A/N: Alright guys, I'm gonna be real honest here for a minute. The last few months of my life been like a multi-headed dick-hydra with an active hate boner. Even now I'm still trying to recover, so I can't promise anything in the way of regular updates for the time being. That said, I am ready to get back into the swing of things, and hopefully doing so here will help me get my mojo back.
I apologize for making you all wait for so long, please enjoy the chapter.
Princess of Two Nations
Seventeen Years Ago, Southern Ignis Region…
"These bastards don't know when to give up!"
Lord Avohkii of Aurora was laughing as he watched his Bouffalant maul a fleeing Whimsicott while an Arcanine torched the Metang that tried to come to its ally's defense. The woman standing beside him was also smiling fiercely as she watched her pokémon take down their enemies, clearly enjoying the thrill of the battle in spite of its harrowing intensity. "Still, I have to admire their will to fight even after my Bibarel tore their leader's Skarmory to pieces."
Forces from Aurora and Ignis had banded together under the leadership of Avohkii in order to track down and eliminate a travelling gang that had been murdering and pillaging villages in both countries for some time. Normally, the warlord would leave the matters to one of his advisors, but the leader of this particular band had once been the Warlord of Avia, and so he wielded plenty of strength and charisma to pose a serious threat to anyone who crossed him. Avohkii had determined that either he or the leader of Ignis should be the one to lead the hunt, and after some debate, the new warlord, a young man named Hideyoshi, had agreed to let the more experienced warrior handle the problem.
"You would think that a band of cutthroats this large and well-travelled would know to avoid attacking any Ignisian settlements, considering how many of their pokémon are weak to our fire-types," the female warrior said as Avohkii's Exploud unleashed a supersonic scream that shattered a Graveller that had been menacing her Arcanine to dust. Seeing this, she said in an aside, "Thanks."
"Ah, I can't run the risk that these ruffians hurt your partner too badly," the older man said with a roguish grin. "We wouldn't want to mess up that lovely face of yours', now would we?"
The woman, who was called Iris, rolled her eyes at that. "I should think that the Warlord of Aurora has better things to do in the middle of a battle than admiring the view, so to speak," she said pointedly. "And your wife is with the other team trying to cut off the escapees, so she'll be around soon enough to put you to shame." She and Avohkii had been working together for the last couple of weeks along with a mixed unit of Ignisian and Auroran warriors, but the rest of their group had gone ahead to maintain closer links with their pokémon partners, as their bonds were not as strong as their leaders', which allowed them to hang back and survey the battle from afar.
"Ah, but what a view it is," the warlord chuckled while in the back of his mind, he ordered his Unfezant to knock a Dragonite out of the air so that his Slaking would be waiting with a Giga Impact to finish it off as soon as it hit the ground. "And my wife is over there, not here, so I have an unobstructed field of vision."
Iris was getting up in in her thirties, but she still had the looks and wit to turn the heads of most men that she came across. The fact that she was a noblewoman with two pokémon and a long history of remaining undefeated in combat, single and otherwise, was also an appealing factor to the bachelors that had approached her over the years. Now, apparently, she had caught the eye of the rather flirtatious ruler of her neighboring country, and in spite of herself, she found that she enjoyed staving off his advances, because she knew that he would keep trying, and it was fun to mess with someone in a higher station of life than her without fear of punishment.
"You're rather incorrigible, aren't you?" Iris snorted as their pokémon moved on to the next targets. The hardest part of the fight was over now, so they would merely keep a general eye on the battlefield, unless one of their pokémon alerted them to the fact that something was amiss.
"I prefer the word 'persistent'," Avohkii countered smoothly.
"I doubt your wife says that about you."
"My lady, you wound me," Avohkii laughed, mischief sparkling in his blue eyes. "Although to be fair, my wife has been heard to say some rather unflattering things about me."
"All entirely unwarranted, I'm sure," Iris said with mock sympathy. "You poor, poor man, how do you ever live with such a burden?"
"By taking a load off every now and again," the warlord answered suggestively.
This was enough to make Iris halt in place and look him dead in the eyes while his smile widened. "Are you serious?" she asked him, not sure if she should slap him or laugh herself silly at the very notion that he wasn't voicing. "Right here?"
"What better time?" he shrugged. "Battle's nearly over with, and like you said, my wife will be along soon to nag at me. There's a perfectly good pile of rocks we can hide under- we wouldn't want to scare any children who might be watching, after all."
"You're out of your mind," Iris scoffed as she folded her arms at him, causing his smile to widen even more.
"And you're considering it," he replied cheerfully. "You have to admit, it would be a truly unique experience."
"You're suggesting that we commit fornication in the middle of a battle, where there is every chance that we might get caught in the crossfire of said combat, and your wife will likely skin us both alive if she finds out, all just for the experience?" she asked him flatly.
"I doubt she'd skin us if she found out," Avohkii shrugged. "I have two concubines, and she only gets irritated about them every now and again."
"Oh, is that all?"
"Yes, it is." Avohkii indicated the rocks that he had mentioned earlier, which had a small alcove that would indeed shield two people from view if they were to occupy it. "Are you curious enough?"
"…Oh, why in the hell why not?" Iris sighed as she started walking toward the stones. "If nothing, it will be something for me to laugh about in my later years."
Entei City Outskirts, Present Day…
"…Wow," Keihatsu said blankly as he continued to stare at the girl claiming to be of the same father as he. "I knew my father had fidelity issues, but… I'm sorry, what is wrong with your mother?"
"Hey!" Yoake said sharply, her smile instantly vanishing. "I didn't bring your mother into this, don't go slandering mine."
"I'm sure that what Lord Keihatsu meant to say is that this is a bit much for him to take in so suddenly," Motonari said calmly, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder to keep him quiet for a moment. "Surely you can excuse his lack of manners, given your… illustrations."
"I don't have much in the way of tolerance for people who talk bad about my dead mother," Yoake grumbled. Hanbei was actually lying on the ground, snoring lightly as he had been since halfway into the girl's account of her conception.
"…I'm sorry," Keihatsu said with a slight incline of his head in her direction, surprising the girl with his sincerity. "You're right, stress does not excuse a lack of manners when speaking to one's opponents in a civil setting. Or in this case, estranged half-siblings on the field of battle."
Yoake hesitated for a moment before she answered in a lowered tone, "It's fine, I suppose. My mother was disowned by her family after she conceived me out of wedlock, and she raised me on her own while working as an obscure mercenary for the kingdom until she was killed in battle five years back. I get a little touchy when people badmouth her."
"Understandable," Keihatsu nodded, finally beginning to get a grip on his thoughts again. "However, I can't take you at your word that you are Lord Avohkii's daughter. You would have to be recognized as his daughter by several members of the Auroran noble houses, and that would only be if you had definitive proof that he was your father."
"Okay," Yoake shrugged before kicking Hanbei awake.
"Wazzat?" he mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes. "Did they go away yet?"
"No," she told him while Motonari and Keihatsu exchanged a look of confusion. "I'm going with them as a prisoner- with the understanding that if I'm not released by tomorrow morning, fire and brimstone will rain down on their heads such as they've never seen before."
Hanbei gave her a pained look while he said, "That sounds like a lot of work…"
"I will have Flareon incinerate your bed," Yoake threatened, causing Hanbei to sit up straight and begin dusting himself off. With a self-satisfied smile, she then said, "Good boy. Go on back, and I'll be back by noon tomorrow."
"Hold," Motonari said with a slight frown. "We haven't agreed to take you anywhere."
