It grew quiet.

Just a few moments ago, the sounds of battle for the walls of the city reverberated inside the castle. Boulders crashed, lightning was flung, and clashing steel mutedly covered this very throne room, but now, all that was left were my steady and calm breaths.

I shifted slightly in my throne before a sigh escaped my lips.

I knew from the moment the first catapult shot that I was sending my soldiers to their deaths charging the enemy forces, but I didn't think it would reach its conclusion so quickly. Their tactician certainly had the wits to issue orders on the fly and make the best of the situation. Or they were prepared for such a reckless move to begin with.

Whatever it may be, it didn't matter.

The massive doors to the throne room suddenly opened, and two people entered with a steady step. One was cladded in a large and heavy suit of metal armour, while the other wore hardened leather robes with decorative shoulder pads. One squint of my eyes and I immediately knew who they were.

"Your Excellency," Cervantes said while kneeling, his bald head glistening under the sun's light. "The Ylisean forces have breached through our walls and are now preparing to assault the city, just as you predicted."

I hummed. "And the casualties?"

Pheros pursed her lips and fixed one of the bangs covering her eyes before kneeling as well. "Nearly all who were sent out have been either captured or killed during the battle. We have suffered many losses."

I took a deep breath before leaning my head against my fist. "Those barbarians actually did what they were told. At least insubordination isn't something we're going to have to worry about later."

"But, Your Excellency," Cervantes intervened, raising his head as nervousness coated his voice. "All we have left now is your guard alongside just a few battalions. That's not enough to—"

"I know, Cervantes. I know," I affirmed, almost dejectedly. "This war was lost the moment our hold over Chon'sin loosened. It allowed them to rebel against us, and our previously large numbers only worked to our detriment. I guess there's a price to be paid when conscripting too many outlaws."

A groan escaped my lips. "At least they're dead now."

Pheros opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. I noticed her hesitancy and prompted her with a hand motion. "Speak."

"Y-your Excellency, have…" she paused, mulling it over in her head. "Have you entertained the idea of running away?"

Cervantes immediately stood up. "Pheros!" he shouted. "How dare you even suggest such a thing!? Do you have any pride as a Valmese soldier!?"

She gritted her teeth, raising as well to meet Cervantes eye to eye. "Pride has nothing to do with keeping Her Excellency alive! The moment the Yliseans arrive, it's either fighting until death, or surrender!"

"Why, I ought to teach a lesson to make sure you never…"

Their quarrel wasn't interesting enough for me to pay attention to. No matter what topic it was, those two could never find common ground, nor reach a consensus. I couldn't count how many times they had interrupted a meeting with the rest of my commanders, and now, they were the only ones left.

Honestly? A part of me was glad it was just these two. However, whenever they argued for more than a few minutes, I always felt like a babysitter instead of a ruler.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Silence, you two."

The moment they heard my voice, the throne room grew quiet. They straightened their backs and coughed into their hands almost simultaneously, which almost made me snort. A shame the situation we were in didn't allow any levity.

"I won't run away. I have painstakingly built this nation practically from the ground up on a false pretence of endless conquest," I said before using the throne's armrests to stand up, and the full-plate armour I wore rattled. "My goal doesn't change, and every man and woman must have my trust in order to weed out every single believer of those damned six eyes."

My eyes locked towards the doors the two had just entered. "And there is no other way to reach out towards a leader of an enemy nation better than by handing them the city on a silver platter."

I raised my chin, looking down on my two generals. "Fortify the west and east entrances with the remaining battalions. Those soldiers remaining in the city are the cream of the crop, and I won't tolerate a single interloper."

Cervantes' eyes shot wide open. "But, Your Excellency! What about—!?"

"Leave the front entrance to me," I interrupted him before a frown adorned my features. "This exchange of ideals will take precedence, and whoever attacks the prince's forces will have their body thrown to the wyverns."

The way they stared at me made them extremely easy to read. Fear mixed with confusion etched their faces, but I was the one who had the final say. They were nothing more than puppets for me to control.

They… had to be. For my sake.

"You have your orders, generals. Follow them to the best of your ability, and may the glory of battle embolden you."

Despite his reluctance, Cervantes bowed once more. "May the late Conqueror guide your blade."

Eventually, Pheros did the same as well. "And the late Rigain bless you with might."

I nodded and dismissed them with a swipe of my hand. It took a moment for them to depart, but they eventually did, leaving me alone in the throne room once more. My head shook from side to side, glancing at their retreating forms, and I closed my eyes.

