What is sleep to the restless? I haven't been able to sleep well. Whether that's due to the heat, the caffeine I run on, or my own inability to turn my brain off, and relax, I will never know. The point is that I've been staying up and trying to get some work done. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

The Prince's Future

Chapter 4: Fated Arrival

Marth had knocked on Lucina's door at least five times and heard nothing. He stood there momentarily. Normally Lucina would have opened the door in an outburst after the second time. But the room had been silent on the other end.

He tried to remember, had she said anything about going into town today? It wasn't unlikely. Corrin was fond of going into town and Lucina was more than willing to indulge her wife in freedoms she admitted Corrin wasn't used to. He found himself mumbling, "They are probably in town."

"Pardon?" Zelda asked.

He shook his head. "We won't find her here." He returned his attention to his childhood friend. "We can try and track her down in town but…" they shared this look. "But after days of travel I would imagine that would be too exhausting."

She gave him her best smile but he could see the exhaustion lingering in her features. "Not today."

He tried his best not to laugh. "Very well, how about I take you to the kitchens for something sweet to snack on?"

That made her eyes light up and he didn't need her to agree verbally. He turned around and gestured for her to follow. "Follow me."

They walked in silence for a moment before in a wistful sigh Zelda said, "It's strange." Marth slowed his pace so that they were walking side by side. "It feels as if nothing has changed and yet…"

"Things have changed." he gave her a small smile. "We're not sneaking through the halls to snatch things in secret anymore."

"Not like that." She swatted at his arm, "it feels different, but I don't think anything has changed."

"Physically no, nothing's changed." He was thankful that someone had put it into words. Ever since Bowser's appearance the castle hasn't felt the same. "But I understand what you mean, it feels … lively."

She looked contemplative, "Maybe," she closed her eyes and he faintly noticed the tips of her pointed ears twitching ever so faintly. "Someone's coming."

When they turned the corner into the kitchens, Marth almost crashed with someone speed-walking out of the dining hall.

The young man was dressed in an intricate embroidered quilted tunic, the pristine white standing out in contrast to the light blue cloak he wore. He struggled for a moment, almost dropping the steamed bun he was carrying in his mouth. Thankfully he caught it in his black gloves. If the quality of the garments he wore didn't give his title away, the intricate gold embroidery on his cloak, pants and boots did. "Ah Robin, sorry about that."

"Oh Marth, I didn't expect to see you," he greeted the prince with an awkward smile before his amber eyes fixed on something behind the prince. "And who's this?"

"Right." he jumped to the side and motioned towards the young Hylian. "Robin, this is Duchess Zelda of Hyrule." he then motioned towards the mage, "and Zel, this is-"

He gave a formal bow, "Robin, acting advisor for his Majesty the Exalt." selling himself short again it seemed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Zelda gave her own bow.

"I wasn't aware you had arrived in the city," Robin frowned, "I hope you didn't run into any troubles."

"I arrived this morning." she gave a bright smile but judging by the look on Robin's face he had realized that the disturbance this morning had been her. Meaning she very much had run into troubles.

"Ah," he tried to play off his growing fear, "Well I'll make sure to let His Majesty know of your arrival. Is there anything we can arrange for your comfort? I'm sure we can have something arranged." He pauses a moment before continuing. "Although there may be a few complications with some recent affairs."

"Thank you but I'm more than content with a simple room." She raised an eyebrow, "although may I inquire about said complications?"

Marth sighed, "Robin and my Father are headed to Plegia, to respond to a request for a peace agreement."

"Ah, did I arrive at a bad time?" Zelda asked with worry pooling in her eyes despite her smile.

"Oh no, we'll be back before you know it," Robin shook his head. "Perhaps we can arrange to have dinner before we set off tonight."

She smiled genuinely then. "That sounds wonderful."

Robin beamed, "I'll be off, His Majesty wants to meet about the trip best not to keep him waiting." And with that he gave Zelda a respectful bow before shoving the snack in his mouth and running off.