"I'll assume responsibility for her," Keihatsu said suddenly, surprising his ally.
"Lord Keihatsu, why-?"
"I'm willing to hear her out," he told the other man. "If she is who she says she is, then she has right to make a claim on the throne of Aurora, same as I. Besides, if she truly is of my father's blood, she may be the only surviving member of my family left in Ransei. Forgive me for being a tad curious, but I cannot let this go without investigating the matter further." The expression on his face was unidentifiable, but it was clear that his mind had been made up.
"If she represents a threat to the stability of your rule, why bother indulging her?" Motonari asked, still looking bewildered. "Besides which, I must advise against bringing an enemy into the camp when you obviously plan on releasing her in an attempt to avoid an all-out battle falling upon our warriors."
"She'll be blindfolded, and her partner pokémon will not be with her," Keihatsu replied without breaking eye contact from Yoake, who was maintaining her confident smile. In a lowered tone, he added, "You must admit, there is a look about her similar enough to me, not to mention that she has a Flareon partner."
Motonari was forced to concede both points on that score. With soft brown hair, intelligent blue eyes, fair skin, and a natural born confidence about her, she did look like she could be related to the young warlord. Then there was the matter of her partner pokémon to consider; after all, Eevee was not so rare a species that they were never seen by people, unlike certain mythical pokémon, but they were rare enough that it would be an awfully big coincidence for her to just have that affiliation in addition to the other traits that likened her to Keihatsu.
"I still feel uneasy about this," he advised his younger friend.
"So do I, but if there is even the slightest chance that we can end this without risking hundreds of lives, we should at least give it a try," Keihatsu countered. "If she does turn out to be my relative, and we defeat her and her allies, then by Ransei international laws, their forces and strongholds belong to us."
That got Motonari to stay quiet. If they could defeat Hanbei and Yoake, plus whoever else they brought to the small battle, the coalition could potentially bolster its forces instead of diminishing them. Seeing that he was more amicable to the idea now, Keihatsu turned to the Ignisians and said, "Very well, Yoake. Come with us, and I will bring you before the nobles of Aurora, who will ascertain whether or not your story holds merit. Before we take you into our camp, we will need to search you for weapons, as well as keep you blindfolded with your hands bound while in our encampment. You will also ride double with one of us, as your transport pokémon will not be allowed in our camp. Is that agreeable to you?"
"Sure," she shrugged nonchalantly. "I won't try anything."
"How do you know that I won't?" Keihatsu asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"Because based on what I've heard from the people you defeated at the border, you keep better than your word," she replied as she stepped forward with her hands held out in front of her. "You could have killed a lot of our soldiers who caused you grief, but you spared their lives as a mercy. Kanbei speaks well of you, and I trust his judgement more than that of anyone else in Ignis."
"Hey!" Hanbei complained.
"You heard me," she tossed over her shoulder. To Keihatsu, she said, "You seem nice, Brother. Almost makes me feel bad about taking your throne away after you were just getting used to it."
"You haven't taken it yet, and I wouldn't hold your breath on succeeding in that endeavor," Keihatsu muttered. "Why do you even want the throne in the first place? You could have come to make your claim once you heard that my father was dead."
"I was busy until recently, and I think I'd make a good warlord," Yoake smirked. "I also have plans concerning Ignis, but Aurora is a good place to start."
Keihatsu eyed her warily as he gestured for her to walk in front of him and Motonari while Hanbei began to make his retreat back to Entei City. "You're a lot more ambitious than I am, I grant you that," he told her. "I take it that you get that from your mother?"
"Obviously," she replied without looking back. "If our father had been half as ambitious as she was, he would have been able to conquer half of Ransei before he died."
"Thank the gods for his restraint, then," Keihatsu muttered under his breath. "I don't fancy having to govern half a continent. Aurora is hard enough on its own."
When the three of them drew near to the coalition's camp, Keihatsu had Motonari rush ahead to explain the situation to the sentinels, as well as return with a handful of guards that the Warlord of Aurora trusted so that Yoake could be properly restrained. While the other ruler was off doing this, Keihatsu dismounted the Stoutland that he had been riding, helping the girl down after he did. They were about ten minutes' walking distance from the campgrounds, though on a mount it would take less than one to reach the sentinels.
"You have much better manners than my current boss," she said as she landed lightly on the ground. "Are you this nice to every stranger you meet outside of battle?"
"More or less," Keihatsu nodded.
"Oh yeah?" Yoake asked as she tilted her head at him with curiosity. "How well does that work for you, being the head of state and all?"
"I would call it a mixed bag," he admitted. "It's the people that I once called my friends that I have to be on constant guard with nowadays."
"Do tell."
"Sorry, I only offer my life's story to people that I'm not sworn to defeat for the sake of multiple nations." Keihatsu gave her a snarky grin as he made the reply, causing her own eyes to spark with amusement.
"You're quick like Hanbei, but you're laughing, even in spite of what just landed on your lap," she said with something like approval. However, her tone shifted as she said, "You seem like a good person, Keihatsu. Unfortunately, good people don't make good warlords."
"On what do you base that?" Aurora's warlord inquired as he crossed his arms. "Hideyoshi?"
"Of course not, genius," she snorted derisively. "His days on the throne are numbered, even if he doesn't see it closing in on him. No, I'm referring to our father."
"…I don't take your meaning."
"No?" Yoake replied, maintaining her tone of half-amusement, half-mockery. "Let me ask you something, Brother mine. Would a good man sire a child with a woman he barely knew, and then leave her to her own devices when she was cast out by her family due to his infidelity? Would a good man allow four women to vie for his attention by playing games among themselves that leaves one in exile, apart from her only son, and the other three dead? Would a good man leave one half-breed child in poverty in favor of raising his pure-blooded Auroran son to become the next ruler of the nation?" Her smile was gone, and now she was full-on glaring at him as she spat, "Would a good man do any of those things, much less all of them?"
Keihatsu held his tongue for a moment, genuinely unsure of how he should proceed in this situation. If Yoake was an actress, he had to admit to himself that she was a good one. But even if she really was his half-sister, it left him feeling twisted up and confused inside. On one hand, his duty was to his nation, and to the people from Fontaine and Greenleaf who had trusted him to protect their homes with their armed forces, and Yoake was sworn to fight against them in mortal combat for however long she chose to serve Hideyoshi. On the other hand, if she really was his own flesh and blood, no matter how much he might wish to view her as another obstacle in the way of their path to Ignis' capital, there was a bond that connected them- one that he did not know he would be capable of severing if necessary.
Ever since his mother had been forced to leave him, he had been longing for a firm reassurance in his own self, someone to tell him that he was a good man and the actions that he had taken were the right ones. Then Oichi had come into his life, and at long last, he had begun to feel truly comfortable in his role as Warlord of Aurora. Now, however, he was beginning to realize that there had also been a hole left inside of him by the death of his father, not just a vacant throne to fill. With Yoake in front of him, he had to question what it meant to be Lord Avohkii's child. Was it simply by chance that he was Warlord, and Yoake was the shunned child of a disgraced warrior who had died in obscurity, even in spite of her name and all her accomplishments in service to her nation? Was it nothing more than luck that had him in a place of power and prestige?
Who would I be if our roles were reversed? He could not help but puzzle over the matter while Yoake turned her eyes away from his, her mouth curled into a slight snarl.
