[July 20] [Fire Emblem: Fates] The Sharpest Blade

[kalloway]

Title: The Sharpest Blade
Day/Prompt: July 20/Within the depth of hunger
Fandom: Fire Emblem: Fates
Character/Pairing: Xander, Ryoma, Sakura, Laslow
Rating/Warning(s): M, violence, blood, yearning for death
Word Count: ~1765
--


This was not how Xander had planned to die. Not like this. He should have died in that first moment of ambush, when the first arrow grazed just along his neck. It should have gone clear through and left him gasping his last breaths while drowning in his own blood. But no, they took his horse down instead and as it fell and he did his best to roll clear, soldiers were on him.

They should have taken his head then and ended it. In that moment, Hoshido had already conquered him. What point was there to taking him alive? His father would not--

Xander did not sigh, despite wanting to. He shook at the shackles on his wrists as if they might do something more than annoy him. They were too slack to be any great misery, but they would certainly keep him from anything too impressive.

Hoshido's Crown Prince, Ryoma, should have killed him. It would have been a blessing. He'd been forced to his knees with blades at his throat and he had tried to get them to end it, but Xander hadn't even been allowed that.

Instead, he'd been stripped of his armor and shacked before being thrown in a cell to rot. Siegfried was likely lost-- given to some general or tucked in with royal treasures. That would be the thing his father would be the most upset about.

The current problem was, unfortunately, that the Hoshidans didn't have the common decency to let him rot. They should have left him without food or water and come back onto to remove his corpse when he started to smell.

Instead, they fed him and let him wash up, though the shackles stayed on for most of it, except when allowed to change clothing every couple days at spear-point. The bed was even almost vaguely comfortable and a small collection of friendly cats kept the vermin at bay.

Xander had never been so thoroughly humiliated. His initial wounds had been tended to, and any discomfort, even from the shackles, was taken care of without question.

Days passed and that damned prince stopped showing his face, too. Instead it was the same handful of guards and priestesses--

Keeping him impressively alive despite taunts and sharp reminders of what his new place was. Oh yes, they did not let him forget that.

The worst was that what they fed him was likely quite healthy and filling, by Hoshidan standards. Rice, fish, fresh vegetables.

Once, he asked for steak, rare, and had been rewarded with an extra helping of fish.

Xander did not want to admit to what was finally going to kill him. It was all he could hold onto, after all. It was all he had left. The Hoshidans would never figure it out, but he would just waste away despite their efforts.

He didn't need much-- animal blood would do in a pinch but he couldn't bring himself to harm the odd, short-eared cats that liked to curl around his legs at night. Besides, staying alive wasn't his plan.

The hunger, deep and building from the very center of his being, threatened to derail that plan.

He didn't remember trying to attack one of the priestesses.

And still, they didn't kill him. Spears went into his skin, blood flowed, but it was all uselessly his own. Then they healed him, shortened up the chains on his shackles, and finally--

How long had it even been?

Finally, Ryoma came to stand outside his cell, arms crossed, staring.

"It's true then. You're blood-drinkers."

Xander said nothing.

Ryoma turned and left.

That night, lost in a half-sleep that felt more like waking nightmare, Xander heard a noise outside the cell. Perhaps an assassin. Likely from Nohr. Hopefully from Nohr. Let someone throw his severed head at his father's feet and reap the reward.

Let it be over.

"E-Excuse me, Prince Xander?"

There was almost no light, but he could tell it was a priestess; one he didn't recognize. She fumbled through keys until she found the one for the cell and then clumsily let herself in.

Nobody called him by name. His title was used as an insult. So who--?

"I-I'm Princess Sakura," the priestess said quickly as she made her way over to him. Xander did not know the youngest princess by sight, but he had no reason not to believe her. It mattered not who killed him, after all.

Still, odd that death would come at the hands of a young priestess! But she had as good a reason to hate him as any.

"Do it quickly, please," Xander managed as he watched her. She wasn't quite within his reach, but she was close. Whatever she was going to do--

"I might, um, need your help," Sakura admitted. Xander saw a thin knife blade flash before vanishing back into shadow. "My arm will be okay, won't it?"

Despair washed over Xander like an ice cold waterfall. She was not there to kill him. She was there to feed him.

"Don't do it," Xander mumbled.

"But I heard Ryoma telling Hinoka that you need blood and if that's true..."

"I'm your prisoner. You should kill me."

