She'd never seen so many people gathered in one place before. So many colors, so many sounds, all under a blue, cloudless sky – under crisp, clean air – with the same cherry blossoms falling gently to the ground. "Um…" Azura mumbled next to her. Her wrist stiffened slightly in Fuyu's grasp, and Fuyu jerked her hand away hurriedly. She didn't realize just how tightly she was holding it until Azura rubbed her wrist with a slight wince. "It takes some getting used to," she said with a gentle smile, "but I'm sure you'll come to like it."

Fuyu nodded, keeping her mouth clamped shut. Then she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and letting just the sounds and smells wash over her. It was nothing like how it was at the Northern Fortress, even with all her siblings there in addition to the servants – there was a certain vibrancy here that she didn't think she could place anywhere in Nohr. One direction smelled of fried food and fish; another, perfumes.

She stumbled as she spun on the balls of her feet, and her eyes flew open as someone grabbed her elbow to steady her. "Be careful!" Hinoka said, laughing. Fuyu pulled away instinctively. Hinoka's grip was firm, though not at all stiff or awkward – and maybe this was how it always was with her.

She thought back to the crystal from Valla, the image of a younger Hinoka and Ryoma and Mikoto that still felt too external to herself.

Hinoka gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled. "Hey…" she said softly. "It's okay if you don't remember. Just try to enjoy this as much as you can, okay?"

Fuyu lifted her head, and she didn't have to crane her neck quite as much to look into Hinoka's eyes. "R-Really? You don't mind?"

"Of course not!" her sister replied as she began pulling her toward a food vendor at the side of the cobbled street. "You can't help it if you don't remember. Besides, it doesn't matter if you make new memories now, right?" She stopped in front of the stand and called out to the vendor. "Three sticks, please."

"Right away, milady," said the vendor, bowing his head. Within seconds he handed two sticks of what appeared to be three balls – one white, one pink, and one green – to Hinoka, and then one to Azura.

"This used to be your favorite," Hinoka explained as she handed Fuyu one of the sticks.

The stick felt unfamiliar in her hands, but she carefully nibbled on one of the balls anyway – and then devoured all three within a matter of seconds. "It's good!" She couldn't remember the taste, but it didn't feel new either – and that had to count for something. "Can I have another?"

Hinoka frowned suddenly. "No!"

Fuyu flinched and dropped her gaze to the ground. Hinoka wasn't Camilla, she reminded herself – no matter how easy it was to fall into a supposedly familiar rhythm with her. Once more, the reality of her situation hit her hard. This isn't home, she reminded herself, then immediately backtracked – Mikoto and Hinoka, at the very least, wanted her to see this as home, even if she couldn't remember her life here before Nohr.

And then, there was another stick right before her nose. Hinoka smiled gently as she pried one of the balls off and slid it onto Azura's still full stick. "Just one, okay?" she said. "Eat too much, and you'll get a stomachache." Before waiting for Fuyu to respond, Hinoka slid the second ball onto Fuyu's stick. Unable to suppress a smile, Fuyu bowed her head as she nibbled on it.

They went to the blacksmith's next, and the weapons inside were in better condition than anything Fuyu had seen stored in the Northern Fortress. She'd read a book on the differences between Hoshidan and Nohrian weapons – swords and katana, lances and naginata, bows and yumi, staves and rods, tomes and scrolls. Each category was similar enough that, for example, any Nohrian swordsman could use a katana with minimal difficulty, even if the weapons themselves were inherently different.

Even though they were supposed to be meeting Ryoma, Fuyu found herself wandering away from Hinoka and Azura, straight towards the rods. She picked one up and weighed it in her hands – it was lighter than a staff, and maybe she'd have to use it differently, but she could still feel the same warm healing magic pulsing through it.

"Um…"

Fuyu startled, crying out in alarm. As always, she should have been paying more attention to her surroundings, because Sakura was at her side now when she most definitely wasn't just moments ago. "S-Sakura!" she yelped. "H-Hello!" She bowed for good measure – bowing was supposed to be a sign of respect in Hoshido, wasn't it?

Sakura's face turned very, very red. "I'm sorry!" Fuyu said automatically bowing once more.