"Maybe you are just like him," she was now saying, drawing him out of his deep reverie. "You've been a good ruler by all accounts, but that's all you care about. I offer you a sincere question, and you don't have the nerve to confront the quandary you don't want to answer."
"That's not it," he said quickly, drawing her attention back to him for a moment. "The truth is, I don't know what to make of you and what you're saying, Yoake- mostly because I'm trying to put myself in your shoes. If I were you, I imagine that I would be every bit as angry and resentful as you seem to be, for all your smiles and quick wit. You probably never expected our paths to cross, and yet here we are, and now you have to look at what you could have been, were fate only a little kinder to you."
Her eyes did not drop away from his this time, but she did reiterate her earlier statements. "Our father was a terrible man, yet an entire nation- many nations, in fact- respect him as one of Aurora's best leaders since the creation of Ransei. And yet whenever I see good men take the throne, they prove to be weak and ineffectual at leading their people. Take you, Motochika, and Motonari for example."
"Excuse you?" Keihatsu frowned, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that there was no one to hear their talk just yet. If Yoake was heard slandering the two warlords, there would be almost no chances of him being able to get the people of Fontaine in particular to release her in the morning.
"All of you are considered good men, and yet here you stand in the midst of a war," she said flatly. "Motonari's reluctance to engage in any sort of conflict has led to the deterioration of his army's capabilities, leaving his border towns to suffer at Ignis' whims. Motochika's failure to see the value in anything besides prowess on the battlefield led to him ignoring people that he could have been helping long ago. Even you, the young hero of your nation, failed to take action until the situation at the border was no longer tenable. Now you're all scrambling to try and cover up your mistakes by burying them underneath Hideyoshi's defeat."
Her words once again gave Keihatsu pause, though not for as long as the last time. "If you are so adamant that the pure of heart make for weak rulers, why would you want to become one yourself?" he asked calmly.
"I'm already hard enough of a person that ruling wouldn't change me much," she replied without breaking eye contact. "You may be a powerful warrior, Keihatsu, but that is not enough to make you a good ruler. Hanbei and Kanbei's spies see even into the heart of your capital, and their ears have told me that in spite of their public support of the war effort, there are those who intend for the hero to achieve a… we'll call it a 'pyrrhic victory'." When the warlord remained silent, she gave him a dry smile and told him, "Apparently, there are a few individuals who do not take kindly to the elite families' treatment at your hands, and your attempts to give the common folk a greater voice."
Keihatsu's eyes flicked back toward the camp, where he could see Motonari beginning to walk out with six people and ten pokémon in tow. "If you have a name you want to give me, then say it now," he told her quietly, even though his heart was now doing involuntary backward leaps. "Otherwise, I will have no choice but to ignore your words as war propaganda."
If she was telling the truth, she had just given him three pieces of vital information, despite the stress it was now putting him under. One, there were spies that had managed to infiltrate his own home, and would need to be rooted out. Two, members of some of the noble houses were traitors, and needed to be dealt with as soon as he had solid evidence of their motives and movements involving Ignis. Third and last, the junior warlords Kanbei and Hanbei might be more open to persuasion than he had initially thought. After all, if they had spies among the capital, why had there not been more attempts on his life after Jarsha failed to kill him? It wouldn't have been easy with the extra security measures installed by Naoshige and Takanobu, but a man like Hideyoshi would have only seen his wounded status as an opportunity to finish the job early, no matter how many people it cost him to do it.
The fact that he was alive at all under those circumstances lent itself to the idea that the two junior warlords might not be completely forthcoming in their loyalty to Ignis' ruler.
Yoake smirked at him before saying, "I see you're worried, now." Her eyes flicked over his shoulder, having apparently begun to keep track of Motonari's returning approach. She lowered her voice enough so that he could just barely hear her say, "I don't have names, but my instinct tells me to watch out for any of the Aurorans who seem eager to accept me as one of our father's heirs. After all, if they show support for me and I defeat you, I will be indebted to them for playing their vital part in my path to power."
"Hmm," Keihatsu said noncommittally, his outward mask of calm remaining perfectly composed. As he fixed his unblinking gaze on the girl, he said, "Before everyone else gets here and you are questioned by the nobles of Aurora, give me one good reason why I should advocate for the fact that you are my sister- which you know I will do, if I have a good reason to."
Yoake looked at him intently for a moment before she answered, "Our father gave my mother a handkerchief to remember him by, which I have in my-"
"My father never touched a handkerchief in his life."
"Take all the fun out of it, why don't you?" Yoake snickered, which caused his own lips to twitch upwards, ever so slightly. Letting the smile fade away, she then said, "I assume your Eevee is on his way with those guards?"
"Why does it matter if he is?"
"Because he can tell you the answer to your question," she said, all traces of joking gone from her bearing now. "If we share blood, we will share in a scent- and no one will know your scent better than your partner." Keihatsu remained silent after that, but he did acknowledge her words with a solitary nod.
Less than two minutes later, the soldiers and Motonari had arrived, with Eevee and Vaporeon in tow, the both of them glad to see their master alive and well, even if he was bringing a stranger along.
Less than a minute after that, the Warlord of Aurora had the answer that he needed.
Oichi was speaking to Urakusai about coordinated healing efforts to maximize the effects of a widespread regeneration technique when there was a buzz of commotion that swept through the camp outside. "What is happening out there?" the man asked with a slight frown as the two of them stood up from the table that they had been sharing. "Do you think we've come under attack?"
As the commanding officer of the alliance's combined medical corps, the Greenleaf nobleman had requested that Keihatsu's betrothed act as his chief advisor for the duration of the campaign. It was not a formal military title, as Oichi had no interest in being a soldier in any capacity, but it did allow her to act with a more direct authority with regards to the workings of the medical division. She couldn't authorize plans or deploy medical officers into battle without either Urakusai's or Keihatsu's backing, but she could and did organize matters of the corps in the camp itself, leaving the battalion's commander free to focus more on the combat side of things.
Whether or not this appointment had been Urakusai's personal idea, or due to a quiet suggestion from Motonari was irrelevant. The command structure worked, and there had undoubtedly been many lives saved by the combined efforts of the pair.
"I imagine that there would be a great deal more shouting involved if we were," Oichi said in reply to his inquiry with an expression of concern. "I do hope nothing has happened to Lord Keihatsu and the others."
"Let us go and-"
"Lady Oichi!" The two advisors were startled by the sudden entrance of Takanobu, who looked almost frantic, which worried the girl more than she would have cared to admit. "Your presence is required by Lord Keihatsu along with all of the other Auroran nobles," he said as he made a visible effort to get his expression and posture under control. "I've just learned that a truce with the city will last until noon tomorrow, but in the meantime, there is another urgent matter that must be addressed."
"What's happened?" Urakusai inquired, his frown deepening. "If this a matter of utmost importance, why is it that only members of your nation are in attendance?"
"Lords Motochika and Motonari are observing matters, but it will be at their discretion alone to inform the warriors of Fontaine and Greenleaf of the relevant details," Takanobu said, a little impatiently. "Apologies, Commander, but I am under an oath of silence from my lord until further notice. Lady Oichi, if we could depart?"
"Of course," the girl said dutifully. To Urakusai, she said, "I will return as soon as I am able. If for whatever reason this event requires more than a few hours of my time, then please seek out Captain Iruka for coordination details regarding his company in the Pelipper Battalion."
"Very well," the man replied with a slight bow of respect, which Oichi hastily returned. It was clear that he was put out with the two of them, but he was loyal enough to trust that he would be told the necessary information by his master at the appropriate time.
