Prince of Fire Emblem: Gray Waves

[senselessness]

A princess with a poker face, Yukimura thought, as Yanagi took away the tea cups and retreated to where the rest of his entourage waited near the doorway.

He had open across the small negotiating table a letter from Princess Azura's stepfather, promising him that he would make her marriage as valuable to him as if she were his own flesh and blood. King Garon had a reputation that his own children shrank from, even as they bowed to his every whim. Azura didn't have the same fawning, wincing air as Garon's own children, from what Yukimura remembered of the spy reports. She looked placidly into his eyes.

"You pushed for this?" he asked, bluntly.

"No, milord," said the princess calmly. "Having just returned to Nohr after a long stay in Hoshido, I was as surprised as you."

Was she lying to him? She'd appeared at the gates of his castle alongside a delivery of flowers and wine for the ball celebrating Marui and Lissa's engagement, accompanied by her stepfather's offer of her hand and a ne'er-do-well with an axe as large as his body.

"He's this eager to get rid of you?"

"Or to gain your goodwill," she answered delicately.

Was she lying to him? The timing angered him immensely.

"By sending you here? Customarily, the pleasure of the bride's company is withheld until the marriage has been satisfactorily arranged."

"Your refusal is noted," she said, not without a certain heaviness.

His eyes narrowed. An outright refusal, in front of the man with the axe... his head burned. Could he afford to refuse Garon's offer without at least the pretense of consideration? Was she simply manipulating him into making a mistake?

"I said no such thing," he answered tightly. She inclined her head apologetically. "But my concern is with the engagement of my own princess, which you're interfering with."

She didn't contest his choice of verb, and his blood boiled.

"Like your princess, I am at the mercy of kings," she said. "I mean no disrespect to Lady Lissa."

But do you mean her harm? he wondered. Did Azura mean to displace her? The king's wife was necessarily given more authority than the king's sister. Yukimura didn't want that. He didn't want a wife for his own sake, there was nothing left within him that could love or cherish the princess before him nor any other, and he certainly didn't want a queen, who'd expect to see her own child on his throne in due time.

A queen would displace Lissa in the hierarchy of the court, and an heir would do the same in the line of succession. A perfect sabotage of his failsafe. A waste of Marui's and Lissa's sacrifices both-- not to mention the hints he'd tried to give them during their dance practice for tonight.

He had to play this intelligently-- even if he was starting late. He swallowed back the venom and vitriol he felt for this interloper and, hating himself for the debasement, stood, only to bow to her gallantly.

"Enjoy with us the festivities already planned," he said, more instructing than inviting. "We can talk more when I've discharged the business already in front of me."

"Yes, milord," she said, opaque as an iron wall.

Felicia -- delighted to be visited by a princess of her native land -- quickly escorted Azura and Hans, the axe man, to their lodgings, and Yukimura turned to his friends, pale and glowing with displeasure.

"I want to know why Nohr chose now to do this," he said, "but I will settle for what I should do to them in retaliation."

Comments

[didntaxyou]

Her brother announced her entrance like it was something everyone had been waiting for, and then he called Bunta his brother, which was sweet, but the two of them together seemed to cause a reaction in the audience.

She was supposed to walk across the ballroom, between the parted halves of the crowd, and then join her brother and his people on the dais. There was music, but it couldn't block out the sudden roar of whispers she heard, or the looks of disdain cast toward the royal party.

Most of it square at Bunta.

It wasn't just between the interrupted couples; she saw an elegantly dressed woman leave her dance partner to seek someone else in the crowd, and she looked upset.

Lissa's pace quickened as she neared the end of this gauntlet, and she went directly to her usual place beside her brother, but instead of letting her stand in his shadow where she expected to be, he caught her hand and ceremoniously offered it to Bunta.

Yukimura's other hand cued the orchestra, and the music swelled-- but his voice carried.

"I hope you'll all join us in the next celebratory dance."

[volleygenius]

What an unwelcoming atmosphere.

It's expected, of course. The audience was never going to receive this news warmly. Bunta lets their contempt wash past him, like a river over stones, and maintains his posture of relaxed confidence and good humor. What he's doing will protect Lissa and help Yukimura. That's all he needs.

Lissa seems more affected by the crowd's chilliness. Bunta smiles at her like he has an ace up his sleeve as he takes her hand from Yukimura. That's right, no more standing beside or behind him-- it's time to step out and blossom.

"Nice ring," he jokes as he escorts her to the center of the dais where they'll lead the dance. They managed to get him in a suit, but there simply wasn't much they could do with the red mop on his head except trim it up a little.