Once he was out of sight Marth gave Zelda a conspiratorial smile, "That's my Father's famed tactician from his war days."

Zelda raised an eyebrow, "the one from all those spicy romance novels?"

He nodded. "Yup, I thought it was all fiction," then in a whisper he added, "but between you and me, I always catch him sneaking out of my father's chambers in the early mornings."

She swatted at him playfully, "MarMar!"

"Look, they aren't subtle." he laughed. "Everyone knows what they are doing."

Lucina had always enjoyed her trips into town with Corrin, but today her wife felt extra giddy to go. It seemed she was on the hunt for something, accessories in particular caught her eye. However nothing seemed to be quite what she was looking for, and whenever Lucina asked what she was looking for exactly she would shyly tell her it was a surprise.

At this point, Lucina suspected that her wife was searching for a birthday present, as her and Marth's birthday was closely approaching. There was always a chance she was looking for something to wear for the gala that their father had announced would be held for it.

There was usually a small party at the castle but this year her father was keen to celebrate Lucina's marriage. She supposed it would also be a good way to introduce Corrin to the rest of the court, not including the council members who lived in the castle.

Personally, she was looking forward to being able to dance with her wife for the first dance, officially this time. She even had asked Pyra to pick out a dress for her. Well, she had proposed her own ideas but was told by Pyra she would pick her outfit.

Regardless that was still a ways away, but she really couldn't pick out what else it was Corrin would be so particular about finding. Usually, she wasn't this picky. Strange.

Leaning against a nearby crate beside a jewelry stall, Lucina finally asked her wife for the third time that day, "What exactly are you looking for?"

Corrin gave her a pout and Lucina resisted the urge to embrace and kiss her, gods she was so cute. "I don't need specifics, but like, jewelry? Belts? Ornaments?"

"Nice accessories," she responded but when Lucina simply raised an eyebrow at her, Corrin looked pensive, as well as a bit timid, before eventually letting out a huff, "To accompany a suit."

That narrowed things down but didn't give Lucina too many clues about who these could be for. Were they for Lucina? Possibly. They could also be a gift for her father, or Robin. Perhaps even a gift for Marth, as she had noticed the two seemed to have gotten over whatever awkward tension was between them before the kidnapping plot. It seemed that any hostility they shared vanished following Corrin and her wedding, and for that she was thankful.

"Well," she gave Corrin a playful smile, "I can take you to my favorite craftsman if you're interested."

At that, Corrin nodded excitedly. Lucina took her hand and led her down the familiar twists and turns of the castle town, one she knew by heart. What she didn't expect was for Corrin to recognize it. "Luci?" there was a hopeful tone in her voice that told Lucina that she did in fact remember this place. "We came here my first time in town didn't we?"

She didn't say anything, all she needed was to flash her wife that all-knowing smile and Corrin seemed all too excited as they came to a stop at an alley. A bard seemed to be playing his heart out and Lucina couldn't help but blush at the memory of her wife dancing while she had a special gift of her own being made.

She led her to the shop's front and rang a small bell. It was then that Corrin made a happy little squeak as Eleven popped out from under the counter. "You're telling me Leven made me that ornament?"

"Eleven," Lucina greeted and the boy seemed to smile in turn, he made a motion as if to ask what they were here for. "Corrin has a request, maybe even a few, I don't know," she flashed her wife that playful smirk and received a pout in turn, but there was a smile threatening to break through it. "She refuses to tell me."

He gave them both a nod and Corrin beamed before turning to face Lucina, "Go on shoo, it's a secret." She gave her a playful push towards the door and Lucina couldn't help but laugh at the cute little face her wife was making.

She waved them off and went to stand outside the store. It was then that she heard a sound off towards the main road that caught her interest. It was the sound of a horn, followed by the sound of many wagons rolling. More importantly, the loud and lively town hushed itself as the people spoke in whispers, something had stunned the townsfolk into hushed murmurs.