"N-No!" Sakura stammered back. "Please don't apologize! I'm the one who should b-be…"

"N-No, really, I should be—"

They bowed at the same time, and their heads knocked into each other hard. Fuyu immediately recoiled in pain, rubbing the increasingly painful spot on her forehead where Sakura had hit her. "I'm so sorry! I was—"

"I-I should have been paying more attention!" Sakura cried, mirroring Fuyu as she rubbed her forehead as well. "I'm sorry!"

Fuyu's cheeks burned when she heard Hinoka chuckle. When she turned to look, she saw Azura delicately cover her mouth with one hand to suppress giggles of her own. "U-Um…" Fuyu said slowly, forcing herself to look away from Hinoka and Azura. Sakura didn't meet her gaze – she stared at the floor instead, hands clasped tightly in front of her. "D-Do you like healing staves too, Sakura?"

The girl who was supposed to be her younger sister – not Elise – looked up shyly. "A-Are you talking about healing rods?"

"Right!" Fuyu replied. "People use rods in Hoshido, not staves. Sorry, I forgot." She bounced the rod lightly in her hands. "I really like staves, but I've never used a rod before."

Sakura gave her a small, barely noticeable smile. "W-Would you like me to show you?" She pulled out a small pouch – red silk, decorated with tiny pink flower petals – and laid a handful of gold coins on the countertop next to them. "May I?" she asked as she took the rod from Fuyu. Then she spun around in a graceful circle, the tassel-like objects attached to the rod fluttering, and in an instant, the pain in Fuyu's forehead from hitting it against Sakura's was gone.

"Wow!" Fuyu gasped. "Can I try?" Sakura smiled and nodded, handing her the staff. Copying Sakura's movements was an intimidating prospect, so Fuyu twirled the rod like Jakob, Flora, and Felicia would. There was a familiar pulse of healing magic, and Sakura's hand drifted up to her forehead within seconds, hopefully indicating that Fuyu had been successful. "Did it work?"

Sakura nodded, her smile widening. "It did!"

Fuyu giggled. "Yay!" Both Hinoka and Azura were smiling when she turned to look.

"I-I'll teach you properly later," said Sakura. "It j-just takes a little practice!"

"Yes, that would be great!" Fuyu replied.

"I didn't know there were Nohrian healers," said a new voice. Takumi stood by them now, arms crossed over his chest and his expression deceptively blank – but there was an edge to his voice that made Fuyu's tension and anxiety return tenfold.

"B-Big brother!" Sakura gasped. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't notice you!"

Ryoma approached them as well, towering over Takumi as he laid a hand on his shoulder. "Of course there are Nohrian healers," he said. "An army will fall apart without those who can mend it and maintain it. Although, I do recall you carrying a sword when you arrived, Fuyu?"

"Y-Yes, that's right," Fuyu replied shakily. She couldn't meet Ryoma's gaze – not with Takumi there next to him, eyes narrowed in something too close to suspicion and scorn. "F-Father insisted that I learn to fight as well, s-so Xander taught me how to use a sword. I-I've never fought in any real battles, though…" No, that was wrong – too many names dropped, referring to King Garon and Prince Xander of Nohr overly casually in the presence of those who loathed their existence, and a lie. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and her face felt hot. "N-No, wait! That's not true! I have fought in a real battle before! Back in—"

"Well, if it isn't Prince Ryoma!" said an old woman in robes that looked fancier than even what Hinoka, Sakura, Fuyu, and Azura were wearing.

"Oh, Lady Tsubasa!" Ryoma greeted her quickly, flashing a polite smile. "It's been so long since we last talked! How have you been?"

He left quickly enough, along with Sakura, and Fuyu heaved a sigh in relief. Though it wasn't the same as a staff, the rod was a comfortable weight in her hand, better than even the sword Garon had given to her as a gift. If only she'd exchanged her sword for one back at the Bottomless Canyon – if only she'd healed those that Hans had hurt, like she'd done with Kaze and Rinkah, instead of fighting back without a second thought—

"A real battle…" Takumi said slowly. "At the border." What was a stern frown before was now a harsh glare, filled with disdain. "Am I correct?"

Azura stepped between them and lightly touched Fuyu's arm. Hinoka was distracted by an array of expensive-looking naginata in the opposite corner of the shop, completely unaware. "Is something the matter?" Azura asked.