[didntaxyou]

The joke makes her smile, even as she can hear her inner Maribelle bewailing the tackiness of complimenting a gift you bought. Lissa doesn't much see the point; clearly, the people around them were not lacking in excuses for hostility.

She frowned, as she tried to remember which hand to give and which foot to start on.

"Did you..." She didn't know how to put it into words; a quick glance around showed her plenty of people walking off the dance floor to talk amongst themselves.

"Did you know they'd be upset? I mean, are they actually surprised by what Seiichi did?"

[volleygenius]

For better or for worse, it's primarily Bunta's job to lead as the male partner, and he was fortunately a quick learner at dancing. He guides her hand into position and sets his hand at the small of her back, just like Yukimura instructed at the lesson. He takes a step in, closing the distance between them to mere inches, just like Yukimura instructed. He meets her eyes and focuses his gaze there as they start to dance, just like Yukimura instructed.

He won't lie, it almost works for what Yukimura is hoping for with it. If she were a little older, maybe this spark of feeling would be more than a light, pleasant tingle, like the moments after breathing too much oxygen. She does look enchanting in her dress, a ball gown fit for a princess with a splash of steampunk that hugged her torso and then flared out at the hips, but she still retained her cuteness in it. He likes that.

"Well, they don't know him like you and I do," he counters. "Is it bothering you?"

[didntaxyou]

Her lips pursed and her cheeks puffed up with air.

"You answering a question with another question does," she huffed, and missed a step, and she really hoped nobody noticed, because she was able to skip to the next part pretty flawlessly.

"Did you know people wouldn't like you being my fiance? And if you did, why?"

[volleygenius]

Was there a need to get ruffled? He was just making conversation. Well, whatever. It's good she's asking questions about this if she doesn't already understand.

"It's human nature."

[didntaxyou]

"It is not," she said, honestly confused. "Everybody likes you. And everybody likes my brother. They should have known he was going to choose someone he trusted, if he had to choose somebody-- I mean, I think he'd rather I just stay with him, and sometimes I think so too, but I do know there's more to the world than wherever he is."

[dateddiva]

There was no snare drum in this instrumental, so it was the drummer who accepted her wink and helped her climb down from the stage. A normal songstress might take her break alone backstage, but this girl was here to socialize, to meet people, and to have a little fun.

...The fun came first, however, when Bun's fiancée kicked him aside for that roguish young nobleman who was impossible to read.

Dorothea to the rescue, then! She slid up behind Bun and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Want to take me for a spin so you don't look like a wallflower who just got dumped?"

[volleygenius]

That Niou really did just slip in and snatch her. Wasn't Bunta supposed to be the thief here? Well, it's probably for the best this way. As he'd mused while dancing with Lissa, Niou was better suited to the task of helping her understand this particular subject.

He didn't mind sitting out for a dance, but as it turned out, fate had something better in mind for those few minutes. Dorothea's company-- and playful rescue-- is welcome, and it shows in the expression of warm cheer he gives her.

"Who's looking dumped?" He asked with equal playfulness, and moved his hands into position to accept her as his dance partner.

[dateddiva]

"The King went to all the trouble of affiancing his sister to one of the rabble, Bun," she teased. "You look dumped every time she gets distracted!"

She was certainly talking intently with the rogue, though. She knew this music well and she guided Bun into a position where he'd be able to see them most of the time.

Because that was his job, and not because he needed the reminder of being dumped by the princess and/or outmaneuvered by a trickster.

"Tell me about that man who's doing your job right now," she commanded. "And if he's worth knowing."

[volleygenius]

Dorothea understands well, and he appreciates that she does. He'll be better able to give her his primary attention while they dance as long as Lissa is in his peripheral vision. Her follow-up tease earns nothing more than a sound of amusement, a sure sign that he's ceded the point.

"Niou?" He says as they move in time to the music. "Well, what to say about that guy. He's an officer like me, and been friends with the king even longer. He's the best you can find if you like surprises and banter. I dunno if he's looking, but he's definitely single. Want to be introduced?"

[dateddiva]

"Can you do that?"

But she gets a little smoother after, using a turn to push her hair back behind her ear and let one of her earrings catch a little of the ambient light.

"Are you the kind of reference he'd appreciate...? Or do you just want to distract him from your princess?"

[volleygenius]

"Of course," he assured her with a breezy smile, with zero clarification which of the two was affirmative.

"Well, we can mingle together later. It doesn't have to be formal. It's a foot in the door, in any case."

[dateddiva]

So Dorothea smiles, too.

"I don't want everyone to think I'm just here for your status."

Enough people would be, soon enough. Dorothea was sure Bunta's powerful friends would have the people who wanted to take Bunta out covered-- but there was another set, too. People who would be all-too-pleased to see a boy out of his depth so close to the throne, and think they could ingratiate themselves to him.