"Won't you d-die if I don't do this?" Sakura edged closer and now Xander could see the blade pressed down against her skin. If it hadn't broken through yet, the blade was too dull and it was going to hurt.

"I want to die. I'm not living," Xander replied. But if she got any closer, the encompassing ravenous ache would take over. When that blade drew blood, he would do everything in his power to pull the shackles from the wall to get to it. He would hold her close and drink whatever she offered him and then hate himself all the more for prolonging things.

"But..."

Sakura stepped closer yet and jabbed the knife down hard enough that she cried out. Xander could smell her blood instantly and he was on his knees in an instant, pulling at chains and begging her closer.

Tears had formed at the corners of her eyes and somewhere in there Xander swore at himself.

Before he could get her in his arms, best he could with the shackles, there was a flurry of lights and guards and...

Three times, he was beaten until he thought it was the end. Three times they healed him, until the sun was crawling over the horizon and bathing the inside of the cell a dusty pink. His blood stained the stone floor, but that was all.

Not a drop of Sakura's blood had gotten close enough to help him through.

Ryoma stood before him, in that same firm pose, and just stared.

"Killing you wouldn't be enough."

Xander didn't reply.

Sakura tried to sneak in twice more and twice more, Xander paid the price.

If ever he got free, he'd steal her away with him.

He lost track of time after that. Madness tried to take him but failed. Despite the meals, he lost his strength and stopped trying to eat.

Any time...

Instead, he was hauled upright enough to get glared at by Ryoma in that same damned pose, looking down on him with impressive disgust.

"Your kingdom forsakes you. Yet a lone man came to bang on the gate begging to see you."

Xander winced. No...

No, not...

"He said it is okay if we do not free you, which we will not," Ryoma continued. "He simply wants to be imprisoned with you so he can feed you."

"Send him back to Nohr," Xander rasped. Laslow, no...

"It's too late for that," Ryoma replied. "But do I throw him in a cell with you and finally see how vile you truly are? Or do I put him elsewhere to rot without ever seeing what seem to be your last days?"

Xander didn't have the strength to reply. He wanted to tell the Hoshidan bastard where he could shove his words, his sword, and everything else. Wanted to say that given the chance, he would have drained Sakura dry and eaten her heart. Wanted to--

"Send him back to Nohr."

Ryoma turned and left without acknowledging Xander's words. Had he even managed to say them?

Laslow...

Xander curled back onto the bed. Even the cats had abandoned him. Perhaps they'd gone to Laslow instead. Laslow would, at least, survive.

There was a kick to his gut but it hardly registered. The sun had moved, though, Xander realized when he opened one eye. Had he slept or been unconscious? It was much the same.

"Good, you're still alive. Get up."

The guard didn't seem overly bothered when Xander didn't, though. Instead he just yelled into the corridor and there were other shouts back.

And then he heard once voice above the others.

"Lord Xander! Milord, I'm here--"

Ryoma himself had Laslow in surprisingly loose chains. But Xander knew Laslow well enough to know that in a situation like this, he wouldn't do anything to endanger either of them.

"Milord!" Laslow broke away from Ryoma's grasp and had Xander in his arms a moment later. Laslow was surprisingly warm and crying and...

Not a single guard had left. Ryoma was staring a hole through them.

"Feed," Ryoma said firmly.

More humiliation. This was supposed to be quiet and private. Sometimes accidentally arousing. Ryoma probably wanted to see that, to mock it all...

"I need a sharp blade," Laslow said firmly. "I won't kill him and I won't kill myself."

He was given a short knife that was, at least, sharp. It broke his skin easily and before a single drop could fall from his arm and stain Xander's rags, Laslow pressed the wound to Xander's mouth.

It no longer mattered that Ryoma was right there, nor that nearly a dozen guards stood watch. He let Laslow fall onto him and stroke his hair, murmur all of Laslow's odd little nothings, and press himself so close against Xander's body that they may well be lovers.

He felt the change, though, coursing through him. He wouldn't let it show, but he knew--

"Disgusting," Ryoma commented. Xander had no idea how much time had passed. "Leave them."

Xander was still sucking at Laslow's forearm when he heard the cell door slam shut and lock.

"I missed you so much, milord. I'm so sorry I couldn't come sooner..."

Laslow leaned closer, somehow, and kissed Xander's neck.

"So please hang on just a little longer."

Xander did not ask for details. But oh did he hope he could take Sakura with him.

No revenge would be sweeter than claiming her as his future queen.

Because no, this was not how he planned to die.