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31_days2020-05-06 06:15 pm
gershom_onyx) wrote in 31_days2020-05-06 06:15 pm
Entry tags:
[05 / 06 / 20] [Fire Emblem Heroes] Resurrection Prince
Title: Resurrection Prince
Day / Prompt: 06 / Unpreparedness Is One's Greatest Foe
Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes
Character(s) / Pairing(s): Camilla, Veronica, Xander
Rating / Warning(s): Mature
Word Count: 1,210
Notes: Writing the Nohrian siblings is always a pleasure.
Xander, accompanied by Veronica, arrives at a World of Conquest that is not the one from which he came, hoping to ask for the aid of another incarnation of his family in the struggle against the Summoner. As he predicted in his conversation with Sharena, though, the Kingdom of Nohr he finds is very different, up to and including its new sovereign ....
* * * *
Xander dropped to one knee and bowed his head, as custom demanded of a foreign dignitary in his kingdom. He and Veronica had been greeted at the gates of the castle by a detachment of soldiers, and, as he had expected, they had asked to bring them before the throne as prisoners. He had been able to negotiate for Veronica to be treated as a visiting head of state, but he had willingly surrendered himself in exchange for her safety – his plan from the start.
The throne had been empty upon his arrival, and the soldiers escorting him had said nothing of its occupant. Though he maintained a blank expression, he found himself wondering which member of his family held the crown. He doubted that it was Garon, else he might not have made it past the gates, and his reception guaranteed that it was not another Xander, so ... Leo? Corrin? Or – ?
"I must say that this is unexpected." Camilla. "You may lift your head." He did, and it was indeed his sister in the black raiment of office, though she looked as though several years had passed, judging from the length of her hair and a subtle shift in her demeanor. "Hmm. A ghost in the flesh, no doubt. But who would have the sheer gall to impersonate my late brother, I wonder?"
"Look upon the sword I carry, Your Majesty," he said, not failing to notice the guards around her, "and then tell me whether or not I'm an imposter."
"Indeed." She gestured to her entourage, and one of the soldiers brought her Siegfried ... times two. "Let's see if it's a forgery or not." She held up both of the swords, one in each black-gloved hand. "I had the original reforged after my brother's burial to restore its edge, but –" She narrowed her eyes as she looked at both blades. "– there's no way this enchantment can be duplicated by anyone but a master, and it's clear that your weapon has seen more use than any forgery can tolerate. So, tell me, Xander –" She handed the swords back to her guards. "– you're not back from the dead, and you've come here with a Princess wearing colors that I've never seen before. Speak."
"You've been to the Deeprealms, Your Majesty," he replied, still down on one knee, "and you're well aware that it's possible for many versions of the same world to exist, so ... is it too strange a notion that there's another world where all of us survived, and where I lived to become King of Nohr?" She nodded, and he continued: "Princess Veronica asked for my help, and I came here, one of many Nohrs, knowing the strength of my family, even if it's not the same Nohr that I once knew." He bowed his head again. "You have every right to refuse, Queen Camilla, but I've come here to ask for your aid."
She walked down the long carpet to stand before him. "In that case, rise." He complied, and she hugged him. For a second, he was stunned, but he returned it in kind. "You're too warm to be a ghost, brother. Forgive a sister her little indulgences." She parted from him and patted him on the cheek, smiling as she said, "Even if you're not my Xander, you're definitely still Xander. If you know me at all, you know that I'll gladly help you. Walk with me."
He followed her down a long hallway that he remembered from his youth, and she explained, "It's taken us a long time, but we've rebuilt the Kingdom of Nohr, and the world's at peace, barring a few little fires here and there. Our army's small, but –" She paused and smiled over her shoulder. "– I'm guessing that it's not an army that you need, but a handful of ... Heroes, no?"
"Tell me what you know, Camilla," Xander said, instinctively reaching for the sword at his side before recalling that he did not have it. "Please."
"Don't be alarmed," she said, unfazed. "Your Laslow was summoned for a time, and then returned to us. At first, I thought he'd lost his wits, but I eventually managed to get him to explain what happened." She stopped and turned to look at him. "So, yes, I know about the World of Zenith, about Askr and Embla, but, upon seeing you, I had to be certain. Laslow spoke of a Summoner whose heart had turned to evil – his Summoner." She lowered her voice. "If you're gathering Heroes to face him, then you need fear nothing. I'll do everything in my power to help you. I have no reason to doubt what Laslow told me when he said that the man is as foul as any we've known."
Xander relaxed. "You have my gratitude." He thought for a second. "Is Laslow still here in Nohr, or did he return to ... his true home, elsewhere?"
She nodded. "He remains here. I've managed to get him to say much of his time in Askr, but ... there are things he won't discuss, things that keep him from sleeping. I feel that the Summoner asked him to do terrible things." A hint of hurt crossed her face, but vanished quickly. "I don't doubt for a second that he'd pick up his sword again to fight by your side, but he's not as well as he could be. Please keep that in mind if you ask him to go with you."
"From ... sleeping?" Xander studied her face, trying to read her emotions. "It's not my place to ask, but are you saying that the two of you are – ?"
"I would say that a lady never tells, especially a Queen, but, as you are my brother –" Her eyes acquired a flat quality that told him not to press the question too far. "– yes. If you'd seen him when he returned from Askr, you'd understand why I wanted to keep him close, keep him safe, love him, protect him." She sighed. "It's a weakness of mine, I suppose. I can't abide seeing those I love in pain." A shadow passed through her gaze. "Now, those I do not love, I can take joy in hurting. Another weakness of mine. But I'd very much like to hurt the Summoner for what he made Laslow do."
Xander felt his hands tighten into fists at his sides. "Help me, Camilla, and I will grant your wish." He took a deep breath, released it. "We should go and talk this over with Princess Veronica. It's ultimately her decision."