Lucina gave Corrin a quick glance and noticed she was deep in conversation, and so called over, "I'll be right back." She didn't hear Corrin's response as she rushed towards the main road.

There was a well-ordered line of wagons, all far too ornate to be a merchant's caravan. Then she noticed the soldiers at the front and back of the procession. There was something familiar about the colors of their uniforms and the emblem engraved into their tabards.

Then there was some kind of disturbance as the entire thing came to a sudden stop. She watched as the soldiers stared in stunned silence. Before there were a handful of calls before someone made a beeline in her direction.

A young man dressed in blues and golds bolted her way. It was then that she recognized that flaming red hair. "Roy?" she found herself calling as he came to a stop in front of her.

He wore that same dopey smile, it was absolutely infectious. "Long time no see, Lucina."

"Gods, it's been ages," she gave him a quick once over, "Hey, you finally grew."

"Yeah." He gave her a smug look and made a motion with his hand, placing it on the top of her head before measuring her against him, "Finally taller than you."

She swatted his hand away but the look on her face told him it was in good nature, "Not by much, don't flatter yourself." she stuck her tongue out at him, it was a habit she hadn't quite kicked yet. Thankfully he laughed it off, he truly hadn't changed.

"Luci?" She heard Corrin call from the alley, so Lucina called her over, and when she finally entered her wife's line of sight she noticed the small bag the draconic princess held in her hands.

"Did you get everything?" Lucina scooped the other girl into a hug. She made a little hum.

"No, Leven said it'll take a few minutes," she let out a disappointed sigh so Lucina kissed the top of her cheek in an attempt to distract her. "Luci? Who's this?" Corrin's voice cut through her serene little bubble, and the Ylissian turned to face what she was looking at. Ah right she wouldn't have known the redhead.

"Oh right." she shook her head, how could she have forgotten? "Corrin, this is Roy, a childhood friend." Then to Roy, she blushed as she added, "Roy, this is my wife, Princess Corrin, of the Koopa Kingdom."

Corrin flashed him one of her radiant smiles, as she wiggled out of Lucina's grasp, "Nice to meet you." Despite not being told Roy's title she gave a curtsy anyways.

Roy's eyes softened as he bowed in return, "The pleasure is mine."

There was a loud whistle that came from the alleyway and Corrin turned to Lucina, "That's Leven." Lucina looked between the two of them before she made a motion for Roy to follow, and with a shrug he did.

Eleven had a heavy case on the counter and Corrin scooped it up before Lucina could even try and take a peek. Then she gave her wife a playful smile, "Can you grab my wallet." she lifted the heavy case indicating it took up both hands, "My hands are busy."

Lucina chuckled and unclipped Corrin's coin purse from her belt, and walked over to pay Eleven. It was then that she could hear a conversation over her shoulder.

"Please let me know if this a bit rude to ask, but are you," she heard Roy start, he seemed to struggle with his words, "a dragon of some kind?"

Lucina's blood ran cold, how did he know that? She had hoped any rumor about Corrin's transformation had been buried. Panic surged in her chest and her protective instincts overwhelmed her.

She wanted to try and pry some details from Eleven about what Corrin had purchased but this took priority. Corrin's voice carried a hint of shock, and Lucina could almost picture the look on her face. "How do you-" Lucina placed the gold on the table and rushed out of the store, thanking Eleven on her way out.

"M'Lord!" The second she rushed out another young man with spiky brown hair seemed to intersect the group. He took a second to catch his breath. Before he straightened up and turned to face Roy specifically. "Please don't run off like that."

Roy chuckled and approached the young man, "Sorry about that." He then turned his attention to the married couple, "Head to the castle and tell them I've arrived, I would like to catch up with old friends."

"Well if you say so." with a pat on the head from Roy the boy ran off and Lucina flashed Roy an amused look.

"He's my retainer." he looked pensive, "Well more like a squire." He shook his head with a smile, "but nevermind that, how about you show me around and maybe we can catch up. It has been a long time, after all."