With that, Keihatsu's advisors made a swift departure, heading straight for the senior war council's pavilion. While they walked as quickly as they could, Oichi asked her peer, "What has happened that would put the battle on hold and have the senior military members meeting under such strict silence?"
"My sincerest apologies, good lady, but what has been revealed will have to wait until you hear it from Lord Keihatsu himself," Takanobu said, still a little out of breath. "The only thing I can say right now is to brace yourself."
The cryptic warning was only serving to put Oichi more on edge, but she knew that she had better chances of getting a Seviper and a Zangoose to become best friends than she did at getting Takanobu to disobey an order from his master. I suppose it is a relief to know that he will always be there to support Keihatsu, she thought as she desperately tried to think of what could have happened at the meeting that would put the man so on edge. At the very least, she hoped that Naoshige wasn't panicking. If he is worried, then I fear beyond the worst.
Keihatsu felt a small measure of relief when Takanobu returned with his betrothed. Even if they could not act like a couple in front of the other warriors, it was still comforting to know that she would be at his side during what was to come. The two of them quickly crossed the tent in front of a small gathering of Keihatsu's top officers and other members of the noble houses to join Naoshige, who was maintaining a passive face as he kept a firm grip on a blindfolded young woman who looked to be of a similar age to Oichi and her betrothed.
"Is everything alright?" the healer asked as she drew near to her warlord.
"I'm not sure yet," he answered in a low tone. "Please bear with me through what happens next, no matter how shocking or distressing it becomes." Outside, a few trusted guards were tasked with preventing anyone from approaching the tent, no matter their rank or country of origin. On the inside, the only people not of Aurora were the other warlords themselves, and even Motochika looked somewhat pensive.
Oichi glanced at the young woman, who was now tilting her head with a curious smile that unsettled her even more. Reaffixing her gaze on her beloved, she said in a low voice, "I will stand by you here as your advisor, come what may."
"Thank you," he whispered before Takanobu urged her to move back a couple of paces so that they were standing slightly behind and to the side of their master, opposite of Naoshige and the prisoner.
"Can somebody get this blindfold off of me already?" the woman asked with a sigh. "I know we're in a tent, so it's not as though I can tell anything about your formations."
Instead of striking at her or telling her to be quiet like Oichi expected Takanobu to, the man remained completely silent while Naoshige looked a question at his master, who nodded once in response. Who is this girl? Oichi wondered apprehensively.
"Thank you," the prisoner said as the fabric was removed from her eyes, though her hands remained bound behind her back. "Any chance I can get my-"
"No," Keihatsu said firmly.
"Fair enough."
"My lord, what is the meaning of all of this?" asked one of the commanders, a woman named Moka who was bound to a Chansey and an Ursaring. "We were all prepared to charge into battle, and now we find ourselves resting on our laurels while you return with a prisoner whom you apparently intend to release in the morning. Are we at war, or are we simply smelling the roses?"
Before Keihatsu or his advisors could get a word in, the prisoner surprised everyone by glaring at the other woman and snapping, "Hey! Show some respect for your warlord, you stupid Miltank! He's done you and all of your warriors a favor by trying to prevent an all-out battle in which hundreds of you will certainly die, and that's without even a guarantee at victory!"
"Now see here, you-!"
"All of you, silence!" Keihatsu thundered, his Eevee and Vaporeon snarling at both the prisoner and the now-enraged commanding officers. Once he had everyone's attention again, his pokémon quieted down, allowing him to say, "There is a reason for all of the secrecy, and this woman is correct- I aim to secure a battle with as few fatalities as possible. Her name is Yoake, a freelance warrior currently in the employ of Vice Warlord Hanbei. She is the daughter of the late Ignisian noblewoman, Iris, and… she claims, Lord Avohkii of Aurora."
The lengthy silence that ensued was so complete that one could have heard a feather drop. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the smirking young woman, who they could now see had blue eyes and brown hair that matched their master's perfectly. Not only did her skin tone also seem to be identical to his, the way that her mouth was set and the shape of her nose were also in a mirror image. Even so…
"Surely you cannot expect us to take such a revelation at face value, my lord," said a captain, though it was clear that he was very rattled.
"Of course not," Keihatsu replied without any hint of condescension or irritation in his voice. "This is why I have gathered all of you here. I have drawn my own conclusions regarding her identity, but our laws dictate that a person claiming to be the lost relative of a previous ruler in pursuit of their standing must be taken before the nobles of our nation and have their claim evaluated."
"In pursuit of their standing?" Chiyo all but sputtered. "My lord, surely you don't mean that this woman has a legitimate right to challenge you for the throne of Aurora, do you?"
Suddenly all of the secrecy made sense to Oichi, and it made her all the more worried for her betrothed. If this woman was who she claimed to be, everything that Keihatsu had worked to build and achieve could be lost. In the worst-case scenario, Yoake could legally take the throne and put a halt to the entire coalition, effectively taking nearly half of their forces away from the combined war effort. Even worse, she could have them turn on their allies, and then the entire thing would simply disintegrate, leaving Greenleaf and Fontaine vulnerable to a renewed invasion from Ignis.
If word of this were to get out, panic would ensue throughout the army and morale would plummet among their warriors. Worse still, there might be some in Aurora's military who would begin to question the legitimacy of Keihatsu's right to command them. It's no small wonder that they want this kept quiet, she thought as she did her best to maintain a straight face.
"If her claim is proven true, then yes, she has the right," Keihatsu nodded somberly in answer to the newest commander's inquiry. "And if that is the case, then I will fight her accordingly." This prompted various reactions out of the military leaders, ranging from outrage to curiosity, though those who seemed merely intrigued were being watched closely by Naoshige and Takanobu.
"My lord, you cannot do this!" protested another commander. "Not in this time of crisis- not when we are so close to victory!"
"We will be closer still when I defeat her and Hanbei in a traditional battle," Keihatsu countered, quieting his warriors once again with a calm confidence. "By the international laws of Ransei, any assets under the command of her and any of her chosen allies will fall under my control if I claim victory." He paused to let that information sink in for a few seconds before continuing on to say, "Following my victory, the best case is that we then would have a stronghold deep in enemy territory with supplies for us and our people- even enemy numbers that would then be added to our own strengths. At worst, we leave behind a city who will be honor-bound to let us pass, unmolested."
"You're making a lot of assumptions, Brother," Yoake giggled. "You haven't won yet, nor will I make it easy for you."
"You can't seriously be entertaining the notion of mixing our forces with those of our enemy's, can you?" asked Shimura. "Our warriors would never stand for it."
"I would keep the Ignisian forces separate, but let us not get too ahead of ourselves, shall we?" Keihatsu said. "First things first- Yoake has agreed to submit herself to an inspection in my presence to determine whether or not her claim to being my father's daughter is accurate. After her identity has been ascertained, we can proceed with the other matters."
"Do you have a tangible reason why we should entertain this claim from this… person?" asked Takanobu. It was clear that he had been about to use a different word, but it seemed that he was able to remember the fact that Keihatsu would not take kindly to even the verbal mistreatment of a prisoner in time to correct his mistake.
"I had Eevee check her scent," Keihatsu answered grimly. "There are obvious differences between us, but our characteristics and smells are similar enough that to me, there can be no mistake. I make the claim that she is indeed my blood relative from my father, and as much as it troubles me, I am honor-bound to do so."