"Don't die, you two," My hand grabbed the necklace adorning my neck, and I kissed it gently. "And you… May we meet soon, Walhart."

After tucking it back under my armour, I grabbed Wolf Berg, and a familiar jolt of pain stung my palm. I winced slightly before jabbing the axe head against the stone floor with a loud crack.

"Guards! Form up!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, and immediately, dozens of footsteps echoed through the hall. One soldier after another piled into the throne room, forming several small groups of battle-ready veterans, awaiting my next orders.

I knew some of them personally, but these fleeting bonds had to be discarded.

"A quest will arrive soon into the palace! Not until my command will a single arrow fly, a fireball shot, or a sword swung!" I commanded. "But once you're free from your leashes, spare not a single soul who fights back! Let them know of our hospitality and might, for we are the heart of Valm!"

"For the Conqueror!" the soldiers screamed before, one after another, they started tapping their weapons against the floor, hitting their chests with their fists, creating a chorus of thuds, clanks, and steel.

I raised an open palm, and they all prematurely stopped, once again bringing silence to the throne room. "Now, we await."

And we didn't have to wait long. The massive doors swung open, and behind them, our adversaries finally showed themselves, bathed under the noon's light, and I couldn't help but stare at them.

Instead of a battalion of elite soldiers, they resembled a band of misfits. Each person looked more unique than the next. I even spotted a few familiar faces, which made me frown.

Undoubtedly, the one leading the group in the middle with the blue hair, holding an ornate sword and a golden shield, was the prince. However, the others didn't ring a bell, except for the black haired lady strapped in a battle kimono and the manakete with a faded green ponytail.

They fearlessly marched until they spotted my soldiers occupying their posts, and the prince's eyes immediately shot towards me, standing in front of my throne. They all brandished their weapons, ready to fight, but not yet.

"Welcome, prince!" I shouted, causing him to wince. "Step forth with your allies. I believe we need to talk."

Just as I finished, I took the steps down to their level and walked towards them deliberately. Whether they would take the invitation or not was entirely up to them. I was prepared either way.

The prince leaned towards one of his allies, a woman with twin silver ponytails, and whispered something to her. Her eyes landed upon me before she nodded, making the prince stride forward while the rest followed him.

So, he is willing to talk, despite walking into a wolf's den, I thought before stopping several paces away. I could feel the group's eyes staring daggers, and none of them had let go of their weapons. Unsurprisingly so, when their opposition surrounded them.

The prince stopped as well, lowering his blade slightly. "Conqueror, well met."

A part of me always cringed at the title. "Prince Chrom. Or should I say King now?"

He frowned. "Let's leave the pleasantries. We laid siege to your city, and are currently overrunning this very castle with the rest of our forces. Your only option now is to surrender. Do so while you still have the chance."

What was I expecting? Not that I blamed him for thinking he had the upper hand. He, in fact, did, but using such a powerful card so early just to frighten me was pointless. I had a reason to start this whole war, and asking me to surrender now would be the same as willingly taking my own life.

Instead of answering, my eyes glided towards the kimono-wearing woman, and her frown only deepened under my gaze. "Say'ri, are your new masters treating you well?"

"Ney, they are comrades in arms compared to your tyrannical rule," she hissed, the grip on her katana growing rigged. "The Chon'sin people will have their vengeance for taking what was ours, and I will avenge my brother you mercilessly killed."

My eyebrows knitted together. "Right, him. Although, I distinctly remember only killing an opposition. I always stood by a simple, yet effective principle; getting rid of those who stand in my way. After all, I gave Chon'sin a choice."

"You call submission a choice!?" Say'ri roared. "What you gave us wasn't a choice, but an ultimatum! I—"

The woman from Chon'sin was basically ready to pounce at me, but the manakete next to her stopped her with an extended hand, blocking her way. She tilted her head towards me, her neutral expression as still as ever. "Theresa, I have told you many times the road you were taking was paved in blood. The time has come for you to reap what you have sown."

"Tiki," I exclaimed. "And I have told you many times this road I'm taking is necessary. Weeding out the evil in this world can't be done by someone attached to basic human principles."

"So you've decided to send nearly the entirety of your army against us, resulting in a one-sided bloodbath?" The twin-tail woman spoke, and I frowned.

"And you are?"

"Robin, the Grandmaster of the Ylisean army, and the Queen of Ylise," she stated, and I blinked. I quickly scanned her up and down before a scoff escaped my lips.

"You can't be serious, prince. Your 'queen' is willingly wearing Pleagian garbs despite your history with your neighbor? Don't tell you have finally reached an accord, because otherwise," the grip on Wolf Berg grew white, pushing the axe's blade against the floor and causing it to crack. "This better be a joke."