"Oh, of course not, as far as our dear sister is concerned," Takumi sneered. "Just that, no more than two days ago, Nohrian forces were reported to have breached the border at the Bottomless Canyon, attacking our border guards unprovoked and leaving less than half of them alive." He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing further. "Funny how that conveniently overlaps with her return."

Azura's eyes narrowed, and her grip on Fuyu's arm tightened. "Are you accusing Fuyu of instigating this attack?" she asked. "Takumi, that's absurd."

"Of course you'd defend her," he snapped. "Since when were Nohrian scum like you given permission to say my name? Don't be so arrogant, Azura."

"W-Wait!" Fuyu interjected. "That doesn't make any sense!" She chewed on her lower lip, and wondered why it was easier to defend someone else – someone she'd just met and who was just as much a stranger as everyone else in Hoshido who claimed to be her family – than it was to defend herself. "It's… true. That attack at the Bottomless Canyon was my fault. F-Father assigned me a bodyguard, a-and he immediately assaulted the first Hoshidan soldier he saw, a-and I failed to restrain him. I'm sorry." A simple apology wouldn't bring back those who lost their lives at the border, but it was all she had. She thought of Gunter, pushed to the bottom by that same bodyguard, and of Jakob, still lost somewhere if he was even still alive, and tried very hard not to cry.

By that point, Ryoma and Sakura had finished speaking to the woman who'd occupied their attention, and even Hinoka had meandered back to Azura. Ryoma crossed his arms over his chest, though he didn't frown or accuse Fuyu of betrayal like she expected him to. "Are you done, Takumi?" he asked calmly.

"Really—" Takumi spluttered, clenching his fists by his sides. "You're taking her—"

"It is worrying," Ryoma said firmly, "though considering the circumstances, perhaps it wouldn't be fair to judge her too harshly." That she had no memory of her true family, he likely meant.

"Wait, no," said Fuyu, her voice coming out as little more than a whisper. "I… that really was my fault… a-and I should be…" She couldn't even finish the thought – the prospect of being executed or worse, sent back to Nohr with her failure laid bare before her already angry father, was too frightening to say any more.

Azura cleared her throat pointedly. "Well, there is that council tomorrow."

The next morning, there was another letter sitting on her table, this time with a yellow ribbon tied around it. In an instant, all worries about the upcoming council were gone – Kaze's neat cursive and earnest words put her instantly at ease.

"I heard that you toured the marketplace yesterday," he wrote. "The city is always beautiful this time of year. There is a park close by, where many families go to view the cherry blossoms falling. I do not know if Nohr holds such customs, so this may sound odd, but it truly is a beautiful sight. Lady Sakura and Lady Mikoto always insist on going with the rest of the royal family, and many retainers and servants go with them. It's wonderful that you've returned at such a time, Lady Fuyu – let's all go together to see the flowers soon."

Fuyu covered her face with one hand and smiled. "How am I even supposed to respond to that…?" she asked somewhat helplessly, but she didn't feel worried or anxious in the slightest. She'd have to say exactly what was on her mind, without filtering anything or second-guessing herself – and somehow, picturing Kaze on the other side, reading that letter perhaps with a gentle smile, never once questioning her or judging her for the years she spent in Nohr, made the words flow easily.

"One of my sisters in Nohr, Elise, loves flowers," she wrote. "Castle Krakenburg has a conservatory that's filled with as many kinds of flowers as you can imagine. I lived away from the castle, so I've never been to this place, but many times, when she visited me, Elise would bring me flowers. I don't think flowers grow very well in Nohr – not enough sunlight and too much humidity – but apparently, the conservatory was Queen Arete's favorite room in the castle, and she spent much of her time there tending to the flowers. It's because of her that they were able to thrive for so long, and Camilla and Elise haven't let her efforts go to waste. I wonder if she ever got to see Hoshido's flowers… I think she would have really loved them."

Thinking about Arete suddenly made everything feel very heavy, and she had to stop there. Belatedly, she wondered if Kaze would be terribly upset when he learned that all she had to say was about Nohr and a place she still considered more of a home than Hoshido. Then, there was a knock at her door, and there was no longer any time to dwell on the matter.

Azura peered inside, hands tucked behind her back. "Are you ready?" Then she sighed, just as Fuyu folded her letter shut. "What's wrong?"

Fuyu pouted as she went to join her. "Your mother would have handled this a lot better than me."

"I don't think that's a fair comparison," Azura replied calmly. "The world would be a much more peaceful place if my mother had had her way."

