Shrieks of laughter and jubilant music could be heard throughout the capitol of Ylisse. A carnival was taking place, much to the joy of the populace. A yearly occasion that Lucina always looked forward to. It was an opportunity to experience something new and exciting, as the entirety of Ylisstol was changed almost overnight with colourful banners, music, and visitors from every corner of the world.
Lucina and her family were currently watching a performance in the grand theatre, given their status, they had the privilege of their own little private box on the first floor; offering a perfect view of the stage.
The main performance of the day was some troupe from the far east. Lucina could not recall the name of troupe, but she remembered that their approach of the theatrical ways was vastly different from the traditional plays of Ylisse. While the plays of Ylisse was more grounded, with actors playing out their parts no different from what you would observe in your daily life. The performers from the east would elegantly dance into the scene, stopping to make all kind of different poses as they spoke to themselves and their audience.
''AH! A FEARSOME GRIFFON! A MOST PERILFUL FOE! BUT FEAR NOT! THE KNIGHTS OF JUSTICE ARE HERE! FRIENDS TO ME!''
A brightly red coloured warrior was facing of an impressively lifelike prop of a griffon. The warrior's outfit was extravagant, filled with glimmer and an impractical long cape; a far cry from the practical armour Lucina was used to see among her father's household knights. The red actor turned towards the audience and made some excessive circular motions with his arms. His cape moved with his arms and suddenly two more warriors appeared on his left and right. Five knights now faced the griffon, each of them as flamboyantly coloured as the first. All five then made different poses and swung their arms around once again, and with a blink of the eye each of them was immediately armed with different weapons.
The audience cheered at this impressive display of theatrics, her sister Cynthia and cousin Owain in particular seemed awed by the actors' extravagant motions. Even trying to imitate them with the result that they several times accidently hit their parents or Lucina herself. All seemed to have a great time watching the spectacle before them. All except one, the unofficial member of the Exalted family, Grandmaster Robin.
He sat quietly in the furthers corner of the box, looking at the play with a concentrated expression, only breaking his static stance with the occasionally polite applause whenever it was appropriate.
Intrigued, Lucina discreetly moved away from her parents and sat beside her uncle.
''Don't you like the play uncle?''
Robin blinked at her question; he had clearly not even noticed her.
''Oh no I do find it quite entertaining…Just trying to figure out how they do it. It's impressive how they manage to do all that without the need of magic.''
Now it was Lucina's turn to blink. No magic? They could summon weapons out of the thin air, how was that not magic?
Lucina made her disbelief known.
''Oh, I assure you Lucina, there's barely any magical art involved, mages are after all quite expensive to employ. No, this is all done with clever use of distractions and playing on the expectations of the audience.''
As usual her uncle made use of a lot of words that Lucina wasn't sure what it meant. Her confusion seemed to amuse her uncle.
''How about a practical example, my dear student?''
Robin precured a small gold coin from his pocket
''I want you to look at this coin. See where I move it.''
With the coin on his left hand, Robin transferred it to his right. He closed his right hand around the fingers of his left before pulling his left hand out, leaving the coin securely in the now closed right palm. He then moved his closed palm near Lucina's face.
''So…Lucina, where is the coin now?''
''…. It's on your right hand?''
''You would think so yes, only….''
Robin opened his right palm, revealing it to be empty.
''Wait! How did you?''
Her uncle interrupted her.
''Where is the coin? I don't know! But I think I can see it behind…your ear!''
Playfully he moved his left hand behind her ear, and true to his words the coin appeared on his left hand shortly after.
Lucina was awed by her uncle's little trick; she didn't hear him say any spells or make any magical signs in the air at all.
''Can you guess what I did? I made it seem as if I placed the coin securely in my right hand, while the coin in fact never left my left hand. That was me playing on your expectations. I then moved my right hand close to you, so that you would focus on it alone. That was my distraction.''
Robin then skilfully made the coin dance around his fingers, before making it disappear again. He then turned his hand, revealing the coin to be hidden between his fingers.
''See? Sometimes what seems magical might just be a clever use of tricks and a dexterous hand.''
As always, her uncle never failed to impress her.
She praised him for knowing so much about the world. While it was clear that he was pleased with her praise, her uncle made a dismissive wave.
''It's part of my work; Distractions and manipulations are core tenants in the fields of war. Remember that my dear.''
''Ya know princess, it would do ya good to learn how to show gratitude in public.''
Brady said with a scolding tone.
They were currently inside Lucina's private tent with her sitting on her field bed, while Brady was standing behind her tending to her newly acquired wounds. The battle for the Valm harbour had been easier then expected, but it was by no means without cost. Lucina had not escaped it unscathed, but her wounds were light and easily seen to by an experienced healer as Brady.
''Surely you are not of the same opinion as my father? Am I the only one who remembers who that bastard is?!''
Lucina felt a jolt of pain, as Brady tightened the bandage around her arm to show his displeasure.
''Quiet! People can still hear us! I'm not saying that yo should make friends with him but think on how ya present yaself to others! He jumps down the water to save ya sorry ass, and in thanks yo almost kicked him off the ship! People don't care for such displays ya know!''
Brady admonished her with hushed tone.
''So, you are taking my father's side on this…''
Lucina whispered accusingly back. Brady brushed her words back.
''I'm not taking his side! I'm merely stating the importance of keeping a proper etiquette. Ma always told me to keep a polite face in court even if ya should stand before someone ya absolutely despised.''
''But we are not in a court…''
''It's nearly the same in camp. True, people are not dressing as fancy as in court, but there are still politics going around. Different factions and interest pulling the strings behind the scenes...''