"Through here!" Valkyrie rushed forward leaping over a crumbling wall. The others chased after her. "Where's Forge?"

Valkyrie looked up at the redhead, who peeked over the crumbling wall, "he's coming."

The last of the three girls closed her eyes, her breathing eased as if she was deep in meditation, "Val," she turned to face their makeshift leader, "there's more ether here."

"Sparkle," Valkyrie turned to face the redhead "stay here and when you see Forge." she made a few vague gestures.

The redhead sighed and leaned against the wall, "Stop calling me that." Valkyrie followed the other girl deeper into the ruined building.

Valkyrie followed the last member of her group deeper into the fortress, jumping through walls that were clearly smashed in, climbing over crumbled pillars and eventually, they found themselves in a courtyard.

"Here." The other girl stopped just at the back of the yard. Just before a huge burn mark in the dirt, "I can sense magic here."

Valkyrie stared at the obvious clue, "Like fire magic."

The other girl didn't look at her but Valkyrie could hear the pout in her voice, "No, like rune magic."

In a flat tone, Valkyrie continued, "Like a fire rune?"

"No!" The other girl playfully swatted at her, "Like warp magic"

Now their leader sounded interested, "Can you activate it?"

"Maybe?" She closed her eyes again and stood up. She willed the magic from within herself, pushing it into the very earth at her feet. Her magic crawled up her skin, summoning forth her helmet-like mask, the sheer force of the power she held, made the gem in the hilt of the blade at her back glow in a pulsing rhythm.

Then like an archer releasing the string of his bow, she let loose the power in a soft exhale. The magic thundered through the air, rippling through the ground like waves in an ocean. Then the magic in the ground erupted in lights, glyphs, once dormant sturred with life. Summoning a swirling vortex of magical power.

Valkyrie let out a whistle. "A portal?"

The other girl dismissed her mask and peered into the vortex, shielding her eyes as if that would help her see anything in the chaos of raw energy, "I think this might be one of those Outrealm portals Mama used to talk about."

Valkyrie grinned "Then it's our ticket out of here," she then turned back towards the hole they came from. "We should probably wait for the other two."

Shulk let out a huff as he hauled another supply crate onto the back of the wagon. He told himself it was to help the elderly staff with the time constraint, as the King was set to leave tonight. But the truth was he was postponing his meeting with the King and he knew that.

It was just that he couldn't fight the anxiety that would bubble up thinking about leaving the castle. He had no fear for the mission itself, no it was something else, something he couldn't quite put a name to.

Sure he hadn't had any visions that put Marth or Lucina's lives in danger, so he shouldn't have been too worried. And yet his mind seemed to spiral with worry. It was a never ending spiral of unease that carried no actual concerns, just a feeling of overwhelming anxiety.

In his daze, a sound caught his attention subconsciously. A very familiar laugh that he had started to grow more used to. He turned his head and at the end of the hall, he could see his prince walking his way, deep in conversation with someone.

Now that he thought about it he hadn't had much time for the prince today, following that incredibly tense meeting, Marth had requested some time to destress. It was good to see he was in better spirits.

Marth turns his way and even from this distance, Shulk could make out his bright smile. Marth really had let his guard down following their visit to Mount Prism, and not just around him but around everyone. His royal mask only seemed to be something he wore when he was clearly annoyed or upset, as opposed to always. It was a welcome change if he was being honest.

The prince's voice was always so bright now, melodious even. Even when he was calling out there was no stress in either his voice or the way he carried himself.

Shulk fought down the chuckle bubbling in his chest but couldn't contain his smile. The prince and his guest were closer now, and the prince's words rang clearer, but all Shulk could focus on was their melody.

"Shouldn't you answer your prince's call?" A voice chided him from the back of his mind, a hint of mischief lingering in that all too familiar voice. snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," He laughed awkwardly, feeling heat flood his face. "My head's a mess after the meeting today."

Marth nodded, seeming not to have noticed his embarrassment, his guest however seemed amused at his reaction. "MarMar, Who's this?"