"Are Niou and the princess particularly close?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

[breezygoing]

The king wasn't celebrating; indeed, his mind was far away.

The pendant around her neck weighed heavily as she made a snap decision. Her appearance before him disturbed more than just his own plans for his sister... and he'd be a foolish king to ensure her future before his own. Unless he believed that hers was the only future to plan for, and while that was a depressing thought to live with, she was more concerned by what might cause him to think that way.

Her window of opportunity began to close when the celebrated bridegroom suddenly discarded the singer who was actually paid to be here... there was no more time for thought. The sound of water being poured for the musicians came to her ears, and she made her way up to the stage.

Another thing for the people to whisper about, she thought ruefully, before speaking quietly with the conductor. Just a simple melody with strong percussion-- the conductor looked at the king with some alarm, and Azura saw his eyes narrow suspiciously. But he offered a dismissive wave, and the conductor gulped before agreeing to let her take Dorothea's place.

She lifted her hands over head as the music started, and small streams of water seemed to find her, from glasses and fountains outside, following her movements.

Her eyes met the king's.

A game you played, and thought you won...
A family left without their sun,
A mistaken heart, gets torn apart,
Left to see what you've done...

[senselessness]

Sing with me... a song...

Pain exploded behind Yukimura's eyes and he rose without any clear idea how to stop it. The tome under his throne pulsed with magic and flooded his body with power, power that he concentrated quickly into his hands and threw across the room at the songstress.

Of losses and gain...

The water around Azura coalesced in front of her, trying to form a shield, but the magic burns it quickly into steam, as each musician abruptly stops in shock, leaving only the songstress' voice to carry on alone.

A star rises, but can't negate the pain...

Half of Yukimura's mind shatters at the way her words seem to rip through him, forcing the Trance tome's magic out bit by bit, but the other half relaxes, starting to feel himself being reborn.

It's a little too much. When his guard lowers, wanting to be free of the tome's power, a final, desperate surge straight from the book gets hold of his mind and hands, and he kneels to seize the tome in his hands, to cast its spell directly at the songstress trying to attack him.

Yukimura, with the tome under one arm, collects the entire last year of frustration and pain, both the loss of his body to the sickness and even, perversely, the loss of his autonomy to the tome controlling him now, and hurls it all at Azura.

The water can't block the magic the again; she took the hit directly and cried out.

[rikkaiemperor]

While most of the attendees are beginning to dance, mingle, or perhaps browse the catering selection, Sanada stands stiffly at Yukimura's side, his sword at his hip and his eyes alert. For all outward appearances, he could have passed for a bodyguard to the king. And, for all intents and purposes, Sanada never was one to suffer a conflict between his outward appearances and his inward truths. It put him somewhat at odds with the entire charade of this party in which everyone was celebrating (or, as the case may go, seething over) an occasion that did not in fact exist.

It's a charade of joy complicated further by the choice of fiancé. Naturally, Sanada trusts and has full confidence in Marui to carry out the mission. He harbors no hard feelings over Yukimura's decision. It's also impossible for him to join in festivities knowing the magnitude of danger he's in. Were he the one appointed, he could have at least drawn from his pride and the knowledge he was serving an important role protecting both Yukimura's family and his brothers in arms to find a smile.

But it's better this way. Sanada sees that now, blessed with the full scope of Yukimura's goals in this arrangement. Marui will achieve things he could not, both by virtue of his roots and his temperament. He's a convincing actor, for one. Lissa too, for that matter. Watching them dance with their eyes locked and arms around each other, Sanada might himself believe there was something between them if he didn't know better.

Given the attention he's paying to their surroundings, Yukimura's sudden rise and magic attack-- with no apparent trigger-- takes Sanada completely by surprise.

"Yukimura!"

What in the hell just happened?! The music stops, though the melodic voice of Nohr's princess carries on even as panic begins to surge through the crowd. Later, Sanada may dryly register the irony that it's the recipient of the attack who is reacting the least to it. For now, his focus is Yukimura: understanding what's wrong, what slipped past his guard, what does he need to do to ensure his safety.

Yukimura, too, is responding, collecting the tome and casting a fearsome spell out at--

Sanada stares in absolute shock as the princess cries out in pain. The first could have passed for an accident. Twice in a row was no accident. To attack Nohr's princess so directly, it was as good as a declaration of war. What a thing to do...

Sanada won't question it right now. There must be a damn good explanation for this. He's going to hear it from Yukimura, and then he's going to deal with the matter. He looks to Yanagi for teamwork and support.

"See that Princess Azura is available for questions later." Which necessarily meant addressing any medical care as well.