"Not in my realm, it's not." Camilla chuckled. "But I will see to it that you are prepared for all that is to come. Trust your sister, Xander."
"I do," Xander replied. More than you know.
END.
Day / Prompt: 06 / Unpreparedness Is One's Greatest Foe
Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes
Character(s) / Pairing(s): Camilla, Veronica, Xander
Rating / Warning(s): Mature
Word Count: 1,210
Notes: Writing the Nohrian siblings is always a pleasure.
* * * *
Xander dropped to one knee and bowed his head, as custom demanded of a foreign dignitary in his kingdom. He and Veronica had been greeted at the gates of the castle by a detachment of soldiers, and, as he had expected, they had asked to bring them before the throne as prisoners. He had been able to negotiate for Veronica to be treated as a visiting head of state, but he had willingly surrendered himself in exchange for her safety – his plan from the start.
The throne had been empty upon his arrival, and the soldiers escorting him had said nothing of its occupant. Though he maintained a blank expression, he found himself wondering which member of his family held the crown. He doubted that it was Garon, else he might not have made it past the gates, and his reception guaranteed that it was not another Xander, so ... Leo? Corrin? Or – ?
"I must say that this is unexpected." Camilla. "You may lift your head." He did, and it was indeed his sister in the black raiment of office, though she looked as though several years had passed, judging from the length of her hair and a subtle shift in her demeanor. "Hmm. A ghost in the flesh, no doubt. But who would have the sheer gall to impersonate my late brother, I wonder?"
"Look upon the sword I carry, Your Majesty," he said, not failing to notice the guards around her, "and then tell me whether or not I'm an imposter."
"Indeed." She gestured to her entourage, and one of the soldiers brought her Siegfried ... times two. "Let's see if it's a forgery or not." She held up both of the swords, one in each black-gloved hand. "I had the original reforged after my brother's burial to restore its edge, but –" She narrowed her eyes as she looked at both blades. "– there's no way this enchantment can be duplicated by anyone but a master, and it's clear that your weapon has seen more use than any forgery can tolerate. So, tell me, Xander –" She handed the swords back to her guards. "– you're not back from the dead, and you've come here with a Princess wearing colors that I've never seen before. Speak."
"You've been to the Deeprealms, Your Majesty," he replied, still down on one knee, "and you're well aware that it's possible for many versions of the same world to exist, so ... is it too strange a notion that there's another world where all of us survived, and where I lived to become King of Nohr?" She nodded, and he continued: "Princess Veronica asked for my help, and I came here, one of many Nohrs, knowing the strength of my family, even if it's not the same Nohr that I once knew." He bowed his head again. "You have every right to refuse, Queen Camilla, but I've come here to ask for your aid."
She walked down the long carpet to stand before him. "In that case, rise." He complied, and she hugged him. For a second, he was stunned, but he returned it in kind. "You're too warm to be a ghost, brother. Forgive a sister her little indulgences." She parted from him and patted him on the cheek, smiling as she said, "Even if you're not my Xander, you're definitely still Xander. If you know me at all, you know that I'll gladly help you. Walk with me."
He followed her down a long hallway that he remembered from his youth, and she explained, "It's taken us a long time, but we've rebuilt the Kingdom of Nohr, and the world's at peace, barring a few little fires here and there. Our army's small, but –" She paused and smiled over her shoulder. "– I'm guessing that it's not an army that you need, but a handful of ... Heroes, no?"
"Tell me what you know, Camilla," Xander said, instinctively reaching for the sword at his side before recalling that he did not have it. "Please."
"Don't be alarmed," she said, unfazed. "Your Laslow was summoned for a time, and then returned to us. At first, I thought he'd lost his wits, but I eventually managed to get him to explain what happened." She stopped and turned to look at him. "So, yes, I know about the World of Zenith, about Askr and Embla, but, upon seeing you, I had to be certain. Laslow spoke of a Summoner whose heart had turned to evil – his Summoner." She lowered her voice. "If you're gathering Heroes to face him, then you need fear nothing. I'll do everything in my power to help you. I have no reason to doubt what Laslow told me when he said that the man is as foul as any we've known."
Xander relaxed. "You have my gratitude." He thought for a second. "Is Laslow still here in Nohr, or did he return to ... his true home, elsewhere?"
She nodded. "He remains here. I've managed to get him to say much of his time in Askr, but ... there are things he won't discuss, things that keep him from sleeping. I feel that the Summoner asked him to do terrible things." A hint of hurt crossed her face, but vanished quickly. "I don't doubt for a second that he'd pick up his sword again to fight by your side, but he's not as well as he could be. Please keep that in mind if you ask him to go with you."
"From ... sleeping?" Xander studied her face, trying to read her emotions. "It's not my place to ask, but are you saying that the two of you are – ?"
"I would say that a lady never tells, especially a Queen, but, as you are my brother –" Her eyes acquired a flat quality that told him not to press the question too far. "– yes. If you'd seen him when he returned from Askr, you'd understand why I wanted to keep him close, keep him safe, love him, protect him." She sighed. "It's a weakness of mine, I suppose. I can't abide seeing those I love in pain." A shadow passed through her gaze. "Now, those I do not love, I can take joy in hurting. Another weakness of mine. But I'd very much like to hurt the Summoner for what he made Laslow do."
Xander felt his hands tighten into fists at his sides. "Help me, Camilla, and I will grant your wish." He took a deep breath, released it. "We should go and talk this over with Princess Veronica. It's ultimately her decision."
"Not in my realm, it's not." Camilla chuckled. "But I will see to it that you are prepared for all that is to come. Trust your sister, Xander."
"I do," Xander replied. More than you know.
END.