"Ah," Marth turned to face the young woman he was speaking to earlier and motioned towards the seer. "Right, Zelda this is Shulk, he's the Royal Seer."

Shulk found himself putting down the crate he was holding. Had he been holding that the entire time? "I'm also His Highness's retainer," he offered the woman a respectful bow.

"Shulk," the prince motioned towards the blond woman and smiled, "This is Duchess Zelda of the Dukedom of Hyrule, she's an old friend of mine."

She offered him a hand shake, "It's a pleasure to meet you, anything I need to know about MarMar's recent escapades?"

He met Marth's gaze for a long second before with a playful smile he added "Well, he's taken up lute playing and-"

"Shulk!" Marth had interrupted him, his cheeks pinkening. It seems he still wasn't as proud of his musical talents quite yet.

Shulk chuckled faintly and shook his head, "Ah, apologies I have been sworn to secrecy." Zelda seemed to find that funny, and Marth despite his embarrassment seemed to be in good spirits. Shulk let out a sigh, "I suppose, I should go speak to His Majesty. About the … thing." he and Marth exchanged a look of acknowledgement.

"Alright," Marth smiled and Shulk turned to leave "See you at dinner."

"Of course," Shulk turned to face his prince and beamed, receiving another of Marth's stunning smiles. He turned to leave and rushed off. Perhaps he could finish all of this after the meeting with His Majesty and once this was taken care of. Maybe just maybe he could steal a moment with Marth before he left.

Chrom didn't usually hate his job, but there were always days where it was incredibly exhausting. It felt like time was moving at a snail's pace, and sitting at his desk rifling through endless paperwork made it unbearable. It seemed that following the council meeting, as he had expected, all of the council members saw fit to write reports voicing their complaints. There was no way he would change his mind but he had to humor them.

As the hours passed he found himself missing Robin's presence. As if his quiet prayer was answered, Robin stepped through the double doors dressed in his formal attire and came to his side.

He couldn't contain his smile as he noticed a small crumb on his beloved tactician's face. "Did you get everything sorted?" absentmindedly he reached up and brushed it away.

Robin's face flushed for a moment and he wiped his mouth with the back of his glove. "Yes, we should be ready to leave at any moment." There was something else lingering in his eyes. "However I recommend we leave later tonight."

Chrom tilted his head absentmindedly. "Any specific reason?"

"Yes, it seemed Zelda of Hyrule had already arrived at the castle," he smiled fondly, "that was apparently the situation that interrupted breakfast this morning."

"Ah." It was a welcomed surprise. He hadn't seen the young dutchess in years, following the messenger sent to notify them of Duke Roame's death he had worried for the girl's wellbeing. Then the complete silence that followed for the past five years was concerning. But hearing she had arrived was reassuring. "How is she?"

"She seemed in good health, but there seemed to be some lingering exhaustion she carries." He turned to face Chrom properly. "I've arranged a grand dinner in her honor before we leave tonight."

"Always three steps ahead of me as always." Chrom grinned and before Robin could comment there was a knock on the large doors. "You may enter."

In that instant Shulk stepped inside. There was clear hesitation in his demeanor, but he stepped in regardless. "Your Majesty." he gave his formal bow.

When he raised his head Chrom noted a hint of determination in his usual calm and reserved gaze. "Is something on your mind Shulk?"

"I wish to come along for the trip to Plegia." Chrom turned to his adviser, exchanging a glance that spoke volumes. Shulk was always so calm and always a step behind Marth, so to see him so determined to come along spoke volumes.

"Did you see something?" Chrom leaned forward, not being able to keep the concern from seeping into his voice. Robin cast him a glance. They had spoken about Shulk and his powers. Robin was a touch skeptical but after the events of last year Chrom wasn't willing to overlook the seer's visions.

"No sir." his eyes drifted to the side. "It's just that bandit activity has been on the rise along the border again and I figured if I come along I could give ample warnings if I do end up seeing something."

