Shez sat on a rock, carefully sliding a whetstone across one of her swords, honing the edge to a lethal point. She and her company had just finished routing another mercenary group at the request of one of the lesser houses of the Alliance. The battle was over shortly after it began. Her company had approached under the cover of night, ambushing their targets before they had much of a chance to retaliate. Now that the job was done, it was time for her last minute weapon maintenance before heading off to bed. She slid the stone across the edge one last time, inspecting it before deciding that it was up to par. But, as she strode to her tent, she was stopped by a voice calling her name.

"Shez!" The voice called. "A message from The Kingdom. I was told to bring it to you specifically."

A message from The Kingdom? What could they possibly want from me specifically?

"Thanks." she said as she took the message from her fellow mercenary. A quick inspection of the letter revealed that it was from House Fraldarius, its seal stamped hastily. Whatever was in the letter was written and sent hastily. This, Shez knew, was important.

Fraldarius? That's one of the really high ranking houses of The Kingdom. What could possibly be so important?

She opened the letter, and began to read the hastily written message.

Violet Shadow,

I have heard of your exploits throughout your years. I'm reaching out because there is a mission I can only entrust to you. Based on what I've heard, you are the only person in Fódlan capable of such a task. I will not hide the fact that this will be fraught with danger, but if you succeed, not only do I believe that you will help shift the war's favor towards The Kingdom, but I will personally ensure that you are suitably compensated for your efforts. Please, meet me in Fraldarius as soon as possible. We will discuss further mission details and compensation when you arrive.

Signed,

Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius

Shez stared at the letter for several moments as she finished reading it.

What could the head of House Fraldarius want with me? And what's so secret that he'd only reveal in person? What could be so dangerous?

"Well, only one way to find out." Shez muttered to herself as she folded the letter.

Shez rose and sheathed her swords, gathering her belongings, and preparing to ride out. It was best to ride under the cover of night, to avoid as many potential ambushes as possible. She mounted her horse, and was heading towards the edge of camp when a voice stopped her.

"Hey Shez!" the voice called out! "Why in blazes are you headed out so late? We've got a report to make tomorrow."

Shez turned, lifting the letter in her hand.

"Sorry, I just got a job from one of The Kingdom's top leaders. Said to meet him as soon as possible. Sounds important."

Another voice rang out, this time, in Shez's mind.

"Look, I know that you think you'll be well compensated for this mission, and that you'd be excited about that, but it's the middle of the night. And you and I both know how terrible you are at directions, even in the daytime. Do you really think you'll make it to Fraldarius territory at night?"
It was Arval, teasing her about her sense of direction, or rather, the lack thereof.

"Seriously Arval, now of all times?" Shez shot back.

"Hey now, I was just trying to make a logical point." Arval retorted. "But, if you're so sure that you need to leave now that you'll risk getting lost and lose all that money, then I guess it's up to me to guide you there."

After a hard ride, Shez entered Fraldarius territory. As she approached the city that Rodrigue had specified, she was stopped by several guards, much to her annoyance.

"Halt! They called out, blocking her path with their spears. "State your name and business!"

"I'm The Violet Shadow." Shez replied, doing her best to hide her displeasure of being stopped. "I'm here at the request of Lord Rodrigue."

The guards quickly stepped back. Rodrigue had warned them that a mercenary would be arriving under the same title as Shez's.

"Take her to the command room." A guard commanded.

The other guard turned around, bidding Shez to follow. Slowly, she dismounted her horse, leading it along as she followed the guard towards the castle.

Inside the command room, Rodrigue was sifting through papers. All reports about the war and how it was affecting the towns and settlements. The situation was grim, but he couldn't stop now. Not when his people depended on him. His concentration was broken when he heard a knock on the door.

"Lord Rodrigue!" a voice called from outside. "The Violet Shadow has arrived."
Rodrigue sat a little straighter as he heard the news.

"Bring her in," he replied as he pushed several papers away.

The door opened to reveal a young woman with long purple hair, her bangs framing a single purple eye. She was dressed lightly, twin swords at her hips.

"Ah, Violet Shadow." Rodrigue began. "Thank you for responding to my request so quickly."

Shez shrugged, deflecting the praise. "It seemed important, and if I understand correctly, you're paying well, so I figured I'd see what this mission was all about." After a short moment of silence, she continued. "Also, you can call me Shez."

Rodrigue nodded in understanding.
"Very well. I won't take much time, Shez. The mission I've called you here for is very dangerous. I have my suspicions that The Archbishop is being held prisoner in Enbarr, and I need someone to confirm that, and if possible, break her out."
Shez stepped backwards as he finished speaking.

"Wait." she asked, shocked. "You want me to sneak into the heart of Imperial territory and break The Archbishop free? You do know those prisons are as sturdy as they come, right?"

Rodrigue nodded.

"Oh, I'm well aware." He replied evenly. "But, I've heard of your exploits. I've heard you snuck into Arianrhod before, on assignment to help The Empire strengthen the fort's defenses."

Shez closed her eyes as memories of that mission flooded her mind. She could still remember all of the traps that were laid, the spikes, the dizzying levers, everything to ensure that Arianrhod wouldn't fall.

"You have a point." Shez conceded. "But Enbarr is nearly as difficult to infiltrate as Arianrhod, if not more. Not to mention much bigger. And I'm sure you know how they treat spies who are captured."

Rodrigue looked Shez dead in the eye, his voice never wavering.

"I'm all too aware of the consequences, Shez." He began. "But there isn't a person in all of Fódlan who has your level of skill in infiltration. This mission is vital to The Kingdom's war effort, as well as the fate of Fódlan at large. And I promise you, you will be well compensated for your work."

So, I'm to infiltrate Adrestia's capital city, break the head of The Church of Seiros out of prison, and return alive? This is insane…

"And how exactly does this help the war?" Shez asked warily.

"Because it not only shows that The Empire is susceptible to invasion, but restores hope back to the people." Rodrigue said as he reached for a folded piece of paper on his desk. He handed it to Shez, who took it, confused.

"This details your payment." Rodrigue explained, seeing the mercenary's confusion.

Curious, Shez opened the paper. As Rodrigue said, her payment was going to be quite substantial, larger than any job she'd ever taken.

"You're serious about this?" Shez asked.

Rodrigue laughed. "Do you think I'd send an express messenger deep into Alliance territory under the cover of night if I wasn't?" he asked the mercenary.

Shez shrugged. "Fair point. But, how did you know where I'd be?"

Rodrigue smiled. "Some people may call it a coincidence. Others may attribute it to good intel. I choose to believe that it was the guiding hand of the goddess." Then, his voice returned to its normal, business like tone. "So, can I count on you, Shez?"

Shez sighed as she considered his request. This was going to be the most difficult mission she had ever taken. The chances of death were as real as they get. But if she succeeded, her reward would be quite substantial. Not to mention the additional renown would make finding work much easier. Who knows, maybe she could finally start her own mercenary company.

"Very well. I accept." Shez replied.

Rodrigue's smile beamed upon her acceptance.
"Excellent. You have my gratitude, Shez. Rest up while you can. I'll send some of my men to help you prepare supplies for your journey. And may the goddess guide your way."