They made their way down several hallways, each one of them open and bright, illuminated by unfiltered sunlight. Maybe, if Fuyu stayed for longer, then such sunlight would appear harsh in due time, without any clouds in the sky to subdue it. Maybe in summer, without spring's crisp, cool air to compensate for the sun's heat. She stared down at her bare feet – Gunter always made her cover her feet in Nohr, and Camilla made sure that she never ran out of shoes and boots to wear – and wondered if maybe, if things had turned out differently, Arete would have walked down these same halls with her feet bare, side by side with Mikoto. For all Fuyu knew, maybe they already had.

She and Azura stopped before a pair of large red doors – not the throne room, where Fuyu had first reunited with her mother and Ryoma, but a similarly large room not too far away. Fuyu had never seen a war room before, but Xander, Camilla, and Leo had talked enough about them that she knew what to expect – a large table with a variety of military officials, a few nobles, Garon, and Iago seated around it.

Hoshido's war room came close – there were several men and women she didn't recognize, who all looked up at her in alarm when she entered. There was Rinkah, seated next to a tall, broad-shouldered man with tanned skin and hair just as pale as hers. There was Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and even Sakura – Elise never attended war meetings – sitting next to each other, with two chairs left open between Hinoka and Takumi. Standing behind Ryoma was a red-haired man wearing a mask and a scarf similar to Kaze's, but he was the only ninja she could see in the room. Next to Mikoto was a bespectacled man with blue-green hair and wrinkles collecting around his eyes, who stood up immediately and made his way over to Fuyu and Azura.

"Lady Fuyu!" the man said pleasantly, smiling. He took one of her hands in both of his. "It's so good to finally see you again!"

This had to be someone she knew before getting kidnapped, and yet, Fuyu couldn't think of a single thing to say in response. The man's voice was sickly sweet and almost forced – not nearly as bad as Iago's, but of a similar nature nonetheless. "Good day, Yukimura," Azura said politely.

"I've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to see you yet," the man continued as if Azura hadn't said a word. Fuyu bristled. "But my, look how you've grown! You've become just as beautiful as…" Just then, Mikoto cleared her throat, and the room went silent. "Well, I must be going," said Yukimura. "Good day, Lady Fuyu!"

Fuyu glared at him as he walked away. "I don't like him."

"Frankly, neither do I," Azura said bluntly, "though I'd appreciate it if you kept this quiet. People here don't like me very much to begin with, and I can't imagine they'd be happy if they heard me disrespecting the head tactician." She rested her hand against Fuyu's back and gently pushed her towards the rest of their siblings.

"But he disrespected you first!" Fuyu hissed.

"In more ways than one," Azura whispered back.

They slid into the empty seats between Hinoka and Takumi – Azura next to Hinoka, and Fuyu next to Takumi – as Mikoto rose to her feet. "Welcome," she said as warmly and kindly as ever. "Thank you for joining us today. First, I would like to make an announcement." She turned to smile at Fuyu, and then gestured toward her. "My second daughter, Fuyu, who has spent the last ten years as a hostage in Nohr, has finally returned!"

Whispers rippled through the war room. The word "Nohrian" came up almost every other word, and Fuyu could swear that she heard the word "scum" dropped a few times. Everyone's eyes were on her, and she wanted to melt into the floor. She'd never had to sit with so many strangers before – or maybe she had and she just couldn't remember. Takumi sitting next to her, his hands balled into fists in his lap under the table, put her even more on edge, even though he had yet to say anything. Azura squeezed Fuyu's hand gently under the table, though it did little good to calm her nerves.

Mikoto cleared her throat, and the room fell silent once more. "However," she continued, "as many of you are aware, there have been rumors lately of Nohrian invaders in the castle."

"They're right, of course," Fuyu heard and old woman next to Sakura whisper.

"I wish to assuage these rumors once and for all," said Mikoto. "Tomorrow, I will make an announcement in the town square."

"Are you sure that is wise, milady?" Yukimura asked, frowning. "To proclaim something so boldly in such an open space… forgive me for being frank, but it simply begs for trouble."

"Not to mention," said the tan-skinned, pale-haired man sitting next to Rinkah, "there was that attack at the border just a short while ago."

"I will not deny that the Nohrian forces have become more aggressive as of late—" Mikoto started.