"Very well," Chrom nodded, he could tell that there was something bothering the boy but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it might be. "We'll be leaving tonight, close to midnight, as we have a guest to entertain."

That seemed to brighten the lights in his eyes. "Yes, of course. Anything I can help with?"

Chrom shook his head. "Robin has already set up the dinner with the staff, and the carriage is already prepared, take the day off so you can pack."

He nodded enthusiastically, "Yes Sir." and with that he stood up straight and rushed out the door, clearly excited.

"Are you sure about this?" Robin asked hesitantly.

"Shulk's visions are invaluable," he returned his gaze to Robin's. "He was the one who told us about you and the Phantom Thieves's attack."

"I did always find it strange that you reacted rather quickly to that." he frowned, "and depending on what he told you … that would explain why rumors that you blamed Plegia always bubbled around despite us sending a calling card."

"Not one of my best moments, I'll admit." he smiled, feeling a heat pool in his face.

"Then…" Robin's eyes widened. "That would explain why the wedding was so heavily guarded." Robin shook his head. "He must have seen our ambush for Corrin coming."

Chrom nodded. "I've trusted Shulk's visions from the very beginning." He thought back to that fateful day on the outskirts of Ylisse. The rockslide, the panicked faces of a young foreign man, followed by two children. He had almost lost everything that day, thankfully Shulk had seen that disaster coming. "He's saved our family more than once. The title of Royal Seer is the most I was able to award him and his family as thanks."

Robin's hand rested on his own, clearly he had noticed his change in demeanor. "If you're so sure, then … I'll trust this, whatever this is."

Chrom smiled and squeezed Robin's hand. Then there was another knock. Who could that be? "Enter."

The man who stepped in was an unfamiliar one. He had messy spiked hair and both bright youthful eyes as well as a large and rather goofy looking smile. It was good natured and spoke of a bright-eyed young man who hadn't quite lost his naive innocence.

He gave a formal bow. "It's good to meet you, Your Majesty." that last bit felt a bit awkward in the delivery. Clearly he wasn't accustomed to using titles. When he righted himself Chrom got a good look at him.

He had a short-sleeved shirt covered by a hooded vest. Baggy trousers and boots that didn't quite reach the ends of his trousers. Curious. But when Chrom noticed a sash awkwardly looped around him, clearly looped twice over forming an x over his torso. However where the two sides overlapped was a familiar crest. The emblem of the Marquess of Phaere, so the representative from Phaere had arrived.

"I'm Sora, Squire for Lord Roy." he reached into his vest and awkwardly produced a scroll. "My Lord is on his way but will be running late due to an en-encounter with old friends."

Chrom scratched his chin and turned to Robin. "Did Lucina or Marth say anything to you?"

Robin nodded, "Lucina mentioned that Corrin wanted to go into town today."

Chrom nodded. "Ah, let's not rush them then," to Sora he beamed. "Thank you for letting us know. Tell your lord that we'll be holding a dinner tonight, and he and his staff are invited."

Sora nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you, Sir."

Robin stepped forward, approaching the young man, "You said you were your lord's squire yes? Then I'll call a page to show you where your lord will be staying."

"Thank you," Sora beamed.

It was then, standing next to Robin like this that Chrom couldn't help but notice how similar the two were in height. It was possible that Sora was just short, much like Robin himself. But somehow, deep down Chrom knew by the boy's attitude and youthful appearance that he was still young, perhaps he still had a lot left to grow.

Robin ushered the young man out, and when he returned, Chrom couldn't help himself.

The thought that a young man like Sora was the same height as his fully grown love was an adorable thought he couldn't shake. He knew Robin was short, it had been the subject of much teasing back in his tactician days. He had hoped that Robin would have grown after the war and it seemed that Chrom never fully registered how small Robin was until now. Cute.

Robin had unfortunately caught his chuckling. "What?"

"So~ you have a retainer now?" Marth felt his face heat up ever so slightly. Zelda, just like Lucina, was always so keen to tease him. It was one of the few reasons he always dreaded the idea of them ever dating.