Brady looked around the tent, double checking if they were still alone.
''People are beginning to watch ya more closely. Laurent have noticed that even some of the mercenaries are beginning to shadow you, watch ya back Lucy.''
With that Brady left her after making his final checks on her bandages, leaving Lucina to her thoughts.
Brady was right, she needed to be better at keeping a public face. It did not help their cause if she went around and made more enemies, her own father especially.
To say that he had been displeased with her violent outburst was an understatement. He had been furious and commanded her to stay inside her tent for as much time as possible. She had effectively been put in ''the doghouse''.
Tired and frustrated, Lucina buried her head into her hands.
This entire endeavour has proven to be more difficult than she originally envisioned. They had made no progress in exposing that traitor, if anything the only thing she had achieved so far is putting him in better protection then ever.
A familiar feeling began to creep into her, a feeling of being inadequate, of being useless. She had only made everything more difficult. She was a poor excuse of an Exalt…
The bluenette immediately shook her head.
No! I must not despair!
Lucina sat up in a straighter position and took a deep breath.
Observe…Analyse…Then act…. Observe…Analyse…Then act….
She exhaled. She needed to clear her head, to see her options and her situation.
First her situation. She is now more isolated than ever, with her only comfort being her companions were still able to move freely. Confined to her tent, it would not be easy to communicate with her friends without risking their exposure. Brady was able to come and go somewhat freely with the excuse to see to her wounds, but that won't last for long.
Then it was the troubling news that people began to shadow her. Lucina knew that she has never been popular at camp, but until now this lack of goodwill was mostly limited to some sour and cold eyes whenever she moved around. But outright stalking? Something didn't add up in Lucina's mind. In particular, the fact that it was done by the mercenaries didn't make sense. Those men had only recently been employed by her father, they shouldn't care less on how she treated the tactician of the army, unless…
Unless they were in fact in league with him or were agents of Plegia at least. While Plegia had pledged that they could not support this war with any soldiers. It would not be farfetched to think that they would not go out of their way to plant some of their own people under the guise of being simple hired hands.
Lucina wondered how many it could be. Had they been infiltrated by a mere handful or thousands? She shuttered at the last thought. If there were indeed thousands of swords of dubious loyalty in their army then her father and his army might be in a greater peril, then they realise.
A dagger behind ones back could be far more dangerous than an army in front of you.
Yet Lucina doubted that her father would take her serious at this, and she would not agitate him further by bringing it up. She had made too many blunders and ''false accusations'' for him to consider any of her words alone with worth. She would have to find a way to cleanse this poison from her father's ranks without him knowing for now.
Which leads to her options. She could have her friends investigate this potential problem, to determine how deep this corruption ran before making moves to root it out. For this, she could act as bait whenever she walked throughout the camp and have Severa or Kjelle note whoever was obviously following her.
Yes, that could work for now.
As for the true threat, there was little she could do against the tactician now. Observing him had gained her little and she had even been present whenever Henry made his rapport to her father.
There was nothing.
Lucina could only hope that their audience with the Voice of Naga would provide her with something against that traitor. Surely the Voice would be able to see into his black soul and reveal him for what he is. She only hoped that Naga would be able to communicate more clearly this time.
Back in the future the Voice of Naga had been in a pitiful state, weakened by the spreading darkness, she had only been able to speak in riddles. She perished as she used the last of her powers to open the portal that allowed them to travel back to the past.
Go my children!
The past is your salvation!
The future is your death!
Expose the evil that wears the skin of man.
Possessor…Shapeshifter…
The fell dragon of many faces!
Set the past right and a future may yet be denied!
He's here…
Those had been the last words the Voice, as she disintegrated to dust.
As most of her companions escaped through the portal, Lucina had remained behind with a small guard to cover them. Thankfully the fell dragon was not there, having instead sent that traitor instead and an army of Risen.
But then again…what if she was wrong? If he truly was evil, why did he save her back then?
Maybe he was not evil by heart, but something made him turn in the future? Maybe…
Once again Lucina shook her head.
No! I must not forget what he did! I must not forget! I must not forget! I must not forget….
Her thoughts wandered back to the past. To the time her home burned, how her people was overwhelmed by an unending tide of the walking dead. How she confronted their commander, only to find him at the helm. She had refused to believe it at first, only for him to laugh and mock her in turn. Telling her how he had found their time together to be insufferable, how he had longed to tear their kingdom down for all those years. And then how he had betrayed and killed her father…
And then it was the six-winged dragon in the sky.
Grima the devourer of worlds…
She must not fail! She must not fail to protect her father! She must not let that traitor succeed in awakening that horror.
Him saving her was a mere misdirection! To deceive her father and the others of his true intentions, but she would not be fooled so easily! No, she would not rest before she had exposed that snake and then cut his traitorous head off herself!
Without really intending to, Lucina rose up and begun to go in circles around the tent.
Her mind ever occupied by the same though; Kill the traitor…Kill the traitor…
Some may say that it was unhealthy to contain so much hate, but it had been all that kept her going for all those years. A fire that kept her warm in that dark and cold future. And the mere idea that she might be wrong threated to shatter her very core.
No, the man known as Robin was evil incarnate, he had said so himself all those years ago.
Going to end this here, as it otherwise would end up being twice the size of my other chapters. I feel it would be more natural to continue Lucina's POV in another chapter.
I know, not much is happening here plot wise other than Lucina reaffirming her resolve, but I believe it's important to have some interluding chapters from time to time.
Next chapter would hopefully be done within this week, and it would be from Nah's POV and her team in Plegia.
Thank you all for reading and commenting.