest ways for me to keep everyone safe is figure out every possible way I myself could defeat them, and then using this knowledge make sure to keep them out of situations where the enemy could do the same. It does give me a bit of an unfair advantage though." Robin shrugged again.

"Taking a quick detour, this would be a good time to quickly answer the first question. I realized after our last encounter and from watching Lucina fight you that in a long drawn out fight, you easily have me beat. I realized that the only way to beat you would be to end it quickly, and to prevent you from gaining any momentum in the fight. In that regard, I think I did fairly well."

Corrin frowned, but did not press the subject further. He nodded slightly, then asked softly. "And the third?" He could put very little behind the words, already suspecting his knew the answer.

"Because you weren't thinking clearly. You let your emotions cloud your judgement. My ploy could have been easily avoided, but you charged right into it. Not just because of your anger, but because you were too busy feeling sorry for yourself to even really try to think rationally," Robin explained, his smile fading as his expression grew serious. "And now we come to what I want to talk to you about."

"And what? Are you going to tell me now how what happened wasn't my fault? How I shouldn't blame myself?" Corrin asked, the words coming bitter from his lips. He'd heard this time and time again from his siblings and friends, and he was sick of it.

"Oh, quite the opposite. What happened to Kana was entirely your fault, and if I was in your…" Robin paused, eyeing Corrin's bare feet before quickly correcting himself "... position, I would probably blame myself too," he finished somberly.

Corrin blinked, once again finding himself at a loss for words. "I… what…" he whispered, shocked by the new unexpected turn things had taken.

Robin said nothing, instead extending a hand to him. Corrin took it uncertainly, Robin pulling him up into a sitting position. Robin dropped down next to him a moment later, sitting alongside him in the direction of the river.

For a long moment silence hung between them, the only sound the bubbling of the stream as it danced among the rocks. Then Robin spoke, breaking the silence. "Corrin, I'm not going to pretend I understand what you went through. But, I can tell you I understand what you're doing to yourself." As he spoke, Robin picked up a small, smooth stone from the dirt between them, rolling it between his fingers. As he finished, he paused, gently tossing into the water. It vanished with a faint plot, sinking beneath the surface. "You and me, we are the same in one regard. We both feel like we have to take the weight of the world on our shoulders. That if anything happens to the people we love, it was all our faults. That we should have prevented it. That we could have done something. That we should have done something."

Corrin said nothing, his eyes fixed on the water. What could he really say? Lie and deny what Robin was saying as being false?

"I can't pretend to say I am any better than you. I've had my share of moments where I'd wallowed in self pity and I'm certain they won't be the last. I know enough of my own weaknesses to know how stubborn I can be in this regard." Robin laughed softly, shaking his head, a wistful smile on his face. "But, I'd been fortunate enough to have friends who taught me something. That whenever I am blaming myself for misfortune outside my control, there's one thing that will always snap me out of it…"

"Which is?" Corrin asked, turning to regard him slightly.

"A good punch to the face, followed by them telling me how much of an idiot I'm being," Robin answered, stifling a chuckle as he shook his head. "And that's why I'm talking to you now, to be that proverbial punch to the face. And the literal one, but since I got that out of the way during our sparring match, I think you'll be happy to hear I am going to refrain from repeating that step."

Corrin frowned, carefully processing the man's words. "How many? How many times has that happened to you?"

"Only once or twice, if I'm being honest," Robin answered. "Chrom's punches really hurt, so I quickly learned my lesson to avoid them if at all possible. But, regardless, the point is that sometimes, kind and gentle words aren't what you need. Sometimes, as harsh as it may seem, you need to be blunt."

Pressing a hand onto the ground, Robin hoisted himself upright, turning to regard Corrin fully. "Corrin, your family explained to me what happened with Azura. I'm truly sorry for your loss, but you have to understand: as easy as it is to blame yourself for what happened, you know it was not your fault. She made her choice to give her life for yours, and that's something you will have to struggle to come to terms with. It wasn't your fault," Robin told him, his words soft and gentle.