"Right well," Marth remembered all the times as a child when he proudly proclaimed he would be just as capable as his father, that he didn't need a retainer or advisor. His younger self was always keen to never be waited on. Mostly after years of needing help just to make it out of bed, he dreamed of life fully independent of personal attendants. "Things change."

She raised an eyebrow at him as the two fell into step, neither having a destination in mind. Simply desiring to keep moving, "How so?"

"It's just…" What could he say, what had changed? "When you meet someone as capable as he is you would be stupid not to hire him."

Yeah, that was it, "He's a genius, steadfast, and always so punctual." Shulk was just an extremely talented man. "Extremely reliable." Shulk always seemed to know what he needed even before the trip to Mount Prism.

"Handsome?" Zelda piped up,

"Oh absolutely." Marth would be a liar if he said Shulk wasn't good-looking, anyone with eyes could see that. "You should see him after training. You wouldn't think someone so knowledgeable would have such defined abs." Then suddenly his mind connected the dots in his mind. The words that came out of his mouth finally registered. "Th-that is to say…"

She chuckled at that and waved him off, "I don't think I've ever been able to catch you off guard before this badly MarMar," she smiled and he felt like he had been caught red-handed. "You've loosened up a lot since we were children, what happened?"

He let out a sigh, hoping to cool down his face, "In short, a lot." He looked pensive for a moment. "And between Shulk's comforting presence and Corrin's playful teasing, I haven't been able to keep a straight face for very long."

"Now who's Corrin?" She sounded amused now, "Another retainer?"

"My sister … in law" he replied without thinking, tacking on the rest of her title only after realizing he had grown used to simply calling her his sister.

When he turned to face Zelda, she rushed him, grabbed him by the front of his tunic, "Lucina got married!" and shook him with a lot more strength than he was expecting from her, "And you didn't invite me!"

"We did!" he pleaded and she stopped shaking him, and he regained the ability to see clearly, "but we didn't receive a response."

Her expression changed and she let him go. Suddenly she seemed so shy then, "How long ago was this?"

He shook himself to regain his center of balance, why was she so strong? "last year. Just before winter."

"Ah." her face fell, and wondered what was running through her mind then. "We were still rebuilding around that time, both in buildings and in trade routes, Hyrule was still so dangerous to travel within…"

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and in a soft voice added, "It's fine, we couldn't imagine what chaos befell your home." There was a long and heavy silence as he continued. "How are your people fairing?"

She let out a deep and wistful sigh, "They are pressing on," she smiled then but it was sorrowful. "They carry on with such strength, despite the calamity that befell them they continue to smile as if they know no other way of life."

"There were travelers who spoke of the horrors that lurked with the holy grounds of Hyrule during your silence." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "We tried to send help, believe me."

She nodded. "A blessing from Hylia," she looked up at the sky sorrowfully, "that whatever darkness would rise up to challenge the throne would be confined to our land." Her shoulders sagged as she continued. "Unfortunately, this means that we also couldn't receive outside help."

"I can't even imagine the strength it would take to continue on after so much pain." He couldn't begin to think of their suffering.

"Another blessing from Hylia," she turned to look at him and despite the sorrow her eyes carried, the smile she wore this time was genuine. "My people have hope deeply rooted in their hearts and no matter the calamity we will not fall into despair."

"You will make a wonderful ruler Zelda," he meant it too. He couldn't begin to fathom the strength she carried. He in contrast almost fell apart at the mere idea of something happening to his sister, he couldn't imagine the strength it would take to lose everything and continue to stand tall.

They stewed in that moment for a while, both staring out the large windows they had stopped by. Where they were in the castle didn't matter at that moment, not even the view was important. What mattered in that instant was letting Zelda breathe, mourning the great duchy it once was.