He, in turn, would see that Yukimura was escorted to safety, away from whatever threat had slipped past their notice and besieged their king. He places his hands at Yukimura's shoulders, a gesture equal parts to anchor and to redirect towards the exit.

"Yukimura: this way. Quickly."

[senselessness]

Sanada's words give Yanagi something to accomplish while he tries to figure out what data point he missed that could have led to him being able to-- he shook the what-ifs violently out of his head and fled toward the stage, before raising a Rescue staff that would transport Azura directly to his side... though not until he felt himself a far enough distance from Yukimura.

Sanada's voice, so steady and reasonable, draws Yukimura's attention directly to him. The pain of Azura's voice still rings accusingly in his ears, and desperate to protect himself, he doesn't move. The authority in Sanada's voice... it shouldn't be more than a reflection of Yukimura's... but what if... what if...

"You're not telling me what to do, Sanada. Are you?"

[rikkaiemperor]

What?

Did they really have time for this? Was this really the moment Yukimura decided he was overdue for a rebellious teenager phase?

"If you're in danger the first priority should be distancing you from it."

[senselessness]

Logic like a blunted sword breaks through the mist of pain, and Yukimura smiles, seemingly seeing Sanada clearly for the first time since Azura began singing.

A wave of weakness follows it, and he grasps for the steadying hands on his shoulders.

"Lead," he says simply, trying to get through the sudden fog in his head, and worse, the urge to mistrust someone he's trusted as long as he can remember.

[rikkaiemperor]

It seems Yukimura has come to his senses quickly, which is a relief.

"Yes," he affirms, and the hands that had reached to draw Yukimura's attention through a tactile connection shift to provide bracing support as he calmly leads Yukimura out, through the next room and around a corner to a secret passage they can use to retreat to the crisis room. If anyone was following to finish what they'd started, this route should shake them off.

Yukimura is not well. Whatever pushback that was, Sanada will forgive it and write it off as a product of not being in his right mind. The attack must have been a mental one. It may have impaired his judgment. That would explain the unprovoked attacks on the princess as well. One thing at a time. Get Yukimura to safety. Get to the bottom of what happened. Do whatever is needed to fix the problem.

"How is your steadiness? Do you feel your strength returning?"

[volleygenius]

From their place on the dais, they have a clear view of the king. But for once, Bunta's attention is elsewhere, and the first throw of magic takes him completely off-guard. He reflexively tightens his hold around Lissa in alarm as he looks towards Yukimura, trying to make sense of what he just missed. More importantly, whether the situation had turned dangerous for Lissa.

Panic erupts through the crowd, and it's this more than Yukimura's magic that he's concerned about. A mob of terrified people was as powerful as it was unpredictable. The instinct to survive took over, and people lost sight of the damage being caused around them. It would be better to stay where they are, on elevated flooring and away from the exits, unless the situation forces otherwise.

He hurriedly scans over the room to confirm Jackal and his family are okay; he's relieved to see his friend focused on protecting his brothers. Thanks, buddy.

With that knowledge established, Bunta watches Sanada begin to swift Yukimura away and seeks out Lissa's eyes for a read on her.

[didntaxyou]

Lissa's ear was drawn first by the songstress' cry of pain, and she would have run straight in that direction if she didn't spot Yanagi lifting a staff. It wasn't a healing staff, it was one that transported the target to him, but Azura was safe with him, he would heal her next. He would keep her safe from--

Her jaw clenched against frustrated tears. Seiichi was being hurried away and she was torn--

"Wh-what am I supposed to do?" she stammered. Not stand here; she lifted her skirt and raced for the direction of the stairs.

"Someone has to calm everyone down and check on my brother," she babbled, and then gasped as her foot sank through air and slipped off her shoe's heel, all her weight slamming the side of her foot into the edge of the next step down and bending her ankle hard. She stumbled, wincing when she had to shift all her weight to the other foot.

"Help," she managed, unable to prioritize what she needed help with-- her duty or her balance.

[volleygenius]

Well would you look at that. Right on the heels of voicing her loss for how to respond, she's responding, crowd and danger be damned. She's a little too quick for him taking off, and he sees the telltale sign of a turned foot in the jerk of her figure. She doesn't even need to voice the request for help.

"Are you okay?" He asks as he moves to her side and offers his arm for her to grab onto.

[didntaxyou]

"Hate not being able to heal myself," she said, face twisting in irritation and pain both. "I didn't bring anything I could take for it."

But she was craning her neck all the same, looking for faces she recognized amid the chaos.

"I lost track of Seiichi," she said, sounding a little more pitiful than she meant to. "Should we... I mean, we should do what he'd want us to be doing."