"Does it matter where love blossoms?"

Ah, the pompous tone reminded me of one more person I knew from this group, and I spotted the teal-haired archer in a matching suit with a smirk plastered across his face. "If it isn't the old Duke Virion of Rosanne. Finally crawled out of your escape hole?"

"Calling it a hole would be a disservice to what King Chrom has offered me out of his generosity," his voice lowered, and the smirk fell. "Unlike you, who destroyed my duchy."

"Destroyed?" I parroted mockingly. "It was given a new purpose when the one who should have been ruling it was too scared and ran away. The moment you left, the fighting stopped, and more than half the people there were glad you were gone. You don't think of me as the main problem, do you?"

His facade momentarily fell, and his eyebrows knitted together as he refused to speak further.

"But back to the topic at hand," my eyes snapped towards the prince and this supposed queen. Veins were still popping on my forehead at the sight of her. "You better have a good reason for keeping such a wench near you."

"Wench!?" Chrom roared and swiped with his hand. "Robin has been nothing but a blessing the moment we met! To me and others! I thought you wanted to speak to us because you wanted to offer an accord, but you have nothing but insults to show!"

"In fact, I was," I admitted, causing some of my soldiers to stiffen up and gaze at me with surprised expressions. "But we have nothing to discuss when you're safeguarding the very thing I seek to destroy."

"What?" the prince exclaimed. "Explain yourself!"

"What's there to explain?" I shot back. "The big picture should be clear to you by now. You think I started this war under the pretence of simple conquest? To the point of people mistakenly honoring me with the title of Conqueror?"

I raised Wolf Berg and leaned it against my shoulder while I shook my head. "It should have belonged to a person whose might surpassed even mine, and he should have been the one greeting you here, not me."

My eyes lowered at the green-gemmed necklace, and I took a deep breath. "Yet his life was ended long ago by the lunatics of those damned six eyes," a frown formed on my features, and I glared intensely at the twintailed silver head. "And I can recognise that pattern anywhere."

She flinched, taking a step back while Chrom protected her with an extended hand. Gritting her teeth, she straightened her back. "I have no recollection of ever being a part of the Grimleal. I can assure you—"

"Do I look like I care?" I interrupted her with a tilt of my head. "Your circumstances don't matter to me."

"Then what is it that you want?" she asked.

"Your head." She clicked her tongue while I eyed the prince once more, his sword-hand twitching restlessly. "You want my surrender, prince? Then my condition is simple: kill her. This war ends the moment her blood is spilt."

His response was simple: he pointed his gleaming sword at me. "It was just as you said. We have nothing to speak of. Prepare yourself, Theresa the Conqueror."

I huffed and turned my back on them, steadily walking back to my throne. "I guess our talk was pointless after all."

Then, a twank reached my ears, and I whipped around to see an arrow flying straight towards me. The tip was an inch away from my head before I caught it, and my eyes darted back at Virion, his bow leveled at me with the next arrow knocked. The others readied their weapons and took a stance as if they were nothing more than a distraction I couldn't ignore.

I snapped the arrow shaft in half before throwing it away. "It seems you have just squandered the opportunity I gave you. A shame."

I swung with Wolf Berg, creating a draft of wind with its weight. "Soldiers! Attack!"

As if I had said a magic word, they all roared in approval and charged the prince and the others. I stayed back, letting my allies have the first taste of combat, but a few didn't want their appetiser.

The prince and his queen ran through the opposition and aimed straight at me, their boots staining the red carpet underneath them.

"Your funeral," I murmured and grabbed Wolf Berg with both hands before bracing myself with a stomp on the ground. "Come!"

"Gladly!" Chrom shouted and swung with his sword in a wide arc, aiming for my hip. Before the weapon bit at my body, I flung with my axe to intercept. A loud twank resonated in my ears, effortlessly pushing the prince back.

I stepped forward, bringing the axe behind my back. "Is that all you've—!?"

A sudden spear of lightning raced past my cheek. I had barely enough time to avoid being skewered completely, receiving only a scar on my cheek. My head snapped back, seeing the queen keeping her distance and at my blind spot while sparks jumped across her right arm.

Then, the prince pressed the advantage, lunging with the sword's tip. "Don't get distracted!"

I clicked my tongue before stepping to the side, dodging the attack while using the momentum to swing my weapon at the prince. Another lightning bolt was shot, and this time, it made contact with my back. A grunt escaped my lips. Thankfully, the armour I had lessened the damage, but my attack became significantly less precise, allowing the prince to effortlessly duck the sweep.