The other leaders in the tent began to mutter among themselves at a fever pitch, most of them wondering what this could mean for them and their country. There were two or three who still looked more intrigued than concerned, though again they were careful not to be overly expressive with their curiosity. The fact that Keihatsu, the person who had the most to lose from making such a claim was doing so, was evidence enough for some, but there were still those who needed to be absolutely sure of this development, for one reason or another.
"If my lord would permit my Porygon-Z to inspect her?" Shimura proffered. His pokémon was an incredibly unusual one in Ransei, because no one was entirely sure of where they came from, unlike most of the continent's residents. A few of it and its weaker forms had supposedly arrived in their world following a battle between the legendary pokémon, Dialga and Palkia, in an age past. No one was entirely sure of how they reproduced, but in spite of the fact that they were an uncommon sight, their population did not seem to be on a decline.
Whatever the case, they seemed to be incredibly intelligent and advanced creatures- things like the airships of the kingdoms had originally been inspired by what engineers decades ago had been able to learn about them, and they only seemed to be scratching the surface of their mysterious potential. Porygon-Z was also capable of sifting through massive amounts of information at a speed that rivalled Metagross, a pokémon with four collective minds comprised into a single entity. In layman's terms, it would be able to analyze any information it was given about Yoake, such as her physical characteristics, age, and her life's summarized narrative, and be able to reach an almost infallible conclusion about her identity.
With all of that in mind, Keihatsu nodded and said, "Summon your partner at once. In the meantime, we can have Captain Shizune's Herdier inspect both Yoake and myself for similarities in our scent. I imagine that it would be better to have a third party pokémon's findings on the matter, as opposed to relying on the narrative of my own partner."
"For a comprehensive observation's sake, yes," Naoshige nodded, though he kept his gaze on Yoake, who was maintaining her confident smile. "But for the sake of our nation, I pray that my lord has simply made an error in judgement as the result of an unlikely string of coincidences."
The nobles' questions and inspections took up the better part of two hours, and by the end of it, Yoake had not lost her smile. No matter how many times she was asked different versions of the same question, she remained confident that her story would hold up to scrutiny. Porygon-Z, Herdier, and two other pokémon with sharp noses were invited into the tent under the utmost secrecy to compare the scents of Keihatsu and Yoake, and none of them were allowed to speak to one another while they did.
At long last, everyone was forced to accept the one inevitable conclusion.
"After everything that Porygon-Z and I have been able to learn about this woman, from both her own narrative and our separate inspections, it is clear that she is, in fact, the daughter of our late Lord Avohkii," Shimura said with a stoic voice, prompting a fresh wave of mutterings from among the Auroran war council. Even Motochika and Motonari were now speaking to one another in low tones, both of them looking worried while Yoake's grin widened.
Takanobu was wringing the hilt of his sword with an impotent anxiety while Oichi could only look at her betrothed with a great fear that was threatening to overwhelm her again. Did my cursed luck somehow cause this, too? she wondered as sweat beaded her brow.
Only Naoshige and Keihatsu kept their faces completely blank as it was made official: the Warlord of Aurora now had a rival with the right to challenge him for their father's throne. When the conversations in the tent reached a fever pitch, the veteran warrior called for silence among them, quieting everyone instantly. Even though he was not the eldest or most experienced person on the war council, he was part of Keihatsu's inner circle, and his strength was unrivalled among them, second only to his master, if even then. His presence commanded obedience and respect, even from the more haughty among them.
Once the Aurorans were all quiet, Keihatsu addressed them in a clear, calm voice. "Yoake has issued me a challenge for the right to rule according to the ancient traditions," he said as he looked over to the smiling girl. "Tomorrow at noon, five others alongside me shall meet her, Lord Hanbei, and four Ignisian warriors in honorable combat. If I perish at her hands, and our side is vanquished, the rest of you will obey her as the new Warlord of Aurora. If I die, and yet victory is secured, I name Sir Naoshige as my successor to the throne, at least until Hideyoshi has been dealt with. After that, it will fall to the noble houses of our homeland to either keep him as ruler, or select another to take his place."
If Naoshige was surprised by this announcement, he did not show it, merely closing his eyes and bowing slightly to his master in acceptance of the potential task. Seeing this, Keihatsu nodded to himself before continuing on to say, "Should I claim victory, Yoake and Hanbei will surrender their resources to my control. What will be done with said resources is something that we can discuss after Entei City is made aware of their leader's surrender. Do you all understand the circumstances?"
"Yes, Lord Keihatsu," the warriors answered in unison.
"Very good," he said in a satisfied tone. "All of you, tell your warriors and their pokémon to rest easy for the evening. Those of you who I wish to take with me into battle, I will have Naoshige alert once Yoake has been put somewhere she cannot overhear our roster. All of you are free to leave, but speak nothing of this to the soldiers- anyone who breaks the silence will face the consequences of treason. I don't want uncertainty or panic in the coalition, understood?"
Once again, the ranking officers acknowledged that they understood his orders, so he bade them farewell. "Get some rest, yourselves," he said after dismissing them. "I daresay you'll all need it, regardless of tomorrow's outcome."
As the officers began to depart, Takanobu finally approached his master and asked in a lowered- if strained- tone, "What shall we do with the pris- with… Lady Yoake?"
"Please don't call me 'lady'," Yoake said over her shoulder. "I'm no good with fancy table manners and all that."
"I never would have guessed," Takanobu grumbled in response.
"That was a fast attitude adjustment." Yoake grinned again as she said, "I like him."
Per Keihatsu's orders, Yoake ate dinner with him alone after he requested that Motonari and Motochika keep her true identity a secret from their kinsmen. He couldn't actually order them to do anything, but they both respected his wish as fellow rulers, and thus agreed to remain silent on the matter until things between the two of them had been settled the next day. Since he normally ate with his advisors, he made sure to promise them that he would visit them once the meal was complete with any new information that could prove relevant.
The two siblings remained quiet while they began to consume the simple meal of rice and Combusken. It wasn't until they were about halfway through their bowls that Yoake broke the quiet with the words, "You're awfully calm considering everything that's happening to you."
Keihatsu merely shrugged at that. "If pacing back and forth endlessly and biting my nails would help me to defeat you tomorrow, I would be doing so," he answered. "However, I know it is to my betterment to partake of a meal and get a good night's rest, rather than worry needlessly, and so I shall."
"You're not worried at all?" Yoake asked him dubiously.
"I did not say that," Keihatsu replied readily. "Are you?"
"I don't have as much to lose as you do, so not really, no," she grinned. "I know that even if I lose, you treat your prisoners well, so what do I have to be worried about?"
"I suppose when you put it that way, you truly don't have much cause for concern," Keihatsu conceded. After a moment of thought, he decided to say, "Tell me about yourself."
"Why?" Yoake asked with a raised eyebrow. "We're supposed to be at each other's throats tomorrow. Trying to gain some insight into the mind of your opponent?"
"No," he answered softly. "I'm trying to have a meal with my family for the first time in years."
"Years?" his sister chuckled. "You're exaggerating, right? Our father has been dead for six months. You're not telling me that you never had a meal with the man." She continued to chortle to herself until she realized that Keihatsu had not said anything further, and in spite of herself, her smile slowly faded into a look of surprise. "Wait, he never had dinner with his own son, the crown prince?"