"With all due respect, Lady Mikoto," said the man, "I came to the capital to support the Hoshidan army. My daughter," he gestured towards Rinkah, "has risked her life and will continue to do so to fight among its ranks, as you are well aware. With the threat of a full-blown Nohrian invasion upon us, now is not the time to celebrate a family reunion." He nodded in Fuyu's direction, but his stern expression didn't change. "As joyous an occasion it is."

Mikoto nodded. "I understand, Lord Akito," she said. "However, think of how happy this would make the people! They would see this as a victory over Nohr – a sign that even despite the worst of circumstances, no matter what King Garon throws at us, we will survive and we will triumph." She clapped her hands together, positively beaming. "And on that note, I would like to take this moment to thank Lady Rinkah for successfully returning my daughter to her home."

Rinkah smirked proudly and nodded. "Much obliged. I can't take all the credit, though."

"So you were there, then," said Yukimura. "The day our border was breached."

Rinkah's smirk faded, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, though I did not know the Nohrians meant to attack us then."

"We didn't," Fuyu said quietly. The room fell silent once more, and in an instant, everyone's eyes bore into her. There were too many things wrong with what she'd just said – implied solidarity with Hoshido's enemy, what would probably be seen as a sign of betrayal and ungratefulness with Mikoto's kindness and hospitality, and too little said on too large a matter. Takumi's gaze, on her left, seemed to be the most pronounced of them all. "W-Well the fact is… I-I…"

"It's all right," Ryoma said gently, smiling. "Just say exactly what you told us yesterday. No one here thinks you an enemy." It was a painfully obvious lie, but there wasn't anything she could say on the matter.

Fuyu took a deep breath and tried again. "Father…" She dug her nails into the palms of her hands. "S-Sorry, I mean King Garon – he ordered me to inspect the fortress near the border… see if it was occupied, take inventory of the supplies stored there… things like that. He promised that no fighting would be required, s-so when I saw that the fortress was occupied, I meant to turn back, but…" She exhaled shakily and unwittingly glanced in Takumi's direction. There was no hostility in his expression like there was the previous day – maybe he was simply hiding it for appearances' sake, or maybe he no longer had any interest in accusing her of treason and whatnot, but whatever it was, it was enough to take the edge off of her anxiety.

"However," she continued, her voice coming out surprisingly clear, "one of the men that accompanied me that day decided to engage the Hoshidan soldiers stationed there. I… failed to stop him. The soldiers retaliated against us, naturally, so we tried to escape. Any further harm done was purely out of self-defense and not aggression on our part."

"Yours and…?" Yukimura prompted her, rubbing his chin.

"Mine, and two other men that were with me," Fuyu answered. "One of them… th-the man responsible for instigating the attack pushed him into the Bottomless Canyon. A-And the other… w-we were separated, and I haven't seen him since. I'm sorry." There were more whispers, but none that she could hear clearly enough.

Rinkah nodded. "I can confirm this," she said. "By the time Kaze and I reconvened with Lady Fuyu, she was most definitely fleeing and not engaging in the attack. Any violence incurred on her part could not have been more than what was necessary to ensure her survival."

"And you are sure of this?" muttered the man standing behind Ryoma. His arms were still crossed stoically over his chest, but he lifted his head slightly, out of the cover of his scarf if not his mask.

Rinkah's eyes narrowed, any semblance of tranquility gone in an instant. "I have no reason to lie."

The man sitting next to her, Akito – her father – turned his head to her. "Peace, Rinkah."

Rinkah clamped her mouth shut and exhaled sharply. "Yes, Father."

One of the old men sitting on the other side of the table. "I suppose it was too much to expect the Nohrians to send someone stronger," he said. "They wouldn't waste one of their generals on something like this."

"Oh, of course not," sneered a middle-aged lady sitting close to the door. "Although, I hear one of the princes is one of their chief tacticians – perhaps he was the one to orchestrate this?"

"I just told you, it was my father who ordered this, not Leo—" Fuyu mumbled – too quietly for anyone but Azura and Takumi to hear her, she realized belatedly.

"Did Lady Fuyu not just say that it was one of her attendants who had gone rogue?" Akito asked. "Clearly, she had no idea this would happen—"

"Though what Nohrian has ever been known for their honesty?" the lady shot back.

"More of them than you think," Fuyu whispered under her breath.