Then, he swiped with his sword. I stepped back, and the blade sliced at my chest plate, denting it significantly before following me. Each step he made was accompanied by a swing of his sword while I continuously retreated until my back hit against a wall. I turned my head to the left, and a pillar supporting the castle was standing behind me.

"Fine! Honor seems meaningless to you anyway!" I shouted before smashing the pillar with all my might. Immediately, it crumbled under its own weight before falling on the ground, creating a dust cloud that hid me from any further lightning bolts.

I heard the prince click his tongue. "Is this how you treat your possessions?! Destroying them once their usefulness dries up!?"

I rolled my eyes. If he thought riling me up would prone me to blunder, then he was sorely mistaken. Keeping a mental note of where the prince's voice came from, I got my bearings before throwing Wolf Berg through the cloud and soon dashed out of it myself.

His breath hitched, barely dodging the axe's head, but I had anticipated it.

As I swiftly closed the distance, my hand tightened into a fist, flickering with green light, and I punched him squarely in the gut. He gasped for breath, spit flew out of his mouth, his breastplate cracked, and his body slammed into the wall with a dull thud. Gravity pulled him towards the ground, and he fell on his knees while coughing up a storm.

"Chrom!" the queen shouted and bolted towards the prince, but I wasn't going to let her. I raised my hand, and Wolf Berg flew back into my palm, ready to be thrown once more. This time, it embedded itself into the wall with a loud bang, catching her shoulder. It didn't cut off her arm completely, but she still howled in pain under the axe's weight nonetheless.

With both of them immobile and so close to each other, I might as well finish this. I glanced in their allies' direction, and all of them were too preoccupied with the rest of my guard. I nodded to myself before pulling the staff hidden behind my cape and took a stance.

Green light began emanating from my body, accompanied by the familiar sting of pain before condensing around my open palm. Then, a pyre formed in my hand, heating up the throne room to almost unbearable degrees.

The two royals next to each other gasped at the display, while my expression remained neutral.

"If you like slinging magic around so much, then think of this as payback," I said before shooting a stream of fire. It burned everything in its path, coating the stones black and igniting every piece of fabric before hitting the wall with all its might.

I let the spell last for a second longer before letting it dissipate, and I flinched under the sudden headache piercing my mind. I shook my head off before making sure nothing remained of the two, but what I saw made my eyes grow wide.

A neat little circle of clean stone around Chrom, Robin, and an extra person remained untouched by the fire. He stood between them, wearing hardened leather, and a staff with a glowing gem.

He heaved, fixing his long blond bangs. "Lucina! Morgan! Now!"

Two distinct shouts reached my ears, and I snapped my head towards a new adversary rushing at me with a blade nearly identical to Chrom's. Her long blue hair waved with each step before she jumped into the air for an overhead swing.

I clicked my tongue and parried her strike with my staff, the weight behind it almost causing my feet to sink into the stone floor.

A growl escaped my lips. "A child like you has no place on the battlefield!"

She frowned. "Maybe, but we're not going to let you kill our father and mother! Morgan!"

"On it, Lucina!" A voice behind her shouted, and the girl used me as support to jump out of the way before a stream of green wind blades surged towards me. All I could do was raise my hands defensively, bearing through the barrage of slicing winds. No part of me remained untouched, with one sting after another assaulting me over and over again. Gritting my teeth through the pain, the spell eventually dissipated, leaving me with multiple cuts against my armour and skin. I felt lightheaded, but I couldn't pass out now.

I had to fight.

I extended my hand, and Wolf Berg once again appeared in my hand. When I raised my head again, I got a better look at these new assailants. They looked strikingly similar to one another, not to mention the two royals. The only difference was their gender, and both of them had blue hair.

Something about them seemed… off. I glanced at the royals and saw them getting treated but looked too young to have kids their age.

"You…" I exclaimed before glaring. "You're not supposed to be here."

The girl, Lucina, tightened the grip on her sword. "That doesn't matter. We're here to prevent a calamity. And you take a great part of it."

I paused, my lips parting in sheer confusion before a quiet laugh escaped me. "I've been called many things during my conquest, but the bringer of a calamity? Tell me, how does ridding the world of lunatics of the six eyes bring calamity?"

The boy, Morgan, stepped forward and closed his tome before pulling out a jagged sword that brimmed with lightning. "We wouldn't be here if that was the case. Whether you like it or not, we have to do something to stop your conquest from escalating."

I frowned. "And you think you can stop me?"