"We would eat in the same hall often enough, but I was only invited to be at his table once I had come of age, and even then it was among his advisors," the young man answered, maintaining his quiet tones. "Bear in mind that he was fairly sick at that point, and he didn't have much time for me the few times that I was granted that honor, trying to rule the country as he was. The last time that I had a one-on-one meal with my family was just before my mother was forced to leave the kingdom, over seven years ago." There was a slight lull in the conversation, and then he added, "All that aside, do you really want to keep up the act that you've been sustaining this whole time?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Come now," Keihatsu said in a slightly dry manner. "I've seen your expression enough times in my own mirror to know that you're putting up a façade. So again I ask, do you really want to keep up appearances? It's just the two of us."
Yoake's face slowly lost its fire while her shoulders slumped down as she muttered, "I suppose not." She was then silent for a few moments before she said, "My mom died about five years ago, and my extended relatives pretty much deny that I even exist. I guess I can relate to how you must be feeling." She sighed heavily before saying, "Dammit, Keihatsu. We shouldn't be doing this. We're destined to be enemies when the sun rises- becoming friends before then will only cause us more pain than we need to endure."
"We don't have to be friends," Keihatsu told her without breaking eye contact. "But we are bound by our blood as siblings. A connection exists between us, one that cannot be severed, even in death. Even if it is for a few hours, I would like it if we were able to act as though we were brother and sister."
Yoake compressed her lips into a thin line, and Keihatsu thought for a moment that he had pushed too hard. Then she relaxed her muscles and said, "I met Flareon as an Eevee when I was playing in a forest not too far from the border of our countries, about ten years ago. He was alone, and I couldn't find any sign of his family, so I took him in. My mother was delighted, of course, and so she started training us as warrior and pokémon from that day on."
Keihatsu smiled, glad that she had decided to relent a little. "What was your mother like?" he asked. He noticed Yoake tensing up, so he quickly added, "You speak highly of her, and she must have been a powerful warrior in her own right. She had the strength of will to raise you on her own, so I imagine that she must have been a good woman."
Yoake lowered her eyes before she answered, "She was a great woman- everything I want to be, really. She was strong-willed and proud, never being one to back down from a challenge. She taught me that nothing in life worth having comes without a fight of some sort or another, and that if I want those things, I have to show that my power alone is greater than the challenge that it presents." With a wry smile, she added, "She loved proving her worth in battle more than almost anything, even as a freelancer."
"Almost anything?" Keihatsu repeated with a questioning inflection.
"Yeah, almost," Yoake nodded as she raised her eyes to look into her brother's. "Her and her pokémon were fatally injured protecting her mother's convoy. Her group of mercenaries had been hired out to protect my grandmother from assassins bearing the will of a disgruntled Violight nobleman, though she had no idea that my mother was among their number."
"So your mother died-"
"Protecting the people who had shunned her as a harlot and refused to acknowledge her existence because of me?" Yoake finished for him. "Yes. My mother loved her family unto her last day enough to die for them. I wanted to hate her for leaving me because of them, but I never could, even if I couldn't completely understand her reasons for doing what she did. She… I suppose…"
"She was your mother." Keihatsu was the one to finish the incomplete sentence this time. Yoake met his eyes again as he said, "You couldn't hate her any more than I could hate mine for leaving me, because we both know that they made their sacrifices out of love."
"Perhaps," Yoake murmured. With a somewhat stronger voice, she then asked, "What about you? What was your mother like?"
The two of them talked until Naoshige came to escort her to Oichi's tent, who had offered to accommodate her for the evening. As one of Keihatsu's advisors and the chief healer of the Auroran medical division, Oichi would already be well-guarded by soldiers who could make certain that nothing ill would befall the girl. Since this was the first that Keihatsu had heard of it, he elected to go with the pair to meet his betrothed.
Yoake was swiftly taken into the larger tent, where she would be bound with rope around her hands and ankles, and placed under the eye of two nearly-invisible Kecleon, which would be changed every three hours with fresh watch pokémon in order to make sure that the prisoner didn't get up to anything foul while under their supervision. "Each warrior and their pokémon have been handpicked by me, my lord," Naoshige rumbled as soon as he, Keihatsu, and Oichi were within a nearby tent that was surrounded by a small, soundproof barrier erected by an Exploud that would prevent eavesdropping by any party. "Lady Oichi and Yoake shall come to no harm on their watch."
"I appreciate it," Keihatsu said gratefully. To Oichi, he asked, "I am not complaining, but I do have to wonder why you are offering to accommodate her as you are?"
"She is your sister," his future wife answered simply. "Whether she knows it or not, you and I are to be family someday, which will make her my family, too. Given all the kindness you have shown me, I feel it is only right that I continue to pass it along at the right moment. I can think of no time more opportune than this one, even if it is only as small a gesture as giving her a warmer place to sleep than in the open air by the northern watch post. If this is the only time that I can interact with her outside of a battle, then I intend to make the most of it."
"Speaking of battle…" Naoshige murmured, bringing Keihatsu's attention back to him. "Have you chosen who will accompany you tomorrow? I assume that I will be left in command of our people until your return, yes?"
It was a reasonable assumption on his part. Keihatsu had named him as his successor in the event of his death, and it wouldn't exactly be wise to bring his choice for the throne into battle alongside him when victory was not guaranteed. So the Warlord of Aurora nodded and said, "I have chosen my peers for this battle, yes. Should we not return, I entrust our people's safety to you, Sir Naoshige."
The older man closed his eyes and bowed to his master from the waist as he said, "You honor me greatly, my lord. However, I shall pray that all of this will prove unnecessary, and that your reign may be a long and prosperous one."
"I appreciate that sentiment," Keihatsu said with a smile as his servant straightened himself. "Now, if you could assemble the following warriors at my tent, I would-"
"I wish to join you!"
The sudden outburst from Oichi startled both men, causing them to look at her with shock on their faces. "Sorry, beg pardon?" Keihatsu asked, not sure that he was hearing things correctly.
Oichi was red in the face and her body was trembling enough that her shoulders were visibly shaking, but her eyes were steady as she looked directly at Keihatsu and said, "I will stand by your side in this battle alongside my Jigglypuff, Keihatsu."
"I would not advise that, my lady," Naoshige said, having recovered his air of composure. "Yours' is a gentle spirit, and such hearts do not hold well on the field of battle. I mean no disrespect to you, truly, but our lord needs elite warriors and their pokémon at his side if he is to defeat Yoake and Hanbei on the morrow. The fact of the matter is that you are not trained for combat."
"But I am trained as a healer," Oichi replied, her eyes not leaving her betrothed. "The number of lives that I have saved alongside Jigglypuff can more than attest to that fact. Even if we cannot hold our own in battle, we can see to it that our master and our fellow servants live to see victory."
"Oichi," Keihatsu said gently as he stepped forward to take her hands in his. "Don't feel the need to do this for my sake. I know better than anyone else how much you detest battles like these."
"I do," she nodded as her hands wobbled in his grip. "But I hate the thought of losing you even more. I am more skilled than any of the healers in your army; you know this to be true. So as your most powerful medical asset, I request that you allow me to stand at your side when Yoake challenges you for the throne."
Keihatsu was quiet for a moment, as was Naoshige, knowing that his master preferred silence to process his thoughts before reaching a decision. It wasn't long before the young ruler said, "As my strongest healer, I cannot afford to lose you to combat," As Oichi's face began to fall, he squeezed her hands and added, "But as my future queen, you have a right to stand by my side wherever I may go. So if your heart leads you to stand beside me in a battle, I will fight to protect you as surely as I will fight to win." Her eyes quickly flicked back up towards his with new light in them, but she soon saw that he looked sad, and she began to realize how much it had to hurt him to let someone he loved be put in the direct line of fire that would ensue as a result of the chaos that was battle.