Then, all at once, the tactician's expression hardened, his gaze becoming cold as steel. "But what happened today, that was entirely your fault. You were so busy feeling sorry for yourself and wallowing in your guilt that you didn't stop to consider the consequences of your actions. You were so keen on blaming yourself for Azura's death, that you almost got your daughter killed. And this time, it is one hundred percent on you."

Corrin squeezed his eyes shut, turning his gaze away from the tactician.

He heard a crunch of dead leaves as Robin knelt down in front of him, a warm hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "Right now you feel ashamed of what happened. Which means you still care, and realize your mistake. And while you can never take back what is past, you can still make amends and forgive yourself. But no can take that last step for you. That's something you'll need to find the strength to do on your own."

Corrin nodded slightly, his eyes still squeezed shut as tears began to leak from within, running down his face like streams of silver.

The hand on his shoulder pulled away, Robin standing once more. More leaved crunched as he turned away, taking several steps back towards the woods before coming to a stop. "I'll leave you to think about what I said. Oh, and Corrin? Don't keep trying to distance yourself from your friends. As painful as it could be to open yourself up to more grief, a life without them is nothing but misery. Just remember that they care about you. Your bonds are not a one way street. Seeing you like this… I'm certain it's painful for them too."

And with that the tactician turned away, his footsteps growing distant before fading away into nothingness.

And so Corrin was left alone with his thoughts and to ponder all that was said.

. . . . .

It was in the early hours of the morning it became Elise's turn to resume her shift tending to Kana injuries. She bit her lip as she came upon the medical tents, trying to stifle the yawn that she worried would disturb her niece's rest. She was only half successful, the yawn coming out as something between a hum and a soft grunt. That would have to do. Carefully she pulled the flap aside as quietly as she could and tiptoed inside.

Then she came to a sudden stop, her mouth falling half open for a single instant.

Then she smiled.

Next to Kana's bed rested Corrin, his head and shoulders slumped forward to rest against the mattress. Clearly he'd fallen asleep while sitting there with her, his expression peaceful and free of any sign of fear or worry. He held his daughter's hand in his, clinging to it tightly for as ever long as he would remain by her side.

Author's Note: So... you guys didn't think I would kill off Kana for real, did you? I mean, I have have been absolutely cruel to Corrin so far in this story and have done everything in my power to make his life absolutely miserable, but that would be taking things a bit too far. Needed to give him something.

So yeah, Corrin has hit rock bottom and now really has nowhere left to go but up. Hopefully what Robin said will stick with him a bit.

Anyhow, onto guest reivews.

Crisyptp - Wow, this is a really long review, lol. Normally I would respond to everything you have said here in a PM, but because you used a guest account and I don't want to put a wall of text here in the author's note, I will keep this brief. Thank you for all your kind words not just about this story, but my previous ones as well. I am glad this one continues to live up to my past work (even though I feel I will never top A Future Broken). And yes, that was indeed Invisible Soldier Iago from before and here. I figured that Anankos would make the most out of all the powerful people who died in the events of Fates to his advantage, bolstering his ranks. As for your predictions, I won't say too much, as I don't want to give it away. But I do plan to bring more of the Conquest characters into things more moving forward.

Darkness21 - Yeah. Problem is right now the only people who know about Anankos are the Awakening Trio, and they really aren't smart enough to circumvent the curse properly. Corrin would be the next best thing, but he is not in the position to take charge on that front right now. Really, they need something…

Anyhow, that's all for now, I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Until next time, let me know what you thought. I always love hearing your guys' feedback. Take care, and have a wonderful day!

Character Spotlight: Elise

Class: Strategist

Secondary Class: Wyvern Rider, Knight (A* Effie)

Skills: Live to Serve, Tomebreaker, Pavise, Inspiration, Demoiselle

Personal Skill: Lily's Poise - Adjacent allies deal +1 damage and receive -3 damage.

Equipment: Moonlight, Recover, Physic, Entrap, Enfeeble