"We won't know unless we try!" Both Lucina and Morgan dashed towards me, preparing two wide swings from each side. Despite pincering me, their attacks were predictable. I even thought for a second they weren't taking me seriously.

I simply positioned the head of my staff to block Lucina's attack, lodging the blade between the two folding wings. Catching Morgan's swing was slightly more difficult, but I captured it in my axe's elongated guard, stopping their advance altogether. It shocked them how little I flinched, and terror swiftly replaced their determined frowns.

It showed in their eyes with how much they flickered, causing me to flinch from their gaze. Despite how battle-hardened they seemed, they were still children, and raising a weapon against them felt like a massive barrier I could never hope to overcome.

That moment of weakness was quickly capitalised on.

A sudden tip of the blade sprouted from my abdomen, coated red with my blood. A cough escaped my lips, and an immediate taste of iron assaulted my tongue. The grip on my weapons loosened, allowing the two children to back away while I turned my head around and saw a familiar mop of blond hair.

The man who protected Chrom and Robin stood behind me with the sword he impaled me with, his muted green eyes staring at mine. He pulled it out swiftly, causing me to let go of my staff and immediately clutch the wound in my abdomen.

I wobbled past the children, hyperventilating from the pain before leaning against a crumpled piece of the pillar I smashed. Then, a blade's tip was leveled at my face, and I saw the girl, Lucina, with a contorted expression while the blond-haired man and her brother stood next to her.

"You… held back. Why!?" she asked.

I lazily tilted my head towards the two royals still getting treated near the wall, and a sigh escaped my lips. "My reason doesn't matter."

"It does to me! We came from a timeline where more monsters roamed the lands than men. There was no reason for you not to kill us when you had the chance!" Her voice was too loud. Why was she complaining about the fact I had a moment of weakness? I simply paid for it.

"You might think that slaying monsters is the same as slaying a man, but it's not. As I said, children do not belong on a battlefield." I winced, my armour and axe getting heavier by the moment. "Take your victory already, I… somebody is waiting for me on the other side."

"You wish to die?" Morgan bewilderedly said, making me scoff.

"I've done everything I could to uphold his legacy and avenge him. There isn't much of a purpose left in my life." Letting go of my axe, I dug under my armour to procure the necklace and kissed it gently. "I hope… I'll get to see him ag—"

Suddenly, the blond man gasped and yanked the necklace from my neck. The chain broke, its parts scattering across the floor while the man stared at the green gem in his hand. Pure anger surged into my mind, completely dulling any sense of pain, and I rose from my seat while grabbing Wolf Berg once more.

I swung my axe in a wide arc, knocking the siblings far away while I charged at the thief. "What do you think you're doing!?"

He remained stationary, completely oblivious to his surroundings, before finally raising his head. I didn't give him a moment to think, and I readied my axe for an overhead swing to bludgeon him.

"Mother?" was all he said to me, and a gasp escaped my lips. Mid-swing, I let go of the axe, and it flew past him, embedding itself in the ground.

"...what?" I exclaimed, not able to process how he had just addressed me. To accentuate my confusion, his hand went under his leather garb and procured a similar-looking necklace with a green gem.

No, they weren't similar. They were identical.

His body shook with fear and realisation while I still couldn't put the pieces together… until I couldn't help myself. Tears started welling up in my eyes, and I reached out with my bloodied hand towards him out of desperation.

"Oliver?" I asked, and he jolted in place, practically confirming my suspicion. "You are—"

A cough filled with blood escaped my lips, and my body immediately lost all of its strength. My hand fell limp, my eyes rolled up, and I couldn't stand up anymore before falling to the ground. A single word resonated within my ears as the world around me grew completely black.

"Mother!"

AN: ...what? I don't have a punchline for this. The only reason why I've decided to entertain this muse for three god-damn chapters is because I don't want this to remain in my head anymore. It was at this chapter the brainworm was finally satisfied, and... it reflects.

I'll admit, this is not a good piece of work. I have so many problems with this alone once I've finally put away my rose-tinted glasses that I never want to see this ever again. Basically, my own frustration seeped into it, and with how rushed and downright unclear some of the plot points are, I'm just glad I got this out of my system.

There will be no next time of... whatever this is. I'll just stick to one-shots.

Anyway, I promise this is the last chapter of this April Fools, and... hopefully, this wasn't a turn off for you. These chapters will be here for two weeks for people to read. Then, I'll delete them. Whether I'll release them back into the public is an entirely different matter.

Share your honest opinions because that's the best form of feedback you can give me. I'll take them to heart, and proceed in the near future accordingly.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and happy April Fools.

God's speed.