"Perhaps the young princess was sent out completely unaware," said the lady, smirking in a way that sent a shiver down Fuyu's spine. "That still says nothing about those working from the safety of the Nohrian capital."

"Perhaps it was their youngest princess," the old man quipped. "They say she's never seen the battlefield, but perhaps her strengths lie elsewhere? Or maybe she's conserving her strength for her, ah, grand debut when she will slaughter us all."

"Honestly," the lady retorted, "we should put an end to that miserable family before they cause any more trouble."

"I do wonder, though. That youngest princess… just who is she? How formidable an opponent must she be for her to—"

"Elise doesn't fight," Fuyu said, a little sharply. Takumi whipped his head in her direction, and the room went silent at her outburst, but she tried to pay it no mind. "She heals. It's Xander, Camilla, and Leo who…"

"A Nohrian healer?" the lady sneered. "Highly dubious. I say we put an end to her as soon as possible, before she gets a chance to…" Fuyu clenched her fists together, ready to object or at least say something.

"I refuse," Rinkah said instead. Her voice was calm, but her expression was stormy, almost murderous.

"Rinkah—" Akito began, but Rinkah stood up, paying no heed to his words. Her father pursed his lips together and frowned, though he made no further moves to object.

"I've seen how you Hoshidans fight," Rinkah said, "but in the Flame Tribe, we do things differently. We do not betray those who have helped us in the past, and aside from Lady Fuyu, there are four others in the Nohrian royal family to whom I owe my life." She raised one finger in the air. "Princess Elise, who healed my wounds." She raised another finger into the air. "Prince Leo, who teleported us to safety, after King Garon ordered our deaths." A third finger. "Prince Xander, who ensured our escape." As she raised a fourth finger, her brow furrowed deeper. "And Princess Camilla, who encouraged them all to do so." Rinkah sat back down in her seat and closed her eyes. "My debt does not end with Lady Fuyu, and I will not raise my club against these people… nor will I deliberately harm someone who is incapable of fighting back."

"You spoke nothing of debts upon your return," muttered the man standing behind Ryoma. "Only that, when the opportunity presented itself once more, you would fight and defeat the Nohrians honorably. You forget yourself, Rinkah."

Rinkah glowered at him. "What would you know of this?" she seethed. "You remained safely in Hoshidan territory where there was minimal risk, while we—"

"Utterly failed the mission that had been assigned to you," the man cut her off. "You should have died honorably, rather than relied on the grace of Nohrian scum."

Rinkah stood once more, and Fuyu could swear she saw small wisps of fire swirling around her tightly clenched fists. "I'm surprised that your own brother's life means so little to you, Lord Saizo."

Murmurs swept through the room. Mikoto sighed at the front, her forehead falling into her hand, and Yukimura yelled, ineffectively, for order. "Who was that?" Fuyu whispered to Azura.

"That's Saizo," Takumi answered instead, quietly enough that his voice didn't carry over the cacophony. "Ryoma's retainer, and Kaze's brother."

Fuyu frowned. "Is he always so… callous?"

"He's not empathetic, by any means," Azura said, "but I suppose a better way to describe him would be blunt. Blunt and… careless with his words."

"He does care for Kaze, mind you," Takumi whispered. "He just doesn't do the best job of showing it."

"He and Kaze aren't very much alike, are they?" Fuyu asked.

"Well, are you similar to your siblings?" Azura asked.

Fuyu scoffed, thinking of Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise. "Hardly."

Azura and Takumi didn't say another word, but Rinkah and Saizo still argued, Rinkah's volume escalating as flames swirled about her hands. Perhaps it was similar to Flora and Felicia's powers – strength drawn from fire, passed down through the Flame Tribe, rather than ice. The flames were barely contained, though they didn't reach the table or any of the people seated around it. Perhaps it was a threat, though if it was, Saizo didn't react to it.

Mikoto rose to her feet gracefully. "Enough!" she commanded, yet in a quiet enough voice that she still sounded as kind and gentle as always. "We will not engage the young princes and princesses of Nohr, unless they engage us first. That has always been our creed, and that will not change with the tide of increasing tensions between our countries."

Her proclamation was enough for the room to quiet down altogether, and within seconds, she sat down again, just as gracefully as when she first stood up, and smiled serenely. As if nothing was wrong, the meeting continued.