They watched the shadows crawl along the field outside. After a long moment he watched the tension in her shoulders loosen. Seeing that he finally decided to break the silence. "Well now that the calamity is over," she returned her gaze to him, "perhaps now we can sand aid and supplies. With the new alliance we can send over a lot more, a lot faster."

They lingered in that comfortable silence before he caught a soft whisper. "Thank you."

"Hyrule has been a valued member of the Council for years Zel, it is the least I can offer. I'm sure my father and Lucina would've offered the same." He saw her smile then and he knew if there was any time to break this sorrowful tension it would be now. "I wish you had been here when we met Corrin, things would have gone over significantly smoother."

She raised an eyebrow asking a silent question. "I won't tell you the full story of how they hooked up as I bet it is a lot more interesting from their point of view, but needless to say," how could he put this simply? "You missed two attacks on the castle and one crashed wedding."

"What moron tried to crash Luci's wedding?" she said with a grin.

"It was my wedding, actually." he flashed her a grin then, "and Luci was the one who crashed it, before she made off with my bride."

"What?" she asked with a laugh and he beamed.

"Oh yeah, it was one huge mess." He laughed. "Ask them, but make sure you have snacks, it is one crazy ride."

She chuckled fondly at that moment. "I'll make sure to pester them about it." Then in something a touch more playful she added. "Mar-Mar, Where are we going?"

That had stunned him. "... the library."

"Were we always headed there?"

His face reddened in embarrassment. Had they really been walking aimlessly for hours? "Shush."

Rex cursed all of his rotten luck. He should have figured that those youngsters would have gone against his direct instructions. He knew it would only be a matter of time before they started looking into Shulk's disappearance.

The worst part of it all was, had he not gotten that helpful tip off, then he never would have suspected they had run off. He had been reckless and now they had managed to find the exact fort that housed the outrealm portal.

He could still hear their footsteps, they weren't far. He also knew where they would be headed, or at least he had a pretty good idea of where.

Then, as if lighting a giant beacon he saw it, the magical light from the heavens shot down as the sky turned cloudy. A tell tale sign of an outrealm portal getting reopened.

He cursed and decided to take a shortcut. He summoned his two greatswords and charged straight through the nearby wall. With a spin he brought what was left of that wall crashing down. He charged through, until he found his way to the courtyard.

There they stood, all four of those troublemakers. "Oi!"

That seemed to startel them, their leader readjusted her mask. "Tempest Now!" and before he could say another word one of them jumped forward and suddenly there was a wall of ice separating them.

He could hear the shift of magic and then the ice shattered, unable to sustain itself any longer. And as he had expected all four of them were gone. The portal was still rippling. They had jumped in.

He knew he shouldn't have let things escalate to this extent. He should have kept a closer eye on those kids. He should have known that that girl would drag the others into a mess like this. And now he had a choice to make. Let them go, and hope that they run into Shulk, or follow after them.

That former left a stone in his gut. What if they run into trouble? The worst part of it was that protecting them was the only job he had left, with that thing gone he hadn't seen a monster in a while. It seemed the evil followed that monster.

The edges of the portal began to waver, and he knew it would collapse any second now. He swallowed any doubt and rushed for the portal. "Shulk is going to be so cross with me if he sees any of us."

AN/ Wow, this chapter took a second. I lied the ship I'm into is not dead, honestly I was a fool to think it would slow down. Anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter. Personally I feel like I'm moving things WAY too quickly and yet simultaneously I feel like I'm dragging things along. Ugh oh well. Sorry, things will be taking a second to pump chapters out. You guys might not notice it cuz I'm writing this months in advance but it annoys me how long it takes to get things done.

The Fun Fact of the day is that I had to move the scenes in this chapter around quite a lot before I was able to get it to feel right. At least while I was writing it. There were so many scenes that I had to cut up and move around and combine to be able to get it to feel like it made sense. Now whether it does make sense depends, let's hope my Editor is able to shine some light on that.

Also typing makes click clack noises and that seems to be helping me write more, can't explain why it's working but it seems to be helping so let's hope that helps.

~ (8/4/2024)