But I will protect him, she vowed to herself in spite of her trembling. I'll show him that he doesn't have to handle these burdens alone. The thought of participating in a pokémon battle made her feel physically ill, but that was nothing compared to the potential horror of having Keihatsu come back to her in a shroud when she could have done something about it. If it is to protect the one I love, I will do what must be done.
Naoshige let out a small sigh that might have been born of exasperation, but all he said when Keihatsu looked at him was, "I hope that this decision proves fruitful, my lord. Whom else shall I gather to your side for battle?"
"Summon Takanobu, Commander Chiyo of the Stantler Battalion, along with Officer Munezane from my personal squadron, and Officer Akihiko of Company Two," Keihatsu answered as he released Oichi's hands and turned to look at his most senior advisor directly. "They will accompany Lady Oichi and myself into battle tomorrow at high noon."
"As you wish." With that, the man left the barrier, allowing Keihatsu and Oichi to remain alone inside the soundproof shield.
"I am sorry if I didn't give you enough time to think when I asked to be by your side tomorrow," Oichi began when Keihatsu neglected to speak. "I can hardly believe my own forthcoming, but-"
"Oichi, I am the one who owes you an apology, not the other way around," Keihatsu said in a tired voice, surprising the girl.
"What do you mean?"
"I lost my temper earlier today because of what that man said about you, and I made an unseemly display because of it," he said as he lowered his head and closed his eyes in apparent shame. "I also played host to someone who only seeks to undo everything that I have worked to build- everything that you have helped me to create in my short time as warlord. If I hadn't brought Yoake back to make her claim, then no one would be the wiser, and you and I could continue on toward our dream of a future together without-"
"Keihatsu, my love," Oichi said as she placed her hand on the side of his cheek to stop his words from overflowing. "You are a man of integrity and virtue, and it is one of the reasons that I do love you so. You could not turn your own flesh and blood away from a chance to claim her birthright in fair combat because your principles do not allow for you to be dishonest to those whom you rule over. Had you denied her identity in favor of avoiding the consequences, would you have ever been able to rest easy, knowing what you did?"
"I would like to say 'no', but I wonder…" Keihatsu mumbled as he leaned into her touch, savoring the gentle contact. "Many men and women have begun their reigns as people of conscience, but all too quickly lose themselves to the power that their positions give them. Does the fact that I can entertain thoughts like these mean that I am headed down the same path? Are good men truly unfit to rule…?" The words of his sister and those who doubted in him were all dancing around in his mind, threatening to blot out his own counsel, try though he might to maintain a clear head.
"What are you talking about?" Oichi asked as she tilted his head so that he would look more directly into her eyes. "You are a wonderful man, and a fine leader. Nearly everyone who serves you thinks so, and those who do not are simply blinded by the traditions that you are seeking to undo because it benefits the people under them more than it does their own ambitions. Your actions have only ever served to benefit your nation, not yourself. That is the mark of a truly strong leader- a person willing to act without selfish regard, no matter the cost to them. You taught me that, my dear Keihatsu." She smiled at him as her eyes glistened with happy tears and she said, "I don't know why you have come to doubt the convictions that have carried you further than your father could have ever gone, but put them aside and hear only this."
She stood up on the balls of her feet in order to lean against her betrothed and kiss him softly before pressing her forehead against his and whispering, "I believe in you and your chosen path, Keihatsu. I haven't always, but until our bodies lie in the earth together, I will believe in the man who has loved with a heart so open that it weeps for those he hardly knows, even when they would do him nothing but harm. Do not lose sight of that man, because he is the one whom the people of Aurora follow, and the one to whom my heart belongs."
Keihatsu slowly raised his hands up to encircle Oichi's back as she held him close, allowing a long breath to leave his body, and with it, all of the tension that had been building up inside of him over the course of the day. "Thank you for reminding me of who I am," he told her, to which she nodded into his shoulder.
"When the time comes to act tomorrow, do what you alone deem right," she said. "Remember that it is your actions that have brought us all here, together, and pay no heed to those who would see not only your work, but also your heart, come undone. Know that I love you, and that I would only give my heart to a man who seeks peace not only for himself, but for others also. Promise me that you will remember this, Keihatsu."
He thought that the words would be difficult to speak with conviction, but Keihatsu quickly found himself able to say, "I promise that I will remember, Oichi."
"Good."
Oichi soon left Keihatsu to speak to the other warriors in order to coordinate a strategy for the battle tomorrow, the details of which he would fill her in on in the morning. She had no head for strategy when it came to combat, so she would simply do as she was asked when the fight began. In the meantime, she thought it might be best to speak to their prisoner, since they would be sharing a tent for the evening.
She walked in to see Yoake sitting on the ground with her hands tied securely to one of the support beams in front of her, a placid look on her face. It was very different from the haughty, self-assured expression that she had been carrying all day, and Oichi now found it much easier to see the similar characteristics shared between her and Keihatsu. I wonder if he said something to have her calm down, she wondered as she tied the tent flaps together behind her.
Her Jigglypuff was already asleep in her corner, having been hard at work all day to continue the healing of those injured in previous battles, though the sentry Kecleon were wide awake and standing guard just inside the entrance in the case that Yoake should try anything underhanded. Neither Oichi nor Keihatsu thought that she would, but it never hurt to be certain.
"I've arranged for a bedroll to be brought for you to sleep on," the healer said as she moved to sit on her cot. "I asked if they could bring another cot, but all the rest are being used for the wounded."
"A bedroll is fine," Yoake shrugged indifferently. "I'm honestly used to sleeping in the open air with a rock as a pillow, so I don't really do well with beds, anyway. They're too soft for me."
"Do you not have a home to lay your head?" Oichi asked as she reached down to take off her sandals.
"Not really," Yoake answered with a shrug. "I'm usually out in the field with Flareon doing freelance work. Ever since my mother died, I tend to drift from one town to the next. I'll rent out an inn room during my winter travels, but then I usually just sleep on the floor."
Oichi was quiet for a moment before she asked, "Why are you doing all of this, Yoake? Your brother is a good man, and a good ruler who loves his country. You don't seem to have a love for your warlord, so why would you do his bidding?"
"Who says I'm doing it for Hideyoshi?" Yoake replied with a raised eyebrow. "Not everyone in Ransei blindly follows their warlord, Oichi. That also doesn't mean that I'm going to spill all the beans to you just because you ask nicely."
Oichi nodded in acceptance- Yoake had already indulged her questions with more patience than she had thought she would. However, she was then caught off-guard as the prisoner cocked her head slightly at her and said, "You seem to have an awfully high opinion of a man who made you a part of his council despite knowing each other for so short a time. What's the story there?"
Oichi hesitated for a second, but she was quick to recompose her features as she answered, "I admire Keihatsu's principles and his dedication to the people of Aurora more than the rule of any other warlord I have encountered. He was kind enough to offer a homeless wretch a place to belong, and thus I serve him as best I am able. Even now, I am not sure exactly why he took me in so readily, but I owe him everything for it."
"That sounds like a deeper bond than a mere servant and master," Yoake said with a knowing smile that saw to Oichi crossing her arms with a stern look on her face. "Ah, but is it mutual?" the prisoner inquired, a slight chuckle lurking in the back of her throat.
"Whether it is or not does not change my duty to him," Oichi answered with enough conviction that Yoake could not help but be a little impressed with the timid-looking girl.
This led her to say, "I hope Keihatsu values you and the other warriors as much as you all seem to value him. There's certainly no love lost between Hideyoshi and his warriors, even if he doesn't realize that nobody likes him. The idiot is deluded."
"Why has no one seized power from him, if he is so disliked?" Oichi inquired.
"Because his strength and pokémon are no joke," Yoake deadpanned. "The last time someone rose up against him, his Infernape annihilated their battalion single-handedly. Over three hundred warriors and their pokémon, and he wiped them all out. I'm told it wasn't a pretty sight, either. Also bear in mind that this was without Kanbei or Hanbei's assistance."
Oichi shuddered at the blunt description of their enemy's power, but she forced herself to remember that Keihatsu was strong in his own right, and that his Vaporeon would be far better suited to handling a fire-type like Infernape than anyone from Ignis would be. Besides which…
"How do you plan to take him on, even if you defeat your own brother?" she asked Yoake.
"I have a plan, but I don't see a reason to share it with you, unless Keihatsu somehow defeats me tomorrow, and we're both still alive," she answered with a shrug. "Even that is a moot point, because your side will lose tomorrow."
"Don't be so certain of tomorrow when it is not yet yesterday," Oichi retorted softly. "Only the past can be writ in stone, and if anyone can pull off an unexpected victory, it is Keihatsu. After all, he defeated Lord Motochika in combat before this alliance was even formed."
For the first time since Yoake had come into the camp, she seemed truly startled by another person's words. "Did he now?" she murmured as a faraway look came into her eye. "Interesting…"
When it was time for Yoake to be released the next day, she was accompanied by a straight-backed Keihatsu and his five chosen warriors, as well as all of their pokémon. Yoake noticed that the subtle tension that had been building up in her brother the previous night was gone, and she wondered at how that could have come about. He must really have good people around him, she decided with a slight grin to herself.
Once they reached the meeting place, it was easy to see Hanbei, accompanied by four warriors and a collection of pokémon, though their party was a little too far away to see the creatures clearly just yet. It was at this point that Keihatsu undid the bindings on her hands and allowed her to stand freely. They were standing a ways away from the rest of the party, so they had a modicum of privacy for a conversation, so long as there was no yelling involved, should they desire it.
"Before your comrades arrive, there is something I need to say to you," Keihatsu told the girl, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. Taking this as a sign that his words would be received, he then said, "I want to offer you the chance to join me and my coalition. Before you laugh, hear my offer out in its totality." Yoake, who had been about to burst into a bout of giggles, made it a point to restrain herself and try to keep a more or less straight face, though she was only just managing to succeed.
"If you agree to stand beside me against Hideyoshi, I will welcome you back in Aurora with all the honor and decorations that you should have received alongside me as a child of our father," he began. "You will be renowned as a hero of this war to our people, and you will have a home with your only sibling. Lastly, I will name you the Vice Warlord of Aurora, and first in line to the throne, should something befall me and render me incapable of fulfilling my duties. Or if that does not please you, I will appoint you as warlord over Ignis when we defeat Hideyoshi, as will be my right as conqueror." He paused briefly before adding, "You have been without a real home for so long, Yoake, but you are a princess of two great nations, and you should be treated as such. Join us, and I will do everything that I can to correct the mistakes of our father."
Throughout his offer, Yoake's humorous expression faded into a look of thoughtful contemplation. She looked down at Keihatsu's outstretched hand, then down at her own. "A princess of two nations, huh?" she murmured. "…Are you in earnest?"
"I wouldn't have spoken otherwise," he answered calmly, keeping his hand where it was. "Please come home with me, Sister mine."
Yoake's breath hitched for a half-second, and as she took a step toward Keihatsu, he felt his heart begin to lift. However, when her hands met his, she used them to close his fingers against his palm. "I'm sorry, Brother mine," she said in a strangely subdued tone that made his heart sink back into the depths. "I can't go with you." With a gentle push, she put Keihatsu's hand against his chest before she turned on her heel to start walking away from him.
"Wait!" he called as he jogged after her, causing her to pause and turn to look at him over her shoulder, which allowed her to see the sadness on his face. "I don't understand," he said in an equally downtrodden voice. "Why won't you come with me? I can give you everything that you ever wanted, and you don't have to serve a man like Hideyoshi any longer."
"It's not about you, or what I want," Yoake told him as she turned back toward him, and he was surprised to see his own sorrow reflected in her eyes. "My loyalty is to Ignis, as yours' is to Aurora. I won't allow Hideyoshi to harm my country with his selfishness any longer, but I can't allow any more Ignisian blood to be spilled than has already been. With your defeat, I can bring the war with Aurora to an end whilst also dissolving your coalition, which will force Motonari and Motochika to retreat to their own kingdoms, and save my people any further pain. They're victims just as much as the people of Aurora and Greenleaf in all of this, you know. Once my power is consolidated in Aurora, I can challenge Hideyoshi for the throne of Ignis with Hanbei- and I suspect, Kanbei- at my side. We will take him down, and peace can truly begin for both of our countries with the only necessary loss of life being the current warlord of Ignis himself."
"And mine," Keihatsu said firmly, which caused Yoake to look away from him again. "Don't delude yourself into thinking that anything less than death will cause me to forfeit my throne to you."
"…I know." With those two words, Yoake resumed her walk toward her countrymen, her back straight and her shoulders drawn back.
Keihatsu sighed and bowed his head as he realized that his gambit had truly failed, and the next time that he faced his sister, it would be through their pokémon in a battle to the death. He wished that he could afford her the mercy of holding back, but the stakes were just too high in this conflict- victory through any means within the rules of combat was what he had to be committed to. Even if it hurts like hell, he thought as he squared his own shoulders and turned on his heel to go and join his own people in preparation of battle.
So it was that he missed Yoake reaching up and then letting her hand fall back to her side while a salty moisture glistened on her fingertips.
Mataras: ...
Keihatsu: I take it that you are still feeling unwell?
Mataras: Something like that.
Keihatsu: In that case, you have my condolences.
Oichi: Would things be best served if we simply move on to the 'farewell' portion of this segment?
Mataras: Probably, yes.
Keihatsu: Very well, then. Our next chapter is to be titled 'Will of Fire'.
Oichi: We look forward to reuniting with the readers who remain with us. Be well until our next meeting.
Next time on Pokémon Warpath...
"I see him," Keihatsu murmured as he continued to look through the spyglass. "Takanobu is right, that's no Raichu. I haven't a clue as to what it is, but my best guess is that it's some kind of rare pokémon from a land across the seas."
"My lord, can you look more closely at its face?" Oichi suddenly requested, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"I have a clear view right now," her betrothed replied without looking away. "What am I looking for?"
"Tell me if you see three yellow tomoe, one between its eyes, and two where a Pikachu would have its red spots," she replied. "There should also be horns covered by its fur upon its brow."
Keihatsu kept the glass raised for a moment longer before he lowered it and nodded, which caused Oichi to cringe. "How bad is that?" he asked her while passing the tube back to Takanobu.
"That pokémon is called 'Gorochu', and they so incredibly rare that those who have heard of them often believe them to be nothing more than a folktale," she answered him. "I've read about them in my travels, but I never imagined that I would see one with my own eyes. Not much is known of them, aside from the fact that they technically should not be able to exist at all."
Takanobu and Keihatsu exchanged a confused look before the warlord said, "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Gorochu is an evolution of Raichu," Oichi explained, causing everyone's eyes to widen.